This necromancer is going to seduce the beautiful girls who are already dead.

Just when everyone was hoping that the officer would at least touch Leona, Leona spoke again: "Alright, now I'm going to make my move."

It seems she really hasn't made a move yet! That's when everyone realized!

"one."

Leona flicked and jabbed the officer's wooden sword away as he became a blurry figure.

"two."

Suddenly, Leona's body erupted with towering flames of battle aura, and an invisible, immense force pressed the officer's body to the ground, rendering him unable to move.

"three."

Leona's sword was already pressed against the officer's throat, and the officer was almost shoved into the ground by the intense pressure from Leona's fighting spirit, making it difficult for him to breathe.

With one side already incapacitated, General Hall loudly proclaimed, "Miss Leona has won this sparring match!"

Leona, victorious, bowed gracefully to the fallen officer as a knightly courtesy. As an unmarried female knight, she was not obligated, like male knights, to help their enemies up after a duel.

Only then did all the soldiers realize just how utterly overwhelming Leona had been to this officer, who was already considered a master!

She deliberately divided her movements into three steps: first, she deflected her opponent's sword; then, she used her powerful battle aura to suppress him; and finally, she pressed her sword against his throat, delivering the final blow. If this hadn't been a friendly spar, but a true life-or-death duel, it's very likely that a single move would have decided the outcome, and the officer would have had no chance of survival!

Just then, the wooden sword, which Leona had flung high into the air, fell back down, landing right in front of General Hold. General Hold caught the sword and held it in his hand.

His eyes quickly caught the unusual thing about the wooden sword.

Wooden swords were originally just training weapons, with no other decorations besides their sword-like shape. But the sword that General Hall was holding was different—its blade was engraved with some very exquisite patterns. Upon closer inspection, one would find that these patterns depicted all sorts of small animals, including cats, dogs, birds, butterflies, and a strangely shaped jellyfish.

The person who carved these patterns on the sword is obvious. It's Leona. In the recent battle, she not only faced no pressure, but even carved a series of patterns on the wooden sword that was moving at high speed in the enemy's hand with the tip of her own sword?

This is terrifying! It means that her speed, strength, and precision have all reached a level beyond the comprehension of ordinary people!

Hold could no longer underestimate Leona, who was standing there bowing to everyone as if she had just performed a mundane acrobatic act. This girl's strength was simply outrageous! Such a fighter was practically invincible!

Even without having Abyss, Flora, and Rebecca, who haven't even made a move yet, just asking Leona to aid the Restoration Army would immediately tip the scales of victory in their favor!

He couldn't help but marvel at the princess's charisma. What methods did she use to get such powerful people to help her? Or did she inspire these super-strong individuals who could do whatever they wanted on the continent with her beliefs?

"As you can see, Miss Leona is an extremely powerful Qi practitioner, possessing a Qi level of nine, a rare find on this continent!" Gylvia added to the soldiers at the opportune moment. "And now, Miss Leona is our ally, willing to stand up for justice and support our righteous war. We not only have Miss Leona's help, but also the help of Mr. Abyss, Miss Flora, and Miss Lei, all of whom are on par with Miss Leona in terms of strength!"

Some soldiers who didn't understand Common Tongue didn't understand Leona's speech earlier, but after seeing Leona's performance, they understood the situation even though they couldn't speak the language.

"Let's cheer for the heroes!" General Hold finally put aside all his contempt for the Abyss and shouted to his soldiers.

After a brief silence, the soldiers erupted in a thunderous cheer!

"The Restoration Army will surely win!"

Chapter 101 Haina's Mother

Just as everyone had expected, the soldiers of the Restoration Army were all excited and their morale soared after learning that they had such powerful external support.

On the mainland, while ninth-tier Qi Masters aren't so rare that they appear only once every few years, their numbers are still extremely limited. The vast majority of ninth-tier Qi Masters or mages are concentrated in the Eastern and Western Empires; very few experts of this caliber are willing to stay in smaller countries. Firstly, the treatment in a small country is vastly different from that in the two empires; secondly, it's too strenuous for experts of this caliber to stay in a small country—you become the protector of the nation, the safety of the entire country rests on your shoulders, and this kind of pressure isn't something everyone enjoys.

