Witch Troupe and the Undead

Of course, Rhine didn't know that the princess herself had no interest at all. She had always lacked ambition and just wanted everything to be peaceful and undisturbed so that her peaceful life of eating, drinking, and having fun would not be disturbed. Becoming the empress and dealing with state affairs was simply not within her consideration. She was just being put on the spot.

If the old emperor were to truly recover and she were to return to her position, she might be overjoyed. However, even if Rhine knew of her ambitions, she wouldn't let her guard down. The princess herself might be thinking the same thing, but what about those who had served under her all this time?

Although this world does not have the historical event of the Chenqiao Mutiny, similar cases do exist. The nobles under their command may not care what their lords think; they only want to advance further, to have more power, more land, and more influence.

"And they must have someone behind them, so why don't we defeat them here, capture their leader, and find out if any other forces are involved, or who the mastermind is?" Roach roughly understood that a simple group of bandits couldn't possibly have such a clear objective, so they must have someone behind them.

The thieves who destroyed the front of the car at this point have certainly escaped with their lives, but as long as they don't know the information about the mastermind behind it, the rest of the journey cannot be called safe. They need to be on edge all the time. But there is only the saying that you can be a thief for a thousand days, but you can't guard against thieves for a thousand days.

On the contrary, now that they have succeeded, this remote and unconnected wilderness is the perfect opportunity. The enemy is about to succeed and will not use any unforeseen tricks. The most dangerous place has become the safest place.

Here, the mastermind won't have any extra preparations; they'll only be facing a group of hired thieves, no matter how well-disguised an elite force they are. However, elsewhere, the situation is unpredictable.

“Moreover, there’s something else… We’re outnumbered but reliable.” Rhine glanced around. In this enclosed carriage, no one could secretly pass on a message without the others’ knowledge, but in other places, it might be harder to keep an eye on things.

"However, there is one last problem, Master Roach, how many combat resources do you and your companions have left?"

“Ammunition is running low.” Roach checked his backpack.

Both the enchanted arrows and the ammunition for the "Rocky Livia Magic Crossbow" were almost gone, since there hadn't been an opportunity for him to make new ammunition along the way, although there were still plenty of materials left.

"As for potions, Miss Livia doesn't have the opportunity to manufacture them either, so we currently only have a small amount of healing potions and some antidotes."

"What about the ritual resources?" Rhine stared at the little witch, who looked confused. It took her several seconds to understand what he meant. She counted on her fingers for a while before nodding, "Hmm, enough." As for how much "enough" meant, no one asked any further.

“However, we now have another advantage…” Rhine looked at Vivi and said, “I’m afraid Ms. Vilandella is not an ordinary dragon descendant, is she?” “I have taken a bloodline purification potion, and strictly speaking, I should be considered a dragon now.”

"Silver Dragon?" Rhine asked, looking at her gray hair.

"Ash Dragon," Vivi shook her head. "It's best not to count on me. By dragon standards, I'm just a fledgling. Besides, Ash Dragons aren't known for their combat prowess." Its ash breath isn't very hot; it's more like the effect of a white phosphorus incendiary bomb. It's extremely effective against unprotected targets, but it's difficult to be effective against protected enemies, especially those with magical protection.

“We should have brought more weapons and equipment up here. Or was I too hasty?” Rhine sighed. He shouldn’t have moved so fast back in Ruby County.

Instead, they should have prepared in advance. But thinking about it carefully, that doesn't make sense either. The chaotic situation in Rubyshire, where even the Earl's illegitimate son was colluding with outsiders, meant that staying longer would be suicidal. Moreover, the sieve-like situation would have given the mastermind more time to plan.

[Collection of Imperial Jokes]

"Please fill in the list of the deceased in the 'Honorary Contributors' column, and the rusty rivets in the 'Noble Aesthetic Bonus' column." The clerk poked at the form with his finger. "As for the cause of the sinking, check 'Voluntarily died in the line of duty while testing a new type of submarine'—what? You're saying the sailors were forced to board the ship?"

"Then let's add another clause: 'All crew members have already received all their compensation in advance!'"

(Legend has it that this ship surfaces from the sewage outlet every seven days, its deck covered with salt-stained skulls holding coral signs demanding "compensation.")

