Chapter 1049 - 867: Stone Crown City

The old village head quickly stood up and waved at Uncle Tie and several other strong men, instructing them to drag the leader’s corpse back to the village and leave it there for now, without touching anything on it.

This thing isn’t an ordinary demon; they aren’t sure which parts can be touched and which can’t. If they touch something they shouldn’t, it will be hard to explain when the Lord’s tax collectors come.

The villagers skillfully found a few thick hemp ropes and tied the leader demon’s limbs and torso. Working together, they dragged it step by step toward the village entrance.

The hemp ropes cut deep furrows into the muddy ground, and as the demon’s massive body was dragged into the village square, nearly all the women and children still in the village peeked out from the stone houses’ door cracks. They first saw the demon’s corpse, larger than a cow, and then gazed at the Duke walking beside it, their eyes filled with awe and gratitude.

The Duke stood at the edge of the square, examining the leader demon’s eyes that the village head had kept well-preserved under the moonlight.

This reminded him of a common magical beast material, the Pupil Crystal. If preserved correctly after death, some magical beasts’ eyeballs can naturally crystallize the residual energy inside, serving as auxiliary materials for refining various magic potions and witchcraft artifacts.

However, for the Duke now, the Pupil Crystals from Level 1 demons weren’t considered rare items.

In the night, the sound of horse hooves approached from afar.

On the path leading to the village, about a dozen figures on towering horses rushed quickly towards it.

At the forefront, the figure was completely covered in dark blue metal armor, its craftsmanship quite exquisite. In the center of the chest piece, an unfamiliar emblem was etched, and the fully enclosed helmet adorned the head. A broad-bladed longsword hung at the waist, with a dark red demon crystal set at the hilt’s end.

The knights trailing behind her were equally fully armed, each with a longsword at their waist, a short spear, and a round shield hanging beside the saddle, forming a silent and orderly formation.

The Duke’s gaze paused momentarily on the leader; there was an energy within her following a fixed route in circulation unlike the Fighting Spirit of the Wizard Plane.

Fighting Spirit is centered on the Breathing Technique, converting outside energy into Fighting Spirit within the body before being released.

Yet, this energy seemed more like being directly absorbed from the environment into the flesh, making the flesh itself an energy container, constantly refining and strengthening.

The leading knight rode to the village entrance and dismounted neatly. She removed her helmet, revealing a sharp-featured female face, approximately in her twenties, with short dark brown hair stuck to her forehead with sweat. Her mouth had an old scar extending from the edge to her jaw.

She paid no attention to the villagers’ greetings and walked straight to the leader demon’s corpse at the square’s center, examining it for a moment before turning towards the village head.

"I am Lloyd, captain of Count Cadwell’s third patrol team," her voice gravelly but decisive, "We received your distress signal. What’s the situation?"

The old village head stepped forward, leaning on his wooden staff, recounting the night’s events briefly.

A horde of demons attacked the fence, far exceeding the usual numbers, along with a large, unseen leader demon.

He pointed to the Duke, his tone mixed with complex emotions, saying it was fortunate that this Traveler took action, otherwise the village might not have survived tonight.

Lloyd turned towards the direction the village head indicated, locking eyes with the Duke.

Her gaze was sharp, carrying the vigilance and scrutiny honed on the battlefield, quickly scanning his height and build before momentarily resting on his traveler robe stained with demon blood, finally meeting his eyes.

Lloyd’s Spiritual Power didn’t probe actively, yet the Duke sensed her evaluating him through experience.

Then she turned back to examine the leader demon’s corpse again, inspecting closely this time and squatting to check the fatal wound on the demon’s jaw.

After a short while, she stood up; the old scarred face remained expressionless, yet her fingers instinctively clenched the sword hilt, tapping it twice lightly with her fingertips.

Swift and clean, a mortal blow without any signs of struggle.

This Level 1 Peak demon leader couldn’t even organize a single effective counterattack against this person.

Such strength would be enough to serve as a captain in any patrol team.

"Did you kill this demon?" Her tone maintained business-like steadiness but contained a slight probe.

The Duke nodded: "I’m an adventurer passing through, happened to encounter it and dealt with it smoothly."

Lloyd pondered momentarily, her brown eyes narrowing slightly as if reassessing the person before her.

After a short pause, she released the sword hilt and spoke, "Thank you for intervening and rescuing the Lord’s villagers. Do you have any plans, where are you intending to go next?"

Upon hearing this, the Duke smiled, stating as an adventurer, naturally he travels around. It’s his first time in the Osseron Kingdom, planning to wander and observe the local customs and practices.

Having listened, Lloyd nodded slightly; the old scarred face still lacked much expression, but her grip on the sword hilt had loosened.

She suggested since it was his first visit, he might as well accompany her to the city ahead.

That city was the seat of Count Cadwell’s rule and the largest city in the territory.

She could help the Duke acquire a kingdom-recognized adventurer status, making future travels much more convenient, as gratitude for rescuing the Lord’s villagers tonight.