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nSylvester eyed the man. With his black hair, tall build and confident face, he could already feel that this was a defiant man with his own plans.

n‘Does he wish to marry her and become the Baron one day?’ He wondered and seriously contemplated what to do with him.

n“Let’s move then, my lord,” Baroness called him with much lust in her voice.

nSylvester kept his game going and moved his horse to her side as close as possible. “The town in front of your castle is so clean, my lady. It’s often rare to find such fine places.”

nShe smiled proudly. “That’s because of my management, Lord Bard. I love cleanliness more than anything, and the punishment for littering in the town is getting their hands chopped. After one or two cases, all the people strictly follow the rules.”

nSylvester didn’t like her policy, but he had to praise her for winning her over. Though he kept his senses high to ensure that he always knew she was telling the truth.

n“That’s remarkable, my lady. A woman ruling with an iron fist is always a lovely sight to behold. It’s rare to find brave warrior beauties with brains like you.” Sylvester complimented her as he knew what a noblewoman liked the most. It’s to stand out and be the best among her peers.

nHe gave her that validation and kept seducing her.

n“Seeing you, I thought of a hymn. If you’re not against it, may I sing it?” He asked her.

nInstantly, the baroness’ eyes sparkled as if they were stars at night. She blushed and covered her mouth with one hand. “T-That would be the greatest honour, Lord Bard. What woman does not wish to be the recipient of your words? Please, sing—I will ensure all remain quiet.”

nShe fiercely stared back at her soldiers. The look was enough to warn all that silence was their only solace.

nSylvester moved his horse close enough to regularly brush his leg past hers. That kept the Baroness lustful about him and aware of him.

n‘Who would have thought having eleven blood would help me this way? But if I’m considered this handsome, what does my father look like?’ Sylvester wondered as he took the violin out of the saddle bag.

nSoon, he started to play the violin slowly, producing a melody to move the hearts of even demons. At the same time, with the utterance of his words, the glow behind his head appeared in a halo.

nInstantly, gasps left the mouth of the Baroness, and the scent of lust she released increased manifold. But she was not alone, as the soldiers gasped the same, but instead of lust, jealousy was their main game.

nBy the blessing of the lord, I have been graced,

nTo feel this incredible scent and its taste.

nI hope not to ruin this serenity due to haste.

nSo I move now; in my eyes, her beauty embraced.?

nShe rides through the forest, so graceful and fair.

nHer beauty shines bright like the sun in the air.

nHer steed moves with ease, as if in a dance.

nTheir movements in sync, in a beautiful trance.?

nHer long fiery hair flows in the breeze.

nHer face aglow with a sense of peace.

nShe rides through the woods, a true wonder to see.

nA goddess on earth, wild and free.?

nAs she rides on through the green and the gold.

nShe leaves behind a story yet untold.

nBut one thing is clear in this world so grand.

nShe is a woman of beauty—strength—and command.?

nThe song was long, but Sylvester sang it whole as the road was decently long, and they didn’t move very fast. However, he was also slow and ensured the Baroness knew he was singing it to her.

nBy the end, he knew that she had fallen into his arms already, enough that she’d do it no matter what or how personal if he asked. But he knew better than to be the one to initiate the talks.

n“Magnificent! Breathtaking! I don’t have enough words to describe how I feel. I wish to have my back tattooed with your hymn, Lord Bard. How did you think of such lovely words so fast?” She was all praises for him.

n‘Good god! The scent of sweat overshadows the roses—She’s so damn horny right now.’ Sylvester was well aware of what was happening.

nSo he decided to tone things down for now. “I am called Bard for a reason, my lady. Now, let’s focus on the battle at hand, or I’m afraid I’ll be too lost if I start singing about your beauty again.”

n“Uhm… Yes… Let’s focus on the work. Please, follow me.” She finally increased her speed, and they started galloping.

nAt the far back of the group were Sir Dolrome and Augustus following them.

nSeeing Sylvester’s actions, Augustus felt second-hand embarrassment. “This was so… Cringeworthy.” ｂｎ𝚘ｖ𝚕．𝚘𝚛𝚐

nSir Dolorem chuckled. “Indeed, and he knows it. But the reality is that such cringe-worthy actions work for these women. They appreciate being appreciated, and above all, let’s not forget Lord Bard has his charm.”

nAugustus took a glimpse at Sylvester and agreed with that. “You are right, Sir Dolorem. Solis certainly blesses him. But I wonder what his father looked like if he’s like this.”

