The Art of Time Marks

"General Andre was injured."

The burly man kept his head lowered as he explained, showing no intention of peeking into the vehicle.

"Fine."

Accepting the explanation, Raven finally stepped out, her heeled boots clicking against the stone pavement.

On the other side, Shi Hen got out as well, now dressed in a white robe and mask. Even Peggy had draped herself in a black cloak.

Whenever it was time to conceal his identity, Shi Hen never took it lightly.

"The car..."

the burly man asked.

"Leave it here."

Raven spoke in an airy tone.

"Yes!"

The burly man bowed deeply.

Watching this, Shi Hen nodded slightly beneath his mask.

When she acted as a mercenary, Raven's intimidating presence really was formidable.

Though that sense of oppression probably owed one hundred and ten percent of its credit to her hood, considering the Mercenary Queen's face was far too adorable.

Shi Hen seriously doubted that if Raven did not wear a hood, someone might recklessly run up and pinch her cheeks.

Well, he would try it someday once she fell asleep. They would definitely feel nice.

Unaware that the youth beside her was beginning to have impure filial thoughts, Raven followed the burly man deeper into the estate and soon entered a luxurious villa.

"Andre, you really are useless!" The moment she entered the villa and saw the thin middle-aged man standing in the hall, Raven coldly berated him. "Two hundred thousand against forty thousand, and you still let them beat you into this state."

In that chaotic battle not long ago, Cocolia had only forty thousand troops under her command, while the opposing coalition had a full two hundred thousand.

Although modern warfare had long ceased to be something decided purely by numbers, with equipment quality being the key,

the coalition still held the advantage in terms of equipment.

Getting routed under such circumstances was clearly a matter of incompetence.

Rebuked by Raven, Andre merely lowered his head and did not dare offer a single retort. He could only agree, "Yes, yes, yes. Lord Raven is right."

If Andre's soldiers saw this scene, their jaws would probably drop.

After all, Andre had always been known for his explosive temper.

But when facing Raven, especially Raven standing here as a World Serpent executive, Andre could only grovel.

Otherwise, his only other option would be to lie down.

"Useless!"

Seeing Andre like this, Raven's voice turned even colder.

Andre fell silent.

After a long while, seeing that Raven had no intention of continuing to scold him, Andre finally raised his head slightly. "Knowing you were coming, I hurriedly had someone prepare a banquet. Would you..."

Glancing at the silent Shi Hen and Peggy, whose face was full of anticipation, Raven nodded lightly. "Lead the way."

Now that she had found him, she was in no hurry. She could take her time and see what tricks he intended to play.

"This way, please."

Bowing and making a welcoming gesture, Andre personally walked ahead to fulfill the duty of guide.

As for the burly man from before... he did not dare enter the villa at all.

After all, when the boss was getting scolded, did you really have the nerve to stand around watching? Were you asking to commit suicide by taking six bullets to the back?

When they arrived at the glittering dining room, the long table was already laden with food. Every dish was a delicacy found only in top-class restaurants, and Peggy nearly drooled at the sight.

"Eat whatever you want."

Taking the first seat on the left, Raven gave orders as though she were the host.

Peggy gulped and turned to look at Shi Hen.

"Listen to her."

Nodding, Shi Hen cut himself a piece of steak and put it into his mouth. The portion of his mask below his nose automatically vanished.

The texture was tender, the rich aroma of meat accompanied by a hint of spicy seasoning. It was truly at a master chef's level.

Only after receiving permission did Peggy finally attack the dishes before her, foods she had only heard of and never seen.

At first, the girl tried to retain a little composure, but after tasting the delicacies so delicious they nearly made her swallow her tongue, she quickly let herself go and began devouring the food.

Watching the girl eat without the slightest elegance, Andre could not help frowning. But with Raven present, he could not say anything and could only cautiously ask, "My lord, who are these two?"

The previous times Raven had come, she had always been alone.

And leaving aside the little girl, the other person in the white robe gave him an extremely strange feeling.

Although he could not sense any dangerous aura from Shi Hen, Shi Hen had remained far too calm from start to finish. He was not deferential toward Raven at all, instead seeming as though they stood on equal footing.

"Do not ask what you should not ask."

Raven spoke flatly without even raising her head.

She did not think Andre was qualified to know about Shi Hen.

In fact, she could have completed this mission alone.

But she simply wanted to bring the youth to Siberia for a look.

There was no need to consider combat strength or anything of the sort.

She wanted to do it, so she did.

"Yes."

Lowering his head respectfully, Andre began softly introducing the dishes on the table.