The Kingdom of Osi originally had no ninth-level experts. The country was not wealthy, and the royal family did not have the money and resources to cultivate an expert of this level. The population was also small, making it difficult for such a talent to emerge from the common people.

But things are different now. Leona has proven her strength, and the beloved Princess Jivia has also revealed that Leona is a ninth-tier Qi Warrior. Having a ninth-tier Qi Warrior on their side means they have a powerful, cutting-edge fighting force. The people are also more willing to believe in Princess Jivia with the help of a strong individual, making future wars incredibly smooth!

Although the soldiers came to Gylvia's camp to fight and trained every day, none of them were fighting for the sake of war. Their ultimate wish was simply to end the war. Now that they finally had a master who could help advance the war, how could they not cheer and be overjoyed?

After Gylvia conducted a formal surprise inspection of the army's training results and achieved good results, it was already close to dusk. Gylvia led Abyss and the others away from the military camp and returned to the town.

"I need to go back for a meal, process some battle reports, and issue some orders, so please excuse me for today," Jivia said to Abyss with a smile. "I am very grateful to you for demonstrating your strength to my soldiers this time; I believe it will make them even braver."

“We will continue to help you when you start a war in the future,” Abyss said. “I don’t have any demands on you. You just need to pay attention to your own safety and make sure the Lord of Nightmares doesn’t take advantage of any weaknesses.”

“You must also remember to balance work and rest, Your Highness. If I were you, after a whole afternoon of working on the military parade, I would definitely want to go back to bed and collapse,” Rebecca said to Gylvia with concern. Of course, she was referring to her former self in life; as a spirit, she couldn’t feel fatigue now.

"I will." Gylvia bowed to everyone and returned to the command post under the escort of her bodyguards.

Alva and Hena were still standing beside Abyss and her entourage. They were indeed the princess's personal guard, but Alva's injuries hadn't fully healed, and Gylvia forbade her from returning to duty too soon. Hena, on the other hand, was temporarily not responsible for the princess's safety due to insufficient strength and being too young. This young girl was only fourteen years old this year, and hadn't even celebrated her fifteenth birthday yet.

"I'm going back to the camp now. I spent the whole afternoon with the princess, and as a result, I had to temporarily hand over my troops to someone else to lead," Alva said to Abys and his group after watching Gylvia leave.

"You've been with the princess all afternoon, you must be very tired. After you take your medicine tonight, try not to overexert yourself, otherwise it will hinder your recovery," Rebecca patiently advised.

“Of course I will. I’m more eager than anyone to go and protect the princess.” Alva nodded, then looked at Hena. “Hena, why don’t you stay in town tonight?”

"Huh?" Haina asked, puzzled.

“Your mother is here, so you should spend more time with her.” Alva looked at Haina gently. “She’s come all this way, so don’t neglect her. You can stay with your mother these next few days; I’ll make arrangements for you at the military camp.”

"Really?" Haina exclaimed in surprise. "Thank you, Captain!"

"No need to thank me. I also want to be filial to my mother like you, but unlike you, my mother passed away a long time ago. So I hope you can cherish your mother more and not end up like me." Alva's eyes showed sadness.

“I will,” Haina said solemnly.

"Alright, I'm leaving now. Take this money and have a meal with your mother in town." Alva took out some more money from his pocket and gave it to Heina before leaving.

"Will you sleep with your mother tonight? Is it too crowded?" Flora asked softly. "If you need, you can come with us too. I'll ask them to find you a big room at the guesthouse."

"Really? Thank you, Flora!" Hena bowed to Flora.

“By the way, why don’t you bring your mother out now and have dinner with us? We haven’t eaten dinner yet,” Leona suggested. “It’ll be more lively if we all eat together. If your mother doesn’t mind the noise.”

Leona's statement wasn't without basis. Although she didn't understand the language of Ossi and had never visited the Kingdom of Ossi, she had learned about the culture of the Ossi people from various travelogues and novels. The people of this country loved to gather; both men and women enjoyed drinking and eating together, and naturally, the more people, the better.

"Oh, is that okay?" Haina was a little flattered. "Mom would be so happy if she knew I had made so many friends!"

“Alright then, we’ll bring your mother along.” Abyss nodded. Unlike Leona, who was simply craving food, he was genuinely hungry. And to be honest, he was very curious about Heina’s mother, the old woman who had crossed the border alone during the standoff, and he wanted to know why she was in such a hurry to come here.

