Cornflower Witch

Chapter 256 The Witch's Temperament Begins to Emerge

Hiltiya was troubled about what to do with the remaining soldiers.

She wasn't a bloodthirsty person. Although these soldiers had committed atrocities, they didn't all deserve to die. If they were just left unattended and released, what would become of Jiaoshi City? Out of some simple emotion, she didn't want the city's residents to continue suffering such oppression and humiliation.

Let's find a leader to keep them in check. She and Lucas can't stay here permanently as local lords and fight against Antioch.

Hilti stood up and scanned the entire area. There were about 600 Antian soldiers here, including 7 second-tier officers and 5 third-tier warriors. However, four of the knights had been killed by Hilti, leaving only the powerful warrior with the 'Third-Tier Blood Law'.

It can only be him. I hope he's not that kind of cruel and despicable person.

Hilti raised her hand, and the wild grass on the ground spread and grew like waves. Many soldiers were unable to escape and were bound layer by layer. Other warriors and officers with sexual characteristics, even if they broke free, had difficulty moving and could not escape this sea of ​​green grass.

The seemingly powerful Antian army was completely crushed when facing this girl alone. This is what happens when a mortal army loses the checks and balances of the 'knights' and becomes as fragile as a flock of chicks in front of a superhuman of the third rank or above.

If there is a third-tier knight among them, they can unfurl the curtain and, with the help of the surrounding soldiers' attributes, work together to resist the ever-rolling waves of grass.

Panic-stricken cries spread among the Antian soldiers, all of whom believed they were about to die in this terrifying emerald sea. Only Lucas could see that the girl had no intention of killing him.

After struggling for several minutes, although many people were crying and shouting, the soldiers finally quieted down because no one had died.

At this moment, Lucas commanded two skeletal monsters to bring the warrior 'Aru' who had fought him earlier to Sylvia's side.

He held a giant axe in his hand, his eyes full of vigilance. As he approached, he glanced at Somelin, who was already lying on the ground.

"Hmph, you want to recruit me?" He stood there, slamming his giant axe into the ground. His tall, stout figure cast a shadow larger than that of Lucas and Hilti.

“I don’t have that thought.” Hilti tilted her head, her eyes gleaming as she carefully examined the powerful warrior before her.

"I have something to ask you."

"Oh? After you've finished asking, will you deal with me too?" His chest heaved, his blood circulation accelerated, and his whole body radiated a scorching heat, making the soldiers not far behind him feel as if they were being burned. Their blood was drawn by this heat, causing their hearts to beat faster.

"Probably." The girl thought for a moment and answered without hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Lucas was too late to stop them and regretted not speaking up earlier to take over the conversation.

“I don’t really have a strong opinion on whether it’s Regas or Antioch that’s in charge,” Hiltiya began to say.

“But I used to live in Jiaoshi City, and there are people I used to know here, so I hope that this place can be relatively stable and peaceful.”

"Unfortunately, Mr. Somelin could not fulfill my wish, and many of his actions were intolerable to me."

"Now that Somelin is dead, and Scorched Stone City cannot be independent for the time being, I do not want the next lord to be a cruel and tyrannical person."

"So what? Who do you want to be the lord, or rather, what makes you think you can make others listen to you?" Aru sneered.

"I despise you hypocrites the most. You enjoy all kinds of benefits, yet you still cherish your reputation and are afraid of being gossiped about."

"Isn't it because you feel guilty that you came from here and the people of Jiaoshi City are not doing well? Why don't you take over the leadership here instead of Somelin?"

"You're clearly afraid of trouble and don't want to feel guilty, so you want to find someone to take your place so you can feel at ease?"

"As for the person who took your place, you don't care how well they actually do it. If they don't do what you expect, you can just come back and kill them, claiming you're avenging the residents."

"I've seen too many hypocrites like you, you bunch of bastards!" Aru became more and more angry as he spoke, and the blood on his body became increasingly deep red and hot.

Lucas thought to himself, "This guy is smarter than his size. He's quite blunt. I wonder if Tia can handle it."

After hearing Aru's question, Hilti didn't rush to deny it, but instead thought about it quietly for a while.

"You're right about some things. I do cherish my reputation and don't want people to gossip about me."

