Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 211 Old Emotions

"Faster! Faster, you ingrates!"

3 days after Talia had killed the warden and each and every last employee of the prison, some of the inmates thought they would finally be free of any manual labor and could just relax until the military swoops in to apprehend all of them — of course, when that time comes, they would just kneel on the ground and follow their orders.

…Little did they know they would be following someone else's orders until that time came. And not only that, they were now practically being treated as slaves. Most of them, especially those who were on the weaker spectrum, had to sweep and clean the entire prison and bring back anything that would be useful.

That includes weapons, food, and medicine. But not only that, they were also tasked to do the heavy lifting to transfer and practically redesign the entire prison into some sort of… impenetrable castle.

"I have had enough of this!" Of course, there are inmates who cannot take the load anymore. Just a few days ago, the most labor-intensive thing they did in the yard was chip away some adamantine. But now, they moved without pause and without rest; walking like ants around the once sanctuary that is their yard, "We should all just gang up on—"

"!!!"

And of course, everyone also watched as anyone who complained got their heads blown off not even 5 seconds after opening their mouths; littering the yard with their boiling blood and brain matter.

"Someone clean that up." And of course, the one who blew their heads off was none other than Talia, who practically held the key to the invisible collar around their necks, literally.

"Y… Yes, Talia."

"Talia?" Talia raised an eyebrow as a handful of guards started pulling the headless corpse she just killed away.

"Y… Yes, Herrin Talia!" The men stuttered, not daring to look Talia in the eyes as they started pulling the body away. But before they could get far, however, someone blocked their path.

"That's fine, just leave it there and go do your work. I'll clean this up."

"Ah. Yes, Boss!" The men's eyes all lit up as they looked at each other before nodding to Rhys, who told them to just go and leave the body. And with relief breaths, they all just walked away; their steps, slightly filled with haste as they truly did not want to be near the presence of Talia.

"What—Did I order any of you to stop!?" Talia could really only growl as she watched the inmates turn their backs on her. She was about to press the remote to have their heads explode, but Rhys suddenly blocked her view and even held her hand,

"You are really pushing your luck, dregger. You really think I will not kill you like the sewer rat you are?"

"If you keep killing people, we won't have enough to stand our ground once the military attacks this place," Rhys let out a small sigh before just lowering Talia's hand that was holding the remote,

"I know you're just playing with these people's lives, but you forced yourself to be their leader and they will look to you if or when we get sieged by the military."

"You—"

"Boss, where do we put this!?"

"Just put that one on Talia's quarters. Then you guys can rest and eat something at the cafeteria after you're done."

"Roger that, Boss!"

Talia then watched as the inmates greeted Rhys with respect each and every time they passed him. Most of them, talking to him and asking him questions even though she was the one who forced them to redecorate and work in the first place.

"You… I should just kill you now," Talia then once again raised her remote and pointed it at Rhys. But as soon as she did so, she noticed the inmates instantly stopping whatever it was they were doing and looking at her,

"Just… what did you do to these guys that they are treating you like this?"

"No idea," Rhys smiled as he looked at the remote in Talia's hand before turning around and observing all the inmates, gesturing to them to just continue their work, and they did so, "But do you know, Talia? I've always imagined what it would be like if I was in prison. I'm a Lowborn, I was always going to end up here one way or another…

…but I really only experienced what prison is like for a week before you killed everyone."

"Then step inside a cell and I'll treat you like a prisoner," Talia scoffed as she crossed her arms.

"I already am," Rhys then glanced back; the sun hitting his face and reflecting on his silver eyes, "I'm imprisoned, trapped with…

…thoughts of you."

"Your constant attempt to try and get me to like you is starting to get sickening, dregger," Talia's eyes turned cold, "I do not know what you are up to. But you can't fool me, I have shoes older than you."

"Would you like to try me on, then?" Rhys smiled as he very slowly stepped closer to Talia; the tone of his voice, almost a whispering lullaby, "To see if I fit as well as your shoes."

"You—" Talia stood her ground even as she saw Rhys looking at her from head to toe, "That's enough."

"Hm," Rhys stopped moving closer as his eyes just settled on Talia's face. Just 3 days after not consuming the poison in her food, Talia's face was already showing signs of getting younger for some reason — she still looked old, but now she looked like she was just in her early 50s, despite being 120 years old,

"How long has it been for you?"

"Not long," Talia scoffed, "You think just because I'm old, I don't get any from the other inmates?"

"You probably forced them," Rhys smiled, "I'll treat you differently, trust me."

Talia could really only look at both of Rhys's eyes back and forth; trying to see any glimpse of mockery or jest in them — but there was none. The only thing she could see was her old face being reflected on them and carrying… a hint of a smile on her face.

But as soon as she saw that she was smiling, Talia quickly pushed Rhys away and once again pointed the remote at him.

"Stay away from me, dregger. Go bother someone your own age."

"But I'm bothering you."

"You—fine then," a confident smirk then crawled on Talia's face as this time, she was the one to step closer to Rhys. She then stretched her arms to the side, "If you really are that conf—!!!"

And before Talia could even finish her words, Rhys once again suddenly grabbed her face and kissed her on the lips; this time even sticking out his tongue before holding her by the back of her neck; violating the insides of her mouth before letting her go.

"Ughk," Talia quickly covered her mouth as she quickly took several steps back; gasping for breath as she wiped her and Rhys's saliva off of her lips before pointing the remote at him again… only to find that there was nothing in her hand anymore.

"You really should take care of this."

"Give that back…" Talia quickly sucked in a deep breath as she saw Rhys just dangling the remote in his hand, "...If you don't, then—Oh."

Talia could not even make her threat before Rhys threw the remote back to her.

"So…" Rhys then smiled, "...Should we continue this in your new quarters, or let's just do it in my cell?"

Talia could really only take in a deep breath as she looked at Rhys from head to toe again — truly, a fine specimen of a man. It was true she hadn't felt like a woman for a very long time — no, she hadn't felt like a woman ever since the war.

But of all people, why was it a Lowborn making her feel that way?

"Then…" Talia then let out a small whisper as she looked at Rhys in the eyes, "...Let's go to—"

"Wilder!"

And once again, Talia was interrupted as one of the 3 leaders of the prison, Dominique, suddenly approached Rhys.

"Dominique," Rhys strayed his eyes away from Talia as he nodded to Dominique.

"Can… we talk about something?" Dominique let out a heavy breath as her eyes subtly averted Rhys's gaze.

"Talia and I are talking about—"

"Go. I don't need you here."

Rhys could really only watch as Talia just walked away; his progress, blocked just like that. Perhaps he should have approached Talia in private — but his interactions with Talia only work well with other people around them since she has a self-important attitude.

Unbeknownst to Rhys, however, him being approached by a younger woman right at the moment they were about to make a move inside her quarters was causing all sorts of irritation and unwanted feelings inside the old Talia. A sense of… competition.

"Rhys…" Dominique then looked around the other inmates, making sure there wasn't anyone looking at them before she just bowed her head,

"...Thank you."

"Uh… for what?"