yasinovel Chapter 466 When you're traveling, your identity is something you give yourself.
Chapter 466 When you're traveling, your identity is something you give yourself.
Chapter 466 When you're traveling, your identity is something you give yourself.
After killing the Imperial squad and letting Little Green Rabbo go, Roy didn't leave immediately, but stayed nearby with Alphia.
This is the southwestern border of the Empire. Esdeath and Najenda lead the Imperial army in a campaign to annihilate a minority ethnic group. Chaos reigns, and slaughter is a common sight.
They're more likely to get into trouble if they wander around aimlessly.
As Roy had predicted, the escaped Rab brought Najenda with him. She was a majestic white-haired woman with her long hair tied in a single ponytail hanging in front of her chest.
"Najeta, be careful," Rabbo said worriedly.
Najenda nodded at Rabo, but having never witnessed Roy's strength firsthand, she felt that Rabo's description was too exaggerated. Was there anyone in the world more terrifying than that crazy woman (Esdeath)?
"Hello, I am General Najenda of the Imperial Army. Who are you?" Najenda asked.
"I am Roy, and this is my wife Alfia. We are merchants from the East who came here to do business, but we encountered bandits and unfortunately fell into misfortune—" Roy spoke fluently and persuasively, making his words convincing.
wife?
Alphia's lips twitched, and she couldn't help but glance at Roy, but she didn't deny it.
Compared to the disheveled Roy, like the soldiers and bald monks before her, Najenda's gaze was first drawn to Arshuangya, a hint of amazement flashing in her eyes. What a stunningly beautiful woman!
Najenda held a high position and was quite knowledgeable, having seen countless stunning beauties in the emperor's and ministers' harems over the years.
However, in terms of appearance and temperament, the only one who can compare with the gray-haired woman in front of us is probably Esdeath. Just who is she?
Najenda frowned as she looked at Roy.
Roy's severe injuries shocked even the battle-hardened Najenda. His body was covered in gruesome wounds, from which blood was seeping out. His left arm had been severed and the bleeding was stopped by burning it.
It's unbelievable that they survived like that!
Based on Roy's account, the image of a merchant who had fallen on hard times and was tortured day and night by bandits jumped into Najenda's mind, provided that she had not received the information brought back by Rabb: what kind of bandit could control an expert who could kill an Imperial squad in an instant?
More importantly, Roy's expression was too calm; he didn't look like a businessman in distress at all.
The other side isn't even going to put on an act!
Najeta said, "In that case, how about you stay at our military camp for the time being? We'll send someone to take you back to your hometown later. Soldiers have a duty to protect the people."
"Thank you so much, you're our savior, General!" Roy said with a smile.
Roy's straightforwardness left Najenda somewhat bewildered.
According to Rabo, this person possesses extremely terrifying strength, with a burst speed that is invisible to the naked eye, and he can even withstand bullets with his bare body!
A powerful person with such strength has no need for their protection. What exactly does this young man want to do?
These are truly turbulent times; Najenda is exhausted.
Najenda was unaware that even more bewildering things were yet to come. As the main force returned to their camp, Najenda subtly tried to uncover Roy and Alphia's true identities.
Roy answered fluently, relying on information from his past life.
She had a wealth of knowledge about the customs and culture of the empire and its border regions, much of which secretly alarmed Najenda, even though she, as an imperial general, was not very familiar with them.
Najenda was even more curious about Roy and Alphia; these two were no ordinary people.
Before long, they had entered the military camp.
Najenda's and Esdeath's camps were clearly separate, and the soldiers under their command were completely different. Unlike the bloodthirsty, greedy, and insane soldiers before them, Najenda's soldiers were more upright. Even when they saw Alphia, their eyes only showed amazement and appreciation, and they dared not overstep their bounds or offend her in the slightest.
Najenda's strict military discipline is evident.
"This is a military camp for rescuing civilians. The rooms are single rooms and the conditions are basic, but there will be food every day, so please don't worry about that," Najenda said.
After saying that, Najenda led Rabb and the others away openly and confidently, without any concern for Roy's potential threat. From their conversation, she could tell that Roy didn't have much ill will towards her.
If Roy truly possessed such formidable strength and such extensive knowledge, no force would send him to infiltrate behind enemy lines; that would be a pure waste of talent. Such a person, regardless of the position he was placed in, would play a role far exceeding that of an undercover agent.
"Finally, a place to sleep!"
