Chapter 175: Kost’s “Request”
At the edge of the battlefield on the northern bank of the Somme River, the sounds of fighting gradually began to fade. Vivi sat astride her warhorse, the tiger ears beneath her hood twitching slightly as she caught every subtle disturbance across the battlefield.
The custom crossbow in her hands, Night Owl, was swift and deadly. Just moments ago, another allied barbarian cavalryman attempting to flee had been shot off his horse by a single bolt. Under her precise command, the brothers of the Scout Division had turned into streaks of black shadows harvesting lives, relentlessly hunting down the scattered remnants of the defeated army.
The results were remarkable. Yet Vivi’s mind was not entirely on the battle. From time to time, she glanced toward the center of the river, where a thick white frost mist shrouded the area—Fenrir’s Frostbite Domain. Nolan was in there, fighting the strongest enemy.
No matter how many times she told herself that Nolan was invincible, that man always capable of creating miracles, worry still clouded her thoughts. Concern bred chaos. Just thinking about Fenrir—a Gold-tier powerhouse on par with Yuri—made her heart tighten.
Nolan… would he get hurt…?
“Don’t lose focus, Vivi,” she muttered to herself, tugging lightly on the reins as she prepared to deal with another group of enemies still resisting stubbornly.
Suddenly, her warhorse came to a halt, pawing the ground uneasily.
Directly ahead, a tall, burly man blocked her path. He wore crude leather armor and held an enormous cross greatsword. Standing there rigidly, he did not move at all even as the charging warhorse approached, only staring blankly at Vivi with slightly dull eyes.
Looking for death? Vivi had long since grown accustomed to the battlefield—she did not hesitate in the slightest. She raised her crossbow, aiming and firing almost instantly.
Three bolts tore through the air, carrying her warning.
And then… they struck precisely into the man’s forehead.
What? He looked like an elite warrior—she had expected some effort—but that was it? It had gone far too smoothly.
The burly man, who appeared so imposing, did not even grunt. His body simply fell stiffly backward, hitting the ground and kicking up a spray of dirt.
Dead? Just like that?
Vivi frowned. Something felt off. The man had given her a strange feeling, yet she could not pinpoint what exactly was wrong. When something was abnormal, there had to be something behind it.
She urged her horse forward slowly, intending to take a closer look. The horse stopped beside the corpse. Vivi had just begun to lower her head when, before she could properly examine it, a frivolous, slightly mocking voice drifted over from not far away.
“Tsk tsk, what a ruthless young lady.”
Every hair on Vivi’s body stood on end. She snapped her head up, her crossbow instantly swiveling toward the source of the voice, her movement as fast as lightning.
Under the shade of a tree in the distance stood a man. He wore a finely tailored set of noble attire, appearing to be in his thirties, with fairly handsome features and a gentle smile on his face. Yet the look in his eyes was deeply unsettling—something indescribably wrong that made one’s skin crawl.
Alarm bells rang wildly in Vivi’s mind.
As a half-tiger, she was a natural hunter, with physical abilities and perception far surpassing ordinary humans. Growing up as a race shunned by human society, she had learned to constantly observe her surroundings and read others’ movements to survive. Detection was a skill—but for her, it had become instinct.
Once the best Nightingale in Veli City, her perception was already extraordinarily sharp, and now, under the catalyst of the Dragon’s Blood Oath potion, she had stepped into the Gold tier. Even on such a chaotic battlefield, no disturbance should escape her senses.
And yet this man…
When had he appeared? She had not noticed him at all. Even if part of her attention had been drawn toward Nolan, it was impossible for someone to approach her so silently. It defied all logic.
Unless… he was not human.
Seeing Vivi’s extreme vigilance, with the crossbow nearly aimed at his forehead, the man showed no fear. Instead, he observed her with clear interest.
“Beautiful lady, please don’t be so tense.” He gave a slight bow, performing a standard noble’s greeting. “A pleasure to meet you. My name is Kost. The battlefield is bloody and uncouth—quite unpleasant. But to encounter such a valiant and beautiful lady as yourself… ah, what a wondrous twist of fate. I find I can no longer resent this battlefield. May I have the honor of knowing your name?”
His tone was polite, like a young nobleman encountering someone he admired in a garden. Only here, there were no flowers or tea—just a muddy riverbank and corpses.
Vivi felt an inexplicable disgust toward him.
“No.”
Her reply was clean and decisive—a single word.
“Oh?” Kost seemed slightly surprised, then let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “Ah, look at me. Even at a time like this, I’m still clinging to such ridiculous manners.” He spread his hands, still wearing that impeccable, courteous smile. “My apologies.”
A complete oddball—and an extremely dangerous one. Vivi made her judgment instantly, tightening her grip on the crossbow.
Kost’s smile did not change. “Well then, since the lady is unwilling to make a friend, I suppose I’ll be frank.” He sighed as if troubled. “I don’t like being too direct—it tends to frighten beautiful women. But claiming this is a chance encounter would be rather hypocritical. I came here to ask you—or rather, all of you—about something.”
Still smiling, his gaze fell upon the crossbow Night Owl aimed at him. That smile, however, sent a chill through Vivi’s entire body.
“One of my colleagues died at your hands, didn’t he?”
A colleague? Vivi had no idea what he was talking about—she didn’t even know who this man was.
“He was carrying something very important,” Kost continued. “He only had the right to use it, not ownership. Even if he had willingly given it away, it wouldn’t count, you know. Just kidding—of course the dead can’t make gifts. Unless, perhaps, an official from the kingdom’s Office of Justice and a necromancer from the Shiva Empire happened to appear at the same time…” Seeing Vivi simply staring at him coldly, Kost shrugged. “Not funny? I worked quite hard on that one. Fine. I would like you to return that item to me.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Vivi frowned, watching this man perform what felt like a one-man farce.
“This world is full of nonsense, my lady,” Kost replied calmly. “To be honest, I didn’t quite believe it before—how a ‘Guide’ and an ‘Apostle’ could disappear without a trace in some backwater place. But after seeing your performance, I think I understand. You are strong.” He said, his smile widening slightly. “So strong that it makes me want… to strangle you in the cradle.”