CHAPTER 458: WHAT FLUID ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

Cassius put a hand to his chest, wearing an exaggeratedly mournful expression.

"Ah, what a pity." He said dramatically. "I still had so many jokes left to tell! But if you truly don’t want to hear them..." He sighed heavily, gazing toward the rafters like a tragic actor. "Then I suppose I’ll just keep them to myself."

His solemn tone made a few women snort uncontrollably.

"Even his disappointment is funny!" One shouted through her laughter.

"Stop making that face!" Another wheezed. "You look like a scolded puppy!"

Cassius blinked at them, then straightened with mock seriousness.

"Oh, you mean this face?" He pulled an absurdly grave expression, chin raised, lips pressed tight, eyebrows furrowed so hard it looked comical.

That did it.

A wave of laughter exploded again.

"No! Stop! This man’s going to kill me!" One screamed.

Even Julie, Aisha, and Skadi couldn’t help but laugh. The scene was ridiculous, hundreds of women rolling on the floor or leaning on each other, completely undone by the noble everyone had feared moments earlier.

Cassius grinned to himself amid the chaos.

Perfect.

This had been his plan all along, to break their suspicion not with charm or power, but with laughter. To make himself look like a harmless fool rather than the monster the rumors painted him to be and it worked beautifully.

As the noise slowly subsided, the crowd began to catch their breath. They dabbed at their eyes, still chuckling softly.

And when they looked back at Cassius, it wasn’t with fear anymore. It was with amusement, and, more importantly, familiarity.

Cassius then straightened, wiping his brow theatrically.

"Well." He said with a grin. "Now that we’ve all shared a good laugh together—allow me to properly introduce myself again."

He spread his arms. "My name is Cassius Vindictus Holyfield, the third son of the Holyfield household."

A few murmurs went through the crowd, but this time, they weren’t fearful.

He continued, smiling. "Yes, yes, I know the rumors. I’ve heard every one of them, ’the depraved young master,’ ’the shameless pervert,’ ’the man who lusts too much.’ And I won’t deny it..." He tapped his chest with a proud smirk. "...I am quite the pervert. I love women. I appreciate them, I respect their beauty, and I plan to have a grand harem one day."

There were gasps, and then laughter again.

"But..." He added quickly, holding up a hand. "You can rest assured. No matter what you’ve heard—I won’t lay a single finger on any of you. Not a touch, not a glance of impropriety. You all have my word. And by the time this is over, I promise, you’ll walk away without a single bad memory."

For a moment, silence filled the hall, then, soft laughter and murmurs followed.

"He’s actually honest about it..." One woman whispered, surprised.

"Yeah...for once, a noble who doesn’t lie about what he wants." Another said.

"He’s shameless, but somehow...trustworthy."

Julie, from behind him, watched their expressions shift with disbelief. He actually did it, she thought.

Cassius smiled inwardly, sensing their trust solidify. Then, with a lighthearted shrug, he said,

"Well! Now that introductions are out of the way, and I’ve embarrassed myself sufficiently, I suppose we can move on to the real reason you’re all here."

"Wait, this isn’t a comedy show?" A woman in the front row called out teasingly.

The crowd burst into giggles again.

Cassius laughed along. "Sadly not." He said. "Though if you want, I can continue."

"No! Please, don’t!" Someone shouted dramatically. "If you tell one more joke, I’ll vomit from laughing too much!"

The entire room erupted again, the laughter now warm and communal rather than nervous.

"He’s completely stolen their hearts." Julie leaned toward Aisha and Skadi, whispering.

Aisha smiled knowingly. "He always does."

When the laughter finally died down, Cassius raised his hand. His smile softened into something more serious, and the change in tone rippled through the crowd like a calm wave.

"Alright." He said quietly. "Let’s talk about why you’re really here."

The warehouse fell silent once more.

Cassius looked around the hall, his expression now solemn and respectful.

