Read Novel Full Chapter 629 629: Champion of Ishtar
Chapter 629 629: Champion of Ishtar
Behind the golden carriage, an escort group of fifty armed Shadow Guards followed in silence, riding at the front. Verda and Clara rode together. Her massive black eyes were sparkling as she peeked at the surrounding festivities.
"Are you curious?"
"Mm." She cocked her head, then nodded without looking at Verda.
"Well, not too talkative, huh? Haha, no bother. The people are celebrating the banquet, because the princess has returned." Verda's gaze travelled across the various homes' store fronts before smiling under her mask. "Even though we're in the middle of a civil war, the people need hope, and the princess and her future spouse are that hope."
"Eh?"
This time, she caught Clara's attention.
"Oh my, are you curious?" Verda grinned mischievously.
Clara's chest thumped whenever Nikolai's topic came up. Ever since that night in the inn, she struggled to control the churning heat inside her abdomen. As if he roused a sleeping beast, the fairy blood inside her bloodstream fully awakened.
"Thanks to your little boyfriend, Zara finally started breaking her shell."
Clara arched her brows, but continued listening, enjoying the positive words about Nikolai.
Verda leaned back on her camel, holding the reins loosely and closed her eyes. "I always feared she might never return. After her mother passed, Zara stopped being that cute little girl who clutched at my skirt asking to draw pictures together..."
The image didn't suit the current Zara, and Clara rolled her eyes. Underneath the mask, she twisted her lips into a frown, and for the first time, she spoke to Verda. "Really? I don't think that woman could be so delicate."
"Oho, do you see my niece that way? Fufu." Verda's face beamed as she guided her camel closer to the young fairy. "Well, that's a good thing, but... hey. Are you really a descendant of Ishtar's chosen?"
"Nn? What's that?" Clara swayed away from the mature beauty, her face scrunching up, unable to face Verda head-on.
"Don't you know, but... I could swear that brat said the reason he brought you was for this."
Clara scrutinised Verda's face before an image flashed through her mind. "Oh!" Nikolai came to her shortly before he left. He mentioned that the Djinn knew more about fairies than other races, and it was a chance for her to learn about herself.
At the time his face came close, and Clara struggled to hold down her desires.
"I remember."
Verda blew hot air from her nose, shaking her head. "Well, Ishtar's most famous champion resembled you quite a bit. At least from the paintings and statues that remain from that time." She nodded, then reached out, although Clara avoided her. "Heh, such a shy girl. Well, Nikolai called you a fairy, but to learn more... it'll probably be difficult."
"How come?"
Clara's shoulders dropped, her stare softening while she swayed on the camel.
A sense of serenity settled between her brows.
"To access information about the champions, you need to access the royal library, which is only open to the ruling clan. If Zara doesn't make a good impression tonight, then it'll be quite difficult to gain permission... Even for your dear Nikolai."
Clara's eyes shimmered as she faced forward, her hands gripping the reins, but she didn't recoil back into her shell. "It's fine. I didn't come here for that... I just wanted to spend more time with him."
Verda's lips bent into a wide grin, her lips clearly imprinted on her mask.
"Hmmmm~ what an interesting girl."
"Be quiet, we're almost there."
Ignoring the constant teasing from Verda, Clara's eyes focused on the carriage. A sharp twang of pain assaulted her chest while she thought about Nikolai sitting inside with Zara. Desperate to improve her standing, she forcibly slept with him in front of the princess.
A burning desire to win gew each day that passed.
She averted her gaze and lowered her head, suddenly clenching her chest, struggling to breathe as if a stone had become lodged in her throat.
"When did I become such a bad girl..."
"Hmm?" Verda's eyes narrowed into thin slits as she watched the petite woman riding ahead of her, unable to remove her eyes from the carriage. "It seems young people always have the same troubles... I also loved the same man as my sister..."
The procession passed through the various sections of the city, from the proud and wealthy merchants' district, the residential district, and even the slums, before reaching the elegant and high-class noble district, which led directly to the palace district.
"Be on guard from here on out, Clara."
Verda's stony voice snapped Clara out of her daze. Her shoulders trembled, but she knew this could be dangerous and restored her focus. Tonight wasn't just about her, or Nikolai, but the future of the kind people of Al'Qutar.
