Chapter 30 She chose to finish quickly. First, she experienced tinnitus, then a series of...

Buzz—

call--

First came the tinnitus, then a gust of wind.

The girl's golden eyes were unlike those of a human, resembling two fiery stars breaking through the darkness.

Even when the daylight is bright and the sun is blazing, it brings no warmth whatsoever; those being stared at by her only feel their hands and feet grow cold.

"Gulp." The instructor swallowed hard. She instinctively picked up the gold nugget from the ground and took a bite. The soft texture and heavy weight made her smile.

"I'll do whatever you say!" She had already planned it out in her heart. With such a large piece of gold to buy several slaves, were they afraid she would kill them all?

Even if we kill them all, we can just keep them around and treat them well, and have the people behind her pay the remaining balance.

The instructor turned to the slaves, his previously amiable face instantly turning cold, as if he wanted to bite a piece of flesh off one of the unfortunate souls' faces.

"Hey, did you hear what the important person said? Get out here right now and let them inspect the goods!"

"..." The slaves dared not whisper to each other in front of their instructors, their hearts pounding like drums.

Should we comply? Should we bargain? Or... should we mutiny beforehand?

For a moment, they thought of throwing caution to the wind and simply mutinying, rushing out to tear the clamoring nobles and their oppressive instructors to shreds.

We outnumber you and have the advantage!

That feeling immediately subsided when facing Andra.

The boy in front of them looked to be only fourteen or fifteen years old, but his soaring aura was like a noose binding them.

As soon as rebellious thoughts arise, tension tightens around my neck and constricts forcefully.

"Huff..." Their breathing became heavy, and they dared not look Andra in the eye.

The slaves instinctively looked down and immediately noticed the weapons and armor on the other person's body.

It was a set of full-body armor so tight it inspired despair, and a two-handed greatsword—plus a replacement sword.

Clearly, this noble bloodline member can not only easily wield a two-handed sword with one hand, but she can also run through crowds while wearing full heavy armor.

That was certainly not morning exercise or evening run, but a dance of life's harvest.

She could simply raise her sword, smile, and slash from left to right, reaping all those who dared to surround her.

The slaves couldn't help but lower their heads, lower them even further: they didn't even have straw sandals.

After all, this was the royal city of Norlana, not a battlefield, and the slave owners had long since confiscated all their weapons and equipment. During training, they could only wear cloth aprons and carry a very dull wooden sword.

We need to use this gear to fight against the terrifying instructors and defeat that wolf-like young man.

The idea of ​​resistance is fading.

Their despair intensified when they noticed that a dozen or so other noblewomen had already mounted their warhorses and were pacing back and forth at the gate.

Even if they used sheer numbers to suffocate several fully armed instructors first, then defeated the boy in front of them with wooden swords, and unarmored infantry faced off against cavalry charges at strategic passes... who would dare to dream of such a thing?

Andra took in their gazes and chuckled inwardly.

That's why she deliberately reminded her clumsy companions that with their combined efforts to deter others, things would proceed more smoothly.

She calmly twirled her sword, waiting for the chosen slaves to reluctantly gather around.

The members of the princess's guard looked at her retreating figure with a hint of awe:

To fight so many battle-hardened slaves all by himself, that's truly impressive.

“Hey, give them real weapons,” Andra suddenly said, startling her companions and instructors.

Why equip slave officers with weapons? Wouldn't that just give them leverage to mutiny?

The guards were quite patient; they didn't say anything and continued to ride on their horses to see what she wanted to do.

The instructors arranged by the slave owner didn't share this mindset. She quickly waved her hand and said, "Oh, sir, these slaves... you can judge their skill level by letting them use wooden swords."

She dared to let Andra kill these slaves because even the bravest and most skilled slaves had a price, so killing them was just as good as killing them.

But what if the slaves, with their swords and knives, indiscriminately kill this young woman? What will happen when her master gets angry?

"Don't be afraid, that's what makes it interesting~ By the way, I allow them to wear armor, you should have leather armor here, right?"

Andra reassured the instructor with a playful expression.

The slaves finally couldn't resist taking the opportunity to look at each other.

They saw relief in each other's eyes: Great! This arrogant noblewoman who knows nothing has underestimated us! She looks down on us—isn't that a good thing?

The twenty-three men selected for the contest were the most skilled among the slave officers and were the key figures in each squad.

They could take the opportunity to change into their gear, donning leather armor and carrying longswords. By controlling the instructor and the nobleman the moment the battle began, they could buy time for those behind them to pick up their weapons!

At this point, all the slaves stopped their commotion.

Whether they were submissive or disobedient slaves, a tiny spark ignited in their hearts.

These nobles have come at just the right time.

They can take away their weapons, their armor, their horses... Hahaha, you arrogant nobles, just wait and bleed!

Once the oppressed stand up and pick up a weapon, the force they exert is so strong that they wish they could bite the person who is pressing down on them to death a thousand times over!

"Oh."

A soft laugh suddenly interrupted their thoughts, and everyone couldn't help but turn their gaze back to the girl.

The slaves still didn't know Andra's name, but upon closer inspection, he appeared to be just a teenager.

Even for those of noble blood, their still-developing bodies cannot compare to those of adults.

While the slaves, draped in linen sacks, were still hesitating, the squad leaders in front had already started walking.

They didn't care about bullying the weak; their instinct was to get rid of the young man in front of them as quickly as possible.

The faster they succeed, the easier things will be later. If these nobles escape, that would be a much bigger problem!

*Pasha pasha*

Everyone quickly put on their leather armor, pushed aside the worried instructor, and took weapons from the weapon rack behind her.

Longswords, axes, hammers... their goal of a quick and decisive battle naturally led them to choose melee weapons.

Hey, what are you laughing at?

