Chapter 339: Nande and Vina
"Finally, we're back!"
That afternoon, at the labyrinth's entrance plaza, Helena stepped out, taking a deep breath.
The feeling of the long-lost sunlight warming her body made her squint slightly.
Unconsciously, she had spent three years in the labyrinth.
After more than thirty years, she had finally completed her mission.
"Silver Mask, it won't be long before I have to return to the Central Continent as well."
Silver Mask would soon leave the labyrinth city, Aukladeo, and Helena too would soon depart from the Saint Biron Continent.
Li Meng glanced at Helena's belly.
"Helena, aren't you forgetting something?"
Helena froze momentarily at his words and then looked down at her stomach.
With a wry smile, she touched her abdomen.
"Looks like I'll have to wait a bit longer!"
Turning to face Silver Mask, she added, "Silver Mask, I suppose this is where we part ways."
Li Meng nodded. "Alright, goodbye."
The two said no more. After leaving the plaza, they went their separate ways.
---
At the plaza's carriage area, Li Meng unexpectedly ran into Nande.
But this time, Nande wasn't alone.
Beside him sat a small, delicate figure—an adult female dwarf, also known as the Dwarves.
Despite their diminutive stature, the dwarves were indistinguishable from humans in appearance, save for their size. Their features appeared youthful, almost childlike, to human eyes.
If dwarves were placed among a group of children, distinguishing them would be nearly impossible.
"This is my wife, Vina," Nande introduced hastily as he noticed Li Meng looking at her.
Li Meng examined Vina from head to toe.
She wore a light purple dress, which was loose-fitting and concealed her figure.
The only visible curve was on her chest, where a rather prominent "peak" hinted at a significant asset.
"Is this what they call a loli with big breasts?"
The thought sprang into Li Meng's mind the moment he saw her.
He gave Vina a polite nod and climbed onto the carriage.
"To the Brotherhood's stronghold!"
"Got it! Let's go!"
Nande cracked the whip, and the oxen pulling the carriage snorted as they began their run.
The carriage sped through the relatively spacious streets.
---
Inside the carriage, Li Meng glanced around the space.
"You live in this carriage?"
Nande's carriage looked different from before. The interior bore clear signs of habitation, and from the cargo area at the rear, it seemed there were two children hiding.
Li Meng found it odd that Nande and his family had resorted to living like this.
Nande was a coachman, and in a city like Aukladeo, earning a living shouldn't have been a problem. Why were they living out of a carriage?
At that moment, Vina entered the carriage.
"Apologies, sir, have the children disturbed you?"
"No, I'm just curious why you're living in the carriage."
Vina sighed softly, a hint of bitterness in her smile.
"Nande offended a rival. That man has powerful backers in Aukladeo and vowed to make our family pay. So, Nande brought us to live in the carriage, moving constantly to avoid trouble."
Looking at Vina, Li Meng understood.
It seemed competition was fierce in every profession.
In a place like Aukladeo, where the strong preyed on the weak, honest folk often ended up crushed underfoot.
To avoid being trampled, one had to become a madman or a beast. Only by displaying savagery could one avoid harm.
But even if a dwarf acted ferociously, it likely wouldn't inspire much fear.
"The Brotherhood could use a coachman. If you're willing, you could become the Brotherhood's dedicated driver."
Having a coachman would make travel far more convenient. The Brotherhood often needed supplies transported, and Nande could take over those duties.
"Really?" Vina's eyes sparkled with excitement.
If their family could gain the Brotherhood's protection, they wouldn't have to live in hiding anymore.
"Silver Mask, my rival has powerful connections. It might cause trouble for the Brotherhood," Nande called from outside the carriage.
"It doesn't matter. The Brotherhood isn't afraid of making enemies."
The Brotherhood had already offended several council members from the Tower of Councils; a few more petty rivals wouldn't make a difference.
Before leaving Aukladeo, Li Meng planned to go on a killing spree. Those council members would make excellent targets.
To establish the Brotherhood as a feared force in Aukladeo, blood would have to be spilled.
"Yes, sir. I'll gladly serve as the Brotherhood's coachman!"
Nande understood that joining the Brotherhood was the best option for his family.
He couldn't keep running with his wife and children forever.
---
"Vina, tell me what happened."
Curiosity got the better of Li Meng. He wanted to know the details behind their predicament.
Although Silver Mask's face was hidden, Vina could feel his gaze on her.
Her cheeks reddened as she prepared to explain, seemingly embarrassed.
"He... he's called Steel Mask, a member of the Boulder Adventurer. He wanted me to become his mistress!"
"Mistress?"
Li Meng sized up Vina.
She was attractive, though not entirely to his tastes. However, among dwarves, she could be considered a curvaceous beauty.
Anyone with a loli fetish would find Vina irresistible.
But a Boulder man?
The Boulder Adventurer, also known as Rockmen, resembled living stone statues.
This race had an innate talent for extreme physical defense, their stony skin resistant to both physical and magical attacks.
Boulder men were also massive, averaging about 2.5 meters tall.
Vina, on the other hand, stood no more than 1.1 meters.
The size difference alone was absurd—she'd be crushed under him!
"He kept harassing us. Recently, while Nande was away, he tried to abduct me. Thankfully, a neighboring adventurer heard my cries and drove him off. Steel Mask ran, but his transport business is backed by the Great Rock Adventurer Guild. The neighbor warned us to flee, so we did."
How cliché, Li Meng thought.
A lust-fueled incident involving a beautiful woman—classic.
Beauty attracts attention, after all. Li Meng himself was no exception; he liked beautiful and adorable females.
As long as they met his standards, he wanted them to bear his children.
Sometimes, Li Meng wondered if he might be what humans called a "Casanova."
But then he'd remind himself that, as a goblin, it was only natural.
Reproduction was his instinct, and lust was merely a byproduct of that drive.