“If it weren’t for this, you probably wouldn’t be standing here alive.” A starlight-like light shimmered in her eyes, and the imposing aura of the tall warrior before her slowly weakened, his gaze and mind gradually sinking into the depths of her blue pupils.

"However, since you say I'm hypocritical, what do you consider to be the truth? Is it occupying this place and becoming king?"

"And then, constantly wage war against the Kingdom of Antioch, even if it results in the deaths of many residents, even if my own safety is greatly affected, even if this is not the life I want?"

“Not everyone desires the kind of life you’re talking about, one that’s obsessed with power and wealth. There are people who prefer other kinds of life.”

"Furthermore, I am not mentally prepared to take on this responsibility. Right now, all I can do is to slightly improve the living environment of the local residents."

At this point, Hilti sighed slightly, feeling that her behavior might seem somewhat cowardly to others.

If it were someone else with a strong personality, they would probably directly deny and refute the statement, make the warrior suffer, or simply kill everyone here, regardless of the consequences.

She is the kind of person who easily considers the future and the possible development of things, and this thoughtfulness makes her act with a certain caution and gentleness.

Forget it, explaining to this foreign warrior in front of me would probably be pointless; he'd just think I was making excuses.

Her words were only heard by the warrior in front of her and Lucas beside her.

Lucas's impression was that this girl still retained some naivety, and she would honestly explain herself to the enemy. Generally, 'mature' adults only need to achieve their own goals. Even if they are occasionally moved or lose their guard, they will only hide it, because that would expose their weaknesses and make them easy to be underestimated.

If it were him, he would have directly poisoned the warrior named Aru and told him to do as he asked, otherwise he would die from the poison if he didn't receive the antidote after a while. He wouldn't care what the other man thought.

The scene was silent for a few seconds. Just as Lucas thought the negotiations had broken down and was about to step in and negotiate with the warrior in front of him on behalf of the girl, the other party spoke up.

“You’re a very interesting person.” Aru’s voice was a little muffled.

"He is much more honest than many nobles and merchants I have met."

“Since you need to keep the city’s residents in peace, and I happen to be able to do that, then we can reach some kind of agreement.”

"However, you must give me enough benefits, enough to make me restrain my greed, otherwise I am a person who cannot control my temper."

Lucas was slightly surprised, feeling that things were suddenly getting interesting. In that case, he decided to wait and see.

"What do you want?" Hiltiya slightly raised her eyelids, and her dreamy eyes beneath her eyelashes made the warrior momentarily lose his composure once again.

"What do I want? Hehe, I want many things, such as endless wealth, beautiful women, delicious wine, etc. But what I want most is great power. Only with this can I live a peaceful and happy life."

"I see." Hiltiya lightly covered her chin with her fingers, recalling what she could use to improve her strength. She raised her fair wrist from beneath her long sleeves, and under the curious and nervous gazes of the two, a small seedling sprouted and grew rapidly in front of Hiltiya.

The plant quickly blossomed, then produced clusters of blood-red berries, each exuding a scorching 'blood law' aura, like the fruits in mythology that tempt living beings to fall.

The girl plucked one of the flowers with her fingers and gently put it into her mouth to taste it, feeling the 'blood rhythm' energy contained within. She circulated her breathing technique to quickly digest this energy.

“These are berries from the ‘Second Tier: Blood Law’ berry tree. Even for you, they will have a good enhancement effect.” Hiltiah picked another bunch and tossed it to the warrior opposite her.

After receiving it, the other party examined it carefully, smelled it, and then slowly put it in their mouth to chew.

Soon, his eyes lit up, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Not enough, one string of them is definitely not enough!"

Hilti had anticipated this, and with a flick of her sleeve, lush green shrubs grew and bloomed beside her. These 'bloodcurrants' came from her Autumn Garden, and were of extremely high quality and in considerable quantity.

The faint fruity aroma, mixed with the alluring scent of 'Blood Law', filled Aru with longing. In his eyes, this was not only an incredibly delicious fruit, but also a stepping stone to enhance his strength, ascend to a powerful position, and obtain everything.

"Give them to me, I want them all!" he said eagerly.

"Sigh..." Seeing this, Hilti shook her head, and the bushes covered with blood-red berries beside her slowly disappeared, like a phantom.

"You're becoming less and less lovable. I thought you could control your greed."

When the girl questioned his will and self-control, Aru eagerly retorted.