Chopping wood, feeding horses, no world travel: No updates.

No update today, I'm taking a break for the Chinese New Year holiday. Playing cards got me sidetracked, as I'm sure you all understand.

Chapter 194 Fierce Battle and the Sparrow

"Scarface and his gang have succeeded!" "Black Crow," wearing a black tricorn hat, saw the red cloth strip sticking out from the front of the train and spurred his horse to charge down the hillside. Horseshoes collided with gravel, sending sparks flying, and manes shook violently in the wind. The black torrent of warhorses rushed down the slope, the sound of their iron hooves like a death knell.

"Go!" The crow's cry was torn to pieces by the oncoming gale.

The two scarred men in the engine room immediately pulled the brake lever, and the chains connecting the carriages made a teeth-grinding straining sound, causing the entire train to shake violently due to inertia. For them, the window of opportunity was extremely limited, as the railway patrol cavalry would arrive soon, and they only had a limited time to storm in and take the blonde little girl away.

The Shadow Raven Thieves didn't have much information, or rather, the mastermind behind them didn't let them know any extra information. According to their information, the target was the light blonde-haired girl escorted by the dwarf Rhine. After comparing the portrait and information, there was basically no possibility of mistaking her for someone else.

Because in Roach's group, there were only two blondes, and the other one was more of a light brown than blonde, and she was a burly dwarf girl. The only one who matched the information was Livia.

Their demand was to eliminate the girl, dead or alive. Considering Livia's strength as a high-level arcane mage, Black Crow's plan was to kill her first, and capture her alive second, otherwise their small force wouldn't be able to withstand her attacks.

Thieves wearing matching black triangular face masks rushed down the hillside, and the train began to slow down as a cavalry approached from the side and rear.

The iron hooks at the thieves' waists gleamed in the sunlight, and the leader, Black Crow, pulled a strangely shaped short crossbow from his saddlebag, its body engraved with patterns of crows spreading their wings.

When he pulled the trigger, the sound of the triangular arrow cutting through the air was like the cry of an owl. The arrow pierced precisely through the gap in the carriage window, shattering a magic crystal lamp.

"Kangar, they're here!" The carpenter knight gripped his iron axe. Unlike Roach and his men, who had royal guarantees and were fully armed on the train, they were only wearing light chainmail. Their heavy armor was still in the luggage compartment. This iron axe was even taken from the guards' armory.

“I know, Karl, guard the back door!” Captain Congel held a tool hammer and a short knife in his hand, and he wasn’t even wearing armor, only a thick leather coat.

The sound of horses' hooves approached like muffled thunder. The thieves did not approach the first-class carriage directly, as that would be like making them targets for long-range weapons. Instead, they chose to approach from the side and rear of the train, so that the guards inside would have to lean out to aim.

"Go!" The grappling hooks were thrown onto the train carriages, and the thieves leaped from their horses onto the carriages. They prepared to attack from the roof and windows, and to occupy the second and third-class carriages behind, clearing out and dispersing the guards.

"Crash!" The car window was kicked and shattered, and twelve smoke grenades were thrown in. The thieves' specially made chili powder made the air scorching and blinding. There was no coughing as expected in the thick smoke, only silence.

Sylvie's shark-tooth dagger flashed a silver arc through the smoke, and sparks from its collision with a metal weapon briefly illuminated a blurry figure approaching.

The steel dagger and the short sword clashed several times in an instant. The dagger was flipped half a circle in the thief's palm and swung straight at his lower body. He then drew the serrated short sword from his waist.

The thrown dagger grazed the edge of the riding breeches, leaving a bloody mark, before futilely embedding itself in the carriage floor.

The thief suddenly took two steps back, his serrated dagger clashing with another dagger of the same shark-tooth style. A thick arm swung from the side, slamming into his cheek.

Instead of pressing his advantage, Sylvie decisively sidestepped and used his short sword to deflect a poisoned arrow that was flying towards the young lady behind him. This brief exchange consumed a lot of energy for both of them. Simultaneously activating the two "extraordinary physique" abilities, "extraordinary agility" and "extraordinary perception," was a huge drain on their stamina.

