NOVEL NEXT At the northernmost point of the Greysia Empire, a traveler was walking along a path that wasn’t quite gentle enough to be called a mountain trail, nor steep enough to be considered a hillside.
If someone were to see her right now, they would undoubtedly be puzzled or shake their heads in disbelief, because the place she was passing through was no ordinary path suitable for regular travelers.
There were two main routes to cross from the Greysia Empire to the Bertica Kingdom. The first was to cross the northernmost border of the Empire and go through the southern part of the Luminous Kingdom, passing through Bell ag and westward to Randell, a method commonly referred to as passing through the Kingdom.
The second method was to take a direct route that follows the border without crossing it from the northernmost point of the Empire.
Although there was a reluctant cooperative relationship in place due to public enemies such as vampires and beastmen, the relationship between the Empire and the Kingdom was not very good. Yet, the commonly used route was the former.
The reason lay in the country of Sahelrn Duchy, located between the Bertica Kingdom and the Greysia Empire.
The latter direct route was closer in distance and avoided fees since it didn’t pass through any cities, but it inevitably crossed the fringes of Sahelrn Duchy.
The problem was that Sahelrn Duchy was known as the land of vampires. Even though it was just the outskirts, passing through it in a human body posed significant risks.
If one were well-prepared and crossed during the day, it wouldn’t be impossible to pass through safely. However, those who valued their lives generally avoided using the direct route.
Thus, those who consciously chose this path were typically one of three types: someone who was confident they could handle themselves, someone too busy to care about the risks, or someone completely naive to the ways of the world.
The traveler previously mentioned was exactly on this direct route.
However, she was just wearing a hooded cloak and carrying a small bag, with no visible weapons and didn’t seem particularly busy. In other words, she undeniably fit the profile of the third type – “someone completely naive to the ways of the world.”
In a world where even a slight deviation from the touch of civilization meant one’s fists spoke louder than laws, ignorance was indeed a crime.
And just then, three figures suddenly emerged from the thick bushes and trees lining the path, blocking the traveler’s way.
“Hey there! First of all, hand over everything you have.”
Residents trying to dissuade her from taking a dangerous route didn’t apply here, of course. With intimidating looks, swords at their waists, and threatening tones, it was clear they were bandits.
They would hide while a sword-wielding person passed by, then target only those who looked easy to intimidate.
Startled by the sudden appearance of these seasoned experts at showing the bitter realities of the world, the traveler halted and glanced around.
Two in front and one behind. She realized she was surrounded.
“Um… could you possibly let me go?”
She understood the kind of predicament she was in enough to refrain from asking stupid questions like, “What do you want?” Naturally, asking wouldn’t change anything anyway.
“Of course, we’ll let you go. As long as you have enough to give us.”
That was an overt threat, stating they wouldn’t let her go if she didn’t yield everything. However, one of the men was focused on another detail.
“Wow, just listen to that voice. It’s rare to find a female traveler all alone. Hey lady, haven’t you learned not to wander around here by yourself?”
The man babbled empty compliments as he scanned her with his eyes. Just from her voice, it was clear she was beautiful, but with her white skin peeking slightly from beneath the hood and her lips curled in a hesitant manner, it was a winning lottery ticket for them.
It seemed the other men shared the same thought. They exchanged glances and, as if they had an agreement, approached her with grins.
“Well, if you’re willing to have a nice time with us, we could consider letting you go without any trouble?”
If this were a peaceful situation, the words could have induced nausea in the listener.
However, the bandits had never let a woman go unharmed. After violating terrified women, they would rob them of their belongings and kill them—a cycle of amusement for them that hadn’t changed now.
By this point, women who found themselves in similar predicaments usually reacted in one of three ways: they’d awkwardly reach for a self-defense weapon to resist, cry and plead, or try to make a run for it.
Of course, these were merely three choices, and the outcome remained the same. They wouldn’t even bother with anyone who looked capable of putting up a fight.
Yet, for the bandits, watching how women resisted was also a form of entertainment, so they eagerly anticipated how this new prey would react.
“What? You guys are into this kind of thing?”
But this traveler responded a bit differently.
With a voice that sounded sweetly tempting, her lips, which had appeared distressed, shifted into a subtle smile, leaving the bandits dumbfounded when they had anticipated her begging for mercy.
“I certainly know how to have a good time, how about you?”
How could a woman who was presumably being threatened be the one to entice them instead? The bandits hadn’t even thought that far.
When she loosened the front of her cloak, revealing her figure, all their attention was immediately captured.
With a presence that would make even the loosest garments tremble, her ample bosoms, firm hips, contrasting thin waist, and long slender legs were so captivating that they couldn’t compare to any women they’d seen in their lives.
