Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

"If you had sat down and negotiated properly with Rufo and the others from the beginning, at least they would have been prepared, and the situation would have been less tragic. But you didn't. You chose hypocrisy over honesty and kindness, and malice over greed and restraint. Then, nature will inevitably reveal its claws."

Angelita opened her eyes wide and listened to all this quietly. In the palace, a teacher had taught her similar principles before, but those social customs were distant and obscure to her, far less so than what she heard now... so close.

"So... I'm the culprit. It's all my fault." A long and tired sigh sounded from the lumberjack's throat. The crowd began to retreat silently as they had gathered. Just as Angelita secretly breathed a sigh of relief, the lumberjack who had already turned around suddenly turned around again.

"What else?"

The crowd paused. Bella frowned. She felt like she had already spoken enough to a man who disrespected nature today. Even this couldn't convince him?

Then how else could she—

Suddenly, the druid raised his hand and protected Angelita, who had not yet become nervous, behind him. Under the gaze of everyone, the lumberjack's eyes no longer had the complicated emotions they had before. Countless black threads that were imperceptible to the naked eye emerged from the edges of his eyeballs and spread rapidly towards the center, rendering his eye sockets confused and cold.

"But, my little Padme is dead, he will never come back. My wife and him went to another world... Hehe, ho ho ho ho..." This time the lumberjack really raised the axe. Even if the people around him really wanted to stop him, no one dared to step forward.

"What’s wrong with you?!"

Bella tried to approach the man, but was interrupted by a fierce axe swinging at her half-step. "Didn't I make it clear to you? This is not my problem, not even the Druid's problem! This is simply—"

"My wife and children are dead. I don't want to care about right or wrong anymore!" The muscles on the man's arms, which were already extremely powerful, suddenly expanded again, breaking through the restraints of the linen fabric. He became more burly, and the axe in his hand became twice its original size. The polished axe blade rushed down towards the druid's head.

"Those broken logs deserve to die! Those goblins deserve to die! You deserve to die too!"

"Bury them all with my wife and children!"

Compared to the incredibly smooth attack in his hands, the man's head and neck were constantly twitching and spasming, as if it would fall off his shoulders in the next second. However, this did not happen. On the contrary, as the movements of his hands became more and more ferocious, a faint black light gradually appeared in his seven orifices!

Even a hamster would know that something was wrong with this man!

"Disperse! Get out!" Bella was as agile as a monkey. While the opponent, who had already become a towering figure, was still paying attention to her, she tried her best to lead him to a place with fewer people. At the same time, she called on Angelita to evacuate the crowd. "Something is wrong! Why hasn't that guy Leslough come back yet?!"

She can't handle such a big guy!

"He's possessed by a demon! Poor thing—run!" Someone in the crowd shouted, and it had some effect. Some of the drinkers who had been stunned by the sudden change suddenly woke up and rushed out like a swarm of bees, saving Angelita a lot of effort.

But the princess soon discovered that these guys didn't run far. Except for a few who went to report to the guards, most of them stopped on the street outside, stretching their necks to see what was going on inside. This kind of curiosity made Angelita almost spit out blood.

How dare they even look back?! Are they all fearless or something?! This lumberjack has become a monster. Even if Leslaufer comes, he'll be hard to deal with! How dare these ordinary people just "watch the fight"? They're courting death!

"Don't worry about them!" Bella raised her hands and forced her head down. Even so, a strand of hair was grazed by the axe blade and floated freely into the air. "Do you have anything to save your life? People like you probably have some kind of amulet or something!"

Generally speaking, as a druid, Bella doesn't think much of magic items, even though they are really valuable in today's empire.

But now it is obviously not the normal situation!

Chapter 59 Thunder

"No, I gave them all to Uncle Leslaufer a long time ago!"

Angelita held a war hammer in her hand, but she didn't dare to get close to the lumberjack who had become huge.

