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Chapter 17 Part 2: Tangled Loyalties
Anya glared at him then blushed when he looked back.
Lu Fei didn't want to argue with her.
He simply ignored her.
He had no interest in a noble lady's spoiled temper.
After a while
Lu Fei stopped the carriage.
He found a patch of open grass and cooked.
When it was ready, Lu Fei carried a bowl to Anya, who sat in the shade under a tree.
"Eat something, my lady."
"I'm not… grrr "
Her belly protested right after the words left her mouth.
At once, her pretty face went red to the ears.
Lu Fei raised the bowl toward her again.
"Thanks."
Anya brushed her hair aside and, in a soft voice, said thank you at last.
"You're welcome."
Lu Fei smiled and shook his head.
She could even say "thanks."
Looked like Anna's sister wasn't that spoiled after all.
After eating and drinking their fill
They moved on.
"Lady Anya," Lu Fei said suddenly, "we'll pass a town soon. I suggest you stop at the adventurers' guild hire help to send a letter and have your household come fetch you."
"I never said I'm going home," Anya said, annoyed.
"If not home where?"
"With you."
"Huh? I'm going to find my wife. Then adventure. What would you do?"
"I'm going to adventure with you!"
"…"
"Why?"
"Hmph why can Anna run away from home and be pampered by everyone while I have to sulk in the nobles' little circle all my life?"
"I've thought it over. This world is big. I want to see it."
"Becoming an adventurer is the best way to broaden my horizons."
As she spoke, Anya blushed and stole glances at Lu Fei's handsome face.
In the past
She always yearned for Prince Angus's dazzling exterior and was deeply mesmerized by his devotion to Anna.
But now
Seeing this ill‑fated Crown Prince wandering outside her heart quivered.
Maybe that earlier rush to throw herself into his arms played a part.
Maybe it was her unwillingness to lose to Anna.
In any case, Anya wanted to follow him and see the world.
Seeing her expectant eyes, Lu Fei felt a pang. Sena was already gritting her teeth.
Another rival!
"Best not, Lady Anya. If you want to adventure, find other adventurers."
"If I take you it looks bad, doesn't it? When I meet Sister Anna if she learns I lured her sister into adventuring she'll kill me."
But Anya lifted her hand with bravado. "It's fine. From now on, you're my little brother. You can call me Sister Anya. As for Anna if she dares scold you, I'll scold her back. I've been scolding her since we were little. She's most afraid of me."
"Uh… my lady I'm Anna's husband. Saying you bullied my wife in front of me… do you want me to bully you back?"
"No matter as long as you let me come along even if you bully me, I'll accept it!"
Lu Fei: "…"
"Are you serious?"
"Of course!"
"But I don't want to carry a burden. Having to look after you while adventuring is exhausting."
At this, Anya lifted her small hand toward a tree by the road.
"Fireball!"
In an instant, a fireball a meter wide shot from her pale palm blowing through a dozen trees.
It was proof of her deep mastery of magic.
"I'm a mage. Since childhood, I've been better than Anna in magic. So don't worry about me dragging you down. Compared to me… what can that 'dwarf' girl and the fox‑eared one do?"
Anya lifted her chin her full bosom jiggled slightly her face smug.
Civil eyes here, please.
Lu Fei hastily looked away.
At her smugness, Sena snorted and kept silent.
Liliyana tucked her tail and looked pitifully at Lu Fei.
"All right, all right don't be so dejected. I'll try to teach you my magic. So settle in."
"Really? Great! Brother Lu Fei I like you most!"
Liliyana flung herself into his arms and acted spoiled.
Sena was tempted too.
She knew how strong his magic was.
"I want to learn too!"
Anya was not pleased.
"My magic is only for family. Do you plan to pledge yourself?"
"In your dreams!"
"Then why ask?"
Lu Fei gave her a side‑eye.