"The truth is, none of us were supposed to be here at all. We were simply passing through when we encountered something dangerous, the legendary monster known as the Leviathan."

Gasps spread through the crowd.

"We tried to fight it." Cassius continued. "But it escaped. But the Holy Guard, being who they are—brave, righteous, and far too stubborn for their own good—refused to let it go. They insisted we capture the creature, knowing how much harm it has caused the villages near this lake."

Every head turned toward Julie, Aisha, and Skadi. The women’s eyes shone with admiration, whispers of awe spreading.

"They’re doing this for us?"

"They don’t even live here..."

"They’re saints!"

The three warriors smiled humbly as the crowd began clapping and cheering for them.

Cassius let them bask in the adoration for a few seconds before continuing.

"But here’s the problem, the Leviathan is clever. The lake is its territory, and it rarely comes ashore. Every time it does, it’s random and unpredictable. Capturing it seemed...impossible."

A hush fell again, as Cassius paused dramatically, then smiled faintly.

"That is...until we discovered something thanks to my beautiful fiancée, Nala."

He gestured to the side of the stage—where Nala, caught mid-bite of a pastry, froze like a deer in headlights.

"With her help, we discovered a way to lure the Leviathan. Isn’t that right, my little snake?" Cassius gestured grandly toward her.

The Lamia girl swallowed her food hastily, her tail curling in embarrassment.

"Y-Yes, something like that..." She muttered.

The crowd erupted into soft gasps and whispers.

"Did he say...fiancée?"

"He’s marrying a commoner?"

"Isn’t that...impossible?"

"And her of all people—?"

Because everyone knew Nala. She was famous in the nearby villages, some adored her for her innovations and efforts to help her village out—but others blamed her for the beast’s very appearance.

The air grew thick with whispers.

"Now, now, don’t stare too much." Cassius laughed lightly. "I know she’s beautiful, but she’s quite shy. Look, her blue skin’s turning pink already."

Nala shot him a sharp glare, but the women couldn’t help but giggle. He wasn’t wrong.

And seing the genuine warmth between them, the playful teasing, the way Cassius looked at her like she was the only person in the world, made something shift in the crowd.

It wasn’t an act. They really did seem...in love.

And that, more than anything, made them believe in him even more, as normally even if a noble were marry a commoner she would be a concubine. But here Cassius was boldy stating that she was his future wife, and they all couldn’t help but appreciate him even more.

Cassius then sighed softly and continued, his tone returning to its earlier seriousness.

"But here’s the issue: Nala’s method works, but only on a small scale. To truly lure the Leviathan and capture it, we need to act on a much larger scale, and for that, we need your help."

A hush spread through the crowd.

He looked at them with earnest eyes. "Without your assistance, it’ll be impossible. But with it, we can finally rid your villages of this creature for good."

Hearing that they could actually help get rid of the Leviathan, the creature that had haunted their shores and destroyed their livelihoods, filled the women with joy and disbelief.

For a month, they had lived in fear.

Nets were torn, boats smashed, and entire fishing families forced inland, away from the waters that had sustained them for generations. They had prayed to every god they knew, offered candles and food, begged for someone, anyone, to end their suffering.

And now, standing before them, was Cassius Vindictus Holyfield, the infamous noble they had once feared—smiling like a savior and telling them that with their help, the monster could finally be stopped.

The crowd’s mood shifted in an instant. Where there had once been suspicion and unease, there was now roaring enthusiasm.

One woman stood up first, her voice cracking but strong. "We’ll do it! Anything you say, my lord, we’ll help however we can!"

"Yes!" Another cried, clutching her shawl tightly. "That beast took my husband’s boat! If this’ll drive it away, I’ll give my last breath for it!"

A chorus of agreement rippled through the room.

"We prayed for this day!"

"Finally, the gods sent someone!"

"Thank you for coming to save us!"

But Cassius only raised a hand modestly, smiling faintly as if embarrassed by the praise.

"I should be thanking you." He said cooly. "Without your courage, none of this would be possible."

