Chapter 401
The figure was clad entirely in black, blending seamlessly into the dark of the night.
Having received the message beforehand, Alar had been waiting in his courtyard early. Spotting the cloaked figure, he hurried forward to greet him. “You’ve arrived, my Lord p>
“The case regarding the beastmen deaths in the city—you know what to do?” the black-clothed beastman asked, his voice dripping with authority.
“I do. The same as we did with Grod,” Alar replied.
“Good. Do you know where Grod went? I can’t reach him,” the cloaked beastman said. “He hasn’t returned since yesterday, and there hasn’t been a word from him p>
“We are being watched. Yesterday, while I was looking for a target, I noticed some beastmen tracking me. Their ability to conceal their aura is incredible; I wouldn’t have noticed them if it weren’t for my unique ability p>
A flash of wariness crossed Alar’s eyes. “Furthermore, Linar is dead. He likely self-detonated to avoid capture. He was no weakling, so whoever forced him to resort to that must be incredibly powerful p>
Linar had been fiercely loyal. He had undoubtedly chosen self-detonation to protect the Lord’s secrets. Besides, considering the crimes they had committed, capture meant a fate worse than death anyway.
“Investigate their background thoroughly. Find out why they are sticking their noses into our business,” the cloaked beastman ordered.
“I suspect they might be from another city. Our previous plan in Blazing Flame City failed because they caught wind of something amiss ahead of time p>
Alar recalled the intelligence reports from Blazing Flame City. “Their former city lord, Rin, made a sudden comeback to personally lead the investigation. Most of the inside informants we bribed have been captured, and the remaining ones don’t dare cooperate with us anymore p>
Beneath his mask, the cloaked beastman frowned. “Why would Rin suddenly return? Didn’t he abdicate and go into seclusion with his female master p>
“It seems to be for his grandson, Setan. Setan stole his clan’s sacred relic for the sake of a female and was sentenced to punishment in the Ice-Thunder Cave. Rin likely returned to rescue him,” Alar explained.
“For a female?” The figure’s tone carried a mix of disdain and curiosity.
“Yes, my Lord. But do not underestimate her. She is the newly appointed City Lord of Barbarian City, and she easily defeated Rin p>
The cloaked beastman was visibly shocked. “She defeated Rin? Are you certain p>
A mere female had managed to defeat Rin—a man who had lived for countless years and whose true strength was unfathomable? To be honest, he found it hard to believe.
“Every word I say is true. She defeated him right in front of Blazing Flame City’s entire guard. There is absolutely no way it was faked; Rin would never throw a match to a female in front of the whole city,” Alar vowed.
Powerful males possessed immense pride. This was especially true for Rin, a former city lord. There was no way he would throw away his dignity and stage a loss under the watchful eyes of the public.
Convinced by the logic, interest and excitement flared in the cloaked beastman’s eyes. “Where is this female now p>
If she was truly that powerful, absorbing her energy would undoubtedly give his own strength a massive boost. As he grew more powerful, his leveling speed had slowed down significantly. He needed more high-tier beastmen.
However, the stronger the beastman, the harder they were to capture—unless he vastly outmatched them, or overwhelmed them with sheer numbers. He wasn’t sure who would win in a fight between himself and this female, but if an opportunity presented itself, he would find a way to capture her.
“Her current whereabouts are unknown. She has already left Blazing Flame City,” Alar reported. “According to our spies, she seems to be heading in the direction of our Serpent City. Furthermore, one of her beast-husbands is reportedly a High Priest who can deploy teleportation arrays p>
“You’re saying she might be coming to Serpent City p>
The cloaked beastman was thrilled by the news. “It’s no surprise that such a powerful female would have a High Priest as a husband. Hurry and look into it. See if she really is coming here p>
If she actually set foot in his territory, he would make sure she never left.
“Yes, my Lord. I have actually already begun the investigation,” Alar replied.
“By the way, how are the preparations for the Soul-Devouring Array coming along?” the cloaked beastman inquired.
