Remote Monitoring by the Witch

At the entrance of Buena Village, the cold wind whipped up snow flurries, stinging the faces of those it hit.

"Everyone check your equipment, we are setting off immediately."

Asik pulled his mage robe tighter around himself. Gripping the staff inlaid with a low-quality crystal in his hand, he tried his best to put on the airs of a captain.

Behind him, the dwarven miner Bronzebeard poured the last gulp of strong liquor into his mouth, let out a spicy-smelling burp, and then hoisted his massive pickaxe onto his shoulder. He shouted in a booming voice, "Let's go! My big pickaxe has been thirsty for action for a long time!"

Lynch, on the other hand, wore a suit of light leather armor with several potion bottles hanging from his waist, looking like a standard logistics member.

He had specifically changed into this leather armor to match the atmosphere. The tavern owner had offered to lend it to him for free, since Lynch's expedition was essentially to eliminate a threat to the village.

"Let's go."

Just as the team was about to move, the usually silent guard Rhodes suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The experienced Tier 2 warrior knitted his brows tightly together. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword at his waist, his body slightly tense, and his sharp, falcon-like gaze quickly swept across the surrounding woods and rooftops.

"Uncle Rhodes? What's wrong?" Asik asked nervously. "Did you forget to bring something?"

"Shh."

Rhodes made a gesture to keep quiet.

He tilted his head, his ears twitching slightly as if trying to catch any unusual, faint sounds in the wind.

The feeling was very strange.

Ever since they gathered just now, he had felt a gaze faintly lingering on them.

It wasn't the curious or reverent look of the villagers, but a kind of... more hidden, more oppressive stare.

It was like being coldly stared at from the shadows by some apex predator at the top of the food chain.

However, when he tried to locate the source of the gaze, that feeling instantly vanished, as if it had never existed.

All around them were only bare tree trunks and snow; there wasn't even a single bird.

"Strange..."

Rhodes withdrew his gaze, but the doubt in his heart did not dissipate; instead, it grew stronger. "Could it be that I'm too sensitive? Or... is there an expert stronger than me hiding in this village?"

He shook his head and glanced at Lynch, who looked relaxed beside him, thinking that perhaps he had just been too tense lately.

"It's nothing, probably just the wind."

Rhodes released his grip on the sword hilt, but he didn't completely let down his guard. "Let's go, Young Master, be careful on the road."

...

In an old locust tree less than fifty meters away from them.

The dense canopy blocked the view from below, and amidst the overlapping shadows, a petite figure was crouching on a branch, blending perfectly into the surrounding environment.

Kuma withdrew the tiny bit of aura she had leaked out of curiosity just now, and couldn't help but stick out her tongue playfully.

"Phew, that was close."

"I didn't expect this human guard to be quite so sharp."

Kuma lay on the tree trunk, her pair of beast ears twitching slightly. Through the gaps in the leaves, she watched the four-person squad slowly walking away below.

"Although his strength is merely at Tier 2, not even worthy of carrying shoes for a skeleton soldier in the Demon Realm, his intuition is quite accurate. If I had looked for a second longer just now, he might have actually noticed something."

"However... in front of the miraculous Shadow Camouflage of this Pillar, all mortal perception is futile! Hmph!"

Kuma smugly wagged the tail behind her, her heart filled with the superiority of being a top-tier agent.

In fact, the reason she was here was entirely because she was following orders.

Just half an hour ago, the Lady Witch had dragged her out from under her covers and assigned her a top-secret mission: Secretly protect Lynch.

Although Lady Felsy's exact words were: "That idiot doesn't know anything but still dares to challenge magical beasts. If he dies out there, I won't have a free chef and landlord anymore. Go keep an eye on him and don't let him lose his life."

But, as a veteran reader who had immersed herself in Demon Realm romance novels for years, Kuma immediately saw through the phenomenon to the essence.

What chef? What landlord?

Those were all excuses!

This was clearly: Comprehensive surveillance of her beloved by a highly controlling tsundere girlfriend!

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Lady Witch, oh Lady Witch..."

While Kuma leaped lightly between the treetops, silently following the team below, she frantically complained in her mind:

"Saying she doesn't care with her mouth, but her body is very honest."

