Revive Rome: Wait! Why not make the empress fall in love with me first?
Chapter 185 - 89 The Calm Before the Snowstorm

Chapter 185: Chapter 89 The Calm Before the Snowstorm

"Something is not right," Herman suddenly said.

"Hm?" Andrea was startled.

"We’ve been walking for about forty minutes, and by all logic, we should have already left the territory of those snow monsters we encountered earlier," Herman said cautiously, looking around. "Which means we should have encountered new ones by now."

"Yet, it has been extremely quiet along the way," Andrea pondered. "Could it be that they realized they couldn’t defeat us and decided to flee earlier?"

"Where could they flee to?" Herman objected. "Snow monsters can’t adapt to temperatures above 20 degrees. The only place in Peloponnesus that can maintain the cold, snowy climate all year round is the mutant Taigetes Mountain Range."

"I’m more inclined to think that they’re hiding somewhere, planning to ambush us."

"I see, tell everyone to be on guard." Andrea paused for a moment, then suddenly as if something occurred to him, quickly added:

"No! Tell everyone to heighten their alertness but still act as if they haven’t noticed anything."

Herman: ......

This guy is starting to let his imagination run wild again... Fantasizing about the snow monsters launching a surprise attack, catching The Azure Longsword off-guard, and then he could use the rescue as a bargaining chip...

Herman didn’t need to ask to know what Andrea was thinking.

"Don’t be foolish, do you really think they haven’t noticed?" Herman asked.

"What, have they detected something wrong?" Andrea lowered his voice, involuntarily looking back.

"Of course," Herman said. "Look at their positioning."

"The blonde lady with the shield is in the middle, ready to provide support in any direction. The young female gunman stands next to her, serving the same purpose."

"All non-melee professions are positioned around the shield lady, and each is protected by at least one melee character."

"The red-haired Mind Mage is on the outer side of the mountain path, accompanied by the squad leader, Aske; the previously gravity-casting masked mage girl is on the inner side of the mountain path, with the black-haired girl wielding a blade guarding her back."

"The young girl with flaxen hair is positioned at the rear of the group, walking side by side with the ax-wielding Norman, obviously to protect her in an emergency."

"Lastly, there’s the unusually small girl, about ten paces behind the group, constantly looking around. I guess she must be the scout for The Azure Longsword."

"Indeed." After Herman pointed this out, Andrea also realized that their seemingly scattered positions actually had a thorough logical connection, like a spiderweb.

"The main force is arranged on the flanks and the back because we, the Steel Cross Mercenary Group, are ahead, forming a strategic buffer," Herman finally concluded. "In other words, their tactical system has already factored us in. So, whatever adjustments we make will most likely be noticed by them."

"In this situation, any pretense is just fooling ourselves. It’s better to directly and openly make our moves."

"Yes, indeed." Andrea had to admit that Herman was not mistaken. Since they’d already been noticed by the other party, trying any underhanded moves would only make the Steel Cross Mercenary Group look less honorable, with no real benefit.

"Everyone, be alert!" Andrea shouted his orders loudly.

The mercenaries immediately tightened their formation, reducing the distance between them to better support each other in an emergency.

"You’re only noticing now?" Medea looked ahead at the movement, disdainfully curling her lip.

"You seem to have some issues with them," Aske noticed her hostility in her attitude.

"Of course, weren’t they the first to be hostile towards us?" Medea said, suddenly exclaiming, "Aske, do you know them?"

"Oh, you’ve read my mind again," Aske said. "Yes, I do know the two from the Steel Cross Mercenary Group."

"Let’s hear it," Medea said, curious.

"You can read minds, just look for yourself," Aske waved his hand.

"I want to hear you say it," Medea insisted.

"Andrea, his fief is near Friedenbeck in the Divine Luo Empire, originally a minor lord," Aske explained. "This guy naturally loves to wander, leaving his fief to be managed by his family while he came out to join the Steel Cross Mercenary Group as a mercenary."

"This guy is straightforward, loves and hates clearly. If he dislikes someone, he will find everything about them displeasing; yet he would go to great lengths for his brothers, even bankrupting himself if needed—quite a direct personality."

"That sounds pretty stupid," Medea commented. "Carry on."

"The blond mercenary next to him is Herman, the eldest son of Bernard, the Earl of Saxony in the northern Empire," Aske introduced. "By law, he should have inherited his father’s duchy or title."

"However, I’m not quite sure what happened in Saxony. Eventually, he was stripped of his inheritance rights and the Earl of Saxony chose his younger brother Albert as the heir, so he also had to become a mercenary."

"Hmm..." Medea fell into a pensive expression, one that Aske knew too well—it was her plotting-a-conspiracy expression.

"No matter what you’re planning, wait until we get that ax," Aske warned her. "Don’t stir up unnecessary trouble."

"Do you think I’m the type to act without discretion?" Medea didn’t deny her "intentions," but just glared at him irritably.

Aske sighed. If described using D&D alignments, Medea undoubtedly fit the classic "Lawful Evil," not pursuing her interests so much as indulging her penchant for craftily weaving conspiracies and manipulating others by instinct.

Having someone like this on the team wasn’t necessarily a bad thing—at least her mind reading and heart stealing control abilities were indispensable in Aske’s tactical system.

He needed to find a chance to correct her stubborn personality. Right, and her troublesome split personality too...

As Aske thought this, Medea stealthily became aware of his thoughts.

"See?" Medusa in the depths of the Mind Body scoffed. "He tolerates your presence only because you’re still useful to him."

"The day you’re no longer useful, he’ll discard you mercilessly, as if throwing out trash."

"Isn’t that only natural?" Medea retorted. "I stay in this team because the team benefits me too."

"If you’re really just in a relationship of mutual benefit, why bother doing those things?" Medusa sneered. "Consolidate the team? Open a harem? Who are you kidding with that excuse? You’re just trying to create and intensify discord within the team."

"What good would the team’s disintegration do for me?" Medea countered her.

"The team’s disintegration would drive the women away from him—tell me, how would that benefit you?" Medusa unrelentingly unmasked her. "What do you think he’d think of you if he knew your purpose?"

"Shut up," Medea snapped in anger.

"Fine, I’ll shut up," Medusa said coldly. "But you know, keeping quiet doesn’t solve problems."

The inner voice fell silent. Medea, expressionless, lowered her head to stare at the snow, her facial expression shifting uncertainly.