Next Step (2)

Maryell, who had been imagining how great her father was, soon realized this and regained her composure.

She then pretended to cough and turned her attention to her older brother.

It may have seemed like instinct, but Maurin knew and felt it was his turn to report on the issues he was investigating.

Feeling awkward in this strange atmosphere, he decided to take a step forward and said.

"Father, I've brought a victim - no, I mean two survivors of this disaster. Each of them is a boy and a baby girl....The last place we found them was near a waterfall not far from this village. And we also saw the boy crying as he looked down at the waterfall..."

Rudger, hearing Maurin's report, could not help but blush and feel embarrassed.

Meanwhile -

Maryell and Maurin also knew that the boy's face was flushed, but they didn't really care.

And once again Maurin continued.

".... I suspected he was going to end his life by jumping over the waterfall. But I was wrong... Upon closer inspection, we heard him shout "Generous!" over and over again. Huh, so I wanted to ask him something, but since there were eyes and ears around. I decided to take the two of them to Father.

Saying that, he took a deep breath before looking ahead and waiting for his father's opinion.

He was very nervous and wondered if his father would scold him for not feeding the two victims and bringing them here instead.

But that was then...

"Well..."

Baron Stoker didn't seem to mind too much. And he nodded his head before signaling his adjutant to go outside.

Amidst the silence and only the sound of breathing inside the large tent. Baron Stoker walked slowly to the chair before finally sitting down.

Then the three of them sat on the empty seats, but most of the attention was focused on Rudger and Lia.

It started with Rudger's nervous sigh and ended with Baron Stoker's voice.

"Huh. First of all, we all apologize for our negligence that led to this terrible tragedy. You may insult me, curse me, and you are welcome to beat me until your anger is satisfied."

Hearing the Stage-Master Warrior's apology came as a shock to Maryell and Maurin. Especially coming from their father.

True, it was their fault for not paying attention to the anomalies around Death Valley. However, for them, the cause and effect of this tragedy was the rotten nobles who were too indifferent to help this village.

Regardless, executing old pigs like them was beyond the rights of the two Stoker children. But it would be a different story if the Baron himself stepped in to solve the problem. Even if someone's life was at stake.

On the other hand, Rudger, hearing this, could only remain silent.

His mind and heart seemed to be in conflict, as if he didn't know what to do next. Especially his emotions, which sometimes rise and fall.

Among them are the emotions of anger, resentment, hatred, and murderous intent in his mind. Although all of them are driven by the desire to survive.

The time when the goblins took the lives of his parents, especially his childhood friend whom he liked. He felt the hope of dying.

But...

All that changed in an instant until she met her savior.

A young man in tattered robes, wielding a sword and desperately fighting the goblins. And he unknowingly admired him.

In a helpless position, seeing only from behind, he fought the goblins and watched his savior fall into the waterfall before his eyes. Unbeknownst to him, his hands clenched into fists.

'All in all, the responsibility of caring for Mrs. Joanna's little girl fell to me after Generous' disappearance.'

Rudger's intuition told him that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he couldn't afford to miss.

So he made a decision.

"I have one wish."

"What is it?"

The passion in Baron Stoker's dominant voice made Rudger desperate to make eye contact with the person in front of him.

"Please let me bury my miserable past!"

The poor boy cried out a wish that had never been made before.

"To be honest, I was indeed angry at the nobles for neglecting us. But...! anger has its limits, and I must not fall into the darkness called revenge..."

Taking a deep breath and continue.

"...so I want to be strong and I want to protect, not be protected. Here I live and breathe to seek justice for the mistreatment we have received. And here, too, I am the representative voice of all the souls of this village."

Rudger knew he was not good with words, realizing the moment a ridiculous statement came out of his mouth.

He held back the tears that were about to come out and was surprised by the smile of the person he was talking to, none other than Baron Stoker!

