Tch. As expected of one of Persia's dual gods.
A brand capable of cursing even a Divine Spirit clung to him like a parasite on bone, impossible to remove.
After a brief moment of steadying his breath, some color returned to Samael's pale face, though a trace of fatigue still lingered in his movements. The flame-like mark fused into his flesh had grown slightly stronger.
And that line… those who harm me shall suffer sevenfold?
The Ancient Serpent glanced at the scorched, ruined battlefield, closed his eyes, and sifted through the details of the fight. As he mulled over that peculiar prayer, his brow slowly tightened.
If he remembered correctly… it was him.
It seemed that in this Greco-Persian war, even the long-silent Israelites had stepped onto the stage.
After calming himself, Samael sheathed his greatsword and made his way up the mountain at an unhurried pace.
The situation in Greece was more complicated than it looked. He would need to maintain this identity for a while longer to observe and plan. Sending Gorgo and Helen up the mountain had been a necessary move, giving him room to act without restraint.
Although quite a few bandits had escaped the bat swarm and fled back to their stronghold, most of them were ordinary men with limited combat ability. If a conflict broke out, the Queen of Sparta alone would be enough to deal with them.
Besides, the protective charms made from fragments of the World Tree were already in their hands. As long as those two didn't do anything reckless, they would be fine.
Sure enough, after a few leaps and climbs, Samael reached the crude mountain stronghold enclosed by a simple fence.
Dozens of shaken bandits crouched on the ground with their heads down, not daring to resist as Gorgo patrolled nearby.
On the cleared ground lay seven or eight small chests, half-open, revealing gold and silver vessels, coins, and gemstones inside.
Beside Helen, who wore a golden laurel crown and a light veil, several fair-skinned, beautiful women broke into tears of relief after confirming they had been rescued, sobbing uncontrollably.
Under the High Priestess of the Moon Temple's gentle comfort and simple divine healing, the victims, whose families had been slaughtered and who had been abducted and abused, finally began to calm down.
After a brief exchange, they learned the bandit leader's identity.
He had been an officer who fled from a fallen city-state. Half a month ago, he had stormed this stronghold, killed the previous leader, and taken control himself.
And this man, clearly clever, had already begun contacting nobles and other bandit groups. He planned to establish himself here, waiting for the right moment to side with Persia and profit from the war's outcome.
No wonder he possessed divine blood, and his skills were no joke either.
Gorgo fell into thought, but her heart only grew heavier.
Even the backbone of a city-state, once defeated, was already planning to defect to Persia. That alone proved how thoroughly they had been shaken.
With internal decay this severe, could the front lines really hold?
And this was already close to Athenian territory. With defenses this lax, what were the Areopagus and the council even doing?
The more she thought, the colder she felt. A chill seeped into her flesh and sank deep into her bones.
"Your Highness, please keep an eye on them. The carriage below is completely destroyed. I'll check the stables. We still have a long way to Athens. Hopefully, we can find something to ride."
The white-robed bodyguard stepped forward, interrupting Gorgo's thoughts as he calmly assigned tasks. The two met each other's gaze and gave a slight nod, as if they had reached an unspoken agreement.
Before leaving, the assassin casually grabbed Helen, who had been comforting the women, and pulled her along.
This… this suddenly?
Feeling her wrist seized, the High Priestess's heart skipped. She instinctively looked toward Gorgo.
To her surprise, the Queen of Sparta simply nodded, offering no objection at all.
Thinking back to the earth-shattering aftermath of the battle just moments ago, Helen sighed inwardly.
So it really had come to this. They had no choice.
As the two figures disappeared toward the back mountain, Gorgo recalled the assassin's subtle gesture, a hand drawn across his throat.
Her gaze turned back to the bandits on the clearing, a cold glint flickering in her eyes.
Yes. Before setting out, it was best to deal with all loose ends.
...
Meanwhile, after searching the rear stables, Samael found seven or eight fine horses, along with two slightly damaged carriages tucked away in a corner.
Most likely plunder taken by the bandits. With a bit of repair, they would still be usable.
So the Ancient Serpent fetched rope from storage, had Helen bring water and cloth, and got to work cleaning and fixing the vehicles.
Helen looked at the cloth in her hands, then at the half-cleaned carriage, and suddenly froze.
Wait… what had she been worrying about just now?
This… wasn't quite how she had imagined things would go…
"All done!"
After more than ten minutes of work, Samael snapped his fingers in satisfaction, tracing a Rune that evaporated the remaining moisture inside the carriage.
Helen, who had been pampered her whole life and rarely did any physical labor, immediately felt soreness in her back and waist. Just as she was about to admire the results, someone had already led out the newly refurbished carriage and headed toward the open ground, leaving the High Priestess standing there, windswept and stunned.
Helen's lips twitched. She subconsciously touched her cheek, suddenly beginning to doubt her title as the most beautiful woman in Greece.
Seeing the carriage moving farther away, she had no choice but to lift her skirt and hurry after it.
By the time she returned to the front of the stronghold, the dozens of bandits who had been gathered in the clearing were gone without a trace.
With a rustling sound, led by Gorgo, the women who had previously looked numb emerged from the woods one after another. After washing up, their faces now carried a renewed sense of life, and each of them held daggers or Short Blades in hand.
Helen glanced at the man ahead, her sapphire-like eyes thoughtful.
As for where the bandits had gone, and where the women got their weapons from, there were questions better left unasked.
She might have been well protected and sheltered, but she was not naive.
"Seven chests of treasure. I'll take five. I'll escort you to the nearest city-state. The rest is yours to divide. Whether you use it to make a living or to find your families, that's up to you. Once we arrive, you're on your own."
Samael maintained his role as a bounty hunter perfectly, raising a hand to store his share into a Magecraft array, then motioning for the women to board the other carriage.
Click…
Just before departure, however, the women suddenly froze for a moment, their expressions turning faintly dazed. They turned toward the woodshed in the corner, where a faint noise was coming from, as if something had just occurred to them.
"Ah, right! We still have another sister. After she was captured, she refused to submit and has been locked in there for punishment. Please take her with you!"
With his sleeve being tugged as they pleaded, the Ancient Serpent frowned slightly. He drew his greatsword and walked over alone, casually splitting the lock.
Bang!
The moment Samael stepped into the woodshed, a figure rushed forward and threw herself into his arms, burying her face in his chest. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded pitifully, her fragile appearance enough to stir sympathy.
"Waa… I'm finally saved. You're my savior, right? I'll do anything. Please let me stay by your side and serve you to repay your kindness!"
"What's your name?"
"Tamamo… You can just call me Tamamo, my benefactor…"
The girl raised her delicate face, blinking her bright eyes as she answered in a sorrowful voice.
Sniff…
Samael faintly caught a suspicious sound. His gaze dropped to the sharp, charming chin beneath that pink hair, and those innocent, blinking golden eyes.
He turned his head slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching.
You're a little too practiced at this.
And are you really trying to repay a favor… or just looking to latch onto a free ride?
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
[email protected]/PinkSnake (50 Chapters Ahead).
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.