After slaying the Ogre, Liens immediately joined the others to slaughter the Goblins attempting to flee.

Soon, the ground was piled high with Goblin corpses, and everyone was more or less stained with blood.

After killing all the Goblins that dared to resist, Liens and the others began to search the stronghold for remaining Goblins.

They aimed to eliminate all the Goblin remnants within the stronghold.

Since no one dared to team up with him, Liens could only explore this abandoned human village by himself.

He was It can be said that is dedicated to ensuring he received the reward.

He had never been this dedicated even when working for the Glenbagen Family.

If he still couldn't get the reward this way, then he would have to consider breaking into Lucrezia's "boudoir."

Liens pushed open a dilapidated house, and instantly, a pungent stench mixed with the smell of blood assailed him.

He frowned, looking at the scene inside the house.

Human or animal bodies hung from the rafters or walls, some incomplete, some intact.

But without exception, they all looked as if their blood had been drained.

"Hmm? These Goblins have even learned how to air-dry and preserve food?"

Liens said indifferently, then walked in, because the wind had already brought him the sound of a heartbeat.

"Thump-thump-thump…"

Footsteps echoed in the silent house, making the already rapid heartbeat even more frantic.

He could even imagine the owner of the sound, at this moment, feeling uneasy and terrified.

The room was not large, and Liens quickly reached the owner of the sound.

It looked small, very thin, with big, dark eyes staring at Liens with fear.

It looked like a frightened small animal.

Swing the sword!

Liens expressionlessly cut down the small, young Goblin.

"My perception has indeed greatly improved; after entering the state of 'Killing Intent,' I can easily capture faint sounds carried by the wind."

"How far am I from becoming an Extraordinary One now?"

"I'm clearly strong enough to easily defeat Extraordinary Knight like Adonis."

"But why am I still not considered an Extraordinary One?"

"Is that Elemental Baptism Potion really that indispensable?"

Liens looked at the longsword in his hand, thinking silently to himself.

"Forget it, I hope I can get the Elemental Baptism Potion from Lucrezia."

"The Glenbagen Family has it hidden too deeply, it's difficult to get."

Liens sighed, then walked out of the room to continue searching for other Goblin remnants.

...

"This 'monster eradication' operation can be said to be a great success."

"Without many casualties, we successfully wiped out a Goblin stronghold that frequently attacked passing humans."

"Thank you all for bravely fighting the enemy during this process, making another significant contribution to protecting the city's safety."

Lucrezia stood in front of the soldiers, encouraging everyone.

At this time, Lucrezia's armor was also stained with a lot of blood.

But this did not diminish her charm; on the contrary, the blood gave her a steely heroism.

This heroism diluted the coldness in her, and the smile on her face became warmer.

It made people feel that she was more approachable.

"Among them, the best performer is our soldier, Heier."

"When we return to the castle, I will fulfill my reward to soldier Heier."

"However, others should not be discouraged; this 'eradication operation' will be recorded as military merit."

"Everyone will receive their own share of the reward."

Lucrezia pointed to Liens, who occupied a clear space by himself, and announced with a serious yet smiling expression.

Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on Liens's expressionless face.

Although he was certain that no one's performance on the battlefield earlier could compare to his.

But it was only when he truly heard Lucrezia announce that he was the best performer that he let go of his last trace of worry.

After all, that reward was ultimately given by Lucrezia; she could give it to whoever she wanted, and others had no right to interfere.

Although he felt that with Lucrezia's personality, she wouldn't do that.

"Very good, the first step is over."

"Next, it depends on whether Lucrezia accepts my allegiance, and whether she has or will give me the Elemental Baptism Potion."

"I really hope everything goes as expected."

Liens thought to himself.

After being busy for half a day, the most time-consuming step was finally completed.

Next, it was time to wait...

Thinking this, Liens turned to look at Gars, who was looking at him with uneasy eyes, and his three "spy accomplices."

They were all an "existence" that could potentially disrupt his plan.

From Gars's behavior, he might have realized who he was.

After all, he was an "existence" that was almost killed by him, so it was normal for Gars to remember him well.

If these four suddenly exposed him as a Dark Guard, then his plan to pledge allegiance to Lucrezia would essentially be ruined.

It should be known that the Pello Family's Knight also admired his talent, but because he was a Dark Guard, he did not hesitate to kill him.

Liens was also unsure of Lucrezia's specific views on Dark Guards.

Therefore, if she didn't know, it was best not to let her know his identity.

After Lucrezia announced the best performer of this mission, she ordered everyone to return.

As everyone embarked on the journey back, Liens smoothly moved to Gars's side.

Compared to the other three, Gars was more likely to betray him.

Therefore, he decided to warn Gars.

"Gars, why have you been avoiding me since earlier?"

"Is it because you're too envious that I received Lady Lucrezia's reward, so you decided to stay away from me?"

"Don't be like that, we're roommates, roommates in the same dormitory."

Liens put his hand on Gars's shoulder and said.

He emphasized the word "roommate," reminding Gars that he was very close to him.

"Uh, Heier… I'm not avoiding you, it's just that your performance was too astonishing, it made my head a bit fuzzy."

Gars awkwardly made up an excuse to explain his behavior.

Liens didn't care about Gars's explanation, but continued: "Is that so… By the way, you said earlier that my voice was very similar to someone you'd met, and I was wondering if that was a brother I didn't know?"

"Huh? Did I say that? I've forgotten."

"But if I really did say something like that, it might be because your voice is quite common."

"I'm sorry if I caused you trouble."

"The person I met doesn't look like you at all, so it's impossible for him to be your brother."

Gars quickly replied.

"Hmm, then I'm relieved."

"I thought my missing parents had given me a brother without my knowledge."

Liens said with a smile, emphasizing the words "missing" at the same time.

After speaking, he let go of Gars's shoulder.

Gars continued to smile awkwardly, offering no further response.

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