The two Stoker children were also surprised by the faint grin on their father's face. It was the first time they had seen the corners of the Baron's mouth twitch upwards. The last time they had seen him smile was when they were children the same age as Rudger and their father was still in Stage Five.

Maurin suspected that the factors that made his father seldom smile had to do with his royalties, the lifelong loyalty to the jobs and titles he had earned.

On the one hand, Maryell was secretly grateful to Rudger. Thanks to him, she could see her father smile again. Even after the death of the Baroness, Maryell and Maurin's biological mother, her father's smile was something precious to her.

While Rudger trembled and expressed his fear of the mysterious smile, the Baron's answer finally came out.

"Very well, I swear in the name of Baron Stoker. I will grant your determined wish."

He confirmed that his wish was granted. Rudger let out a slow sigh of relief and bowed hastily.

"Thank you, Lord Stoker!"

The Baron shook his head.

"There is no need to thank you. Instead, I'm the one who should thank you for forgiving our mistakes."

"Ahahaha..."

Rudger, not knowing what to say, could only scratch his head.

On the other hand, Baron Stoker, who saw the hesitation on the boy's face and realized that the boy's nervousness had disappeared, turned serious in an instant.

"Then let's get back to the main topic."

"Yes!"

All three answered in unison.

The Baron nodded and slowly turned to Rudger.

"Beforehand, please tell me your name, your date of birth and your usual activities. And also the little girl you brought with you..."

Preparing to answer, Rudger wore a serious expression.

"My name is Rudger Ramsdale. I was born on September 13th, 1409M. My activities sometimes consist of playing with my childhood friend Marie. Unfortunately, she is dead..."

The three Stoker nobles exchanged glances before signaling Rudger to continue.

"Also, this little girl is called Lia. She is the child of Mrs. Joanna, who recently gave birth. We found her locked in a wooden box under the kitchen table."

Maryell listened in silence to the absurd story, especially about a baby in a wooden box with no light. She could only frown, but she soon realized.

"Wait, what do you mean "we"?

Instead of Rudger answering, Maurin suddenly testified.

"As I just said. I saw him shouting, as if he was calling to someone from inside the waterfall. And I suppose he wasn't alone. Sigh, think about it, do you think it makes sense that an eleven year old child could survive the onslaught of the goblins?"

The Baron nodded silently and Maryell, who couldn't help but be curious, asked again.

"So where is he?"

The subject "he" refers to the friend Rudger was with. Maryell also asked the question deliberately, looking at Rudger.

Feeling the intense gaze, Rudger unconsciously lowered his head with a bitter expression.

"He... when Generous told me to hide with Lia, I secretly followed him until one day I saw him fall into a waterfall while fighting a horde of goblins..."

Maryell was shocked to learn that there was a madman who dared to fight the goblins, and by himself!

She also felt that it was unreasonable, and that it was natural that he would be outnumbered in a fight against the cunning green creature.

For a moment, Maryell was overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and compassion, and as she was about to ask, her father, unbeknownst to her, had brought the goblin corpse, cut in half, to the discussion table.

*Buk!

"I'm asking, is this the former sword of Generous you're talking about?"

"I don't know anything about swordsmanship, but if you find these bodies around the village chief's house. I can only say 'yes,' because some of their corpses were killed by my savior.

"...."

The atmosphere somehow fell into silence and stillness.

Observing Baron Stoker, who remained silent without answer, made the three of them nervous.

Until then...

"Amazing..."

"Huh?"

Baron Stoker did not answer, but silently observed and felt the scar inflicted by the sword.

Unconsciously, he exclaimed happily.

"This is the first time I've seen such a clean and beautiful cut. Could it be that he is a better swordsman than I am?"

Baron Stoker wondered, but there was no answer.

Seven minutes later, the Baron finally broke his train of thought and said to the three.

"Look, I don't know who he is, but I think he's no ordinary person."

Curious, the two Stokers slowly focused all their attention on searching for the intended slash marks.

"Crazy... This is really cool."

