Evolution begins with an ant colony

Chapter 268 Wounded Honor And A Guardian's Desire For Fun

As Hestria gazed at the man who had approached her while she was with Oliver and Leona, beads of sweat formed on the side of her forehead, streaming down slowly. "It's Aron. What is he doing here, and at a time like this?" She gritted her teeth slightly, hinting at the fact that she was worried about what Leona and Oliver would do to him if he became a problem standing in the way of their mission.

Wanting to find the right words to deter him without giving the idea that she was in a rather complicated situation, she began to stutter, "W..well, you see, the others, t-they, um, well..."

Aron started to notice something amiss. He momentarily observed Hestria's body language, her tone of voice, and then Leona and Oliver, who seemed to exude a rather strange air of confidence despite the situation.

Although he wasn't entirely sure what was going on, he sensed that something wasn't right. He was just about to reach for his sword on his belt, hoping to arrest Leona and Oliver and get Hestria to fill him in on what was happening.@@@@

As he gestured for his sword, Leona, Oliver, and Hestria could all obviously tell what his intentions were. Leona chose to remain calm, knowing that no matter what happened, it wouldn't really hinder their mission.

Oliver and Hestria, on the other hand, had their thoughts running in hyperdrive. In those short seconds before Aron's hand got anywhere close to the hilt of his sword, Hestria mused, "You idiot, if you pull that now, they will most certainly kill you." She began to slowly reach out, wanting to stop him in his tracks.

Oliver, on the other hand, flashed a smug grin. In that split moment, he moved over to the front of the guard and patted him on the shoulder. With the speed he used, it felt more like a slap, stopping the guard and catching him off guard.

Hestria, seeing this, was slightly shocked and worried, but she didn't want to make a scene in the middle of town.

Suddenly, a voice called out impatiently to Oliver, "Oliver, enough of your games. You are wasting our time. We should continue on our way and get this over with. I and Hestria will continue on our way. Make sure you follow behind." With that, Leona had Hestria continue directing her to the royal castle.

Oliver then gazed at Leona as she continued on her way and spoke playfully, saying, "Oh, come on, Leona. I thought you were supposed to be the level-headed one between the both of us. Anyway, I'll catch up soon." He waved with his other hand. Once Leona and Hestria got a bit far away from him, he redirected his gaze at the man whose shoulder he was holding and said, "So, are we clear?"

Aron, although he wanted to fight back, realized the obvious power difference between him and the man he was up against. "That woman with Hestria might just be as strong as he is," he mused, using his other hand to support his dislocated shoulder.

Aron then replied to Oliver, saying, "Crystal." He muttered under his breath, clearly in serious pain from his shoulder and sweating all over. Oliver smiled and said, "Good." He then slowly turned around and continued on his way, waving at Aron as he added, "Take care now. You won't be able to fulfill your knightly duties if you don't take care of that arm."

Aron gritted his teeth, feeling further insulted and powerless. Inwardly, both Oliver and Aron had something else in mind by letting things play out like this.

Aron mused inwardly, "Although I might not be a match for them, once I get reinforcement, I'll be sure to make them talk."

Oliver mused inwardly, "I spared him, knowing fully well he will go call for reinforcements. After all, the more to the party, the merrier." Oliver was planning to have a real free-for-all in the royal castle, and he wanted all the guards to be there, wanting to see just how far he could go outside the confines of the forest.

Such is the kind of thing the Shadow Shot Ant Guardian, Oliver, finds as entertainment. Explore more at My Virtual Library Empire