Riches and Bitches: I have a gate to an isekai and leveling-up system!

Chapter 261: Commotion at the princess' tent

'Woah…'

Having no better way to showcase my amazement over just how much more powerful this simple summoning of elemental darkness became with my rebirth, I could only reach out and squeeze Fay's hand before glancing to the side and looking into her eyes.

Or so that would be the case, if not for our bond that even in its currently suppressed state allowed us to peer into each other feelings.

It was likely another benefit of the quality of my existence reaching a new level.

Or maybe the fact that the moment Chris started to shoot people at my direct order, my battle log activated, showering my existence with more and more of a fresh world's aura to fill the huge gap that appeared in my soul as my limits massively grew.

But this single squeeze of Fay's hand, a quick glance into each other's eyes… That was all I had the time to afford. For now that the path opened up, it was time for us to get a move on.

"Great job, soldier," I praised Chris as soon as he lowered his gun and put it back into the holster only to grab the automatic rifle hanging down on a strap from his neck.

"Thank you, sir." In spite of his extremely relaxed if not outright lax attitude, Chris properly replied before giving me a small nod.

As we moved forward through the gap in the crowd of the survivors of the Imperial army, not a single man dared to step up and challenge us.

"I have to say, I didn't expect you to grow that strong so quickly," Madam spoke out, only for Fay to nearly jump by my side and then greatly tighten her hold over my hand.

The sense of gratitude, happiness, and pride flooded my soul as Fay's face beamed up so brightly, that it nearly challenged the sun over who could illuminate the world better.

"He is really strong, you know?" Fay happily jumped up at the opportunity to praise me… Only for a shiver to move up her spine as the rebound of how her just being her made me feel in return.

'To be put on a pedestal like that…'

Despite all the enemy soldiers surrounding us as we walked through the gap, not a single one of them dared to come out and attack. And all of them got to see one, extremely important detail. Experience new stories on mvl

That the man who carried out the slaughter of nearly all of those who decided to stand in our path… was just an ordinary human like any of them.

'I wonder how many can actually feel that he's just a normal human rather than a powerful ascender or even a supreme…' I thought, only for Madam to appear within my field of vision when my head swung to the side a bit. 'Well, with her here… I don't think anyone would be able to tell anything…'

Just like an ocean of water could mask the existence of one's piss, reading anyone's aura with Madam by our side was nigh impossible.

"Yeah, I know," Madam smiled, the corners of her mouth raising in amusement as she observed Fay's unconcerned, jittery attitude. "And to think you would bring us all the way out here while firing just a few shots…"

Madam shook her head. As we managed to get past the wet part of the field and step into the properly solid, dry ground, she turned to me and gave me a long look.

"You are full of surprises, you know?" Madam asked, before putting a slightly wider smile than before on her lips and turning her head away, satisfied with the effect her words had on me.

And her words… They struck me like a hammer.

Not only was her voice somewhat similar to the voice of my own mother… With all things considered, with how Fay was going to be my wife regardless of what the world would try to throw at me to stop it from happening… She was my new mom too, wasn't she?

And this realization… was equally as satisfying as it was consoling.

'I am really an easy man to satisfy, huh?' I thought, fixing my hold over Fay's hand before sneaking my fingers between hers to turn our hand-holding all the more not safe for work.

"Hon," Fay whispered, only to sharply turn her head away from my face and towards the imperial forces in the distance.

We've now crossed by the last of the crowd, with only a few of those few who were the first to escape still standing between us and the front of the princess' golden legion.

The Princess' Legion…

"Peter," Madam suddenly spoke out in a cold, silent voice. A voice much tenser than I would expect her to use right after she just finished praising me.

At first, I didn't really get what caught her attention. But as Fay turned her head towards something and used our bond to pass the news, I turned my own head and squinted my eyes, just in time to watch one of the men whom I saw by Etaria's side when we first met… I saw him pull out his sword and sever the head of one of the guests at Etaria's tent in a single strike.

"What the…"

As hard as it was for me to see any details with how far away we were, I was certain my eyes weren't playing any tricks on me. Not because I was that confident in my own body, but because Fay's feelings born in response to what just happened perfectly matched mine.

"One of her men just killed a big ball of fat," Madam commented, easily observing all the details that eluded my eyes. "And now…" Madam slowed down her steps, instantly forcing the rest of us to match her new pace. "And now, she's coming our way."

Soon enough, even I could confirm Madam's words with my own two eyes. And to a bit of a relief, Etaria's group perfectly matched the numbers of my own entourage.

"I guess we've earned the right to talk to her again," I commented under my nose before shaking my head a little and inviting a small, shallow smile on my lips. "So it's time to see whether the leaver I found will be good enough."