Reslaufer's 1.6-meter-long sword was already a barrier to entry, but the weapon in this man's hand was even bigger! How could she dare to force her way in?

And...will her hammer really work if it hits the other person?

"Sword! Sword!"

Just as Bella was being gradually forced into a desperate situation by the huge lumberjack, and Angelita was still searching in vain for a "flaw" that did not exist in her eyes, an unusually pleasant and clear voice suddenly emerged from behind the counter of the tavern.

Angelita subconsciously turned her head and saw a head with flaxen braids being pushed back under the counter by the tavern owner.

There wasn't a convenient entrance or exit to the counter. It was understandable that the owner didn't have time to leave, but who was that person? How did they get in?

But due to the situation, Angelita no longer had time to think so much. Following the train of thought in the voice, she drew out the dagger that she had obtained from Fengdal together with the owlbear-headed warhammer, and took advantage of a large gap left by a lumberjack. She flew up and stabbed the opponent's waist with a sword!

The lumberjack's flesh seemed to have become thicker due to the change in his body size. The sword hardly caused any serious injury to the opponent, but it gave Bella a chance to catch her breath. A loud flapping sound came from in front of the lumberjack. He tried to reach out and grab it, but a bat quickly escaped from the big hand that was like a cage, and before leaving, he did not forget to take a bite of it.

"Ow!"

The woodcutter seemed to have completely lost his mind, even his sanity, and could only roar more ferociously than a wild beast. His eyes, now completely black, could no longer see the druid and immediately turned his attention to the half-elf who had just tried to pierce his kidney.

The terrifying weight was instantly exerted on Angelita. With just one kick, the princess was kicked away. The dagger remained on the opponent's body, and she herself smashed a flimsy wine table.

But the enemy did not intend to let her go. Instead, he raised the axe to the same level as the ceiling and chopped it down fiercely!

"Leslaufer..." Angrita subconsciously wanted to call her bodyguard, but the mercenary was not by her side at the moment. If Bella had not transformed into a elk in time to drag her away, the next time she saw Leslaufer, she would probably be "two and a half" Angrita.

"I'm here to help you!"

The giant axe was deeply embedded in the floor, and in Angelita's frightened vision, a figure almost as petite as her finally broke free from the tavern owner's control, jumped out from behind the counter holding a black object, and smashed it directly on the lumberjack's back!

"Boom!"

A deafening roar (literally) shook the entire tavern, like thunder crashing down. It was hard to imagine that such a sound could be produced by an object less than a meter long, but it did! Not only did it shake the lumberjack, who was still trying to pull out his axe, but even the ears of Angelita and Bella were buzzing with the noise.

The worst hit was Bella—she was still in her elk form, and could hear more than humans! Almost instantly, the druid was beaten back to her original form, kneeling on the ground with her hands covering her ears. A trace of blood stained her fingers, clearly showing that she had been damaged.

Who is it? Angrita looked in the direction of the lumberjack in horror, but she couldn't see anyone. The next second, a hand grabbed her collar from behind and pulled Angrita and Bella back at the same time.

"Can you guys do this? You're adventurers, aren't you?" The voice that had just reminded Angelita to use her sword came closer, a hint of disdain in its voice. "Are you not even level one... Never mind. You probably won't understand."

Angelita turned her head in surprise and saw the other person shrugging. She was a girl a few years older than Bella, with rounded ears and flaxen hair braided and casually draped over her shoulders.

She was wearing only a simple white shirt on her upper body, and her pants and flat shoes were also ordinary. She looked as if she had just gotten up. The only thing worth noting was the black object she was holding in her right hand - it was a "matt".

As the name suggests, this is a plucked instrument invented by the imperial people during the Matt Dynasty. This instrument has thirteen sets of strings, a long and slightly curved neck, a flat soundboard, and an arc-shaped raised back... but these are not the most important things.

The important thing is, whether Angelita believes it or not, that thunderous roar just now, like a thunderbolt from heaven, was probably emitted by this instrument! This woman just used it to hit the woodcutter's back hard!

