"Excuse me, could you please move aside?"
The boy frowned, his tone tinged with impatience, "You're blocking the way."
"Where did this brat come from, looking for death!"
The assassin closest to him was clearly still reeling from the shock of his companion's instant death. Driven by instinct, he roared and swung his scimitar at the boy.
Then he died.
The boy only drew his sword halfway.
No, it's possible that only one-third was released.
None of the onlookers could see how the sword was thrown.
There was a soft "bang".
The assassin's head rolled off his neck like a ripe melon, and his body continued its forward-moving motion for a couple of steps before crashing into the snow.
The boy sheathed his sword and tilted his head.
He squinted at the headless corpse on the ground, then glanced at the remaining assassins. "Sorry, this guy struck first."
"You all saw it; I was just acting in self-defense. There shouldn't be any problem, right?"
No one answered him.
The wind and snow howled through the valley, and the twenty-odd assassins looked at each other, none daring to charge forward.
"Now, can you all step aside?"
His tone was casual, as if he were genuinely discussing a trivial matter.
But that indifferent attitude that emanated from the very core of his being was more chilling than any threat.
"Kid, brat! Don't be so arrogant!" one of the assassins, who seemed to be the leader, roared through gritted teeth, "Attack him all at once! He's all alone!"
The remaining twenty or so people moved at the same time, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
The flashing blades and shadowy swords enveloped the boy from all directions, as dense as a fishing net thrown out into the sea.
Then the fishing net tore.
The boy took a step forward. Just one step.
The Elegant Dragon Sword seemed to come alive in his hands, its blade flipping, slicing horizontally, sweeping diagonally, and turning back.
Every movement was so precise it was as if measured with a ruler, not an inch more or less, and every sword strike took a life.
The assassins didn't even have time to scream before they fell one after another, like wheat being harvested by a sickle.
In just a few breaths, more than twenty corpses lay scattered on the ground, their blood staining the white snow a glaring red.
Luo Ge sheathed his sword.
He flicked the blood off his sword, then glanced at the group of dumbfounded fugitives beside him. "The annoying flies are finally gone. Can you all step aside now?"
No one spoke.
Everyone was stunned by Luo Ge's terrifying fighting prowess.
Everyone made way for them, and even Ariel tactfully moved aside.
Luke stared, mouth agape, as the boy walked past him, not daring to even breathe.
The two remaining female attendants in the group also gripped their weapons warily, but their hands were trembling like leaves.
Even the Silent Fitz slightly raised his sunglasses, revealing a pair of wide, emerald-green eyes.
Of the entire group, only Ariel reacted first.
She took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the urge to wet her pants that was almost unbearable in her calves.
Then, straightening her clothes and disheveled hair, she stepped out of the guards' protective circle and gave Luo Ge a standard noble bow. "Thank you for saving us, Your Excellency. If it weren't for your help, we would probably be dead here tonight."
Luo Ge glanced at her, then frowned again.
The woman was quite pretty; under normal circumstances, he wouldn't mind chatting with her for a bit.
But the situation is urgent now, and Luo Ge is in a hurry to get on his way, so he has no time to deal with these trivial matters.
"Save you?"
"You're overthinking it. These guys are just too noisy."
Luo Ge waved his hand dismissively.
Ariel's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, but she quickly composed herself, offering a gentle, warm smile, "No matter what, you saved all of our lives, and Ariel will always remember this kindness."
Ariel?
Luo Ge muttered casually, "Never heard of it, don't get in the way."
Luke's expression immediately changed, and he drew his sword, taking a step forward. "Insolent fool! This is Her Highness the Second Princess of the Asura Kingdom! You—"
" Luke."
Ariel immediately raised her hand to stop him, maintaining her kind smile, "Don't be rude, this gentleman did indeed save us."
Luke was unwilling to let Ariel be offended so easily.
But he wasn't stupid; he knew that provoking this person wouldn't be a wise move in this situation.
So in the end, they had no choice but to back down.
Luo Ge, too lazy to deal with these convoluted and trivial matters, turned to leave.
He still had hundreds of miles of mountain road to travel, and every moment of delay increased the uncertainty in the Buena Village.
But just as he turned around, a startled cry suddenly came from behind him:
"Rudy... Rudeus?!"