Hearing this, even the crowd couldn’t help but glow in pride as if just his words lit a spark of determination in them.

And Julie, Aisha, and Skadi exchanged glances, half-astonished, half-admiring at how Cassius had completely turned the atmosphere around.

Where once there had been fear, now there was hope.

Where once there was doubt, now there was devotion.

Cassius looked out over the crowd, watching their fired-up faces, their wide, eager eyes. They were ready. They were willing.

But then...his expression faltered.

A slow, awkward grimace tugged at his lips, and the confidence in his stance loosened just a little. He raised a hand sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I...appreciate your enthusiasm. Truly, I do." He said with an uncharacteristic softness. "All of you, your passion, your willingness to help, it means more than you know. But..."

He sighed and gave a short laugh under his breath.

"I doubt many of you will agree to the method we’ve discovered. It’s...extreme."

But even though he said that, many looked offended in return as if he was doubting their courage and immediately all of them protested back.

"No, Young Master! You’re wrong!" One woman called out immediately.

"Whatever it is, we’ll do it!" Another shouted. "We don’t care what it takes!"

"I’ll sacrifice a limb!" Yelled one passionately. "Even my life—my children are starving!"

"I...I’ll do whatever you ask." a young mother added, voice trembling but resolute. "Just please...save us."

Cassius raised his hand, his expression...conflicted, which was all part of his act.

"I appreciate all of your strength. Your fire. But..."

He hesitated, a strange awkwardness entering his voice.

"This isn’t a matter of life or death. It’s not about sacrificing your body in battle, or bearing swords in your back. No...it’s a different kind of task."

He looked around, watching as confusion took root again.

"It’s something...delicate. Private. Something no woman would ever normally talk about, let alone offer freely. Something you might find...shameful."

Silence. Every woman leaned forward, while Cassius exhaled and braced himself.

"You see, the Leviathan...for some reason, it reacts instinctively to one particular thing." He looked around the warehouse, cheeks tinged faintly pink. "A specific kind of fluid. Female fluid."

Stillness.

"What kind of fluid?" Someone whispered. "You mean like...spit?"

"Blood?" Another asked.

A nervous laugh came from the back. "You mean pee? I’ll piss in a barrel if that’s what you want! We’re not shy women here!"

Laughter spread. Even Cassius cracked a smile, his voice warm.

"No, no. Nothing like that." Then, with a sudden shift into solemnity, he said. "What I’m referring to...is the fluid a woman releases when she is...aroused."

Gasps.

Silence snapped back over the crowd like a whip. Mouths dropped open. Faces flushed bright red.

"What?!"

"Is he serious?"

"He means...that fluid?"

"You mean when we—"

"Yes." Cassius said, bowing his head slightly. "When you’re with someone...or when you’re alone." His voice softened further. "I know it sounds insane. But we tested it. We saw the Leviathan respond to it. It’s not hearsay. It’s real."

The murmurs grew again, but this time they were less hostile—shocked, yes, but listening. Processing.

Cassius knew that he had to convince them fast, so he then quickly gestured toward Julie.

"But I know, coming from me, it’s not exactly...credible. That’s why I’ve asked Julie to confirm it."

Julie stepped forward with crisp authority, her golden armor catching the light. She looked out at the hundreds of women gathered before her, and with a breath, she said loud and clear:

"As absurd, embarrassing, and shameful as it may sound...Cassius is telling the truth."

That silenced them again, as she then placed a hand over her heart.

"Through testing and...divine guidance, we discovered that fluids released by women in the throes of arousal are, unexplainably, an irresistible lure to the Leviathan. Like a baited hook to a fish. That is the only reason we’ve called you here."

Julie’s tone was unwavering. Strong. Reverent.

"And I say this not because my lord asked me to, but because I swear it by the God of War, Panthera, protector of all warrior maidens. If I lie using her name, then may she strip me of my blade and bring ruin upon every battle I fight."