151-158

Chapter 151 - Spirits Of the Rainy Night

Chapter 151: Spirits Of the Rainy Night

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

What happened?

Rhode frowned upon hearing Anne's scream while the other mercenaries also turned around.

"What's wrong Anne?"

"Leader... This child. She... She..."

Anne stammered and pointed hesitantly at the girl before her eyes. Lize and Marlene couldn't take it any longer as they lifted up the hood of the cloak to take a peek at her. Then, they sulked immediately.

"This is too much!"

Marlene stood up in a rage while Lize was stupefied.

"This... This..."

Borrowing the radiance from the bonfire, Rhode managed to get a close look at the face hidden in the darkness. He was also taken aback.

Dark, lavender colored hair covered the girl's forehead and right eye while a leather mask covered her lower facial features. It was wrapped around her head and tightly bounded by strips of leather to the back of her head. Small breathing holes were cut from the mask, allowing her to breathe and speak. And if one looked carefully enough, the bottom of the mask was bound to a hard collar, chained securely with a lock, preventing anyone from taking the mask off.

Is this a new torture method?

Rhode frowned and finally understood the girls' reactions to this disgusting matter. After witnessing a small child receiving such physical abuse, who wouldn't be enraged?

"What happened?"

"This is terrible! Which bastard did this?!"

At this moment, the rest of the mercenaries started surrounding her. They looked at the girl with shock, not knowing what to say. Shauna frowned and turned over to Randolf, who was standing by the side.

"Randolf, go get a dagger. We'll see if we can remove this thing."

"Yes, I'll go now."

After hearing Shauna's command, Randolf nodded and just when he was about to turn, the little girl grabbed his clothes by the edge and frantically waved her hand. She pointed to her mask and shook her head.

"What do you mean?"

Facing the little girl's odd behavior, everyone didn't know what to do. Even Marlene was also unsure.

"You mean... this mask... you can't remove it?"

"..."

The little girl nodded affirmatively, pointed at her mask and shook her head again. Maybe it was due to her being startled suddenly, her breathing started to quicken and began to cough. She bent over and covered her mouth with one hand while letting out deep coughs. Her whole body shook as if she was a small boat at sea stranded in a storm, waiting to capsize at any time.

"Let me see."

Lize hurried over and cupped the little girl's hands. Soon enough, warm white lights shone and covered the little girl's body. The little girl slowly calmed down and raised her head and stared at Lize with grateful eyes. She slowly glanced around at everyone and when she saw Rhode, her eyes widened. Her body shook slightly, as if attempting to convey something but eventually fell right into Lize's arms instead, closing her eyes.

"How is she?"

Marlene asked out of concern while Lize shook her head and sighed.

"She's okay; she's just a little weak now. Maybe letting her rest is a good choice, but..."

Lize's voice trailed off while looking at the little girl.

"When I used my healing just now, I realized her body is really weak. She probably didn't have anything to eat for a long time... but that isn't the worse news. She'd been inflicted with a deadly disease which can't be cured in a short period of time. "

"Then why did she come out even though she was so weak?"

Anne's face was in disbelief. Not only that, the rest of the mercenaries were also unable to understand. Their reaction wasn't weird considering that an ill person should be resting. Even if there were any difficulties, it was no excuse to be working under this kind of weather. Furthermore, the leather mask on her face was incredibly suspicious. If it was to cover up her injuries, then why would it even need to seal up her mouth and nose. It made it seem like it was a sort of punishment. She's only a little girl, what could she have done to receive such an ordeal? Not to mention this was just plain cruelty, not even murderers or bandits would receive such a treatment.

"This isn't a problem that we should concern ourselves with."

At this moment, Rhode finally spoke.

"Shauna, go start another fire inside and boil some hot water. Lize, Marlene, Anne. This child will be under your care. After the water is boiled, use it to wipe her body. With her skin damp from the rain, she can't possibly go to sleep this way. As for those lambs... I think they shouldn't pose much problem with the help of the rest. We can save the questions for later. Shauna, you are dismissed from sentry duty tonight, leave it to Old Walker. You just need to be by this little girl's side tonight. And the rest of you will have a rest as per normal."

Since Rhode had given his orders, everyone silently agreed without objection. According to Rhode's command, everyone went back to their regular duties. Old Walker replaced Shauna as the sentry while the other mercenaries went back to their spots in the cave. Some of them started to discuss about the recent matter while slowly falling asleep.

Marlene led Lize and Anne to a new fireplace in the depths of the cave to clean the little girl's body with warm water. That wasn't all, Marlene meticulously used her magic to create a sand wall to form a divider — No matter what, there will always be a difference between male and female.

When all of these ended, it was already late at night.

After being healed by Lize's, the little girl fell into deep sleep. Marlene and Anne laid down nearby and closed their eyes to rest. They were already tired from a day of journeying, now that this happened; naturally, they couldn't hold it much longer. Shauna sat by the side, quietly staring at the kindling as it crackled by the fireplace.

"Mr. Rhode, are you not going to sleep?"

Rhode turned his head and around and saw Lize standing behind him with the little girl's cloak in her hands with the intention of drying it with the heat.

"I'll be sleeping soon. How is she?"

"Worse than I imagined..."

Lize couldn't help but frown. When she wanted to clean the little girl, her scrawny body shocked her. Lize noticed many bruises on the body, and based on experience, she knew that those were bruises caused by punches and blunt impact. Not only Lize, but even Marlene and Anne couldn't imagine just how cruel anyone could be to abuse such a weak little girl. Furthermore, Lize also found out that these injuries didn't only happen once. Even Marlene with her steady and gentle demeanor, swore that she would utterly roast those abusers into cinders.

"Her body condition is terrible. Also... her ailment seemed to be difficult to heal. I have tried my best but to no much avail."

"I see..."

Rhode nodded emotionlessly and lightly tapped on Lize's shoulder.

"You have an early rest too. We will be reaching the High Cliff Village tomorrow. Maybe this girl is one of the villagers there..."

Rhode wasn't sure himself. He wasn't unfamiliar with High Cliff Village, but he couldn't remember there was such an NPC. The way she dressed was simply too eye-catching. No players would have missed her. However, from the start of the game until the very last day, there were no news or rumors regarding her which left Rhode scratching his head. He tried his best recall the series of quests he had to finish in High Cliff Village, but there was nothing.

In truth, there may be subtle changes within the game. Some NPC may choose to leave or disappear and anyway, during this period of the game, it was only the beta phase. Even players might not be able to reach the High Cliff Village. If this girl was an NPC that only appeared in the beta phase, then spotting her in the official release was not possible either.

Or maybe, something went wrong?

"I understand, Mr. Rhode."

Lize nodded and hesitated briefly and eventually asked Rhode a question out of curiosity.

"But, Mr. Rhode... you seem to be familiar with such situations?"

"I had handled such similar situations before, so I am already used to it."

Rhode frowned upon hearing Lize's question and casually answered her.

"But that was a long time ago..."

Rhode sighed and turned his head towards the mouth of the cave.

The rain was still pouring, growing increasingly louder and louder as if competing with each other.

"Ultimately, there's nothing much to say. You should go and get some rest."

"Yes... Mr. Rhode."

Lize paused momentarily. She firmly believed that she felt a sense of yearning in Rhode's eyes. But, she didn't ask any further and simply nodded before quietly taking her leave.

Chapter 152: Reached the High Cliff

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

The rain stopped around midnight and the mercenaries could finally continue their journey under the fresh air and warm sunlight. The refreshing morning put everyone in a much better mood. The mercenaries packed up their stuff and moved on after having breakfast.

The little girl they met yesterday was following not far behind at the back of the group. She was wearing her usual clothes. Her dainty wooden stick waved from left to right as she herded the lambs. After the little girl woke up, Rhode managed to find out that she was indeed a villager from High Cliff Village, but there were no further details. Due to the leather mask, the little girl had a hard time speaking. She could only communicate by nodding and shaking her head. This way of communication doesn't allow complicated words to be understood, so Rhode decided to bring this little girl back to High Cliff VIllage and find out what truly happened.

If it wasn't for Lize's healing, the little girl who hadn't ate for the whole day wouldn't even have the strength to stand. Even so, she still politely and determinedly rejected the kind help from the mercenaries and continued to drive the flock of lambs while gritting her teeth. She was very experienced in doing it... at least the lambs were obediently following by her side.

Even as the mercenaries walked, the topic never left the little girl. After all, although these people participated in many adventures, they had never seen such odd incidents.

"What a poor child. Why would she receive such treatment?"

"Could she be under a curse?"

"Don't joke about it. If it was a curse, do you think Miss Lize will not feel it? She said it was only an illness."

"Could she be disfigured so she purposely hid it? I've seen a lady in the city who covered herself with a cloth every day after a major burn scar on her face."

