Chapter 64: Thumbelina!
Exorcisms are no joke—they're long, draining, and brutal.
From dusk till dawn, Rhodes had been grinding away at his task, wielding his Sun Thorn until it felt like he might set sparks flying from sheer effort. Finally, he exorcised the last of those restless spirits, feeling like he'd squeezed every last drop of energy out of his soul.
Everyone knows that being purged of evil leaves people exhausted. So, as he watched the others sleeping soundly, Rhodes slipped out of the room and climbed up onto the roof, letting the crisp night air clear his mind.
The stars glittered above, serene and comforting. For the first time in what felt like forever, he felt at ease.
"Stop! Thief!"
The peace shattered with a sudden shout echoing through the silent night.
The street below burst into life as oil lamps flared to life, revealing a commotion. Rhodes peered down, noticing a figure darting between the gathering villagers. Curious, he watched as the figure came closer, cloaked in shadows and clutching something tightly in their arms.
"Out of my way!" the cloaked figure snarled, clearly not in the mood to play nice.
Rhodes stared him down, unmoving.
"Are you deaf? I'll kill you if you make a noise!" the thief hissed, thinking he'd intimidated Rhodes into submission.
But Rhodes just shrugged and stepped aside as if the guy were nothing more than a gust of wind. The thief, relieved, picked up speed. He was already picturing his future with the loot sold to some rich noble, picturing his life without having to run or hide anymore.
That is, until—WHAM.
In one swift move, Rhodes reached out, caught the guy by the collar, and lifted him clean off the ground. Before the thief could even process what was happening, Rhodes slammed his face into the roof with a solid thud.
"You think you can threaten me?" Rhodes muttered, cold and calm.
The cloaked man lay there, bloodied and unconscious. Rhodes looked him over—this had to be the thief causing all the trouble. His clothes were a mess, and whatever he'd stolen bulged awkwardly under his cloak. Even unconscious, he clung to it as if it were his life.
Curious, Rhodes pried the man's arms open, gently at first, then more forcefully as he realized the guy had a death grip on his prize. With a bit of effort, he freed the item: a small bamboo tube, roughly the size of a fist.
"What's he hiding in here?" Rhodes muttered, rolling his eyes at the thought of this being something valuable.
He carefully peeled away a thin layer of cloth covering the tube. Inside was…
"Wait, what?"
A tiny girl, no taller than his thumb, curled up and sleeping like a fairy from a storybook.
"Thumbelina?" Rhodes whispered, genuinely shocked.
The miniature girl stirred, rubbing her eyes and looking up at him with a dazed expression. When she finally took him in, her face lit up with gratitude.
"Kind sir, did you save me?" she asked in a tiny, soft voice.
"What exactly are you?" Rhodes asked, poking her gently on the cheek, fascinated.
The girl—Thumbelina—pushed his finger away with a slight pout. "I'm a forest fairy, guardian of plants and trees," she said with a small huff. "And please, don't poke me like that!"
"Forest fairy?" Rhodes mused, scratching his chin. He'd heard of fairies before, but forest fairies were supposed to be good with plants and all that. They were practically legends.
"But, uh, where are your wings?"
"They… they only grow when we come of age," she replied, a little embarrassed.
Rhodes smirked. "So, you must love forests, huh?"
Thumbelina gave a small nod.
"Well, then, you're in luck. I've got just the place for you." Rhodes grinned, thinking of his Ancient Sun Tree back at the Silent Forest. It needed someone to care for it, and who better than a forest fairy?
With the unconscious thief slung over his shoulder and the tiny fairy in his pocket, Rhodes hopped down from the roof. Almost immediately, a crowd gathered, brandishing torches and looking ready to tear into the thief.
"Here's your guy," Rhodes said, tossing the thief at their feet. "As for me, I'm just a passerby doing his good deed for the night."
The villagers eyed him suspiciously but quickly quieted down. Judging by his finely tailored clothes, they figured he was either rich or noble—not the type to steal.
Just then, an elderly woman hobbled forward, her face bright with relief. "Thank you, kind sir, for rescuing my child!"
Thumbelina peeked out from Rhodes' pocket, her face lighting up. "Mother-in-law!" she squeaked, waving.
Rhodes gave the old woman a look. "I'll give you a hundred gold coins for the fairy," he said, dead serious.
The old woman's face darkened. "Sir, please don't joke. This child is family—I raised her myself. She's not for sale."
Thumbelina's heart swelled as she heard her mother-in-law's words. She really did care about her.
"Oh, come on," Rhodes said with a shrug, vanishing into the inn briefly and returning with two hefty bags. He dropped them at her feet, spilling gold coins everywhere. "One thousand gold. That's enough to let you live in comfort and even adopt another kid if you want. Think about it."
The crowd fell silent, their eyes glued to the gold. The old woman hesitated, her hand reaching toward the gold with a trembling sigh.
"Mother-in-law…" Thumbelina's voice cracked, eyes filled with tears.
The old woman reached out and patted Thumbelina's tiny head. "Thumbelina, you've been a good child. Now… go with this gentleman and don't worry about me. I'll remember you."
With that, she scooped up the bags and, quicker than anyone would expect, disappeared down the street.
"Mother-in-law…?" Thumbelina whispered, staring after her.
"Yeah, that's reality for you. You'll get used to it," Rhodes said, brushing it off as he pocketed Thumbelina and turned back toward the inn. "A thousand gold is a small fortune to most. She'd be a fool to turn it down."
Rhodes returned to his room, settling in for a much-needed rest. But not long after, a series of scuffles broke out in the hall, followed by a familiar, annoyed voice.
"Can't you all let me sleep in peace?" Yulia's icy tone cut through the night.
"Should've guessed they'd come sniffing around the gold," Rhodes murmured, not particularly surprised.
He rolled over, unconcerned. Yulia would handle any would-be thieves. They wouldn't even get close to his door.
The first light of dawn crept through the window, bathing Rhodes in warmth. A surge of energy flowed through him, chasing away his weariness. Ever since he'd gained the Sun's magic, sleep had become more of a luxury than a necessity.
"Sign in," he muttered.
[Ding! Sign-in successful!]
[Reward: Magic of the Ten Commandments (Full Counter)]
[Full Counter – Physical: Reflect all physical attacks with multiple power.]
Rhodes' eyes sparkled. He'd already obtained Full Counter for magic attacks, and now he had one for physical attacks too. With both powers combined, he could return just about any hit that came his way.
His powers were really piling up, like he was collecting cheat codes from another world.
Packing up his things, Rhodes prepared to hit the road.
"How much longer until we reach the Kingdom of Etel?" he asked Yulia.
"A week, if there are no interruptions," Yulia replied stiffly, looking away as if to hide something. Her cheeks flushed ever so slightly.
Rhodes raised a brow. Was this woman… blushing?
"Well, well," he smirked. "Didn't think you'd be one to get all shy."
But as he glanced toward the road ahead, he couldn't shake a nagging feeling. Buffs stacking up, hints of foreshadowing…
Yeah, something told him this trip wasn't going to be as smooth as he'd hoped.
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