As Shi Hen listened to Andre's explanations and tasted these delicacies worth a fortune, he thought of the soldiers still patrolling outside amid the howling wind and snow. A line of poetry inexplicably surfaced in his mind:

Half the soldiers die before the army lines, while beauties still sing and dance beneath the general's tent.

Andre truly had not lost unfairly.

Chapter 45: Shi Hen's Art

After dinner, both host and guests were satisfied.

Well, whether Andre was happy or not, Shi Hen's group had certainly enjoyed themselves. Peggy's belly was even bulging.

The girl swore that this had absolutely been the best meal she had eaten since birth. Even compared to after she started following Shi Hen and the others... forget it, there was no need to compare.

After all, a certain someone only knew how to make her catch rabbits herself and often did not provide meals at all.

"By the way, General Andre, do you drink coffee when you go to war?"

Glancing at the thin man with slightly thinning hair, Shi Hen suddenly asked.

"???" Andre found Shi Hen's question baffling, but he still answered honestly. "No. We generally drink vodka when fighting. Siberia's winters are very cold."

"I see."

Shi Hen sighed.

"May I ask if there is some problem with that?"

Andre cautiously asked, appearing very polite.

"Nothing. I was just asking." Shi Hen spoke blandly, then turned to the blonde girl beside him. "Peggy, you should go to the restroom."

Although he had brought the girl along to mooch off a meal, some matters were unsuitable for children to hear.

"Huh? But I..." Peggy had wanted to say she did not need to go, but meeting the deep eyes beneath the youth's mask, she finally obediently nodded and jumped off her chair. "Excuse me, where is the restroom?"

Andre hurriedly clapped his hands and summoned a female soldier.

This hospitality was quite professional.

Shi Hen gave Andre an approving look.

He patiently waited until Peggy had left with the female soldier before Raven slowly spoke, swirling the wineglass in her hand. "Andre, the Serpent is very disappointed in you."

"I am deeply sorry, Lord Raven!" Andre, seated at the head of the table, lowered his head deeply, as though Raven were the true master here. "This time, it was those people from Bulwo who held us back. Just give me another chance, give me a little more time, and I will gather my soldiers again. I will definitely kill that woman Cocolia, I—"

"Andre." Raven spoke softly, and Andre's incoherent babbling instantly stopped. "I am not discussing this with you."

Raven's tone was not forceful. Paired with her gentle voice, it even carried the beauty of a nightingale's song. Yet Andre's expression immediately turned panicked, and large beads of cold sweat emerged on his dry old face.

"No! Lord Raven, give me another chance, please give me another chance!"

Andre begged bitterly. He even left his chair and dropped to his knees, caring nothing for a general's dignity.

"Hand over everything you have. This is your only chance."

Raven spoke indifferently, showing no intention of changing her mind because of the man's attitude.

The Serpent only valued profit, and the defeated Andre no longer had much value.

Or rather, his only remaining value was the resources still in his hands.

Soldiers, land, industries... the Serpent would reclaim these things one by one and use them as bargaining chips in its next dealings with others, just as Andre had once obtained all of this from World Serpent.

Remaining kneeling on the floor, Andre said nothing for a long time. Only his tightly clenched fists showed just how turbulent his emotions were.

He had struggled in the military for half his life before finally gaining his current status and position, yet a single offhand remark from Raven would strip all of it away.

How could he possibly accept that!?

"Do not make this difficult for me, Andre."

Raven said it calmly, but her words carried a complete threat.

"...Yes, Lord Raven."

The man's clenched fists slowly loosened.

He knew that if he made things difficult for her, what awaited him would be an ending a hundred times more terrifying than death.

Even under the protection of a thousand soldiers, Raven could still kill him as easily as taking something from her pocket.

Five years ago, when he had not yet become a general, Andre had personally witnessed how this woman killed the previous general in a manner that stripped him of all dignity.

Then Andre became the new general.

"Lord Raven, it is already late. May I ask whether you..."

Andre asked from his knees.

He understood that at this moment, he had to display obedience. Only then might he have a sliver of hope to start over somewhere else.

"Should we stay here for the night?"

Raven looked at the youth.

With a comfortable bed available, she did not want to spend the night in the car. Besides, this mission was not urgent.

"I'll listen to you, Sister."

As a little follower, Shi Hen naturally had no objections.

"Fill up my car. I will need it tomorrow."

Raven ordered Andre.

"Understood, Lord Raven."

Andre answered respectfully.

"Let's go. We can finally take a bath. I feel like I already smell."

Walking out of the dining room, Raven stretched and yawned.

For some time now, they had mostly been putting Peggy through all kinds of training and rarely had the chance to enter a town.