"That's just for concealment I guess. Haven't you seen the collar and chains on the little girl's neck? This obviously is an act of torture."

"But who will do such a thing? Any normal human wouldn't be this cruel..."

"You already said 'normal human', how could you include those scums of High Cliff Village?"

Hearing their comrade's answer, one of the mercenaries replied with disdain, and the other mercenaries ended their conversation on this topic.

To be honest, they didn't wish to go to High Cliff Village. In fact, Shauna and Old Walker's attitude represented the mercenaries' attitudes — If possible, they would rather wish those people to die to the undead creatures than to help them. After all, these people had a bad reputation and everyone in the mercenary group, except Marlene, had experiences with them before.

To many people, the villagers of High Cliff Village were just a bunch of scum who could do anything for money. Their wicked name was widely known, and none of the mercenaries were willing to provide service for them. But these people were so shameless that they would even beg and cry for mercenaries' help in the Mercenary Association. Every one of them yelled and wept so pathetically but once the mercenaries turned soft on them, those scums turned their back and chased them out of the village.

The mercenaries filled with hatred and anger couldn't do anything because within High Cliff Village there was a guard captain from a nearby region. The moment the mercenaries and villagers had conflicts, they would immediately complain to him. Although the mercenaries were naturally rash, they could only conduct "legal business." If they were caught by the guards and thrown into jail, they wouldn't have an opportunity to earn money afterward.

And this time they agreed to go alongside Rhode, partly was due to the rich remunerations offered by Deep Stone City's owner, Klautz.

Just half of the remuneration for each mercenary was around a dozen of gold coins. Since the officials were the ones giving money this time and had no chance of bilking, they wouldn't mind showing their "professional ethics" — As long it was for money, everyone would be helpful.

Of course. On the other hand, they were curious on what Rhode would do to those villagers in High Cliff Village. Although they had not spent much time with Rhode, these mercenaries were aware of Rhode's temperament. Cold, cruel and no mercy. If he could kill somebody in front of the Mercenary Association due to an insult then no one could guarantee that those scums could get away safely from him later — In fact, to most of the mercenaries, they appeared not to have witnessed this young man's good temper before.

And because of this, you could say that half of their motivation comes from Rhode's attitude and the other half came from the reward. They don't give a damn about saving those people...

"Mr. Rhode, that poor child..."

Walking beside Rhode, Lize continued to turn around to care for the little girl struggling to keep up from the back. Although most of them slowed down their pace to make it easier for her, most of them were already adults, so they were fast when it comes to walking. Although the little girl tried hard to follow behind, due to her short legs and lack of energy she was always panting throughout the rocky path back to the village. But even so, she never turned to them for help. Lize had been rejected many times when she tried to offer assistance.

"She's a strong child, but... for her, this is too tiring."

Marlene stared at the little girl's figure with admiration in her eyes. Her approach was different from Lize. She was highly appreciative of the little girl's will. Even though she understood that there was a tough journey ahead, but she still chose not to rely on others. Marlene displayed her respect by admiring her efforts and chose not to destroy this little girl's determination.

"She appears to fancy the leader." With both hands behind her back, Anne did a stretch as she spoke.

She wasn't wrong though. In the crowd, what the little girl cared the most about was Rhode. She periodically glanced at the young man without any reason. Of course, this wasn't considered too weird for anyone. Besides, Rhode was a man with attractive and beautiful feminine features. Just this reason was enough for people to stare at him. Rhode was well aware of this, but he didn't mention anything about it.

"I can sense an obscure evil energy from within the child's body."

At this moment, an angelic voice echoed behind Rhode's ears.

When no one was looking, Rhode summoned Celia in the morning. Since their target for this mission was the undead creatures, as an angel's natural enemy, Celia would gladly slaughter these vile beings in battle. Also, Rhode hoped to use this opportunity to teach those scums of High Cliff Village a lesson about humbleness and humanity.

As for Celia's sudden appearance, the mercenaries weren't surprised at all. After the battle in the Twilight forest, they knew their leader always had an angel on guard by his side, so they didn't felt anything odd.

"Evil energy?"

Marlene heard the ominous words and frowned.

"Bloodline? Or curse?"

"I'm not too sure. But it seemed that this child hadn't realized it herself. Maybe it hasn't awakened yet."

Celia spoke with a soft voice as she swept a glance at the little girl.

"But the energy is weak. There shouldn't be any negative impact on the surroundings."

"Maybe this was the reason why she wore a mask?"

Anne curiously scratched her head and asked with a frown.

"Anne didn't think the little girl as someone who will do bad things."

"Many people are like this. The unknown will cause fear, which is very normal."

Marlene continued and said.

"But this is indeed too much... even if we judge by what Miss Celia had said, we still can't verify anything. We can only wait until we reach the High Cliff Village and investigate to find out what is really happening."

As Marlene spoke, High Cliff Village finally appeared before everyone.

High Cliff Village was a small village located within a moderately deep mountain range. From just one look at it, this town was no different from others. A wooden fence surrounded hundreds of little houses with a clear stream of water flowing from top to bottom causing the windmill to turn slowly under the water flow. Kids were playing happily, and villagers were harvesting crops. It was a prosperous and harmonious scene.

"Tch!"

Most of the mercenaries let out distasteful grunts.

"All of you, hold it!"

Soon enough, the mercenaries stopped by the militia guarding the village entrance. They held weapons in their hands and looked down at everyone in disdain.

"All of you are... mercenaries?"

"That's right."

Rhode stepped forward and nodded lightly.

"We received a request from City owner Klautz to get rid of undead creatures. Are there any problems?"

"You guys should have arrived earlier! Why are you so late?!"

Looking at Rhode, the militia captain who stood in the front, growled and swung his weapon.

"Do you all know how troublesome those undead creatures were? We were overwhelmed! Damn it, seems like mercenaries are just a bunch of bastards who only work for money. If there isn't any money involved then you guys wouldn't have any sympathy towards us eh? Get the hell in! I will say this first. This path is a business avenue, so all of you barbaric mercenaries don't create any trouble for me! If not... when the garrisons get involved, you all should know the consequences."

"Tch!"

Hearing the militia captain blabber, one of the mercenaries coldly spit. The militia captain immediately widened his eyes.

"Why, do you have any objections? Let me tell you, if it wasn't for the situation now, we wouldn't even beg the administrative officer for help. All of you should be glad even to be here, so what objections do you have? The lot of you better listen carefully. Do not create trouble. Finish your job and scram. If you break anything or start nonsense during your mission, then don't blame us if we complain to the administrative officer! By then, all of you can dream about getting your reward!"

The militia captain who spouted everything didn't realize that Rhode's gaze turned ice cold. The captain then drew his sword and as if examining prisoners, walked closer to the mercenary group. When his sight fell on the last girl at the back, his face immediately turned ugly.

"You little slut! Where have you been skiving!"

He growled and took big steps forward. Witnessing the terror approaching, the little girl's body shook instinctively. She held her thin wooden stick firmly, standing on the same spot with trembling legs.

Suddenly, an extended arm blocked his from moving an inch farther.

Chapter 153: A Fool's Delusion

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

"Hold up. Where do you think you're going?"

Marlene stretched her hand out with an expression as cold as ice.

"And who are you supposed to be?"

The militia captain stared at the maiden with a frown.

"That's none of your business. Buzz off, woman. This is something between me and that little slut!"

As the militia captain yelled, he attempted to push Marlene away with his arm. Then, he threw his fist toward the little girl standing just behind Marlene.

At that moment, he heard a cold, threatening growl.

"Back off!"

As soon as he heard those words, he suddenly felt a mighty gust. Before he had any chance to react, the wind had already lifted him off the ground, and like a cannonball that left the chamber, he shot and smashed into a wooden door at the village entrance. The thin wooden door couldn't withstand the impact and immediately shattered.

"Woman! What do you think you are doing!"

His men started unsheathing their weapons, but before they were able to display their rage, countless of 'sword icicles' fell from the sky and pierced into the ground just beside them. Their blazing fighting spirit was extinguished immediately.

"Absolutely. Rude."

Marlene gripped her staff and walked out from the mass. She glared coldly at the militias who were all stunned at the scene, and her eyes revealed a clear sense of disgust.

"Mere pheasants... Not only did you not answer my question, but you also tried to lay your hands on me. How dare you!"

The whole place fell into a deafening silence, only the chilling echo of the young lady could be heard ringing throughout their ears. Those children who were playing far away ran back home with fear. The villagers gathered around but didn't know what to do. They looked at the ice-cold swords pierced at the gateway and the militia captain who was moaning on what remains of the door. They had never encountered such a thing and were completely confused.

A few brave young men were about to step up and protest, but as Marlene's sharp eyes swept over them, they quickly froze and lowered their heads as if a sharp knife was against their throats.

