Chapter 205: [Chapter - 205]
Six days had passed since I practically nourished the Endless Forest with the blood of the Zarthian Beasts.
Fours days since the Merchant Queen, Ryana, learned exactly what it felt like to be a trophy in my vault rather than the one holding the keys.
And since the days of Caelum, Auravale was starting to change.
Every street was scrubbed.
Every shop was draped in black and gold banners.
Heck... Even every man and woman took a bath daily.
Everything looked perfect.
Everything in Auravale looked like a paradise.
Well on the surface, it seemed so. But with the Blackfangs on the streets, what else were you expecting?
If you looked closer, you could see the crack between their smiles.
They walked around with these wide, forced smiles. It was like they were constantly practicing for a play they didn't want to be in.
They knew the rules. If you didn't look happy, my Blackfang Elites would help you find a reason to cry.
But it was still nothing to worry about. Before they get to live the good days, they need to experience how worthless their lives are.
Only then would they be able to cherish the benevolent leader that I am.
But for now! I was busy enjoying the perks of being a lord.
"Leo... please... give me a second..." Seraphine wheezed.
She was draped across the silk sheets, her golden hair a tangled mess. Her skin was flushed a deep pink, slick with sweat and the fluids we'd been exchanging for the last two hours.
"I don't remember giving you permission to take a break, Sera," I grunted.
I reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her head back roughly. She let out a small, needy whimper, her amber eyes—now permanently tinged with a golden glow—staring up at me with total adoration.
It was the best sight in the world.
"Master, don't ignore me just because your queen is tired," Belladonna purred from my other side.
The Bandit Queen was naked, her pale skin contrasting against the dark furs of the bed. She crawled over, her heavy breasts swinging with every move.
She didn't wait for an invite. She wrapped her lips around my cock, her tongue swirling around the head with practiced ease.
"Mmm, much better," I muttered, leaning back.
I reached down and grabbed one of Belladonna's breasts, squeezing the soft flesh hard enough to leave marks. She let out a muffled moan against my shaft, her eyes looking up at me, begging for more.
I pushed Belladonna's head down, fucking her mouth with a slow, brutal rhythm, "You like being my little pet, don't you, Bella?"
She couldn't answer, but her hips bucked against my thigh. She was soaking wet, the smell of her desire filling the room.
Seraphine didn't want to be left out. She crawled up and started licking my chest, her tongue tracing the lines of my muscles, "We are yours, Leo! Our body and soul. Use us however you want."
"I plan to," I could not help but grin to the look on her face.
I flipped Seraphine over and drove into her from behind. She screamed, her fingers digging into the mattress as I hammered into her.
Belladonna stayed on her knees, her tits bouncing as she watched us, her own hand working between her legs.
It was crude. It was raw. It was exactly what I deserved after the bullshit I had been through.
An hour later, I was sitting on my blackwood throne in the Main Square.
Seraphine sat on my right, looking regal in a gown that showed off way too much cleavage.
Belladonna stood on my left, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.
To the commoners, we looked like a nightmare and a dream mixed together.
"Bring the trash out," I commanded.
My Blackfang Elites dragged five men forward. These were the high-ranking tax officials who had been hiding in the cellars, trying to figure out how to steal the treasury before they fled.
They were all fat, middle-aged men who had lived off the blood of the peasants for decades.
"Lord Leo! Have mercy!" the oldest one cried, his voice cracking, "Please forgive us! I will return all the gold I have embezzled. I will give you half of my personal savings as well."
"I can help you manage the town as well! We know this town at the back of my hand."
"That gold? I will have it anyway," I said, leaning forward. I grabbed Seraphine's hand and pulled it onto my lap, guiding her fingers to stroke me through the fabric of my trousers.
"But given the fact that you are willing to help the people of Auravale, I can make sure at least one man or boy is left alive in your family." I nodded with a smile.
"But you will just have to believe me on that."
"BECAUSE YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE IT WITH YOUR OWN EYES!"
I didn't move. I didn't yell. I just stared at him as I spoke with the sweetest smile on my face.
A heavy, suffocating pressure exploded from my body. The people in the front row of the crowd fell to their knees.
