Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Far From Enough
Cynthia led Xien through the ruins of the town, the scorched earth beneath their feet still radiating heat, the air thick with blood and the acrid smell of magical beast remains.
Her stride remained steady, though her brow carried a hint of fatigue.
Xien followed behind her, his gaze calmly surveying their surroundings as he mentally calculated his next moves.
Just as they were about to leave the town ruins, urgent hoofbeats sounded in the distance.
Cynthia stopped and looked up to see a group of knights in red and white armor galloping toward them.
Leading them was a young female mage riding a white war horse, her red hair flowing in the wind, anxiety written across her face.
“Lady Cynthia!”
The female mage called out from afar, her voice carrying relief.
Cynthia narrowed her eyes slightly, recognizing the approaching figure—her adjutant, Irene.
She stood in place, arms crossed, displeasure evident on her face.
“Lady Cynthia, are you alright?!”
Irene led the team quickly to Cynthia’s side, dismounted, and hurried over, nervously checking her for injuries.
“I’m fine.”
Cynthia shook her head lightly, her tone carrying a hint of accusation.
“Irene, why did the reinforcements take so long this time? It’s been twenty minutes since my support request.”
“Huh?”
Irene looked confused, exchanging glances with the other female knights beside her.
“Lady Cynthia, we came immediately upon receiving the support message. There was no delay whatsoever.”
Hearing her subordinate’s response, Cynthia’s brow furrowed.
She wouldn’t lie to her, and the Temple of Light’s support system was always efficient—such serious delays were impossible. Something must have gone wrong with information transmission.
What exactly were those people at Temple headquarters doing?
Normally, Cynthia would have confronted them immediately upon returning to headquarters, but now she had more important matters to attend to.
“I’ll get to the bottom of this.”
She fell silent for a moment, then waved her hand, signaling Irene to rise.
Irene breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, her gaze falling on Xien beside Cynthia, confusion flickering in her eyes.
“Lady Cynthia, who is this…”
“This is Xien, a special assistant I recruited during my patrol. He’ll be responsible for assisting with my daily work and life.”
Cynthia glanced at Xien, her tone carrying subtle joy.
Irene was stunned, her gaze examining Xien up and down.
She had never seen Lady Cynthia show such regard for any man, let alone bring him back to the knights.
After all, there were no male members in the entire knights’ order.
Xien’s appearance was indeed handsome, with a slender build and gentle demeanor, but beyond that, Irene saw nothing special about him.
He didn’t seem like a mage at all—there wasn’t a trace of magic power about him, making him seem even more ordinary than most men.
“Special assistant?”
Irene’s tone carried disbelief.
“Lady Cynthia, this kind of work… shouldn’t I be handling it?”
“Irene, your duty is to assist me with knights’ affairs, while Xien can help me better complete my work. You don’t need to question this.”
Cynthia looked at her coolly, her tone brooking no argument.
Irene opened her mouth as if to say more, but seeing Cynthia’s stern gaze, she ultimately swallowed her words.
She lowered her head, unwillingness in her voice.
“Yes, Lady Cynthia.”
Xien stood to the side, silently observing their interaction.
He could clearly sense Irene’s hostility toward him and detect the subtle changes in Cynthia’s tone.
Obviously, Cynthia’s regard for him had already aroused Irene’s dissatisfaction, possibly leading to more conflicts.
Though this might create many future troubles, these could also be useful elements.
“Irene, I’m leaving the aftermath of this beast disaster to you. Compile statistics on residents’ losses and casualties, and assist the local church with reconstruction.”
Cynthia patted Irene’s shoulder and turned toward the knights’ headquarters.
“Yes, I understand!”
Irene saluted Cynthia, then spoke with nearby knights before mounting her horse and heading with the group toward the beast-ravaged remote town.
Before leaving, she shot one last glance at Xien, her eyes carrying wariness and hostility.
Feeling her gaze, Xien maintained his calm expression, seemingly indifferent to everything around him.
The two quickly returned to the Crimson Knights’ headquarters.
The knights’ headquarters was located in the heart of the Seventh District, a magnificent and solemn building with complex magical runes embedded in its walls, emanating a faint glow.
Cynthia led Xien through the main entrance, where guards immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing her.
Cynthia nodded and led Xien through the long corridors of the Seventh District knights’ headquarters, her steps quick and purposeful.
Her red hair flowed behind her, her face carrying barely concealed excitement.
Xien followed behind her, his gaze calm but inwardly alert.
He knew Cynthia’s interest in him wasn’t simple goodwill, but stemmed from curiosity and desire regarding his special constitution.
Female knights in uniform occasionally passed by in the corridors, bowing respectfully to Cynthia but looking at Xien with obvious confusion and surprise.
Cynthia paid no attention to others’ stares, leading Xien directly to her office.
Cynthia’s office was on the top floor of the knights’ headquarters—spacious and bright, with several magical array diagrams hanging on the walls and documents and scrolls piled on the desk.
“Go in.”
Cynthia stepped aside to make room.
Xien took a deep breath and entered first.
Cynthia followed into the room, casually locking the door behind her, looking at Xien with exploration and excitement in her eyes.
Xien heard a soft “click” behind him—the sound of the lock was particularly clear in the quiet room.
He instinctively turned around, only to find Cynthia had silently positioned herself right in front of him.
The distance between them was so close they were almost touching. Xien could even feel her breath lightly brushing his cheek, carrying a faint fragrance.
Cynthia tilted her head slightly, her red hair falling over her shoulders, her gaze carrying aggressive seduction.
Her lips curved in a meaningful smile.
“What’s wrong, Xien? Are you nervous?”
Xien’s body stiffened slightly but quickly returned to calm.
He didn’t retreat, only said quietly.
“Lady Cynthia, you’re standing too close.”
“Am I?”
Cynthia smiled slightly.
“But I think it’s not close enough.”