"Just hearing that her hubby is going out to fight monsters makes her so worried she can't sit still, even going so far as to send out a trump card general like me to act as a bodyguard."

"Is this love? When you like someone, you want to control their whereabouts anytime, anywhere, and even want to become their shadow..."

"It seems that Lady Witch's heart hasn't just been captured, it has completely collapsed!"

Thinking of this, Kuma felt the burden on her shoulders grow heavier.

She wasn't just protecting a human; she was guarding the spark of love of the Demon Realm's Supreme!

"I need to quickly send this firsthand intelligence back, lest Her Ladyship wait anxiously at home."

Kuma stopped on a high branch and extended her right hand.

A wisp of black magic condensed in her palm, quickly transforming into a palm-sized, pitch-black little falcon.

This was the Shadow Demon Falcon, a common communication tool used by Demon Realm scouts.

Although it had no offensive power, its flight speed was extremely fast, and its concealment was incredibly high. Ordinary people could not detect it at all.

Because Lady Felsy's body hadn't fully recovered yet, that damn mental transmission had a limited range and would easily disconnect once outside the village, so they could only rely on this primitive method to stay in touch.

"Go, take the information from here to Her Ladyship."

Kuma spoke softly to the demon falcon.

Flutter, flutter.

The black demon falcon flapped its wings and rose, turning into a streak of black light, and instantly vanished into the sky above Buena Village.

...

Lynch's home, the courtyard.

The cold wind swept up the fallen leaves on the ground, making them twirl in the air.

Felsy was standing under the old jujube tree in the middle of the courtyard. She was draped in a thick white fox-fur cloak, her silver hair fluttering gently in the wind.

The cloak was something Lynch had just made for her yesterday. To be honest, the workmanship was a bit too simple; it couldn't even compare to the gorgeous clothes she wore back in the Demon Continent.

Still, wearing it was quite warm.

Hmph~

Her gaze fell somewhat blankly on the tree trunk, as if she were counting the grains on it, or perhaps looking through this tree to somewhere much farther away.

"That idiot..."

Felsy frowned slightly, her purple eyes filled with confusion.

"He could obviously just stay at home, farm, and cook, and live a comfortable life."

"Why must he take the initiative to run off and challenge some wind wolf pack?"

"Is it to prove himself? Or for the so-called... protecting the village?"

She couldn't understand.

In her view, this was completely unnecessary.

If there was real danger, she only needed to lift a finger to solve it. Why let a rookie who had just advanced to Tier 2 take such risks?

Of course, Lynch was completely unaware of this hidden information.

It couldn't be helped.

Right at that moment.

A dark shadow streaked across the sky.

The Shadow Demon Falcon precisely folded its wings and landed lightly on Felsy's outstretched finger.

The demon falcon dispersed into a cloud of black mist, and Kuma's voice echoed directly within Felsy's mind:

Reporting, My Lady! The target has rendezvoused with the other three and is currently heading toward the north slope. That human guard has some intuition, but in my eyes, he is full of openings. Lynch is currently in good condition and stable spirits; he is even discussing which liquor tastes better with that dwarf.

Please rest assured, My Lady, I will keep a close eye on them! I absolutely will not let a single hair on Lynch's head be harmed!

Hearing the report, Felsy's furrowed brow relaxed slightly.

Still discussing liquor...

Felsy sighed helplessly, but a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

He really hasn't a care in the world.

She raised her hand, lightly tapping her fingertip against the black mist left by the demon falcon, injecting a new mental command:

Kuma, listen well.

Follow them closely. If those Wind Wolves are just ordinary Tier 1 magical beasts, let him practice on them himself. Do not intervene.

But...

Felsy's gaze suddenly turned sharp. An oppressive aura belonging to a superior being erupted in the courtyard instantly, shaking the snow off the trees in a rustling shower.

If any danger appears that exceeds his ability to handle, or if that unreliable squad cannot hold the line...

No matter what it is, kill it immediately.

Remember, do not let him find out you made a move. That guy... has quite a strong sense of pride sometimes.

After doing all this, Felsy pulled her cloak tighter around herself.

Although she muttered words like idiot and troublesome, she did not return indoors. Instead, she remained standing there, gazing at the northern sky.

Come back early.

Otherwise... the fish for tonight won't be fresh.