The leader of the enemy force clenched his teeth in pain as he held his bleeding arm, exerting as much pressure as he could to stop the bleeding. Even though the woman performed that last slash as she dodged the torrent of flames, she still managed to sever the main arteries in his arm and important tendons, making it impossible for him even to raise it anymore.
If it weren’t for his enhanced vitality, thanks to his Level, the man would have passed out immediately due to blood loss. However, if he kept bleeding like that, it was just a matter of minutes before he would black out and die.
"Dammit!" the man roared as his left hand was set ablaze, scorching the skin around the wound, cauterizing it.
Amara’s eyes widened as she saw the man’s determination, but she remained silent, simply waiting for an answer to her questions. The woman knew that time was her ally, so the longer things took, the better.
The man’s face was pale due to the agony he had just endured, and cold sweat covered his back as he attempted to regulate his breathing. He stood up after a few seconds, his eyes full of poisonous rage as he focused on the woman, eager to send the entire power of his force against her, but he did not lose himself to the rage.
His eyes darted through the terrain and saw how the military force at the mountain’s base was ready to strike. They had lost four Mages, and he was in very bad condition. If a fight were to start, while they would definitely harm the other side, he and all his men would die, so he needed to be smart.
"I am Rodrick Camel, and we came from Trigun City. Our leader is Fernon, who has already dominated the entire city. He is a Level 10 Mage!" A sharp light appeared in Rodrick’s eyes as he shouted those words, ensuring everybody heard the last part.
The soldiers at the mountain’s base adopted solemn expressions as they heard those words. The higher your level, the more energy you hold and the more powerful the spells you can unleash. It was not hard for a Level 10 Mage to level a small town and kill hundreds of people from a distance.
On the other hand, Amara maintained a flawless expression, as those words had no effect on her. It did not matter if the man’s leader was a Level 10 Mage, as she firmly believed that there was no human in Terra who could face the Xaos King. Not to mention that she did not think a single word from the man was true.
The Silent Wind Military Base was in Inkmetal City, and Triggun City was the neighboring city, so they were close enough to have come to this place. However, Trigun City was also where Arabus’s high demonic horde came from.
How could someone have dominated the city when less than a month and a half ago, the Abyssal demon and over eight thousand demonic beasts emerged from there?
Yet, even though Amara knew that Rodrick was lying through his teeth, she feigned complete ignorance and spoke solemnly, a hint of caution in her voice as if afraid of the Level 10 Mage. "What are Fernon’s forces doing attacking the Xaos Kingdom?"
A small smile appeared on Rodrick’s face as he saw the caution in the terrifying woman. He was happy to see that his ruse had worked, but he did not lose focus, as the next part was very important if he wanted to leave this place alive.
"We have been sent to this place to harvest its resources through any means possible." The man made a pause at this point, showing a defeated expression and sighing before carrying on. "This is not an honorable job, but soldiers must not question orders, only obey them. I am sure you understand that."
Disdain appeared in Amara’s mind as she heard those words. Not only was the man lying, but he was also using words that she considered nothing more than an excuse for cowards.
While it was true that a soldier should not disobey the direct order from a superior officer, the words ’I was only following orders’ have been used to justify too many tragedies in the history of Terra, including massacres and even genocides.
If Amara were ever tasked with a mission like stealing from refugees, she would immediately refuse and accept whatever punishment her leader would consider necessary. She would not rebel or incite chaos, instead using her determination to endure the sentence as a statement that the command was wrong. Luckily, she believed the one she had chosen to follow would never sully himself to such a level.
Of course, Amara did not show any of the disdain or loathing that the man generated in her; she simply nodded and indicated for him to continue speaking.
In Rodrick’s mind, everything was going great, so he carried on, his voice full of confidence. "I admit my actions were overbearing, but you took the lives of four of my men, so that should be more than enough. I propose we act as if this never happened and follow our respective paths."
The man’s proposal made sense, with Mitchel and the rest of the soldiers believing it was the best choice. They had suffered no damage, and a fight would leave death and injured, so it was better if they just left.
However, the Royal Guard had the last word, as her status and military authority were surpassed only by the Grand Marshal of the Xaos Kingdom. Amara did not say a single word, remaining silent and watching over the group.
Rodrick could not help but frown as he saw the woman do nothing. He believed things were going well and they could leave without more fighting, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
"What do you..." As Rodrick was about to demand an answer, his entire body trembled. Immediately, a wave of weakness assaulted him to the point that he was unable to stand.