Shuher gathered his strength as if nothing had happened and sheathed his sword.
“We didn’t even get a chance to step in.”
The knights seemed both perplexed and amazed by the situation.
Even if it was Shuher they were up against, they hadn’t expected him to take down the monster so quickly despite being surrounded by several knights and a slight standoff.
Admiring his overwhelming strength, their gaze soon shifted to Evenel. They had only heard about her ability to see through nuclei, but witnessing it firsthand made it all the more tangible.
Why the ancestors of the past had desperately needed that power of Aodin.
“The start isn’t too bad.”
“Don’t let your guard down. It’s literally just the beginning.”
“But for a monster to come down all the way here. No wonder we sought your Majesty’s assistance.”
The monster-infested forest that emerged long ago still remained a mystery in terms of its depth and the number of monsters residing within. So the best course of action was to periodically subjugate the monsters that ventured down into a certain area, to minimize the damage.
“Let’s move on.”
As if nothing had happened, the party headed further into the forest. She was about to take a step when her eyes met with Demil, who had been staring at her.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You’re not even surprised. Normally, one would be afraid.”
Despite having abilities, anyone would be startled encountering a monster for the first time. But Evenel was remarkably composed.
“It seems that all the training and studying I’ve done while cutting back on sleep hasn’t been in vain. What could be more surprising and scary than being thrown in front of a monster unarmed?”
In comparison to the initial shock she felt when she first encountered a monster, this was nothing. Moreover, she wasn’t alone this time.
Walking along, they reached the end of the steep, narrow mountain path and entered a wider, flat road.
“It’s quieter than I expected.”
But no sooner had she said that than Evenel stopped in her tracks. Quickly, she drew her gun from her waistband and turned around.
“Knight Raul, duck!”
At her shout, Raul instinctively ducked, and at the same time, a monster aiming for his neck entered her field of vision.
Without hesitation, Evenel pulled the trigger, and the bullet accurately hit the monster’s torso. Bleeding, the monster fled into the dense forest.
She couldn’t take it down entirely as she had no opportunity to see its nucleus.
While everyone was stunned by the rapid unfolding of events, she approached Raul.
“Are you okay? Any injuries?”
“…None.”
Raul felt a shiver down his spine for a moment. Had it not been for Evenel, he wouldn’t have been standing here now.
Just then, Shan couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked,
“How are you not scared? Knowing that a monster is ambushing.”
“I just felt something approaching.”
He had felt that ominous presence closing in quickly. That’s why he had immediately drawn his gun.
She could be sure of it now. What she had felt earlier was not an illusion.
At that moment, an image of the monster they had just escaped from flashed in Evenel’s mind. Its name was Aisleb, and it had the form of a fox with snow-white fur.
It wasn’t big, but it was incredibly agile. But there was another reason it was difficult to deal with.
Perhaps thinking the same thing, she and Shuher exchanged glances.
“They’re definitely… moving in a group.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than about twenty Aislebs lunged out from both sides, revealing their sharp teeth.
“Everyone, draw your weapons!”
Caught off guard by the monsters rushing at her from both directions, Evenel was momentarily confused. Just then, Shuher enveloped her and fended off the monster’s attack with his sword.
Late in his embrace, she conveyed her gratitude.
“Thank you. I owe you my life.”
“It’s too early to say such things.”
Before they knew it, the knights were locked in battle with the monsters, and the surroundings had turned into a battleground.
“What should we do? There are too many. It’s not easy to pinpoint the core.”
“Your Grace should go to the rear where the Earl’s knight squad is.”
“What about here?”
“I’ll handle it. Demil, go with her.”
Fending off an incoming monster, Demil nodded his head. Believing he would be okay, Evenel quickly moved to the rear.
Protecting her, Demil followed behind.
The Earl’s knight squad was also fiercely battling the Aislebs, and the two joined them. Given their numbers and the constant attacks from all sides, Evenel alone was limited.
Help from the knights was needed to resolve the situation. Quickly organizing her thoughts, she approached Demil.
“I’ll cover you with the riflemen. In the meantime, please attack the core with the knights.”
She was the only one who could see the core’s exact location, and even maintaining her stance was difficult in the current situation, so she decided to leave taking down the monsters to the knights.
“Understood.”
After Being Cheated On, She Picked Up a Treasure (Female-dominant)
One-line summary: The husband I married on a whim had been secretly in love with me for a long time.
On the day when Jun Shao finally obtained the imperial decree for her marriage, Lan Qu, the person she had admired for six years, defied the decree and ran away.
Her gentleness and devotion, her promise of a lifetime together, were all disregarded by him. Instead, he dreamed of entering the palace to serve the Emperor’s sister as a sixth-rank attendant.
News of this incident spread throughout the capital, and the alleys in front of and behind the Lan mansion were crowded with people who came to watch the commotion.
Jun Shao should have been embarrassed and angry.
But someone stepped in to protect her dignity.
The figure was in a miserable state, yet still possessed an undeniable elegance and handsomeness.
The young lord struggled to climb the wall of the Lan mansion and shouted to her, “If he won’t marry you, I will!”
So, Jun Shao took advantage of the situation and married the person.
She thought the young lord did it to save the Lan family from the crime of defying the imperial decree, but never imagined that from beginning to end, what he coveted was her.
*
After the wedding, Jun Shao felt like she was living in a dream.
Her Wife-master was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting, skilled in the six arts, well-versed in poetry and literature, capable of being gentle and attentive, and also grand and dignified. Most importantly, she was the only one in his heart and eyes.
Jun Shao didn’t know how Lan Shiwu, as a illegitimate son without a father and blessed with beauty, had managed to preserve his purity, recklessly escape, and use his last ounce of strength to ruin his own reputation, all because of his love for her, just to stand before her.
She could only see him gazing at her with eyes full of love, and when she bestowed a name upon him, his eyes shone like stars.
“You have come to me like a weary bird perching on a branch. I shall call you A Qi.”
