Witch, Fireball and Steam Evil God

Chapter 404 Elemental Enchantress Ethan Challenges You

The Simpler family has recently been hit with a series of bad news.

First, the illegitimate son of the Archduke of Escher died in Gear City, and their remains have never been found. Before they could finish dealing with the affairs of Gear City, the Archduke's son, Fabius Simpler, the rightful heir of the family, was beaten to a pulp right under their noses and sent back to his mansion by the passing Imperial Army commander.

Upon seeing his child's swollen face, the Grand Duke of Ash's expression darkened considerably.

The Simpler family not only lost face in front of the Imperial Army, but this incident was tantamount to throwing the entire Simpler family's face on the ground and trampling on it. Grand Duke Esch never dreamed that someone in the capital would dare to attack his son. In fact, Fabius and his entourage did not expect it either, so much so that when they were knocked down by a few punches and kicks, they were still immersed in deep astonishment.

“Sir Cedric, this is a provocation against the Simpler family.”

After holding it in for a long time, Grand Duke Esch finally squeezed out these words through gritted teeth: "Therefore, I hope the Imperial Army will not interfere in this matter and will leave it to us to handle ourselves."

"of course."

Cedric calmly held the hard bread in his arms, which saved him a lot of trouble. He never intended to get involved in the Simpler family's mess from the beginning, not only because the mysterious woman who came towards him brought him hard bread as a late-night snack while he was working overtime, but also because of her aura.

That's the aura that only someone who has truly crawled out of a pile of corpses possesses.

But he was quite certain that the red-haired woman was not a member of the Imperial Army, and her crimson hair did not match the characteristics of an Imperial person. So it was worth pondering where she got this murderous aura from, and... why would she appear in the capital at this time?

This is definitely not the kind of strength that is fabricated and exaggerated in "Brave Game".

A momentous change is about to occur, but the imperial nobles, represented by the Simpler family, are still indulging in the illusions of the past.

Cedric gave Grand Duke Ash, who looked like he could explode at any moment, and gave up the idea of ​​reminding him. If the head of the Simpler family still had any sense of reason, he would know that letting this matter end here was the best outcome for the Simpler family.

He learned the entire course of the battle from Fabius's two high-ranking superhuman attendants.

According to their account, it couldn't even be called a battle, because when they came to their senses, they found themselves lying on the ground, becoming part of the "lump of flesh." They couldn't see how the red-haired woman made her move, nor could they figure out her techniques.

If the woman's intention wasn't to teach them a lesson, but rather to kill them, then when he passed through that alley, he would have seen several mutilated corpses.

This inexplicably reminded Cedric of the High Summoner Hetia, who died in Gear City. The only thing that interested him in the whole incident was the local detectives' descriptions of the wounds.

The sword wound that pierced her heart was so silent during the battle that it wasn't until the day after Hetia's death that the servants of the mansion discovered it.

To Cedric, this was more like a swift defeat.

The clean, efficient, and decisive killing techniques are worlds apart from those performative "hero team techniques."

Although he never thought highly of the members of the Hero Squad, Hetia was still a high-level transcendent certified by the Empire. He knew very few people who could kill Hetia instantly, and those people had no motive to attack her.

This is more like an outsider.

For example, the mysterious woman who brushed past him tonight, who made him feel threatened with just a glance.

But can Grand Duke Esh understand all of this?

Cedric walked out of the Simpler family manor, savoring the remaining half of a hard bread, and slowly stepped into the darkness.

If he had been able to understand these things, he wouldn't have become the "infamous" Grand Duke Esh.

However, this might not be a bad thing for him. He had no interest in the face of the great nobles or the power games. What could interest him was only those opponents who could get his blood pumping. This was also the reason why he initially joined the Imperial Army. Tonight, that long-lost feeling of excitement was reignited.

He had a premonition that as long as that red-haired woman remained in the capital, they would meet again sooner or later.

And the next time they meet, it might be the day they draw their swords.

……

On the other side, Grand Duke Ash opened the hidden door of the study without saying a word and walked towards the hidden prison located beneath the mansion. This was a place where the family executed those who resisted, or to satisfy the perverse fetishes of some members. Gas lamps were the only light source here, and the deeper one went down the stairs, the stronger the stench of blood permeated the air.

The prison cell was filled with many people, their hair disheveled and their eyes devoid of light.

They had lost the will to beg for mercy and were waiting here like walking corpses for death, which would free them from this hell.

The interrogation room was located at the end of this dark corridor, the very source of the stench of blood.

When Grand Duke Esch entered, the floor of the interrogation room was already soaked in blood. One of the people being interrogated had already lost his life and was no longer recognizable. Fixed to the execution platform was a mangled, bloody mass of flesh, and next to that mass was a complete human skin.

Meanwhile, his companion—another servant of Fabius Simpler—was firmly strapped to the torture chair, his eyes strained open by fishhooks, forcing him to witness his companion's execution.

His wrists and ankles were bleeding profusely from the violent struggle, and the metal restraints had torn his flesh and pressed against his bones.

“They weren’t lying; they genuinely didn’t know the woman’s identity and she seemed to be from somewhere else.”

The person in charge of the interrogation wore a black cloak, half of her face hidden beneath it. "Red hair is not a characteristic of Imperials. She may be from the same place as Cedric Thorne, but as far as I know, Cedric's village was destroyed when he was very young."

“Capture her and bring her to me alive.”

"I will leave her with a breath of life."

The woman in the black cloak revealed a bloodthirsty smile. She looked at another person strapped to a torture chair, "So, this person..."

The executioner's mouth was tightly bound with a black cloth. He stared at Grand Duke Esh, stammering as he tried to say something.

"It's no longer of any value."