"I just spoke offhand. Besides, who wouldn't be tempted by something so good? You're testing me with this? That's too evil and unreasonable!"

"Yes, yes, I am very evil. Can we talk in detail about what needs to be accomplished in the future?"

Hiltia felt a strange and new feeling; this was probably the first time she had been told that someone was evil.

After some haggling, Lucas also participated in setting some of the detailed rules.

About two hours later, the two parties reached an agreement and signed a contract. After that, Hilti would provide the other party with 20 strings of 'bloodcurrants' at once, and an additional 10 strings of 'bloodcurrants' every year thereafter.

During the agreed time, Aru must ensure the peace and order of Jiaoshi City, the fairness of the law, and that no taxes are arbitrarily increased or local residents are persecuted; otherwise, the agreement will be void, and the two will return to punish them.

“I’m not interested in oppressing the residents of Jiaoshi City, but as for the peace and order you mentioned, and the fairness of the law, I think it’s a bit difficult to achieve. You can’t expect a warrior who only knows how to kill people to know so much about management.” After signing, Aru scratched his head, feeling that he had gained a lot of benefits, but also that it would be difficult to achieve.

“It will be a bit difficult. I will recommend some people to you later.” Hiltiya thought of some of Hyde’s students, including both established elders and younger generations like Yero.

They are all locals from Jiaoshicheng. With their assistance, solving the problem should be much easier.

"What you should be thinking about now is how to stop the Kingdom of Antioch from sending any more new lords over, and then secure your position as the local lord."

"If you cannot guarantee the agreed-upon terms, we will no longer provide you with any further benefits."

Having reached a general agreement, the two sides watched as Aru walked back to the ranks of the Antirian soldiers, standing in a hidden spot at a distance to see how he would appease and win over the soldiers.

The tall, stout soldier swung his hand, tearing off the roots and stems of the weeds covering everyone, and then shouted at the top of his lungs.

"The lord is dead now. He was killed by his old enemies. They said they have no grudge against us and will spare our lives." These words brought a sigh of relief to the soldiers present.

"But they are Regas people after all, so they want us to get out of Scorched Stone City, or they'll come back to kill us in a month." Hearing this, everyone's throats tightened again.

They had just witnessed several knights die mysteriously, now impaled by spears and pinned to the ground.

"However, I persuaded them, and they were also afraid of the powerful force of our Anti people. They promised that as long as we don't go too far in the future, they will not continue to harass our rule over this territory."

"Lord Aru is amazing!" A soldier standing nearby exclaimed in admiration, convinced even by such a feat.

"Hehe, of course." Aru patted his large belly.

"However, this matter still needs to be dealt with. If we report it directly, and a new lord is appointed later, we might not get away with it."

“The new lord will definitely have his own personal guards and factions, and he will not trust or give us important positions.”

"So we need to find a way to stay here and enjoy ourselves."

"Listen up, from now on, just say that Lord Somelin fell ill after arriving at the mine, and from then on, we will be in charge of all matters, big and small, in Jiaoshi City."

"This..." The crowd was surprised by this bold suggestion and felt somewhat uneasy.

"What's there to be afraid of? I'm the strongest person in the city now. Who will dare to stop us when we get back?"

“When we return to Scorched Stone City, we will split the wealth that Somelin plundered equally. If you don’t want it, then you can give it to the next lord.”

Upon hearing this, the remaining soldiers naturally did not object, and were even quite tempted.

"Hehe, that's more like it. Keep it a secret from me and keep your mouths shut. I'll still be a patrol officer in the city, and you'll all be good soldiers of the Kingdom of Antiy."

"If things really get out of hand one day, just say that Lord Somelin has died of illness, and then we'll take the money and go home."

"Did you remember that!"

"Understood, Lord Aru."

"Understand?"

“We understand, Lord Aru.”

"So humans are really interesting," Lucas thought to himself as he watched the scene from afar, before turning his gaze to the girl in the shade of a tree on one side.

At this moment, Hilti had removed her hood, revealing her captivating beauty and gentle eyes that could speak volumes.

Although her personality and temperament are flawless and pure, the influence she brings is like that of a legendary witch, bewitching and terrifying.

　Thank you so much, Mrs. Shenqi, for your great support in wanting to get close to Alice!
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(End of this chapter)