Not only the villagers, but the mercenaries were also stunned. They didn't spend much time with Marlene previously. Marlene had always treated them with a peaceful demeanor, and that was why they thought the maiden was a gentle person. But now, the maiden's eyes were filled with aggression, and it completely subverted their views. They had never seen Marlene's arrogant side. The maiden slightly lifted her chin and stared down at the villagers as if they were a bunch of ants.

And that was why I said this to you earlier. "By then, even if I don't ask you to, perhaps you would have done the same."

Rhode smiled inwardly. He was the one who interacted with Marlene first, so he knew how arrogant this missy was. Do not be blinded by her friendly appearance.She would only treat those of equal status well. As for others, although she wouldn't show her displeasure in her eyes, she'd just treat them as usual unless they provoked her. To be able to handle people peacefully and not bully them, were the right behavior for the nobles. Of course. If she accepted their personality then there wouldn't be any problem. But, if she didn't accept them... She wouldn't see the need to accommodate them.

And now, regarding the villagers who weren't willing to accept her, Marlene didn't need to be polite to them.

At this moment, an old man hurriedly ran over with a soldier dressed in ornate gold armor. Judging from his equipment, he should be someone of some status.

"What's happening? What's happening?!"

The old man separated the crowd and quickly saw the disturbance at the village entrance. He angrily waved his wooden stick around and stared at Rhode's group.

"Are, are you people trying to rebel? As mercenaries, how dare you lay your hands on civilians. What do you people want!"

The old man pointed his bony finger at Rhode. At this moment, Rhode took a step forward and stopped Marlene.

"We didn't intentionally cause any trouble. Instead, it was these violent militias that were rude. As nobles, we weren't able to tolerate such actions... Or maybe, you don't respect the nobles at all?"

Rhode shrugged.

"N-Nobles?"

The old man subconsciously took a few steps back and scanned Rhode.

"Aren't you people mercenaries?"

"That's right. We are mercenaries, but we are also nobles. Is there a problem with that? If it wasn't for Sir Klautz's request, we wouldn't even come to such a poor area. I thought I would at least witness minimal friendliness, but never did I expect to get treated this way... I'm sure you know what's the consequences for disrespecting nobles. Right, old sir?"

After hearing Rhode, the mercenaries were surprised and immediately reacted.

Yes, that's right, this mercenary group leader wasn't an ordinary man. Both that maiden and him were born nobles! How could I forget such an important matter?

The mercenaries felt excited as they watched the villagers fading off with pale expressions.

The Munn Kingdom was a very hierarchical country. Although on the outside, all levels could peacefully get along, however, it was much stricter than it seems. For example, without the permission of nobles, civilians could never touch any part of a noble, they could never talk to a noble, and even never raise their head to look at a noble. These are the privilege of nobles since their identities are above the common rabble and are distinguished people in their own rights, naturally, they must be higher than the rest.

Of course, if any civilian broke any rules, the nobles have the authority to punish for being disrespectful. The severity of the punishment varies from light to heavy. Heavy punishment could lead to hanging while light punishment might just be a dozen of whips. Although the nobles didn't mind these rules too much in their daily lives, just like Rhode and Marlene, they don't usually care, but when it comes to situations like these, the rules come in handy.

"T-This, this..."

The old man stuttered and couldn't finish his sentence. He didn't believe Rhode's words but the truth seemed to be telling him otherwise. Rhode wasn't wearing the iconic leather armor that usually signifies them as a mercenary, but instead, he was draped in a long, black cloak with a bright red sword hanging on the side of his waist. He had the features of a wealthy son who was out to play. And for Marlene, there was no need to mention her noble identity. Just by the staff that the maiden held, it made the old man feel uneasy — In some situations, a mage could be harder to deal with than a noble.

Why did this happen? I thought Sir Klautz ordered a group of mercenaries to help but why did they turn out to be trouble?

The old man gripped on his stick uneasily, not knowing what to say at the moment.

"Village chief, don't be afraid of them!"

And at this moment, a young man finally jumped out and stood in front of Rhode without any fear, staring straight into his eyes.

"Don't believe his lies. These mercenaries are lying! How will real nobles come and do dirty low-line business? They must be imposters!"

Facing the young man's impulsive glare, Rhode returned his gaze with coldness in his eyes.

"You dare to stare at me without my permission? Impertinence. I will give you ONE last chance to apologize for your boorish behavior. Now. Kneel. And beg for forgiveness."

"Hmph... Dream on!"

The young man raised his head and stared at Rhode with contempt.

"You think I would listen t- ... ahhhhhhh!!"

The young man was in the midst of finishing his sentence when suddenly, a bright red light flashed. Two slash wounds appeared on his knees. The young man screamed and kneeled on the ground in reflex as he lost strength in his knees.

"I said. Kneel."

Rhode stared contemptuously at the young man without any expression. His blade absorbed the fresh blood and started to release a dazzling gleam.

"You... dream o-..."

The young man supported his body with his arms and lifted his head slowly. He stared at Rhode with unyieldingness in his eyes and gritted his teeth as the pain was unbearable.

But his struggles were all for naught. Soon enough, another sword blade flashed, and the young man's hands immediately lost strength causing him to plummet head first to the ground.

"Argh!!"

Rhode put his right foot on the young man's head and coldly swept his gaze at rest of the villagers. Those who caught his attention turned pale and lowered their head in fear.

"I'll repeat my words once more. We are here, by request from Sir Klautz, to solve your request for the elimination of the undead creatures. In other words, we are your saviors and I hope you can treat your saviors with the utmost respect. Do you understand me? As the civilians, and the 'rescued', I hope you can understand your current plight and place. Don't make me remind you again."

Rhode then turned and faced the soldier beside the village chief. He noticed a "guard" mark on the soldier's armor.

"Especially you, mister. I hope you don't make any unnecessary movements. If not, I will inform Mr. Delano with regrets that he needs to change his guard captain."

"Stop watching and move! Don't block their path!"

The soldier in armor quickly understood what he should do. As a guard captain, he was familiar with nobles as he often dealt with them, unlike these villagers. And he dropped all suspicious of Rhode's identity, especially when he had correctly named his immediate boss' name. After serving the military for so many years, he had seen many brainless colleagues offending nobles and lost their lives as a result. He didn't want to be one of them.

That was why, after he dispersed the villagers, the guard captain immediately ran towards Rhode with a smile.

"Sir, Madam. I'm very sorry that both of you witnessed such a mess. I can guarantee to both of you that this was all an accident, just an accident..."

"Alright, I have no time to listen to your crap."

Rhode gestured with his hand and broke the guard captain's sentence.

"We need somewhere to rest. Remember to clean up the place first. Also, since we are here to carry out a mission, go and get those villagers here, I need to ask them about the undead creatures incident. Hopefully, those scums wouldn't be dumb enough to lie. And one last thing..."

Rhode pointed to the little girl who was looking at himself uneasily.

"I hope you can get someone to explain to me, what happened to that girl?"

"That girl? Are you referring to Christie?!"

The guard captain sulked.

"Sir, how did you know her? She's a devil's child!"

Chapter 154: Struggles of Life

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Listening to the stuttering explanation of the guard captain, Rhode finally understood the little girl's life experience.

She was indeed a resident who was born and raised in High Cliff Village. However, her birth wasn't a result of love but was a result of a horrible story from more than ten years ago. A long time ago, there was a beautiful, well-known young lady in this village. Many young men had crushes on her, but she would reject them all. And after she had slowly grown older to an age suitable for marriage, her parents started to worry and hurried their daughter to find a good man. But, her answer gave them a huge shock.

"I already have someone who I love."

Everyone was stunned. They were very clear of her life. She usually didn't even leave the village and had rejected the confessions from every men in the village. Logically speaking, she shouldn't have anyone that she loved. Her parents didn't believe her words and demanded her for the man's name, but the obedient young lady resisted their inquiries time and time again. Feeling helpless, her parents could only lock her up in her room and not let her leave.

But after this happened, odd things started happening.

Although they locked their daughter up in her room, every time when night fell, their daughter would suddenly disappear without any trace. Initially, they thought their daughter had left home in anger and hurriedly activated the whole village to search for her. However, they didn't manage even to find a trace of her. Just as they dragged their tired bodies back home, they found their daughter sleeping quietly on her bed, appearing as suddenly as she disappeared, as if she didn't leave before. And when they woke up their daughter, she would say that she had been sleeping all these while without leaving the room.

Both parents thought they might have made a mistake. However, the same incident kept repeating itself which made them panic. In the end, they requested the guidance of a respected bishop to check on her, and after the bishop's careful examination, he said something that frightened everyone.

This maiden had been possessed by a devil!

This result shocked many people. Never could they imagine how this maiden managed to be possessed by a devil. But no matter what, they helplessly begged the bishop to help them drive the devil away from the maiden's body.

