Even though Quelyn had been "marinated" in expensive incense, Renato still felt an indescribable greasy stench seep from her words as she made her blatant overtures.
The actual fragrance could not mask his psychological revulsion.
Her belly was still swollen, yet she shamelessly promised him rank and power, as though becoming Nightwind's House Consort and serving her were some supreme blessing.
Ugh.
Renato reckoned even a roadside Goblin would be "cleaner" than Quelyn.
She had even taken Renato's Consort's Mask, claiming she would enhance the magical equipment as his reward for completing the mission.
So she forcibly took his own property, then gave it back as a reward? Utterly shameless.
Renato forcibly suppressed his mounting revulsion and walked beside Tristana, whose expression was dark enough to thunder.
After listening to the entire exchange outside the door and discovering that her mother had taken the Consort's Mask from Renato's face, Tristana had adopted that deathly expression.
Her face was livid, her lips pressed into a thin line, and her eyes vicious enough to suggest she might kill someone at any moment.
Their mission required them to hold the West Wall area, but the Priestess had not made a show of mobilizing troops. Instead, she brought only eight family cavalrymen.
These eight lizard cavalrymen were elite soldiers of the Nightwind Family, each fully armed. Hardened Rothé leather was fitted to their enchanted mithral chainmail, a long razor-bladed polearm suited for slashing rested against each shoulder, and the hand crossbows beside their saddles were ready to be drawn and fired at any moment.
Judging by the Priestess's purposeful route, Tristana seemed to know exactly where they should wait for Rodi to appear.
Riding a Subterranean Lizard, Tristana chose a remote, winding path without a soul in sight. Towering stalactite columns and abandoned low