The SSS-rank Guide Doesn't Need Saving

Back in the hallway of the imperial palace.

Aisha stared between the two crazy sentinels with a baffled expression on her face. She had already expected Nykos to be out of his mind with the notorious acts that made him infamous, but why the hell was Zeke suddenly saying that he wanted to see her guide him?

Dealing with these two was far more of a headache than she had initially thought. At least, taking care of one was manageable, but two? Haa...

”Let him go for now.” Aisha looked toward the poor herald, who was already holding onto his last lifeline. From the way his face had turned purple and his feet twitched, it would take seconds before he said goodbye to this world.

Nykos gazed at her, and for a moment, Aisha thought he’d just crush the herald into a pulp of blood and flesh.

Thud!

The herald landed hapless onto the ground, unconscious. Then, he desperately swallowed air like a fish who had just been taken from water, mouth opened wide and tears and snots already dripping.

Nykos didn’t do anything to hide his disgust before he said, ”I did as you asked me to... now do I get a reward?”

Aisha stiffened at his words, giving him a look that told him ’What nonsense are you speaking?’, and saw him shrug his shoulders.

”Can’t hurt to try.”

He gave her a grin that made him look stunningly beautiful with his silver hair cascading behind his back. Nykos had this sort of appearance that bordered between handsome and beautiful. One could not simply choose one way to describe him at all, as it would do no justice to how devastating his looks could be to a person.

And with him smiling at her like that, it was hard for Aisha to hold his stare, so she decided to focus on the fallen herald.

”Are you alright?” she asked.

”Ughh... hoo.... Hooo.. I—His Majesty will make you pay for this!” The herald struggled to take even breaths, and when he finally got his bearings, his burning eyes glared at Nykos.

Nykos received it with a bored look in his eyes, perceiving the herald’s own rage as nothing but an ant’s frustration at being only able to live because he hadn’t stepped on him.

Aisha moved to crouch beside the herald and asked, ”Can you stand up? I still need you to take me to the emperor.”

Without being aware of her own behavior, to the herald’s mind, she was just as crazy as the two Sentinels standing beside her. Just how could she ask him to take her to the emperor in his current state?

Zeke intervened as he said, ”Do you really want to meet him?”

Aisha nodded. ”It’s better I do it now than later.”

She could use this situation and avoid meeting the emperor, but how long can she avoid him? Aisha didn’t want to be at his beck and call and make him send his guards over to disturb her normal life. Unless she could leave this world and move to another planet, she had to go at least and meet the emperor once.

Already made up her mind, she helped the herald up and told him gently to lead the way, all the while the herald gawked at her incredulously and was unable to speak.

”Aren’t you going to lead her? Or should I escort her to that clown emperor?” Nykos’ voice sounded icy enough to make the herald’s spine chill.

He absolutely could not allow this wanted criminal to get close to the emperor.

”T-this way, please!”

Even when he had just been at death’s door just a minute ago, the herald didn’t dare linger too long. He was afraid that Nykos would suddenly attack him once again out of boredom. Thinking about it again, was it this young woman who stopped him from killing him?

Glancing at her for a long moment, the herald tried to evaluate her worth and reasoned with how she was able to talk to Nykos without trembling or shrieking in fear. He didn’t even harm her, which was already a strange sight to see. Was it because of her alluring face? If anyone could seduce this monstrous criminal, she might have a better chance at doing so.

The herald agreed with his notion, taking one more look at the young woman’s lovely face only to come face to face with a black tendril that had turned into a spike just a hair’s breadth away from his eyes.

”Look elsewhere if you don’t want me gouging your eyes out.”

Nykos’s voice sounded almost eerie as it fell on the herald’s ears. It was a threat he was capable of doing without exerting any effort. That much was something both Aisha and the herald were clear about.

Aisha glanced at him in silence.

Having her full attention, Nykos erased every bit of menace on his face and met her gaze. As he began to think that she might just walk away with the herald, he heard her speak.

”Thank you...” Her voice was a soft whisper. ”It’s you, right? The one who sent this dress as a gift.”

Nykos arched his eyebrows before his lips curled into a satisfied smile. He didn’t respond whether it was him or not, merely staring at her with his red eyes like crimson orbs.

At the beginning, she was confused and curious as to who could have sent her a present. There were three gifts whose senders were unknown, with two already being torn open and the last remaining gift unopened, waiting for her inside her room.

The first one was the choker with the dark green gemstones in it.

And the second was the dress she was wearing right now. It served its own purpose at the ceremony, and it just arrived at such an opportune time when she had nothing that was suitable to wear for today.

Although she still didn’t know who sent the other two presents, she had already suspected who sent the dress in her room. It wasn’t a coincidence that he had given her a dress that was similar in color to his eyes. That gave her a hint to suspect him.

Then, again, she could have been wrong. But his reaction just now when she mentioned it confirmed it.

It really was him, after all.

She wondered if he was the one who sent the other two. She thought about asking him, then maybe it would get her the answer she wanted.

”He gave you a gift?”