But what happened afterward, nobody knew.

The only thing they knew was, the very next morning, the villagers once again gathered in the front door of the maiden's home. The whole house was coated in pitch black as if been burnt down by flames. At the side of the house laid the horrifying corpses of the bishop and the two elderly. The maiden's body covered by fresh blood, quietly sleeping between the bodies.

The villagers didn't know what to do. When the maiden woke up, she started to bite anyone she saw, just like a crazy wild dog. The villagers could only choose to lock her up in the cellar while thinking of a better solution.

But ever since this day, maiden's stomach started to grow bigger and bigger.

She was pregnant.

After three months, the maiden gave birth to a baby girl. However, the maiden had already expended all her life energy. After the villagers came to the cellar after hearing the cries of a baby, they witnessed the maiden's stinking, rotted and pitch black corpse.

Of course, no one wished to adopt this baby. They were afraid to end up like that old elderly couple. In the beginning, they chose to leave the baby in the deep mountains and let her die on her own. But odd things started to happen again. The next day, as they opened their doors, they would discover the baby in the middle of the square, alive.

This made the villagers fearful, and they wished to kill her. But they were afraid of getting the curse after doing so. Everyone pushed the responsibility around, but no one was willing to do it. They had seen the terrifying scene of the old couple's death, so nobody hoped to end up the same.

Eventually, the village chief stood out and adopted this baby.

[PMO]障がい者向け業務創出/管理案件 - VBA・145万円/月

As the little girl grew up, the villagers' fear did not dissipate but was intensified instead. Nobody taught her how to write, but was able to write beautiful words. Her voice was crisp and sweet but would occasionally blabber some unknown language. This deepened the villagers' fear of this monster. They treated her as a disaster and made her stay in an abandoned wine cellar. At the same time, they wouldn't allow their children to come into contact with the little girl. In their eyes, one of these days, this little girl would become like her mother.

"I see."

Rhode frowned when he listened to the explanation. Marlene and Anne were also stunned by the story. Marlene, as a mage, naturally expressed disdain and anger to the ignorance of the villagers. And as for Anne, she could understand the feelings of the little girl —- just like herself, she was abandoned in the mountains by others and grew up with beasts. She angrily puffed her cheeks and stared at the guard captain with her sharp, beast-like eyes. The guard captain didn't dare to look them in the eye and lowered his head as he stared at the ground. On the side, Lize cupped her hands and placed them on her chest. She lowered her head and started to quietly pray.

"So, what's with the mask on her face?"

The guard captain paused to think for a while and continued, "About this... this... I heard from the village chief. This girl was weird. She had been saying baffling things that could not be understood. Like, "You're the next target" or something like that... then that person would find themselves to be under the attack of the undead. Everyone felt it was her doing, so they made a mask and bound it on her face, preventing her from speaking. After doing so, no undead creature would attack us."

"So it was useless in the end, wasn't it?"

Marlene stopped the guard captain's words abruptly.

"If that was the 'solution', we wouldn't be needed here, right?"

Marlene sneered. Facing her sarcastic remark, the guard captain didn't have anything better to say. He could only smile and lowered his head.

"In other words, that mask was just to stop her from speaking? Are there other meaning to it?"

"No, nothing else..."

"Okay, I understand now."

"So then..." Rhode nodded and stretched out his hand, "Key."

"Eh?"

After hearing Rhode's orders, the guard captain and village chief were surprised.

"Didn't you hear me? Give me the key. One of you should have the keys to the mask."

"It's with me, but Sir, if we get cursed by..."

"That's your concern, not mine. Now, hand the key over."

Rhode's eyes turned cold.

"Or maybe I'll just retrieve it from your corpse."

It was a direct threat.

The village chief's body shivered a little as he quickly reached into his pocket and respectfully gave a small copper key to Rhode. Rhode received the key and passed it to Marlene.

"Remove the mask from the little girl and get her something to eat."

Following Rhode's orders, the village chief led them to a pub that Rhode designated as the mercenaries resting point. At the same time, the little girl tagged along behind the group. After witnessing how the villagers treated her, no matter if it was Rhode or the three maidens, no one was willing to let her out of their sights.

"Yes, Mr. Rhode."

Marlene took the key and hurriedly stood up. She nodded to Rhode and quickly beckoned the little girl to follow. Anne and Lize accompanied her out. Since there was an opportunity to avoid those irritating villagers, naturally they would choose to back off.

In an instant, the entire pub hall was deserted with the exception of Rhode and Celia. He was sitting on the chair nonchalantly while Celia silently stood behind him. In front of him, stood an old man filled with sweat, and a guard captain who was looking towards the floor.

After noticing the angel standing behind Rhode, their doubts about Rhode's identity were washed away. Her pristine, white wings spread open, shining brilliantly under the sunlight that peeked through the windows, releasing a radiant aura.

"Now we can talk about the undead creatures... or maybe, you have other matters?"

Rhode looked at the village chief expressionlessly.

"This..."

Hearing Rhode's question, the old man shivered and raised his head a little to look at Rhode. He lowered his head again and gritted his teeth before speaking, albeit having a slight stutter in his voice.

"T-This... dear Sir, please forgive my rudeness... May I ask, where did you come from?"

"The Northern Mountains."

Rhode casually answered and frowned, showing a slightly irritated look on his face.

"Is there any problem?"

"N-No no no, no problem at all."

The old man once again lowered his head, and hurriedly continued, "Just... that... did any of your family members visited here before?"

"No."

Rhode shot down his inquiry, his tone obviously reflecting his impatience and irrelevance to the issues at hand. He thought the old man's questions were silly.

"Is this all you want to ask?"

"Yes, I am very sorry..."

The old man wiped his sweat and took a few steps back, indirectly signifying that his turn to speak was over. Rhode observed him for a while and turned his head toward the guard captain.

"Next, let's talk about the undead creatures."

The guard captain began his explanations.

Chapter 155: Shadow of the Past

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

"Kacha."

Accompanied by a crisp sound, the collar that was bound tightly to the girl's neck was finally fell to the floor. Lize carefully removed the leather mask from her face.

"Don't worry; nothing will harm you here."

The girl's eyes revealed fear and anxiety. Lize displayed a reassuring smile while Anne couldn't wait to serve the piping hot food.

"Let me! Let me! This is an apple pie~ I haven't eaten such nice food for a long time! Come, have a taste."

"No, Anne. She'd been hungry for far too long. She needs to drink some water to warm herself up first. If she eats something now, it will hurt her body."

Holding a cup of warm water filled with droplets of honey, Marlene tried to move one step ahead of Anne. She stirred the drink with a spoon and passed it over to the little girl.

"Slowly drink, don't rush it."

The little girl sat on the bed blankly, observing everything in front of her, not knowing what reaction she should make. Since birth, she had never been treated so gently before. As soon as she could remember things, all she remembered was torture, hate, abuse and everyone she met wanted her dead. They never showed her what a smile looked like, only hate and fear. Just like tossing away a piece of rubbish.

The little girl was already used to such treatment. Maybe in her world, love and care were nonexistent. When Lize and the rest appeared, they did not scold her, kick her or hurt her in any way. It was because of this that she felt a sense of uncertainty. She feared not knowing what to do. It was strange at first, but warm at the same time.

"..."

Crystal clear tears started falling from her eyes, slowly trickling down to the ground.

"Ah, why did you cry. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

"Gosh, was the drink too hot?"

The three maidens started panicking. Marlene started to blow the teacup, trying to bring down the temperature. Anne quickly put down the hot apple pie and squatted in front of the girl, not knowing what to do. While Lize took a handkerchief and lightly wiped the tears from her face.

"Don't cry... slowly, let us know what's wrong... eh?"

Just as Lize was cleaning the little girl's tears, she suddenly let out a soft and surprised cry. She stared blankly at the little girl's face.

"What's wrong? Lize?"

Anne and Marlene turned around out of curiosity to glance at the face of the little girl.

This was the first time they saw her face.

Due to an extended period of malnutrition, the little girl's face was thin. Heartbreakingly pale white face. Her delicate features were as if it was a beautiful artwork sculptured by an artist. She had light pink lips and a pair of lake-like clear eyes. The most prominent feature was her achromatic eyes. Her left eye had a normal blue shine, but her right eye that hid behind her long fringe was shining like a purple gem.

But the three of them weren't too concerned about them. Rather, they were concerned about her looks; she appeared to be somewhat familiar to them.

"This face... have I seen it somewhere?"

"... Anne too, finds it so familiar..."

Anne twirled her hair and closed her eyes while pressing her petite eyebrows together. Then she suddenly punched downwards with her small fist.

"Yes! Isn't she the leader's..."

Anne suddenly stopped. The three of them looked at each other, not know what to say at all.

