The nobles dared not leave the affluent district, nor did they even venture outside their own residences.
Before Old Pige's return, the outside world was fraught with peril; that detestable foreign lord had been coveting their wealth, with most treasures from the baronial estate seized and brought to the lord's castle.
Yet, they were incredulous regarding the recent intelligence. Thus, under heavy guard, they ascended the lookout tower within the affluent district to survey the movements in the wasteland.
"Corpses exploding—this is undoubtedly the vile magic of necromancy. How can it be unleashed through bombs?"
"Good heavens, that's a despicable weapon! Did the executioner not deal with the one who wielded such a thing?!"
"Janet has been smuggling these items for so long, yet she never dared to use them openly until now. Could it be that the executioner has sanctioned this?"
Despite witnessing the truth firsthand and confirming their companion's assertions that these commoners indeed possessed the ability to cleanse the lesser magical creatures, more questions flooded their minds.
Those led by Weyda initially anticipated seeing Chu Yan floundering before the onslaught of magical creatures, overwhelmed and helpless.
The current timing was particularly critical; the last time the forbidden individuals had been deployed to exterminate the elite-level Dead Sea creature known as the "Siren" was approximately two months ago.
The emergence of elite magical creatures occurred in cycles of precisely two months, a fact well understood by the forbidden individuals, who would not expend their strength on such minor nuisances.
Indeed, while they could effortlessly annihilate large swathes of magical creatures, the backlash costs they incurred would not diminish simply due to the enemy's weakness.
Thus, under normal circumstances, it was expected that Chu Yan would soon implore them for assistance in exterminating the rampant magical creatures.
However, reality had taken an unusual turn...
Weyda reassured them, "Do not be hasty; let him revel in this for a while. Once Old Pige returns, it will be too late for that lord to backtrack."
"Indeed, this is quite advantageous. Previously, we had to strain ourselves to sustain the servant teams for the cleansing of magical creatures; from now on, we need only safeguard ourselves, and we can even reduce the number of servants, saving a significant sum!"
"The people from the slums, truly brainless! They willingly undertake the most perilous tasks at the behest of the lord, and they seem so delighted! They are being sold, yet they help count the coins!"
As they gazed out, one among them surveyed their "domain"—the affluent district.
They unexpectedly noticed a servant from the Sword family bustling about in a hurried manner.
"Look, it's the Sword household. Could it be that Sword has awakened?"
Sword, a sword enthusiast among the Dead Sea nobility, was known for his relentless pursuit of swordsmanship and had even ventured into the realm of the forbidden, becoming one of the forbidden individuals.
He represented the most formidable fighting force among the Dead Sea nobility!
Once this fellow emerged from his so-called sword training retreat, the Dead Sea nobles felt reassured.
...
Chu Yan returned to the lord's castle, but upon entering his chamber, he found no sign of Shanoya. He then proceeded to the second floor, discovering that she had just concluded her sword training.
The lithe and graceful female knight stood against the wall, one leg clad in high-heeled long boots raised, performing a split while slowly stretching her muscles.
Her form-fitting training attire clung to her exquisite shape, glistening with beads of sweat.
A droplet of perspiration slid down the elongated leg, tracing a path through the contours of her boot and skin, pausing momentarily at the curve of her thigh before cascading to the ground.
Chu Yan approached and settled down beside her, crossing his legs.
"Have you been practicing here the entire time with so little sleep? Is something troubling you?"
Upon hearing Chu Yan's voice, Shanoya switched to stretching her other leg and replied:
"What have you turned normal exercise into? After arriving at the Dead Sea border, I hardly trained at all and must make up for it; otherwise, I shall become a slothful wretch."
It seemed that Chu Yan did not know her well enough to realize that Shanoya was indeed a diligent individual.
She resembled a roommate who had promised to slack off during exams, only to secretly study hard under the covers.
"I am connected with my brothers in spirit; you, on the other hand, play tricks with them. Ultimately, there exists a rift between us. Well, I shall continue to be lazy while encouraging you all to feel shame for my sake."
"What nonsense are you spouting... You still owe me a massage from last time; surely you can fulfill that now?"
