Chapter 169: Trouble At The Hunting Grounds (2/2)

No way. They never sent for help over here… Lancaster was completely oblivious.

Moreover, this was a hunting ground of the nobility with a garrison, which was why Lancaster’s military force and the mess of a Holy Corps that were busy culling swamp fishmen would never come here.

‘It must be some peasant who inadvertently ventured wandered here…’ the noblewoman quickly guessed. ‘Sorry, we can’t help you… we can’t even protect ourselves.’

“Mommy?” Gwendolyn looked up at her, having been jolted awake.

“It’s alright, Gwendolyn.” The noblewoman did her best to soothe her daughter. “It’ll be over soon.”

And yet, the fish monsters’ shrieking wasn’t dying down as she expected.

As a matter of fact, it was getting louder.

Soon, sounds of fighting could also be heard from the outside, as if someone was fighting their way here.

The sharp clangs of metals against monster flesh echoed, just as there were loud explosions from spells or sacred arts along with human cries and fish monster roars, making it sound as if a vicious battle was taking place outside.

The two battle-maids had their blades out and were ready to join the fray, but the fish monster that was blocking the entrance had its eyes fixed tightly on them.

Meanwhile, things did not look positive outside either. Should the battle-maids knock down the wall and leave, the fish monsters that had gotten rid of their adversaries would come and devour both the noblewoman and Gwendolyn.

Still, things became quiet once again after a while.

“Who won?” One of the battle-maid whispered to her partner.

“Must be the fish monsters.” The other battle-maid grimaced. “You know how frightening they are… the five-hundred men garrison here were already wiped out even before they could send for help, and even our lady’s elite escorts were likewise slain before they could fight back…”

Not only were the fish monsters extremely strong, their scales were just like steel plates that no normal blows could penetrate.

The battle-maid then paused before continuing. “It takes two hundred elites at least to survive that long against those monsters.”

“Could it be a squad of Extraordinaires?” The other battle-maid could not help asking.

“You’ve never met one, have you? Any group of those inhuman monsters are truly frightening, and they definitely would have quickly wiped out those monsters instead of brawling for so long.” The first battle-maid shook her head and sighed. “There should be cheers if the elite squad had won, too… but there’s only silence, so the fish monsters must have won.”

Her words were true and convincing. Even the noblewoman could not help nodding in agreement.

They must rely on themselves if they were to free themselves from their current predicament.

But suddenly, the fish that had its head stuffing the doorway opened its jaw and shrieked deafeningly, starling everyone in the hut.

Just as they thought that the fish monster was about to force its way into the hut, goo was spurting out of its eye sockets and mouth, whereas its frightening bulbous eyes were slowly becoming turbid. Its head thrashed, crushing the doorframe into wooden splinters before sagging on the ground as if it was exhausted, devoid of any signs of life.

The two battle-maids shared a glance, unsure of what was happening.

However, before they could walk up and check if the fish monster was feigning death or something weird really was happening, the creature’s body was becoming transparent. Its head and its entire body that was still outside soon vanished, leaving four dark organs that were evolved from fins and resembled clawed limbs…

“What’s going on?”

It wasn’t just the battle maids—even the knowledgeable noblewoman had never gone through such a situation, and were confused as to what they should do.

That was when a young boy who was just a little older than Gwendolyn ran inside the hut. He did a double-take when he saw the four of them, and promptly ran outside while shouting. “Uncle Mustafa! There’s someone inside the hut!”

After that, a man’s rich, calm voice asked. “Who is it? The hunting ground garrison?”

“I don’t know, they’re all women!” The boy replied.

“What color?”

“Yellow!”

The four people in the hut looked at each other, unable to help studying one another as the same question bugged them: how were they yellow?

Still, before they could think, the adult man had entered, and the noblewoman’s body tightened the moment she saw him.

She had seen that face on a report when she had arranged Mayor Corinth’s desk: it was the murder suspect of Baron Nigelania whom the city watch captains had uncovered after much difficult investigation!