“It is nearly complete p>
“Very well. Act as the situation demands when the time comes,” the cloaked beastman said. “Any other news p>
“Xirin has returned. He has been frequently contacting several elders lately; he might be making a move soon p>
The cloaked beastman sneered. “Understood p>
After Alar reported a few more pieces of information, the cloaked beastman handed him a black crystal and vanished into the night.
Alar stared at the black crystal in his hand, his expression unreadable.
The next morning, Penny arrived at the entrance of Nina’s residence early. Tair followed closely behind her, looking utterly helpless.
Seeing the open gates, Penny made a move to step inside but was promptly blocked by Ridan. “Miss, this is our Master’s private residence. Intruders are not permitted p>
“Idir is your Master, right? I’m here to see him. Could you please inform him?” Penny asked probing visits, testing the waters.
She guessed that the “Master” Ridan spoke of had to be Idir.
Ridan thought about it for a moment and figured that calling Idir “Master” wasn’t wrong either—after all, he was Lady Nina’s beast-husband.
“What business do you have with him?” Ridan asked Penny.
Reading between the lines, Penny was thrilled. It really was Idir; she knew she couldn’t have been mistaken.
“I… I just have some things I want to say to him,” she said, her voice trembling slightly with excitement.
Her expression immediately set off alarm bells for Ridan. “If it isn’t anything important, we won’t pass along the message p>
This female looks like she’s eyeing Lady Nina’s beast-husband, Ridan thought. If that’s the case, there’s no way I’m letting her in.
“I p>
For a moment, Penny couldn’t come up with a single important reason. She craned her neck, peering past the gates in hopes of catching a glimpse of Idir.
Suddenly, she froze, and tears welled up in her eyes.
She saw him. She saw the very face that had haunted her dreams for so long. After waiting all this time, she was finally seeing him again.
Inside the safety of the residence, Idir wasn’t wearing his mask.
Standing behind Penny, Tair was also stunned when he caught sight of Idir. It really was him. He had actually returned.
Overcome with emotion, Penny tried to rush inside, but Ridan blocked her path. “Miss, without our Master’s permission, you cannot enter p>
Seeing that Ridan wouldn’t budge, Penny resorted to stretching her neck and shouting toward the courtyard, “Idir! Idir p>
Nina had just woken up and washed up, intending to head to the dining hall for breakfast.
As Idir led her by the hand through the courtyard, the sudden sound of a female shouting his name drifted over from the front gates.
Nina looked toward the entrance. It was the female from yesterday—how had she managed to track them all the way here?
Idir’s expression darkened with impatience. Why was this female showing up again?
Turning to Nina, he said, “Nina, why don’t you head in for breakfast first? I’ll handle this p>
Recalling the events of the previous day, Nina replied, “I’ll come with you p>
“Alright p>
Hand in hand, Idir and Nina walked over to the gates.
Penny stared at Idir, her eyes brimming with intense emotion and joy. “Idir, I knew it was you! You’ve really come back p>
Idir’s face remained completely cold and detached. “I do not know you. Please leave p>
Hearing his words, Penny felt her heart break. “Idir, it’s me, Penny! Have you really forgotten me? We’ve met so many times before p>
“I don’t remember. Please leave, and stop disturbing me and my female master,” Idir said indifferently.
“Female master p>
Only then did Penny finally force herself to look at the mating mark on Idir’s forehead. The moment she saw the flash of gold, the color drained from her face. She staggered back two steps, looking as though all the strength had been drained from her body.
Tair immediately reached out to steady her.
With bloodshot eyes and ice-cold fingertips, Penny whispered, “You’ve really formed a bond p>
“Yes,” Idir replied flatly.
Ridan, determined to rub salt in the wound, chimed in, “More than just a bond—our little prince is already a year old p>
Hmph, Ridan thought, this female is definitely here to steal our Royal Consort.
Meanwhile, inside the house, Momo was currently pestering Mino for something to eat.
Suddenly, the other cubs came running over to him, shouting, “Brother Momo! Little brother Momo! There’s a bad female outside trying to steal your father away p>