Chapter 277 Chapter 275 The Unescapable Past (Part 2)
George’s hand touched the horn, and he dejectedly let it fall.
Jima said, “Don’t worry, there’s still a chance for recovery. Jena will surely be able to heal you.”
George forced out a hum of acknowledgment, but he wasn’t very happy. He turned his head away from Jima’s lap and stood up.
The ground shook, and the sound of iron hooves pounding the earth approached. This little peaceful place was doomed to be disturbed.
Jima noticed that George was starting to get tense. He silently plucked a tuft of thick fur from his skin, roots and all, without a sound. Jima didn’t expose him; instead, she nudged him and said, “Your sword.”
Jima held George’s massive golden sword with both hands. It was heavy, and the stains on it had been cleaned, revealing the white blade and gems without any foul smell, only a scented hint of potion. A new black ribbon was added to the hilt, making it look completely renewed.
George felt warmth in his heart as he took the sword. He noticed that Jima, who usually loved cleanliness, hadn’t even cleaned the dried amniotic fluid off her body; her black hair hung over her face. He sincerely said, “Thank you.”
“Who told you I’m a lowly servant?” Jima smiled, revealing her small white tiger teeth, and while speaking, she brushed her hair, untangling her matted black locks.
A group of knights was charging towards them. They couldn’t see the two and assumed it was an empty space.
Jima looked at the single curved horn on George’s head and asked, “Are you ready?”
“I’m ready,” George said, casually slinging the sword over his shoulder. His expression returned to its usual seriousness, focused and earnest. It was clear he appeared to be a righteous person.
Jima positioned herself beside him, resting the axe-spear on the ground, and dispelled the “Quiet Concealment Barrier.”
The battle was nearing its end stage, and the knights were relaxed and casual, chasing down fleeing enemies while chatting.
“Who knows how the Mother of All Beasts died?”
“Maybe it was the wrath of the goddess. The Lionheart King must have injured her, and her wounds worsened, leading to her death.”
“If it weren’t for George betraying us suddenly, we would have won already. Who knew he was actually the offspring of the Mother of All Beasts, planted here as a spy?”
“I heard he turned into a terrifying beast.”
“No matter how terrifying, I’ll make sure to pierce that cunning traitor to death.”
“Two people suddenly appeared up ahead?”
“Is that a succubus!”
During this time, the succubus had been flying in the sky daily, and many people recognized her.
The black-haired succubus waved her arms and shouted, “Hey, stop right there!”
The knights reined in their horses, forming a semi-circle around the two, looking down at George, as if he were some rare animal.
George raised his hand to his brow and said, “I am George the Dragon Slayer.”
His expression remained unchanged, and no knight saluted him or dismounted.
A knight raised his sword and pointed it at George, saying, “You traitor!”
“I have never betrayed you.”
“Shut up! Why on earth would I believe you? Just look at you, with one horn, isn’t it hard to pass as a human?”
“Put down your sword, young knight,” another knight with a deep voice said, “he may have been cursed by the Mother of All Beasts, turning into this form.”
The young, impetuous knight let his sword drop slightly and asked, “Are you or are you not the son of the Mother of All Beasts?”
Jima knew well that George, brainwashed by the teachings of the sanctum, was quite straightforward and would answer anything posed to him.
Jima immediately interrupted, “We killed the Mother of All Beasts, be cautious, knights! Her extraordinary material is dissipating, and be careful not to be contaminated and mutated into a grotesque form!”
The young knight wasn’t afraid of battle or death, but the thought of turning into a monster and dying in shame terrified him.
He hurriedly asked, “Where?”
Jima’s eyes fixed sharply on the ground beneath his horse, and she shook her head in disapproval.
The young knight scared, tightened the reins. Contamination from extraordinary material was no joke; knightly noble families were well aware of such things.
As a result, once the young knight moved, the other knights took him seriously and hurriedly scattered their horses.
In the blink of an eye, a large gap appeared in the previously surrounding knights, all of them leaving.
