Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 791 - 136: Mirror Image_2

"Rats" is the best description for the Rebel Army.

Although they lack High-tier Transcendents within their ranks, they have long lived in the wild, maneuvering through forests and mountains just like "rats." To completely eliminate them, the best method would be deploying strategic weaponry like the Golden Fleet, leveling areas where the Rebel Army frequent.

Ilya looked displeased but did not press on.

No one knew the rules of the "Hero Game" better than she did. The squad's reputation was external, and its ultimate aim was to divert hatred and maintain the empire's stability. Therefore, when civil resentment and conflict reached a tipping point, the empire needed to cultivate a new Demon King.

The Imperial Army Commander was also well aware of the nature of this game. In his eyes, the Hero Squad's influence was ineffective, and even if Solan himself appeared before him, the answer would be no different.

Ilya could see that the other party had no intention of taking action against the Rebel Army near Gear City, so there was no point in her lingering to invite boredom.

As for confronting Lance personally?

She was not that foolish. Although Lance was still suffering from poison effects, if he fought with reckless abandon, it would inevitably lead to mutual destruction.

An insignificant foreigner was not worth dying for, and she had no intentions of putting herself in danger.

Clearly, the Imperial Army Commander understood this as well, refusing to take on this messy affair.

However, she had a backup plan.

As she left the Imperial Army's camp, a cold smile appeared on Ilya's face as she headed straight to Duke Ash's mansion. It was her second visit of the night.

Even if the Imperial Army was unwilling to fulfill their duties, she still had alternative candidates.

Within the Imperial Capital lay a high-ranking noble who swore to avenge his illegitimate son. More importantly, as a duke of the Silver Radiance Empire and Henry VI's most trusted minister, Duke Ash had the power to forcibly deploy troops from a city during special times.

Late at night, the Imperial Army Commander finished work, took off his armor, and began his walk home.

This night was unusually quiet. Almost immediately after leaving the camp, he felt a strong premonition of being watched. The streets were empty; although most people in the Imperial Capital were asleep at this hour, a warrior's instinct alerted him to impending danger.

Could it be the revenge of the Holy Mage, or had Duke Ash lost his sanity in rage?

His hand hovered lightly over the slender sword at his waist as he sighed softly.

No matter who appeared before him, the outcome would remain unchanged.

"The empire's strongest man," "Holy Mage"...

These were merely titles designed to appease the ignorant masses, and compared to someone who has truly fought life-and-death battles, crawling from piles of corpses, they meant nothing.

As he passed the third intersection, unexpected footsteps approached.

From the depths of the darkness, a figure emerged, seemingly a woman. Yet almost instantaneously, her presence alerted the commander.

Danger.

And an exciting thrill that can only arise from facing a well-matched opponent.

Neither a member of the Hero Squad, nor one of the ruthless assassins kept by the high-ranking nobles, he could even smell the same scent of blood from her, indicating she too crawled from among countless corpses.

The most perfect figure, and...

A hidden aura behind that figure, sharp as a drawn sword.

The hand grasping the sword's hilt trembled slightly; he had no idea that such a strong presence was hidden within the Imperial Capital.

Soon after, the commander noticed her red hair resembling his, tied in a heroic ponytail at her back; at her waist hung a Knight's Sword and a finely crafted firearm. Could such a person be an assassin under some high noble's command?

No, impossible!

Such a person would never bow to any "master," willing to live like a guard dog in a manor.

The commander's lips subtly turned upwards. He decided to let go of all suspicions and refrain from pondering her identity or origin, choosing instead to fully immerse himself in the anticipated battle.

At the moment they brushed past each other, the woman moved, instantly drawing an item from her waist, the drawn blade aimed directly at his throat.

However, the commander stopped his sword-drawing motion, and instead raised his hand to catch the item she handed him.

"Old Wilkes Bakery's hard bread, three silver lynxes each."

The woman looked at him coldly, "Take it. I can see the hunger in your heart."

For some reason, the woman before him seemed to deeply understand the feelings of being the Imperial Army Commander: being summoned late at night to the barracks by unrelated people giving orders, leaving the barracks only to find the streets devoid of any place to eat.

Thus, she brought the most filling hard bread.

"You... Who are you really?"

The anticipated battle never came, as this red-haired woman who had appeared out of nowhere seemed ready to return home.

This woman...

Could she be working at the bakery?

"Who I am doesn't matter. I just came to see you specifically."

In reality, their encounter as they passed each other lasted only about ten seconds. The woman had no intention of stopping for idle chatter. As she continued on, the commander watched this impossible-to-overlook woman in the darkness. As she walked away gracefully, she raised her hand without looking back, "I never expected you to be a man."

???

What kind of question was that?

This was undoubtedly the most perplexing question the Imperial Army Commander had ever heard. He had been a man from the first day he joined the Imperial Army, and this was no secret. Judging by her attire, the woman seemed like a knight, and if she were, she should have heard of his exploits.

Yet on the other hand, the hard bread was quite tasty, especially for sating hunger late at night.

He looked again at the red-haired woman who had disappeared into the depths of darkness, then continued to enjoy a few more bites of the hard bread as he slowly resumed his walk home.

Not long after, he had to stop again.

The scent of blood hanging in the air caught his attention, and this time he knew it wasn't an illusion. The source of the blood scent came from the direction the woman had appeared from, deep in the dark alleyway. The commander followed the aroma, stepping into the alley's depths.

Soon, faint sounds of groaning reached his ears.

All over the alley, bodies of more than a dozen people were tangled together like a lump of flesh. At the center of the "flesh heap" was a familiar face, trapped motionless. His face was bruised and swollen, and his eyes were beaten so badly they were swollen shut.

Those originally handsome features now resembled a pig's head due to the beating.

The commander immediately recognized the young man; after all, in the Imperial Capital, no one didn't know this youth.

Fabius Simpler.

Duke Ash's son and the future legitimate heir of the Simpler Clan. Those forming the "flesh heap" with him were his bodyguards, including two Transcendent swordsmen. They were among the most severely injured, with their features so swollen they seemed squeezed together, making it difficult even to make a sound.

Aside from the faint scent of blood, the air also reeked strongly of alcohol.

He could easily guess what had transpired before his arrival.

Surely, Fabius had been charmed by the red-haired woman's beauty and attempted to get her drunk, but the pampered young master had completely failed to recognize the dangerous aura emanating from the woman.

"Cedric, you're here at just the right time!"

Fabius muttered unclearly, his swollen lips barely able to articulate, "Detain that red-haired woman, don't let her go!"