Chapter 253: Usurper’s new target.

The scouts that had been sent to Twig’s blue crossing were back at Hollomgad. Their leader Viktor Krom, walked into the ordinary hall which Tobias had named the Imperial Hall. His boots were dragging like he had just escaped a demon’s jaws. Behind him, his men looked like defeated roosters, terrified and trembling. Viktor knelt down on one knee and bowed low before Tobias.

Tobias sat on his heavy iron throne, which was just a steel chair stuffed with many furs and cushions to give it a grander look and make Tobias look tall and grand when he was sitting on it. He was tapping his fingers impatiently. He had been waiting for hours for this group to return. Ever since he saw the magnificent half-life beasts and the magical bags those two travelers carried, his heart had been itching with greed.

He waved a hand dismissively. "Hurry up! Give me the bags that had the beasts. Where are they?"

He spoke as if he had merely sent them out to buy a cabbage from the local market, not steal beasts that could decapitate and burn them to death.

Viktor’s face twitched. He raised his head, sweating cold sweat. "Crown keeper_ this task was not simple. It was a deadly one! Those two are no amateurs. They fight like seasoned blood-gods from the heavens above!"

"Incompetent fools!" Tobias roared. In a flash, steel hissed through the air. Tobias drew his heavy broadsword, leaped down and pressed the cold edge directly against Viktor’s neck. "I hate useless trash," Tobias growled, his eyes bloodshot. "You went out with eight men and came back with empty hands?"

Viktor swallowed hard, feeling the blade nick his skin. "Crown keeper, wait! Please! I brought footage! I recorded the whole thing! Look with your own eyes!" He frantically pulled out a phone and stretched his hands forward with both palms.

Tobias scoffed, but he lowered the sword. He snatched the phone from Viktor’s shaking hands and pressed play.

As the light from the screen shone on his face, Tobias’s eyes grew wider and wider. The screen showed the fight with the cannibals, the travelers sweeping through blood thirsty cannibals like dry leaves. Tobias gasped, then suddenly burst into a maniacal laugh.

"Hahaha! Amazing! Wait are those really all soul maidens?" He was both terrified and utterly hooked by greed.

From the shadow of the pillar, a beautiful woman stepped forward. It was Nina Specter, his wife. She quietly watched the video over Tobias’s shoulder, her heart thumping violently against her ribs.

To everyone else, Tobias was the powerful lord of Hollomgad. But Nina never forgot who he truly was. Tobias was a usurper. He had murdered his own elder brother_ the rightful leader of Hollomgad and forced Nina to marry him by holding her young son’s life hostage. He called himself the ’Crown Keeper,’ and Hollomgad was his kingdom, but he was nothing more than a wolf in silk robes. His kingdom bull shit was mocked by all who lived in the town, in secret.

As Nina watched the video, a flicker of hope lit up in her dark eyes. If these two strangers are this strong, could they free us from this hell?

On the screen, the scene reached the moment where Etania bowed down to Zyra and called her out loud: "Divine Maiden!"

"Divine Maiden?" Nina whispered, stunned.

Tobias’s smile vanished instantly. His brow furrowed into deep wrinkles. "Nonsense! That cannot be right!"

He dragged the video progress bar back with his thumb and played it again. The audio was clear as day. The soul maiden had indeed called the other woman the divine maiden.

Standing beside the throne, Tobias’s right-hand man, Cassian Rock, leaned in closer. His small, sharp eyes narrowed into slits as he stared at Zyra’s face. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers.

"My Lord! Look at her properly!" Cassian pointed a finger at the screen. "That’s the Scorpion girl! The one Divine maiden Trinity is looking for!"

Tobias leaned closer, almost touching his nose to the glass. "What? The one who didn’t awaken?"

"Yes!" Cassian said quickly. "You should call Trinity to inform her that we have seen her." From his pocket, he pulled out an old flyer with Zyra’s face on it to confirm that it was the same woman.

To survive in these harsh lands, Hollomgad relied entirely on Trinity from the capital. Trinity gave them rare supplies_ fine salt, white sugar, and strong weapons_ in exchange for Hollomgad acting as her secret spy network in the wildlands.

Cassian immediately reached into his other pant pocket and fished out a phone. "I will report to Trinity right away. If we tell her the Scorpion girl is here claiming to be a Divine Maiden, Trinity will reward us heavily!"

Nina’s heart sank to the bottom of an icy lake. She winced silently, clenching her skirt under her long sleeves. No_ if Trinity sends her army, Zyra Scorpion will die! How will I get out of this prison then?

Before Cassian could dial, Tobias slapped the phone right out of his hand. The phone skittered across the stone floor.

"Since when do you make the decisions in my nation, Cassian?" Tobias sneered, his chest heaving with sudden anger.

Cassian paled and instantly dropped to his knees. "Forgive me, Crown keeper, I spoke without thinking!" He knew very well that Tobias was a short-tempered tyrant who killed people on a whim when provoked.

Tobias ignored him and turned his glare back to Viktor, who was still kneeling on the cold floor.

"You," Tobias barked. "Did you at least have the brain cells to follow them back to their camp?"

Viktor lowered his head until his forehead touched the floor. "N-no, My Lord_ that was not part of the primary command_"

"Common sense! It’s called common sense, you swine!" Tobias pointed a trembling finger at Viktor’s head, looking like he wanted to kick the man into the sky.

Tobias huffed, turned around, and paced back and forth before looking out the high window toward the vast northern mountains.

Cassian cautiously raised his head. "Crown keeper, what is our move now?" Tobias glared at him like he was looking at an idiot.

"Did you not see those beasts in the video? They are ten times stronger and more vicious than Trinity’s pets! She has those bags that can hold half-life beasts. Clearly, the balance of power among Soul maidens might be changing."

"Then, what about Lady Trinity?" Cassian asked nervously.

"Forget Trinity for a moment!" Tobias snorted greedily. "This is a matter of our own survival and power. Right now, it seems there are two Divine Maidens in this world. Why should we stay loyal to Trinity if this new one is stronger? A smart bird chooses the tallest tree to nest in!" He rubbed his chin, a sinister grin spreading across his face. "This Zyra Scorpion is somewhere in the wildlands. We find her first. We talk to her first and measure our options."

Standing behind the throne, Nina slowly let out a long, quiet breath. She closed her eyes, hiding the sudden spark of light in her gaze. Tobias thought he was being clever, but he was playing with fire.

Zyra Scorpion_ Nina thought, clutching her hands tightly against her chest. Hold on. I will find a way to send you a message. I will warn you about this bastard and you will kill him for me.