Chapter 44: Cubs

　　"Run!"

　　Baldwin growled.

　　Edward immediately took a step and pulled on Lenka, who was stunned by the horrific scene she had just witnessed, and ran in the direction from which she had come.

　　The three of them ran desperately, trying to escape from the demonic golem

　　But although that demonic golem seemed to be moving slowly, it was able to catch up with the trio dozens of steps after it took a single step.

　　The tremor of the earth was getting closer, and Renka glanced back to see that the demonic statue was a few steps away from catching up with the trio.

　　"We can't escape..." The elf girl cried out in despair.

　　"Split up and run!" Baldwin shouted.

　　As long as the three ran in different directions, even if any of the unlucky ones were caught up, they would still be able to buy a chance for the other two to escape.

　　However, the next scene caused the three to fall into complete despair.

　　The earth in front of the left and the right trembled at the same time, and two more demonic golems emerged from the ground without warning before surrounding the three.

　　"I... I want to eat butter muffins again so bad!" Renka cried.

　　"Kayne, blast it with your strongest magic! It doesn't matter anymore if it draws in the Wraiths or whatever." Baldwin shouted.

　　"Yes!"

　　Edward stepped forward, holding the duo back, then raised his right hand toward the demonic golem in front of him to his right.

　　However before the flame energy could begin to gather, something incredible happened.

　　The three demonic golems, stopped together a few meters away from the trio, and then slowly half-kneeled.

　　Seeing this, Edward immediately stopped casting the spell to minimize the disturbance of the magic.

　　Under the sunlight, the three motionless demon statues seemed like knights kneeling before their lord waiting to be enthroned.

　　The surroundings also returned to calm, with only Lenka sobbing in a small voice.

　　"This is .... What's the situation?" The nobleman, who had already made the realization of sacrifice, cocked his head in disbelief and asked.

　　"Could it be that the statue's magic source just ran out?" Baldwin whispered.

　　Things really seemed to be as he said, the magic stone in the chest of the demonic statue golem no longer glowed.

　　"So, we're saved?"

　　Edward's tense body loosened at once, and he bent over, bracing his hands on his knees before letting out a long breath.

　　Baldwin, on the other hand, just sat down on the floor.

　　Lenka squatted down with her knees together and wiped the tears from her face before quickly pulling a greaseproof paper bag out of her arms, pulling out the buttered muffin inside, and devouring it in one big gulp.

　　Edward, who saw the scene, said helplessly, "You've had these muffins for over a month, haven't you? Is it still edible?"

　　"Tsk four .... Hmm... This is me the day before yesterday... Oooh ah ooh ah... Just asked Young Master Leonardo for it." Renka said while swallowing.

　　She actually wanted to go buy some back, but Ray-Ray graciously gave her some more.

　　This time she came back from the dead and tried to eat all of the muffin, but after gagging a bit from swallowing so quickly, she patted her flat chest and then carefully wrapped the rest of the muffin up again.

　　"Let's go, it's weirdly scary to stay here all the time." After putting the muffins away, Lenka said as if nothing had happened.

　　The three of them carefully left the encirclement of the demonic statues and headed towards the ruins where the lion and scorpion beasts had died.

　　The wretched body still lay on the flat ground in front of the ruins, and Lenka dared not look at it, circling far away.

　　The three of them walked into the ruins and realized that there were many animal skeletons piled up here, and it seemed that the Lion and Scorpion Beasts had used this place as a lair.

　　Between the ruins, there was also the corpse of a Lion Scorpion Beast. This Lion Scorpion Beast did not have a mane on its head, so it was obviously female.

　　Although the female Lion Scorpion Beast's head was still intact, her spine was smashed, and her lower half of her body was twisted and spread out on the side, obviously also poisoned by the Demon Statue Golem.

　　"Come on, let's look around, we should be able to find their feces." Baldwin said.

　　"Slow down, there's movement." Renka's long ears perked up again.

　　She seemed to hear a kitten purring.

　　Edward heard the noise as well, and he gently walked over to the female's side and turned over the body with his sheathed silver sword.

　　Underneath the carcass, there was a litter of young. Unfortunately, most of them were smashed to death just like their mother.

　　Only two lucky little ones escaped death by hiding under their mother's neck.

　　The two kitten-sized hatchlings couldn't open their eyes yet, and their scorpion-like tails were still short and curved against their bellies.

　　It is the meow-meow-meow sound they make.

　　"What to do? There are two cubs here." Edward said.

　　"So cute, why don't we bring it back to the guild and keep it?" Renka said as she walked up and crouched down, tweaking the chin of one of the cubs with her fingers.

　　"Kill it, it's cute to look at, but the thing's paws and tail are highly poisonous, and they can't be raised with their parents dead." Baldwin said.

　　"This is too cruel..." Rinka was still a bit reluctant to do so, but when she heard the word "poisonous", she removed her finger.

　　She looked to Edward, hoping that the nobleman would object to Baldwin's decision as well.

　　"I .... first go around and look for any Lionheart Flowers." The nobleman gave the two cats a heartfelt look, and then slipped away.

　　"Lenka go away, I'll do it." Baldwin stepped forward with his sword.

　　He raised his sword and was about to stab down at a small lion and scorpion beast when the cute little thing's eyes opened a slit and looked at the vampire lord.

　　Then the little beast, who hadn't realized he was in danger in the slightest, yawned and closed his eyes.

　　"A cub that young won't survive being left here unattended." Baldwin said awkwardly.

　　He sheathed his sword and continued, "I'm going to go help Kayne go, he doesn't necessarily recognize Lionheart."

　　"Uh, I'll go too." Renka stood up with some reluctance.

　　She hesitantly walked outside when a cub meowed.

　　The soft voice crushed the elven huntress's heart, and she spun back around.

　　And outside, two men had begun searching for the lion and scorpion beast's feces.

　　Edward was a cat owner at Bluestar and knew that this clean-loving animal would dig a hole before defecating and bury the feces when it was done.

　　Also, they are used to defecating in fixed places.

　　Could the felines of this world have such habits?

　　Though it's hard to say if a lion and scorpion beast with a scorpion tail and wings counts as a feline or not.

　　Edward, though, focused on finding any land around that looked turned over.

　　Soon he spotted something strange under a bush.

　　The color of the earth here was noticeably different from the surrounding area, and it smelled foul.

　　And behind the bush, he found a bloom of small, dark purple flowers.

　　"Master Baldwin! Lenka! Come and see for yourselves!"

　　The Guildmaster quickly ran this way, while Lenka looked furtively behind him for a few moments before running over in an awkward stance.

　　However, it was the change in her body that drew more attention than her odd posture.

　　Mountains suddenly grew out of what had been flat land.

　　And these two Lianca peaks, which are more majestic than Ivory Peak, are still gently turning.