Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 280 Gratitude

"What… did you just call me?"

Rhys had always thought that the gorgons' inability to keep their thoughts in their mind would surely always lead to trouble. And right now, he was witnessing just that. Just moments ago, Malenia was trying her best to mediate and calm the situation down; even when the Shrine of Medusa was insulted, she kept her calm.

But as soon as she saw Governess Rheadan staring at Rhys from head to toe while licking her lips, her impatience just instantly reached its limit.

"I called you a fat caterpillar, you can barely even move your limb — and I could see through your scales since your skin is stretching. What I can't see, however, is your neck; which one is it from the 6 I am seeing?" Malenia said in the span of 5 seconds while staring Rheadan in the eyes,

"And is that cosmetics on your lips, or is it sauce?"

"You…you dare insult me!? Right in my city!?" Rheadan pointed her chubby finger at Malenia.

"I am only stating facts, and we are not in your city. Your city is still half a mile there and I can see its gates," Malenia shook her head as she pointed at the large stone gate that was in between even taller plateaus, "Maybe if you just let us pass like we wanted, we would have already been gone by now.

Please, Governess, as someone who had served the Shrine of Medusa, I am asking you to let us pass — I am on a very important mission."

"You think you have the right to even look at Hortho after what you said to me!?" Rheadan screamed as she tried to slither her way out of her palanquin, but failed to do so, "Hear this, you and your people are to never set foot in Hortho ever again, I forbid it! I forbid it! What are all of you just looking at them for, kill them!"

And as Rheadan said that, the remaining warrioresses raised their spears again… and a dozen more suddenly emerged from the sand, completely surrounding Malenia and the group. Rhys did not really realize they could do that, and he did not even sense them even with his heightened abnormal senses.

Well, it made sense that he wouldn't detect them at all — the only threat on the other side was Rheadan, and she could barely even move.

"Malenia," Rhys then stood behind Malenia and whispered, "I will kill everyone but the fat one, will that be alright?"

"That…" Malenia glanced at Rhys before looking at the warriors inching toward them. She still seemed completely hesitant, but the only thing she could really do was nod, "...They are trying to kill us, they left us no choice. Shivellans, prepare to—"

"Shivellans!" Malenia could not finish her words before Rhys interrupted her, "Prioritize protecting the High Priestess and the carriage."

"Wh—" And once again, before Malenia could say anything, Rhys just leaped into the air. And as he did so, 7 scalpels fell from his trusty utility belt — but before the scalpels could actually drop down, he caught each and every one of them and threw them one by one; each letting out thunders as he threw them at full force towards the warriors' heads.

All the scalpels hit the warriors right at the very center of their foreheads, just completely stabbing into their heads and through the back like their skulls were just made of tofu.

He did all of this while he was still ascending in the air, and when he was starting to fall; he tugged his hand and pulled all the scalpels back to him, which actually had threads attached to them — these sharp threads completely tore through the warriors' heads, and before the others could react, Rhys swung his arm and sliced through the remaining warriors…

…doing so before his feet even returned to the sand.

And when his feet did drop back to the sand, so did the corpses of the warriors who died without even knowing what killed them.

"Hm…" Rhys then let out a small breath as he looked at the servants carrying the palanquin; wondering if he should also kill them. But after thinking about it for a few seconds, he chose not to do so — after all, he was sure they would still need to carry the Governess back to the city,

The shivellans could really only glance at Rhys; they were only about to bring Malenia back to the carriage by Rhys's orders, but before they could even drag her 3 steps to the carriage, Rhys had already killed the warriors — there was no need for them to do anything at all.

"Now then," Rhys glanced at Malenia before looking at Rheadan. And with another sigh, he started approaching the governess. Rheadan's eyes quickly lit up as soon as he noticed Rhys walking toward her, but before she could even turn anything into stone, she found her eyes being showered by sand.

