A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 97: Shiera at the campsite (1/2)

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the valley, the tranquil blue lake, nestled in the mountains, was seen reflecting the changing colors and shimmered under the last light of day.

Kael stretched his arms, taking a deep breath of the cool, crisp air. "Not a bad spot to camp," he remarked, surveying the area. The gentle lapping of the lake against the shore and the distant rustling of leaves made for a peaceful ambiance—something not many people could find in such a mountainous region.

"Told you that you definitely won’t be disappointed by the campsite," Nadia smirked in pride. "The water source is close, and the terrain provides natural cover. We’ll be safe here for the night. Of course, I will take additional safety measures."

Laura, sitting on a rock nearby, kicked off her boots and dipped her feet into the cool water. "I don’t mind a little camping, but I’d rather be sleeping in a proper bed."

Kael chuckled. "But you’re the one who insisted on coming with me, remember?"

Laura scoffed but didn’t argue. Instead, she leaned back on her arms and enjoyed the calming atmosphere.

Meanwhile, Nadia had already begun preparing a small fire, using dried wood and a simple ignition stone. "We should eat and rest early. Tomorrow, we have to head deeper into the mountains to find the Veilroot."

Kael helped gather some extra firewood while Laura took charge of setting up the bedrolls. Once the fire crackled to life, its warm glow contrasting the cool mountain air, they sat together in a relaxed silence, eating simple rations and sharing idle conversation.

But even in this peaceful moment, Laura remained highly alert. Her senses were pushed to the maximum. She wasn’t going to let her guard down in the mountains.

Soon enough, her senses alerted her of two figures approaching the campsite. She couldn’t help but stare into the direction of the woods in a certain direction.

Kael saw her stare and asked. "What happened, dear?"

Laura replied, "Nothing. I feel someone is approaching us. There are two of them."

Kael’s senses became highly alert at once. In an instant, he scanned his surroundings, his senses penetrating the woods and spotting the two figures Laura was talking about. "Oh…" He was mildly surprised when he did that. One of the auras belonged to a familiar person and Kael became peaceful again.

As the two figures exited the woods and walked slowly toward them, eventually, Laura also spotted them with her naked eyes. "Eh? Shiera?"

Soon enough, the two of them arrived at the campsite.

Kael’s expression changed slightly as Shiera and her teammate approached the campsite. Shiera’s usually composed expression was tense, and her companion—Kael vaguely remembered her name as Leiza—looked even worse, her clothes tattered and stained with dried blood.

Laura asked in visible surprise, "What are you doing here?"

Shiera sighed, running a hand through her messy dark hair. "Thank goodness it is you, Fifth Sister. We wondered how to convince the adventurers who set up this campsite to shelter us for the night."

Kael exchanged glances with Laura before stepping forward. "Where’s your other teammate?"

Shiera’s jaw tightened. "Dead."

"Both of them?" Laura asked in wonder. "If I remember correctly, you were a team of 4."

Kael realized that he made a blunder but since no one seemed to be paying attention to his tongue slip, he pretended as if nothing happened and paid attention to his youngest wife.

Meanwhile, a heavy silence fell over the group. Even Nadia, who had been watching quietly, frowned at the revelation.

Laura crossed her arms. "What happened?"

Leiza looked down, clearly shaken. Shiera answered instead, her voice calm but laced with frustration. "A week ago, we got a quest from a client, who personally requested our services, offering 1 million gold coins to hunt down one beast, The Thousand-Faced Spider. After doing extensive research, tracking its location to these mountains, we entered its lair but instead, we got ambushed by the creature."

Laura’s eyes darkened. "Thousand Faced Spider? I thought it was just a myth."

Shiera shook her head. "No, it isn’t a myth. We met it. Fought it and lost badly."

Laura listened in silence, her expression unreadable as Shiera recounted the harrowing ordeal. The mention of encountering the Thousand-Faced Spider alone was enough to make her grimace—that mythical creature was a nightmarish abomination, capable of mimicking voices and appearances, turning allies against each other. And the worst thing, the creature can extract the ability of the person it killed.

"After we were saved by the mysterious expert, I took both of my unconscious teammates to the nearby town. Leiza seemed fine. The Priestess managed to wake her up, but Orin, on the other hand, couldn’t. We were told that a neurotic herb called embermoss grows in these mountains somewhere. It can help out Orin. But so far, we found no success."