"You are--"

"Let's introduce ourselves later!" The other person's voice reminded Angelita of the same amazement Benjamin, the hussar, felt when he first heard her voice. However, her words undoubtedly showed that she had not been educated in court etiquette. "Can you still fight? We have to defeat this guy first!"

The woman holding the matte harp held it in her arms seriously, and without waiting for Angelita and Bella to agree, she said to herself: "I can't do that again, so next I will cast a spell to see if I can control him, and then you will give him the fatal blow!"

"You're a spellcaster? Good!" Bella slapped herself, forcibly breaking away from the shock caused by the thunder, and gritted her teeth as she agreed, "Be careful, you might become his primary target!"

The lumberjack had completely become a walking corpse, having completely lost even the most basic sense of righteousness and vengeance. He would only blindly attack the person who had just hurt him.

"Don't worry, this is exactly what I want." The confidence expressed in the woman's words made the surrounding scenery pale in comparison. The strings were plucked by her fingertips like flowing water. As the music played, an indescribable magical power began to gather around her. At the same time, the lumberjack who had suffered a horrific blow but still did not fall down finally drew his axe and charged towards the three people.

"You've arrived just in time—"

The woman's voice suddenly became extremely funny in the lumberjack's ears, and the appearance of everything around him instantly slid down in a crazy and interesting direction, causing the lumberjack to laugh uncontrollably from the bottom of his heart - all this was too ridiculous!

But in the blink of an eye, the smile on the lumberjack's mouth disappeared just as it had when he arrived, and along with it, the confident smile on the face of the woman playing the piano also disappeared without a trace.

The shadow of the giant axe loomed over each of their heads.

"Where's your spell?!" Bella didn't even know whether her tone should be anger, fear, or even amusement! "Use it quickly!"

"I've already used it!" The woman grabbed Angelita's arm and ran out. "Never mind the spell. How do I know his intelligence isn't even four?"

Her spell failed!

Although the three of them tried their best to defeat the unusual lumberjack, the shadow of death still loomed over each of them. The enemy with an absolute advantage in size did not give them any chance to escape, and the giant axe was about to pass over everyone's head.

But this did not actually happen, because after the thunder of the matte, the sound of metal clashing fiercely after the window was broken replaced it and entered their ears, which was more pleasant than the sound of the harp.

"Go on, use another spell."

Reslaufer, who broke through the window and rushed into the battle, took another step forward and actually forced the lumberjack back a step. The heavy sword regained infinite possibilities after being held by both hands at the same time. With a collision after a high block, the giant's steps immediately became chaotic.

"Flank him from both sides. Buddy, forget about your hammer and use that undrawn sword. Bella, harass his lower body!" Leslaufer commanded his two companions as if they were in a battle group. At the same time, he rushed to the front and took most of the pressure. "And you, don't run away! Because I'm here!"

Chapter 60 The Devil's Crime

No matter how big an ordinary lumberjack axe becomes, its material cannot be compared with the giant sword used on the battlefield; even if a lumberjack is somehow transformed into a zombie-like puppet or machine, he is still no match for a real warrior.

When Leslaufer, who came all the way from Count Xinmu's mansion, joined the battle, the balance of victory tilted in just a few tens of seconds. The mercenary's sword was wrapped in a dangerous counterattack between unloading and blocking, coupled with the constant harassment of Bella and Angelita. When the dagger inserted in the man's waist was pulled again, the greatsword was swung upside down at the same time, and the hilt of the sword knocked the huge enemy to the ground.

The lumberjack was still struggling to get up, but Reslaufer was not going to give him the chance. He immediately reversed the blade and pierced his chest from top to bottom, nailing the man, whose body no longer belonged to him, to the ground.

"Uncle Leslaufer, you're finally back!"

