NOVEL NEXT Chapter 713: She Cheated
Damon smiled as he sat at the center of the bridge on a chair, while Waton nervously watched the proceedings. Wendy sat cross-legged nearby, playing with a squirrel and a raven, completely unbothered by Damon's words or actions.
Matia stood beside him, holding a spear made of ice, her expression cold and watchful.
Renata narrowed her eyes as she glanced at the bridge where a few bodies hung from a noose. Some were beheaded, their heads mounted on pikes—remnants of those who had attacked Damon's establishment, confident in their strength.
They had come rushing here, thinking they could have it all—women, wealth, and most of all, control of the bridge.
They learned the folly of their ways in death. Now their corpses served as a deterrent to any other fools who might try the same.
Damon took a sip from a glass of wine, still wearing the monocle he did not even need.
"Did you spread the rumors that I would allow individuals not affiliated with any faction to pass and reach the main island?"
Renata nodded slowly.
"Yes, I have, my lord. The rumors have been circulated by our network of patrons. The factions will arrive soon. Moving large numbers of people takes time."
She glanced at the paper in her hand.
"However, we should be seeing some of the individuals and small groups soon."
"Good," Damon muttered, knowing those who survived without a faction would either be powerful or extremely lucky to have lived this long.
He could not wait for them to show up so he could charge them.
And sure enough, he sensed two people enter the range of his shadow perception. Both carried fierce, bloody auras. Each step they took had the weight and confidence of warriors who had overcome hell.
Well, no surprise, they had overcome hell. These two were people he was intimately familiar with.
The first was a golden-haired young woman with bright, sun-marked eyes and a sword in her hand. Her armor reflected the light she gave off, making her appear like the sun itself.
The second moved fast and unpredictably, each step leaving sparks of lightning on the ground. Her armor crackled with arcs of electricity, and her beastkin ears twitched as a wide smile spread across her face when a familiar scent reached her nose.
They crossed the distance effortlessly, stopping in front of the bridge. The beastkin girl, Leona, jumped into the air toward Damon with her arms spread wide.
Damon quickly stood from his chair and dodged what would have been something barreling toward him at subsonic speed while wearing heavy armor. His heart bled as he watched his favorite chair explode from the impact.
Leona did not mind that he dodged her hug, she turned and grabbed him all the same.
"Hahah! You're here! I've been looking everywhere for you!"
Damon wore a deadpan expression as tears almost welled up in his eyes. His hands trembled.
"I got that chair from an antique shop after ripping off the owner. It really matched my aesthetic... I can't believe it's gone."
Leona forced a smile, realizing she had gotten a little too excited.
"Ermm... sorry about your chair, Damon. Don't worry, I'll buy you a new one."
He glared at her until she added, "It'll be super expensive, of course."
Damon cleared his throat with a smile.
"Well, you should have led with that. I was about to smack you. So... how expensive are we talking here? I don't want one of those mass-produced ones."
Evangeline sighed, shaking her head. "Why are you so materialistic? It's just a dumb chair. Deal with it."
Damon's eyes twitched as he glared at her with a scoff.
"You can never be happy for me, can you? Enemy of progress. You come to my place of business only to drag me down."
She rolled her eyes, not taking him seriously. She was not in the mood for his antics.
"It's a public bridge on a battlefield, not your place of business. We're here to cross and hopefully get a read on the enemy's movements."
Evangeline turned her head toward the side where she saw a large sign etched with runes.
"Huh... come on, why are you like this? You turned a profit even here. I should have known it would be you opening a shady restaurant in the middle of a battlefield."
Damon waved his hand dismissively. "Well, it's fine. At least I didn't cheat to get my medallions. I earned them honestly."
Evangeline looked around at his whole setup, the corpses, the ominous atmosphere. Nothing here was honest.
Wait, was he implying she cheated? She earned her medallions through hard fights, not by robbing people.
"I didn't cheat! That's what you're doing!" she shot back.
Damon raised his hand to stop her. "Well, fine. I don't care. Since you're here, if you want to cross, pay up. Pay the bridge tax."
She raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean toll? Bridges don't get taxed."
Damon smiled darkly. "I make the rules here."
Evangeline sighed. She did not want to argue any further.
"Fine. How many medallions am I giving you? That's what you want, right?"
It was not worth it. She would just give him a few medallions to make him stop bothering her.
Damon tapped his chin with a thoughtful expression.
"Well, I normally charge eighty percent of your overall medallions, but you're my friend, so I'll be considerate."
Evangeline almost screamed when she heard the first part, but since he said he would be considerate, she held her tongue.
Then Damon smiled and raised his hand toward Leona. "No toll for friends."
Evangeline let out a sigh of relief, until he pointed at her, his tone sharp and accusing.
"But cheaters pay ninety percent. Pay up."
Evangeline gasped and tried to defend herself.
"I—I didn't cheat! Ask Leona, she was with me the whole time!"
Damon glanced at Leona, clearing his throat. "Honest friends get no tax."
Leona glared at him.
"You think I'd side with injustice? You all know me better than that."
Evangeline smiled, reassured. Right, Leona was a good person.
Leona closed her eyes, sighed, and said,
"She totally cheated. She used an avalanche. She even tried to bury me under the snow to take out the witness."
Damon shook his head with disgust.
"I knew it. You've let me down, Evangeline. Your mother would be so disappointed in you when she hears this."
Evangeline almost popped a vein.