Read Novel Full Chapter 319: Smooth Ride
Chapter 319: Smooth Ride
The next day came, and Vale found himself and Salome shoulder to shoulder with a small band of Akkuron soldiers. Eric, as well as two other knights, Cole and Anthony, were going to join them on their journey to the Akkuron camp.
Despite Vale’s urging that it would be easier to arrive there without this extra baggage, Sandra insisted upon it.
She didn’t exactly give the most direct reasoning, but Vale had worked it out that it was probably to stop snipers from trying to take out the unidentified being coming out of the gorge.
In any case, Vale wasn’t too worried about getting there.
He was more worried about getting back.
Celestia would no doubt notice when he left, but Vale could put meaningful distance between them before they could take advantage of his flight. Not to mention that, at the current moment, Celestia was ignoring Lust to focus on Akkuron.
However, once they learned Lust was allied with Akkuron, Lust would be set comfortably in their crosshairs.
Meaning once Vale tried to return to his dungeon, who knew what they might throw at him.
The lean knight, Anthony, smiled fervently, then shoved on his helmet.
“Let’s embark!”
His excitement was clear as Vale tracked the man’s leer.
‘Has he no sense of shame?! Nor survival instinct?!’
To openly ‘check out’ Salome in front of Vale?
‘I know she’s supremely beautiful…’
But was Anthony supremely dumb?!
At least Cole, a shorter knight with long brown hair wearing no armor, kept his leer to furtive glances.
The one Vale was most impressed with was Eric, as he barely even looked at Salome, tending to keep his gaze locked on Vale.
‘A man who knows his station.’
And one who could control himself!
Despite his rash and eager introduction, Eric turned out to be quite the competent soldier.
Together, the cohort of five left the dungeon into the dawning day.
It was the first time the Akkuron forces had actually left in over a month. As they relished the beams of sunlight bouncing off their armor, Vale shivered at the sense of countless presences surrounding him.
Just like the first time he’d stepped outside, he felt the presence of other Dungeon Masters. Only this time they were plentiful and stronger.
“We should probably hurry.”
Eric’s eyes narrowed as the knight turned to Vale.
“Correct.”
A moment later, Eric jumped in the air and began…
‘Floating?!’
The knight floated around as if he had wings, gracefully gliding through the air as if swimming.
‘I guess this was why he was chosen to lead us…’
Then, Cole stepped forward and fell on all fours. Then…
Following a series of horrifying groans and cracks, Cole’s tiny body grotesquely morphed into a grand bird with majestic wings.
Anthony wasted no time in hopping on its back, then looked at Vale.
“Get on.”
‘And now he’s ordering me?’
Sighing, Vale looked over at Salome.
“I have my own method.”
Vale shrank his body to the smallest it could go, a little taller than Toy, then jumped into Salome’s waiting arm.
At the sight of the Master of Lust, a Vice, one of the most feared existences in all of Pandora, being princess-carried by a one-armed Demon, the three simply shrugged.
After all, they’d come to know the enigmatic, insouciant man mistaken for a monster.
And this was the same man who walked around shirtless and changed size every time they blinked. The same one who randomly stopped by their barracks and joined in on their gambling.
Naturally, they were all still wary of Vale, but had somewhat warmed up to him.
Anthony laughed.
“Suit yourself. But Cole is a smooth ride.”
At his odd choice of diction, the bird, which could only be described as a griffon — the vulture, not the mythical creature — squealed and stampeded around in a circle before kicking off and taking to the air.
Eric watched the two sail off, then said:
“For your safety, stick close to me.”
Eric then glided after them.
Salome winked at Vale, then said, “I’m a smoother ride,” before kicking off and taking to the skies.
Yet, unlike the other three, Salome couldn’t exactly freely fly. So, after a series of leaps and gliding, they made it across the gorge. A few minutes later, the small cohort ascended to the bluffs.
‘Yeah…’
Staring at the fortress that had once been a camp with wooden walls, Vale thanked his lucky stars he hadn’t needed to fight them.
Yet, at least.
Setting Vale down, Salome’s gaze flipped around.
Following that gaze, Vale saw the thing that had garnered her attention.
A beautiful, tall woman with dark blue hair stood on the far edge of the Scar, staring at them.
Her longsword was planted in the ground at her feet, her hands resting on the pommel, her perfect hair blowing in the slight breeze. She wore a pearly white set of knightly armor over her entire form, absent a helmet.
Eric clicked his tongue as he dropped to the grass.
“Just as you expected, Sir. She was here.”
Vale’s head flicked to the side. At the man who’d appeared from empty space.
Standing next to him, the Scar-faced General cast a smile into the wind. Chuckling, Grady, keeping his eyes trained on the blue-haired woman, said:
“Who’s this lass?”
Salome, nearly as startled as Vale, said:
“I’m Salome, Queen of Lust. I’ll take it you’re ‘Sir’ Grady.”
After a slight pause, she added:
“And who is that monster over there?”
‘Monster?’
That description wasn’t nearly enough to encapsulate the unending despair that crept into Vale’s mind as he gazed upon her.
“That would be Head Apostle, Holy Maiden Rivania. She would also be the sole reason Celestia poses a slight threat to Akkuron.”
The second Grady finished speaking, Rivania shoved her sword into the ground.
In a flash of light, a blue, holographic bridge formed from one side of the Scar to the other, leading right in front of Vale.
Grady’s grin widened at the scene.
“What a grand welcome… It seems she has some choice words for us.”
Without fear, Grady stepped onto the platform made by the enemy.
“Come, Lust. Come witness history.”
As he did, Rivania walked forth as well. Leaving behind her blade.