Overjoyed at the invitation, Haina led everyone to the hotel where her mother was staying. According to Haina, the elderly woman had been resting there since arriving that morning and should have regained her strength by now, needing some food and drink.

So, Haina went into the room, and a few minutes later, she came out with an old woman who was a little hunchbacked, missing her right arm, but still walked with great energy.

What Abis found intriguing was that the old woman's face was wrapped in a thick scarf, which even covered her eye near her amputated arm. Apart from her left hand, no other part of her skin was exposed, making her look very mysterious.

"Mom, these are the heroes Her Highness the Princess knew, the ones I told you about. They're all incredibly talented. They just invited us to lunch!" Haina said happily to her mother.

“It is an honor to meet you heroes. My name is Cassandra, and I am very grateful for your invitation.” The old woman bowed respectfully to the Abyss and his companions. She spoke Common Tongue, though with a heavy accent.

As Abyss listened to the old woman speak, a strange sense of familiarity welled up within him. He felt that certain aspects of her seemed vaguely familiar…

Chapter 102 The Old Woman's Secret

Haina's mother, Cassandra, seemed to be a very perceptive person. She immediately noticed that the Abyss and his group of four were puzzled by her somewhat strange attire. After all, generally no one would cover their body to the point where only one hand and one eye were visible.

“Heroes, I’m sorry I can’t lift my scarf to face you. I’ve been injured before, and the scars are quite gruesome, so I usually dress like this,” Cassandra explained. “Please forgive my rudeness, but I don’t want to upset any of you because of my appearance.”

“That’s alright,” Flora replied gently. “We regret the injuries you suffered, but please don’t worry too much. We won’t hold it against you because of what you’re wearing.”

“Yes, please don’t worry, join us for dinner.” Abyss nodded. He wasn’t afraid that Cassandra would take off her scarf, because he had seen all sorts of grotesque wounds before, and no matter how gruesome Cassandra’s wounds were, they couldn’t possibly be as gruesome as the corpses of those who had died particularly horribly that Abyss had observed before.

“In that case, I thank the heroes for their understanding.” Cassandra bowed slightly to the crowd. The old woman was very polite, both in her words and actions, but her attire was not luxurious, unlike that of a noblewoman. Perhaps she had served nobles in her youth and thus received comprehensive etiquette training.

Leona had already toured the town with Abyss. Unlike Abyss, who only wanted to see what life was like in the townspeople, she was particularly interested in places with good food. She knew exactly where the restaurants were and where the bars were for the townspeople to drink and unwind.

Therefore, she volunteered to be the guide to take everyone to dinner. Her genius brain did not need to memorize too many magic spells or alchemical formulas, so there was plenty of room for her. During the several laps around town yesterday, she had almost simulated the map of Xiaoduo Town in her mind. Today, she found a tavern without taking any detours.

There isn't much good food in town right now. While the townspeople aren't starving, they don't have much to eat either. Even the tavern mainly sells beer to help the weary townspeople recover; the food is limited to vegetables and bread. As for meat, the townspeople have voluntarily given it to the Restoration Army to ensure the young men, ready to fight Kevin's rebel army, are well-nourished. All supplies in town are collected and then distributed back through the elders' careful planning. The governor has kept a record of the supplies and labor contributed by each household, and the national treasury will provide double compensation after the war ends.

The six of them found a relatively large table in the tavern and sat down. Leona ordered food for everyone and placed a slightly cloudy white beer in front of each person, and dinner began.

Abis was indeed a bit hungry. He picked up the bread from his plate, took a big bite, and then drank a sip of bitter beer before asking Cassandra, who was sitting opposite him, "Ms. Cassandra, I'm curious why you went through all this trouble to come all the way from home to Oakning. Is it because you miss your daughter so much? Or is there something else important you need to do?"

“Henna has grown up, and I believe she can protect herself and fulfill her duties as the princess’s bodyguard, so I’m not too worried about her safety.” Cassandra touched Henna’s face, who was sitting to her left, with her only remaining left hand. “To be honest, I came to Okunin to deliver some news to Her Highness the princess. Some things can be made public, while others require me to report to the princess in person.”

"Doesn't the princess already have intelligence agents?" Leona asked, eating a steaming potato. "Could it be that you, Ms. Cassandra, are also an intelligence agent?"

