Chapter 70: Deathbringer Mercenary Squad...
[Hmmph!] The voice snorted after hearing Leom and fell back into its silent mode. Of course, it knew Leon wasn't gloating.
It was just looking for a way to vent the anger and frustration in its heart. As for the reason it was so angry, that remained unknown.
Leon sighed again and proceeded to leave the place, but then an entangled voice resounded in his mind, stopping him in his tracks.
[Don't tell me you're going to leave the beast's corpse just like that! You don't know the importance of resources?! If you depend on the resources provided to you by your father, you'll soon lack resources.] The voice was filled with rage, disdain, and irritation.
Leon bitterly smiled, storing the entire corpse in his spatial ring before continuing on his journey back home. The voice was telling him that he was depending on his father's resources a bit too much, but Leon had already thought about that. He planned to sell some of the items he got from the dungeon to increase his wealth so that he wouldn't lack when he truly needed it.
Still, that didn't change the fact that he had almost wasted a beast's corpse that could have fetched him good money. But his mind was currently occupied with Amelia. She would be worrying about him greatly. He had promised her to grant her the best of feelings this night before she leaves tomorrow, so he couldn't keep her waiting.
"Time to get back," he murmured to himself, quickening his pace as he navigated through the dense forest. The moonlight guided him, and the night, despite its dangers, felt slightly less oppressive with each step he took toward home.
Fortunately, he met no more beasts on his way back.
He soon passed the area where he had first encountered the bandit monkeys and sighed, recounting his experience with them.
"The bandit monkeys aren't active at night, huh?" he murmured to himself. This behavior was similar to most monkey species back on Earth, a similarity Leon had half-expected after his encounter with the panther.
'The inhabitants of this area must know that and be using the nighttime to travel past here. No wonder the bandit monkeys attacked me so ferociously during the day—they rarely have anyone to loot from since most travelers would have been moving out at night to avoid the bandit monkeys that are usually inactive at night,' Leon sighed at this thought.
Of course, he knew that loot wasn't the main source of food for the bandit monkeys. They must have another source of sustenance, otherwise, they'd all be starving. Remembering the muscular physique of the monkeys, their bodies covered in glistening chestnut-brown fur, Leon shook his head. These beasts definitely did not look like they were starving.
Looting people must just be a trait they were addicted to, a side hustle to have a taste of some human delicacy.
Suddenly, Leon saw a silhouette far ahead. It was a carriage illuminated by weird-looking lantern stones, their glow casting an eerie but beautiful light. Armed guards walked in front, with two at the very front, three lined up by the sides, and two behind. The two guards at the front were conversing as they walked.
"Hahaha! The Dawn Blade clan Viscount really went overboard with the hospitality..." One of the guards laughed heartily. He was brimming with energy, still riding the high from the small banquet the viscount had thrown before sending them off. As a mortal and a guard, it was rare for him to receive such hospitality, even if it was for the master, the leader of the Deathbringer squadron.
He felt a sense of pride after sharing in the viscount's generosity.
"Of course, he had to do that. He knows why we're here. The young master had his eyes on Amelia for quite a while. Now that word has spread that she's married, the leader is quite furious. Had he not done what he did, the leader would have wreaked havoc on the estate before leaving," another guard scoffed.
"Lord Deathbringer, is that famous? Making even a viscount this cautious?" The first guard furrowed his brows.
"Of course. Don't underestimate the overall strength of our Deathbringer squadron. We don't claim the title of the top mercenary squad in this region for nothing," the older guard said with pride, reminding the younger, newly recruited guard of their standing.
The other guard smiled as he remembered that. To be able to make a powerful viscount that cautious was something to be proud of. It seemed he had greatly underestimated the fame of his master, and he was glad he had joined this squad.
Turning his gaze back to the older mercenary beside him, he asked, "Do you think Lord Deathbringer would let things go as they are?"
The older guard scoffed again, then, looking cautiously at the carriage behind him, he said in a low voice, "What do you think? Lord Deathbringer didn't reach his current level by being stupid. He's one to hold grudges. I'm sure he's currently scheming a plan with the young master as we speak."
Leon, upon hearing this, frowned. He took a mental note of what he had heard so far, a flicker of killing intent appearing in his gaze before he quickly hid it. He knew nothing of the viscount's current enemy, and making a move on them right now would be insanely dumb.
It definitely wasn't a wise thing to do. He was strong, but on a wide scale, he was still pretty much a small fry. Before he could think about taking matters like this into his own hands, he needed to get far stronger than he was now.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, the guards suddenly spotted a silhouette in the darkness ahead.
They immediately flicked the hilts of their weapons, their stances at full alert as they prepared to draw. "Who goes there?!"
The voice was filled with authority and command, despite coming from a mortal still in the body tempering stage, not yet a cultivator.
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"Who are you?!"
Leon remained silent, willing his katana into his hand. He was ready to ruthlessly kill those guards if they dared to attack him.