Maurin exclaimed in amazement.

And followed by Maryell, stunned by what she had just seen. She asked spontaneously.

"Dad, can you measure the level Rudger is talking about?"

"I don't know if you ask. It's better to ask the person in question."

The three Stokers turned their heads and looked at Rudger.

"Um..."

Rudger, disturbed by the urgency of the three people in front of him, could only sigh.

"To be honest, I don't even know the name of Generous. And as for his face, I can't see his true form because he always covers his head with the hood of his cloak. However, what I saw of him was that he was a cold and emotionless person."

"Uh-huh, that means he is a sword master, right?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know? Seriously, what did you see from his appearance? I mean, what are the characteristics of this person?"

"Hmm... if I'm not mistaken, Generous has black hair. The rest, like eye color and scars, I don't know."

"Black hair..."

When Maryell mumbled, answers came to everyone's minds.

"Northwesterners."

The northwesterners of the Caladium region were characterized by their extremely dense black hair. Unexpectedly, there are many people who associate them with people from another world. Scholars also suspect that their earliest ancestors were people from another world. But that's just a theory without any proof. In fact, the existence of other worlds besides the real world, the spirit world, and the astral world is just nonsense that conspiracy theorists put out in every era in search of fame.

As for the others, a small number of conspirators also had the intention of conspiring to corrupt public morality or to outrage public decency. To force them and some of the public to change their view of the Northwesterners as demons incarnate.

But that was then.

During the reign of the legendary King Artha, he changed the perception of people across the continent overnight. From looking at the Northwesterners with contempt, to looking at them as human beings.

And that was when King Artha and the ancient kingdom of Mystick were still in their heyday. A time when a continent was controlled by a single lord.

But...

After the death of King Artha, there was a time when the Ancient Kingdom of Mystick was divided into three parts. The people of the northwest gradually disappeared and chose to isolate themselves for the next two centuries.

The thought of the dark-haired man who had been Rudger's savior made Maryell think before she spoke.

"The problem is that there are many Northwesterners who have migrated to other places. Even if we find black-haired people, we don't know if they have different or the same eye color. There is probably a lack of information about the Generous, which makes it difficult for us to find them."

Baron Stoker secretly hid his disappointment.

Maurin, on the other hand, could only sigh in resignation as he rubbed his face.

"We just have to ask Rudger. Is the Generous in question a young man or an older one?"

"Ah. About that, I'm pretty sure he's still young. Hmm. About the same age as Dame Maryell."

A moment later, Baron Stoker narrowed his eyes as he watched his two children struggling to think, and dared to intervene.

"Stop it. Let's stop right there. If you think you're going to find his, you're wrong.... Rudger's boy said he was cloaked with a hood that completely covered his face. So let's assume he's hiding his identity. Heh, I don't know his purpose, but he definitely has his own reasons for doing it."

Maurin and Maryell, who had been listening intently, nodded in understanding.

Suddenly -

A knight came to the tent where they were standing.

The knight bowed, not forgetting to salute.

"Greetings, Commander!

"Greetings, Dame Maryell!

"Greetings, Sir Maurin!"

'Greeting three people at once, it's quite exhausting...'

Rudger grumbled inwardly as he stood still.

After the knight's greeting, Baron Stoker raised his hand and asked the knight to come to the point.

"Report! We have captured Mayor Zephyr and his subordinates. We have now secured his two wives and children in prison cells. For now, we await your further orders..."

"In that case, bring them all to the town square tomorrow and gather the citizens at one point."

"READY to execute!"

Receiving the order from his superior, the knight bowed once more before finally leaving the tent.

On the other hand, Rudger overheard the conversation between the two and couldn't resist asking. Even though he looked nervous.

"Dame Maryell, why is Lord Stoker gathering them in the square for tomorrow?"

Hearing the question, Maryell raised her eyebrows and replied.