Roy lay comfortably on his sleeping bag, his fatigue from the past few days finally easing, and he couldn't help but squint his eyes.
Alphia said coldly, "Who is your wife?"
"When you're out and about, you have to make up an identity for yourself, right? Between a dangerous single man and a businessman with a delicate wife to protect, the latter is definitely more likely to gain people's trust," Roy laughed.
"hehe!"
Alphia scoffed. In such an insignificant place, the other party was quite attentive. "What kind of place is this? I've never heard of this country before."
Through Roy and Najenda's conversation, and through careful observation, Alphia, with her keen insight, has discovered the differences between this place and the original world.
Roy replied, "This is a completely different world from where we originally lived. There are no gods or kin here. After being swallowed by the black dragon, I used special spatial magic to transfer you here—"
"Transferred to another world?!" Alphia frowned, having never heard of such a magical ability.
Seeing Alphia's disbelief, Roy shook his head. "These days, everyone's always saying 'a man's mouth is a lie,' but nobody believes the truth."
Why did you come here?
"With food and lodging provided, what's wrong with that?"
Since the two were nominally husband and wife, Najeta only arranged a tent and they began living together beforehand.
As Najeta said, the conditions were basic.
The Empire sent them to suppress the foreign tribes. Esdeath's troops were capable of crushing the enemy, but caused a great deal of bloodshed. Najenda couldn't bear to see all this and would try her best to protect the innocent.
There were many tents around, sheltering a large number of refugees.
With no extra resources available, Roy and Alphia's meal consisted of several loaves of bread and hot soup, far less delicious than the elaborate dishes prepared by Orario's chef, yet the two of them ate with great relish.
Hunger is the best seasoning, after all, this is their first proper meal in days.
Even though she was terminally ill, still recovering from serious injuries, and extremely weak, Alfia's eating posture still carried an elegance etched into her very bones.
She picked up a piece of bread with her slender fingers, her pearly white teeth lightly tapping the edge, tearing off only a small piece each time, chewing it slowly and delicately between her lips.
The movement was as light as a butterfly kissing a flower petal, making almost no sound, just a light touch.
Goo, goo, goo!
Meanwhile, Roy, standing next to him, wolfed down the remaining bread on his plate, swallowing it whole in a few bites. Then, he picked up the container of hot soup, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. His Adam's apple bobbed rapidly as the scalding soup, along with crumbs of bread, slid into his stomach. His strong body quickly absorbed all the nutrients, gaining energy.
Alphia, "How long are we going to stay here?"
"I don't know, we'll see!" Roy laughed. What's there to be unhappy about when you can eat and drink for free?
Roy wouldn't blindly believe the information from his past life; he was also observing the various forces in this world. He definitely needed to be cautious about this first-ever world mission.
The system wants him to help a faction fight for supremacy, but he has the choice of which faction to choose.
In reality, only the Empire and the Revolutionary Army have a choice.
The remaining forces simply lack the potential and conditions to unify the country, which is also the dilemma.
Choosing the Empire means that even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse, with abundant resources at the start. However, given the Empire's deep-seated corruption, it will be extremely difficult to revive it.
Choosing the revolutionary army means going against all the old forces of the empire, which is no small feat.
Roy was always rambling on and on, and Alphia couldn't understand how his brain worked. She leaned against the bed, closed her eyes to rest, and tried to avoid seeing him and getting annoyed.
Day after day, time slips away quietly.
Whether it was due to a covert investigation into the two individuals' identities or the heavy burden of suppressing the southwestern ethnic minorities, Najenda did not reappear for several days.
Roy was happy with this, enjoying the Empire's resources without having to endure the elements in the forest, or the harassment of poisonous insects and dangerous species. With the boost of his powerful LV.8 stamina attribute, his injuries slowly and steadily recovered.
While we're at it, let's flirt with the beautiful gray-haired witch.
The two were alone in the room, and Alphia had nowhere to hide her privacy. Roy's critical gaze roamed over her flawless body.
From initial anger to later helplessness and acceptance of reality, Alphia went through a very bumpy emotional journey. Like a tiger fallen into the plains, she was bullied by dogs. With her grace sealed, she was completely unable to do anything to Roy.
But Roy only watched; he never took action.
Alphia seemed to understand something and began to retaliate. Every time she changed clothes, she would openly reveal them, a contemptuous smile on her cool and beautiful lips, as if to say: You coward with lustful thoughts but no guts!
