The Princess And The Lord-Chapter 1404: Harassment

The two groups stood facing each other in the vast, silent main hall. The tension was suffocating. Weapons were gripped tightly, eyes sharp, breaths held.

Serena clenched her fists, thankful she had disguised herself because if she hadn’t, Ellias and the others would’ve recognized her in an instant, cause she knew her face was plastered across every bounty board in the country as top ten most wanted people, she even got a quite hefty price on her head.

In the past, Serena was quite confident about her strength. After all, she managed to survive not only because of her quick wit but also her combat ability, but only now did she know what true power really was.

She was dumbstruck when they heard Stephan and Fargo joke about how weak the Paladins were, the truth is the Paladins were not weak, it was just them that too strong.

Now, Serena finally understood why people claimed that a single Archknight was worth a thousand soldiers. She used to think it was an exaggeration. But now, she was about to witness that terrifying strength with her own eyes.

"Ellias Khan, right?" Stephan’s eyes narrowed. "One of the Constellation. And your creepy friend over there, too."

He turned his gaze to Simon. Stephan had studied the Constellation for months. Their names were etched into his memory like scars.

"Oh?" Ellias’s voice dropped, curious. "You know us?" His gaze sharpened, the information about the constellation was not easy to get, so for this man to know about him shows he’s not an ordinary thief.

Then again, an ordinary thief wouldn’t be able to break into their SIF and almost get away with it. It seems he must take this man into custody to find out more. "Why don’t you share what else you know about me? If you do, I promise I will let you and your little friends go."

Such a blatant lie. Stephan could hardly believe it—how the hell could someone lie so effortlessly, so cleanly, with a grin like that? It was almost impressive. Almost.

"Come on," Fredhard sneered, eyes narrowing. "Even you cannot believe such a brazen lie like that, right?"

Ellias gave a slow, indifferent shrug. "Well, you’re right," he said, tone flat, unbothered. "I also thought it was too much."

That was it. Stephan stepped forward, arms outstretched, voice low and simmering. "So, why don’t we settle this the old way? You know—the part where I bash your skull in."

"Tsk. So uncivilized," Ellias muttered with mock disappointment, though he already expected it wouldn’t be that easy.

And then, chaos erupted. Steel clashed, magic flared, and the hall exploded into violence. Lory stayed close to Serena to make sure nothing happened to her, though she knew Serena had some combat ability, but Lory refused to take unnecessary risks for Serena’s safety, is her priority.

Lory turned her eyes to the giant tree trunk that covered the exit. Honestly, with her power, she could easily destroy it—but she hesitated. Revealing her gift to the enemy was a risk.

She suspected Fargo and Stephan felt the same way; that’s why they were only using basic spells in the fight. Alas, their opponent is the constellation members, thus, she feared that using common spells would not be enough.

She glanced at Stephan and Fargo, then turned back to the tree trunk, weighing her options. Just as she contemplated her next move, suddenly came a massive trunk suddenly exploded in a violent burst of energy.

Instinct took over her, and in a second, Lory conjured a protective barrier just in time as splinters and shards of wood blasted through the air like deadly shrapnel. The shockwave hit them hard, rattling the floor beneath their feet.

Then they heard a loud shout, "Hey, we’re coming to help!" A man with a giant machine gun appeared from the wide holes on the exit, and it was...Garrof!

"Ga...YOU!" Lory almost blurted out garrof, though it doesn’t matter since he didn’t hide his face.

"Lloyd!" Serena gasped, eyes wide with disbelief. Her heart skipped a beat as she locked onto Lloyd’s calm and resolute eyes. In that moment, all her fear, all the weight pressing on her shoulders, vanished.

Ellias’s expression twisted with fury. Since when was Elysium this easy to breach? He fumed. His pride took a hit, and he silently vowed—after this, the entire security system would be torn down and rebuilt from scratch.

Garrof raised his arm and barked, "What are you guys waiting for? Move it!"

But Ellias wouldn’t let them escape so easily. "Don’t even think about it," he growled, thrusting his hand forward. Thick, thorn-covered vines erupted from the marble floor, racing toward Lory and Serena like hungry serpents.

Before they could strike, Stephan stepped in. With a sharp cry, he slashed his blade in a clean arc, severing the vines midair. Green sap splattered the ground as he pivoted and charged straight at Ellias, sword blazing with raw energy.

"I’ll hold him off—GO!" Stephan shouted over his shoulder, bracing for the clash.

There was no time to hesitate. Lory seized Serena’s arm and bolted toward Garrof and Lloyd. But after only a few strides, she stopped. freeweɓnovel.cøm

Her feet froze. Her heart wavered.

She glanced back, torn. Could she really leave them behind? Once again, she stood at a crossroads, whether to follow her duty or her heart.

