Chapter 378: 16 Year Old Inglis and Leone’s Homecoming (6)
They must be assassins out for you, Leone. I dont think theyre from Arlman, though.
Assassinsnot from Arlman?!
How do you know?
Before Inglis could answer their questions
GROAAAA!
Oh, shut up. Cant you be silent for a minute?
Eris appeared, bringing one of the undead with her. The undead was carefully restrained with a rope, unable to move.
Miss Eris!
Lady Eris!
Ah, good. Youre fine. Oh, this? I figured we could bring one with us to Special Envoy Theodore for identification and evidence.
Youre right. If its the Special Envoy, he might know whether it was caused by an Artifact or by a Highlander.
weve given him so much work to do. I kind of feel bad about it.
Fufu, we sure do. Leone, take a look. This is an undeadit is a human being who is changed either due to an Artifact or by a Highlander. Think of them like zombies or vampires.
B-, but those only exist in ghost stories!
Someone used a power to bring the undead into reality, and whoever they are, they made these undead to attack youthey even dressed them in knight uniforms beforehand. I mean, they wouldnt die even after you cut them apart, and they faked their death to ambush you. If you were panicking, you might have fallen into their trapthat only proves how far this person had planned.
Leone was shocked by the fact that she had just killed an Arlman Knight. Approaching the undead lying in wait in her distraught state would have been dangerous.
! Thats! B-, but, who would?!
We dont know who, but no one in Arlman has that ability, right?
O-, of course!
Then they cant be someone from Arlman, right? If they could do something like this all this while, they would have done it a long time ago.
Besides, Im sure these undead arent people from Arlman either If this many people went missing suddenly, it would be alarming, and the people outside the gate dont seem worried. These undead must be from somewhere else. We can investigate it, and then youll know for sure.
Youre right. We need to identify these undead too.
Eris added, See? Thats why Im sure its not what you think it is, Leone.
Forgive us, Lady Leone!
We want to make amends for our actions!
And thank you! We owe our lives to you!
Everyone lined up, bowing to Leone.
N-, no! Please, raise your heads! Thank you for seeing me! Thank you
She choked on her words, overcome with emotion.
Good for you, Leone!
Rafinha said joyfully.
Its not good. She had attackers disguised as townspeople come after her.
Inglis interjected, just before Leone picked her up in a tight hug.
It wasnt good, butthank goodness
Leone buried her face in Inglis, treating her like a comforting plush toy. For the typically reserved Leone, this was an unusually intense display of emotion. It highlighted her relief.
However, as Inglis pointed out, not everything was rosy. Someone out there had targeted Leone.
It couldn't have been anyone from Arlman. If an Arlman Knight could create undead, they would've utilized it before Leone left for the academy. And even though they had mistreated Leone, they had never harmed her directly. Suddenly taking such drastic measures would be out of character.
And if external forces were involved, Inglis couldn't be certain if the perpetrator's intent was connected to the Olpha family. It was highly plausible they harbored an entirely distinct agenda. Inglis personally believed this to be true. Though Leone's reputation might have improved, she hadn't taken any action that would incite resentment.
So, what was the true purpose of this attack? Was Leone the sole target? Could this be related to the impending transformation of Arlman into a hub for a new chivalric order? If so, a broader conspiracy could be in motion.
Regardless, someone wielded the power to create undead. Whether this stemmed from an Artifact or was a piece of Highland's technology, the only certainty for Inglis was its striking potency. All she had to do was piece the clues together, and the truth would unveil itself.
While Inglis wasn't sure of the undead's origin, the prospect of encountering an even mightier undead, or potentially the ultimate undead entity, the Lich, was tantalizing.
Legends state that Liches' power rivals that of Dragon Gods.
For her impending clash with Jeldegrva, the Duke of War, it was crucial for Inglis to continually refine her combat skills. Anticipating a formidable adversary's challenge was, in her eyes, always thrilling.
Fufu, all is indeed well. Fufufu
Inglis said, her face brightening into a smile as she affectionately brushed Leones hair.
That smile seems rather mischievous
Rafinha, with her keen senses, made this astute observation.