On the surface, I lounged casually against the railing, admiring the view. Inside, my mind raced at full speed. The sun still had time before setting—the once-breathtaking scenery now failed to move me. A single miscalculation could doom everything.
"They say beginnings are hardest. What should my first sentence be? How about this: I believe you can't kill me, Miss Xue Yan. Do you agree?"
"Heh heh… your guts are extraordinary. I could call that wrong right now—but you wouldn't accept it, would you? I'll set it aside. Any more last words?"
"Plenty of last words, but I didn't plan to use them today. Let me guess your identity instead."
Xue Yan's expression didn't flicker, but a sly—almost pleased—glint crossed her eyes. That micro-reaction told me she definitely wasn't a traitor.
"If I said you're a dark elf spy, you'd be thrilled, right?"
She gave a cold snort—hit.
To read her motive and weakness, the key clue was why she wanted to kill me. She knew human men's lustful reputation, meaning familiarity with the Empire. No way she hadn't heard of the Triple-Three Heroes legend. Yet she didn't admit knowing it like Serbei did—that was telling.
She didn't want her clan knowing she paid attention to human affairs. Privacy issue.
Another point: neither grand elder nor crown prince had reason to assassinate me now—too costly. The Perverted Old Man once said elves lack greed and have ironclad racial loyalty—no concept of traitors among them.
Excluding politics, her motive was personal. Scope narrowed.
Flash of insight: her decision crystallized between the meeting's start and end. She didn't claim knowledge of my legend but saluted afterward—contradiction meant hesitation then.
"Miss Xue Yan, you acted too impulsively. You didn't think it through before coming to kill me. Do you even know who your target is?"
Her dagger hand trembled—she'd been called out. She was bluffing to hide her thoughts.
Hesitation turned to action post-meeting—triggered by something that made her ignore clan survival for personal grudge.
Got it—Jenna. My whispering to her was the only spark, like Koman 's jealousy. Xue Yan knowing human men's ways + seeing me intimate with Jenna = resurfaced buried trauma.
Perfect. She had the guts to try killing me—I'd show her how terrifying Sorola truly is.
"Heh heh heh… HAHAHAHA!"
"What's so funny?"
I pretended to laugh until breathless. Xue Yan tensed, glaring, but her dagger hand shook.
"Boring. Truly boring. Trying to assassinate an imperial envoy over such trivial reasons—and during your clan's life-or-death crisis? Commander of the mage-archers, you've failed your subordinates."
"Shut up!"
"If I'm wrong, kill me."
"… …"
"Hit the mark? Emotional grudge—wanting to vent on me. I'd guess… involving a human man."
"You…"
Game over.
Her expression confirmed everything. Murderous aura weakened. Now—how to subdue her.
"It happened three to four hundred years ago, right?"
Her face drained of color, breathing ragged.
"Impossible! Only one person knows—you couldn't!"
Hysteria rising—she was cracking, but also more dangerous.
Karan once told me "the face reflects the heart." Mages especially—mental state shapes appearance.
Xue Yan looked sixteen despite centuries—younger than Jenna. Something froze her growth, mentally and magically.
Jenna's 200; Xue Yan was younger then—around 100-150. Three centuries ago.
Tormented for 300+ years by… a human man from the Empire, like me.
"Once upon a time, over three hundred years ago, a pure, beautiful elf maiden met a human man by chance…"
"Stop… don't say it…"
"That maiden dreamed of becoming a grand mage, but because of that man…"
"DIE!!!!"
Triggered, Xue Yan lost control. Tears streamed as she screamed, forgetting position and clan fate. Dagger lunged at my throat—life or death in an instant.
"Little Yan."
"Ah?!"
I smiled gently, voice soft as silk. In her breakdown, reality blurred. Her strike hesitated half a beat.
Life and death hung on that fraction.
Instinct took over—I chopped her wrist with a hand blade. Dagger flew. I retreated inside.
But Xue Yan's skill exceeded estimates. Mid-air, she kicked the dagger—it spun back toward my throat. Worse—she began chanting while kicking.
Wind basic magic—Cyclone Return.
Headache before, now scalp-numbing. Simultaneous five wind blades—an unseen spell. Unavoidable in single combat.
"Don't draw swords!!!"
Even facing death, I shouted to my rushing guards. Riando picked sword masters, not mages. Wind blades could cleave five-inch steel. Sheathed swords might block; drawn—man and blade split.
The mud golem took two blades first—quartered crosswise. Remaining three slashed toward us.
I backed against the wall.
Screams beside me—guards hit. Swords sheathed, still severed; blood sprayed. Momentum hurled them through the wall outside.
Rage ignited. I grabbed the wall sword.
Silver flash—the blade meant to bisect me veered skyward, carving a massive ceiling crack.
"Huh?! That's…"
"Good eye. You guessed right."
Dragon Fury Four Absolutes sword art.
From holy elf great sword saint Dragon Fury's ultimate technique—this was Dragon Fury Soft Sword Slash. At peak, it repelled water—deflecting any attack, physical or magical, with yin force.
Shock at me knowing a secret even the grand elder didn't—Xue Yan retreated in fear. Good she was unstable; otherwise she'd realize I lacked stamina for another. My trump card—once per full strength.
Roaring, sword switched to left hand. It spun, rainbow arc straight at panicked Xue Yan.
"No!! Don't kill me!!"
As my blade neared her chest, she dropped to knees, hugging her head, sobbing.
Jenna—sensing danger via contract—appeared at the door, stunned by the wreckage.
With the saintess here, I exhaled. Legs gave out; I collapsed.
"I told you—you can't kill me."
From the ruined balcony, the crimson sun sank slowly.
In the infirmary, my two subordinates lay on white beds.
"Jenna, how are they?"
"Master, don't worry. They blocked most of Sister Xue Yan's attack—no vital injuries. They'll live."
Jenna stood between beds, casting dual basic water healing spells. The damn elves crowded Xue Yan's room next door—priests and all. Here: just me, Jenna, and twenty-plus knights.
I sighed, patting one conscious knight's shoulder.
"Sorry you took wounds for me."
"Lord… it's our honor to bleed for you."
"Idiots. I'm glad you serve me—but guilt eats me when you're hurt."
"Lord…"
He faded to sleep. Noisy footsteps outside—perfect. Time to vent anger.
"What's the meaning of this, Baron? Why injure Commander Xue Yan?"
I didn't turn—recognized Chishi 's voice.
"Why? Attempted seduction failed, so I hurt her to silence her. Satisfied?"
Sword-drawing rang—elves and my knights facing off. Only Jenna behind me saw my killing intent.
"Baron, serious or joking?"
"Does it matter? You've already decided I'm that kind of man. No point explaining."
"Hmph. Everyone heard—we take him for trial."
"Insolence!"
Jenna's cold shout—her form vanished. Fragrant breeze—she stood behind me, sword drawn against Chishi, Koman, and others. Her speed stunned even me. Normal-state Jenna was terrifying.
Elves knew the saintess 's power—no one spoke rashly.
"Lord Sorola, I believe there's a misunderstanding. For my sake, please explain what happened."
I nodded slowly, turning at Zhan Ying 's reasonable words.
"Fine—for Commander Zhan Ying 's sake. You're a friend now. But I can't reveal the full truth. Forgive me."
Zhan Ying looked half-understanding; others fumed.
As standoff neared bloodshed, footsteps approached.
"Haven't you disgraced the holy elves enough?"