"What the hell was that?!" Grey shouted so loudly that birds burst from their perches and shot up above the treetops in panic.
"What are you talking about?" Achilles asked, bewildered, only now rubbing his numb neck.
He was so confused that he did not even get angry over what Grey had done. He simply could not understand what he was being accused of. His mind raced at full speed, running through one possibility after another.
Did I offend him somehow? He couldn't possibly know I was cursing him in my head, could he?
"You bastard! You piece of shit! You scumbag! You don't even know what you did wrong?!" Grey grew even angrier when he saw the blank look on Achilles' face. "Let's forget for a minute that you just killed our prisoner with your own hands, even though he had vital information."
"But you promised you'd only ask twenty questions..."
"SHUT UP! Who cares what I promised him?! If he'd asked for a prostitute, would you have sent him to Venus' Embrace?"
Grey was so furious that he was struggling to breathe.
"That's not even the point. Let's talk about your first mission. What was that pathetic performance? It looked less like bait and more like some clown's act instead of a Centurion-level fighter. Do you know what it means to strike the grass and scare the snake? Your job was to lure the cultists out and get the hell away. But what did you do?"
"I did exactly that..."
This time, Grey did not bother holding back. He slapped Achilles across the face so hard that a clear handprint remained on his cheek.
"Damn it! If we hadn't stepped in, you'd already be dead!
What the hell were you thinking when you let that pack of thugs get so close? Were you that eager to fight them? To provoke them? How brave. How damn heroic of you!
Because of your carelessness, the whole plan almost went to Tartarus!"
Achilles lowered his head, admitting his mistake.
He really had misunderstood Grey's intentions, and because of that, he had put both himself and his comrades in unnecessary danger. He felt ashamed that he had been so suspicious of Grey before. At the same time, a warm feeling spread deep inside his heart, knowing that someone cared about him this much.
Maybe trusting him with my brothers wasn't such a bad decision after all, Achilles thought.
"Stop sighing! Make one more mistake like that, and I swear I'll wrap you up like a present and personally sell you to Harmon. Then I'll use the money to buy some food for the rest of these idiots.
How does that sound? I think it's a wonderful idea. At least that way you'll finally be useful to your comrades instead of putting them in danger."
"It won't happen again," Achilles replied calmly, standing perfectly straight.
He did not take Grey's threats seriously at all. He knew his commander was only trying to provoke him and hammer his mistakes into his head so he would never repeat them.
"And what are you idiots laughing at, you bastard children of Cyclopes? Happy with your performance?" Grey stopped yelling at Achilles and turned to the others.
Everyone immediately fell silent and looked away, trying to hold back their laughter.
Their commander truly had a gift for insults.
He could yell at them for half an hour without repeating a single one. Maybe that was some kind of art. If their commander were half as talented at cultivation as he was at cursing people out, he would have reached the Sky-dweller level before coming of age, or maybe ascended straight to godhood.
Still, no one wanted to become his next target. Whenever Grey's eyes landed on them, they instinctively wanted to crawl into a hole and hide where no one would ever find them.
But Grey only grew angrier when he saw how cheerful they still looked.
"Damn it, you people piss me off! God created you in His own image, but apparently forgot to give you any brains. I feel like cracking your skulls open just to find out what the fuck was going through your heads when you charged that group.
Just look at yourselves. Every one of you is covered in wounds of different severity. And it would be one thing if the enemies had inflicted them, but no. Most of them came from your own allies' crossfire.
Do you people even watch where you're swinging? What kind of nonsense is this? Are you all that desperate to die?! Or were you trying to hold your own 'Death by Darwin Award' festival?"
The teenagers lowered their eyes in shame, yet they still could not stop themselves from snickering.
"Don't even think I'll let you join my new organization after a performance like that! I need elites! Skilled warriors, not a bunch of useless fools who can kill their own comrades in the middle of a fight!"
Grey exploded again the moment he saw their twisted expressions. It felt like he was talking to a brick wall, casting pearls before swine, or trying to teach advanced mathematics to a first grader. He wanted to smash his forehead against a tree.
Only Sheryl took every word seriously and stared guiltily at her toes.
Grey also caught Lily's gloomy stare fixed on him and quickly added,
"Not you, Sheryl. You did great. Just try to keep your eyes open the next time you attack, okay? If you do, I'll treat you to something delicious again."
"Really?" the rabbit girl asked, giving him a timid but hopeful look.
"Really. When have I ever lied to you? Isn't that right, you bastards? Everyone saw how brave Sheryl was, didn't they?" Grey swept his gaze across his subordinates, making it painfully clear that he would devour them alive if they gave the wrong answer.
"Y... Yeah... Yeah..." the teenagers nodded like bobbleheads.
