Chapter 465: Chapter 465: Adina 18
"Everyone be on high alert tonight. We’re on the outskirts of the Mist Forest now." Schubert handed Tan You a piece of roasted Magic Beast meat and added a few words of caution to the surrounding guards.
They had entered the Mist Forest the day before yesterday. Leaving to find an inn for the night was obviously impossible, so everyone had to camp in the woods. Fortunately, they were only one more day away from leaving the Mist Forest. They just had to get through tonight.
Tan You took a bite of the Magic Beast meat and glanced at the guards on alert around them. She knew it was time for them to part ways. ’But how should I leave?’ Just as Tan You was pondering this, several furious roars suddenly echoed from deep within the forest.
Tan You’s chewing faltered for a moment, then she continued eating the roasted meat in her hand. The expressions on Schubert and the others changed drastically. "A beast tide? From the sound of it, it’s not far from us. We need to leave, now!"
A guard suggested softly, "The Mist Forest is too dangerous at night. Wouldn’t moving recklessly be even more dangerous..."
Schubert made a swift decision. "No, we have to go immediately. If we wait for the beast tide to be upon us, we won’t be able to escape at all."
"Miss Adina, my apologies!"
As he spoke, he swept Tan You up in one motion and placed her on his horse. "Everyone, mount up! Leave everything else behind."
’Good thing I’ve started cultivating and can use Magic Power now,’ Tan You thought. ’This way, I can take the things from inside the carriage.’ If she really had to leave everything behind, Tan You would have died from frustration.
Schubert and his men reacted quickly, galloping away on their horses. Unfortunately, their mounts were just ordinary horses, not Magic Beasts, and the beast tide quickly scattered their group.
Schubert fled with Tan You and a few guards for most of the night before they finally managed to shake off the beast pack. Hearing no sound from behind them, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief, at which point they finally broke into smiles, relieved to have survived.
Schubert took a head count. "Good, we’re only slightly injured. Half the men were separated from us. I don’t know how they’re doing. Everyone, get some rest. When it’s light out, we’ll find a way out of here and look for our companions."
Tan You fiddled with the ring on her finger. "We don’t know where we are in the Mist Forest. It’ll be hard to get out, won’t it?"
Schubert looked at Tan You. "Miss Adina, please rest assured. We will do everything in our power to escort you to Kandapes."
Looking at the group of robust guards before her, Tan You suddenly had another idea. "I remember when we left the Edmonds family, Father said that you would all be staying with me in Kandapes from now on?"
Schubert nodded. "Yes. From now on, we are your personal soldiers, Miss. Your most loyal guards."
Tan You smiled and softly chanted a few words of a magic spell. An Undead Bone Claw suddenly shot up from the ground. The bone claw was stark white, and soon, more undead skeletons clawed their way out from beneath the earth, completely surrounding the guards.
The guards’ faces changed drastically. They all gripped the sabers at their waists. They were only Douqi warriors; even if they could handle these low-level skeleton soldiers, their own abilities were limited. And how many countless bones lay buried in the Mist Forest?
Looking back at Tan You, they saw she was now standing behind the group of undead skeletons. Despite her extremely small and slender frame, no one dared to underestimate her now.
Schubert composed himself, forcing himself to remain calm, and asked very carefully, "Miss Adina, your meaning is..."
Tan You revealed a smile. "I’m not one to trust verbal promises. I prefer concrete actions."
Schubert reacted extremely quickly. "Miss, I can swear a follower’s oath. As long as that oath is in place, we will be eternally loyal to you, without any dissent."
Tan You rubbed her fingers together. "Even if the one you pledge allegiance to goes against mainstream values?"
Schubert answered honestly, "Yes. But Miss, compared to Dark Element Mages, your talent is actually more neutral. The Divine Hall of Light will hunt down Dark Element Mages, but they don’t pursue those with talent in the Undead System to the point of extermination."
Tan You narrowed her eyes. "You’ve met an Undead Mage before. From the way you talk, you seem to know a lot."
Schubert cleared his throat. "Miss, you may not be aware, but my ancestors followed the progenitors of the Edmonds family. Our ancestral records state that the Edmonds family has produced a Mage of the Undead System before—an incredibly talented Mage."
"For you to be able to summon so many low-tier Undead at such a young age, Miss, your talent is definitely no less than that of Lord Sean."
Tan You understood. She looked at Schubert, then at the dozen or so conflicted guards. "I know your concerns, and I’m not one to slaughter people indiscriminately. I’ll give you two choices. If you’re unwilling to become my followers, I won’t force you."
"We can part ways here, but you will need to swear an oath to never speak a word about my situation. Furthermore, you can return to the Imperial City, but your story to the outside world will have to change. You must completely erase any trace of me."
A guard next to Schubert, who looked to be a deep thinker, spoke up and asked, "And the second choice?"
"The second is simple," Tan You said, taking a breath. "You become my followers and settle down in Kandapes. I will remain in the Mist Forest to cultivate. You will manage my assets on the outside, and when the time is right, I will naturally emerge from the Mist Forest."
The men broke into a flurry of discussion. Tan You didn’t listen to their arguments, simply closing her eyes to rest. With these undead skeletons present, she wasn’t the least bit afraid the guards would turn on her. She was in the Mist Forest now; this was practically her home turf. ’Could they really silence her so easily?’
And the guards were indeed conflicted. "Captain, what’s your choice?"
Schubert didn’t hesitate. "I’m definitely choosing the second option."
Seeing the others hesitate, Schubert analyzed the situation. "If we choose the first option, even if we make it out of the Mist Forest alive, we won’t meet a good end back in the Imperial City."
"Miss Adina has disappeared, yet we’re alive and well. Would the Family Head tolerate us living?"
"Only if Miss Adina lives can we live well."
The resourceful-looking guard beside him, Sanders, also nodded. "That’s right. If we return to the Imperial City, it’s a dead end."
A guard hesitated. "But my wife and children are in the Imperial City..."
Sanders mused, "Once we’re settled in Kandapes, we can bring them over. Actually, when you think about it, Kandapes would be pretty good. At least it’s peaceful, so our families won’t have to worry."
"Besides, I feel that the Divine Hall of Light’s current dominance won’t last forever. The rise of the Dark Divine Hall is only a matter of time. We need to see the situation clearly. Sometimes, the choice you make is more important than the effort you put in."
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