Chapter 48: Like A Lion
After finishing his recollection, the Lion King looked at Adeline’s face. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
While heading south, the group discovered another stronghold. The problem was that it was on the far side of a wide river. Moreover, this stronghold seemed to be of significant importance to the human traffickers, as they had even stationed guards along the riverbank.
To get across the river, they would need to pass over a bridge. Naturally, they would be spotted by the guards. The group was in a dilemma. Charging in and killing everyone would have been easy, but there was a risk that the traffickers might flee before they could act.
At that moment, Adeline moved. She approached the freedmen who were gathered a distance away. They were carrying bows and arrows seized from the kidnappers. She asked them if they could shoot the guards across the river with an arrow. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“We can’t. The wind is strong, and it’s too far.”
It was a statement of impossibility. Adeline didn’t say much. She took a bow and arrows from the freedmen, walked straight to the riverbank, and knelt in the tall grass. The subordinates were alarmed and began to try to stop her, warning her of the danger. They said she would only reveal their presence and fail if she wasn’t careful. But the Lion King took a significant step back.
“Everyone, step away from her.”
“What? Baltica! But…”
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
The bow was crude. The bow was twisted, and the string was loose. The worn-out handle was wrapped in frayed cloth, and the arrow rest was missing.
Adeline held the old bow, inspecting it briefly. Without further ado, she drew the string. Her cloak, draped over her head, slid off smoothly. Her white forehead, straight nose, and narrowed eyes were all focused in one direction. In a fleeting moment, she didn’t even blink.
The guard stood on the edge of the cliff across the river. It seemed he was there to relieve himself. The river was wide, and the wind was strong. But as soon as she drew the string, she released the arrow. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
The arrow flew with a sharp sound and embedded itself in the guard’s neck. The guard, who had been about to urinate, fell into the water without even a scream, his pants still down.
With a splash, it was over.
“Wow…”
The subordinates all stared at the Lion King with their mouths shut tight. Their eyes were pleading for an explanation of what had just happened. However, he merely smirked and approached Adeline to take the bow from her. “I thought you would hit the head.”
Adeline frowned at the Lion King’s attitude as if he had foreseen the entire situation. Her expression questioned how he knew. But he wasn’t willing to explain this time either.
It was an opportunity she had created. It was his job to complete the operation as quickly as possible.
“Cross the river.”
The subordinates covered their faces with black cloths. The Lion King did the same. He felt, at first, that these activities seemed like the petty work of a thief rather than a king, but he found an unexpected sense of enjoyment or excitement as he kept doing it.
He led the way again, running at the front. The subordinates followed him, running at full speed. As they crossed the bridge, a field with sparse dry grass and tall trees spread out before them. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“There’s another guard over there.”
“Take him down.”
Two subordinates, crouching low, ran through the dry grass toward the guard. They gagged him to prevent any screams, restrained his limbs, and then covered him with a large sack of grain they had been carrying.
“Ugh—!”
Securing the entrance with a tough rope was done with impressive efficiency.
Adeline watched as the Lion King’s subordinates dragged the kidnapped guards along, whistling in admiration.
“That’s incredible. Not just talented, but a complete expert!”
“They won’t be pleased.”
“Why? It’s a compliment.”
Similar events continued to unfold.
Two more guards struggled inside another sack, desperately trying to escape. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
Despite being gagged, they made loud, distressed noises. Adeline approached and spoke to them.
“Be quiet or you’ll die.” She poked the lower part of the sack where their heads were with her finger. “Eliminating noisy ones cleanly is more efficient than dragging them around. Don’t you think?”
The sack instantly stopped its resistance.
“Don’t make a sound. If you resist, it won’t end with just death. I’ll torture you as much as possible and then throw you into a cage with starving beasts. You used to say the same things to the slaves you dragged around, didn’t you? Think about it all. Remember what they begged and pleaded with you. And now, return those words to yourself. Understand? Think about how painful and miserable it was, and how much they wanted to tear you apart. Think about that.”
“That should be enough for them to understand.”
“This isn’t a threat. It’s more of a notice.”
Adeline made sure to drive the wedge until the end. The three struggling sacks fell completely still, as if dead. She stood up with a satisfied expression and returned to the Lion King’s side. Read the translation on itsladygrey.com.
“Let’s go.”
Three people were enough. Someone would eventually talk. They had a fake maid among them.
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Chapter 47 | Chapter 49