Not long after, she heard the unmistakable thunder of boots pounding against the floor, fast and unrelenting. Lory knew the enemy reinforcements were coming, and perhaps with more Constelation members.

Lory bit her lower lip hard, forcing down the surge of emotion. Then she turned to Garrof and Lloyd, eyes blazing with resolve.

"Take Serena. Get her out of here—now!"

"But—" Garrof started, stepping forward.

"—Go!" she snapped. "I won’t abandon my family ever again."

Garrof and Lloyd exchanged a conflicted look, but deep down, they knew Lory wouldn’t change her mind as she had already made the decision.

"Alright," Garrof said. "Don’t worry—the backup will be here any minute!"

Lory didn’t know what kind of backup he meant, but she nodded with a small smile.

Then, in a blur, Garrof, Lloyd, and Serena vanished into the chaos, leaving Lory behind, standing tall, ready for whatever may come.

The clash was brutal as steel met steel in a storm of sparks.

Stephan moved like a phantom, dual-wielding a long and short sword with deadly precision. In a sudden blur, his blades tore through Ellias’ ornate uniform, slashing across the stomach. Furious, Ellias leapt back, snarling, and summoned a swarm of thorned vines.

The plant lunged with unnatural speed, weaving and striking like a serpent. Stephan hurled a flash bomb, the explosion briefly stunned the vines with the heat. Seizing the moment, he spun forward, his swords slicing clean through the writhing mass.

Meanwhile, Fargo battled the perverted man Simon with growing frustration—an emotion he rarely felt, but Simon had a talent for pushing all the wrong buttons in all the wrong ways.

Every time Fargo tore through the entangling vines with raw strength, Simon squealed in delight, eyes wide with unsettling glee. And when Fargo finally landed a solid punch to his gut, Simon doubled over, laughing in utter delight.

"Yes! More! Hit me harder!" he gasped, practically vibrating with joy.

Fargo recoiled, face twisted in equal parts disgust and anger. "Can you not make this weird?!"

But Simon only leaned in closer, grinning. "Oh yes, faster! Give it to me again!"

"ENOUGH! That sounds so very wrong!" Fargo barked, glazed with utter disgust and frustration.

Without another word, he delivered a savage kick that sent Simon flying as far as he could, vines flailing in his wake. "Try enjoying that, you freak!"

Simon pushed one knee along the floor, blood trickling from the corner of his grinning mouth. "I am," he moaned dramatically, "....enjoying every second."

Fargo shuddered so hard he nearly dropped his broadsword. Goosebumps raced up his arms, he couldn’t take it anymore!"Okay—Nope. That’s it." He hoisted his broadsword. "I’m not gonna put up with this weirdo."

From the sidelines, Lory watched in stunned amazement, her mouth slightly agape. For the first time, she genuinely felt sorry for Fargo. As Simon continued his bizarre antics, a thought crossed her mind—maybe she should be the one to take Fargo’s place.

No one deserved to be harassed like that.

Fargo leapt into the air, his massive sword poised to strike down on Simon, when the ground beneath him erupted. A monstrous plant head burst forth, its gaping maw lined with jagged, gleaming teeth, ready to swallow him whole.

His eyes widened in shock. It was too late to retreat. Instinct took over—he twisted midair, bracing himself, muscles tightening to shield against the incoming bite.

But before the beast could clamp down, a cold, sharp wind sliced through the air. A clean, strikes slash splits the creature’s head in two.

Lory charged in at lightning speed, her twin daggers already a blur of motion. She launched herself at Simon with relentless fury, each strike sharper and faster than the last. Caught off guard, Simon barely managed to raise his sword, struggling to deflect the onslaught.

In a sudden, deceptive pause, Lory raised her palm inches from his face.

"Hey. Look at me," she hissed.

Simon instinctively glanced up—just in time to catch a shimmering cloud of powder blown straight into his eyes with a sharp flick of her wrist.

"AAH, my eyes-my eyes!"

Simon screamed, dropping to his knees and rolling wildly on the floor while clutching his face as the searing powder burned his eyes like fire. Lory didn’t let Simon breathe as she swiftly delivered a brutal kick to his gut.

Simon’s body flew backward, then smashed into the wall with a sickening crack before crumpling to the ground.

She stepped forward, ready to finish it—but thorny vines suddenly lashed out from the side, aiming to ensnare her.

Fargo charged in, his eyes blazing, and with a powerful swing, he cleaved through the vines, scattering them in pieces.

"Thanks," Lory said, eyes fixed on the familiar back that had been shielding her since childhood.

"Don’t mention it. And thanks for handling that creep," Fargo replied without looking back.

"That’s what family’s for." Lory stepped up beside him, their eyes locking on the new enemy who had just arrived.