Chapter 326: Internal Strife
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Everyone’s gaze was fixed onto the castellan’s daughter. After the crude battle, this missy who came from a noble background seemed to be like any other Adventurer now. Her long dress had long been torn in the battle, stained with soil and blood. Her face was pale, and her stare was filled with trepidation that could be found in a fearful little bunny. Anyone that saw her would feel really pitiful.
“How is it, my noble guests? Time is running out. You’d better make your decision quickly. Do you want to be killed by my pets or hand over the girl? The choice is yours…”
“Erm…” Sienna knew that the voice’s owner was not joking. They really had not much time left. Although the Undead creatures around them had calmed down for the time being, that stirring death aura was becoming more and more concentrated. It felt like they would dash up to them and tear them into numerous pieces without warning.
He would not be able to bear the consequences of sending Miss Yvonne away, either. She was the only daughter of the castellan. What if something were to happen to her? Even if he were to reach Roland City alive, there would be a gibbet waiting for him there…
“Are you hesitating? Alright, alright. Let me guess what your concern is… Hmm, are you worried that I will break the promise after you hand the person over?”
“…” Sienna remained silent. His head was bent to look at the soil below his feet.
“Regarding this point, I actually don’t need to explain. You don’t have any choice but to believe me…” The voice took a pause after saying that. “But, since it is the first time we are dealing with each other, let me give you a gift…
“See that building beside you? There is a secret passageway that would lead you to the Dragon Mountains in it. After you hand the girl over, you can leave this place using it…”
I knew it…
Amongst the group of people, Lin Li might be the only person who was certain that the voice from the bell tower was not lying. There was really a secret passageway from the ruins of Syer Town to the Dragon Mountains.
“Oh, I understand now…” The hoarse laughter now had an additional layer of sarcasm. “You are afraid of retribution after handing the girl over to me, aren’t you?
“Hahaha… That’s very simple. After you hand the girl over to me, I’m going to cast a spell to wipe away the memory of everyone in the ruins of Syer Town. Everything that happened here will become a secret, and nobody will know who handed this girl over to me…”
“Really?” This time, Sienna was finally moved as he heard that condition.
The conditions the other party gave were indeed very attractive. To leave the ruins alive, and not bear any consequences… Could there be a solution more perfect than this? Instead of the lives of over 20 people, the only thing they had to sacrifice was Miss Yvonne!
“Think it through and choose wisely. You don’t have much time left…” The hoarse voice vanished after the reminder. The Undead creatures around them were still quiet, like a well-trained military troop that trapped everyone at the corner of the street.
Sienna looked at the soil beneath him for quite a while. Nobody knew what he was thinking. After some time, Sienna finally lifted his head.
“Apologies, Miss Yvonne.”
Immediately, the surroundings became silent…
Everyone looked at Sienna in shock, including Jason and his teammates.
The only one who was still himself would be Lin Li. He laughed casually and held his Aether Staff in his hands. “Captain Sienna, are you not afraid of getting into trouble?”
“Mr. Felic, please do not interfere in something that does not concern you.” Sienna brushed the incompetent mage off. His tone was not as polite as before.
“Then can you tell me,” Lin Li said as he shook his head seriously, “after you hand his little girl over, whom should I claim my chariot of Ice Crystal Metal from?”
“W-what Ice Crystal Metal?”
“Ice Crystal Metal is a type of precious… Erm, I can’t really explain it in such a short period of time. But, Captain Sienna, the Ice Crystal Metal is not the main point. The crux now is that I want you to stop your plan. You can rebut me, but I will treat all of your words as nonsense…”
“What rights do you have?” Sienna asked with hostility. The fella is too cocky! If not for Lin Li’s good relationship with Norfeller, Sienna would have dealt with him long ago when he first entered the town. How could he think he could stop these over 20 Adventurers from sacrificing Miss Yvonne?
“Why don’t you try me?” Lin Li smiled as usual. The only difference was the sense of ridicule and provocation in his gaze.
“You!!” Sienna gripped his machete. An ominous glint appeared in his eyes.
“Mr. Felic…” Just when the two men were in a deadlock, Jason pulled on Lin Li’s sleeve discreetly.
