Chapter 43: Battle Master

Natalie had never heard such bizarre rhetoric before. She was momentarily stunned. "Offering everything except actual assistance?" she thought. "Is that supposed to be help or not?"

Was the Catgirl planning to simply stand on the sidelines, wagging her tail and cheering her on during the fight?

In the end, Natalie said nothing. Cipher had already provided invaluable help by getting her inside, and she wasn't one to push her luck or demand more.

Soon, they reached the staircase leading from the second floor to the ground floor. Natalie cautiously peeked over the railing and spotted Viscount Braun in the center of the grand hall, conversing with a guard. Guards were stationed at the main entrance and beside each window.

"Twelve guards and eight adventurers," Natalie calculated with a quick glance. Facing twenty opponents alone would be overwhelmingly disadvantageous, but her goal wasn't to eliminate them all. She only needed to reach and kill Viscount Braun amidst the crowd.

Natalie didn't care how she would escape after killing Viscount Braun. Surviving would be ideal, but death held no fear for her. That was her mindset.

Taking a deep breath, Natalie leaped from the second floor. Unleashing the full force of her Aura of Vengeance, she unleashed a palpable wave of murderous intent. In that instant, everyone in the hall felt as if they were being stalked by a ferocious beast, primal fear gripping their hearts.

"Divine Smite!"

Black magic power swirled around Natalie's longsword. With a vertical slash, she cleaved the nearest guard in two.

The surging magic power roared forward unabated, striking another guard within two meters and blasting him away. His chest instantly became a bloody ruin. Even if he survived the initial blow, he would likely spend the rest of his life bedridden.

The suddenness of the attack caught most of the hall's occupants off guard, especially the eight hired adventurers, who stood frozen in place.

Some adventurers were genuinely stunned, while others hesitated, wondering whether to intervene.

It wasn't that these adventurers were timid; their opponent was simply terrifying. From the moment she appeared, Natalie radiated murderous intent, acting as if determined to fight to the death.

As the saying goes, "The tough fear the stubborn, and the stubborn fear the reckless." The adventurers had come hoping to fish in troubled waters, snatching easy assists for quick coin. Instead, they faced an enemy as ferocious as a rabid dog, ready to sink her teeth into anyone who dared strike and never let go. Who could withstand such ferocity?

To make matters worse, Natalie had opened with Divine Smite, a skill as iconic as it was potent. A core technique of Paladins, it was the same skill they used to slay Goblins at the start of their adventures and the Demon Lord at the end, perfectly embodying the beauty of raw power.

In short, the Divine Smite, combined with Natalie's status as a Paladin, only deepened the adventurers' apprehension. They were still debating whether to act. Moreover, if this Paladin was targeting Viscount Braun, could it mean he had committed some unspeakable atrocity?

Yes, Paladins enjoyed such a stellar reputation in this world that if two groups clashed and one side included a Paladin, supporting them without hesitation was always the right choice.

This was exactly what Natalie intended. While the adventurers hesitated, she charged towards Viscount Braun, effortlessly cutting down two more guards. When she was less than ten paces from her target, two guards stepped forward to intercept her.

Bang!

The instant their weapons met, Natalie's expression twisted in shock as she felt the overwhelming force radiating from her opponent. This guard was a Silver Adventurer-level warrior!

Someone of this caliber would typically command at least a thousand soldiers in an army. In the relatively weak Grand Duchy of Kandela, they could easily serve as a deputy to a Shogun, if not a Shogun themselves.

How could such a capable warrior be relegated to the mundane role of guarding a noble?

In that instant, a whirlwind of thoughts raced through Natalie's mind: either Viscount Braun was deliberately cultivating these warriors as part of some grand scheme, or...

But the battlefield allowed no room for distraction. The two warriors unleashed a relentless storm of attacks, their teamwork seamless. As one finished their assault, the other struck immediately, and when the second withdrew, the first was already swinging again.

Most importantly, both were undeniable masters of swordsmanship, overwhelming Natalie with their skill—much like she had once overwhelmed Aria. Under their relentless onslaught, Natalie exhausted all her energy just defending, leaving her no chance to counterattack.

Retreating step by step, Natalie was soon forced against the staircase. During the desperate fight, she attempted to use her Soul-Piercing Gaze to immobilize one of her opponents. But the seasoned warrior simply gritted his teeth, glared furiously, and broke free from the mind-shattering terror in less than two seconds—a terror that would have driven an ordinary person to madness.

In a one-on-one fight, two seconds would have been more than enough for Natalie to cripple her opponent with a Divine Smite. But this was no solo duel. The other warrior, seeing his teammate restrained, instantly switched from offense to defense, adopting a defensive stance and stepping in front of his ally to absorb Natalie's devastating attack.

The moment the Divine Smite struck, the warrior expertly wielded his weapon to dissipate the force. Yet even with this skillful maneuver, he was still knocked back nearly ten steps, the residual magic power from the slash tearing gashes across his arm, cheek, and chest.

Such minor wounds meant nothing to a seasoned warrior; they wouldn't diminish his combat prowess in the slightest.

By then, the first warrior had recovered from his restraint. He surged forward, launching a renewed assault on Natalie.

Watching from her secret vantage point on the second floor, Cipher clicked her tongue in amusement. She vaguely remembered these two warriors. Weren't they the ones guarding Viscount Braun in the vault when she sent that warning letter and made off with the cash? Who knew they were this competent? she mused. ...I guess?

PS: There are twelve primary classes: Warrior, Priest, Wizard, Rogue, Sorcerer, Warlock, Druid, Monk, Bard, Paladin, Barbarian, and Ranger.

Each primary class has numerous subclasses. For example, Wizards have the Eight Great Schools, Priests have the Twelve Faiths, and Paladins have various Oaths. Each subclass grants unique skills and abilities.

The two warriors facing Natalie were both 8th-level Warrior Battle Masters.