How can the strong be squeezed into a dormitory with ordinary soldiers?
The soldiers had no objections.
Lin Yi didn't think much about it. The new room was much more spacious and luxuriously decorated. In such a northern land, in a cold fortress, having such a room, there was nothing to be picky about.
He had been traveling in the snow these past few days.
Lin Yi was indeed very tired. He yawned and felt his eyelids getting heavier, and unconsciously closed them.
He had a very sound sleep.
When the blinding sunlight shone into the room, Lin Yi felt a bit suffocated. As he slowly woke up, all he saw was a white and fragrant scene.
When Lin Yi realized what was happening, he noticed that he was being held in the arms of Esdeath, like a pillow, and face-to-face, which was quite an intimate scene.
Esdeath was wearing only a thin nightgown, and the view was splendid.
Only then did Lin Yi come to his senses. No wonder there was such a good room in this fortress. It was Esdeath's room.
"This woman..."
Lin Yi twitched the corner of his mouth.
Esdeath's brows slightly furrowed, seemingly awake, she opened her eyes boldly and met Lin Yi's gaze.
"Do you want to get up?"
Lin Yi wasn't one to play coy. "Why bother getting up now?"
Under Esdeath's astonished gaze, Lin Yi took the initiative and made his move.
Despite Esdeath's forwardness, she was actually someone who had never been in love. She was taken aback for a moment but didn't resist.
She only liked two types of people: the strong or those with pure and innocent hearts that could heal her.
Lin Yi was definitely not the latter. He was the first man to defeat her.
Obviously, due to Lin Yi's appearance, Tatsumi was out of the picture.
And for Lin Yi, this was his first 'Waterloo'. Just as he was adjusting to his moves, Esdeath took the upper hand. One could say a queen is indeed a queen.
Even when she was overwhelmed, she still talked tough.
Esdeath also experienced for the first time the disadvantages women face in this regard, lying exhaustedly in Lin Yi's arms hours later.
"Do you really not plan to stay and help me? The battle here is almost over. In two days, I will launch a full-scale attack to solve the border problems, and then you can return to the imperial capital with me."
"I can recommend you for a general's position."
Esdeath said gently, a stark contrast to her demeanor in front of others.
"I don't want to be just a pretty face," Lin Yi shook his head, still unable to resist Esdeath' charms, as he gazed at her flawless face, "I'll come find you in the imperial capital, but not now."
"Then we'll meet in the capital."
Esdeath nodded and rested in Lin Yi's arms for a while.
Lin Yi didn't rush her, but quietly stayed with her for a bit.
By midday, Esdeath started to get up and dress in her impressive military uniform.
"Why not rest a bit longer?"
Lin Yi suggested, mainly concerned for her wellbeing.
"I'm not that kind of fragile woman."
Esdeath shook her head, "If you're going, go now."
Lin Yi pondered for a moment and conjured a long sword from thin air. The blade was snowy white, with a translucent white gem embedded in the hilt, shimmering faintly in the sunlight.
Esdeath was taken aback, a look of astonishment in her eyes.
"Are you a wielder of Imperial Arms?"
"Sort of," Lin Yi replied ambiguously, not wanting to go into too much detail. Some of his abilities indeed resembled those of an Imperial Arms wielder.
"A gift for you."
Esdeath took the sword, intending to decline, "Thank you, but an Imperial Arm wielder can only use one weapon... this..."
She suddenly paused, carefully examining the sword. She could feel a mysterious power emanating from it, allowing her to harness the power of ice even without relying on her internal demonic essence.
After a moment of hesitation, Esdeath made a swift cut with the sword. An icy blue light emanated from it, cleaving a nearby table in half. Frost formed at the cut.
"This isn't an Imperial Arms, but it's crafted using dangerous species as material. It suits you. Since I broke your sword, I owe you a new one," Lin Yi said with a smile.
The sword was a product of the Dragon Nest world, crafted using materials from the Ghoul world's S-class ghoul kakuhou, combined with top-tier magic stones and engraving techniques.
"What's this sword called?"
Esdeath played with the sword fondly.
"Ice Moon."
"Ice Moon? I love it," Esdeath smiled warmly, "Consider it a token of our relationship. It's mine now."
Lin Yi paused as Esdeath took something from her waist and threw it to him. It was a regular accessory with tiger stripes and a dragon design.
"What's this?"
"The Military's Tiger Talisman."
Esdeath said casually.
Lin Yi raised an eyebrow. Considering Esdeath' status and influence, she controlled nearly a third of the empire's army. This talisman represented the command of hundreds of thousands of troops.
Quite a gesture.
"And what about you?"
"I don't need such things," Esdeath said with a proud smile, finally getting a chance to show off in front of this young man.
Lin Yi chuckled. With Esdeath' current prestige, just her appearance would command an army.
In the end, Esdeath left first, perhaps disliking goodbyes.
When Lin Yi left, the entire fortress's army was summoned, seemingly preparing to advance to the front line.
His departure was unhindered, clearly due to Esdeath' prior instructions.
Lin Yi recalled the original story. Before Esdeath returned to the empire, she had dealt with the restless northern tribes on the empire's borders.
She annihilated four hundred thousand tribesmen.
Only in front of him did she show a slightly softer side. Otherwise, she remained the ruthless General Esdeath.
Lin Yi didn't have strong feelings about this. As an imperial general, exterminating tribes was for the empire's benefit.
However, the decay within the empire was undeniable.
Yet, this had nothing to do with Esdeath. The decay lay with the ministers and the king. Esdeath was merely their collaborator.
Lin Yi was confident he could persuade Esdeath to switch allies.
She wouldn't be an obstacle but could instead become an ally.