Forced to Sell Myself to the Female Lead After Killing the Male Lead

Vol 2. Chapter 1: Dealing with the Aftermath

As Yumo, Liyu, and the others departed, the Abyss Demons wandering around Garos Fortress gradually withdrew and returned to the Great Winter Forest.

What remained behind was the nearly ruined Garos Fortress, along with tens of thousands of cold corpses.

The once lively fortress had already ceased to exist.

What remained was nothing but a land of deathly silence.

—

Looking at the silent ruins of Garos Fortress, Marquis Xiumu-Duke let out a long sigh. Deep inside, he even felt a trace of relief.

There was no doubt about it.

The unknown existence that had appeared inside Garos Fortress, surrounded by blood-red butterflies, was definitely a terrifying monster beyond Demon King class.

If such a monster had made a move, the tens of thousands of troops under his command would have met certain death.

Yet...

That kind of monster had simply left for some inexplicable reason?

Even taking all the nearby Abyss Demons away with it?

For a moment, Xiumu felt as though he were dreaming. Everything around him seemed unreal.

Only after slapping himself several times and feeling the sharp pain did he realize that this was not a dream.

Everything before him had truly happened.

And after understanding that, another huge problem immediately appeared before him.

How to rebuild Garos Fortress.

The destruction of the fortress meant that the northern defense line had been torn open.

It had to be repaired as quickly as possible.

Otherwise, if other Abyss Demons moved south through this breach, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However...

Repairing the fortress would require massive amounts of manpower. Once large groups of people gathered, their scent would surely attract Abyss Demons again.

After all, the demonic tide had only just withdrawn. They were likely still lingering around the outer regions of the Great Winter Forest.

If another wave attacked, even without that horrifying existence...

They no longer had the power to resist.

Turning back and looking at the tens of thousands of unconscious soldiers collapsed on the ground, Xiumu unconsciously clenched his fists.

Heh.

Forget rebuilding the fortress or defending against Abyss Demons.

His own army was practically crippled.

Even he himself had been nearly exhausted by the impact of that crimson energy.

"Sigh... what should we do now?"

Xiumu fell into hesitation.

At that moment, Sikta, commander of the Blizzard Knights, dragged his weakened body over and pointed into the distance with a grave expression.

"Marquis, th-there are people over there."

"Hm?"

Hearing that, Xiumu frowned and followed Sikta's line of sight.

The next moment, his brows knit together slightly, and seriousness appeared in his blue eyes.

Those knights?

That black rose emblem?

Th-that's the Black Rose Family of the Sadik Empire?

Wh-why are they here?

—

A short while later, a group of several dozen black-armored knights slowly approached the Blizzard Knights.

Then, under the puzzled gazes of Xiumu and Sikta, a figure wearing a black cloak rode out from among them and came before the two men.

The mysterious person raised a hand and removed the hood concealing her face.

Revealing an exquisitely delicate little face.

Long pink-white gradient hair cascaded down gracefully, a few strands falling beside her cheeks and adding a gentle charm. Her brows curved like crescent moons, and her clear orange-yellow eyes sparkled like stars. Combined with her slightly soft, chubby cheeks, she looked incredibly lovable.

The girl was exceedingly cute and charming.

However, Xiumu didn't dare underestimate her because of her youthful appearance.

Because from the moment she approached, he sensed danger from her.

And after glancing at the terrifying giant hammer strapped behind her back, Xiumu narrowed his blue eyes.

Clearly, this doll-like little girl was a Saint-class expert no weaker than himself.

As Xiumu maintained his vigilance, the knight girl slowly dismounted and respectfully bowed.

"Greetings, Marquis Xiumu-Duke. I am Qiu Mingtong, commander of the Autumnfall Legion under the Black Rose Family. Following the orders of our Duke, I have come to support Wind Facing City."

?!!

"S-support?"

Xiumu looked puzzled.

The various empires and factions had indeed once formed a mutual defense alliance against Abyss Demon invasions.

But over the years, everyone had practically abandoned that alliance.

Whenever Abyss Demons attacked, every faction simply dealt with its own problems.

From the beginning, Xiumu had never expected foreign reinforcements.