"Hoo~~" He took a deep breath, allowing the oxygen to be fully absorbed into his lungs, and then slowly exhaled. He wore the same black triangular face mask, but was dressed in embroidered knight's casual clothes. These casual clothes, made of silk and linen, were reinforced with leather at the shoulders and elbows, providing a certain degree of protection. They were also looser than normal clothes, allowing him to wear light leather armor or chainmail underneath.

The shark-tooth style short knife spun like a butterfly in the palm of a hand clad in a calfskin half-finger glove, making it difficult to predict the direction and posture of the next attack. This rapid switching between forehand and backhand is a common technique in roaming knife fighting. Only those outlaws and thieves who are used to fighting with knives less than two fingers long in the slums would learn this fancy but deadly technique.

"Shadow Raven?" Sylvie frowned slightly. "I thought the last real Shadow Raven had died alongside the 'Raven Master'."

"Shadow Raven?" the other asked suspiciously. Although Sylvie was dressed as a knight, the scent of his "kin" was still strong. "You should understand: 'A blood-stained cloak can never be washed clean; dust-covered boots can't go far.'"

This is a slang term among thieves, meaning that once you truly enter the trade, kill someone, or get involved in business you shouldn't be in, you can never become a normal person again.

Similarly, there is the idiom "A hand that has picked a lock can never knock on a decent person's door," but the former focuses more on dirty work such as "robbery and murder" and "kidnapping and assassination," while the latter focuses on simple theft and illegal livelihood.

“Heh~” Sylvie shook his head. “Blood is just paint on a noble’s coat of arms.” He replied with the same code, meaning that as long as you climb high enough, these stains are just embellishments on the coat of arms after you become a noble. It can also be interpreted as “the more lice you have, the less you worry; the more debts you have, the less itchy you feel.”

"A nobleman?" The thief scrutinized Sylvie. His expensive silk shirt, silver-embellished belt, and comfortable deerskin boots all indicated that a barrier called "class" separated them, leaving little room for further discussion. As they spoke, a grappling hook slid from the thief's sleeve, and the rattling chain ensnared the iron chandelier on the carriage roof.

With a violent tug, the three-kilogram iron lamp stand crashed to the ground. Sylvie spun around and kicked a wicker suitcase, which collided with the chandelier in mid-air.

“A myna bird locked in a cage and mimicking speech will never become a true Shadow Raven.” The thief gripped his shark-tooth dagger and charged at Sylvie. The exchange between the two lasted only a few seconds. At that moment, another person pried open the ventilation panel from the back of the car and fell down, slashing at Sylvie’s neck with his dagger.

"Clang!" The daggers clashed, their sharp metal teeth grinding together with an unpleasant scraping sound. Suddenly, Sylvie's blade caught at an odd angle—the thief's serrated dagger had a hidden mechanism; three barbs shot out from the back of the blade. He released his grip in time and leaned back, the barbs grazing his nose and leaving three small, smoking holes in the carriage wall.

At the same time, the straw on the ground suddenly turned into countless arrows and shot towards the thief rushing towards him. He had to roll over to dodge the arrows and deflect some of the arrows that he couldn't avoid.

"Hoo~" Natalia held a handful of straw that had turned to ashes in her hand. She had originally intended to activate the straw's remaining life magic to turn it into vines to entwine it, but... her "Chaos Magic" had another unexpected turn of events. Instead of turning into vines, it turned into sharp wooden arrows.

"Damn it..." She reached for another handful of straw, preparing to cast the spell again, when a thief grabbed a cloth bag full of miscellaneous items and threw it at the dangerous spellcaster, making Natalia's already extremely unstable witchcraft even more out of control!

"Ouch!" The straw turned into countless ropes that tangled inside the carriage, tripping her up and getting tangled in them. It also almost caused Sylvie, who was engaged in a fierce knife fight with another thief, to fall down as well.

In the back carriage, Conger used his long metal bracers to parry the enemy's dagger, then swung a hammer at the unfortunate man opposite him on the shoulder. His martial arts skills were more refined than Sylvie's. After all, the Shadow Raven Thieves rarely engaged in robbery, which required intense frontal combat. Moreover, over the years, Sylvie's thief fighting skills had become quite rusty.

