In the Evil Lands, Rody and Chris lay hidden in a thicket of thorns two kilometers away from an orc encampment, stealthily observing the enemy situation. There were several large trees nearby, but they did not climb them, as the orc shamans had cast several Eye of Surveillance spells above. Normally, scouts would climb to high vantage points for better views, but not even the smartest shaman could outwit the highly intelligent and suspicious Rody and Chris.

Rody had psychic sensing abilities, easily detecting the magical traps in the trees. Chris, too, seemed to have a strong sense of perception, seamlessly cooperating with Rody in their movements, never once falling into the orc shamans’ magical traps.

"Hey, look over there, there's a beautiful woman!" Chris suddenly pointed at one of the orc tents, using magic to transmit his voice to Rody.

"This is…" At first, Rody thought she was a human, but upon closer inspection, he realized she was anything but. The woman was exceptionally tall and muscular, her body exhibiting a strong, athletic build quite unlike that of a human. Her attire was bold; she wore only two leather belts across her chest, barely containing her ample bosom, and a short leather skirt that did little to cover her muscular thighs and long calves. What caught Rody's attention was the lion's tail trailing behind her, along with her flame-like hair, almost making him exclaim in surprise.

"She's an orc, probably the daughter of the Lionheart King," Chris transmitted magically. "Her presence here is no simple matter."

"Good heavens!" Rody noticed two female orc berserkers dressed similarly but with longer, sharper tusks, carrying a long-handled axe five times wider than a regular orc's axe. The fiery-haired woman handled it with ease, showcasing her terrifying strength. The blood-flower patterns on the giant axe were intimidating, and Rody realized she was a Bloodflower Axemaiden of the lion tribe, possessing strength equivalent to a human Sword Emperor. It was astonishing to see such a young female orc reach such heights.

"I bet she’s here for your pretty face!" Chris’s words carried a hint of sourness.

"Who's the pretty face? You're the pretty face!" Rody retorted angrily. If anyone was fair, it was Chris, an individual with elven blood, daring to call him pretty.

"Shush!" Chris noticed the Bloodflower Axemaiden seemed to sense something and looked their way. He quickly pressed Rody down to hide.

"Who's there?" The Bloodflower Axemaiden, alert and swift, darted over, but all she saw was a thicket of thorns. Chris's natural magic provided excellent camouflage in the forest, making it difficult for anyone to detect them, unless they were a flower sprite with a spiritual connection to the trees. The Axemaiden was suspicious of the presence of human scouts nearby but couldn't pinpoint their location despite scrutinizing her surroundings.

Rody and Chris lay flat on the ground, concealing their presence by drawing their breaths into their storage space, holding their breath in silence.

They never expected to encounter such a keenly perceptive female beastman, who, with just a few extra glances, could detect their presence and accurately determine their direction.

“I know who you are, human scouts, you must be under Rody’s command, right? Maybe, you are Rody himself!” The Bloodflower Axe Woman, Martina, who could speak fluent Common Human Language, said, “I am the daughter of the Lionheart King, Martina, which in your human terms means a Female War Goddess! I am delighted to meet you today, the elite among humans, the leader among elites. Sergeant Rody, why not come out and greet me?”

Rody thought, if you would throw away that giant Bloodflower Axe in your hand and tie yourself up, maybe I would come out.

But for now, no way.

“You humans are all cowards!” Martina, failing to find Rody and Chris, mocked angrily.

“…” Rody and Chris exchanged a stealthy glance. Such mockery was child’s play to them; even if it could provoke the dead to rise from their coffins, it was useless against them.

“You humans, all impotent, incompetent men!” Martina's taunt might work on someone else.

“…” Chris winked at Rody, secretly snickering. Rody, infuriated, wanted to strangle him, scaring Chris into blinking rapidly as a sign of surrender.

Two female beastman berserkers rushed over and, under Martina's command, chopped down several large trees.

In the thunderous collapse, the giant trees shook the earth.