Courage and weapons returned to the bodies of these captains.

Yes, they were just slaves, slaves who were whipped and persecuted.

However, their skills in swords and spears, their intellect, and their hard-trained bodies still set them apart, igniting a flame of defiance.

The woman with the ponytail, holding a hammer, knew the importance of morale.

She narrowed her eyes, preparing to use this naive young girl as a guinea pig. She wanted to smash open her beautiful eyeballs so that the nobles would know that slaves were not to be trifled with!

She kicked forward with her left leg and, without hesitation, swung the hammer down hard on Andra's head!

Andra did not answer her question; her smile deepened, as if she could derive a completely different kind of pleasure from the battle.

The girl pursed her lips. Her body, not yet having completed its third puberty, was slightly shorter than the strong woman's. She bent down and landed in the most convenient area for the hammer, however—

She never laid down her sword.

The sword was still in his hand, and it easily swept out an arc, cutting along the center line.

There was no struggle, no resistance, no sickeningly loud chopping sound.

Rustling...shh?

She sliced ​​open the woman's abdomen as easily as slicing open a sheepskin, and deftly changed the direction of the spurt, splattering the woman's blood all over the bodies, hands, and faces of others—those she knew very well.

Hiss, hiss hiss.

The crimson fountain stripped courage from some, while instantly igniting the fury of others.

"You wicked devil—"

"court death!!"

Andra heard roars that were right next to her. One, two, three... at least ten men, mourning the tragic fate of their comrade, grabbed their weapons and charged at her.

very good.

She calmly raised her eyes, at an angle perfect for everyone to admire her.

Those who are about to break free from their constraints and remain on the sidelines... just close your eyes in peace.

鋥——

The sword whistled and rang, and Andra spun into the air.

No one could see her movements clearly; only a flash of white light was seen, and the strongest warriors among them fell silently.

Ding-ling-dang-lang.

More than twenty weapons fell to the ground one after another, and no one stood in front of Andra anymore.

This is nothing more than a few dozen breaths.

The girl flicked the blood off her sword, tilted her head back, and glanced at everyone out of the corner of her eye, silently mocking: You... that's all.

"...Ugh!"

The pale-faced slaves retreated, their wooden knives and thin pieces of cloth offering no sense of security.

Anxiety; nothing that could bring them peace of mind had vanished.

A single noble bloodline could wipe out the captains; they had no chance of escaping... They just wanted to get as far away from this dangerous guy as possible, like when they were children trying to escape from their mother's or a creditor's slap.

"Don't be afraid."

The girl's expression suddenly softened, and she raised her voice in a cheerful tone: "Except for that guy, you all passed."

Qualified? What does "qualified" mean...?

"Ugh, ooh..." The person on the ground clutched their stomach and legs in pain and stood up shakily.

Everyone was stunned: How come they're alright? Weren't they all killed by swords?

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that, apart from the first woman holding a hammer, the others appeared to have been kicked down.

Who would notice her legs at a time like that? This guy is disgustingly strong!

Taking advantage of the slaves' confusion, Andra easily sheathed his sword.

“My lady needs manpower right now. So I will select 200 people from among you to become guards of her manor—or maybe farmers? Anyway, you will receive houses, clothes, and food.”

She spoke lightly, yet her words were filled with a heavy, seductive allure.

Compared to the freedom shrouded in mist, the unknown bloodshed and pursuers were far more deadly than the protection of a powerful nobleman and a future free from want.

So the slaves genuinely bent their backs and flashed the same obsequious smiles as the instructor.

They asked in a soft, eager voice, like sheep, "Sir, may I ask who the gentleman behind you is...?"

......

“Your Highness Eleanor, look—all our best men are here. Please feel free to choose.”

Scarface beamed with joy. She rubbed her left hand with her right, and had all her subordinates line up in front of Eleanor, each displaying their appearance and talents.

To be honest, she didn't want these capable subordinates to work for Eleanor either.

Does she have the audacity to try and steal a man from a princess? Those people will never come back; they might even have to pay her tribute instead.

However, Her Highness is of noble status, and she cannot afford to offend any noble person.

Sometimes it's not about pleasing others; just trying not to offend anyone requires a lot of effort.

Scarface's heart was truly bleeding. He only felt a little better when he saw Elsa behind Eleanor: all the sacrifices were worth it. At least his daughter had been placed in the princess's circle, and who knows, she might soar to great heights in the future.

Eleanor put down her teacup, clapped her hands politely, then propped her head up with her hand and asked with some curiosity, "By the way, do you have any secret passages here?"

Uh, Scarface was stunned.

Her mind raced. Was the princess giving us a warning on behalf of the king? After all, building secret passages inside and outside the city should be the exclusive right of the royal family; it's just that they hadn't investigated it much before.

Eleanor seemed to have guessed her thoughts and smiled, "Don't worry, no one will use it for anything bad. I'm just curious about what it feels like to walk through the secret passage."

Due to a lack of tools and excavation techniques, the secret passages today can only accommodate one person at a time, making it impossible for a large group to escape at the same time, and they are also easily blocked from the front and back.

But conversely, those who use the secret passage to escape only need to take out one or two guards to pass through unimpeded.

and......

Eleanor rose and followed the obsequious Scareye, who had just gathered most of the officers and guards around her—so what would the rebels do?

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The author's note: Andra didn't kill everyone here because she was really good at "reading the room" when facing Eleanor.

She thought Eleanor was a "good girl" who wouldn't even hurt a rabbit—only acting when necessary—so she took a (slight) risk and held back here.

Andra is actually easily influenced by Eleanor, or rather, she is too powerful. Even the slightest influence, a change of mind, can save many lives.

Of course, there's also the reason that "this group of people are quite skilled and useful."