That's right, no matter how you look at the little girl, other than the hair and eye color, she resembled exactly like Rhode. The only thing different was that she's younger than Rhode by quite a margin. And between her eyebrows didn't have the cold feel like Rhode; instead, she was filled with a cuddly charm. Even the three of them as females, couldn't help but want to hug the little girl in their arms and gently care for her.

But... what's with this similarity?

Lize, Marlene, and Anne looked at each other in confusion. Although Lize and Rhode knew each other the longest, even she never heard Rhode speak about his family members. Naturally, Anne and Marlene wouldn't have known too.

"So what now?"

Marlene frowned and asked.

"This... maybe we can get Mr. Rhode to see for himself?"

Lize spoke with uncertainty. It isn't common to meet your doppelgänger every day; thus, naturally, she wouldn't know what to do other than inform the leader. The first time they looked at the girl, they suspected if Rhode and she were related. However, Rhode didn't seem to recognize her at the cave. This made the three of them full of doubt but didn't know what to say.

"Let's call Mr. Rhode here, besides..."

Marlene stopped and eventually sighed.

"Anne, could you get Mr. Rhode here?"

"Sure, Anne will go now."

After hearing Marlene's question, Anne immediately jumped up and burst out of the room.

Meanwhile, Rhode finished listening to the village chief's report on the undead creatures.

The villagers indeed did meet with some troublesome matters. Those undead creatures will appear once it hits midnight. They would float within the village and find their prey. The village resistance was insignificant and the villagers had no choice but to remove late-night guard duties. And when you thought that matters couldn't be worse, rumors started to spread, and it started to deter merchants from using this business route. It caused the villagers to lose their primary source of income. Despite inviting help from those acolytes from churches, but their strength was limited and eventually failed.

After 'interviewing' the village chief, Rhode confirmed the undead's identity —- the Spectre. They were ghosts who were once human, awakened from dark magic pollution and then manipulated by an invisible evil entity. Rhode also confirmed their identities —- Spectre. And just like what Marlene had predicted, the main reason may be due to a hell chasm somewhere within the village which polluted the dead spirits, converting them into Spectres.

The Spectre's most prominent feature would be belonging to the category of 'non-physical creatures.' Other than magical and elemental weapons, other types of weapons will not be able to threaten them at all. They would only pass through their bodies and not deal any damage. Not only that, Spectres could easily phase through walls, in other words, they could attack from anywhere. This wasn't something any ordinary militia could handle.

On the other hand, the Spectre's level wasn't very high. Most of them were merely over level ten. Periodically, some elites that were over level twenty would appear, but they wouldn't exceed level thirty, which was their limit. However, with Celia around, Rhode believed they wouldn't be the true troublesome foes.

The upcoming battle with the Spectres' could be treated as training. Although its attacking power isn't high, their sudden, omnidirectional ways of striking would be a good test for the mercenaries. Of course, to Rhode, as long as he had the holy sword in hand, even a hundred Spectres could be easily dispatched by him alone. However this time, he intended to use this as a live training session for his mercenaries. So after listening to the village chief's explanations, Rhode decided to observe the battle by the side. His only duty was to be in charge of drinking tea.

"I've understood the situation. But how I will handle the upcoming issues is all up to myself. You have no rights to ask. My only promise to you is that we will remove all the undead creatures. But I hope that you can restrain your group of idiots. If I meet anyone who tries to provoke my glory, I won't be able to guarantee their life."

Rhode easily made another threat, and stood up after sending the sweaty old man and guard captain out of the pub. Initially, Rhode intended to explore the surroundings, but this village made him lose all interest in sightseeing. Just as Rhode was deciding what he should do next, he saw Anne hurriedly dashing down the stairs.

"Ah, Leader, you're still here! Great!"

"What happened?"

Rhode asked, wondering what was it that made Anne fluster like this. But to his surprise, Anne did not answer his question immediately as she just stared at him in a daze. After some time, Rhode woke her up with a clap.

"Hmm... Anne isn't too sure..." Anne tilted her head as she scanned Rhode's features from top to bottom.

"Leader, Sister Marlene wants you to see for yourself."

"?"

Facing Anne's attitude, a huge question mark appeared in Rhode's brain. He had never seen this straightforward maiden this hesitant in her words before. But he didn't overthink and followed Anne up the stairs to the guest room on the second floor.

"Ah, Mr. Rhode."

Noticing Rhode's arrival, Marlene and Lize hurriedly stood up. Rhode looked at the two maidens and frowned. He could sense the awkwardness from both of their expressions. This surprised Rhode, and after confirming that the three of them didn't have a quarrel, he asked.

"What happened?"

"This..."

Facing Rhode's question, the three maidens exchanged looks at each other. It wasn't long before Lize finally bit the bullet and stepped out.

"Mr. Rhode, we would like you to look at her."

"Her? What's wrong with her?"

Rhode asked curiously. He turned his head towards the little girl who was slowly sipping a teacup by the bed edge.

The moment he had a clear view of her face, Rhode felt the blood in his body stop flowing.

Chapter 156: Past Memories (2 Chapters in 1)

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

For one moment, Rhode thought that his eyes were playing tricks on him until he pinched his palm to confirm that this wasn't a dream. Looking at the girl, Rhode held his breath and closed his eyes. After a while, he finally calmed himself down and walked towards the little girl slowly. He bent down to her eye level and looked at her carefully.

Facing Rhode's actions, the little girl seemed a little startled. Both of her hands gripped the teacup tightly but, she didn't seem like she wanted to escape. Instead, when Rhode was examining her, she returned his gaze curiously at this young and unfamiliar man. She was equally doubtful as to why this person had the exact same face as hers.

"Hi there, young lady. I am Rhode Alander. Can you tell me your name?"

Rhode's tone was incredibly gentle. Even his usual cold expression seemed to have disappeared.

Upon noticing this expression of Rhode's, the three maidens widened their eyes in disbelief. After spending so much time with Rhode, this was the first time he'd revealed such an expression. A far cry from the feeling of an icy cold, sturdy, yet reliable Rhode from before.

But right now, the atmosphere surrounding Rhode seemed to be very warm and gentle. Just like the first rays of light from the morning sun, unconditionally embracing anything with comfort and warmth. If Rhode previously gave others an impression of "Cold as ice", then right now they would have treated her as the gentle, beautiful and kind princess. (TL: Yes, it's princess, not prince) To complete this fairytale-esque scene, maybe a fully armored knight should appear and kneel down on the spot while presenting his long sword to show his passion and loyalty.

"No wonder he was always expressionless..."

Looking at this scene, Marlene, Lize and Anne started having many different thoughts. Under normal circumstances, Rhode could easily be mistaken as a female. Although as a man, gentleness may not be the only thing that they lack. But, when a handsome man reveals his gentle side, compared to a beautiful man showing his tender side, the sensation is entirely different.

(ED: Handsome referring to masculine men; while beautiful refers to 'Bishoujo' looking men with feminine features.)

If a handsome man's gentle smile could make those maidens go completely crazy, then the smile that Rhode had on his face could make anyone let go of all fears and safely dive right into the warmth within.

Of course, from a bystander point of view, this scene looked exactly like a conversation between a pair of sisters.

"..."

Probably attracted by Rhode's tone and expression, the little girl dropped her guard. She raised her head slightly and opened her tiny lips, attempting to say something. But she as if remembered something terrible, she quickly shut her mouth.

"Don't worry."

Noticing the little girl's expression, Rhode smiled and touched her hair.

"You don't have to be afraid of cursing me. It's not your fault. Trust me, you wouldn't curse anyone. Talk to me. Tell me your name. Okay?"

"... Christie..."

The little girl dropped her shoulders and lifted her face. She said softly while looking right at Rhode.

"You have a nice name."

After hearing the little girl's answer, Rhode gently nodded.

"So, Christie, I hope you can stay here for the time being to have some food and drinks. You can have a good sleep later, and once you've woken up the next day, I have something important to tell you... is that okay?"

"... Okay..."

Christie slightly nodded. Rhode didn't say much after receiving her answer. He just smiled and rubbed the little girl's head gently. Just when Rhode was about to stand up and walk away, the little girl reached out to the corner of his clothes. She tugged lightly and raised her head. Deep within, her achromatic eyes were filled with care and expectations that probably the little girl didn't know it herself.

"... Name..."

"Hmm?"

"... Can you say it again... your name..."

Hearing the little girl's question, Rhode was surprised and once again revealed his smile.

"Sure. I am Rhode Alander. Call me Rhode will do."

"... Rhode..."

The little girl soft repeated this name. As if receiving a precious treasure, she wanted to keep it deep within her memories. After a moment, the little girl revealed a beautiful wholehearted smile —- A smile that signified receiving the most precious prize in the world.

"Hu..."

After exiting the room, Rhode quickly kept his smile and returned to his usual cold self. Marlene and Anne felt that it was a pity...