Gulp. Someone audibly swallowed. But none of the three could afford to mock their partner for their visible interest.
“Well, so she’s a temptress? I can’t say I dislike an active woman.”
With an alluring woman coming onto them, the bandits had no reason to refuse. One of them, wearing a sleazy grin, stepped closer to her and subtly wrapped his arm around her waist.
The soft touch and sweet fragrance overwhelmed him, completely burning through the last remnants of his restraint as he let out a heavy breath.
“Ah hell, I can’t hold back. I’m going in first, alright?”
“What? Who says you get to?”
This time, they began bickering over who would get to embrace the girl first, demonstrating a truly sticky camaraderie.
But that didn’t last long, as the woman, who had been subtly scanning her surroundings, unexpectedly interrupted their bickering to mend their lazy bond.
“Hey guys, don’t fight. I’m fine with all three of you at once.”
She licked her upper lip and grinned. With a simple yet sensuous tease, all three of their gazes were instantly drawn to her red lips.
“Wow, this girl’s a real nymph, huh? No need for us to fight.”
“You didn’t come here expecting this, did you?”
The woman didn’t deny it. She simply smiled shyly and led the excited bandits further into the woods, holding their hands.
As soon as they stepped away from the road, one bandit hurriedly began to take off his pants. Another still had his arm around her waist, and the last one was just about to bring his face in close to her lips.
Despite only moving a short distance, they displayed a stunning lack of self-control.
Yet, the woman didn’t seem to mind their eagerness. With a gentle touch, she reached out with slender fingers to caress the approaching face, as if treating a lover.
Desire glimmered in the bandit’s eyes, excited by her sweet breath. And just before their lips met, a thin hand swiftly broke the bandit’s neck.
Crack—!!
“What—”
A moment’s hesitation was all it took for the bandit to recognize the death of his comrade. He tried to pull his arm from her waist to shout, but the slender hand was faster, clamping over his mouth immediately.
Instinctively sensing something was wrong, the bandit desperately tried to pull away. However, his head was already snapped back with an audible thunk as he perished before he could escape her grasp.
In less than three seconds, everything had transpired. The sound of something plummeting to the ground made the man, who had been in the process of disposing of his pants, turn.
“Hey, what’s—”
As he turned around, something sharp pierced the back of his neck. Simultaneously, slender arms wrapped around his body and began to constrict him with incredible force.
The pressure was unimaginable, far beyond what one would expect from such thin limbs. He struggled frantically but couldn’t move an inch.
Blood rapidly drained from his body, and he noticed his head spinning as he fell helplessly to the ground.
“No way… during the day… a vampire…”
The figure clinging to his neck was none other than the female traveler. Upon seeing her red eyes revealed as her hood fell away, he muttered in a daze, unable to offer any resistance as he met his end.
About an hour later, the smell of blood and the woman’s ragged breath continued to echo throughout the woods.
*
Dirty and unpleasant bastards.
But, as expected, this was a sweet deal. Wiping the blood off my face from the slain bandits’ clothes, I comfortably patted my belly.
In this treacherous world, what happens when a seemingly fragile woman without weapons walks alone on a seldom-used mountain path?
The answer is free snacks!
This time, there were three bandit scum, and now that I had drained them, I could leave them to be disposed of by the wildlife.
It was absolutely the best kind of sweet deal.
I remembered Raul had once mentioned how the Progenitor was born with an appearance, voice, and scent all incredibly attractive by human standards to lure prey easily, so I put that to good use and it worked better than I ever imagined.
Sure, sweet-talking snacks might be a bit of a disturbing experience, but…
I realize this sounds narcissistic, but honestly, even I can see I’m quite a sight to behold. However, excess is no better than a deficiency, and when one of the bandits immediately got roused and tried to stick to me, I almost killed him without thinking.
The way he wrapped his arm around my waist while breathing roughly sent chills down my spine. If he’d groped my behind or breasts, I would have killed that guy on the spot. If that had happened, I would have lost my advantageous position of surprise.
Still, it ultimately made the victory easier. Who needed to use actual weapons when I had my appearance? Even if they were just bandits, I had no reason to confront a fully armed group head-on.
“I will make good use of the spoils.”
I meticulously searched the bandits’ belongings. After selecting a few useful items, including a fairy tale, and placing them in my bag, I stood up.
Aside from a bit of emotional labor, it was a pretty decent haul. I effectively copied my snacks without lifting a finger.
You could say it took about as much effort as standing in line at a free lunch spot, right?
After justifying myself, I felt a sense of accomplishment. Honestly, even just breathing was enjoyable after feeding.
After finishing my business, I made sure there were no onlookers before returning to the road, brushing off the dust near my knees, and hastily resumed my journey towards the Sahelrn Duchy.