“That’s not how it is,” Haina explained from the side. “My mother used to be a maid in the royal palace and served Her Highness the Princess, so she was very loyal to her. I was influenced by my mother and joined the reserve team of the Princess’s Guard at a very young age to receive training.”

"I see. You once served Princess Gylvia?" Leona nodded. "I wish you good health. It's rare to see someone as willing to dedicate their entire life to their work as you do."

“It’s really nothing. I’m just doing my duty.” Cassandra waved her hand. “I used to serve Princess Gylvia because of my status as her servant; now I help Princess Gylvia because I am a citizen of the Kingdom of Osi. I don’t want the country to fall into Kevin’s hands. If Kevin really takes control of this country, our Kingdom of Osi may really be headed for destruction.”

“Ah, I understand.” Leona took a sip of ale. “You mean Kevin is incompetent and tyrannical, and doesn’t love his country at all, right? If the Kingdom of Ossi continues to let him rule, things might really get really bad.”

Leona knew that Kevin was backed by the Lord of Nightmares, and that he had likely become a follower of the Lord of Nightmares. Once his allegiance shifted from that of a monarch to that of a wicked god, it wouldn't be surprising what he might do to his own country. Without the Abyss, Kevin might have killed Gylvia within a few years, turned his kingdom into the Lord of Nightmares' ranch, and allowed the despairing nightmare to spread until the Lord of Nightmares descended upon the world in his complete form, bringing endless destruction.

“What you said is one of the reasons, but there are other reasons behind it. I’m sorry, but I can’t let this secret be known to others until the princess knows and is willing to tell others.” Cassandra shook her head slightly. “I don’t want to keep you in suspense, but this matter really can’t be known to just anyone, because once it spreads out of control, it could have very serious consequences and cause large-scale chaos.”

“It’s alright, I don’t like chaos either,” Abyss said with a smile. “You have your reasons, we can always ask the princess herself later.”

“I’m glad you understand.” Cassandra nodded to Abyss.

Abis continued eating. Although he was also curious about the secret that could cause such widespread chaos, he wasn't so curious as to force an old woman to reveal it. However, he was becoming increasingly intrigued by the mysterious old woman. As they talked, a growing sense of familiarity, as if they had met somewhere before, grew stronger, but he couldn't quite place where.

He glanced at Flora, who happened to be looking at him as well. As their eyes met, Abyss realized that Flora seemed to share the same thoughts as him.

Chapter 103 Scars Under the Face Mask

Even with this strange sense of déjà vu, Abyss couldn't bring himself to ask her directly. It was his first time meeting Cassandra, and even if Abyss stubbornly went to ask, he probably wouldn't get a satisfactory answer.

Hena was still a child, so she didn't drink. The white beer in the tavern was sour and bitter, making her grimace. In the end, Leona helped her finish the rest of her drink. Cassandra, on the other hand, seemed to be quite good at drinking. Even though she kept her face covered by a scarf, she behaved very well and didn't seem out of place at all.

Flora and Rebecca politely ate only a little food; they didn't need food to survive. Abyss ate her fill, while Leona not only finished her own portion but also ate all of Flora and Rebecca's leftovers.

This former princess has absolutely no sense of what it means to be a princess. If the Western Empire's royal family found out that she was eating other people's leftovers, I wonder what they would think.

This simple little foodie doesn't have any unsightly eating habits, but she's been eating non-stop. It doesn't matter if there's no delicious food now; Leona is already satisfied as long as she can eat to her heart's content.

After everyone finished eating, Heina planned to take her mother home first, but Flora stopped her.

"Hena, just like I said before, why don't you bring your mother to stay at the guesthouse for the next few days? Although there aren't many people at the guesthouse to take care of us, it's always more convenient to have more people to look after us."

Haina glanced at her mother. Cassandra shook her head and said, "If Miss Flora is willing to invite my daughter to stay with you, I would like to thank you on her behalf. However, this old lady doesn't need to. Although I'm missing an arm, I can still take care of myself perfectly well; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to cross the border alone to get here. Let me stay in the hotel by myself. As long as Haina can come and visit me from time to time, that's enough. It's not the time for us to be together yet."

"Huh? Mom, aren't you coming?" Haina's eyes widened. "It's just so I can take care of you, it's no trouble at all."