Afterwards, Rhode left Christie with Lize. Afterall, the maiden was a Cleric and when it comes to caring for others, she's very reliable. In order not to disturb the patient, Marlene and Anne chose to leave even though they wanted to stay. They knew that more people might cause messy situations, so they left in the end.

But the doubts in their mind didn't disappear.

"Leader. What relationship do you have with the little girl?"

Anne couldn't hold it any longer and ask out of curiosity.

"We shouldn't be related at all."

Rhode frowned upon hearing Anne and quickly made up an answer.

But this answer didn't satisfy both of them.

"But... Both of you look so alike..."

Marlene used a more subtle term. In fact, it was an understatement to call them 'similar'. Especially when both of them stood face to face, no matter how everyone saw it, Christie was just a Rhode that was ten years younger. To say that both of them have no relations, not even Marlene would believe that. Although, logically speaking , Rhode who originated from the Northern Mountains shouldn't have any relationship with this small village within the Paphield Region, but the existence of Christie didn't support this logic at all.

"Just as the saying goes. In this world, there will be at least three people who look exactly like you. So it isn't weird."

Rhode seemed to be very calm.

"... Could it be Leader's long lost sister?"

Anne asked, but she didn't notice that it caused Rhode's expression to darken slightly when her question reminded him of his past.

"... I do indeed have a sister. But it is a pity; she wasn't lost."

"Leader, you have a sister?"

Hearing this, the curious Anne spoke a little louder. Even Marlene started focusing on the conversation as Rhode had never mentioned his personal life before.

"That's right. If she's still alive, then maybe..."

"Ah..."

Rhode shrugged his shoulders. Although he didn't continue, but both of them understood his words and started to quieten... the atmosphere turned awkward suddenly. Rhode stared at the scenery out of the window with his hands behind his back. Anne and Marlene didn't know what to say. After a moment, Anne bit the bullet and clapped her hands and said.

"Lea-Leader must have loved his sister."

"No, it's the opposite."

To their surprise was, Rhode straightforwardly shook his head and interrupted Anne.

"To be honest, I hated her from the start."

"Eh?"

Anne and Marlene were surprised.

"Wh-Why?"

Marlene couldn't hold it anymore. Although she had been taught not to invade other's privacy, this maiden felt that his answer was too strange.

But Rhode didn't reply immediately. Instead, he raised his head, glanced at the maidens and turned back to the window.

"... Have both of you seen twins before?" Rhode said with slight melancholy in his voice.

"Eh? Twins... Yes."

"Anne had seen a few times too..."

Rhode kept surprising them again and again. Marlene and Anne almost couldn't keep up the pace.

"Normally between twins, many sisters or brothers look similar. However, if its a male and a female, they might look alike, but it can't possibly be exactly identical... Right?"

"This... As you said, it's actually true..."

Marlene seemed to have understood something. As for Anne, she looked around left and right, full of confusion.

Rhode nodded and said, "This is a normal situation. I wouldn't mention the specific principles because you wouldn't understand. All in all, you just need to know that usually twins who looked alike basically are the same gender. But for twins with different gender, their looks will never be the same —- this is based on a general theory. Whereas my sister and I are just freaks that are an exception to that theory.

"..."

Marlene and Anne exchanged looks. They didn't understand what Rhode had said and felt a weird mixture of emotions.

"Not sure where went wrong or there was a problem with the genetics. In other words, our birth was entirely a special case. And this didn't bring us any benefits either. Maybe we have violated the laws of nature, so my sister was born two times weaker than normal humans. She couldn't even leave her room. Once she contracted a disease, even the smallest of all disease could turn into something serious."

"It sounds tough..."

Marlene softly mumbled. Although she had never read something similar in books, according to Rhode's explanation, she could imagine how scary things could turn out.

"But, wasn't your sister very pitiful? Why did Leader still hate her?"

Anne frowned and asked. Rhode sighed after hearing her question.

"Indeed. If it's just like this, then I wouldn't have hated her. But... between us, there was an explicit connection."

"Connection?"

"That's right."

Rhode nodded.

"To cut the long story short, she and I... can feel each other's physical pain. If I get hurt, she will feel it too, if she gets sick, I will also fall sick..."

Halfway when Rhode was speaking, he pushed the window open with his right hand.

"So at that time, I hated her. Even though she's the bedridden one, but our parents would stop me from going out to play with friends. I would get reprimanded if I sneaked out. And even though it was her who got herself sick, I had to also rest on the bed like a patient. And this face of mine..."

Rhode coldly laughed softly.

"For a female, this face wouldn't be considered inferior. But a pity, I am a man. I don't have any interest in this face. I had enough of being treated as a cute girl or getting laughed at for looking like a woman... To be honest, I had thoughts that —- if it weren't for her, then I wouldn't be like this. If she's not around, then I wouldn't have to suffer too."

Rhode's voice sounded calm without emotions. But hearing his explanation, Marlene and Anne could feel the complicated feelings hidden deep within his tone.

"Afterwards... we had a huge quarrel. She could only cry and apologize to me for the hardship she'd caused for me... After all we are still siblings, so in the end, I tried to accept everything and hoped that we could come up with a solution that could be accepted by both of us. I started to take care and spend time with her, but a pity... her body condition was too weak. Our parents knew that she wouldn't live more than 14 years after she was born. And indeed, her body conditions deteriorated. Her organs started to fail, and there was no way to prevent it. Eventually..."

Rhode closed his mouth as he looked out of the window, at the leaves swaying in the wind.

The rustling sound of wind blowing through the trees brought a gentle and calm atmosphere.

Everything seemed so similar, just like that day.

Bright sunlight spilled through the window. The green trees on the outside were so vivid that no one could look at them directly. But alas, just separated by a wall, lay the veil of the shadow of death. He could only lie helplessly on the bed, staring at the busy doctors and crying parents by the side, unable to offer any help. He couldn't be like them, be by his sister's side to accompany her. Yet, he was the one who could truly feel her pain and hopelessness.

What an irony.

Eventually, she left.

And the nightmare that had been troubling Rhode finally ended.

To Rhode, this wasn't the ending he wished.

He got what he wanted, but lost something more important.

"Mr. Rhode, that girl..."

"I know."

Rhode interrupted Marlene without turning back.

"She isn't my sister even though we look the same. She is herself, and she will never replace that part of my heart. I will not treat her as a substitute. But, I admit. I wish to do something for her..."

Rhode suddenly turned around and looked at both of them.

"Don't you two want to do the same?"

Hearing Rhode's answer, both of them nodded. Indeed, even though they didn't have such complex backstory with the girl, just based on the little girl's life experiences were enough for them to lend her a helping hand. Marlene let out a sigh of relief and at the same time blushed. She was worried that Rhode would treat Christie as a substitute for his sister. Although Rhode said that he hated his own sister, but after the change of attitude, Marlene could sense that Rhode cared dearly for his sister. This made her feel uncertain. If Rhode treated Christie as his sister, Marlene thought that it wouldn't be a good thing. As a noble, Marlene had seen many unimaginable things, and even though this was his personal matters, she felt that it was right to remind him.

But now it seemed that Rhode was more aware than she thought so she didn't say much more.

Of course, to say this didn't impact him at all was a total lie. Rhode was very clear on this. Besides, both of them looked identical and Christie was also as weak as her sister. Not only that, the difference in their age would only lead both of them to have a sibling-like relationship. However, to Rhode, Christie is just Christie and not his sister. In the whole world, there will never be two identical leaves. Even if the exterior looked exactly the same, the inner would never ever be.

If Rhode's heart was a hostel, then his choice now was not to open his sister's room and allow Christie to enter. Instead, he continued to seal this room and opened another door for Christie...

Everyone is unique.

"Alright."

Rhode kept his thoughts and returned to his original self.

"Both of you can go and rest now. We will prepare our battle tonight. As for Christie, leave it to Lize for now."

Anne and Marlene nodded and returned to their rooms. Rhode went silent for a moment then slowly walked down the stairs.

"Ah, Sir, you finally arrived."

Just as Rhode walked down the stairs, an anxious voice sounded. Rhode lifted his head and saw Randolf standing in the middle of the hall, full of anxiousness and uncertainty.

"What happened? Did those villagers decide to find trouble with us?"

As he spoke, his right arm subconsciously rested on the hilt of his sword.

"Ah, no, Sir, those villagers didn't do anything to us."

Noticing Rhode's actions, Randolf quickly denied.

"It's like this; Miss Celia found something. Hope you can take a look."

"Oh?"

Rhode's brows twitched. A while back, he had ordered Celia to search for any traces on the spawn of undead creatures. After all, it's in the morning now, and the angel's energy was at her peak condition to detect nearby evil beings. No matter if it's the hell chasm, dark ritual or other sources, more or less, there would be some kind of trace. And now that it seemed that Celia had found something?