Suddenly, a rapid series of footsteps echoed from the roof of the carriage; six thieves were moving quickly overhead. Their spiked boots scraped against the metal, making a screeching noise, like a steel file being dragged back and forth across a nerve.

"Six people...and some have gone to the front!" Only six people jumped into the carriage. More people climbed up the roof towards the first-class cabin. Their target was the people in the first-class cabin, not Natalia and her group in the carriages behind. The reason there were six people here was simply to suppress and disperse the guard force.

"It's those Shadow Raven bastards!" Carpenter Weeks spat into his palm. Tall and strong, he wore a chainmail, which gave him a huge advantage in close-quarters combat.

The train gradually slowed down and finally came to a stop. At this moment, the spellcasters of the Shadow Raven Thieves, who had been lying in ambush on both sides of the railway, hurriedly activated an extremely complex runic device. The leader did not say where this device came from, and told them not to ask any more questions.

It can disrupt the "spiritual pulse" of the ritual field within its range, causing the mystical spells to become extremely unstable or even unusable within that range. It is usually used for internal palace defense, since no nobleman is unafraid that someone might bribe their maid to secretly set up a ritual field inside the castle to harm them.

However, the effective range of such a thing is limited, at most 300 square meters, covering only the area of ​​a first-class carriage. Not only will ritual spells be affected, but some alchemical and magical items based on the principles of ritual spells will also be interfered with, their effects greatly reduced or rendered ineffective. Only rituals with built-in closed loops, such as Roach's rune disk, can function properly.

“The ranged weapon is unusable…” Leslie shook her head as she looked at the irregularly flashing patterns between the energy storage crystal and the firing runes on the magic crossbow. The other rune bow made by Roach was also unusable and could only be used as an ordinary bow to fire normal arrows.

Fortunately, enchanted and enchanted weapons are unaffected, and Alessina's "Unrivaled Greatsword" can still be used normally. However, this weapon, which is much larger than a normal "greatsword," is like a small door, making it difficult to exert its combat power in this environment.

She also had to use the "Fragment of Light" that Roach had thrown at her as a weapon. They were both blessed by the goddess and could use this "divine weapon." However, when it came to dealing with human enemies like thieves, the Fragment of Light was just an exceptionally sharp hand-and-a-half-sword.

Luluya shook her head, took out a bottle of energizing potion made by a little witch from the small bag at her waist, drank it down, and then let her hands hang down naturally. "Night Bind!" Black cloud-like patterns spread from her wrists to her forearms, and her fair skin instantly turned into a dull brown, as if she were wearing a sturdy leather boxing glove.

The Night Clan's divine favor ability can finally be used now that the Goddess of Night has returned to her position. It is divided into three stances or uses: [Night Entanglement], [Moon Entanglement], and [Star Entanglement]. [Night Entanglement] covers the entire body with the power of darkness, and the skin becomes a dark color, as if tanned by the sun. This allows them to move better at night. Night Entanglement focuses on agility and dexterity and is suitable for rapid combat in small and complex places, such as indoors, carriages, and alleys.

The [Moon Wrap] is the same one used in Ruby County. It is wrapped in a pale white light, which greatly increases the defense, like wearing a silver-white armor. It focuses on head-on confrontation with enemies, and is suitable for dealing with enemies wearing armor. It is also suitable for dealing with enemies with a lot of ranged weapons. It is mainly used to break through defenses and engage in frontal battles.

Finally, [Star Entanglement] causes the skin to glow with a dim, almost invisible starlight. This enhances the user's perception and speed while reducing their presence, making it useful for ambushes, concealment, and reconnaissance. In addition, [Star Entanglement] is the only ranged attack stance for Night Clan warriors. It allows them to combine their power and the blessings bestowed by the gods into "star darts" to unleash their attacks.

Although Lulua was sent by the Night Clan as an envoy to find the chosen one in the oracle, and had learned all three stances, the goddess had not been back in her position for long. It would still take some time for her to compare her past training and learning with reality. Therefore, when she activated the stance, she could only ensure that her limbs were covered, not her whole body.

Besides these three basic stances, the Night Clan also has some other advanced stances and profound techniques. However, for Lulua, let alone using them, she is currently unable to even practice and master them. Although the Goddess's grace has been restored, it is a power that is extremely unfamiliar to her.

