Hogg and that hobgoblin had, of course, returned.
Watching Landen hurry to greet his subordinates at a speed many times faster than when he had welcomed her, Vivian grew even more displeased. Putting everything else aside, her little brother seemed to have grown much bolder than before.
With that thought in mind, Vivian did not stop walking. She followed Landen outside, while the Dark Dwarf continued waiting faithfully outside for Vivian to dine. Seeing that Vivian had no intention of eating at all, he said nothing and simply followed obediently.
By the time Landen left the bunker, Hogg had already brought the hobgoblin to him. Even Landen was rather surprised when he looked at the group. Its numbers had clearly grown considerably.
Those were Bear Hobgoblins. More than a dozen of them had their hands bound together in a chain and followed at the very back of the group. They were covered in wounds and looked utterly dispirited. Clearly, Hogg had no intention of letting them off just because of that—their backs were laden with bulging bundles, which were obviously the fish Hogg had caught. She had not made the hobgoblins carry them, but had instead put the prisoners to work.
"Lord!" Though surprised to see several more people beside Landen, Hogg still greeted him meticulously first. Only then did she sneak a look at Vivian, who stood at Landen's side.
"Are those Bear Hobgoblins the results of your troop training?" Landen pointed at them. Clearly, they had suffered not only the pain of war, but also a thorough "training session" from Hogg after their defeat. The moment the group stopped, they obediently lined up in a row.
"Yes, Lord." At that, a trace of frustration appeared on Hogg's face. She continued, "There should have been more, but I didn't control the force of my attacks properly. I let them launch one more charge, and this is all that remained."
Landen smiled and nodded, then raised a hand and rubbed Hogg's head. The gesture had originated from an unconscious act on Landen's part. Naturally, he also did it when praising Hogg. Afterward, Landen himself had frozen, thinking that this "powerful Riverclaw Jackalman lord" would become enraged. Who would have thought that Hogg would instead wear an expression of pure enjoyment? Thus, head-patting became a regular means of communication between the two.
While they were talking, Vivian was also examining Hogg and the troops behind her.
Vivian had always prided herself on being a well-traveled and knowledgeable person. Yet even she was astonished when she saw this combination.
A Beast-eared Cutie riding a Vulture Turtle... and a group of hobgoblins riding giant Rock Lizards?
Before long, that astonishment turned into amusement.
"So these are the powerful subordinates you were talking about?" Vivian made no effort to hide the mockery in her voice. Her gaze moved from the hobgoblins to Hogg, and finally settled on Landen. "Are you sure what you're raising isn't a circus?"
Two sharp gazes instantly landed on Vivian's face. They certainly did not belong to Landen. He had already been called useless, so being called a circus would not provoke much of a reaction from him. The owner of those gazes was, of course, Hogg.
Hogg had been curiously examining this woman who had appeared for the first time. She had originally developed the slightest hint of goodwill because of the woman's distinctive and eye-catching appearance, but the instant she heard those words, it vanished without a trace. She moved half a step forward, and both her arms bent slightly. This had always been her preparatory motion before launching an attack.
Vivian, who had already entered the Silver Domain, naturally paid no attention to it. She looked at Hogg, a rare trace of admiration flashing through her eyes. "Only this little girl is somewhat interesting. But why dress her up like this? Is it another one of your peculiar tastes?"
Landen shrugged. On this point, Vivian really was wronging him.
Vivian clearly had no intention of continuing the topic. Her tone returned to indifference as she said, "If this is all the strength you have, I'm seriously wondering whether you'll still be alive when I return from conquering Morata City."
After saying that, she ignored Landen's reaction and said to the Dark Dwarf, "Go eat." Then she turned around and entered the bunker with the Dark Dwarf.
Landen did not follow. Watching Vivian's back, he curled his lips slightly. "So you've already started plotting how I'll be 'wiped out' by someone?"
Then Landen turned to Hogg. "That's my sister. That's just how she is. Whatever she says, don't pay attention to her. Right, a lot of people have arrived, so rooms are a little tight. Put those Bear Hobgoblins in the hobgoblins' den for now. Also, don't take the hobgoblins out for the next couple of days. Get ready. There should be a grand stage for you to perform on soon."
"Really?" The moment battle was mentioned, Hogg—the unabashed war fanatic—became excited and tossed everything concerning Vivian to the back of her mind.
"Of course it's true. You must remember that you represent my reputation, so you absolutely cannot fail." Landen smiled and used his head-patting technique again.
"Rest assured, Lord." Hogg narrowed her eyes in enjoyment as she felt the touch on her head, and answered with even greater force.
"What? You want your circus to come with me?" Vivian looked at Landen as though he were an idiot. "Do you think I'm going on a sightseeing trip?"
"Your subordinates are at the height of their power, Sis. They're more than enough to deal with even two Qivita Families, so taking them along won't make much difference." Landen shrugged. "Just treat them as cannon fodder. Send them forward whenever a charge is needed. That'll even reduce your own subordinates' casualties. What a bargain."
"Weren't you saying they were powerful? Now you don't want them anymore?"
"I remember you always saying that without experiencing battle, how could one become a true powerhouse? I'm giving them an opportunity to temper themselves."
"Temper themselves? Hmph!" Vivian sneered. "I make no guarantees that they'll come back alive!"
"If they lack the strength and die, then they die. Isn't that perfectly normal?" This time, Landen's tone was even more indifferent than Vivian's, as though he truly did not care in the slightest whether those subordinates lived or died.
Vivian looked at Landen in surprise. This was the first time she had ever seen him behave this way.
"Since you want them dead so badly, I won't stop you." Vivian spoke indifferently, then waved her hand. "Set out!"
The Underground Ponies began moving slowly. Behind them marched the troops from Yatat City, who had long since formed orderly ranks. At the very back, Hogg led several Hobgoblin Knights.
When Hogg saw Landen looking over, she immediately began waving goodbye. Even after they had gone a long distance, she still did not stop, continuing until they vanished completely into the darkness of the underground world.
"This will be your first battle, the one that shocks the entire world. Put on a good show!"
Before you continue