Capítulo 3: The Evil Lord of the Northern Region

This is it, he will show his half-beast half-human face, and his fangs are ready to sink into my neck, draining me of blood just at the first encounter.

Chiaki thought about how to avoid fulfilling their marital duties. Although it was not her literal body, and the original owner was promiscuous or indifferent at best, she didn't want to unjustly expose this body to intercourse the owner might not consent to.

My body, my choice, she thought. What if the original General Spring came back?

System, what about it?

[We suggest that you should not bother yourself with unnecessary details. Focus on the upcoming task.]

A tall, imposing figure of a man came into view.

Oh. He's easy on the eyes.

The compliment was shot in her head without being verbally expressed because she was still conversing with System.

Evil Lord Lance Hua was a striking beauty. Chiaki found her mind screeching to a stop again for the second time within an hour.

She let her eyes feast on his physique, appreciating it as someone enjoying a masterpiece painting. His long brunet hair was tied in a high ponytail, dancing and swaying in a gentle movement as he strutted to the group of Council members.

His svelte but muscular body was far from willowy but not stocky like Oriole. Since a long overcoat decorated with mink fur reached lower than his knees, Chiaki couldn't help but drag her gaze to absorb all those legs.

Catching herself for staring a little too long, she lifted her eyelashes back to his face. It was a normal human face, not split between a beastly part and the ordinary one. Too normal, just like a normal male model face out of a normal magazine. Seriously, with a sharp set of jaws like these, a pair of piercing upturned sable eyes, and swordlike eyebrows, objectively speaking, she evaded death by the skin of her teeth.

But all men were still the same, she reminded herself.

Her ex was also above average, but look at how it ended. This marriage would be another crumpled paper ball tossed into the rubbish bin in her portfolio of relationships. Let's see how long she would endure.

System, why is everyone here not questioning his villainous background? In your original game, he's the final boss the player has to defeat. His minions carry on plans to disrupt the adventures.

[These questions are for advanced level. As a beginner, your task is very apparent, and you must focus on it.]

Focus on the task, focus on the task, alright, if that's your wish. Consider it done.

Lord Lance Hua stopped walking in front of her, silently running his gaze for the length of her height as if assessing an inanimate object. To this embittered lady, this haughty behaviour was just another men's toxic masculinity attribute.

It became easier to maintain her indifference if the groom was unlikeable.

"This one, huh? The one whose reputation preceded her name even until the north?" His steely voice grated her nerves.

"And what about it? A problem for you if this general practises the esoteric way of intercourse?"

Few gaps were heard from the back; her choice of words was probably a subject to future consideration for sensitive, pearl-clutching, upright ladies and gentlemen.

Oh, how these hypocrites just wanted her body to advance their goals.

Not only in the real world, but this realm also has the seedlings of discords growing from the soil of authority.

He clicked his tongue. Since he was a head taller than Chiaki, she felt like cattle under scrutiny in the market.

"This is a business transaction, after all. You," the evil lord lowered his head as if her face wasn't clear enough even from this distance, "provide access to the Crystal Garden. I help with the power generation."

Crystal Garden . . . She found the explanation of this from the memories of the original general.

It was the playground and head office of the South General Chiaki Spring. In this manicured place, the power of the crystals left to grow in it was harnessed by the general and her few inner officers to project into the night skies to strengthen the barrier.

Wait . . .

"You don't only want to marry me but also an opportunity to play with the crystals as well?" Chiaki couldn't help but raise her voice.

Lance Hua cocked an eyebrow. His assessing, lackadaisical gaze told her that to him, she was just another tool to achieve whatever his agenda was.

"What has happened to you these days? A meteorite struck your brain, making you this forgetful?"

"Is that how you speak to your future bride?" Oriole stepped forward; his menacing voice was unfortunately only faced by a derisive laugh.

"You're the General of the East, right? How's Ursa's affair going? If I were you, I'd just leave my post and camp there to give the proper burial for the bodies and kneel for my incompetence."

