Mist Empire’s Rise: Fake Noble to Fog Queen

Luo Wei lifted the carriage curtain and checked the sky.

She estimated it would be completely dark in about half an hour.

She turned to Troy and said, "Go look around for any caves or rock walls nearby. I'll make do for one night."

"Alright."

Troy flew another round with the griffin, and after about ten minutes, they returned from the west.

"There's a small forest at the foot of the snow mountain to the west, with a cave inside. It's only about six miles from here."

Luo Wei nodded, "Let's go there. Lead the way."

"Sure."

Troy switched to horseback and led them toward the forest, while the griffin guided them from above.

By the time they reached the forest, the moon had just risen above the treetops.

The northern sky was so magnificent it left one speechless. The brilliant Milky Way flowed across the night sky, countless stars twinkled in the distant clouds, and the world was so quiet it felt like being on another planet.

Luo Wei lit a bonfire at the cave entrance with her magic wand and placed Bella's bread and meat pies over the charcoal to roast. Gal knelt beside her, intently watching her movements.

Chris collected some dry grass to make a bed for her in the cave, while Belial used the herbs Luo Wei provided to fumigate any potential poisonous insects in the cave, though northern caves were unlikely to have such creatures.

Outside the cave, Yves was cutting grass to feed the horses, stomping his feet from the cold and constantly breathing into his hands to warm them.

The aroma of toasted bread wafted from the fire, with the sweet fragrance of butter and rich milk making everyone's mouths water and stomachs growl.

Troy had already stationed himself beside Luo Wei, his gaze fixed on the toasting bread, never leaving for a moment.

Ever since Luo Wei taught Bella how to make bread and cakes, Troy's wallet had never been full. He would eat more than a dozen loaves in one meal, and his sweet tooth was insatiable - he could consume half a bucket of sweet cream at once. The gold coins he earned from Luo Wei each day would be half gone before they even warmed in his pocket, with the other half saved for future sword maintenance.

"It should be hot enough now," Luo Wei took out her chopsticks and flipped the pie over. "Gal, bring the wooden plate."

"Yes, Master." Gal held up the tray, watching her place the sizzling, golden-brown meat pies on the plate, carefully swallowing his saliva.

Such fragrant bread and meat pies were something he had never seen before - probably delicacies that only great nobles could afford.

Slaves weren't supposed to covet their master's food; they were only fit to eat black bread and stewed beans.

Gal kept his mouth tightly shut to prevent drooling.

Luo Wei picked up another piece of toasted bread and placed it on the plate, tilting her chin slightly: "For Troy."

Gal held the tray with both hands and presented it to Troy: "Sir Knight, please enjoy your meal."

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Troy was so hungry his stomach was practically flat. He grabbed the meat pie and stuffed it into his mouth, not minding the heat.

Luo Wei couldn't bear to watch and turned her head to instruct Gal: "There are bread rolls in the carriage. One for each of you, go get them."

Gal stared in disbelief - such precious food, and the master was willing to share it with mere slaves!

"Go quickly, call everyone over. It's cold, better eat it while it's warm."

"Yes, th-thank you, Master!"

Sparks flew and smoke curled upward.

Moments later, by the warm bonfire, the four slaves knelt in a row, warming themselves while savoring the delicious bread bestowed by their master, nearly moved to tears with happiness.

How fortunate were they, such lowly beings, to encounter such a benevolent master!

At that moment, the four slaves finally resolved to protect their kind master - who would give them bread - with their lives.

After the meal, Gal moved the bonfire into the cave, where they would all rest for the night.

The griffin kept watch outside, so no one needed to stand guard.

The night deepened, and a layer of silver frost settled on the forest.

The northern nights were exceptionally long, and darkness fell early - though it felt like midnight, it was barely past six o'clock.

Luo Wei dozed for a while on the grass mat lined with sheepskin. When she heard steady breathing all around, she quietly got up.

She took Troy's large cloak and tiptoed out of the cave.

"Chirp?"

In the dark night, the griffin's eyes glowed like two golden mooncakes, looking questioningly toward the cave entrance.

"Shh—" Luo Wei put her index finger to her lips, signaling it to stay quiet. "I'm going for a walk, I'll be back soon."

The griffin obediently nodded and closed its amber eyes, pretending not to see.

Luo Wei spread her wings and flew into the star-studded night sky.

Only four hours had passed; those Seko people couldn't have gone far.

They were bandits - if there were no villages within forty miles, what were they doing here?

There must be something else that attracted them.

Luo Wei held grudges. Since they dared to try to rob her, they should be prepared to be robbed themselves.

Looking down from high in the night sky, mountains and rivers all blurred together, but certain things became particularly obvious.

Light sources.

Less than twelve miles from where they were resting, on the other side of the snow mountain in a valley, there was a point of light.

Luo Wei pulled up her cloak hood and waved her magic wand, transforming into a demon messenger with porcelain-white skin and blood-red eyes.

Following the appearance of "Divine Messenger's Guidance" from the first time, she retained eighty percent of the features, except for the white mist that surrounded the demon - she modified it to black mist instead.

She hoped there were no mages among the bandits.

Luo Wei gracefully spread her wings and flew into the valley below.

When she was still about a hundred feet above the ground, she heard heart-wrenching cries.

On the ground, a large group of Seko people sat around a roaring bonfire, tearing at charred meat on wooden sticks and fighting over wine in clay pots. Thick smoke rolled upward, and a strange stench mixed with the smell of grease wafted far into the distance.

Smelling that odd odor, Luo Wei felt physically nauseated. She covered her mouth to keep from vomiting and flew into the stone forest behind the group.

Only when she got closer did she see clearly what kind of meat these people were roasting.

— Human flesh.

Those blackened objects strung on thick wooden sticks, dried out and constantly dripping oil, were clearly the bodies of children about half the height of an adult.

And the crying she had heard earlier came from the bushes beside them.

In the firelight, Luo Wei saw more than a dozen civilians tied up with vines lying in the bushes, including a peasant woman in her thirties who had cried until her voice was hoarse and her eyes were bleeding.

Luo Wei hadn't expected that what she thought was the Seko people's treasure was actually a group of living people.

She had underestimated the savagery of these barbarians. These people weren't attracted here by anything - they had hidden in this desolate glacial wilderness specifically to eat human flesh without restraint.

A nameless rage rose in Luo Wei's heart. People who would eat humans could no longer be called human.

They were beasts.

Originally, she had planned to capture these people and send them to Demon Island as laborers, but now she changed her mind.

Her little island didn't accept just any trash, at least not beasts.

Luo Wei carefully counted the number of Seko people - thirty-one in total, including the dozen or so who had tried to rob her carriage that afternoon.

She needed to think of a way to catch them all at once and kill them all.

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