"Where is he? Where is the general?!"
"He's right at the front desk…"
"Hmm?" As the voices drew nearer, Selene recognized a familiar tone—the hall steward. It seemed he had brought the highest-ranking official of this town.
But why did he call me a general?
Looking down at the silver-white armor covering her entire body, Selene suddenly understood. She was being mistaken for a member of the Imperial military.
The next moment, the slender figure of the steward appeared before Selene, and standing before him was a slightly plump figure—most likely the town's chief official.
"Hello, Mr. Governor."
"Uh… Oh, hello, General," the official replied, clearly flustered by Selene's polite greeting as he wiped the sweat from his brow, a result of having hurried over.
Aren't Imperial officers usually arrogant and dismissive? Why is she being so reasonable?
Seeing Sebas standing beside Selene, the official quickly understood—of course, a well-bred noblewoman would have a personal butler with better manners than the highest-ranking official in this province.
Just look at that immaculate appearance, that posture as straight as a pine tree, and those sharp eyes, as if hunting prey… much more refined than his boorish superior.
After seating himself across from Selene, the slightly plump official wiped his brow with a handkerchief and promptly ordered a servant to bring wine.
"…My apologies, General, for keeping you waiting. My name is Xu; I was out inspecting the area…"
"No, no, I'm the one imposing. My name is Selene von Habsburg." Seeing that Xu had mistaken her for an Imperial general, Selene decided to go along with it—after all, she would eventually claim the title of general herself.
"Von? Habsburg?" Xu repeated, perhaps thinking he had never heard of such a name. Assuming it was from another province, he chose not to dwell on it. Though it was rare for a noble to take their domain as a surname, it wasn't unheard of.
"What brings you here, General? Could it be to requisition supplies?" At this, Xu seemed genuinely concerned that Selene was there to collect grain.
"No, I'm just here to obtain some recent documents issued by the Empire…"
At this, Xu eyed Selene warily. Could she be a rebel? But she didn't seem like one. Why would she be asking about Imperial documents? Shouldn't the military have access to this information already?
Noticing Xu's hesitation, Selene quickly fabricated a story: she had originally been stationed in the northern part of the Empire. While hunting a flying super-danger beast with her butler, she lost her way in the sky… so now she needed to return to the capital to report.
"Oh… I see," Xu said, somewhat convinced by Selene's explanation. After all, the speed of a flying super-danger beast was beyond his comprehension. He'd heard they could cross the entire continent in a week, so it made sense that Selene might have been blown off course.
Although there were many holes in Selene's story, Xu found himself more and more inclined to believe her, ignoring the inconsistencies in her account.
After about half an hour, Xu had arranged for Selene's accommodation and, satisfied with his work, took his leave.
Watching the slightly plump official's figure disappear, Selene exhaled softly. It seemed her persuasion skills needed some work—without the "Ideological Branding," her fabricated story might have been easily exposed.
But she had gleaned useful information: it was the year 1014 of the Imperial calendar, and the current minister was still Minister Chouri. Honest hadn't risen to power yet, the old emperor was still on the throne, and although there were occasional border uprisings, the Empire was relatively stable, showing no signs of imminent collapse.
"I've learned what I needed. We'll set out for the capital tomorrow."
"Yes, Miss."
…
The next day.
Governor Xu had planned to personally see Selene off, but she waved off his offer.
Then, to everyone's astonishment, Selene began to levitate, and even more astonishingly, her butler Sebas sprouted a pair of dragon wings.
As the two of them shot into the sky like meteors, Xu muttered, "An Imperial Arms user! That explains it… no wonder she said she got lost while chasing a super-danger beast…"
Still, recalling his pleasant conversation with Selene the day before, Xu couldn't help but compare her to the thuggish officers stationed at his border province. He sighed.
Comparisons are odious.
Why are our officers here only good for fighting and pillaging, all seeming a bit mentally unstable?
A bunch of brutes!