The voice trembled violently, as if it had witnessed something unbelievable.
Before Luo Ge could react, he felt something white suddenly pounce on him from the side, its arms outstretched as if to hug him.
Luo Ge instinctively sidestepped and dodged.
The white figure missed its target, staggered a couple of steps before regaining its balance, and almost fell headfirst to the ground.
He looked up and saw the silent sorcerer Fitz, his sunglasses askew on his ears, revealing a clean-cut face and emerald green eyes filled with unbelievable tears.
"Hello."
Luo Ge frowned and took a half step back. "What are you doing? I admit I'm quite handsome, but does that mean I have to throw myself at you?"
"Terribly sorry!"
Ariel was also startled by Fitz's actions, fearing she might have angered this scoundrel, so she quickly ran over to smooth things over, "This is Fitz, my guardian sorceress. She must have been too admiring of you, sir, and that's why she got a little carried away and acted rudely. I apologize on her behalf."
" Rudeus..."
However, Fitz seemed completely oblivious to Ariel's words and continued muttering to himself.
She stood there, stunned, her lips trembling, her emerald green eyes fixed on Luo Ge's face, unblinking.
" Rudeus..."
She called out again, her voice trembling even more, "You... you really don't remember me? I'm Sylphie, your childhood friend from Buena Village, Sylphie."
" Sylphie?"
Luo Ge was taken aback. Where did he get a childhood sweetheart from?
wrong.
etc.
What did she call me just now?
Rudeus?
Isn't that Rudeus's name?
Luo Ge's expression immediately turned serious, and he looked the white-haired boy in front of him over again.
Suddenly, as if he had figured something out, he smiled and asked, "Are you looking for Rudeus?"
"..."
The boy named Sylphie was stunned.
She stared at Luo Ge for a long time, as if trying to make out something, then slowly took off her other sunglasses, revealing a pair of complete, bright green eyes.
Her voice was as soft as a spider's silk in the wind. "Um, Rudeus... you really don't remember me? We played together in the village when we were little... you even taught me magic..."
"Have you forgotten all of this?"
Luo Ge listened to the white-haired boy's earnest explanation, he was certain that it was all a misunderstanding.
Seeing that the other party had mistaken him for someone else, Luo Ge didn't rush to explain his identity. Instead, he said, "I'm sorry, I am indeed Rudeus, but Sylphie... I really don't remember you."
"Huh?"
"Don't you remember me?!"
The sunglasses-wearing boy, who seemed insecure and sensitive, suddenly turned deathly pale.
She staggered backward as if her bones had been removed, her legs gave way, and she collapsed onto the snow.
The tears that had been welling up in her emerald green eyes finally rolled down her cheeks, and she burst into tears.
"... Are you kidding me?"
Her expression broke down, her voice barely audible, "How could this be... How could you forget me... You... You don't remember me..."
She had always hoped to reunite with Rudeus, grow up, get married, have children, and build a happy family.
However, Rudeus told her that he had forgotten her, which caused Sylphie's mental state to plummet, and she began to lose heart.
This sudden blow almost made Sylphie's world collapse; Rudeus was her everything.
Looking at the boy who had inexplicably broken down, Luo Ge felt a strange, inexplicable sense of unease.
Rudeus, that sleazy guy, actually has someone who likes him?
Just now, he had a strange feeling that he couldn't describe at all.
"Oh, right."
Luo Ge suddenly seemed to realize something; wasn't this guy in front of him a male buddy?
Holy crap!
Luo Ge's heart skipped a beat as a terrifying thought crossed his mind: Could Rudeus have been secretly having homosexual relationships with men all these years?
She actually started dating a man, and they even reached the point of discussing marriage.
no?
Dude?
This flavor is a bit too strong, isn't it?
Looking at the white-haired boy wearing sunglasses in front of him, Luo Ge felt that he did have a bit of a effeminate look. If someone like Rudeus was a deadbeat otaku in his previous life, it seemed quite reasonable for him to like this type.
The thought that he had shared a bed with Rudeus for so many years, only to find out that the guy was actually interested in men, gave Luo Ge goosebumps all over his body.
broken.
Could it be that he's got his eye on me too?