Chapter 13: As Conflicted as She is

Located in the central region of the continent, the Skyway Mountain Range, which blocked the Empire's westward advance, boasted a height that was despair-inducing.

Of course, height alone could not deter the Emperor's ambition to dominate the world. What truly made the Empire feel challenged was the presence of the strongest beings in the world, the Dragon race, who had long inhabited the Skyway Mountain Range.

The proud and powerful dragons detested the Empire's scrutiny and were equally wary of the Great Monarch on the Imperial Throne. Consequently, the Empire's outposts near the Skyway Mountain Range were forced to retreat time and time again following numerous destructions. This history of conflict underscored the formidable might of the dragons, as no other force had ever dared to challenge the Empire without facing utter obliteration—not even the sea creatures of the Lost Sea, who once suffered a bloody and brutal massacre at the hands of the Emperor for daring to overturning the imperial fleet.

Yet, within this towering mountain range that pierces the sky, in the sacred dwelling of these legendary creatures that can conquer even the sky, an uninvited guest... had arrived.

"Hmph, dragons... nothing more than a bunch of slightly tougher beasts."

The voice of the mature woman carried an alluring tone that stirs heat, but the overwhelming will to dominate and the arrogant confidence in her voice made it difficult to focus on her tone. Instead, one was easily subdued by the pure and domineering aura.

"ROAR!!!"

BOOM—!

At the pinnacle of the Arling Peak, the main summit of the Skyway Mountain Range, the roar of the dragon was drowned out by a greater rumble. Amidst the flying debris and rising dust, a tall figure gradually emerges.

"Shut the hell up, noisy bastard!"

Another deafening boom, and this time no more roars were heard.

As the dust slowly clears, the madman standing in this forbidden land of the world finally revealed her true appearance.

She wore a light gray cloak, the open robe flapping loudly in the fierce wind. Underneath, her dark armor adheres closely to her skin, fully encasing the two flawlessly shaped, elevated and rounded mounds on her chest, while also revealed her tightly cinched, slender waistline in full view.

Her lower body, however, contrasts sharply with her tightly covered upper body. The black tight shorts, only reaching halfway up her thighs, delineated a peach-shaped curve that is even more eye-catching and arousing than the two mounds on her chest, spanning slightly wider than her shoulders. 

This curve, accentuated by the woman's tight waistline, was rendered even more pronounced. Her muscular and thick legs, owing to her eight-head-tall frame, appeared exceptionally elongated, boasting muscle lines so impeccable that they would evoke envy and admiration from any woman, devoid of any perceivable flaw.

The woman looked down at the dragon whose entire head she had stomped into the mountain rock, scoffing disdainfully, "And even if they are a little bit tougher, it's still only by a little."

She raised her head, her clear snow-white short hair dancing wildly in the wind. Her face, having shed the youthful naivety of her teenage years, had become even more alluring and captivating. Her facial features were very pronounced, the epitome of perfection that only a master sculptor could achieve, pouring all their imagination of aesthetics into creating such a masterpiece.

Yet, akin to her voice, which, despite its mature and enticing quality, bore a dominance and confidence that quelled any improper thoughts, the woman's spirited expression and her disdainful eyes also made it impossible for any mere mortals to approach her breathtaking beauty.

She was Sitana Rancemalos, but not the nameless hunter from a border village of Scarletfrost.

—She was the most talented warrior in the history of the entire continent, the Martial Goddess who had single-handedly broken through the imperial magic corps, the unparalleled powerhouse who could fight the Empress head-on and retreat unscathed!

"Truly disappointing."

The woman looks up at the sky, "Is this the best you've got? It's a wonder you haven't been obliterated by the Empress."

As soon as the words had left her lips, a massive black shadow that seemed to eclipse the entire sun soared into the sky!

The relentless gale atop the Arling Peak, the summit of the Skyway Mountain Range, had yielded to the air current stirred by the wings of this shadow. Suspended high in the sky, the colossal molten gold eyes of the shadow had blazed with a more intense and dazzling light than the sun itself!