"Bring me there."

Rhode didn't hesitate and ordered quickly.

Under Randolf's lead, Rhode reached a big pit located not far from the village. This place seemed to be a quarry. According to the guard captain that tagged along, this place had been abandoned since a long time ago.

"Master."

From the middle of the quarry, Celia spread her wings and flew to Rhode swiftly after noticing his arrival. She lightly bowed.

Rhode observed the barren stones filled with overgrown fauna and asked softly, "Are there any findings?"

"Yes, please come with me."

Celia quickly turned around and led Rhode to where she stood from before. Afterwards, the angel stretched her right arm and pointed downwards.

"Please look."

"Hmm?"

Looking at the direction of Celia's finger, Rhode was surprised, and his expression turned gloomy all of a sudden.

Deep within the bottom of the pit lay piles of bones and blood stains. All of them had odd shapes, from human bones to animal bones. On the surface, this looked like a non-hygienic qualified slaughterhouse. Pitch black, dried blood painted the ground like a shadow. Scattered around the bones were buzzing flies. The air was mixed with a strange odor, extremely disgusting.

Rhode didn't focus on those, but instead, he turned his attention on a circular ritual site in the middle of the pile of bones.

"Summoning ritual."

Celia said softly, with hatred and a sense of justice.

"Master, this was an act of the devil."

The angel maiden spoke, her voice turning cold.

Chapter 157: Summoning Ritual

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

Within the Dragon Soul Continent, the ongoing story content always revolved around the devils attempting to destroy humans. They seek to turn this beautiful world into a scary, bloody and dark world like theirs. While lurking in the darkness, they tempt humans with their deceptive words and irresistible rewards. Once they fall into temptation, the devils would immediately gain a foothold to spread destruction and despair.

When there's light, there will be darkness; similarly to justice and evil. Some may choose to defend the world as a protector, and some may choose to watch the world burn.

The Summoning Ritual was a byproduct of people who wanted to watch the destruction and chaos of the world. The ritual would tear down the nine layers of space between hell and earth using spiritual energy, forming a spatial tunnel for the devils to pass through freely into the world.

The devil's world could support their existence was because the power of Light was dim, however, in the Dragon Soul Continent, the power of the Light Dragon Soul was abnormally strong. Thus, the devils could only control and manipulate people from afar. This was why, under the Dark Dragon's soul, the temptation of power it offered allowed the aristocracy to lead fulfilling lives.

To summarize everything in an unrealistic scenario, if a devil steps into the world through a Summoning Ritual, it would be akin to a newbie player who'd just finished his character creation, seeking a fulfilling adventure in an unknown world. But just before entering the tutorial village, a BOSS monster suddenly fell from the sky and crushed him, thoroughly ending his adventure. Any sane player who met such a situation would smash his keyboard in anger and complain about the balance of this game!

That was the exact situation the devils' faced. After several attempts, they gave up on utilizing brute force to enter the Dragon Soul Continent. Instead, they devised a plan so they could benefit from it without doing the work themselves. Soon, they found many foolish humans who appeared to be passionate about destroying the world in many various ways. Of course, in terms of techniques, they were a far cry from the devils, but with regards to passion and dedication, the humans' willpower surpassed their expectations. This prompted the devils to change their methods of attacking. Since these stupid humans wanted to cause chaos and destruction by themselves, why not aid them while watching from the sidelines?

Because of the shift in strategy, the Summoning Ritual that was originally used to ferry the devils across also changed in its usage. Now, the followers of the devils could send pure spirits through the tunnel. They would receive praises from their masters and receive strong buffs. It was a win-win situation for the devils as they could receive sweet tasting, pure souls and they didn't need to risk their lives in doing so. It was certainly worthy of a celebration for them.

And so, this very Summoning Ritual was right in front of their eyes.

"In other words, there is a devil worshipper here?" Rhode said as he focused his attention on the ritual site.

The bloodstains seem to be fresh which meant that someone had used it quite recently.

"That certainly should be the case."

Celia turned her head and stared at the village surrounded by the forest. She gripped her sword with both hands, revealing a serious expression.

"This will not be a simple mission, Master. I suspect someone there is responsible for this."

"Hopefully they won't get too crazy..." Rhode replied as he turned to Celia, saying, "by the way, how's the situation in the village?"

"I can't sense any malicious aura from the majority of the town. Other than some residual dark energy from the cellar area, there is nothing else."

"Check it again." Rhode went silent for a moment, and after a while, he said, "... Check the graveyard and the forest up north. Since there is a devil worshipper here, I don't believe he would be untraceable. I will be in charge of checking the village again. Now, go."

"Understood, Master."

[PMO]障がい者向け業務創出/管理案件 - VBA・145万円/月

Hearing Rhode's order, Celia nodded. She swiftly expanded her wings and flew into the air. When the angel maiden was finally out of sight, Rhode gestured to Randolf and the others.

"Follow me. We have something urgent to do."

The bustling village suddenly turned oddly quiet. Due to Rhode's initial arrogance, the villagers had naturally treated them as unwelcomed guests. Even though this was so, they couldn't take advantage of them. Besides, no matter what, with the presence of an angel and a mage, it didn't take a genius to understand that Rhode's group weren't people to be messed with. Thus, they could only resign to their fate and curse to themselves behind locked doors.

Rhode felt no pressure at all when faced with such treatment. He didn't even give a damn about the villagers, especially after Christie's incident. Although she wasn't his biological sister, to discover a girl who looked exactly like his her getting tortured made Rhode really upset. He even felt that he was being gracious for not setting this whole village on fire.

Hmph. Just a bunch of NPCs. Yet they think they are humans.

–

"This feels great."

Joey rubbed his hands looking excited while walking behind Rhode down the empty street. He witnessed how those arrogant villagers yielded to Rhode's might and didn't dare to retaliate. After all, the last time he was here, he had been shooed and was even scolded by the kids. But right now, those arrogant villagers were finally put in their place, making him feel quite pleased.

"Leader, you are totally awesome! I've never imagined that these bunch of trash would lower their heads and tuck their tails. Haha! It feels so oddly satisfying to see the embarrassed side of them."

"Okay, Joey. Cut the crap."

Randolf frowned and interrupted his comrade. He knew this friend of his had always been careless and whimsical. But no matter what, he was in front of their leader and Rhode had always been portraying a cold image which worried Randolf. He knew that Rhode was a very strict man who didn't allow anyone to challenge his rights. Under normal circumstances, he was easy to get along with, but once angered, don't expect him to go light.

However, to his astonishment, he didn't expect that Rhode would actually entertain Joey's crap.

"Strength and status are the prerequisite to ensure dignity. If you mercenaries can kill a few of the brainless idiots here and get others not to find trouble with you, then I guarantee you that next time, other brainless idiots will worship you like their ancestors. The prerequisite is not to allow the villagers to turn the tables. If not, everything will be over."

"No wonder you're the leader! Such brilliant words!"

Hearing Rhode's response, the thief revealed a grin. As a mercenary, he knew precisely how crucial it was to suck up to the leader. However, Rhode didn't usually hang out with them, so now that there was a good chance, they naturally wouldn't give it up.

"With enough power, you receive rights. With rights, you control power. This is the same no matter where you go."

Rhode reflected inwardly. When he passed a wooden house, he suddenly halted and stared at it for a moment. It was located near the edge of the village square which seemed nothing out of the ordinary as it was quite similar to other houses, but Rhode could sense an unnerving aura emitting from within.

"What is that place?" asked Rhode.

"Hmm..." Randolf lifted his head and observed the wooden house and said, "that seems like a warehouse."

Rhode frowned and walked to the door before knocking lightly.

No one answered.

"Seems like there's no one, Sir. Do you want me to..."

Before Joey could offer to display his thief skills, Rhode punched the door with his fist. The fragile door broke instantly, and the impact echoed throughout the square. However, no villagers dared to come out to check.

Rhode casually walked into the wooden house as if it was his own. The thief looked around the house cautiously and only relaxed after he confirmed it was safe.

"I didn't know our leader was so violent... but that felt great! I've never tried breaking in by smashing doors before!"

"Urgh. Just shut up!"

Randolf held his forehead and sighed helplessly. He stared into Joey's eyes and followed behind Rhode.

Inside the room, large buckets littered on the ground. They were stacked neatly side by side and scent of vegetables and wine could be smelt from within. Sunlight entered from the dirty windows which brightened the whole warehouse, revealing the dust that was floating everywhere.

There was nothing.

Rhode slowly scoured the house but didn't discover anything. However, the troubling sensation in his heart didn't disappear. Instead, it grew stronger.

A burst of rapid footsteps sounded near the entrance interrupted Rhode's train of thoughts. He lifted his head and saw the old village chief with a bitter expression.

"Sir Rhode, what are you doing? If you want to enter, you can just inform me..."