(=.=)
Shanoya's expression held a hint of exasperation as she sat down beside Chu Yan. She first unbuckled the strap of her long boot before removing it, revealing the stockings beneath.
Given her excessive training today, it was evident that she had sweated profusely, and the black stockings were thoroughly damp.
Chu Yan was taken aback and instinctively shifted away, exclaiming:
"Stockings paired with long boots—what an intoxicating aroma! Aren't you afraid of the scent permeating?"
As Shanoya removed her stockings, her fair feet appeared rosy, as if they had just emerged from a steam room.
She was not one to concern herself with appearances; her past circumstances had not permitted such vanity, yet that did not mean she could remain unfazed by anyone claiming she had an odor.
With a glare from her beautiful eyes, she retorted:
"Where is the smell? Do not speak nonsense!"
However, upon encountering Chu Yan's expression of "you're just making excuses, I know you're flustered," Shanoya felt a rising irritation and lifted her voluptuous thigh, threatening to place her foot on his face to make her point!
Yet, upon reflection, Chu Yan found there was hardly any unpleasant scent, perhaps due to the magical enhancements optimizing her body.
Unless the individual deliberately introduced an odor, or possessed a naturally overpowering body scent, generally, there would be no discernible smell.
Rather, with the reduction of miscellaneous scents, the natural fragrance of women would become more apparent.
"Alright, I was merely jesting. I'll help you with the massage, no need to react so strongly. I feared you might genuinely shove your foot in my mouth."
Chu Yan patted Shanoya's toned thigh, prompting her to understand and turn around, lying on the ground to allow him to proceed with the massage from last time.
During this moment, Shanoya also inquired about Chu Yan's recent outing.
Upon learning that the impoverished had initially acquired the ability to "cleanse the area," she was both astonished and gratified.
Of course, she was even more surprised by Chu Yan's subsequent plans.
"You intend for the slum dwellers to relocate here? The nobles certainly will not provide housing."
"Then let them build it themselves! We'll select a spot just outside the city gate, where they can construct their own homes. With their hunting spoils, they can trade for materials and begin to realize a new livelihood."
In this regard, Janet had mentioned that there would soon be traveling merchants visiting the Dead Sea border, providing an excellent opportunity to exchange some spoils.
After contemplating this, Shanoya had several critiques of his plan.
Currently, the structure of Extreme City could be seen as the slum serving as a moat for the affluent district. However, if the slum dwellers were to relocate to the vacant land outside the city gate (which led toward the outside world), wouldn't the affluent district then become the moat for the impoverished?
Chu Yan's plans could be interpreted as a gradual dismantling of the nobles' power.
Upon realizing this, Shanoya found herself unexpectedly admiring him.
Though he appeared laid-back, he had accomplished quite a bit in a short time. Initially, she had perceived his unreliable demeanor as a sign of someone merely sent to squander his days after failing in internal struggles.
To her surprise, he exhibited considerable capability!
Compared to those who toiled in secret, scheming behind the scenes, it was this sort of figure who effortlessly navigated tasks that was truly the most irksome.
"Chu Yan, where are your hands wandering?"
Shanoya maintained her prone position, turning her head to give Chu Yan a sidelong glance, her expression devoid of emotion.
Chu Yan gave a sheepish smile and replied:
"I merely noticed your training attire resembles a one-piece swimsuit, and it appeared a bit snug, so I was helping to free you from it."
Shanoya wore a serious expression, her demeanor warning him without outright prohibiting his actions, merely stating:
"Then should your fingers make any movements, you ought to inform me beforehand?"
"Ahem..." Chu Yan awkwardly changed the subject. "Speaking of which, your backside indicates that you recently expressed inexplicable admiration for me. Is it because my relaxing massage is indeed quite skilled?"
The female knight was startled and dubious, having initially thought him to be spouting nonsense; how could he seem to speak so earnestly now?
The sensation of having her thoughts exposed was undeniably awkward and uncomfortable.
"Admiring you? You are far too conceited; stop speaking such nonsense!"
With a swift motion, Shanoya executed a scissor kick, her soft yet resilient thigh enclosing Chu Yan, applying a light pressure to immobilize him with a joint lock, preventing him from uttering any more ridiculous comments!