The official's eyes went wide. His pupils dilated until his eyes were just black holes.
His face went purple. He clutched his chest, a wet, snapping sound echoing in the silence.
He didn't even scream. He just fell forward, his heart literally exploding from pure terror.
The crowd gasped, a wave of muffled horror ripples through the square.
"That's one," I said, bored.
Suddenly, a man in a guard's uniform lunged from the crowd. He wasn't a peasant. He moved with the speed of a trained killer. He had a short, black-coated blade aimed right for my throat.
He was fast, but I didn't even bother to react. Before the man could come anywhere close to me, Shadow appeared from the literal air behind him.
Her blade flashed twice.
Chop. Chop.
The man's arms fell to the cobblestones. He stood there for a split second, staring at the stumps, before the pain registered.
Then he opened his mouth to scream.
But before that, Shadow's blade swiped again and a thin red line appeared on his neck.
Blood slowly began to seep out of the things line before his head literally slipped off his shoulder and rolled along the floor, stopping right at the stairs. Only then did the body of the men dropped on the floor with a thud.
"Anyone else?" I asked.
Nobody moved.
"Is this all Caelum's loyalist can do?" I smirked, "Don't worry. I will fish every single one of you. One... By... One..."
'Aiva,' I thought, leaning back into the throne while Belladonna leaned down to whisper something vulgar in my ear. 'Show me the numbers. I want to see why I am so goddamn good at this.'
[Certainly, Master. Displaying updated status for Level 17.]
A blue screen flickered in my vision.
[LEO DRAGOMIR - STATUS]
[LEVEL: 18 (EXP: 36458/38000)]
[HP: 27000 / 27000]
[MP: 18000/18000]
Bloodline: Draconic Bloodline (Unlocked: 10%)
[STATS]
Strength (STR): 169 (Average Human Mortal: 15)
Agility (AGI): 186 (Average Human Mortal: 19)
Stealth (STL): 155 (Average Human Mortal: 16)
Stamina (STA): 193 (Average Human Mortal: 16)
Intelligence (INT): 69 (Average Human Mortal: 37) [Max: 100]
Charisma (CHA): 71 (Average Human Mortal: 25) [Max: 100]
Harem: 2
Body Count: 3
Active Quests: 3
Inventory: [Click to Open]
Shop (New): [Click to Open]
'Look at that Charisma,' I thought. '71? No wonder these people look like they're about to worship me or piss themselves.'
[At 71 Charisma, your presence is no longer just a physical trait, Master]
Aiva explained.
[It is an environmental hazard. Ordinary humans will find it physically impossible to maintain eye contact or even harbor a thought of rebellion while in your presence.]
[And the women... Let's just say, no one's going thirsty around them.]
'That potent... Huh...' I grinned.
And with that, I closed the screen and looked at the remaining four officials. They were weeping now, their foreheads pressed against the cold stones.
"Get them out of here," I told Belladonna, "Let the people have some entertainment."
"Tue them up at the town square. Let the people throw rocks at them until they die."
"I am getting bored of this."
I stood up, my bad arm feeling a bit stiff.
'Aiva,' I whispered, walking out of the audience hall, "There's something bothering me."
[What is bothering you, Master?]
'That thorn I did not manage to pull out at the right time.' I was left pondering, 'Caelum and Aliana.'
[One thing I can confirm is that Lord Caelum and Lady Aliana have successfully escaped, and they are far... very far away from Auravale.]
I stopped in my tracks, and my eyes drifted out of the window as I stared at the endless flat land in front of me, up north towards the direction of the capital.
I remembered the smell of something rotten in the dungeon. Whoever saved Caelum and Aliana was not a very easy obstacle.
"Caelum is a cowardly rat. But a cornered rat can always bite back."
I muttered.
"And Aliana... She is going to be looking for a way to pay me back for what I did to her pride."
I felt a sharp itch in my chest that was hard to scratch.
"I have a bad hunch about this, Aiva. A really bad hunch. I should have finished them when I had the chance."
[Indeed, Master.]
[You screwed up bad... Real bad.]
"..."