Only after putting enough distance between himself and Castorice did he casually rise to his feet and brush off dust that did not exist on his robes.
"Huh?" Castorice lowered her arms. Her amethyst eyes brimmed with incredulous curiosity as she carefully examined him as though he were some priceless rarity.
"Why are you... truly immune to my..."
"Stop right there."
Yan Huan raised a hand in a halting gesture.
"I know what you want to ask, but I can't be bothered to explain."
"If you're really bored out of your mind, go discuss the philosophy of life with Cyrene."
Three days later.
Inside the Allied Forces' main tent outside Okhma City.
The atmosphere was oppressive and restless.
The air carried the scent of leather, sweat, and a faint trace of blood.
"Damn it! Why haven't we heard that the chancellor dropped dead yet?!"
The white-haired elder from Ladon slammed his palm fiercely onto the rough wooden table, making the maps and wine cups atop it tremble and rattle.
He roared at the commanders from the various city-states seated around him, his spittle nearly spraying the faces of those across from him:
"I say those bastards from Aedilia are all cowardly weaklings! They just want to trail behind us and pick up the easy rewards!"
"Sending a woman to assassinate him was one thing, but how many days has it been now? There hasn't even been a ripple! No progress whatsoever!"
"Elder, do you think..." A sharp-featured commander stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Could it be... that chancellor is actually already dead?"
"They may simply be concealing the news of his death to stabilize Okhema's people and army, without making it public?"
Another man chimed in, "To be safe, why don't we send another group of envoys to seek an