n“I wonder the same, Archpriest.” Sir Dolorem muttered.

nThis time, nobody slowed down, and Sylvester was able to make good progress. Finally, they headed into the forest that started behind the castle of the Baroness. It was dense and massive as it spread from the seashore to back into the Imperial Land, adjacent to the boundary of the Holy Land.

nBeing in a very fertile and warm region, the trees were plentiful, all sorts of species covered the ground, and vines also created many dead ends. As for the wildlife, it was also full of life and variety, going from small monkeys to giant tigers and bears. As a result, flora and fauna flourished as one would expect.

n“Look at this forest. The Barbarians refuse to come out of here and live in the village I specifically built for them, where they could do agriculture. But, they refuse and stay here, sullying this forest by chopping trees and causing fire accidents.” Baroness tried to explain as they moved.

n‘Half-lies and half-truths. What is she trying to hide from me?’ Sylvester had already seen through her intentions.

n“Why do they worship the Bloodling?” He asked.

n“I have no idea. They seemed to have gotten the idea that the Bloodling is their protector and the incarnation of the soul of this forest. These barbarians don’t even pray to Solis and keep strange idols in their temple. Nearly a thousand of them—All useless wastrels.” She didn’t even try to hide her contempt anymore as she grew too comfortable around Sylvester.

n‘A Bloodling based on nature? This can be bad… Can it control the forest as well?’ Sylvester wondered and didn’t feel comfortable as they were surrounded by dense forest, the home turf of the enemy,

n“How big is their settlement, and what’s their village called?” Sylvester asked.

n“As I said, nearly a thousand of them live there. It’s called Mirnor Village, named after their false goddess—The name they gave to the Bloodling.”

n‘Interesting, this is my first time seeing a Bloodling being named. Are the people somehow ensnared by the dark creature?’

nSylvester tried to think of all the situations he could as his experience warned him to be wary. Bloodlings were some of the most unexpected and unpredictable creatures he could think of, and he wasn’t sure about the effect of his increased strength either.

n“There it is, the entrance.” Baroness pointed forward as she slowed down her horse.

nRight in front of them, on the vague trail they travelled on, two tall trees stood as if they were gates, with dense vines making an arch between them, giving it a more gate-like look. There were even flowers near the entrance as if welcoming the visitors.

n“Halt!” Sylvester raised his fist to signal the back.

nHe then unmounted the horse and took his spear out. Immediately, he called Sir Dolorem and Augustus to his side since he didn’t trust the soldiers.

n“My lady, please stay under the protection of your knights. I will spearhead into this village.” Sylvester commanded them and started moving in.

nAll of them brandished their swords openly, ready to fight. Sylvester also expected some pushback, especially since there were supposed to be a thousand of them in there.

n‘I smell… Fear, Anxiety and… Sadness. No scent of death yet.’ Sylvester kept his nose sharp as the smell was the best indicator of a Bloodling.

n“Sylvester, look.” Augustus pointed to the left.

nSylvester noticed a child, probably eight years old, standing near the entrance of the village, inside. He appeared to be wearing a simple sheet of cloth tied to his waist, and his torso was utterly exposed.

nWoosh!

nSylvester flicked as he noticed a change in the kid. But, while he aimed his spear at the boy’s face, the boy raised his palms and clapped them together prayingly.

n‘What the…’

nSylvester ignored him and walked into the village. He noticed a cluster of thatched huts on both sides of the muddy, grassy road leading to the circular community square at the end of the village.

n“They don’t seem to have any weapons.” Sir Dolorem commented.

nSylvester agreed as he only smelled sadness and fear from them. Yes, then, there were hundreds of people, men and women, that he could see. They all appeared to be wearing simple clothes.

nMen had tied a sheet of cloth on their waist, with their torso remaining naked; the women had tied a smaller sheet of cloth to cover only their breasts as well. In skin complexion, they all were white, but the notable thing about them was that their hair was slightly greenish, the same as their eyes.

n“They look like a tribe. But why are they praying for me?” Sylvester asked.

nEvery single villager in the vicinity was standing just like the kid at the entrance. A plain face, eyes staring at them, and palms held together. They all remained quiet and just watched.

nBaroness came forward and cursed at them openly. “These filthy creatures—That’s what they do every time. They are not praying. They are pleading! Pleading for mercy—Which I have none.”

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