"Hmph no matter what, I'm going to adventure with you. If you don't take me when I see Anna, I'll say you violated me!"
"You sure?"
Lu Fei looked odd.
Given his bond with Anna and his understanding of her if he wanted to force himself on Anya… Anna might help hold Anya's legs.
Prince Angus had led his legion to subdue the orc raider army.
He'd been full of confidence.
But after three days of skirmishes, morale plummeted.
The orc soldiers were too fierce.
They charged the empire's lines with a single blade fighting in and out like they didn't care about life.
Some powerful orcs used their naturally stronger bodies to tear a human soldier in half alive!
Such gore made the empire's soldiers quake.
Prince Angus's level‑6 strength was formidable but he was only one man.
The soldiers were at most level 5 some as low as level 3.
Even a level‑3 soldier had been ripped apart and died on the spot.
The orcs fought harder the more they clashed.
Worse the orcs had no humanity at all. They treated all bodies on the battlefield as food stores meat to eat!
"Damn it!"
Prince Angus hurled a cup to the ground in fury. His handsome face had long lost its usual smile.
"At this rate, it's certain defeat. Kent go to the adventurers' guild pay the highest price let every adventurer in the land come to our aid!"
"If the empire falls, the adventurers' days won't be easy either. Without a nation, there are no homes!"
"If we don't crush the orc army hurt them badly we humans will be the ones enslaved!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Kent a black‑haired young man and Angus's trusted retainer saluted. After receiving the order, he mounted a horse and left the battlefield at speed.
Prince Angus left the tent looked at the battered soldiers around him and clenched his fists.
"Anna how can I face you if I go back like this?"
"This time, it will be hard to live."
"I truly regret not having forced myself on you sooner."
He would never retreat now.
Retreating meant handing the land to soulless orcs.
Home lay behind them. Even in death he would not step back.
"Report!"
"Your Highness Angus! News there's an eighth‑level powerhouse among the orcs! He formed this raider army!"
"What? Level 8?"
Prince Angus drew a sharp breath.
He himself was only level 6.
Even if he activated the power of the King's Blood, he could only deal with a level 7.
Now the enemy had a level‑8 powerhouse.
Hearing this, even Angus hesitated. Not out of fear of death, but to avoid meaningless casualties.
This territory had already been slaughtered; the women had been taken as tools.
You could say it was beyond saving.
The enemy had an eighth‑level fighter; pressing on would only add to the body count.
"Your Highness Angus decide!"
All the noble leaders and unit captains stepped forward, awaiting their prince's command.
Prince Angus was silent for a moment, then spoke one word:
"Fight."
He could not slink back.
How would he face his fiancée otherwise?
For the young, sometimes face is more important than life.
Especially for nobles.
Honor can also be more important than life.
If Prince Angus retreated now lost, and snuck home he would immediately lose prestige perhaps even the right to inherit the throne.
The king and queen were still young they could have another child and slowly cultivate him.
Prince Angus made his choice.
The nobles' eyes hardened.
Not every noble is debauched and cruel.
Many are noble, elegant, responsible always leading from the front risking their lives to protect their lands, their people, and their nation.
It was clear the young captains around Prince Angus were men of noble character indeed true nobles.
…
Anna was now a level‑8 adventurer.
Counting Esther's power, she could instantly kill any level‑8 and even beat a level‑9 half to death and withdraw at leisure.
On the surface, she wasn't adept at magic.
But in fact, every magic she knew was maxed out.
It was a benefit from the world‑consciousness super magic talent.
After all, she had once sacrificed herself to save the world.
Without some "cheats," that wouldn't be fair.
Anna guessed that Lu Fei would, of course, stop by each adventurers' guild.
So she thought the same way.
Thus
When she saw a carriage pull to a stop at her side, Anna froze.
Lu Fei also stared at her, dumbstruck.
Then
They exchanged smiles.
Lu Fei jumped down from the carriage and opened his arms.
Anna ran hard!
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