111 Ch-112: Queen Maker (12)

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The man introduced himself as Lewis and started blabbering.

Judging by his fake laughs and smiles, his purpose was blunt obvious without asking. Having her training interrupted, she was slightly annoyed, but Neria shoved down the irritation and continued training.

"Acts like a slave to Gis and exhibits aloofness at others."

Until the name she didn't want to hear, words she didn't want to face slipped out of his mouth.

Snapping her head at him, she stared at Louis with a chilling gaze.

"What did you say.?"

On the opposite end of her frigid gaze, Lewis was taken aback for a moment. Why did a woman who had been ignoring all of his advances had a sudden change in her attitude? He just spat out incidentally to appease the unpleasant feeling lingering in his chest.

'Hmm? Ah… Come to think of it, that's not far off.'

It was a thoughtless remark, but it must have gotten on the woman's nerves.

Lewis smiled, leering, as he met Neria's cold eyes.

"I said: acts like a slave to Gis and exhibits aloofness to others."

He took special care of enunciating every syllable and spoke loudly. Hopefully, those words would turn this cheeky woman's attitude upside down. It seemed he succeeded when he saw that her already dead cold gaze felt even more menacing.

"…"

Neria took a step forward, closing in the distance between them, her gaze pinned on him.

Lewis snickered.

He seemed to have made her angry…

'What will she even do?'

Just as Lewis couldn't touch Neria, she couldn't touch him either.

He was the eldest son of the Sentry family and one of the main players in this negotiation.

His opinion could capsize their momentum.

If she even harbored any thoughts…

'W-Why? Why doesn't she stop?'

Neria footsteps didn't halt.

Lewis bit his lip, slightly nervous. Maybe he was just trembling because he'd trekked a long distance. But the chilling sensation, which increased each time she got closer, warned him of impending danger.

Even the escort knights felt that energy, that uncanny aura.

The two brought their hands to the sword hilts strapped to their waists.

"Miss Neria, please halt. If you approach any further, we will consider you a threat and take arms."

She trudged another step.

"Miss Neria!"

One of his escort knights shouted high-handedly, but Neria did not pay heed. The moment she took another step, the two escort knights drew their swords without hesitation.

A slash for her left thigh and a stab for her right shoulder.

Neria veered her body to avoid the cuts, then deflected the stab with her sword.

"Ugh?!"

The sword bounced violently to the side, and the knight's posture collapsed.

'What kind of power is this?!'

One of the things swordsmen were most wary of was losing their posture. As a knight, he naturally knew that, and moved with the measured change in the center of gravity in all direction.

But his posture collapsed due to the sword swat that Neria had just swung. It was impossible without a huge difference in power.

While the knight was shocked, Neria swung the shield on her left arm.

"Cheuk..!"

A blow from her shield hammered the full plate armor. The knight reeled while holding on to his stomach, then buckled to his knees.

Taking advantage of that gap, the remaining knight burrowed into Neria's lower left.

Whooop-!

The sword turned blue.

He raised the sword, brimming with sword energy and swung.

He was thinking of amputating the entire arm beyond the shield.

Tung.

the shield blocked the intended sword.

""

It wasn't even a normal metal shield, it was just a practice shield with some straps of iron encrusted to wood.

"What the hell…"

He wasn't even given the chance to be shocked. Neria let go of her sword and punched him in the face, and he passed out with his morphed helmet on.

"What, what… what are you guys doing?!"

The ones surprised most about the situation was Lewis, not the two knights. Because the two knights, contenders for the rank of Knight Commander in the family, were defeated so easily that it seemed like a show. He couldn't believe the absurdity.

However, unlike his thoughts, by natural law, the result was apt.

The two knights were level 34 and 37 respectively.

On the other hand, Neria's level was 51.

There stood a big difference in the basic physical ability.

In addition, Neria had a record of winning, contending against eight knights at the same time. And not the likes of these bumpkins, but against the elite knights of the royal family. It would be strange for her to struggle against a couple of knights from the fringes of the Kingdom.

Tang-!

The knights dispatched, Neria threw the shield to the floor as well.

She strode toward Lewis, her cold expression intact.

A frightened Lewis backpedaled, but Neria came faster.

She came right in front of his nose, and repeated, just like he had.

"What did you say? Say it again."

A haggard expression and cold eyes loomed over him.

A haggard expression and cold eyes loomed over him.

When the two were added, the pressure that weighed on Lewis was unusual. A common individual would have tried to apologize and move on, but Lewis had a much stronger ego than a normal individual.

He trembled inwardly but didn't betray his fear, straining his eyes.

"Acts like a slave to Gis and exhibits aloofness at others. What? Did I say something wrong?"

Kwak.

