Chapter 315 - Roping In From the Shadows (2/2)

”So, what do you think of her?” At the very instant the two of them had arrived at the small forest, Vanadir released his grip on Dane's arm and asked him with a light smile. In response, Dane looked at Vanadir with a weird expression, wondering why he was still smiling. Nonetheless, Dane responded with an honest answer as he said, ”From the aura she was emitting a while ago, I could tell that she excels in the field of protection.”

”Though I kind of dislike the fact that she rejected you in front of so many people,” he added, prompting Vanadir to laugh out loud as he told him, ”I told you I was just trying my luck.”

”In any case, you should've told me that the guy from the Astelia family you were talking about was actually a she, Your Highness,” Dane said with a light frown, to which the Ninth Prince let out a light chuckle as he replied, ���Can't reveal everything from the get-go, you know?”

”Anyways, what if I told you that there was a way for her to agree to my offer of joining my team?” he said not long after, eliciting a slightly curious expression to arise on Dane's face. Noticing this, Vanadir grinned as he moved closer to Dane as he said, ”Alright. Here's the plan I have in mind. Although I'm not entirely sure that it would work, I'm at least sure that we would get out of this unscathed.”

He then started to whisper the plan he had in mind into Dane's ear after that. At first, Dane's eyes widened at the sheer absurdity of the plan. But as time passed, that surprised expression was replaced with that of doubt as he felt that there was no way such a plan would work. Even after Vanadir was finished explaining the plan, an expression of doubt could be seen on Dane's face, wondering if the prince he was following now had a few screws loose.

”Oi, oi, oi. What's with the doubtful expression? You did tell me to inform you of things like these beforehand, right?” the Ninth Prince said not long after, dispelling the doubtful expression on Dane's face as he let out a sigh. Scratching his head as he tried to wrap his head around the plan, Dane looked at him and asked, ”Is that why you asked me before we left if I would be willing to follow every order you make, as long as it doesn't harm me, Your Highness?”

”Uh-huh,” Vanadir nodded as he replied. Seeing the adamant expression on his face, Dane went silent for a bit as he pondered over their chances of successfully roping someone like Griselle Astelia through that method. In the end, Dane let out a long sigh of annoyance as he said, ”Ahhh…to hell with it!”

”Now that's the Dane I know,” Vanadir laughed as the two of them went ahead and bided their time inside the forest, waiting for night to fall.

…

A few hours have passed since the two of them had arrived near the Astelia family household. Taking a gander at the moon that illuminated the night sky, Vanadir lightly nodded to himself as he felt that now was the right time to make a move. Tapping on Dane's shoulder, who was circulating the mana inside his body all this time, he then looked at him and said, ”We're going to make our move.”

With a nod, Dane stood up and dusted off his backside before going ahead and casting movement speed boosting spells to the two of them, as well as spells that removed their presence from onlookers. Ensuring that all of the spells had been successfully cast on them, the two then dashed towards the Astelia family household once more, this time with an eccentric plan in mind.

There was no surprise to the amount of time it took them to arrive at the household since they were using the same movement speed boosting spells. What was instead surprising was that they were still able to unleash such a level of speed even after not eating for so long. Then again, as long as one had reached a high enough class, one could forgo eating or drinking for longer durations, with those at the peak even being able to forgo eating and drinking altogether.

Just before they arrive at the entrance of the Astelia family household, the two of them hastily made a sharp turn as Vanadir asked Dane to utilize a detection spell, telling him to keep his senses peeled at the very instant he sensed Griselle's presence. After circling the perimeter of the household a few times, Dane's spell finally picked up the signs of Griselle's presence, prompting them to stop under a window that led to a room that was more or less lit.

The two of them looked at each other as they prepared themselves for what was about to come. With a nod, they then leaped into the window, entering the room uninvited as their sights were greeted by a silver-haired woman wearing comfortable nightwear.

”Eh? Aren't you two the two people I rejected earlie—!” Unfortunately for the silver-haired woman, just before she could finish her question, Dane hastily moved closer to her and gripped her by the neck before pushing her onto one of the walls. As for Vanadir, who watched all of this unfold from behind, he looked at the silver-haired woman and asked, ”So, Lady Griselle. Let me ask you one more time. Are you willing to join my team?”

”Your Highness, there's no way this has got to work, right?” Before Griselle could even answer, Dane looked back at the Ninth Prince and asked, prompting the latter to let out a light chortle as he pointed at Griselle and said, ”Take a look at her current expression and tell me if that's the case.”

”What do you mean by—” Just before Dane could even finish his query, the current expression Griselle had on her face was a stark contrast to the Griselle that they had seen just a while ago. At this moment, her face was as red as a tomato, though it was not due to the grip Dane had over her neck. In fact, Dane did not even grip on her neck that hard at all. Nevertheless, ragged breathing filled with a hint of l.u.s.t could be heard coming out of Griselle's mouth as she looked at Dane with a gaze filled with desire.

Amidst her breathing, she maintained her calm as she looked at Vanadir and asked, ”If I accept…can I…have my way…with this…fine man…?”

”Oh no,” Dane instantly felt that something was amiss after listening to Griselle's words. Sadly for him, just before he could ask Vanadir to help him out, a grin could be seen on the Ninth Prince's face as he jumped through the window they entered from while replying, ”Take as much as time you want.”

Whoosh!

Since Dane and Griselle were the two ones left inside the room, and Vanadir seemed to have no intention of helping him out, Dane let out a light sigh in the end as he released his grip on her neck as he muttered to himself, ”I don't know if I should hate you or love you, Your Highness.”

”In any case, it's time to prepare for the battle in front of me.”

”3rd Circle!”

”[Extreme Hardening]!”

”My vitality is seriously going to get siphoned at this rate…”