Although the corpse below was still making its final struggle, Angelita had already let out a long breath and pulled the dagger out of the flesh: "Your hand——"

"I'm lucky to have met a spellcaster who can cure it," Leslaufer showed his palm. The strange mole didn't affect the appearance and was usually hard to see. "Are you okay? It's my fault. I almost got you killed here."

"We are both fine, thanks to the sister with the piano - eh?" Angelita subconsciously pointed behind her, but when she turned her head to look, she did not see the woman.

"Where did she go? She was clearly here just now."

Leslaufer's eyes fell on the window he had just broken - it was strange that the female mage ran away through the window.

She might be a "bard," Reslaufer thought to himself. Among spellcasters, there are those like Bella who gain their spellcasting abilities through a connection with nature, and there are also those who can use magic through their relationships with other things. Among them, those who gain power from music and language are usually called bards. In the east of the sea and further north in Ampiri, Reslaufer often sees traces of such people active.

This word certainly does not only refer to spellcasters. In fact, in most cases, bards refer specifically to artists who compose and recite poetry, and bards related to mystery and magic usually come from among them.

Thinking of the matte, Leslaufer thought that the girl should be one of them.

"She left. Maybe she had something else to do," Leslaufer said to Angarita and the others. "Don't worry about her. You might run into her again in the future."

The crowd watching outside were still a bit shaken after seeing the runaway lumberjack collapse, but when the Xinmu City guards arrived, they regained their courage and rushed in again. Since the three Reslaufers were "honored guests and warriors" personally appointed by the Earl, they were only briefly questioned and allowed to leave. However, after such a terrifying experience, the tavern owner refused to entertain them any further.

"Your loss," said Reslaufer, glancing at his boss. "But that's your problem, and I have mine. My companion said that girl jumped out from beside you earlier. Who is she to you?"

"Who else could it be? Of course she's a guest. She's staying here," the boss rolled his eyes. He had intended not to answer, but the guards from Xinmu City on the other side were watching closely, forcing him to submit to a barbarian. "She sings beautifully and plays the music well. I give her a discount, and she solicits business in the store every day. That's it."

"I don't know much about her, who knew she was so powerful! She picked up the piano and rushed forward - bang!" The boss gestured the scene at that time, but in the eyes of Leslaufer and the guards, the girl might be more like a berserker than a poet.

However, if you are in Anpiri, the overlap between these two professions is not low. The people there will beat the rhythm with weapons, shields and armor. The probability of them singing war songs in battle is almost the same as the probability of them making beast roars.

"I didn't expect we'd meet so soon," the guard said. The leader was the one who had introduced Leslaufer to Count Xinmu. Meeting again after a brief separation, the two couldn't help but marvel at the surprising turn of events. "I heard you say before that you were planning on finding a tavern to stay in. Now it seems that's out of the question."

Faced with the other party's teasing, Leslaufer couldn't help but feel a little amused. "Who could have expected that we would have a fight here? And with a human—at least he used to be a human."

"Yeah, who would have thought?" The officer sighed. "You just went to warn the demon, and something like this happened. Maybe they're all connected... Well, the Earl said he'll cover all your recent expenses in Xinmu City, so how about I recommend a place for you? The owner of that inn is a friend of mine, and he doesn't have any relatives in the timber business, so you don't have to worry about something like this happening again."

Having a ready-made place to stay was naturally the best, and Reslaufer and the others gladly accepted the invitation. Their requests were modest, primarily requesting some of Angarita's favorite foods. For a mercenary constantly on the move and a druid who could live with a chocobo, food, clothing, housing, and transportation were never a top priority.

"How are you going to explain the situation here?" Leslaufer asked before leaving. "And that bard who left? Her harp made quite a noise. It's probably going to be difficult to keep it secret, right?"

The guard frowned. The corpse on the ground hadn't returned to its original size upon death, making subsequent handling a hassle. "The poet must be found as soon as possible. But even without her, suppressing this incident in the tavern would be nearly impossible. Fortunately, the Earl has no such plans."

