Chapter 202: Viel the Playboy

"Run!"

"T… there's a monster!"

"Did a dungeon open nearby!?"

"Gah!"

"Where are the guards!? Please, help!"

The night seemed even darker than it should be as people were running in panic in all directions. People were pushing each other down and not even caring that they were already stepping on someone.

There were children crying, asking for help, and yet no one noticed them as the people were busy saving themselves.

But then, as they saw someone with a large axe approaching from the distance, their steps instantly stopped. A smile started to creep on their face as the one holding the axe, a woman with long silver hair, was approaching them.

"Isn't that… Lady Cortana!?"

"We… we're safe!"

"The Hero of Freiden has returned!"

The people started cheering, their previous shouts of despair turning into cheers.

"N… no! Run… the monster… it's her!"

"What!?"

"She's the one killing people!"

"Don't be ridi--"

Before the man could even finish his words, his eyes rolled up. His body then slowly fell to the ground, cleanly cleaved in half.

"!!!"

The people could not help but widen their eyes in shock as the blood of the man reached their feet.

"W… what?"

All of them gulped in unison as they slowly turned their heads towards Cortana, "W… what did you do, H… Hero?"

"Lady Cortana?"

The crowd's stuttered words filled the air as all of them started to back away ever so slightly. However, they could not help but flinch and freeze on the spot as Cortana slowly raised her gigantic axe.

"Die…", she whispered, "All of you… will die for taking my child away from me"

"W… what are you saying!?"

"All of you… will die"

A whistle then whispered into the ears of the crowd as Cortana swung her axe. "W… what did you--"

Before the man nearest to Cortana could finish words, his upper body fell to the ground. And in the form of a ripple, the crowd started to fall to the ground one by one, their bodies all split in half. But it wasn't just them, no.

The houses in the city also started to crumble as their foundation was also split in half. The gates, no… the whole city was cleaved in half. Even the trees that were half a kilometer away from the city was cleanly split in two.

Thundering noises started to fill the entire city as everything seemed to be dropping to the ground. The noise, however, was drowned by Cortana's laughter, but the dried up blood that trailed on her face made it look as if she was crying.

***

The next day, Violet and Diao Mei were leisurely chatting at a table. With Violet letting Diao Mei try out coffee even though she hasn't tasted it herself. And as to her expectations, Diao Mei almost choked as she forcefully swallowed the bitter beverage.

"Y… you knew that was going to happen, didn't you!?��, Diao Mei could not help but twitch her eyes as she wiped the coffee stain from her chin.

"I thought you might like it", Violet chuckled, "The adults seem to drink it here every time"

"Really?", Diao Mei squinted her eyes as she stared at the cup of coffee in her hand, "...But why?"

"Hm", Violet only shrugged her shoulders, "Let's have tea instead!", she then said as she joyfully stood up from her seat. But before she could even take 1 step, she saw Viel entering the courtyard with Sofia.

"Ah, Viel!", she blurted out, "What happened to you last night!?"

"Eh!?", Viel was slightly taken aback. He just got out and someone was already shouting at him. Shouldn't he be the one scaring people? He thought.

"My… stomach started to hurt", he said, slightly turning his eyes towards Sofia before looking back towards Diao Mei and Violet, "Must be all the seafood"

"I… see", Violet placed her hand on her chin, "You shouldn't eat too much!", Violet raised her finger as she started reprimanding Viel.

Diao Mei, however, could not help but chuckle. It was as if she returned to 7 years ago. She remembered Violet always reprimanding Viel and telling him not to do anything ridiculous, even though they were of the same age. Viel might even be older than her by months, Diao Mei thought.

Her grandfather was now talking with the city lord. General Diao's initial reason for coming here was to help establish an Explorer's Association.

The western continent did not yet have an Explorer's Association, instead, they had something akin to the Adventurer Guilds that were in Sofia's world. They had people taking numerous jobs, and some of those included clearing out dungeons-- but only when someone posts a request.

They did not have a group of people dedicated to clearing out dungeons. And although it made their economy thrive because everyone had access to the dungeons, they were also losing a lot more lives.

