The Mercenary Queen Strikes Back (Lily Hastings) novel Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

There was a message in Zoriaien.

The reason was simple. It came from the official website of the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps, the one Nova had created.

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Nova was meticulous enough not to let her IP address or location leak, so she hadn’t bothered to deliberately

erase traces.

Ghost–Hammer had obviously tracked her through the residual footprint she left behind, knowing she was in Zoria but not her exact location.

That big guy, despite his terrifying hammer–like abilities, was more meticulous than most women.

It was precisely for this reason that Nova felt safe temporarily entrusting the Bloodblade Mercenary Corps to Ghost–Hammer.

The moment Nova finished reading the message, Sophia saw it too and let out a surprised gasp.

Then, pointing at the phone screen in shock, Sophia said exactly what Nova had anticipated. “Bloodblade Mercenary Corps? I remember this.

“Isn’t this the foreign game you were playing last time? I didn’t expect the game to be so realistic. They actually send text messages to your phone to make the players feel immersed?”

That alone was what amazed Sophia.

Even though she came from a wealthy family, she was, after all, just an ordinary student.

The things she had been exposed to had always limited her imagination.

Anyway, Nova looked so young, still in school. Nobody would ever believe she was the head of a mercenary

group.

“Yes, it’s a game.” Nova nodded.

Nova had already figured Sophia wouldn’t suspect a thing.

Calmly, Nova turned off her phone screen with poise.

At that moment, Sophia hurried over and linked her arm through Nova’s. “Alright, forget about the game. Tonight is Zane’s birthday party. Let’s just treat it like a normal dance and have some fun.

“Come on, Nova, I’m taking you to play–there’s a game you’ve never tried before.”

Indeed, it was a game Nova had never played.

Next to the open space where the birthday party was being held sat a small children’s playground,

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It had been specially built by the academy for wealthy parents who brought their kids to school for meetings, so the children would have a place to play.

It was truly a first–class service.

And now, the undefeated queen of the battlefield, Nova, was expressionlessly sliding down the children’s slide under Sophia’s guidance.

The scene was utterly ridiculous.

Yet, in a way, it made up for a childhood joy Nova had never experienced.

“This is better, isn’t it, Nova? I just love playing where there are fewer people. The party venue is so crowded. I can hardly breathe with all those people,” Sophia said.

She ran up from a distance, carrying two desserts she had grabbed from the party.

She handed one to Nova. “Here, let’s really enjoy the sweets—”

Before she could finish, a girl standing on the steps leading to the party shouted and waved her hand, “Hey, Sophia? The teacher wants to see you in the office. You’d better go quickly.”

As the class representative, Sophia’s daily duties were always busy.

She was constantly being summoned by teachers.

Her face instantly soured. She handed the two delicate desserts to Nova. “I’ve got to go first. I don’t know when I’ll be back. You take the cupcakes. Nova, we’ll talk on the phone later.”

With that, Sophia ran off toward the girl.

Soon, the two disappeared into the night under the bright floodlights.

As she watched the lively, youthful figures fade into the distance, Nova’s lips curved into a faint, upward smile.

‘So this is the campus life and youth I’ve been longing for? It really is wonderful,‘ she thought.

Nova lifted her head, gazing at the starry sky draped in darkness, savoring this moment of freedom and beauty.

After a long while–so long it almost made her feel suffocated–Nova lowered her gaze and finally spoke slowly. “Still hiding, huh? Come out.”

Nova’s sudden words made the person hiding in the shadows freeze stiffly from head to toe.

With a swift movement, less than half a minute later, a figure emerged from the garden bushes nearby.

Ethan touched the bridge of his high nose; his round face looked innocent.

He had been hiding in the shadows, secretly eavesdropping on Nova and Sophia’s conversation for quite a while. Curiosity had gotten the better of him.

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Not long ago, Nova had rejected his good friend, Zane. Ethan wanted to know what this unusually special girl

was up to.

But he hadn’t expected to be discovered.

Judging by her tone, she knew I was hiding here from the very start?‘ he thought.

Ethan was one of the three most handsome guys at Saint Laurel Royal Academy. Though not as strong in combat as Zane or Maxwell, he was the best tracker in the entire school.

When Ethan was in hiding, even Zane and Maxwell–the academy’s undisputed top fighters–couldn’t detect him.

He had once even toyed with professional assassins who were experts at stealth.

And yet, Nova had seen through his disguise from the very beginning.

‘Her perception is so sharp. She’s even more terrifying than Zane, Maxwell, and even professional killers?‘ Ethan thought in astonishment.

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