Ursa, a district under the East General's jurisdiction, was a sore spot for his career track. The old patches on the barrier reopened, like old scabs with infections threatening the entire region. Barometric anomalies razed the place from the tornadoes, lightning strikes, and even weird aurora spotted on their skies.

"How dare you!" Oriole barked, charging at this foul-mouthed newcomer with a glowing purple fire from his palm.

Lance Hua sidestepped, and hid his body behind Chiaki, a comical action since his bigger and taller build could obviously not be shielded by hers.

Chiaki, having agility as one of her combat skills, dodged the mistaken attack by a swish of her dress. A lick of the flames singed her left wrist guard, her forearm blocked the fireball swiftly. As if colliding with an invisible wall surrounding her, the purple aggression evaporated into nothing, leaving no other marks on her ensemble.

It happened not long ago, so the memory of this event when the original Chiaki surveyed the disaster sites was still fresh. Although Oriole was late in evacuating the residences to a safer place, it was still unfair to cherry-pick this failure and downgrade the other actions he did right, such as assigning the research team a few weeks before the catastrophic day and pushing his best to patch the barrier in the time being.

"Enough!" Grand Elder Marion's voice boomed throughout the hall. Oriole, knowing his place, retreated and maintained a distance from Chiaki.

"Lord Hua, we understand that, across the Dome areas, only the Northern valleys and mountain range have been kept free from external attacks for decades. However, these recent years' electromagnetic anomalies have been more barbaric. Lord Hua himself said that the crystal elements might improve Northern's barrier durability," explained Grand Elder Marion.

He nodded.

"But the Northern technique couldn't be dispatched to protect the non-family members. And our Crystal Garden is not a tourist spot where anyone could just enter and leave to get something out of it. It's a sacred place, even for us, the Council members not originating from the south. There's no other way than to get someone from each side to be a family member to the other and unite the power."

"But, there's still adoption. Not marriage!" Oriole still opposed this in front of the elders.

Grand Elder Marion only shook her head gently; the golden circlet resting on the top of her head swayed with the motion, and its blue star pendant danced on her forehead.

"No descendant from the Northern mansion." Her explanation shut everyone up.

Lance Hua stepped back to the light; he sighed audibly loud. "Grand Elder Marion should teach her staff better; a short-tempered general is like an untrained dog."

Chiaki glanced at the general in case this statement blew his fuse. She was also fed up being the person in the discussion without her opinion being asked; it was treating her like she wasn't present in the room.

"Lord Hua should not worry about my confirmation here. I'd go with you. But, just like you mentioned that this is a transactional relationship, and I practise the Path of Indifference as well. Please don't expect more than cordial professionalism from me. Ultimately, we want this realm to be stable and strong against the threats, so we can live well and long here."

Upon hearing her level-headed reasoning, no further scolding from either party was heard. What they didn't know was Chiaki also wanted to use this wedding as a get-out-of-jail card from the old Chiaki's promiscuity. She couldn't bring herself to lay under the other Guardians who were supposed to be her friends, however platonic the relationship was.

She understood quickly that Oriole's objection hid his valid reason; by marrying someone, Chiaki would be legally and socially tied to a fixed person. It would be unacceptable for him and the other Guardians to just resume their habit of sleeping with her.

It was addictive, probably, and the effect would be the same as people suffering from relapse after stopping some drugs.

It was a problem for future her, of course. She put that open question on her back burner. She had a say in the matter, so she couldn't just leave it unresolved for the alliance with the Northern evil lord. The other three Guardians didn't have the Path of Indifference to guide them; the retrogression would act up.

"Since we all agree, I expect no one to cause a scene at the wedding. My sword will answer that," he emphasised with his cold gaze.

"And, General Spring, please leave with me today to the Northern mansion to prepare for the event."

Huh? System? This fast?

I was just freshly dumped, and now I'm gonna marry a stranger, in a foreign place, within this week?