I transmigrated and got a husband and a son!
Chapter 1104: Melting the frost

Chapter 1104: Melting the frost

Some abrupt and nonsensical decisions weren’t uncommon for Hera to make. For instance, taking home two of Dane’s men back to their base didn’t make sense. It would’ve made more sense if she put them through unimaginable pain. But she didn’t.

Instead, Hera simply locked them up without any other precaution. It was so abrupt and unimportant that many of them almost forgot about them. Except three men whom Hera put in charge of looking after the room.

Wolf didn’t bother with it because it held no importance to him. Those two might be Dane’s elite henchmen, but they were nothing against the Reapers. But after hearing Hera suddenly coming by in their large cage, and now seeing her walking with them in the garden, a deep frown appeared on Wolf’s face.

"Hera," he called, picking up his pace to cross the grass and reach the pathway in time.

Hera stopped, turning her head in Wolf’s direction. The lackey and Romnick also stopped, still had their eyes squinted because of the light around.

"We need to talk," said Wolf as soon as he stopped several feet from them. "Bernard called."

"He did?" she arched a brow. "Don’t tell me he says he missed me and wants to come back in my arms?"

"Hera, this is important," Wolf sighed, glancing at the men behind her. "Where are you taking them?"

"They wanted to be a part of the Reapers!" Hera announced with a smile, pointing her thumb over her shoulder. "This guy right here sold Dimitri’s information, so as promised, I’m taking him in."

"This one?" Wolf gazed at the lackey from head to toe before shifting his eyes to Romnick. "I’d understand if you take this one, considering he is as good as the tier three soldiers. But then again, considering his twisted idea of loyalty, he won’t make it."

"I didn’t want to be here," Romnick hissed, displeased at this abrupt assessment he didn’t ask for. "She dragged me with her. Save your assessment to this traitor."

"He just assessed him." Hera smacked her lips, casting the lackey a look. "Did you hear the professor? He didn’t bother commenting about you because he thinks you’re weaker than our weakest men."

The lackey’s face hardened, looking at Wolf with determination. "I’ll show you."

"I’m not judging you just because you once aimed your gun at us or our people," Wolf clarified. "I’m saying this as a core member of this organization. You do not have the skills, the physique, and the wits."

"What?"

"If you’re the least bit smart, you’d know asking her to take you in just because your old boss is dead is the biggest mistake you’d ever make," Wolf sighed in distress at the fact he was giving an evaluation now instead of delving into a much more important matter. "You switched sides so soon which also means if things went bad here, you’d do the same. We can’t let a person who sells information or doesn’t respect confidentiality in this place."

"And before you start with me, I’m warning you, I do not want to hurt you." His tone dropped as a murderous glint flickered across his eyes. "Don’t argue that we’re all in the underground. Although that’s true, we operate differently here. There were rules we followed, an order we respected, and an awareness to always remember your place."

Hera whistled, looking at the lackey with a playful smirk, and then at Romnick. Both men were obviously displeased at Wolf’s lecture.

"They would know that in the future," she intervened playfully. "Judging a person’s cover is a terrible thing. Don’t be so harsh on them. I’m sure they will prove that the training will change them."

"The training will kill them," Wolf corrected her. "Did you ever mention the hell all your men went through just to be a part of this family?"

"I did!"

Wolf squinted his eyes, glancing at the men behind her. Seeing the cluelessness on their faces, he figured she was trolling with them.

"One rule we all follow is that we only listen to her on important matters. Otherwise, take everything she says as a blow from the wind." Wolf slowly set his deadpanned eyes on Hera. "Now that I evaluated them, can we talk now?"

"Sure." Hera smiled, waving to get some of the soldier’s attention. "Come here and take these two."

"You’re going to train them?"

Hera glanced at the lackey and then at Romnick, smirking. "If they survive, then good for them. But if they don’t, I’ll bury them here." She pointed at the ground right next to the flowerbed. "It’s not a bad spot, is it?"

Romnick and the lackey frowned deeply, looking at her playful face with displeasure. However, for some reason, the lackey found this as a greater source of motivation to prove them wrong.

"I heard the training in here is harsher than anyone could think of," said the lackey. "But I won’t die."

"Saves your breath in the future." Hera jerked her chin to a small group of Reapers who approached after her call. "Take these two to the training grounds and start them with the basics..."

"I don’t want to train," Romnick asserted. "I’m going back to the room."

Just as he wanted to turn around, he stopped as another man came up behind him. His eyes dilated for a moment, shocked that he didn’t notice this man approach. He didn’t even know someone was already standing behind him.

"Staying in a room or fighting for your life is the same," Hera mused. "The only difference is that fighting for your life won’t push you to insanity."

She jerked her chin once more. "Start them with the basics."

"Yes," her men answered in unison, holding Romnick and the lackey’s shoulder to drag them away from her.

Hera crossed her arms under her chest, keeping her eyes on them. Just then, Wolf spoke again.

"You’re not planning to keep those two, are you?" he asked, standing right beside her. "Don’t tell me you pity them?"

"I wanted to, but I don’t." Her voice was quiet. "They knew what they were doing, but still did it anyway. It’s not like they didn’t have a choice; they had a choice. And they chose to follow Dimitri and kill all those children."

"Then why are you —"

"Those two are living in the delusion they created to justify their actions," Hera smiled subtly. "I want to melt the thick layer of frost they used to cover their hearts and conscience."

Her eyelids drooped as a glint flickered across her eyes. "The problem with having a heart and conscience in this world is that... it’ll make you miserable. Their pain, their deed, and their decision — forcing them to face those is a better punishment than torture or putting them behind bars."

Wolf remained quiet, assessing her side profile. "Joker is right."

"Hm?" she arched a brow, casting him a sidelong glance.

"You always do things for a reason," he explained, setting his eyes on the retreating figures ahead. "Back to the important matter."

Wolf slowly faced her. "Dom was attacked."

"He was?"

"You’re not surprised?" he narrowed his eyes suspiciously, assessing her side profile before realization struck him. "You didn’t do that, did you?"

"No." Hera slowly cast him a look before the corner of her lips curled up. "But whoever did that definitely touched my bottom line."