Rody and Chris dared not move. They would dare to ambush a Shaman Warlord because they were mages’ nemesis. But facing a violent melee type like the Bloodflower Axe Woman, they preferred to avoid confrontation. Unlike ordinary people who would rather face a Bloodflower Axe Woman than a Shaman Warlord, as the latter were mostly more powerful, Rody and Chris would rather fight a Shaman Warlord.

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If they couldn’t beat a Shaman Warlord, they could flee, but facing a Bloodflower Axe Woman and losing would be dangerous.

Besides, this Martina was obviously not a typical Bloodflower Axe Woman.

“The cunning humans, if I catch you, I will tear you to pieces!” Martina knew there were human scouts nearby, but after the trees fell, she lost her basic sensing ability. In anger, she picked up her oversized Bloodflower Axe and swung it a few times at suspicious places.

For Rody, those swings were as catastrophic as the sky falling and the earth splitting.

Because the axe's force was cleaving near him, it seemed Martina’s sensing was indeed accurate.

After nightfall, only when they were sure that Martina had given up searching did Rody and Chris return with lingering fear. Both were covered in mud and dust, looking disheveled. After making several rounds and sending out mantises and rabbits to scout the area to ensure safety, they sneaked back to the elite campsite. That very night, they led all the elites away from this dangerous place.

Rody would rather fight ten Bloodflower Axe Beasts without psychic sensing than face a woman like Martina with such acute senses. With her around, there was no chance of a surprise attack. And there was always the worry of her unexpectedly tracking them down.

While leading the retreat, Rody suddenly thought of the lovely Jill. If she were there, he wouldn’t have to worry about being ambushed, and they wouldn't accidentally walk into an ambush set by the beastmen. Having her would make things much easier.

“What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about Martina with her... generous assets?” Chris asked with a grin.

“Shes all yours!” Rody said generously.

“I do like women with generous assets, but not so much if they're beastwomen, especially not the rough ones,” Chris sighed slightly. “I miss my Betsy, with her not-so-small assets and her gentle nature! I long for her rose-dew sweet lips; it’s been so long since I’ve kissed her…”

“So, you’re not gay, huh?” Rody couldn't stand Chris’s infatuation and couldn't help but tease him.

“Rody, that's jealousy! Even though you won’t admit it!” Chris burst into laughter.

“I can’t be bothered with you!” Rody turned and walked away.

“Hey, why not tell us about your first love, Sergeant Rody. You don’t have one, do you?” Chris’s question piqued the curiosity of Stanley and others, all wondering what kind of girl Rody would like.

“I’ve had many lovers, I’ve forgotten my first love long ago!” Rody spread his hands, indicating that he was an old hand at love, unknown to everyone.

“Sure, pure little virgin, keep bragging!” Chris didn’t believe him at all.

“Boss, you’re too pitiful!” Stanley said with infinite sympathy. “Don’t worry, once we’re out of the Evil Forest, we’ll find you the best girl and settle this life event for you! By the way, boss, you really don’t have a first love? I do! Why wouldn’t you? What are you doubting? I really had a first love! As a kid, I really liked a little girl in the neighbor’s house. I even secretly took candies from home to give to her, thinking I’d marry her when I grew up.”

“And then?” Everyone was interested.

“She got married, at thirteen, to a sixty-three-year-old count,” Stanley said sadly, shaking his head. “Before I came to the Iron Blood Knight Academy, I saw her sitting in the count's luxurious carriage, accompanying that old man who indulged in wine and women, looking content.”

“Lance Corporal Stanley, you're a hero, you know? Heroes are meant for princesses. Only the most beautiful princesses are worthy of you!” Rody gave him a slap on the back.

"Thank you for comforting me, boss. I dare not dream of being the most beautiful princess, as long as I'm not the ugliest princess, I'm over the moon!" Stanley's eyes gleamed with newfound optimism as he burst into hearty laughter.

"A princess's maid wouldn't marry you either!" Jesse mercilessly teased him.

"That's not bad either!" Stanley was quite content.