"We will tell everyone in the city this news. The Earl has instructed that all recent cases, big or small, be linked to the devil."

"Will this cause unrest?" Angelita asked hurriedly. "The last time the Empire discovered traces of demons in a major city was decades ago. Are you really sure this is a wise choice?"

The guard glanced at the half-elf with some surprise. Her disguise as a man wasn't particularly impressive, and he could easily see through it. "How do you know so much... But what you're saying isn't my concern. The Earl has his own considerations."

Chapter 61 The Dead Wife

After Reslaufer and the others left, the guards quickly dispatched a massive Xinmu puppet to carry the woodcutter's body away. Carrying that two- to three-meter-tall body and its massive axe through the Earl's mansion, the various wizard towers, and finally the cemetery (if anything remained of the creature after the second step) was truly a daunting task.

Since there are ready-made and useful tools, of course we should use them.

However, it was precisely because of the chaotic environment at the scene, coupled with the slight negligence of the guard chief, that these law enforcers overlooked an important part:

Is it possible that the "crimes committed by the devil" are not just a means for Earl Xinmu to deal with other noble lords, but an objective fact?

And the instigator was not actually controlling everything from thousands of miles away, but was present at the scene and witnessed the entire process?

The first floor of the tavern was in a mess. The drinkers and other onlookers had dispersed. Amid the bustling crowd, a woman in a black dress and black clothes, with her face covered by a veil, stood out. People only talked about the poor woodcutter, but after his death, no one would recognize that this woman was his long-dead wife.

The woman paused at a distant street corner and turned to watch the Xinmu puppet carrying her "husband's" enlarged corpse away, a sinister expression on her face. She tilted her head slightly, as if questioning an unseen entity. When she heard something, her facial muscles finally relaxed with pleasure.

"...Yes, Master," the woman agreed softly. "Our compatriot has returned to the Lord's arms. His sacrifice is noble and valuable. Regardless of whether those annoying mages meddle in our affairs, we will have a more powerful ally."

"But what about the druid? He couldn't kill her... Yes, I understand. Master, your judgment is always correct. I will return to you immediately."

"What to do?"

A melodious tone suddenly appeared in the ears of the widow in the black dress.

"Who is it?!" The woman turned around immediately, and stretched out her hands, becoming rough and sharp like animal claws, intending to tear the hateful eavesdropper into pieces. However, the next second, her eyes suddenly became dull. In her eyes, the person who spoke seemed to have become a familiar "compatriot". They served the wise and intelligent master together.

Ever since her identity had "died" and could no longer see the light of day, that person was everything to her. They relied on each other and he was her important spiritual support.

"Why are you here?" the woman asked nervously, her hands returning to normal. "Leave quickly! This place is not safe! The master said that the time is not right yet, and we should avoid gathering together."

"You're right, I'll leave right away," the visitor nodded, "but before that, I have something to ask you..."

A moment later, the woman in the black dress turned out from the corner of the street and ran straight to the place they had just learned. It was not until an hour later that another person who looked exactly like her, but was almost stripped naked, was discovered by passers-by. Her eyes were dazed and her words were crazy. She was quickly controlled and taken away by the guards who came after hearing the news.

This time, the clues suspected to be related to the devil were not ignored. After interrogation, several priests quickly came to the conclusion: this woman used to be the wife of the lumberjack, and a long time ago, she had devoted herself to a "master" whose name she didn't even know.

She faked her own death and escaped the tragedy of the "Mill Massacre", and from then on she no longer had to worry about the eyes of the people around her. However, her husband was corrupted by his wife day by day and became her puppet to promote the brutal behavior of the druids until this time it finally broke out.

The woman confessed to her crimes and revealed that her master had attempted to ignite a war between Xinmu City and the Druids many years ago. However, as just one of many pawns, she couldn't see the full picture of the plan. Even though the priests searched her spiritual world, they could only find an alias hidden in the corner:

"pleasure".