Angel Monarch-Chapter 381: Mercy Is Not an Option

Adam looked down at the Transcended corpse with a beautiful, intricate dagger stuck in its head. He poked it with his spear, but he was truly dead.

Footsteps approached the blond man wearing a glass-like, bloodied armor. The tall woman stopped by his side, her long metallic-gray hair gently swaying and lips twisted into a wide grin.

"This was her first kill, wasn't it?" Asked Adam from Yvonne. "Yes, I suppose. However, killing using a thrown dagger isn't the same as taking a life in close combat!"

He just grunted, then looked upon the corpses Yvonne killed. His eyes slowly narrowed, then he turned towards the tall woman with an accusatory glance.

"You could've easily reached him, but instead you let Her Highness take him out. Why?"

Yvonne smiled even more widely, then pointed behind her as she spoke.

"I could've killed this guy, but his friend was even closer to the Princess. I didn't want her first kill to be a moral dilemma! It makes the second kill much easier!"

Adam continued staring into the woman's metallic-gray eyes, then a few seconds later, he turned away. He approached the floating black orb, which oozed with some kind of dark, viscous liquid.

His right hand reached out, but before it could've touched its surface, Yvonne caught it.

"I don't think that's a good idea. It's some kind of small pocket dimension. We don't know what's within!"

The tall man snatched his hand away and turned towards Yvonne angrily.

"The Princess is fighting in there, for the Goddess's sake! I won't let harm come to her! I'm going in!"

Yvonne just shook her head and laughed. "You have that little faith in the Princess's abilities? Well, you didn't train her, so you wouldn't know… That little girl is a true monster! She learned what took me years, under a week!"

Suddenly, Yvonne reached over Adam's shoulder and grinned at the floating black orb.

"This, right here, is just another test! With her powers and fighting capabilities, there is barely any Transcended who could cause her issues! However, she needs to learn how to kill, not just from a range, but in close combat… Otherwise, it'll break her…"

Adam opened his mouth to disagree, but even he couldn't deny the merit of Yvonne's words. Her methods might not be the safest, but they'll definitely provide the fastest results.

He wanted to keep Vicky away for harm, however she also needs to grow as a leader and fighter. The best way to keep her safe was by letting her learn, so she wouldn't rely on others!

His hand stayed in the air, but soon it fell to his side, while he sighed with despair.

"Dammit, my wife will kill me after this!" He said, causing the tall woman to burst into laughter.

"I'm sure Lilith will understand. She's a smart girl, a bit too fanatical, but nobody's perfect!"

Adam turned towards Yvonne with a raised eyebrow, signalling her stupidity.

"Lilith and understand in the same sentence? She told me if I let Vicky out of my sight, then I'll have to do what she says for an entire month!"

The tall woman glanced at the younger married man with a stupid smirk.

"Isn't that what you always do? I thought husbands are supposed to obey their wives!"

He turned towards Yvonne with an angry glare, while she burst into laughter. Eventually, he just sighed and shook his head with self-deprecation.

"That's not what I meant. Since Nick's birth, Lilith had baby fever… She keeps pestering me to have a child of our own, but I told her not until the end of this war!… But now she'll use this as an excuse to try for a baby!"

Yvonne didn't laugh at his words. She just smiled at him genuinely. Even though he complained, just speaking about his wife brought a wide smile to his face. He truly loved her!

"I think you should wait with a baby. How old are you two? Nineteen? Twenty? I'm close to thirty and don't even have a partner!"

This time, Adam grinned wickedly at the tall woman, his deep orange eyes full of mischief.

"Thirty? I didn't know you were elderly! Also, why don't you have a partner? I'm sure many men would enjoy your… Uh… They would find something likeable in you!"

Yvonne furrowed her eyebrows, then began laughing with her entire body. She even hit Adam on the back, which nearly sent him into the black floating orb.

"I thought the young should respect their elders!… Anyway, I'm sure many men would find me enjoyable, especially in bed, but I would quite like their presence… I'm more into other type of people, ones with curvier bodies, especially near the chest!"

She winked at Adam, who didn't seem surprised by her answer.

"Ah, yes. I heard!… You're even in pursuit of one of these big chested individuals, aren't you? A tall one, with long golden hair and similar feathered wings? Someone taciturn? Who's best friend is a snake-woman and a goblin?… Am I right?"