"I don't want to marry a princess, I want to marry a queen!" Lopek declared, causing everyone to stare at him in surprise. Lopek sneered, "What's so fun about a princess? Think about it, having a nation's queen at your beck and call, that's what makes a real man!"

"You're a real pervert!" Chris immediately labeled him as such, and the others agreed with him.

"Speaking of first love, I, I like, I actually really liked a maid." General Quentin's son, Kerry, said with a hint of embarrassment.

"Don't tell me she's your personal maid, and it's a case of love growing over time? Right, has she been in your bed?" Jesse asked curiously, voicing what all the men were thinking.

"No, I've only watched her from afar." Kerry's response was disappointing.

"Congratulations, another lovesick fool!" Chris clapped and laughed, asking, "Who's the girl you like? A saintess from the temple? A maid of the gods?"

"No, how could I dare to defile a saintess! No, it's not her!" Kerry shook his head vehemently, saying, "She's my cousin, a bold female swordsman. I've only seen her a few times and never talked to her. Later, she was transferred to the temple to serve in the prayer guard squad of the saintess as a squad leader, and I've never seen her since. That's all in the past, I've forgotten her over the years. It just came to mind when everyone brought it up."

"So, she's a maid of the saintess!" Chris chuckled.

"Corporal Kerry, I hereby bestow this female swordsman to you!" Rody slapped Kerry's shoulder with an air of grandeur, almost resembling the Pope.

"Ah? Thank you, boss!" Kerry laughed heartily, saying, "Though I haven't got her, with your blessing, boss, I'm already satisfied. After all, in everyone's eyes, and in my heart, she belongs to me!"

"Boss Rody, bestow the saintess to me!" The only person who dared to say this was the reckless Lopek.

"Corporal Stanley, this guy dares to snatch my reserved girl, beat him up!" Rody waved his hand, and everyone immediately rolled up their sleeves to gang up on Lopek, all laughing heartily. After a while, Lopek emerged with a bruised face and said, "Boss, to make up for the physical and emotional trauma I've endured, you must bestow a girl with a chest as big as a cow's, otherwise, I'll turn against you!"

"No problem, I'll bestow a queen with an even bigger chest than a cow's!" Rody's demeanor was almost as majestic as the God of Light.

"Wow, really? Long live Sergeant Rody!" Lopek was overjoyed, fervently imagining what a queen with a chest bigger than a cow's would look like, almost drooling in the process.

After some laughter and jokes, the group noticed the eastern sky growing lighter and the drizzling rain stopping. They quickly found a hidden spot to set up camp and rest.

At this time, it was common for the orcs' dragons to fly around searching.

The low, green tents were set up in the bushes, covered with a layer of green plants for camouflage, so well-disguised that even birds couldn't tell them apart. The men settled inside comfortably: some looked at nude picture books, some sneaked sips of wine, and some chewed on dry bread. The diligent ones meditated, while the lazier ones slept soundly. They were all quite accustomed to these days of fleeing in the Evil Forest.

If a day passed without dragons or giant bats flying overhead, they would actually miss them.

"Hey, you haven't told me about your first love yet!" Chris barged in just as Rody was taking off his wet coat. Chris always had free access to Rody's tent.

"I'm tired, I'll talk about my first love after I wake up!" Rody yawned, too lazy to bother with this guy more gossipy than a woman.

"You're in such a hurry to sleep, are you dreaming of Martina with the big... you know?" Chris's imagination was beyond ordinary, linking sleep with something completely unrelated, yet he somehow made the connection. Rody paused for three seconds, then nodded vigorously, saying, "You just reminded me, I can't miss this opportunity with such a great-chested woman, even though she's a female orc, a savage with a bloody axe. But in my dreams, I believe she'll be very tame!"

"You're kidding!" Chris snorted, "If you're dreaming, it's definitely about meeting your first love from Felick!"

"It's been a long time since I've dreamt about the female boss," Rody suddenly murmured to himself.

"Who's the female boss?" Chris perked up.

"You guess?" Rody said this to pique his curiosity. Now that he had achieved his goal, he stopped talking, turned over, and went to sleep, leaving Chris frustrated.