Finally meeting someone reasonable… but she's not stationed here!
Sigh… Please don't let her be corrupted by the capital's decadence…
…
"This should be the right direction."
After flying for a while, Selene took out the official map Xu had provided and examined it closely. The low-quality map she'd found in a border village had long been discarded.
"Hmm?" Suddenly, a huge shadow flashed through the nearby clouds, causing Sebas to become instantly alert. Though it hadn't attacked, the thick scent of blood surrounding it warned of its ferocity.
"A danger beast ?" Selene mused. It seemed her hasty fabrication had jinxed her, and now an actual flying danger beast had appeared.
danger beast, as the name suggests, are extremely hazardous creatures to ordinary people. They are ranked from level one to ten based on their destructive power. Lower-ranked danger beast typically rely on their tough hides.
But once a species surpasses level five, they begin to exhibit special abilities, such as the ferocious dragon-shaped danger beast: Tyrant, or the East Sea's dominator: Cross-Tail Dragon, or the aquatic super-danger beast: Black Marlin…
Of course, these legendary super-danger beast also provide materials for creating Imperial Arms. For example, the materials used to craft the Imperial Arm: Demon Armor Incursio were derived from the super-danger beast "Tyrant."
Tyrant had such a tenacious vitality that even after being forged into a weapon for a thousand years, its muscles remained active and could even parasitize its host.
Judging by the predator's aura emanating from this giant bird, it was at least a level four danger beast!
"However, this giant bird… is wounded. There are signs of a struggle here. You can see the claw marks on its neck and sides, and bite marks on its hind legs."
"Is it… hunting us?" Selene observed, amused by how the creature trailed them in the clouds like a seasoned "hunter."
Selene couldn't help but chuckle at its audacity. "Sebas, take it down. Keep the body intact; I'm curious how danger beast taste…"
"Yes, Miss!"
As if sensing the shift in the atmosphere, the giant bird in the clouds let out several piercing cries, its murderous intent palpable. The eagle-like danger beast glared down, its menacing green eyes glowing in the cold wind.
The next moment, it burst through the clouds, its sharp talons aiming straight for Selene.
It's attacking first?! And it knows to go for the leader?!
"Disgusting…" Selene muttered, annoyed by the foul stench carried by the approaching shadow. She fanned the air, repelled by the smell.
But Selene had no reason to worry because…
In an instant, just as the giant bird's talons were about to reach Selene, a massive figure loomed above it. With a resounding "boom," the impact shattered the surrounding clouds like snowflakes.
Then came the ringing clash of metal, and in the brief moment the giant bird was stunned, Sebas delivered another blow, his fist smashing through the creature's talons, sending droplets of blood scattering.
Feeling the half-crippled bird struggle in his grasp, Sebas frowned. "Annoying!"
"Boom!" A moment later, Selene clearly heard the sickening crunch of bones and the giant bird's ribs shattering under Sebas's punch, followed by the sight of its warm blood spraying from its mouth and nose.
In just a few seconds, the once-arrogant eagle-like danger beast was now a lifeless corpse in Sebas's hands.
"Uh… I guess it counts as an intact body." Selene observed the mangled remains of the danger beast in Sebas's grip. The mix of lean and tender flesh looked appetizing, and she found herself craving it. She was curious to know what a danger beast might taste like.
Scarlet blood dripped from the sky, forming a crimson line that stretched for hundreds of meters, creating an oddly beautiful scene from the ground.
"Hey, Sebas, should we find a place to roast it? I've heard the meat of such supernatural creatures is particularly delicious."
"Miss, please don't think only about food. Let's move quickly before other danger beast catch the scent of blood. While we can handle them, the meat will taste awful if not prepared properly…"
With that, Sebas gestured to the massive bird carcass he was dragging and offered Selene a suggestion.
"Yes, yes, let's go." With that, Selene picked up speed, excitement building within her as she eagerly anticipated the taste of the danger beast' meat.