Chapter 74: Open Threat
"Army of Shadows? That should be where the stalker you ordered to follow me is from. But is there a reason for me to join? It's a secret force you formed to protect yourself and fulfill your orders without hesitation, right? Why would I join something that would restrict my freedom?"
Armant was slightly taken aback. He offered her the opportunity to join the Army of Shadows, an army that protects the kingdom hidden from the shadows while taking direct orders to deal with potential threats to the kingdom, serving only the king.
No ordinary person would ever hear of such a force or have the chance of joining, as only the elite that caught the attention of the king could gain the qualifications to join. No one would refuse this opportunity to join. After all, serving the king was considered one of the greater honors, but this woman had.
Was she blind? Could it be that she was just an ignorant woman who couldn't see a fortune when standing in front of it? Did she become strong through sheer luck, not knowing about better opportunities in serving a kingdom, one of, if not the strongest, of humanity?
He was surprised by her lack of hesitation when refusing his offer, but he soon regained his composure. He couldn't let her leave; he felt the need to inform her of the additional benefits she would gain from joining.
"You might've come from afar, but I'm certain if you join the Army of Shadows, you'll become a stronger force to be reckoned with under the guidance of the strongest of Shadows. If you're refusing because of the missions, there isn't a need for you to worry; missions aren't common and will only happen when there's a threat to this kingdom."
He continued, trying to persuade her into changing her mind: "In addition to the training, you'll be given anything you could imagine, but it still has to be within reason. Men, wealth. You can even have one of my sons if you want."
"Is that so?" Ayla's cold voice echoed through the hall. None of the things he had spoken of were of any interest to her. She was most dissatisfied with his last offer. Not only would he try to marry off his own son, but he had also hit a nerve.
If it was a woman, she wouldn't have been this upset over the offer, but it was a man and one of his sons. She might've been a woman now, losing most of her resemblance to herself after the merging of their souls, but she still had some morals from her past life.
She wanted to kill him, but there was a reason she hadn't yet. The only reason she had come here in the first place. He was lucky; the king still held some use for her; otherwise, he would've already been killed.
Ayla rose to her feet, revealing a dissatisfied look. "If you think I'll take someone as worthless as your sons as my husband, then so be it. And the other benefits—they aren't worth anything, not more than your sons, but even they aren't worthy of anything."
She glanced at Armant, who had secretly called his shadows, thinking she couldn't have noticed. "Unless you can give me something worthy, I'll refuse the offer you have given me. There'll be no loss on my side, but I'm certain you'll have some loss—maybe more than you can take."
As she finished speaking, Ayla turned around as if she had no intention of staying there any longer.
"You dare disrespect the king? The king has offered you a great opportunity, but you instead choose to ignore it." One of the shadows was furious, appearing behind Ayla and placing the tip of his sword against her neck.
All it took was a single move, and he would end her life. However, to the shadow's surprise, she showed no fear! How could someone have no fear when facing death? Kais wasn't the only one who had watched Ayla's fight. He was also there. Could it be that she hadn't used her entire strength? No, he couldn't believe that. She would've likely been stronger than him.
He couldn't accept that someone who seemed to be no older than twenty and had unrivaled beauty could be stronger than him. A man who lived for centuries after coming close to the apex of humanity, having lived out most of his life as one of the shadows, growing closer and closer to the apex of humanity as he aged. He couldn't let someone humiliate the king and the man who had saved his life.
"For someone who protects, you sure don't do your duty well. Isn't protecting the king and following his every order your top priority? Why isn't there anyone there to help him then?"
Initially, the shadow considered her words to be nothing more than an empty threat, but as soon as he turned around, he froze at once, seeing a shadow knight holding a sharp blade against Armant's neck.
"A single movement, and I'll kill him."
He didn't even realize when the shadow knight had appeared, but it was clear to him and the others hidden in the hall. They knew nothing about Ayla. None of them knew any of her strengths or weaknesses.
Even Kais, who had been with her the longest, didn't know much about her. She was abnormal, possessing strengths in not just one expertise but several: assassin, warrior, and mage were the ones they were aware of, but there could be more.
Ayla moved the shadow's sword from her neck, "I'll be taking my leave."
From the start to the end, Armant hadn't said anything or moved. He appeared calm, as if his life held no worth, but on the inside, he felt fear and greed.
He feared for his own life, but his greed to have her was stronger. He couldn't let her go of her when she was before him, but he wouldn't do something that would threaten his life. There was a smile on his lips as he gazed at Ayla.
"I'll provide you with anything you want as long as it won't threaten this kingdom or leave it in ruin. I'll do it. I'll even give you the freedom to choose the missions you want. As long as you join my army." Just as Ayla was about to leave, the king spoke, surprising the shadows.
The shadows were thinking he would let her go, only to have them kill her afterwards. However, to their surprise, he looked more pleased than anything.
"Anything? What if I were to ask for the deaths of the shadow who tried to kill me? Would I be able to kill him?" Ayla stopped, turning back to the king. She was calm on the outside, hiding her devilish grin. Everything was going exactly as she had wanted.
Armant sighed, a cold sweat trickling down his forehead. "You should know he didn't mean to kill you. He was just furious that you refused my offer. This offer had saved many of their lives, so seeing someone refuse such an offer angered him."
Armant gestured for the shadows to return and not intervene. They couldn't trust Ayla, but they at least felt that her threat was just a threat and she wouldn't act on it. The shadows returned to their hidden positions, hiding their presence to the extent that even the seven knights couldn't perceive it, but they couldn't stay hidden from Ayla.
The shadow knight that was keeping Armant hostage also disappeared.
"I'll give it another chance then." She returned to her seat without showing much reaction.
Armant only smiled in response, but he didn't comment on anything. If anything, he wanted to have Ayla under him. He would've never made such an offer if it weren't for that. He felt that if she joined, it wouldn't be long before she could possess the strength of the heroes.
The heroes might've been summoned in order to save humanity from the demons, but he still thought of them as nothing more than a threat to his existence. He believed he could ensnare the hero of light with his daughter, but what about the other heroes? They still posed a threat to his and his children's lives.
He wanted someone who could rival the heroes, if not surpass them.
"I want…"
Ayla explained everything she wanted from the king. During the conversation, Armant revealed different expressions, especially one that had caused him to be surprised and troubled. However, even though he wouldn't normally accept, the benefits he would get were too much for him to refuse.
It was only after she finished explaining that she revealed a smile. "How long would it take for the last request to be fulfilled? As for everything else, I don't think it'll take long for it to be done."
"Even though I'm the king, it's still very difficult to request something from the church. They are a completely separate force, with my only link to them being a blessing from the goddess of light. If everything goes right, it'll likely take a week."
"It better be done in a week. I've waited far too long." Ayla rose to her feet and disappeared into the shadows, leaving Armant and his shadows behind.
"Have four shadows watch her every move. She might be an asset to my future, but she doesn't have any loyalty to the kingdom. However, don't reveal yourself." The king ordered, leaning his cheek against his palm. "If she turns out to be a threat or one of those demons, kill her without hesitation."
"Yes, my lord!" The dozen hidden shadows all responded. Four of them disappeared, following Ayla.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
-- Power
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