Roy didn't care at all. You can laugh all you want, I'll watch mine. We all have a bright future ahead of us.
His attitude infuriated Alphia even more.
The two sides went back and forth, vying with each other.
Just as Roy was enjoying a rare moment of peace and tranquility, little did he know that in the past few days, Esdeath's camp and Najenda had been arguing fiercely because of their presence, almost to the point of armed conflict.
Inside the tent, a large number of officers sat upright, their faces tense, exuding a chilling and dangerous aura.
A white-haired man, around forty years old, asked, "General Najenda, one of our squads has been completely wiped out. Do you have any leads?"
Najenda remained calm. "I don't know!"
Upon hearing this, Esdeath's officers stared coldly at Najenda, revealing sinister smiles. Looking around, they were all unruly individuals with countless lives and blood on their hands.
Especially the three core beastmen!
Vali, a former Imperial General known for his wisdom and courage; Niu, a young man from a prestigious family; and Daidas, a battle maniac warrior—all three are users of Imperial Arms.
The white-haired middle-aged man, Vali, stopped his restless colleagues and continued his attack, "General Najenda, we heard that you brought back a couple in distress from the forest the other day. Could you introduce them to us?"
Vali's every word and action exuded refinement, unlike the others under Esdeath's command.
But every time he spoke, he hit the nail on the head.
Najenda remained outwardly calm, but her heart sank. She had given orders that day not to reveal Roy's existence to anyone, yet he still found out, which meant there must be a problem with her subordinates.
"Is a down-on-his-luck merchant really worth General Vali's attention?" Najeta asked.
Vali appeared before Najenda in a flash, towering above her with an imposing presence and a chilling voice, "General Najenda, this is not my concern. It is Lady Esdeath!"
Najenda was startled when she heard the name.
Under Esdeath's leadership, the rebellion on the southwestern border was suppressed. The battle was one-sided, with the foreign tribes offering no resistance and being slaughtered.
Even though those foreign tribes resisted fiercely and caused casualties to the Imperial army, there was never a situation where an Imperial squad was wiped out without any survivors.
This matter caught Esdeath's attention.
"Hand over those two men, General Najenda!" A hint of madness lurked deep in Vali's eyes.
Looking at the ferocious-looking Vali, Najenda sighed. He had once been a famous general of the empire, but was framed and arrested for refusing to pay a bribe. He was later rescued by Esdeath and swore to be loyal to her to the death, becoming her most loyal and maddening hound.
"No matter what you say, I will not hand over innocent civilians!" Najenda said coldly, withstanding the pressure from Vali, Daidas, and the others.
After saying that, Najenda turned and left.
Esdeath's officers stared at Najenda's retreating figure like wolves, as if they would pounce on her and tear her to shreds at any moment.
"He's quite the actor. Can I get this guy's experience points?" Daidas laughed wildly.
"This is troublesome. I might as well use my Imperial Arm to hypnotize her and find out how those soldiers died," Niu said.
"Stop! This is not what that person wants!"
Vali raised his hand and stopped this group of unruly guys. Najenda's forces were not weak. Including the other side, there were a total of four Teigu users. Of course, if it was a head-on fight, they would definitely win!
Because their queen is the strongest and invincible!
"Lady Esdeath!"
The officers in the tent looked up at the distant figure, their pupils reflecting the stunningly beautiful woman, their expressions radiating a fanatical light like that of believers.
The boundless sea of flowers swayed in the wind, creating layers of colorful waves. Amidst these waves, a tall and graceful woman stood quietly.
Her long, icy blue hair cascaded down to her thighs, shimmering like moonlight in the bright morning light, contrasting beautifully with the vibrant colors of the surrounding flowers.
It is none other than Esdeath, the strongest in the Empire!
Esdeath placed a bouquet of newly blooming flowers in her slender, fair hands on the newly erected tombstone. "You died because you were too weak, and were killed. But I will avenge you!"
Esdeath, who is in front of us, enjoys killing, torturing, and ravaging the weak, but she is also known in the empire for caring for her subordinates. She often shares the emperor's and ministers' rewards with her subordinates. She is not greedy for money, power, or fame, so she can earn the respect and support of countless people.
"Finally, something interesting has happened."
Esdeath's lips curled into a smile. She was almost tired of ravaging those foreign tribes on the southwestern border. What kind of fun would someone who could wipe out an imperial squad bring her? Her heart was filled with anticipation.
Enjoy your hobby while avenging your subordinates!