"Why else, it's a matter of course that nobles who neglect their duties are publicly beheaded, shouldn't you at least know that as a nearby villager?"

"I don't know..."

Rudger replied with a shudder, as if he had lost interest in asking more questions.

Meanwhile, Baron Stoker, having finished his business here. turned to Maurin and suggested a new order.

"Maurin, take Rudger and baby Lia to the kitchen tent to be fed. I'm sure they've been starving all night. And don't forget to give them medical attention."

"Huh...Alright, alright."

As soon as Maurin had brought Rudger and Lia out. Maryell's eyes returned to her father. She didn't ask any questions right away, but looked around to make sure no one was around.

"Father."

"Yes, my daughter."

"Can I ask you something?"

Maryell's red eyes met her father's again.

Noticing the look in his daughter's eyes, Baron Stoker remembered something and narrowed his eyes.

"What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Maryell slowly approached her father and whispered.

"I want to ask how to break through the wall of Stage-3."

Inwardly shocked, Baron Stoker asked again.

"Are you approaching the 'Wall'?"

"Not yet, but almost."

Hearing this half-hearted answer, Baron Stoker sighed. It wasn't that he didn't want to help his daughter, but he felt that Maryell's words were almost a lie.

Even though Maryell is currently still in stage-2, or perhaps almost halfway to stage-3 itself. That doesn't mean that she has enough chances to advance all at once.

After all, what fool would dare to lie to a Master, let alone his own daughter?

"The clue is only within you. I hope you will find it and take this not as mere nonsense, but as something to learn from."

He didn't know if his daughter was brooding over her lie, but that was the only thing he could do.

Maryell was unaware that the Baron had seen the words of the lie she had told earlier.

At the suggestion, Maryell couldn't help but furrow her brow. But she quickly fixed her expression and bowed in thanks.

"Thank you, Father."

*KEKKKK....!

As if to answer her question, a strange scream was heard in the valley. It carried on the wind through the stillness of the night, a long, deep growl, then a piercing howl, ending in a pitiful moan. The sound was so repetitive that the air seemed to vibrate with it, a wild and threatening sound. Maryell, grasping her father's sleeve, her face full of tension but maintaining a stern expression, said.

"I'm coming with you."

"No."

But her father flatly refused.

Then Baron turned and walked out, but was stopped by a shout from behind.

"Why?! Isn't this an opportunity for me to seek enlightenment?"

Looking back, Baron Stoker, who could not stand the stubbornness, gave a warning in a cold tone.

"For those people out there, Stage-2 is still a burden to the team members. Don't you think it's a waste of life to take a Stage-2 that contains a Stage-4 and a Stage-5 into the main team?"

"But...but..."

To be honest, from a third-person perspective. It was foolish to engage Stage-2 to explore Valley Death, which couldn't even defend itself properly.

"Maryell, aren't you the student council president of Nova Academy? As far as I know, the entire member council is required to return there within the next month."

With a disappointed look on her face, Maryell could only bite her lip as she looked down and answered in a low tone.

"Yes, that's right, the deans there told us to come back next month and prepare for the arrival of the students who will be coming in the next two months."

Seeing his daughter in distress, Baron Stoker's emotions stirred a little, then he thought for a moment.

'Being a Stage Master is not easy, sometimes they have to control their overflowing emotions. Otherwise, psychological attacks will hit the Stage-Master warriors, and they will slowly lose control of their minds, causing their aura energy to leak out and overflow everywhere.'

Looking for alternatives, the Baron said without looking at his daughter.

"I'll tell you what, as for Mayor Zephyr's right of execution tomorrow, I will leave everything to you. So take care of your mission."

"Yes!"

"Also, tell the paladins of the Church of Mother Earth to follow us all to Death Valley. For the rest, I will have my assistant use the magic of the white dove to send orders from me."

"I do! No, I mean ready to execute!"

Sensing the change in his daughter's tone, Baron Stoker smiled slightly and slowly walked out.

... ... ...