Of course, their eyes were resistant to the inconvenience that sand brings — and Rhys knew this. And so, Rhys just quickly shot out a web of thread from his fingers and completely covered Rheadan's eyes.

Rheadan's servants did not really do anything, and even moved away as Rhys drew closer.

"How do you want to do this, High Priestess?" Rhys then glanced back at Malenia, "I don't think we can push through using diplomacy here."

"...Diplomacy was not an option from the start," Malenia also let out a long and very deep sigh as she slithered next to Rhys while shaking her head at the sorry sight of Rheadan, "I could only assume, but it would seem she got tired of being the High Priestess and decided to rule Hortho instead — for what reason, I do not know why. She—"

"Do you think that you could—Hrmph!?" Rheadan was about to scream her lungs out, but before she could do so, Rhys also covered her mouth with webs.

"Do you want me to scout ahead?" Rhys looked at the gates of the city from afar.

"No," Malenia shook her head as she approached Rheadan's servants, raising her arm and showing the tattoo of the High Priestess. And as soon as she did so, the servants all bowed their heads and tucked their limbs,

"Why is your High Priestess serving as the Governess of your city?"

"That…" The servants all looked at each other before nodding at the same time.

Apparently, Malenia's guess was almost spot-on. Rheadan ordered her shivellans to overtake their city — completely abandoning the Shrine of Medusa and even tearing it down.

"When… did that happen?"

"Several sheddings ago, it has been a very long time," the servant bowed his head further down as he spoke to Malenia, "I was there when the High Priestess turned the governess into stone. And—"

"She turned the governess into stone?" Malenia stopped the servant from talking, "Did they shatter her stone and kill her?"

"N…no. She keeps her petrified body next to her bed, she—"

"That means there is still a chance that she is alive," Malenia looked at Rhys.

"That's not our problem, High Priestess," Rhys let out a small sigh while shaking his head, "I can bring the Governess to the city to create some chaos, and in the meantime, the servants could take you and the carriage past the city."

"No, please…!" The servants then all bowed their heads down again as they slithered closer to Malenia, "No one… no one likes Governess Rheadan! They're all just scared of her, and only the shivellans follow her orders! She… she had to turn the other city guards into stone too!"

"If that's the case…" Rhys placed his hand on his chin, "...Then I suppose that might prove faster than trying to create chaos in the city. But the first time I notice someone even looking at us funny, High Priestess — I am going to carry you and the nymph out of the city."

"E…even me?"

"Of course," Rhys nodded as he looked at the Hearts floating above Malenia's head, "I need you."

"The… The Hero needs me…?" Malenia quickly looked away, "We… we should be quick then, bring her inside the city!"

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, no chaos really happened and Malenia did not have the chance to be carried by Rhys out of the city. Instead, all the citizens welcomed them with open arms; some of them even cheered and cried as soon as they saw the fat governess tied up.

Rhys truly thought that there would be some sort of altercation and he had to kill more people again, but nothing happened — and instead, they truly did save a lot of gorgons. But sadly…

"...Most of them will die if I undo their petrification."

The petrified guards were already in a dilapidated state, most of them either missing limbs or their heads were cracked. Perhaps the only welcoming news was that the previous governess was alive and well.

"You… you have my utmost and eternal gratitude, High Priestess!"

"Please, Governess, we only did what we are supposed to do — I am with the… Where's the Hero?"

But while Malenia was talking and being thanked by the people, Rhys was currently in front of the ruined Shrine of Medusa with Aengela sitting on his shoulder.

"I do not feel my sister here, Hero," Aengela had her eyes closed.

"Was… she killed?"

"No, I would have felt it," Aengela shook her head, "But it would seem the Fates have once again guided your steps, Hero — the lingering presence left of my sister on this ruined shrine…

…it is the same as the one who is howling in pain."

"I see..." Rhys's eyebrows lowered, "I guess we could spare some time...

...and interrogate the fat caterpillar."