The Regressed Princess - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: She Chooses a Quick Resolution

Buzz.

Whoosh.

First came the tinnitus, then a gust of wind.

The girl’s golden pupils did not seem human; they were like two sparks of flame piercing through the wind in the darkness.

Even though the day was bright and the sun was scorching, it brought no warmth. Those pinned by her gaze felt their hands and feet go cold.

“Gulp.” The instructor swallowed hard. She instinctively picked up a gold nugget from the ground and bit it; the soft texture and heavy weight made her face beam with joy.

“Everything shall be as you command!” She had already calculated it in her heart. With such a large piece of gold, she could buy several slaves. Was she afraid this girl would kill them all?

Even if she did kill them all, the instructor could simply host her well and ask the person behind her for a final payment later.

The instructor turned toward the slaves, her previously pleasant face instantly freezing over, looking as if she wanted to bite a piece of flesh off some poor soul’s face.

“Hey! Did you hear the Noble Lady? Get out here right now and let her inspect the goods!”

The slaves didn’t dare whisper in front of the instructor; for a moment, their hearts beat like drums.

Should they obey? Should they haggle? Or should they… start the mutiny early?

For a moment, they thought of throwing caution to the wind. They could just revolt right now, rush out, and tear apart these clamoring nobles along with the instructors who oppressed them.

We have the numbers…!

That sentiment vanished instantly when facing Andra.

The youth before them looked only fourteen or fifteen years old, but her soaring aura was like a noose tightening around them.

The moment a rebellious thought arose, tension would coil around their necks, constricting forcefully.

“Haa…” Their breathing became heavy. They didn’t dare look Andra in the eye.

The slaves’ gazes instinctively shifted downward, immediately noticing the weapons and armor on her body.

It was a set of full-body plate armor so tight and seamless it inspired despair, and a two-handed greatsword with yet another backup sword.

Clearly, this noble-blood could not only swing a greatsword easily with one hand, but she could also run around in full heavy armor.

That was no morning jog; it was a dance of life-harvesting.

She only needed to lift that sword and smile as she slashed from left to right to harvest every offender who dared to surround her.

The slaves couldn’t help but lower their heads, lower still: they didn’t even have straw sandals.

After all, this was the Nolana Royal Capital, not a battlefield. The slave owners had long ago confiscated all their weapons and equipment. During training, they were only allowed cloth aprons and blunt wooden swords.

We are supposed to use this gear to resist the terrifying instructors and defeat this wolf-like youth?

The idea of resistance grew fainter.

When they noticed the dozen other noble girls had remounted their warhorses and were patrolling the entrance, their despair deepened.

Even if they used human-wave tactics to smother a few fully armed instructors and defeated the youth with wooden swords, how could unarmored infantry face a cavalry charge at a narrow pass? Who would dare dream such a thing?

Andra took in their gazes and sneered in her heart.

This was exactly why she had intentionally reminded those “silly” companions; with them coordinating the intimidation, things would proceed much more smoothly.

She toyed with her sword in a relaxed manner, waiting for the chosen slaves to gather reluctantly.

The members of the Princess’s Guard looked at her back with a hint of awe:

To deal with so many battle-hardened slaves alone… she is truly strong.

“Hey, give them real weapons,” Andra suddenly spoke, startling both her companions and the instructors.

Why give the slave officers weapons? Wasn’t that giving them the leverage to mutiny!

The Guard members managed to restrain themselves; they didn’t speak, staying on their horses to see what game she was playing.

The instructor arranged by the slave owner didn’t have that temperament. She hurriedly waved her hands: “Oh, Milord, these slaves… you can see their skill even if they use wooden swords.”

She dared to let Andra kill these slaves because even the most heroic slave had a price; if they were killed, so be it.

But if the slaves’ blades were blind and injured this young noble, what would happen when the Great Lady behind her flew into a rage!

“Don’t be afraid. That’s the only way it’ll be worth watching~ By the way, I’ll allow them to wear armor. You should have leather armor here, right?”

Andra comforted the instructor with a playful expression.

The slaves finally couldn’t help but glance at each other.

They saw relief in each other’s eyes: Great, this arrogant noble who knows nothing has underestimated us! She looks down on us isn’t that perfect?

The twenty-three selected for the duel were the top elites among the slave officers, the soul of each squad.

They could take this chance to put on equipment, don leather armor, and take up longswords. At the moment the battle began, they would seize the instructor and this noble, buying time for the people behind them to grab weapons!

In an instant, the commotion among the slaves ceased.

Whether they were submissive or defiant, a small spark ignited in their hearts.

These nobles came at the perfect time.

They could take their weapons, their armor, their horses… Hahaha, you insufferable noble-bloods, wait until you bleed!

Once an oppressed person straightens their back and picks up a weapon, that force wishes it could bite the oppressor ten thousand times over!

“Heh.”

A light laugh suddenly interrupted their thoughts. Everyone instinctively returned their gaze to the girl.

The slaves still didn’t know Andra’s name, but looking closely, she was just a teenager.

Even for a noble-blood, that underdeveloped body couldn’t compare to a full-grown adult, right?

While the slaves draped in burlap were still hesitating, the squad leaders in front had already stepped forward.

They didn’t care about “the big bullying the small”; they instinctively wanted to resolve this youth as quickly as possible.

The faster they succeeded, the easier things would be afterward. If these nobles were allowed to escape, that would be real trouble!

Pasha, pasha.

They threw on leather armor in record time, pushed aside the worried instructor, and took weapons from the rack behind her.

