Tingyun heard the howl of the fierce wind.
She also heard the savage roars of monsters.
The instincts of a Foxian were screaming at her to retreat—or else she'd die under the claws of that beast.
Even the two Cloud Knights, after catching sight of that hundred-meter-long behemoth, had fallen into despair.
If an entire army were here now, they wouldn't be afraid.
But it was just the two of them. First the mara-struck, then the Fragmentum creatures, and now this dragon of unknown origin.
Wasn't this a bit too much for a pair of ordinary soldiers?
Us, fighting them? Really?
Boom—
The colossal monster descended from the sky with terrifying force, its claws shredding the heavy cargo containers with ease.
With a single swipe, it crushed the Fragmentum creature into silence.
The gale and shattered debris it stirred up sent everyone nearby flying.
"Mmph—"
Though Tingyun was farther away, she was never much of a fighter.
Facing that enormous monster now, she felt her feet leave the ground as the fierce wind lifted her whole body, hurling her backward.
In the flurry of the moment, she forced her eyes open.
And there, she saw a flash of snow-white hair—hair she thought she'd never see again.
Along with that youthful, beautiful face.
A warm arm wrapped around her shoulders and knees.
Fierce flames encircled them both, yet brought no burning sensation.
Strong hands caught her body, and Tingyun instinctively lifted her arms to wrap around Sylvia's neck, seeking a little more security.
"Am… am I dreaming…"
Sylvia had arrived just in time, like the hero from storybooks who always shows up at the critical moment.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Did the wind blow your senses away?"
Sylvia looked down at Tingyun, who was wearing a dazed expression she'd never seen before, and let out a soft chuckle.
This version of Tingyun added a touch of adorable charm, a stark contrast to her usual shrewd demeanor.
Absolutely precious.
"Ah…"
Tingyun blinked, as if trying to confirm that what she was seeing wasn't some dying hallucination.
Her hand moved almost unconsciously to Sylvia's face and gave a gentle pinch.
"It feels real…"
"Why are you pinching me? Pinch yourself instead!"
Sylvia glared at Tingyun with mock annoyance.
By now, the others who had regained their bearings were all looking toward Tingyun:
"Miss Tingyun! Are you alright?"
The shouts of the others finally made Tingyun realize—she wasn't dead.
And right now, in front of everyone, she was being held in Sylvia's arms in a princess carry.
Her tail had even coiled tightly around Sylvia's entire thigh, clinging for dear life!
"…"
A visible blush spread across her face, turning it bright red.
Pursing her lips, her eyes darted around in a panic, unsure where to look.
Finally, she buried her face in the crook of Sylvia's neck, trying to escape reality.
Her ears flopped repeatedly against Sylvia's cheeks, thwap thwap thwap, like a mix of acting spoiled and complaint.
The members of the Whistling Flames Merchant Guild stared dumbfounded at Tingyun like this.
It was as if they were meeting this ever-graceful, socially adept Miss Tingyun for the first time.
And just as Tingyun was drowning in embarrassment…
Over on the other side, Bella, who had landed, released two thin beams of light, accurately reducing the mara-struck being to a charred husk.
But the other armed individuals watched Bella, and Huohuo who had climbed down from her, with tense vigilance.
"Wait… isn't that the one holding Miss Tingyun… Miss Sylvia, who saved us last time?"
Fortunately, one among them seemed to recognize Sylvia.
Once the name was spoken, the other commerce guild members gradually remembered—there really was someone close to Miss Tingyun by that name.
And Sylvia had just jumped down from that giant monster to catch Miss Tingyun.
Huohuo, who had been wondering how to explain things, finally found her chance to speak.
She produced the Ten-Lords Commission token:
"U-um, I-I'm Huohuo from the Ten-Lords Commission. I came with Sister Sylvia to support Cloudford. This… this big one is a friend…"
The name "Ten-Lords Commission" carried a certain air of mystery and eeriness in the eyes of the Xianzhou natives.
The department rarely appeared in public, and many didn't even know what they actually did.
Let alone recognize their token.
Luckily, as part of the official military, the Cloud Knights, though having little contact with the Ten-Lords Commission themselves, could at least identify the token.
The two Cloud Knights, who had been on high alert, finally relaxed once they recognized it.
Though neither of them knew when such a gigantic monster species had ever existed on the Xianzhou, if you said this thing came from the Ten-Lords Commission…
Well, that sort of fit the common stereotype people had about them.
"So you're colleagues from the Ten-Lords Commission. Our apologies for the earlier discourtesy."
The two Cloud Knights, having survived a near-certain death, never imagined such a perilous situation could still have a way out.
Seeing the Cloud Knights' reaction, the commerce guild members also temporarily lowered their guard.
As for Bella, after squashing a few small pests, she settled onto a nearby cargo container and let out a yawn.
The unwounded Cloud Knight, not pausing to rest, approached Huohuo and asked:
"Miss Huohuo, what should we do next?"
"Ah? I… I-I, um… maybe you should ask Sister Sylvia…"
"…"
The petite Huohuo looked utterly flustered. To an outsider, it might have seemed like the Cloud Knight was bullying a timid young Foxian girl.
Perhaps Huohuo herself realized her response wasn't doing the Ten-Lords Commission's external image any favors.
So, after hurriedly bowing to the Cloud Knight, she scurried over to seek Sylvia's help.
Coincidentally, Tingyun, though still blushing, had at least regained a bit of her wit.
She chose to hide her face behind her folding fan as she climbed down from Sylvia's hold.
"S-Sister Sylvia! W-what should we do next?"
Tingyun glanced down at Huohuo, then shot a curious look at Sylvia, wondering where she had picked up this Ten-Lords Commission member.
Ignoring Tingyun's pointed stare, Sylvia glanced at the Cloud Knight soldier stealing looks from not far away, then patted Huohuo's head.
She walked straight over to the two Cloud Knights.
After a brief exchange, she learned they were soldiers stationed at Cloudford.
They knew the terrain well and could contact others in the area.
Given that, Sylvia decided to temporarily lend Bella to the Cloud Knights.
She had the two soldiers take Bella and conduct rescue operations directly from the air.
With Bella's combat power, there was no worry about encountering unbeatable foes, while the two Cloud Knights would mainly handle communication and reassurance, making sure Bella's imposing size didn't frighten anyone.
As for the Whistling Flames Merchant Guild group, with Sylvia and Huohuo present, there naturally wouldn't be any issues.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.