Lin Li frowned and turned to look at Jason.
“What is it?” asked Lin Li.
“Erm…” Jason hesitated before continuing, “Mr. Felic, could you not make things difficult for us? That’s a rule for us Adventurers. Let’s not intervene in how Captain Sienna arranges it for Miss Yvonne…”
“…” Lin Li pursed his lips.
Do you think I feel like interfering? If it was any Tom, Dick, or Harry, I would not care about how Sienna arranges it. The problem is that this little girl is the daughter of the castellan of Roland City! If I watch her be taken hostage by that dude, it will be too embarrassing to ask her father for the grain I need. That will be worth a whole chariot of Ice Crystal Metal! If those were gold coins, their weight would be enough to kill them. Did that bastard Sienna just said he want to hand Mis Yvonne over? Has he asked me for my permission?
Seeing that his employer did not say anything, Jason casually took it that it was because Lin Li felt threatened by him. He comforted him, saying, “Furthermore, Mr. Felic, you have heard what the guy in the bell tower said. He just wanted Captain Sienna to hand Miss Yvonne over, and not harm her. Why don’t we put this matter aside first and think of a way to save Miss Yvonne after Captain Sienna and his team leave this place safely…?”
As Jason was engrossed in his speech, he suddenly felt a crossbow’s belt’s tip being pressed against his chest. Its sharp edge reflected a fluorescent blue light. How would Jason, a man who had been in the adventure industry for all many years, not know that there was potent poison smeared on that crossbow bolt?
“M-Mr. Felic… What are you doing?” Jason asked in fear as he broke out in cold sweat. “C-c-can you stop joking?”
“Joking?” Lin Li pushed the crossbow in his hands against Jason’s chest. The sharp part of the crossbow immediately slitted Jason’s clothes.
“What else do you mean, then?”
“What do I mean? Hehe…” Lin Li asked smilingly as he added more force to the crossbow. “Jason, tell me the truth. Do I look like a generous man that is easily deceived?”
“N-no, you don’t…”
“Then, I’m really confused now. Since I don’t look like I’m prone to be deceived for my generosity, why do you always treat me as though I am? You toiled so hard to earn the 20,000 gold coins from Sienna, but for the same amount of gold coins you are always plotting to push me into the fire pit? Do you suspect that I will mix sand inside my gold coins?
The moment Lin Li said that, Jason’s face was washed white.
He did not expect the mage to be aware of the secret deal between him and Sienna already. The mage even knew the exact numbers!
“I did not want to mention it at first. Yet, your burning passion for that 20,000 gold coins motivated you to push me into the fire pit. If I don’t show you some things, you will really think I’m accusing the innocent…”
At this time, almost everyone’s focus was on Lin Li. Apart from Sienna, no one realized that while this young mage was scolding Jason, there was an unnatural distortion at the corner of the street.
“This fella is doomed…” The sight of the distortion let Sienna to guess it that that was the mark left behind by Bandits who sneaked in the dark. Among over 20 people present, the only Bandit who had the ability to enter the darkness instantaneously would naturally be one of Jason’s teammates, the level-15 Weathor…
Of course, knowing was knowing. Sienna was not interested in warning the mage. If he could, he really hoped Jason could get rid of that fella immediately so that he would not create bigger trouble for him in the future.
“M-Mr. Felic, please listen to me…”
Almost immediately, they could see a sword whip out in the dark.
What followed was a shriek…
Before the people had time to react, they saw a body landing in the middle of the street.
“H-how could this be!?” Sienna gazed at the street in a daze. His eyes were filled with incredulity. How could he believe that Weathor, a level-15 Bandit, got thrown off by a Lin Li so easily…
W-what a monster…
After Weathor flew off due to an Air Bomb, Lin Li did not even look back. He gripped onto the Aether Staff and gray clouds started to gather above Weathor. Instantly, lightning fell from the clouds. The pitiful Bandit did not even have time to sit himself up before he got struck by the continuous lightning. His squeals of pain made the previously quiet street noisy again.
“Goddammit, how could you attack such an honest man like me? Do you even have any morals?”