Upon hearing this, the person being interrogated shuddered violently, and a foul odor immediately filled the interrogation room. Grand Duke Esch averted his gaze in disgust and walked towards the door without looking back.

He had another important matter to attend to.

"Your Highness, I have located the camp of those refugees."

The crystal on her chest emitted a voice almost identical to that of the woman in the black cloak, "What do you intend to do with them?"

"Leave no one alive."

"Where are Lance and Solan?"

"Bring them back to the capital; the Holy Mages wish to meet them."

"What a pity."

The female voice on the other end of the crystal sighed, then said, "I will bring them back."

"Meow~"

The communication was cut off. Grand Duke Esch frowned in confusion; in the instant the call was disconnected, he seemed to have faintly heard a cat meowing.

Meow?

The woman, shrouded in a black cloak, also heard the meowing coming from not far away. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw a small black cat craning its neck and looking at her with its beautiful heterochromatic eyes.

The woman immediately thought of the reports from the nobles of Gear City, who mentioned that the rebels had kidnapped one of their members, and that the young man was characterized by having two adorable cats with him, one black and one white.

The woman gripped the dagger hidden in her sleeve. She forced a friendly smile, bent down, hid the arm holding the dagger behind her back, and waved to the little black cat with her other hand.

The sudden appearance of the cat inevitably evoked unforgettable memories—their first lesson as skinners began with these small animals.

This is a meticulous craft. They must first ensure that the entire skin is peeled off completely, and they must also ensure that the person being executed does not die before the skin is completely peeled off.

Compared to humans, cats are more wary.

Perhaps because she had shed too much of her cat skin, they seemed to be able to smell her scent, and would arch their backs and hiss and scratch her whenever she got close.

So she couldn't let the kitten return to the camp. As for the young man the nobles mentioned, and the two cats he brought... their purpose in coming here wasn't to rescue the missing person, and it wasn't surprising that the unfortunate fellow died in the battle with the rebels.

Grand Duke Esh granted them the power to make their own decisions regarding the situation during operations.

Therefore, they not only did not intend to carry out a rescue, but if the young nobleman displayed the arrogant attitude of a nobleman when they met him, they would get a complete noble skin.

In the Silver Empire, opportunities to execute nobles in a permissible manner are few and far between.

"Come here, sister. I have something delicious to eat here."

She tried to make her voice sound as soft as possible.

Let's start with this cat.

However, this black cat seemed a bit special. They weren't far apart, but instead of hissing and bristling at her immediately, it poked its head out and peered behind her.

The woman glanced behind her.

A battered woman was bound and secured in a forest clearing. Her short sword and musket were long since broken into pieces. With her mouth gagged, the woman could only desperately try to signal to the black cat with her eyes.

That was probably a warning to the cat to run away quickly.

"Do you know that woman? Let me think... Evelyn, that's her name."

A foolish woman, who lured her away from the camp with just a few small noises, and whose combat skills were truly terrible, she became like this after just one encounter.

The only reason this stupid woman is still alive is because she will need a complete human skin soon so she can swagger into the camp with a face that these rabble are most familiar with.

"Be quiet."

The woman glanced at Evelyn. "Once this cat is skinned, it'll be your turn... Come here, little kitty, come to me quickly. Don't let me catch you, or you'll only feel more pain."

"Moriko! Calling Moriko!"

???

The woman in the cloak was startled by the black cat. She instinctively drew her knife and warily held the dagger in front of her.

This black cat actually spoke?
In other words, is this some kind of monster?
"really."

A young man's voice came from deep within the forest. His footsteps grew louder as he approached. When the young man saw Evelyn bound, he breathed a sigh of relief. "The people in the camp said you were missing, and I knew something was wrong."

Fortunately, Xiao An's search skills were excellent, and she found Evelyn before she became a bloody, mangled corpse.

Based on Ethan's years of experience, disappearing at this critical juncture is never a good thing.

Lance placed too much emphasis on the Imperial Army, neglecting the imminent threat.

"You're the young person they were talking about who owns a cat?"

The woman scrutinized Ethan, but she couldn't see any sign that he had been coerced or kidnapped. In fact, he seemed to know this stupid woman named Evelyn.

"Please don't tell me that you felt sympathy for them because you heard about their plight."

The woman's face was filled with disgust, but this was the only possibility she could think of.

Occasionally, a few “kind nobles full of compassion” would appear in the Silver Empire. She felt there was nothing more disgusting than this. “You’re not planning to speak up for these people when you return to the capital, are you? If so, I will definitely slit your throat.”

"I don't have such lofty ambitions."

Ethan shook his head. "I'm just here to hitch a ride."

"Ride-sharing?"

"The Imperial Army will definitely try to bring Lance and the hero back to the capital alive, which will save me a lot of trouble. If I escape capture and become a wanted criminal of the Empire, with wanted posters plastered all over the streets, I'm afraid I won't even be able to buy a ticket for an airship..."

Ethan explained his plan.

Traveling with Lance and the Imperial Army was undoubtedly his plan to enter the capital in a swaggering manner.

"So you're the skinner they're talking about? I know it's a waste of time, but please let these refugees go. They'll leave the empire and never come back, so it shouldn't cause you any loss."

"Just as I thought, you are exactly the kind of person I despise the most."

The woman sneered, "I've made up my mind. I'll leave you until the very end, and I'll make you see their fate with your own eyes."

"I think so too. It seems that the second option is the only one left."

Ethan is an upright man, and he is also curious about the fighting style of high-level superhumans in the "other world".

The Skinners, feared by all, are assassins trained by Grand Duke Ash. What methods will they employ in battle?

He took a step forward.

"Elemental Shaper Ethan challenges you!"

(End of this chapter)