Jima pointed not far behind to a pile of black ashes, still emitting wisps of blue smoke, with a thick “red blood” seeping out from beneath: “Over there!”
The young knight, somewhat ashamed and angry, replied, “You’re lying to me.”
“I’m reminding you of your identity,” Jima pointed at the horn on George’s head: “Look how scared you all are; he is the one who aimed to kill the Mother of All Beasts, even if it means almost becoming a minotaur. By the way, George struck her in half with your blazing great sword, didn’t he?”
George couldn’t help but smile. This little trick reminded him of when he and Jima first arrived at Shalin City, where young Jima used a similar trick to mislead many.
George nodded, saying, “Yes, I delivered the decisive blow.”
The knights felt a surge of guilt; some dismounted and raised their visors. Showing their faces was a form of etiquette.
One said, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” George sighed in relief and smiled, “I understand.”
The atmosphere grew a bit lighter; despite the horn atop George’s head, it was a testament to his self-sacrifice.
The young knight also dismounted. He suddenly recalled his previous question and asked, “So, is the Mother of All Beasts really your mother?”
George quickly replied, “Yes, she is my biological mother.”
The atmosphere instantly plummeted to a freezing point. The knight who had approached George for a handshake retracted his hand, while the knights who had dismounted quickly mounted their horses, gazing at George with suspicion and wariness.
Some even drew their swords and raised their lances.
George asked, “Are you all planning to kill me?”
The response was silence, until finally, the young knight said, “Yes.”
He added, “All mutants and beastmen cannot be trusted. When my brother was born with two goat horns, my father drowned him with his own hands, burned his body, and had someone take it outside the territory to be disposed of.”
Jima leaned against George, her axe-spear pointed sideways at the knights, saying, “See, George? Look at you, working so hard for the people of Bartow, even losing an elder like your father, and their reward for you is only the blade at your throat. If it weren’t for your exceptional skills, you would have been a corpse by now. Afterwards, they would declare you sacrificed in this battle, giving you and themselves a kind of dignity.”
“So I said from the start, the Bartow people get eaten by beastmen; it has nothing to do with us. These knights shout about chivalry all day long. When it comes time to share life and death with the city, their only thoughts are to escape, leaving you as the scapegoat to organize the city’s defense while in the end, gaining nothing; it’s truly both weak and hypocritical.”
“You!” the young knight shouted, raising his sword and kicking his horse’s belly, trying to show Jima the color of his blade.
The older knight quickly seized his reins, saying, “Enough! Calm down!”
George’s face was cold, but his sword remained slung over his shoulder as he asked, “What do you all plan to do next?”
“We will report to His Majesty the Lionheart King so he can decide.”
“It’s fine, we’re leaving,” Jima said, “You’re not even qualified to judge me and him.”
“Then go tell the Lionheart King.”
“George!” Jima said, “You actually place your life and safety in others’ hands.”
George replied, “I have a clear conscience.”
“Oh, isn’t the essence still for fame? Fame is merely others’ praise; why do they praise? Isn’t it to make capable people involuntarily work for them for free?”
Jima said, “Look how pitiful this is. A bunch of weaklings, weaker than ants, gathering to waggle their tongues and make the strong do menial work. The most shameful part is, once the strong are exhausted, they are still thinking about whether to butcher and skin them.”
The knights glanced at Jima.
George said, “I will wait here.”
A group of knights departed, going to report, and the remaining knights scattered.
“Damn it,” Jima kicked George’s calf hard and said, “I don’t want to deal with you anymore.”
About twenty minutes later, a messenger arrived late and said, “The Lionheart King has issued an order for you to wait in the tent until he delivers a just judgment, and he promises to ensure your safety.”
“Great! That so-called king who rides the griffin, always getting hit while holding a shield,” Jima said, “When it comes to heroes, he didn’t even put on armor, making him walk back to a rickety tent wearing only his underwear? He really doesn’t understand gratitude; without us, he would have long fled on his griffin in disgrace.”
