Chapter 49: Swadia’s Full Assault

“What song, Count? Why don’t I know about this?” Indeed, Safiya was completely in the dark, and at that moment, jealousy was spilling over.

[Your friendliness with Safiya has decreased by 10, now at 42.]

[Your friendliness with Ronnie has increased by 2, now at 52.]

[Evaluation: You can’t have your cake and eat it too this time, haha.]

‘Hold on, I thought I was playing Mount & Blade, why am I tangled in so many women’s quarrels? System, did we end up in the wrong story?’

[System Alert: No comment, please proceed with the game.]

At this moment, Derasel could only feel waves of headache washing over him. The old saying, “three women make a drama,” seemed all too true as the Valkyrie, the Profit Empress, and the Dragon Mother, among others, made their successive appearances, complicating matters significantly.

Finding no other recourse, he could only offer a placating smile and say, “Safiya, I’ll explain the matter of the song to you later. Ronnie, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“What is it now?”

“Look at this.” He then unfastened the Wolf King’s sword from his belt and handed it over to her with both hands.

“Hmm… This is made from the Wolf King’s teeth and bones, right? I recognize this feeling too. Tianyan found you by tracking this, didn’t she?”

“So, you’re familiar with it as well. Could you find me in the same way just by sensing this sword’s aura?”

Ronnie shook her head, “I haven’t been with the wolf pack in ages. My senses aren’t as sharp. But Tianyan, she definitely could.”

‘Damn, as the saying goes, it’s not the theft that’s scary, but the thief’s constant plotting that’s worrisome. Like now, it’s not the fear of an assassin’s attack, but the dread of her constantly plotting to assassinate.’

“You guys can chat, I’ll be leaving first. Lein, come with me,” Safiya said, feeling even more left out as she saw the two of them engaging in lively conversation. Her heart grew even sadder, and she decided to leave immediately.

“Roar. Count, don’t you realize how much she cried over you? Yet you still wound her heart. I’ll go with her first, to offer some comfort.”

“Ah, well…” 

Watching Lein take off and Safiya ride away, Draxel hastily gestured to Xiao Nan, signaling him to lead the team and follow her for protection. Xiao Nan quickly caught on, nodding respectfully before chasing after her with the team.

“Hmm, Count, it seems you really care about her~,” Ronnie observed, amused by the unfolding drama.

“I… I care about you, too,” Draxel blurted out as a typical straightforward man, a classic case of speaking without thinking.

[Your friendliness with Ronnie drops by 10, now at 42.]

[Evaluation: That was really low, playboy!]

This response backfired severely. Ronnie wasn’t impressed by Draxel’s attempt to please both sides, expressing disdain for his approach.

“Alright, I’m leaving if there’s nothing else. I’m not in the mood for your song today, goodbye.”

“Wait, Ronnie! I still needed to ask about borrowing more mercenaries from the tavern…”

Before Draxel could stop her, Ronnie was already on her exceptional steed, disappearing into the distance.

Left alone in the vast expanse, Draxel stood bewildered, feeling utterly defeated by the complexities of women.

“Seriously, women are just too much!” he lamented, overwhelmed with frustration and a pounding headache.

After venting his frustrations, he had no choice but to hurriedly catch up with Xiao Nan and Safiya. Chasing desperately for miles, Draxel finally caught sight of a group ahead, likely Xiao Nan and Safiya.

He couldn’t help but shout loudly, “Safiya, Safiya! Wait for me! Xiao Nan, slow down!”

From afar, Xiao Nan seemed to hear his master’s call, hesitantly suggesting, “Um, Safiya, maybe we should–.”

“Shut up, or I swear I’ll shoot you dead right now,” Safiya snapped, her voice brimming with irritation.

Knowing her fiery temper and that she was serious, Xiao Nan immediately zipped his lips, silently trailing behind.

Seeing this, Draxel’s anxiety peaked, leading him to call out even louder, “Oh dear, my horse is giving out. It can’t keep up with yours! It’s about to collapse from exhaustion, please wait for me!”

He wasn’t exaggerating. His level 1 Riding skill meant he was inept at handling his horse, which was now visibly struggling, foaming at the mouth.

[System Alert: If you push further, you might end up demonstrating the phrase ‘falling over horseback’ quite literally. I’d prefer not to see you enact this idiom.]

‘To hell with you, always missing when needed but never missing a chance to mock. System, I don’t have time for you right now,’ Draxel internally railed against the system.

In this crucial moment, it was Lein who cleverly feigned exhaustion, plopping down behind Safiya on her horse.

Lein was no longer the small dragon and now boasted a robust build, easily weighing over a hundred pounds. Moreover, it even deliberately exerted pressure on the horse with each bounce, accelerating the horse’s fatigue.

Lein’s subtle actions were quickly noticed by Safiya.

“You’re siding with him, huh? Fine, go with him then. Don’t bother with me. Ingrateful little thing, have you forgotten who has been caring for you all this time?”

Lein let out a few pitiful roars in response.

Sadly, without Draxel nearby, no one understood its plea.

After a short pause, Lein roared again, but Safiya continued to ignore it, urging her horse forward without restraint.

Suddenly, Lein sensed an overwhelming aura of battle from ahead, indicating a large military presence. He swiftly flew in front of Safiya, using its claws to push against the horse’s head, forcibly stopping its advance. 

Lein’s actions, though desperate, weren’t reckless enough to endanger the horse. Safiya, interpreting the dragon’s urgent gestures and eye contact, realized there might be danger up ahead.

She slowed down and signaled to Xiao Nan, “Xiao Nan, hold up. There’s something ahead.”

As they all settled and cautiously moved forward to investigate, they were utterly astounded by the sight that greeted them.

They were facing the approaching grand army of the Kingdom of Swadia, commanded by the Marshal, with King Harlaus X himself overseeing from behind.

The force, consisting of over two thousand soldiers, with at least 300 of them being Tier 5 Swadian Knights, seemed invincible. This formidable army appeared capable of obliterating any obstacle in its path within moments.

Draxel, having finally caught up, was also struck by the display of Swadia’s military prowess.

Overwhelmed, he reflected, “This is the pinnacle we should aspire to, the level of military might we should aim for!”