No matter how devout her faith, it was a fact that the goddess had not responded for thousands of years. It was impossible for what she learned through scriptures to be without any response or effect without deviation. Therefore, she needed to explore this unfamiliar power from scratch.

"I'll go deal with them!" After activating her stance, Lulua took another stamina potion and kicked the glass with her bare feet, shattering it. The sharp glass couldn't even leave a scratch on her hands and feet, which were in [Night Entanglement] mode. The girl hooked the edge of the car window and easily flipped onto the roof. Her white skirt fluttered in the wind like a white butterfly.

"Is it her, a little girl?" The thieves on the roof of the car exchanged glances. "Black hair, red eyes, no."

"Fighter? Such a thing..." Hand-to-hand combat is not a competitive profession in this world. After all, even if one has an extraordinary physique, it is difficult for the physical body to fight against steel.

Even the orcs, who once valued hand-to-hand combat the most, now only use it as a form of competition and physical training. On the battlefield, the orc warriors who used to charge into battle empty-handed, wearing tattered furs and shouting battle cries, are now just remnants in history books.

"Leave a few men behind, the rest go down and deal with the guards!" Black Raven made a decisive judgment, and the two spellcasters by the railway also made a ready gesture. The magical power inside had been neutralized, so two dwarves, two knights and a guard were no match for them.

However, the narrowness of the carriage means that rushing in is not a good idea. The best solution is to attack from multiple directions, such as the roof, windows, and doors, simultaneously.

"Well done!" Facing the serrated dagger aimed at her throat, the short-haired girl with black hair suddenly bent back and flipped backward, her bare feet, wrapped with the power of the night, kicking upward with great force, accurately striking the opponent's wrist bone. The thief had no choice but to release the hilt of his knife, letting the dagger be kicked into the air, and then grabbed the girl's ankle with his other hand.

The moment she succeeded, the girl braced herself on the ground and spun her waist, using her grasped ankle as a pivot, her legs wrapping around the thief's entire arm like scissors. "Hey!" The thief had no time to react and was thrown to the ground. However, his companion's dagger also slashed towards the girl's waist, but it was blocked by a hand. The sharp dagger could not penetrate her tattoo-like black, entwined holy marks.

"A Holy Mark!?" The thief was filled with doubt and surprise. Only a very few clergy could obtain something that was roughly equivalent to an eternal blessing from a god. A Holy Mark was a manifestation of divine authority. It did not require prayer or the consumption of divine power. Except for the limited number of times it could be used, it could be activated in any environment and under any circumstances.

Clerics who possess Stigmata are granted the title of "Agent" or similar honors, and are considered to be representatives of the will of the gods. Some powerful Stigmata holders also have the title of "Oracle." Of course, the specific title varies depending on the sect. Some are called "Divine Messenger," some are "Oracle," some are "Prophet," and some are simply "Holy Son/Holy Daughter."

That alchemical rune device could interfere with arcane spells, but it couldn't interfere with the power of divine grace. In other words, the presence of clergy on the vehicle was something they couldn't have predicted at all.

Unlike most spellcasters who have distinct characteristics and outward traces, if a clergyman doesn't wear a uniform or carry scriptures and truly disguises himself as an ordinary person, it would be impossible to detect him in advance. This is especially true for stigmata agents; as long as they cover their stigmata, even people from opposing sects wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

"Crack!" With the power of her waist and legs, Lulua twisted the head of the unlucky thief who had fallen to the ground 180 degrees with a snap, then flipped herself up and looked at the enemy in front of her, who had lost one person and still had three left.

"Hey, sorry everyone, for the safety of the Favored Ones, you all have to die here." Lulua suddenly transformed into a shadow, rushing towards the nearest thief along the top of the carriage. Her short sword and hand crossed rapidly a few times, and the thief felt that it was not flesh and blood, but a shield wrapped in several layers of cowhide.

However, Lulua also tried her best to avoid direct contact with the blade with her flesh and blood. After all, the [Night Wrap] stance is not the [Moon Wrap] stance. If the opponent is wielding a magical weapon, she really can't withstand it, and a poisoned weapon would also poison her.