"Understood."
Clara lifted her mask, hiding all but her small, pointed nose and large eyes. In the darkness of night, the black fairy could see as if it were daytime.
Not only that, but her memory was perfect.
Her eagle eyes scanned the countless people standing on either side of the procession, shrinking and dilating when she detected peculiar actions.
"Captain Verda, I've spotted six dangerous people."
"Mm?" Suddenly, Verda understood the meaning Nikolai gave her upon seeing the fierce glare of this once-cute girl. Like a feral mother protecting her young, she scrunched up her face and pointed out several men from their most dangerous list. "You've done well, please keep an eye out. Clara."
After the compliment, Verda swished her right arm in the air, then made a strange finger symbol, pointing lightly in various directions. The moment the other shadow guard saw this, their numbers instantly split down several passages and merged into the crowd.
Clara's heart leapt with glee; she peeked at the carriage with a subtle grin upon her lips. She always felt useless. But with this, couldn't she help him better than any of his other women? A heat travelled through her limbs as the energy, which normally caused a tingling ache, now started soothingly caressing her organs and muscles.
"What's going on...?!"
Her eyes widened as the world gleamed with strange colours, the locals and people celebrating with meat and various foods turned green, or pink, there were a few glum faces which appeared blue... "Wow." Clara's world burst into a colourful canvas, that's when she noticed other... less comforting colours.
Dark red, black, purple... all of the men she pointed out earlier shone with these colours.
"Maybe, it's Nikolai's power?!"
Since becoming Nikolai's wife, Clara obviously noticed countless unusual events, being able to use the powers of her sister wives, growing more beautiful, her skin becoming smoother and changes that she could only share with Nikolai himself.
She remembered learning once, from Nikita, that Nikolai could vaguely guess a person's emotions and thoughts due to his Báthory bloodline.
Clara's eyes shone when she took the information about that, accessing her perfect memory, adjusting the colours to her own scheme.
"Reds are aggressive, but not yet dangerous. Purple is a direct threat, and black is the highest level of danger."
Verda occasionally glanced at the small woman next to her. Suddenly, Clara's spine became straight, alert like a hunter. Then she started muttering strange words and talking about colours.
"Are you alright, Fairy?"
"I'm fine. There are four more dangerous targets. Please ignore the first four I reported and prioritise the men standing in the building seventy-nine degrees to our right."
Clara started giving out a detailed list of enemies, people, and their features with a crooked smile, before she suddenly coughed.
"Ahem, forgive me... my eyes are a little sore."
The small fairy rubbed her eyes, a slight tingle spreading through her iris as if someone poked her with a needle. A burning irritation followed, and the colours which were so vivid began fading, becoming a watercolour instead of a pastel tone.
"?!"
A spurt of panic jolted through Clara's body.
She snapped her head around as if suddenly blind, spreading her eyes further open as if forcing the power to work. But the more she did, the more vague and distorted the colours became. "Why?!" Her soft voice emitted a hint of tears.
Suddenly, three pairs of thick arms wrapped around her body, one closed her eyes, the other held her waist, and the last pair lifted her onto another camel.
"Stop... It's okay. It's okay."
Verda's hushed voice, like a mother soothing a child, sent a flood of calming waves through Clara's ears as she stopped struggling... "I...just wanted to help."
"Mm, I know, and you did. You've done well, now rest your eyes."
The atmosphere of Verda changed the moment she noticed the fairy's actions. Rather, her glance became more like one of worship, noticing the men she picked out were all dangerous or people who sided with Balthazar.
"After all, you must be related to her champion..."
With this, Verda's gaze solidified, and she nodded while removing her mask temporarily and stroking the silky black hair of Clara. "Take a little rest, I am sure it'll be okay, you just worked too hard. At first, I didn't know why your soul force started draining and suddenly vanished, but now I know why."
Clara's breath became softer as she curled up in Verda's arms.
The various Shadow Guards who didn't leave all glanced at the small girl in their captain's arms with beaming eyes.
"Captain, we've apprehended all of the targets."
"Good, not a single one was wrong?"
"No!" The Guard saluted.
"It seems we've found my niece's champion."