Longswords, axes, maces… since their goal was to end it quickly and fight their way out, they naturally chose melee weapons.

“Hey, what are you smiling at?”

Courage and weapons returned to the bodies of these captains simultaneously.

Yes, they were just slaves whipped, persecuted slaves.

However, spears, brains, and these hard-trained bodies still allowed them to stand out, igniting the flames of indignation.

The ponytail woman holding the mace knew the importance of morale.

She narrowed her eyes, preparing to use this airheaded girl to consecrate their move. She would crush her beautiful eyeballs to let those nobles know that slaves were not to be trifled with!

She lunged forward with her left leg, swinging the mace without hesitation, smashing it toward Andra’s head!

Andra didn’t answer her question. Her smile deepened, as if she could derive a unique pleasure from combat.

The girl pursed her lips. Her body, which hadn’t yet completed its final growth spurt, was slightly shorter than the strong woman. She ducked, dropping into the mace’s most effective range, but—

She had never let go of her sword.

With the sword still in hand, it effortlessly traced an arc, cutting along the centerline.

No struggle, no resistance, no ear-grating sound of a hack.

Shasha… kasha?

She sliced open the woman’s abdomen as easily as slicing a piece of parchment. She even nimbly diverted the direction of the spray, letting the woman’s blood splash all over the others those who were very familiar with her on their bodies, hands, and faces.

Hiss, hiss, hiss.

The crimson fountain stripped the courage from some, while igniting an instantaneous rage in others.

“You demon.”

“Die!!”

Andra heard the roars from point-blank range. One, two, three… at least ten people, grieving for their companion’s plight, gripped their weapons and rushed at her.

Good.

She calmly raised her eyes; this angle was perfect for everyone to appreciate.

Those onlookers about to break their bonds… just close your eyes in peace.

Zeng.

The sharp blade sang with excitement as Andra spun upward.

No one could see her movements clearly. Only a cold white light flashed by, and the strongest warriors among them fell—silently.

Clang, clatter.

Over twenty weapons hit the ground one after another. Not a single person remained standing before Andra.

This… took a mere few dozen breaths.

The girl flicked the blood off her sword. She tilted her head, her peripheral vision scanning everyone, mocking them silently: You… are nothing more than this.

“…Ugh!”

The pale-faced slaves retreated one after another. The wooden swords and thin scraps of cloth in their hands provided no sense of security.

Unease. Everything that could make them feel safe had ceased to exist.

A single noble-blood could annihilate all the captains; they couldn’t escape at all… They only wanted to get away from this dangerous creature, further and further, just like they used to flee from their mother’s or a creditor’s palm when they were children.

“Don’t be afraid.”

The girl’s expression suddenly turned gentle. She raised her voice in a cheerful tone: “Except for that one, you all pass.”

Pass? What does “pass” mean…

“Ugh, ooh…” The people on the ground clutched their stomachs and legs, painfully and shakily standing up.

Everyone was stunned: How are they okay? Weren’t they all cut down by the sword?

Looking closely, they realized that except for the first woman with the mace, the others had apparently been kicked down.

Who would have noticed her legs at a time like that? This person was disgustingly strong!

While the slaves were in a state of mental confusion, Andra easily sheathed her sword.

“My Lady is currently short-handed. So, I will select 200 of you to become guards for her estate~ or maybe farmers? Regardless, you will receive housing, clothes, and food.”

She spoke casually, but the content was heavily tempting.

Compared to freedom in the mist, unknown bloodshed, and pursuers the protection of a powerful noble and a future without lack of food or clothing pierced through their bodies more sharply than a sword.

And so, the slaves truly bent their backs, blooming with the same fawning smiles as that instructor.

They asked eagerly and softly like sheep: “Milord, may we ask who the Great Lady behind you is…”

“Her Highness Eleanor, please look our finest hands are all here. Please choose as you wish.”

Scarface’s face bloomed into a smile. She rubbed her right hand with her left, making all her subordinates line up before Eleanor to display their appearances and talents.

To be honest, she didn’t want these capable subordinates to go work for Eleanor.

Did she have the “bear’s heart and leopard’s gall” to compete with the Princess for people? Once those people left, they wouldn’t come back; she might even have to pay a tribute to them in reverse.

However, Her Highness was of noble status. Any “Noble Person” was someone she couldn’t afford to offend.

Sometimes it wasn’t even to curry favor; just for the sake of these words “not offending” she had to put in a lot of effort.

Scarface’s heart was truly bleeding. She only felt slightly better when she saw Elsa behind Eleanor: Any sacrifice is worth it. At least my daughter is tucked into the Princess’s team. Maybe she can soar to the heavens in the future.

Eleanor put down her teacup and clapped her hands with poise. Then, propping her head up with her hand, she asked curiously: “By the way are there any secret passages here?”

Uh—Scarface froze.

Her mind raced. Is the Princess beating us on behalf of the King? After all, constructing secret passages inside or outside the city is supposed to be a royal prerogative; it’s just that it hasn’t been checked much before.

Eleanor seemed to guess her thoughts and pursed her lips in a smile. “Don’t worry, no one is going to use it for anything bad. I’m just curious what it feels like to walk through a secret passage.”

Due to a lack of tools and excavation technology, modern secret passages could only accommodate one person walking alone. They couldn’t carry a large force at once and were easily blocked from both ends.

But thinking in reverse, someone using a secret passage to escape only needed to take out one or two guards to have an unobstructed path.

And…

Eleanor rose to follow the eager Scarface. She had just gathered most of the management and guards around her so what would the rebels do?

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