"HAHAHAHA, NOW WE'RE TALKING!"

The woman stomped her foot, and the solid peak instantly crumbled in an instant, her figure shooting skyward, carrying the ferocious momentum that could shatter mountains and rivers, charging straight at the sky-blocking shadow.

"To hold your ground against the Empire for this long, there's gotta be some tough leader at the helm!"

"COME! FIGHT ME! DRAGON KING!"

Under the woman's barbaric and unrestrained laughter—

Anselm awoke from his light slumber.

"..."

Anselm touched his forehead and chuckles softly.

"Heh, Wolf Empress of the Azure Sky."

In the inevitable future he foresaw, the battle in his dream was the legendary confrontation that cemented Sitana's esteemed title.

She fought the Dragon King Oderuan Casarche for three days and three nights atop the Arling Peak. Her prowess earned the Dragon King's acknowledgment, and thereby she gained the friendship of the dragons, the most powerful bargaining chip to destroy the Empire. She was later revered as the Wolf Empress of the Azure Sky, ascending to become one of the most feared and respected supreme powers on the continent.

"But that will not be the future you will face, my dear Miss Sitana."

Anselm rose from his bed, leisurely attended to his morning ablutions and attire, then positioned himself in front of the full-length mirror to make minor adjustments.

The young Hydra looked at himself in the mirror and spoke with delight:

"Because I have prepared something much better for you." 

•

Sitana returned fully satisfied, having scored a haul of 'freebies' on this trip—a longbow, two hunting knives, two sets of clothes, four sets of jewelry, six delicacies, eight bottles of wine... and a bunch of other miscellaneous items, making her happier than ever.

"Oh man, lugging all this stuffs back is gonna be a pain."

The girl happily wiped the hunting knife in her arms: "When we get back, mom and dad are gonna flip!"

"… Sita." Sitting beside her, Malena took a deep breath, "I have something to tell you."

"Just say it, why the serious face?" Sitana tilted her head and looked at her.

Malena looked directly into her sister's eyes, speaking with utmost earnestness: "I hope you continue to serve Lord Hydra."

"… Huh?"

Sitana rubbed her ears: "Did I catch that right, Lena? What did you just say?"

"Sita, you can't let this chance slip by." Malena's tone became even more serious, "I don't think it's right, and I know mom and dad won't either, for you to just walk away like this."

"What the heck!" Sitana cried out in grievance, "Why aren't you thinking about me then? I really don't want to be stuck with him!"

"It's exactly because we're thinking about you that—" Malena raised her voice in anger, but seeing her sister's expression, she softened and had no choice but to relent. She sighed, speaking to Sitana as gently as possible:

"Sita, have you ever wondered why those merchants and nobles are so keen on buttering you up?"

"Of course, it's 'cause I'm strong." Sitana shot back without hesitation.

"That's... indeed part of it, but don't you think Lord Hydra has a lot to do with it too?"

Malena did her best to keep her tone delicate and considerate.

"What's he got to do with it? He's the one causing all the trouble." Sitana looked incredulous, "Lena, what are you getting at?"

"I... what I mean is..."

Malena hesitated for a moment: "Because of Lord Hydra, you have such a... chance."

"… Chance?"

The girl stroked her sister's head: "Because of Lord Hydra, you're getting a glimpse into a much bigger world."

"Just think about it, Sita. If you were just another hunter in the village, nobody would know who you are; if you hadn't been expelled by Skyfrost Tower, you might have found a decent job in Scarletfrost."

"But that's about as far as it goes."

Malena placed her hand over Sitana's, speaking earnestly in a soft voice: "You've got the talent to make your name known across the North, even the whole Empire, but these chances don't come easy, and your personality... well, it can make you easy to miss."