The tall woman spat on the ground while gritting her teeth. A small blush appeared on her strong face, which made it quite adorable.

"Did Kim tell you? I swear that woman can't keep anything hidden!"

"That's the price when everybody likes you. You'll become a gossip machine!… But, don't worry. I'm sure Astrid still doesn't know. That woman is extremely clueless about everything!"

His words did little to cheer Yvonne up. She hadn't told Astrid anything about her feelings yet, because like any normal human being, she's scared of rejection.

"Yeah, I know… Ah… It makes my job so much harder! Why can't she learn my feelings from an outside source, then either ignore it or confront me!… Also, why is this the hardest task I've ever done in my life!"

Adam just laughed while Yvonne sulked about her future confession.

"Don't worry, I'm sure Astrid feels the same way. She's just much less comfortable showing any emotions! Just ask her out for dinner or whatever single people do for dates!"

The tall woman snorted, her lips twisting into a small, thankful smile. She 'gently' bumped into Adam. He nearly touched the black orb again.

"Shut up, Mr. Married Man! You have it easy, so don't look down on us single folk!"

They both chuckled a bit, then turned silent as they continued waiting for Vicky's arrival.

"Who's Nick?" Asked Yvonne, after minutes of silence. "You said Lilith has baby fever because of him, so who's this Nick?"

Adam's eyes suddenly widened. Inside his mind, he began cursing himself for revealing Nick's name.

He looked around, desperately finding an excuse or a lie. Yvonne saw his distress too and grew even more curious.

Luckily, he didn't need to answer. Just as his despair grew, the black orb began rapidly growing in size until it eventually popped.

From the dissipating darkness, Vicky's kneeling form appeared. Before her, a tall black knight laid with a bunch of daggers sticking out of his body and three daggers from his head! frёeωebɳovel.com

"Wow, I didn't expect you'd make him into a pincushion! Couldn't you do it with fewer daggers?"

Yvonne obviously tried to abolish the solemn atmosphere immediately. Her attempt, however, only met silence.

Vicky continued staring at the corpse with an expressionless face, then slowly she rose to her feet. Adam quickly walked to help her, but she raised her hand, stopping his movements.

"I'm fine, just a bit nauseous… Let's keep going… His ability suppressed mine, and that's why I couldn't scout, but now that I… Now that he's dead, I know exactly where every enemy is hiding!"

The Princess began walking, and her two protectors fell behind her. Neither questioned the changes in their formation.

Vicky seemed much more confident, but they also saw the jumpiness in her eyes. She actively ignored thinking about her first kills, which wasn't the healthiest coping mechanism.

Adam was about to say something inspiring or calming, however, Vicky was faster

"The black knight revealed a bit of information before the fight began. It seems Otto and his brother worked with the Asian continent for the past year or so. At least that's how long he guarded my mother!"

"Wait, what?! We have only known about their existence for less than a year!" Said Yvonne, while both outraged and impressed.

"Otto and Victor… The older brothers of Sarah… You think she also knows about everything? Did she betray us?" Asked Adam, while his hands trembled from anger.

Vicky glanced back, but continued walking. She seemed thoughtful for a moment, before finally shrugging and answering.

"I'm not sure about Sarah, however… The black knight believed I had little to know fighting knowledge. We obviously kept my capabilities a secret from the public, but Sarah and all my other friends knew about it… If she was a spy, then the enemy should've prepared for me better!"

Both Adam and Yvonne breathed a small sigh of relief. They would rather not question anyone's allegiance… Distrust is a slippery slope, accusations alone could have devastating consequences!

"We'll have Lilith check her out, just in case. We won't keep our suspicions a secret, and judging by her reaction, we'll determine her allegiance… If she's with us, any information about Victor or Otto will prove helpful!"

They nearly reached the end of the corridor when Vicky abruptly stopped. She turned around and stared seriously into her bodyguards' eyes.

"These people were sent here to either kill or capture me! I would love to show them mercy, but I'll not allow them to threaten my or my mother's life… Mercy's not an option! I'll lead the charge, while you two support me from behind! Understood?"

Yvonne nodded with a proud grin, while Adam narrowed his eyes. He tried gauging any doubt on Vicky's face, but she looked confident and rational… She seemed even calmer than Adam himself!

Eventually, the blond man nodded too, and together they turned the corridor, engaging the Transcended assassins!