CH490 Infamy

***

"How long was I out?" Alex asked.

"Over a day," Eleanor replied.

She rose as well, then walked to the rune table to back up her documents.

"Over a day?" Alex was stunned. "I must've been more tired than I realised…" he muttered, frowning slightly.

Although the Everspring Rune could ease mental fatigue too, if it reached a certain threshold, he'd encoded a protocol that stopped it from doing so—forcing his body to rely on natural recovery instead.

After all, for mental exhaustion in particular, no method was better than sleep.

Alex walked over to a nearby barrel, scooped some water, then stripped and wiped himself down for basic hygiene.

When he turned around, he caught Eleanor watching him like it was a show.

He tilted his head, giving her an askance look.

Eleanor simply shook her head, unbothered.

Alex snorted quietly, dressed in fresh clothes, and the two of them left the Sanctuary together.

"I've been cooped up in seclusion for over a week now," Alex said suddenly. "I should take some time to explore the camp before we move on."

Eleanor nodded in agreement.

They were just about to leave when the door sprang open.

Zora and Udara entered.

Alex's eyes widened in mild shock the moment he sensed Zora's newly raised rank.

"That's all I get?" Zora folded her arms, one eyebrow raised.

Alex blinked, taken aback. He genuinely didn't understand why she looked displeased.

A second later, it clicked.

'Ah… she's showing off to me, but my reaction was too flat.'

So Alex did what every smart husband in his position would do…

"Oh, my Empress. Forgive me." He placed a hand over his chest dramatically. "I was so taken aback by your brilliance that I didn't know how to properly react."

He leaned forward slightly, voice dripping with shameless flattery.

"As expected of the Ice Empress's genius. Advancing almost an entire stage as casually as breathing… truly, the heavens are unfair."

Not sure if he was safe yet, he doubled down.

"Where others struggle and claw their way forward with blood and tears…" He wore a pained expression, as if wounded by his own inferiority, then quickly morphed into awe. "Your Majesty, the Ice Empress, has to suppress her own rate of progress. Ah, the suffering of an unprecedented genius. How can mortals like me ever understand—"

"Alex Fury, that's enough!" Zora stamped her foot.

She rolled her eyes at him.

Alex was even more taken aback.

'You were displeased because I didn't flatter you… and now you're displeased because I am flattering you.' He sighed inwardly.

'Ah, women…'

He walked up and pulled both Zora and Udara into his arms, one on each side.

"I feel like I haven't seen you two in a week," he said, then kissed them both—quick and warm.

"You're the one who slept like a log," Zora replied.

"I can't be blamed." Alex lifted his hands in surrender. "It takes a lot of… effort to satisfy milady Empress."

He paused, then grinned.

"Being able to get up after a full day is a testament to my… viri—" he coughed lightly, correcting himself with a straight face, "—vitality."

He winked, then stepped back like he'd just thrown a grenade and walked away from the explosion.

"Ah!" Zora stared at him, dumbfounded.

Alex immediately took a deep bow, making it look like Zora was stunned by his magnificent performance.

Udara and Eleanor couldn't hold it in and openly burst into laughter at Zora's expense.

Zora rolled her eyes at all of them.

Alex straightened, still chuckling.

"I want to finally check out the camp," he said. "Do you want to come?" he invited.

Alex and his wives left their inn and began touring the camp. Behind them, the other members of the expedition party also stepped out for a much-needed break.

As they walked through Camp Red Rock, they quickly realised there was a festive mood in the air—especially amongst the orcs.

"Brother…" Alex called out to a random passer-by. "What's going on? Is there a celebration happening?"

"Are you stu—?" The man was about to lash out, but the moment he properly saw the group behind Alex, his jaw dropped.

His body stiffened, then visibly shivered.

His gaze flicked to Alex's wives first.

'Frost Empress… Shadow Death… and Blood Priestess.' The man mentally listed them out, his throat bobbing.

Then his eyes drifted to Alex's followers.

'Striped Butcher… Savage Fist… Slouching Slayer… Shooting Widowmaker…'

Finally, his attention landed on the Fury soldiers in their uniformed armour.

'The Blood Lions…'

Slowly, the man's eyes returned to Alex himself.

'Then… then… he must be…'

"Scorch Caller…" the man muttered without realising he'd spoken aloud.

The fear on his face didn't vanish, but changed—morphing into something closer to reverence and excitement.

"Sir!" the man began hurriedly, hands cupping flatteringly as he spoke. "The orc tribe is holding a celebration to honour their ancestral spirit after finally bringing down that dastardly nest lord who killed their kin!"

He swallowed, then continued with even more enthusiasm.

"And thanks to the abundance brought to the camp by the lady's generosity…" He turned and nodded respectfully to Eleanor. "…the camp's been enjoying a proper boon. So the residents decided to turn the orcs' celebration into a full festival!"

He explained a bit more, but once he was done, he quickly backed away, continuously bowing as if Alex might strike him for breathing too loudly, before finally scurrying off.

Alex watched him leave, expressionlessly.

He didn't miss the fear in the man's eyes when he first recognised the group.

He slowly turned and looked back at his party, a faint frown forming on his face.

What Alex didn't know was that while he'd been in seclusion, his wives and followers had become infamous figures—names that people in Camp Red Rock had learned never to offend.

Somehow, one of the more persistent rumours spreading through the camp was that Brieger—one of the camp's powerhouses—had been killed because his subordinate had disrespected the women.

No one wanted to follow in Brieger's footsteps.

Especially not now that it had become publicly known that these women were anything but ordinary.

A sorceress, a priestess, and an 'assassin' who could come and go anywhere she pleased.

None of them were people anyone in Camp Red Rock could afford to offend.

And that wasn't even mentioning the other notable contributions the women had made to the camp. Eleanor's aforementioned economic boon was the clearest example—something the camp's leadership readily acknowledge.

As for Alex's expedition members, they had become exactly what he'd suspected they would.

The adventurers had spread tales of their strength and killing power like wildfire. Those who had entered the nest during the beast core craze—sparked by Eleanor's bounty—had also witnessed their might firsthand.

In the eyes of the camp's residents, Alex's group had become even more feared than Rolfe and Bram's gang.

Before Alex could inquire further, Zora shot her sisters a subtle look.

Then she and Eleanor stepped forward at the same time, each taking one of Alex's arms, and casually—but firmly—pulling him toward the roadside stalls.

Udara, meanwhile, glanced back at the other expedition members behind them and made a small gesture.

The group immediately understood. They dispersed to enjoy the festival in their own way.

Only then did Udara fall back into step beside Alex and the other two women.

***

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