"And Lord Hydra is that golden opportunity, one you absolutely can't pass up—just picture it, Sita, one little incident at a banquet and and you're in the spotlight for the Scarletfrost nobles, gaining respect from those merchants. If you keep working for Lord Hydra, what heights could you reach?"

"…"

Sitana opened her mouth, her face showing a very clear sign of wavering.

Compared to the freebies she had scored, the two hundred gold coins Anselm had given her felt like a mere trifle—though Sitana was convinced it was all thanks to her own skills, she couldn't ignore the fact that without Anselm, she wouldn't have had such an opportunity.

If a few more of these incidents occurred, wouldn't her name, Sitana, become known all over the North? That Hydra... it seemed he truly had the power to make that happen.

"But I..." Sitana, who was starting to feel tempted, was still torn, "I really can't stand being around him, Lena. I don't know why... I just really can't stand him, like, a lot, and I'm not cut out to be a bodyguard or anything like that."

"So what if you're not a bodyguard? Does Lord Hydra have to stick you in that role? Someone like him will definitely find the right spot for you."

Seeing that her persuasion was effective, Malena let out a long breath and then struck while the iron was hot: "If you keep working with Lord Hydra, it might not just benefit you, but also me, our parents, and even the whole village will prosper!"

"Ugh, mmm-hmm—"

Being hit right in the heart, Sitana bit her nails. Malena's words undoubtedly struck the softest spot in the barbarous girl's heart. Her brows furrowed together as she stammered, "But, but it seems like he doesn't need me anymore, and I, I also...”

"Let's go plead with him, let's approach Lord Hydra with the most sincere attitude."

Malena stood up and reached out to Sitana: "If Lord Hydra turns us down, then we'll head home, but if he agrees... Sita, promise me, no matter what trials he puts you through next, you must not disappoint him, understand?"

"… Alright, I'll listen to you this time, Lena." Sitana, sounding sullen, handed her hand over.

At this moment, Sitana didn't know whether to be happy or sad. On one hand, she was convinced that Hydra wouldn't take her back, and she was relieved about that; on the other hand... after Malena's convincing, she realized that walking away from Hydra like this, she seemed to be giving up a lot.

And so, Sitana was led by Malena, running all the way to find Hydra, and eventually, thanks to directions from a new musician named Yura, they caught up with Anselm, who was playing chess in the courtyard with Savile.

"Good morning, ladies."

Anselm greeted them with a smile: "Are you preparing to leave?"

"… No, Lord Hydra." Holding Sitana's hand, Malena bowed deeply to Anselm, and at the same time tugged Sitana, who reluctantly bowed as well.

"Please forgive our shamelessness, but I still have a favor to ask of you—no, actually, Sitana has a favor to ask of you."

"……" After being tugged forcefully a couple of times, Sitana fell silent for a moment, then tried her best to keep her tone from sounding too aggressive, yet she felt extremely uncomfortable, stuttering as she said:

"Um, Lord Hydra... could I, uh... keep tagging along with you?"

Savile kept his eyes lowered and said nothing, while Anselm, with his cheek propped on his hand, looked at the two snow-haired girls and chuckled.

"Let's talk in my study, Sitana."

"No? Okay, then—ah?"

Thinking that Anselm was going to refuse, Sitana reacted halfway through her sentence, looking up in great surprise to meet those deep blue eyes.

Immediately, the chilling feeling she couldn't accept enveloped her whole body again, and Sitana almost instinctively wanted to retreat, but at this moment... she felt Malena's hopeful gaze.

"… Alright, I get it."

Sitana bit her lip.

Somehow, she had a feeling... that she'd end up regretting this decision big time.

Author's Note:

ps:

Today I had a fever and thought I had caught something, but luckily it was just a normal fever. I rested for an afternoon and recovered, then quickly got up to write in the evening. Today's two chapters combined are almost 9K words, it seems I wrote too much (scratching my head).

I originally thought I could finish in two chapters, but after writing the necessary transitional setup, I found that one chapter wasn't enough. The next chapter will really start to discipline the silly dog.

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