6 Like a Wild Grass

Roan's strength increased to that of an initial stage Crusader after doing the deed with Ria. He was pleasantly surprised and he could not help but give her another passionate kiss. Ria on the other hand also had her strength increase from the 1st Circle Mage towards the 2nd Circle Mage. She sat up in shock and looked at the smiling Roan who was glancing at her gently. She felt warm in her heart and hugged him tightly in her embrace.

"Didn't I tell you that I will give you a gift?" Roan pinched her nose tenderly which made her blush.

"Don't worry about your problem. As your man, of course, I have to help my woman resolve her crisis." He rubbed her head while giving her another bright smile.

Roan and Ria stepped out of the room. Both of them were now dressed neatly as if nothing had happened, but Ria's forced and uneven movements did not escape the mercenaries' eyes. They each had their own thoughts, but they did not dare voice it out, lest they anger the mysterious man who was still masking his face with a cloth.

"Take me to your mother. Don't mind them, they won't be able to do anything to you with me by your side." Ria heard a charming voice and she also felt a warm hand holding her hand tightly. Warm globs of tears formed in her eyes which she wiped away while preventing herself from sobbing.

"Mmnnn." Ria nodded her head and glanced at Roan's broad back. She felt secure and safe with him by her side.

After both of them left, some mercenaries talked about them excitedly.

"What will happen if brother Tiger heard this news? Everyone knows that he has been wooing Ria since a few months ago. Now with this mysterious man's appearance, we might see a good show."

"Right! With brother Tiger's personality, he would surely not take this lying down. A rivalry between the two is bound to happen. We can finally see brother Tiger fight again."

"Brother Tiger is one of the strongest fighters inside the Hadune Kingdom. Even the royal family is courteous towards him. I wonder how that man's fate will be after stealing brother Tiger's woman?"

The mercenaries talked animatedly among themselves.

* * *

Inside a small wooden house, two silhouettes can be seen standing before a frail middle-aged woman who was lying on a wooden bed. She appeared unconscious, but she was still breathing albeit slowly.

Roan frowned after seeing Ria's mother. Just after one glance, he already knew that she was poisoned. The poison was a slow budding type that will weaken the poisoned individual gradually. And based on her condition, Roan knew that she was plagued by the poison for more than several months already.

'Who would do such a thing to a defenseless middle-aged woman?' Roan was still calmly observing Ria's mother, but his anger soared to a terrifying level after knowing the circumstances, but he kept his anger in his heart. He then glanced at Ria who was now choking in her own tears.

"Ria, did someone visit your place before?" He asked calmly.

Ria glanced at him and thought for a moment before she spoke.

"Brother Tiger's group came here last week to give my mother a medicine. With that medicine, she looks much better now. But even after consuming it, her illness could still not be healed. I looked around for brother Tiger for many days to ask his help in searching for a Crusader level beast's blood, since the alchemist's from the Alchemy Tower told me that I needed to let her consume its blood to alleviate her pain. But I did not find him, so I had no choice but to... I mean... ah..." Ria stopped talking, she knew that her choice of words was quite harsh for Roan. She was indeed forced to give her body to him, but she felt that Roan was a dependable man who is worthy of her affection. She might not be in love with him right now, but a seed of love is slowly budding within her heart.

Roan was not bothered by this. He just smiled and patted her head lightly. He understood her story, and a young woman like her who had no one else aside from her mother was destined to live a tough life. Especially in this world where strength is power. She did not even know that the brother Tiger who she thought was helping them was actually the one who poisoned her mother. Just from the minor details alone, he already knew the gist of the story.

'To think that even in this mortal world scheming people still exists. They are really everywhere, like a wild grass that grows on any plot of land.'

"Ria, do you trust me?" His sudden question surprised Ria, but she already treated him as her husband.

"Mmnn." She nodded head despite his confused expression.

"Good girl." Roan smiled and rubbed her head.

"The first thing we will do is to leave this place before it is too late." Ria furrowed her brows, but her blind faith towards Roan won over her. She nodded her head and asked him.

"But will mother be fine if we travel with her current condition?"

Roan glanced briefly at Ria before resting his gaze on her mother's unconscious body.

"Of course not, I will heal her first before we leave."

"Mmn okay... Wait what?!"