Chapter 63 63: Claudia Levantine

— — — — — — Just as Veyron was still stunned by the insane 0 to 7 million, male-to-female ratio. ... At the fortress ahead— "Captain, we've got a situation!" Claudia Levantine, the commander of the Seventh Fortress, hadn't slept for days due to the relentless attacks from the cultists of the evil god. The moment the fighting finally eased up a bit and she handed command over to her second-in-command to catch a short break, she had just taken off her helmet and was about to rest in her tent when one of her personal guards shouted from outside. Quickly putting her helmet back on, she lifted the tent flap and stepped out. "Captain, look over there—seems like a new kind of evil god's servant we've never seen before." The guard gave her a respectful nod and pointed toward the sky in front of the fortress. Claudia followed the direction of his finger—and sure enough, there was a figure floating midair, completely unfamiliar to her. It looked like he was observing the fortress. He wasn't using wings, and there were no visible signs of magic either, yet he stood in the air as if gravity didn't exist. Yeah, no doubt about it—a new servant of the evil god had shown up. Claudia's heart sank. Servants of the evil god—these weren't your average cultists. Regular cultists were just people who had been twisted and corrupted by the influence of the evil god's power. But a "servant" was someone chosen by that power. Through twisted, depraved rituals meant to please their dark god, a cultist might earn its favor and receive a "blessing." And once that happened. Every servant of that evil god became a top-tier threat to the Seven Shields Alliance—one that demanded absolute caution and preparation. Claudia drew her sword, locking eyes with the mysterious figure. If one of the evil god's true servants broke through that divine shield, then the millions of women protected by the Alliance would be doomed to a hell too terrifying to imagine. The thought made Claudia's grip tighten. Then, before their tense standoff could break, the figure outside the barrier made his move. With a wave of his sword, a crimson light rained down from above—not toward the barrier, but onto the cultist army outside the fortress. Every cultist struck by that dark red glow was sliced apart like paper meeting a pair of razors. Before the corpses even hit the ground, black-and-white flames erupted from the wounds, burning not only the dead but even those nearby who hadn't been touched by the initial attack. Within just a few breaths, the area outside the fortress had been turned into a dead zone—completely cleared of enemies. "That power..." Claudia didn't feel much joy at seeing the cultists wiped out by their own. Taking a deep breath, she mentally prepared herself to die here today. At the very least, she hoped she could use the power of the barrier to take down this so-called servant with her. "...Huh?" But then—Claudia froze. And she wasn't the only one. All the knights, the archers, the mages—everyone just... stood there, stunned. That figure—the one they were all sure was a servant of the evil god—just walked right through the barrier. The very one that was supposed to purify anything corrupted by that evil power. Wait... did that mean— He wasn't a servant of the evil god? "Of course I'm not." Veyron casually stepped onto the fortress, raising a hand to calm the group of defenders who were acting like they were about to fight a boss monster. "I'm here to help." "Apologies, sir." Claudia stepped forward, her voice steady. "In principle, since you were able to pass through the barrier, we shouldn't have any reason to suspect you. "But as you likely know... it's already the seventh year since the evil god's power invaded this world. "Back in year one, some of us still believed there might be uncorrupted people left out there. "Now, in year seven? Even the most optimistic among us have let go of that hope. "So please forgive us if we're a little slow to lower our guard." She removed her helmet, revealing long rose-gold hair and a strong, striking face with a small beauty mark under her left eye. "I'm Claudia—current commander of the Seventh Fortress of the Seven Shields Alliance, and personal bodyguard to Lady Celestine Lucullus. "You might've heard my name before—though maybe not through the channels you're imagining. But if you're willing to trust me, I promise—on my name, Claudia—I'll send word to Lady Celestine as soon as possible and leave the final judgment to her." "Please stay here for a few days while we wait. And I'd recommend avoiding the civilian area behind the fortress—just in case, to prevent unnecessary panic." "If there's anything you need, let us know. We'll do our best to provide it." Veyron wanted to say, 'Yeah, I've heard of you. Just... not exactly the way you think I have.' "..." He brushed aside the images that flashed through his mind and replied, "Given the situation, being cautious is the smart move." Veyron chuckled and nodded. "We'll do it your way. Until Lady Celestine gets back to you, I won't leave this fortress. If you're worried, feel free to assign someone to keep an eye on me." "Thank you for your understanding." Claudia visibly relaxed. She waved for the guards to return to their posts, then ordered her adjutant to rush the message to Lady Celestine at once. As for her, she sheathed her sword and took up a position—not too aggressive to seem hostile, but close enough that if something did go wrong, she could still respond fast. "You look like you haven't slept in days." Veyron glanced at her worn-out expression. "There was a massive push from the cultists a few days back," Claudia nodded. "As the fortress commander, I couldn't rest while everyone else was out there fighting." "Ooh~ if I told you to go take a nap right now, even I'd feel like I was up to something shady." Veyron glanced toward the tent he saw her emerge from earlier when he was still up in the sky. "But just standing around here's kinda boring. Since I just helped clear out a chunk of those bastards and the pressure's light for now, why don't you fill me in? How did things end up like this?" "This... whole mess?" Claudia echoed, a bit confused. Then her eyes lit up in realization. "Wait—you don't know?" "Only the basics," Veyron said, holding up two fingers a tiny distance apart. "Like how the one behind all this mess is some evil god with dominion over 'lust and depravity' or something. But the rest? You probably know way more than I do." . . .