C16 Roman Blue

Her expression was so serene, so effortless, as if she were feeding the monster flower not a human being, but a laboratory mouse. No, more like a fruit fly that wouldn't even let out a scream!

Did she regard human life as worthless?

I'd better keep some aces up my sleeve! Egil thought to himself.

The sound of the waves, the feel of seawater trickling down—Egil sensed it all.

The seawater was entering through the stone door, but oddly enough, it didn't continue flowing down towards the monster flower. There were no conduits on either side of the slide, and the incoming seawater seemed to be absorbed by the pipes as if by magic.

Could it be that the 'Anchor Tree' wasn't dead after all? Could it still 'drink'?

A bright light flooded the area as Martina stepped out of the stone door, with Egil close behind.

How was Quintana? Could she be dead?

Bang! A gunshot! Something was amiss!

Egil dropped to the ground and plunged into the seawater outside the door. In the midst of his dive, he glanced at Martina and noticed a chip of stone on the rock wall about a meter from her, the size of a thumb!

Martina, however, neither flinched nor showed fear. She simply smiled and turned to look in the direction of the noise.

Egil emerged from the water and, following Martina's gaze, saw a figure swaying on the platform above. Quintana sat on the edge, clutching a petite pistol that was still smoking from the barrel. She was breathing heavily, her shoulders propped against the cliffside, barely able to sit upright.

"It's me. Mark is dead," Martina called out with a smile.

Quintana's eyes widened slightly, then she gave a slow nod, casting a glance at Egil, who was soaked through like a drowned rat, confirming that the man who had emerged was not the Rapper, Mark.

The tiny pistol slipped from her grasp and fell into the sea below. Quintana's hands dropped, powerless, as she rested her head against the cliff. But instead of passing out, she returned Martina's smile.

After the exchange of smiles, Quintana closed her eyes.

"She's dead!" Egil cried out in shock.

"Bullshit!" Martina retorted, quickly using the wheel to ascend to the platform, urgently checking Quintana's pulse at her neck.

"He's passed out," Martina said with relief.

"Here, I'll carry her to the car," Egil offered as he stepped onto the platform.

"Stay away," Martina snapped, not wanting Egil to touch Quintana.

What's the big deal? Egil mused to himself. I was the one who carried her up here in the first place. A C cup, pretty average.

Martina crouched down and looped Quintana's arm over her shoulder, standing up... A gust of sea breeze hit, and Martina was suddenly struck dumb, petrified by the realization. She was too short! Lifting Quintana by the shoulders, her knees still didn't clear the ground; they were dragging!

Egil stifled a laugh. Seizing the moment Martina was frozen, he gently scooped up Quintana and headed towards the car parked in the conduit.

Cradling Quintana, he nudged the car's back door open with his foot.

"Your hands are wandering," Quintana said, her eyes still closed.

"You're in no position to talk," he retorted.

"Mr. Egil, do you have a thing for young girls?"

"It's you who has that problem! Your whole family does!"

"Heh, that's good to know. With Mark gone, Willoughby University reigns supreme. Watch out for Martina; don't let her looks deceive you."

Was Quintana trying to stir trouble? Egil's irritation flared as he recalled the times Martina had saved him and the way Mark had used Quintana as leverage against her.

With a rough grip, he tossed Quintana onto the car's back seat. He then gave her a firm kick, propelling her further in, clearing the spot nearest the door for Martina.

A distinct footprint marked Quintana's backside. She continued to feign unconsciousness, her eyes shut, cheeks flushed with a hint of red.

Egil caught her mouthing the words 'petty man'.

"Martina, I'll drive. You sit in the back and look after Quintana."

Martina, no longer in a daze, looked sullen. "I thought you wanted to take care of her."

"Fine by me!"

"Move to the front and drive!" Martina shoved Egil aside, slid into the backseat, and slammed the door shut with a thud.

Egil shrugged, unfazed. After all, driving was his job.

The car roared to life, reversed, and executed a U-turn.

They had arrived in two vehicles, but only one was driven back, leaving the other—and its occupants—behind. As a former special forces soldier, Egil had been through this routine countless times. Only when the trailing car was out of sight did he dare to glance at the rearview mirror.

He adjusted the mirror and saw Martina and Quintana reflected in it.

Quintana was still feigning unconsciousness. Martina, however, made no move to tend to her, leaving Egil to wonder if she had seen through the act.

Martina lifted her gaze to meet Egil's in the mirror. "Quintana is with Augustus Academy, and we have an agreement."

Her words hit like a sledgehammer! The car swerved wildly before Egil regained control.

"Damn it! Augustus Academy, the Roman Empire! Quintana is from the Roman Empire. Azure Dragon Garden! Willoughby University! Now Augustus Academy is in the mix too! Who's next? Right, the world's four great academies, and only the Military Academy is left! How deep does this pit go? Why did I take on this mess?" Egil was seething with indignation.

"The people from the Military Academy are already dead. Hehe."

"Hehe my foot! Was Mark from the Military Academy? Damn it all!" Egil swore vehemently.

And why shouldn't he? The top academies from the four major powers had all shown up! Logically, the Military Academy and Azure Dragon Garden had the best rapport! Willoughby University and Augustus Academy were traditionally in cahoots, standing in opposition! True, there are no permanent allies when national interests are at stake, but with Mark's death, Egil found himself in the unenviable position of representing Azure Dragon Garden against the alliance of Willoughby University and Augustus Academy—especially since he had played a part in Mark's demise. It felt like a raw deal.

Should he stage a car accident later? Maybe aim for Quintana's side and finish her off?

Quintana seemed to sense something and furrowed her brow.

Just kidding. The Vriudronian people cherish peace, holding fast to their global commitments, never to strike first or to slaughter the innocent.

Vriudronians also believe in repaying kindness with kindness and addressing grievances directly. After all, Martina had saved Egil's life on numerous occasions.

When the car halted in front of the Pure White Pyramid, swarmed by countless gunmen, Egil made the decision to position himself in front of Martina, ready to shield her from the bullets.

Quintana, sly as a fox, continued to feign unconsciousness atop the vehicle.

A confrontation didn't erupt immediately. With Mark dead, the gunmen mercenaries were leaderless. The dozen or so squad leaders were clueless about the true state of affairs. Their primary goal in approaching was to renegotiate terms with Martina, their employer, particularly regarding who would fill Mark's vacant role.

In this predicament, Egil's strategy was to persuade the majority of the gunmen mercenaries to stand down, then engage in a slow, persuasive dialogue with the squad leaders.

Martina, however, had a different approach.

"If that's the case, let's head to the square and summon all the mercenaries. An open discussion will ensure everyone is on board," Martina proposed.