Beatrice didn't have any reason to disagree with General Diao's proposal. After all, with what happened to them and their city, no one had to tell her how important it was to have people specializing in clearing out dungeons.

Beatrice also offered her help in sending letters to the other cities of General Diao's intent. Not to the nearby cities, of course. They can all just suffer as far as Beatrice was concerned. Not one of them even bothered to send reinforcements to their city when they needed it.

"So… what do we do now?", Viel could not help but ask as he joined Diao Mei and Violet at the table. They went to the western continent to rescue Diao Mei's father, and now that it was done in just a single night, they had nothing else to do.

"My mother wants to stay for a while to keep grandfather out of trouble", Diao Mei said as she started pouring tea, but sneakily putting the cup of coffee in front of Viel, "...She is with Matriarch Yinji now, trying to recover more of her broken meridians"

"...Does your mother know how to fight?", Viel could not help but tilt his head.

"...You don't know?", Diao Mei blinked her eyes a couple of times. "She was stronger than grandfather when she was still active!"

"Eh?", Van raised his eyebrow, he was about to take a sip from the cup of coffee, but Sofia suddenly joined in the conversation.

"Are women generally stronger in this world?", she could not help but ask. Xing Cai, Yinji, the Hero of Freiden, and now Diao Mei's mother. Even Diao Mei and Violet themselves, even with their young age, seemed to be stronger than most of the men that she has met in this world.

"Even your fiance doesn't seem much as well", Sofia added. Hearing his name being mentioned, Lu Xun, who was casually standing on the side for some reason, slowly walked towards the group.

Hearing Sofia's words, Diao Mei and Violet looked at each other. They didn't think about it before since they know someone like Viel.

But now that they think about it, Sofia has a point.

"Hmmm…", the two could not help but place their hand on their chin as they came to the sudden realization. But after a few seconds, Violet clapped her hands.

"Enough about that!", she excitedly said as she pointed her finger at Viel, "Are you and miss Sofia really engaged!?"

Sofia almost choked on her tea as soon as she heard Violet's question. "No…", she quickly said as she wiped her lips with a napkin, "Our engagement was cancelled as soon as my father disow--"

"Yes"

Before Sofia could finish her words, Viel interrupted her, "We're engaged"

"..."

Seeing Viel's eyes that were filled with nothing but sincerity, she could not help but cover her face, which was turning red by the second.

"H… have you two done it!?", she then asked.

"!!!"

"What are you asking!?", Diao Mei could not help but stand up in shock, "Both you and Viel are too young to even mention something like that!"

"W… what!?", Violet blinked her eyes in confusion, "T… they still can't hold each other's hand while walking together!?"

"Is… is that what you meant?", Diao Mei quickly sat down.

"...Yes?", Violet tilted her head, "What else could I mean?"

"N… nothing", Diao Mei chuckled awkwardly as she slowly sipped her tea.

"What about the lord of this city!?", Violet then lightly slammed her palm on the table as she once again pointed at Viel.

"Hm?", Viel was once again unable to sip the cup of coffee that Diao Mei sneakily placed in front of him.

"You proposed to her last night, right?"

Violet's words seemed to echo through Viel's ears as his eyes widened in shock. He almost forgot that something like that happened. He then grabbed Sofia's hand and stood up.

"Hm?"

"Let's run!", Viel screamed before leaping out from the table, but he could not even take 5 steps before Yinji suddenly blocked his path. General Diao was also walking behind her.

"...Where are you going?", Yinji asked as he looked Viel straight in the eye.

"Uh…", Viel could not help but gulp, "S… sightseeing?"

"Well, you can't", Yinji slightly chuckled, "The city will be having visitors and your new fiance needs your help", she said, a smirk slowly forming on her face.

"It seems that I need to compete if I want your babies in the future", she then blurted out out of nowhere.

Violet could not help but let out a loud gasp as soon as she heard Yinji's words.

W… what is going on here!? She thought.

Did Viel really grew up to be a playboy!?