They had never sent aid before, so why now?

Strange.

And besides...

The Black Rose Family was located in the southwestern region of the Sadik Empire, wasn't it?

They were thousands of miles away from Wind Facing City and had no connection with them whatsoever.

Why had they suddenly come to help?

And so actively at that?

They were the first foreign reinforcements to arrive.

The more Xiumu thought about it, the tighter his brows became.

While he was lost in thought, Sikta beside him couldn't help but speak first.

"Support? The Abyss Demons have already retreated! What's there left to support?"

His tone was extremely hostile, clearly carrying intense animosity toward the Sadik Empire.

But Qiu Mingtong, the Saint-class girl, seemed completely unconcerned.

Maintaining her emotionless little expression, she pointed toward the ruined fortress in the distance and the vast sea of "dead people" behind Sikta.

"The fortress over there needs rebuilding, doesn't it? Our legion has fifty thousand soldiers. We can help guard the place. Judging from your current state, you don't seem capable of resisting Abyss Demons."

"Th-this..."

Sikta found himself speechless.

At that moment, Xiumu stepped forward and shot Sikta an unhappy glance, signaling him to remain silent.

After seeing him shut up, Xiumu smiled amiably at the expressionless girl.

"My apologies, Miss Qiu. Please forgive my subordinate's rudeness."

"It's fine."

"Then... are you serious about helping us guard that fortress? It currently has no defenses whatsoever. It's completely exposed to Abyss Demon attacks! You know it might even suffer attacks from Demon King-class creatures!"

"Yes, we know."

Qiu Mingtong answered calmly.

"Th-then why..."

"Yes. Those are the Duke's orders. Not only will we help guard the border, restore the defense line, and prevent Abyss Demon invasions, we will also assist in searching for survivors nearby."

"Th..."

Hearing that answer, Xiumu froze for several seconds.

They knew the situation in the north and still wanted to guard it?

Were they trying to gain fame?

Hm?

Perhaps they came from the south and had never witnessed the horrors of Abyss Demons, causing them to make such a reckless decision?

Without basic defenses, who would willingly clash with demonic hordes?

No...

Impossible.

Xiumu immediately rejected that thought.

Though he had never interacted with the Black Rose Family, he knew well how shrewd their head, Xiao, was.

One couldn't become a Grand Duke of the Sadik Empire without being capable.

There had to be another purpose.

"Miss Qiu, we are deeply grateful for your Duke's assistance. May I ask what we can do in return?"

If they were willing to send troops here...

They had to be seeking something.

As if guessing his thoughts, Qiu Mingtong nodded slightly.

"Yes. Our Duke hopes that afterward, the Black Rose Family can obtain the mining rights to the Galatmo Ice Crystal Mine in northern Snow Night Empire for the next twenty years."

"Mining rights?"

Xiumu narrowed his eyes.

Come to think of it, the Black Rose Family had participated in the bidding before.

Because the Sadik Empire was located in the southwest of the continent and had long maintained poor relations with Snow Night Empire, ice crystal ore was extremely scarce there.

If they could mine northern ice crystal ore and transport it back home, the profits would be enormous.

So...

They had sent troops here for mining rights.

It sounded reasonable enough.

"Very well. I understand. Until our troops recover, I'll trouble your forces to guard the border."

"Naturally."

For once, a faint smile appeared on Qiu Mingtong's face.

...

...

After exchanging a few more polite words, Qiu Mingtong and the black-armored knights headed toward Garos Fortress under the watchful gazes of Xiumu and the others.

Watching them depart, Sikta beside Xiumu revealed a suspicious look.

"Marquis... I don't know why, but something feels strange."

"Hm? Why do you say that?"

"They're going to guard the border. They'll have to fight Abyss Demons at any time. But that girl... she didn't seem worried at all."

"..."

"It was like she wasn't afraid of encountering Abyss Demons. Or perhaps... she didn't think Abyss Demons would attack at all."

Sikta frowned.

"The feeling she gave off..."

"...was more like someone going on a picnic."

Hearing his subordinate's words, Xiumu fell silent.

Deep in thought, he gazed toward the north.