Kael leaned forward slightly. "Embermoss, huh?" he muttered, glancing at Nadia. "I’ve heard of it."

Nadia, who stayed silent all along, tapped her fingers against her knee. "Yes, and it’s the only known cure for the venom-induced paralysis which have affected the brain. It’s actually grown in Crimson Rift. that’s at least two days from here if you travel by foot."

Leiza looked at the woman. "You know where is it grown?"

Nadia blinked. "Yes, I know these mountains like the back of my hand." She said, firmly nodding in confidence.

Laura added. "Miss Nadia is a grandmaster alchemist, you know."

"Grandmaster?" Leiza and Shiera exchanged glances in surprise.

Laura then crossed her arms. "So, do you want our help or would you go on your own?"

Shiera met her gaze, her pride visibly warring with her desperation. Finally, she swallowed and nodded. "Yes. If you will help me, I will be grateful, sister."

Kael glanced at Laura, then at Nadia. He could tell Laura wasn’t happy with Shiera at all, considering how she treated him last time, but he also knew she wasn’t heartless. Moreover, it is her younger sister. When the prideful younger sister asks for help, which elder sister would harshly reject it? Not to mention the fact that Laura was the one who asked whether she needed their help.

After a long pause, Laura nodded. "Fine. But one condition—no disrespect toward my husband."

A flicker of something—relief, maybe—passed through Shiera’s eyes before she quickly masked it. "Understood." She glanced at Kael.

Nadia smiled slightly as if amused by the exchange. "Then it’s settled. We’ll rest tonight and decide on a plan in the morning."

Shiera nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Grandmaster Nadia."

Her teammate, Leiza was also visibly relieved. "If a grandmaster alchemist is guiding us, our chances of success just skyrocketed."

Nadia chuckled softly. "Don’t get ahead of yourself, girl. I said I know where to find Embermoss, not that it’ll be easy to obtain. The place it grows is not somewhere you just stroll into."

Shiera furrowed her brows. "Where exactly is it?"

Nadia smirked. "The Ashen Caverns."

At those words, the firelight seemed to flicker ominously.

Shiera’s expression darkened. "That’s inside the Crimson Rift, isn’t it?"

Nadia nodded. "Deep inside. And it’s not just the heat or the unstable terrain that makes it dangerous. There are creatures there—things that thrive in extreme conditions. And worse, rumors of something unnatural lurking in the depths."

Shiera clenched her fists. "We don’t have a choice."

Kael sighed. He could already tell that Laura was going to complain the entire way, but she’d still go—she could never abandon her sister in need, no matter how much she disliked her.

After a while;

The fire crackled softly as the last of their meal was finished. The cold night air settled in, and it was time to sleep.

Kael stretched his arms. "Alright, I guess we should—"

"—sort out the sleeping arrangements," Nadia finished for him, looking at the group. "There are two tents. Originally, I planned for one tent for Kael and Laura, and the other for myself. But now, we have two more guests."

Shiera felt something heavy settle in her stomach. She already had a bad feeling about where this was going.

"Leiza will share my tent," Nadia continued. "And Shiera, you’ll sleep with Kael and Laura."

Shiera stiffened. "I—what?"

Nadia smiled patiently as if she hadn’t just dropped a boulder on her. "It’s simple. You sleep with them. Is there a problem, sharing the same tent as your husband and sister?"

Shiera opened her mouth, then closed it. She turned to Laura, expecting resistance, but her sister was quiet, arms crossed, watching with a calm demeanor.

Shiera cleared her throat. "Actually, Grandmaster Nadia, someone needs to keep watch. The mountains aren’t exactly safe."

Nadia waved a hand dismissively. "Not a problem. I’ve already set up an alchemical perimeter. If anything stronger than Tier-4 comes within a hundred meters, the reaction will cause a minor explosion loud enough to wake us all."

Shiera clenched her jaw. "Still, I—"

Nadia cut her off with a firm look. "You look exhausted. Rest is necessary. Without proper sleep, you’ll be less efficient tomorrow. Now, do as I say."

Shiera glanced at her friend for support. However, Leiza looked far too amused. "I completely agree with Grandmaster Nadia. We should listen to our elders."

Shiera shot her a glare. Traitor.

Kael, who had been silent until now, scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Uh, we can make space…"

Laura loosened her arms and spoke. "There is enough space anyway. I don’t mind." Saying that she turned around to walk into the tent.

Shiera groaned internally. It was four against one. She had no choice.

"…Fine."