Chapter 172: Detecting Evil

"Fortunately, I had no unrealistic expectations of the human cities in this world!" Muria, riding atop the giant wolf, looked at the bustling streets before him, reeking of fecal matter, and shook his head.

The streets were crowded and noisy, but they were littered with piles of stinking feces dropped by passing caravans' lizards or adventurers' mounts. So far, no human waste was seen.

This city seemed to pay some attention to hygiene, as Muria did notice people specifically assigned to clean up the feces, though clearly insufficient.

"Dirty city!" Muria shook his head, patting the giant wolf's nape, "Good thing I brought you along, or I wouldn't know how to navigate this. Now, just take me around freely; I want to see for myself how bad this human city can be."

Following Muria's command, the giant wolf began to move, carrying Muria through the city, indifferent to the feelings of the city's residents.

That day, many residents of Redleaf City saw a blue-black giant wolf, taller than a person, leisurely passing by their front doors.

Then, countless women screamed in fright, many children cried out loud, and many people were scared to the point of losing control of their bladder and bowels. The giant wolf's presence, compared to humans, caused a commotion wherever it went.

As the merchant said, this city was just a small place, and the appearance of a strong person with a silver-level mount was indeed a rare event.

Merchants who traveled far and wide were surprised, not to mention the local townsfolk who had never seen much of the world.

"Dirty, chaotic, and bad!" This was Muria's only impression of the city, which made him frown. He was very displeased because the city had greatly disappointed him.

The city's outskirts were slums with sewage flowing everywhere, breeding crime. Further inside were the common residential areas, the most populous parts of the city, with barely habitable buildings.

The city's residents appeared hungry, unlike in Muria's previous world where anyone encountered on the streets seemed well-fed. Their clothes, often patched and worn, reflected their poor living conditions.

It was clear that the ordinary people in this world did not have an easy life, which displeased Muria greatly.

"Too bad!" Muria, observing the pedestrians and the dilapidated buildings on either side, frowned deeply, feeling somewhat irate.

...

In a barely standing, rundown house, a brown-haired boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old bent down, picked up his tightly wrapped sister, and walked out the door with a determined face, as if heading to his death.

As soon as the boy stepped out with his sister, several onlookers cast schadenfreude and speculative glances.

"Look, it's that idiot Zoron again, taking his sister to get treated. Tch, why bother? She's incurable anyway. Might as well spend that money on a few women in the brothel. Such a waste."

"Yeah, he's the most talented thief in the slums. If not for his sister's curse holding him back, he could have left the slums years ago with his skills."

"I wonder how much money Zoron has spent on his sister?"

"Who knows? But it's definitely an amount that would make us drool."

"Hey, what kind of curse does Avril have anyway? Zoron has hired so many alchemists and even several magicians, but none could cure her."

"Not only did they not cure her, but I heard her curse has gotten even worse!"

"How do you know?"

"Didn't you notice that disgusting stench?"

"Shit..."

The boy, his clothes patched everywhere, carried his tightly wrapped sister through the streets, trying not to linger too long in any one place.

Yet, as he walked on the street, passersby quickly moved aside, avoiding him as if he were a plague.

Many of the retreating townsfolk looked at Zoron with disgust, murmuring curses under their breath,

"Damn bastard!"

"Lowly scum!"

... They were people who saw the boy coming out of the slums, cursing him because it was a haven for thieves, robbers, and pickpockets, the dark side and dumping ground of Redleaf City.

The boy, carrying his sister, headed towards the city center, where not only nobles lived but also numerous temples dedicated to the gods worshipped by Baiye Duchy.

However, such places were out of reach for someone like him from the slums. He was headed to the temples, specifically to the largest and most revered temple in the city.

In the central temple district, towering and majestic temples stood, their clear, semi-transparent divine lights shining, instilling a sense of awe and reverence towards the gods.

At the center of the temple district was a castle-like grand temple, towering above the rest, surrounded by other temples, highlighting its supreme status in the city.

This was the temple of the Dawn God, Lansendel, housing his divine statue and collecting the faith offerings from the city's worshippers.

Occasionally, well-dressed citizens entered the temple quietly. They were followers of the Dawn God, some coming to listen to priests' teachings, others offering their faith, praying for divine protection.

In front of this pristine white temple stood eight burly temple guards in light armor, guarding the entrance to prevent any miscreants from offending the temple. Essentially, they served more as a display of the Dawn Church's dignity.

Then, one of the guards noticed someone approaching from the bustling street - a shabbily dressed boy carrying something, causing people to steer clear of him as if repelled by an unbearable stench emanating from him.

Soon, the boy reached the front of the Dawn Temple, intending to enter with the crowd, but was stopped by a guard's shout, "Halt! What are you carrying?"

"My sister!" the boy replied softly. "She's cursed severely, and despite all my efforts, I couldn't cure her. I've come to seek the great Dawn God's help."

As a breeze carried the stench from the boy to the guards, they showed clear displeasure, and the worshippers nearby reacted with disgust.

The guards scrutinized the boy, especially focusing on his clean hands - a stark contrast to his tattered clothes. The boy's hands were delicate, suggesting dexterity.

Noticing the guard's gaze, the boy uncomfortably shifted his hands.

"Ha!" The guard's contemptuous look intensified, and he cast a divine spell directly at the boy.

"Detect Evil!"

A faint red light appeared around the boy...

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