Neria clenched her fists.

"What are you going to do with your fists? Are you going to hit me? Hah, just go away. If you do that… What?!"

Lewis' body coiled like a hunchback.

He shuddered as he held onto his stomach. Although Neria managed to calibrate her strength, he was not a person accustomed to suffering.

Just when he felt like he was going to lose his mind, Neria raised her hand.

Lewis, who saw, quickly came back to his senses.

"Stop it! I apologize for my mistake earlier. Please…"

Thack-!

But before he could finish his sentence, he was smacked and rolling on the floor.

"I, I'm sorry. I was wrong…"

Puck!

Got kicked in the stomach by foot.

"Don't, please…"

When the area that was hit was hit again, he started to feel difficulty in breathing. Neria stood and looked down at him as he groaned, unable to speak properly.

– Acts like a slave to Gis and exhibits aloofness at others.

What Lewis had said echoed in her ears.

Like a tide.

The moment she heard the disgusting name, unpleasant memories, touches, and voices come to mind.

Ah… she hated…

""

Why did he had to bring that name infront of her?

Why make her re-experience that unpleasantness?

Why make her angry?

What wrong she had done to him?

Why was he making things hard for her by bringing out that obnoxious name?

Why did he had to say that?

Why!!!

A slimy mixture of disgust, hatred, displeasure, and anger flamed her eyes and ears.

Neria lifted her foot.

Just when she was about to hit Lewis hard.

"Neria."

She heard her favorite voice. Ironically, just hearing his voice once melted away all the stale emotions that shackled her.

""

Neria turned towards the direction she heard his voice.

"What are you doing here?"

Cloud was there.

…with a woman who was said to be Lorian's younger sister.

Why was he with that woman, especially at such a late hour?

Wasn't his lover Katarina?

Just when she couldn't stand the doubts and was about to ask about him.

"Wow… you gave those yorkels quite a good beating. How are you going to take care of that now?"

Seeing the collapsed trio, Lorraine exclaimed in admiration.

That awakened Neria's sense of reality.

'My, what have I done…'

She turned back to see the form of the one she had just battered.

She couldn't even recall his name.

However, seeing that he was accompanied by two escort knights, he must have been a nobleman.

Since she didn't know his face, he must be from Lorian's party currently negotiating with Lupus, and she assaulted such a person.

What would be the aftermath of this incident?

Would she be able to solve it alone?

Probably not.

They would try to take this incident as a pod and lead the negotiations to their advantage.

"Ah…"

Cold sweat streamed from the back of Neria's neck.

The fact that her own actions had become a nuisance to Cloud seemed to disorient her mind.

Cloud put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you okay? Are there any injuries?"

""

"Uh? Yes…"

"What are you asking about? Just looking at it, it was a one-sided attack… Agh! You-you hit me?!"

"You should be shutting up by now. The moment you open your mouth again, you know you'll be rapped again."

Cloud raised his knuckles. After confirming that Lorraine's slightly parted lips were screwed shut, he turned his gaze back to Neria.

"What happened?"

"Oh, no… that's…"

"I'm not pushing you, so don't be afraid. What have they done?"

Cloud's voice was kind.

In fact, it was more of a plain tone rather than a kind one, but even that felt considerate to Neria, especially now.

'…just say it.'

She was unscathed and all of her opponents were on the floor.

No matter how one looked at it, it only seemed like she launched an one-sided assault. They had first quarreled and resisted with swords, but there were no eyewitnesses to testify.

No one would believe her.

'But if it's Cloud…'

He might believe.

No, he would believe her.

Neria opened her mouth to explain what had just transpired.

And she closed it again.

At that, Cloud tilted his head.

"What's the matter? What are you trying to tell me?"

He said it was okay and asked her to speak comfortably, but she shook her head while keeping her mouth shut.

She wanted to say something too.

That aristocrat reminded her of painful memories by mentioning Gis.

But she couldn't speak.

She had already hurt Cloud a lot with Gis.

How could she mention that man's name in front of Cloud?

Just the mention of that man's name coming out of her mouth would bring back unpleasant memories for him.

'Ah… Why can't I do anything properly?'

He had always been there for her.

Why was it so different?

Maybe he didn't need her…

Neria lowered her head and spoke in a low voice.

"Sorry…"

Emotions began to rise as she spoke those words. Sorrow punctuated by helplessness and guilt.

Clenching her fists to hold back her tears, she spoke again.

"Sorry…"

* * *

Neria sobbing and Cloud pacifying her.

Seeing the two of them, Lorraine strained her brows.

'The assaulter's crying after beating others?'

Who was actually crazy here?

You can read fully translated chapters, including the last chapter, for $20.

p(a)treon.com/Daoist02