"This is a tough one, bring two more people!" The thieves who were originally preparing to raid the carriage had to leave two more people behind to attack Lulua. This reduced the number of people who had climbed into the carriage to about five or six. However, the enemies inside... were even more troublesome!

"Clang!" The dull blade sliced ​​the serrated dagger in two as if it had cut through a block of butter. The broken tip spun half a circle before freezing in mid-air. Livia puffed out her cheeks as she looked at the thieves who had surrounded her group. She also noticed that the ritual spell had been interfered with.

However, the witch's "magic" was not a ritual. She grabbed the broken blade and commanded, "Go!" Her small mouth uttered a command that no human could hear, and the blade faithfully obeyed the witch's will, spinning and slicing towards the thief's throat.

"Clang!" "What the hell is this!" Black Crow deflected the blade with his sword. The blade was still vibrating as it pierced deep into the wooden partition, as if it was preparing to fly out and hit him again. However, after struggling for a few moments, the weak power contained within it was exhausted.

Livia's "command" cannot change the amount of energy of the "commanded" thing itself, just like the energy that this blade can utilize is only the kinetic energy of being blasted out.

She usually uses ritual magic and elemental power to amplify the available and manipulated energy, such as using ritual magic to give the flying blade greater kinetic energy. Now that ritual magic is unavailable, she can only use the power that exists on its own.

"Snap!" The magic crystal lamps made noises one after another, and thin blue arcs of electricity jumped on the surface of the crystals, responding to the witch's command. "Careful, the target still has the ability to cast spells!" Black Crow decisively threw a chili smoke bomb at Livia to interfere with the spellcaster, but it hit Roach instead. His heavy figure in automatic armor was a huge meat shield.

The burst of chili smoke writhed and crawled into the little witch's sleeve the next second, wrapping around her delicate fingertips.

"You villain!" The witch pointed at Black Crow, and arrows of smoke shot towards him. Black Crow had to take a half step back, close his eyes, and let the harmless, pungent smoke spray onto him. As long as his eyes weren't hit, the mask he was wearing was enough to cover his mouth and nose.

At that moment, a dull thud came from the roof of the carriage—Lulua was kicking the fourth thief off the train.

The man waved his arms in vain in the air, his head slamming hard against a roadside stone. The cracking sound of his neck breaking even drowned out the hissing steam from the car as it slowed down and came to a stop.

The girl's bare feet left bloody footprints on the metal roof of the car, each footprint emitting a faint black mist.

While the battle raged on, a group of people were watching from a distance.

"Those crows have succeeded..." A masked knight put down his monocular telescope, raised his right hand, and saw many figures in the forest. He was ready to strike decisively and reap all the spoils once the crows failed, and then frame the Shadow Raven Thieves for everything.

And them? They were just an ordinary group of riders who were out hunting and happened to witness thieves robbing a train.

[PS] Imperial Joke:

Two repairmen chatted while unclogging a blocked sewage pipe:

I heard that a pipeline explosion in the western district killed six workers.

"Bullshit! The notice board says 'Making a glorious sacrifice to optimize the city's respiratory system'."

"And their compensation..."

Shh—didn't you see the Treasury Secretary just bought a gold-plated toilet? That's called the circular economy.

Chapter 195 Fate, Oh Fate~

Two thieves remained on the roof of the car. Lulua's upper arms, thighs, and waist, which were not protected by the power of the [Night Binding] blessing, continued to bleed, staining her white dress crimson. Defeating four thieves in a short time had come at the cost of injury.

This was using the [Night Wrap] which enhances agility and speed; if it were using the [Moon Wrap] which enhances strength and defense, she would probably be dead.

【Moon Wrap】 consumes power very quickly, and she can only protect her limbs at the moment; her body and head are unprotected. Fighting these agile thieves in this environment, using 【Moon Wrap】 is tantamount to suicide. Several times, the traps on the opponent's short swords almost blew her head off.

“You won’t last much longer, Holy One,” one of the thieves said. Although the girl looked unwell, they weren’t much better off, and she clearly still had the power to unleash. It would be best to persuade her to surrender or back down. “Our target isn’t you, but that blond kid. You don’t need to die here.”