The village chief grumbled while wiping his sweat. However, Rhode didn't intend to take his grumble to heart. He gave up the virtue of 'respecting elders' and straightforwardly pointed to the staircases which led underground.

"That's the cellar?"

"Yes Sir, that's where Christie lives..."

Hearing the village chief's answer, Rhode nodded and walked down the stairs.

A chilly air blew from within.

Even under the dim light, Rhode could still easily see the entire cellar clearly. Dry stacked walls supported the entire cellar. And in a dark corner, Rhode discovered a dirty small wooden bed. The colors of the bedsheet were already washed out, and he also found torn clothes placed nearly by the side. But judging from the wrinkles on the clothing, it was evident that the clothes were unable to dry fully.

Other than that, there were no signs of human habitation in this cellar.

"S-Sir, you'd better come up soon. It's damp and cold down there... It is harmful to your body..."

"Randolf."

Rhode ignored the village chief's words. He hooked his finger and beckoned the ranger to come forward. Randolf quickly made his way towards Rhode with a curious expression.

"Inform the rest to gather at the square tonight. We are going start soon. Make sure to rest up. " Rhode paused for a moment, and after a while, he said, "... and, bring Christie along."

Chapter 158: Late-night Haunting

Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios

The last ray of sunlight disappeared below the horizon. Deep darkness enveloped the entire village.

Usually, during this time, the villagers would have ended their daily tasks and visit the pub for leisure. Chatting, enjoying the food and alcohol to spend some time after a hard day of work. Afterwards, they would return home after getting drunk and dive straight into bed. Once the next day arrives, they would repeat that action, and that's how they lived their days in a village.

However, it was a pity that they can't enjoy it today. The pub was taken over by the "evil, irritating and terrifying" mercenary group, so they didn't have the chance to drown their weary souls in beer. Moreover, early that evening, they received an indirect threat from a mercenary that was sent by that arrogant noble, 'suggesting' that they should stay indoors for their own safety or else they 'might' end up as bait for the undead creatures.

The villagers could only curse and swear behind the backs of those damn mercenaries and stay home obediently. Although some brave souls thought of challenging the curfew, they were reminded of the moaning guy lying helplessly in bed —- If they didn't wish to face the same consequences, then it's better to stay out of trouble.

And right now, the members of the Starlight Mercenary Group had already gathered at the square. They started to form a circle around a huge teepee campfire. The flames lit up the square, allowing everyone to see each other clearly. Celia quietly stood in the middle, with both hands on the sword hilt while her eyes were closed. The rest of them gathered together and carefully observed their surroundings. Although the undead creatures were troublesome beings, these people were accustomed to living this kind of dangerous life with Rhode. Besides, with the companionship of an angel, everyone felt emboldened.

"Devil worshipper?"

Marlene opened her eyes slightly wider, revealing some confusion.

"Never did I expect them to appear in such a small village. That's really odd."

"Is it really that odd?"

"Yes, it is. I had a few encounters with the church handling the devil worshipper during my schooling days in the magic academy. According to logic, the devil worshipper should hide in big cities because a bigger population meant that it was easier for them to escape undetected while able to cause grievous harm. To a devil, chaos, death, and demolition were what they wished for the most. A small village like this, to be honest, even if it burned down, the devils wouldn't spare a glance at it."

"In normal circumstances, that's indeed correct."

Rhode shrugged his shoulders.

"However if there's something that the devils wanted from here, then it's another matter."

"You mean..."

Marlene slightly shocked after hearing Rhode's reply. She immediately turned her head to the uncertain and quiet little girl sitting beside Lize.

"She... attracted the devil's attention? Although this little girl has traces of devil descent, since there are countless of half devils around in this world, I doubt the devils would only pay attention to her?"

[PMO]障がい者向け業務創出/管理案件 - VBA・145万円/月

"As for this, I'm not too sure."

Rhode shook his head as he didn't know much of this.

"However today, I sensed a faint evil presence from where she lived. That presence didn't belong to Christie. Although Celia thought that the presence was left behind by Christie unknowingly, I felt that it wasn't the case. Besides, I have sufficient reasons to prove this point."

After completing his sentence, Rhode opened his arms.

"According to the intelligence we received, it isn't odd that this village got attacked by undead creatures every night. Yet, from the description by the village chief, I realized that there must be a large number of undead creatures, which is very odd. Because, if they want to offer sacrifices to the devils, then the safest way should be through carrying it out privately. Once the matter escalates, it will attract the attention of governors easily; which is why we're here. Moreover, if they truly wanted to offer sacrifices to the devil, they shouldn't have created so many undead creatures. After all, there are much more benefits if they offered the spirits to the devils."

"This indeed makes sense..."

Marlene couldn't help but nod in agreement. Afterwards, she curiously stole a glance at Rhode. Although she had spent a lot of time together with Rhode and had already gotten used to his vast knowledge, at this moment, Marlene felt that Rhode had reached an omniscient level. Regarding matters of the devils, even the mages and clerics with higher rankings could not be certain sometimes. But Rhode had given her an 'always-ready' sensation as if he could immediately give you an answer no matter what you asked him.

Of course, Marlene didn't know that Rhode had been granted the title of 'walking library'. And to him, the Dragon Soul Continent had no secrets. The devils were no exception.

"But if that's the truth, why wasn't Christie kept in captivity?"

Marlene was doubtful.

"And they could also send her away anytime right?"

"There's not enough time."

Rhode shook his head.

"The reason why they created so many undead creatures was to expand the hell chasm. Obviously, the devils ordered them to capture the victim alive, if not, Christie definitely wouldn't have lived til now. As for keeping her in captivity, there is no need for that. In fact, Christie's previous way of life was almost equivalent to being a captive. She had nowhere to escape. Rather than taking unnecessary actions and attract suspicions from others, they're better off maintaining the current situations. Only when the chasm is open, then they would start to capture her for real."

"What a poor child."

After hearing Rhode's explanation, Marlene looked over to Christie. Christie was wrapped in a thick blanket, she raised her head and stared at the starry sky. Her frail appearance made everyone want to give her a warm hug.

"Since the devils are targeting her... Mr. Rhode, the reason you brought her here was to bait them right?"

"That's right."

Rhode simply nodded.

"If that devil worshipper is a villager, then he knows that Christie is under my protection. Even using his ass to think, he can also guess that I wouldn't give her up even if he said 'I will be offering this girl to the devil as a gift, please show mercy to me'. Not to mention, Christie and I look the same, anyone who sees us will definitely have this thought. So, I think he will change his mind and find trouble with me instead. Rather than leaving Christie in the pub to be captured by someone, why not keep her by my side. I don't believe that worshipper has the patience to wait. Although this is only my guess, it's better than it coming true."

"I understand what you mean, Mr. Rhode."

Marlene went silent for a moment and quickly understood Rhode's thoughts. Afterwards, she didn't say anything but quietly held onto her staff, waiting for the battle to begin.

Minutes and seconds passed.

The skies slowly turned dark. The lights within the village had started to extinguish. Soon enough, the serenity of silence became the main melody of the village. The mercenaries began to warm up to prevent any mishaps in battle. They checked their potions and polished their weapons. Even Lize had started to pray softly. It was only Anne who'd laid flat on her shield by the campfire in a deep sleep. Judging by her looks, she intended to sleep till morning.

Rhode raised his head and gazed at the moon.

The night sky under the Light Dragon's Soul was always colorful. But for some reason, Rhode felt that the aura tonight was a little dull. Suddenly, a sharp, cold wind blew which caused the flames to dance. In an instant, the surrounding lights became much dimmer than before.

"... Ah..."

At this moment, Christie suddenly exclaimed. Her eyes snapped wide open with shock as she shot up and looked around in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Marlene frowned and asked.

The little girl's odd behavior attracted the mercenaries' attention.

"... Someone... there's someone... calling for me..."

The little girl's eyes scanned the faraway darkness in fear and spoke softly. Her body was started to shiver, and her voice stuttered.

"... A voice... a voice that I have never heard before... it is so... sinister... makes me uncomfortable..."

"Hu!"

At this moment, Anne suddenly woke and jumped. She instantly picked up her shield and observed the surroundings.

"Something's here!"

"Everyone get ready!!"

Rhode shouted and gave a command. The mercenaries quickly got into position and picked up their weapons and potions, observing the surroundings warily. The darkness remained the same, but the air had an ill-boding chill to it. Celia also raised her sword, engulfing it with a silver-white flame. Marlene spun her staff, causing magical energy to concentrate on the tip, emitting pure and brilliant light. Lize studied the surroundings seriously. Both her hands were flowing with holy energy as she charged a spell to its maximum power.

"I can sense it, Mr. Rhode. The evil aura is spreading. Something is coming!"

At this moment, from the area where the light from the fire couldn't reach, something in the darkness started to move towards them.