Chapter 64: Two Finger Disarm
[Quest Completed Successfully!]
[Your facial features remain flawlessly handsome and highly seductive.]
[Distributing Rewards: +20 Strength, Skill ’Kinetic Armor’ Acquired, 300 Shameless Points.]
Leon mentally ignored the explosive surge of muscular power elevating his Strength to one hundred and seventy points and focused entirely on the beautiful woman surrendering in his arms.
He leaned forward and captured Beatrice’s soft trembling lips in a deeply passionate bruising kiss.
She tasted faintly of sweet mint and intoxicating cold magic.
The Ice Queen initially kept her hands flat against his chest but the sheer blistering heat of his mouth completely short circuited her remaining discipline.
She let out a soft desperate whine and slid her arms up wrapping them tightly around his broad shoulders. She opened her mouth eagerly inviting his tongue to aggressively explore her heat.
Leon tangled his fingers into her silky silver hair and gently guided the rhythm of their highly charged makeout session.
He utilized his Basic Caress skill to lightly stroke the exposed skin of her lower back sending highly concentrated sparks of electric pleasure directly into her nervous system.
Beatrice violently arched her spine pressing her generous chest firmly against his bare muscles.
They remained locked together in the dimly lit bedroom for several intense minutes exploring the desperate boundaries of their mutual attraction until the sheer lack of oxygen forced them to reluctantly part.
Beatrice rested her flushed forehead against his chin panting heavily while her icy blue eyes remained half lidded with pure unadulterated desire.
"You are incredibly dangerous Leon," she whispered softly her voice completely devoid of its usual strict authority. "If the Patriarch ever discovers the extent of your shameless behavior will he still keep you?"
"He already knows I claimed you Beatrice," Leon replied smoothly offering a wicked magnetic smirk. "And he officially assigned you to handle me. I highly suggest you take your duties very seriously."
He gently kissed the tip of her nose before effortlessly shifting her weight off his lap and setting her back onto the edge of the mattress.
She was almost ready.
Beatrice looked deeply frustrated by his sudden restraint but she quickly gathered her discarded medical tray and her wire rimmed glasses.
She stood up smoothing down her wrinkled silk nightgown and fighting to restore a tiny fraction of her professional composure.
"Report to the main courtyard at dawn Leon," Beatrice commanded weakly refusing to look back at his heavily muscled chest. "House Vane is arriving to offer their formal assistance following the siege. The Patriarch requires your presence during the diplomatic reception."
She slipped quietly out of his private suite leaving Leon to enjoy a highly restful sleep perfectly fueled by his massive statistical gains.
The morning sun cast a bright golden glow over the heavily scarred main courtyard of the Sterling estate.
The lower servants had managed to clear the majority of the rubble but the deep scorch marks staining the stone walls served as a grim reminder of the brutal Syndicate assault.
Leon stood near the back of the Vanguard formation wearing a pristine new set of tailored black aristocratic combat leathers provided by the estate quartermaster.
His massive physical stats made the dark armor fit his rugged frame perfectly projecting an aura of lethal silent competence.
The heavy iron gates groaned open allowing a procession of heavily armored knights bearing the emerald green crest of House Vane to enter the courtyard.
House Vane was a highly influential rival noble family known for their mastery over wind and lightning magic.
They had conveniently arrived exactly three days after the siege had ended bringing a massive surplus of medical supplies and building materials intended to showcase their superior resources while secretly evaluating the weakened state of House Sterling.
Leading the procession was Lord Vane a tall arrogant nobleman riding a beautiful white stallion.
Riding directly beside him was Lady Isolde Vane his eldest daughter and the captain of their elite guard.
Isolde was breathtakingly beautiful possessing fiery red hair tied in a strict braid and piercing emerald green eyes that looked down upon the world with absolute haughty disdain.
She wore highly polished emerald armor that perfectly accentuated her generous curves and carried a thin elegant rapier resting on her hip.
The Patriarch of House Sterling stood at the top of the grand marble steps flanked by Seraphina and Commander Vance.
"We are deeply grieved by the tragic assault on your ancestral home Lord Sterling," Lord Vane announced loudly ensuring his mocking tone echoed across the quiet courtyard. "We rushed our forces here the moment we heard the rumors. It is truly a pity the great Sterling Vanguard could not repel a simple mercenary raid without sustaining such heavy catastrophic losses."
Commander Vance gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on his runic greatsword but the Patriarch simply maintained a cold calculating gaze.
Lady Isolde sneered and let her arrogant emerald eyes sweep over the battered Sterling knights before locking onto Leon standing near the back of the formation.
She instantly recognized that he lacked a formal magical signature indicating he was nothing more than a commoner allowed to stand among the elite.
"It seems House Sterling has grown truly desperate," Isolde mocked smoothly her voice dripping with aristocratic venom. "Allowing a magicless peasant to wear combat leathers and stand among the Vanguard. I suppose when your true knights are too weak to fight you must rely on the lowly servants to sweep up the mess."
Leon expression remained unamused. He activated his perfect Aura Tracking and noted the highly volatile lightning magic actively sparking around her slender frame.
The crystal bell chimed beautifully in his skull projecting a glowing pink text box directly over the arrogant redhead.
[Face-Slapping Quest Issued: The Rival’s Humiliation]
[Context: A haughty vulture has arrived to mock the house you just saved.]
[Objective: Show them you are anything but weak.]
[Reward: +20 Agility, Skill ’Lightning Resistance (Intermediate)’, 400 Shameless Points.]
[Failure Penalty: The Host will suffer a violent localized magical spasm causing him to completely violently rip his own trousers perfectly in half exposing his backside to the entire diplomatic party.]
Leon read the penalty and instantly stepped out of the Vanguard formation.
His one hundred and ninety five points of Agility allowed him to cross the muddy courtyard with a silent predatory grace that completely defied natural physics.
He materialized directly beside Lady Isolde’s white stallion before her elite guards even registered his movement.
Isolde gasped in pure shock and instinctively drew her elegant rapier.
The thin steel blade crackled violently with highly concentrated lethal lightning magic aimed directly at his neck.
Leon simply raised his right hand.
He utilized his upgraded Kinetic Armor perfectly insulating his flesh against the electrical current. He smoothly pinched the razor sharp glowing steel blade directly between his bare index finger and his thumb.
The massive kinetic force generated by his one hundred and seventy Strength points instantly halted the weapon dead in its tracks.
The lightning violently sparked against his skin but completely failed to cause a single scorch mark.
Isolde stared in absolute unadulterated horror as the magicless servant effortlessly stopped her lethal strike with two bare fingers.
Leon utilized his dark magnetic eyes to lock onto her panicked emerald pupils and offered her a charming wicked smirk.
"You maintain a very lovely polish on this blade Lady Isolde," Leon stated in a deep resonant voice that echoed across the silent courtyard.
He casually twisted his wrist utilizing his monstrous strength to effortlessly rip the weapon entirely out of her desperate grasp.
"But your grip is incredibly sloppy. Does House Vance not train their Eldest daughter?"