"Looks like you forgot someone..." the succubus sang in a gentle voice that still carried traces of her mental magic.
"Your contribution decided this battle," Grey nodded obediently. This time, he was completely sincere.
With such "perfect" teamwork, several of them would have lost their lives if Lily had not acted when she did. One Centurion and two Legionaries could have easily dealt with a bunch of teenagers holding weapons for the first time. Only the overwhelming wave of confusion Lily unleashed allowed them to get away with minimal injuries and finish off their enemies so quickly.
Amid Grey's endless stream of curses mixed with shameless praise, the gloomy atmosphere gradually faded.
In truth, Grey had not scolded them without reason.
First of all, he wanted to point out their mistakes so they would remember them for the rest of their lives and do their best not to repeat them. The best time for that was immediately after the operation, while every action was still fresh in their minds.
Second, he wanted to wash away the bitter aftertaste left by the interrogation they had just witnessed.
He knew his methods could have seemed excessively cruel, even sinister, to their still immature minds. The last thing he wanted was for them to see him as a monster.
A true leader had to be the closest comrade, someone they could trust with their backs, while at the same time possessing unquestionable authority that no one in the group would dare challenge.
That was exactly the image Grey wanted to build in their eyes.
After finishing the job, Senior obediently returned full control of the body to Junior. Junior had insisted on it because there was something else that worried him far more.
Grey's expression twitched, returning to its usual coldness, but no one paid attention to such a minor change.
The moment Junior regained control of his voice, he hurried over to Hope, who was staring blankly at the two mutilated corpses, and gently patted her on the shoulder.
"Are you okay?" he whispered uncertainly, giving her shoulder another gentle pat.
He was deeply worried about the girl's condition. Ever since the battle had ended, she had not moved an inch, as if she no longer noticed anything around her. Even if the apocalypse began this very moment or true gods descended upon the mortal world, Hope would not have cared in the slightest.
The only things worthy of her attention were the two corpses.
Hope did not respond. She looked like a lifeless puppet with its strings cut.
Listening more carefully, Grey caught the girl's faint mumbling.
"Mom... I got my revenge. The bastards who framed you are dead now too, but their deaths were a hundred times better than yours... Are you still watching me? Are you angry with me? Do you still love Hope?
Hope misses you so much...
You know, I have friends now. They're the ones who helped me get my revenge. I'm sure you would have liked them. Sniff... Sniff...
I... I want to return to your arms so badly... I wish you could teach me your magic...
I've awakened, but I don't even know how to use my own powers. What kind of witch am I? I didn't even strike a single blow against my enemies. Did I really get my revenge?
Sniff... Sniff...
I know you always dreamed of taking me to Velnora... To the sacred land of all witches, where we could have lived freely without worrying that tomorrow might be our last day...
But... But...
I think I've found an even better place...
When I'm with Big Brother, I feel safe. He might seem a little crazy at first, but he's actually very dependable. He always tries to make the world a better place.
The others are kind to me too... Sniff... Sniff...
Just a little while ago, he carried me in his arms like I was some princess... Sheryl and Lily helped me gather information about our enemies... And I even got to taste berry cake. I swear, it was the most delicious thing I've ever eaten... You would have loved it too...
Sniff... Sniff...
Mom, did you see that? I just can't believe some miserable bonfire could burn away your soul... Your daughter is very happy... I hope that now those scumbags are dead, you can finally rest in peace...
I love you so much, Mom..."
Grey listened to every single word, and he simply could not stop trembling.
Although Hope was speaking to her own mother, Grey felt as if he were the one offering Catherine a final farewell.
The difference was that he had not taken his revenge yet. Pompey and Orion were still alive, and they were so powerful that he could not even imagine how he would ever make them pay.
More importantly, he refused to believe Catherine was dead. He would not accept it until he saw her body with his own eyes. And even then, he would never give up until he found a way to bring her back.
Grey knew this world was full of miracles. There would always be a way. He would do everything in his power to return to his mother's embrace, or die trying.
Even so, every word Hope spoke struck his mind like a hundred-thousand-ton hammer.
Grey said nothing. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Hope from behind and gently covered her mouth with his hand. He felt warm tears running over his fingers, just like the first time they had met, when he covered her eyes so she would not witness such a horrible scene.
Only this time, he covered her mouth so she would not speak such horrible words.
Hope's shoulders continued to tremble.
She did not struggle. She simply let Grey hold her. The firmness of his chest and the strength of his embrace gave her that familiar feeling of safety once again.
=====
Author's Note:
Hey, everyone. Sorry for the delay with the chapters. You all already know about the problems I've been dealing with, and unfortunately, nothing has changed.
I'll do my best to make up for it today and post two chapters. Hopefully, we won't lose anyone because of the missed day.
Sending you all a big hug.