Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 44: White Demon

At the first instance, Nol grabbed the tooth brooch gifted by Lynn and turned it forcefully. His expression instantly stiffened, looking utterly frightened. Teest’s reaction was even more exaggerated—he wobbled on the spot, as if his feet had turned to molasses.

“Don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous,” the newcomer said with a grin.

He casually took the lady’s hand, gave it an affectionate kiss, and then formally turned to the two of them. He wasn’t holding any weapons, and his once intimidating aura gradually dissipated.

The newcomer appeared to be in his forties, with short light-gold hair. He had rugged and handsome features, a pair of ash-gray eyes, and a rough stubble on his chin.

Standing close to two meters tall, he was incredibly robust. His physique, unlike Jack’s “standard model”, had a refined feel as if forged in fire. A seemingly expensive sword hung around his waist, but more striking than the sword—

The man had a black tattoo encircling his neck, resembling some kind of totem.

Nol cautiously averted his gaze from the man. This middle-aged swordsman had nothing on his ears, not even an earring hole. He wasn’t a player.

“I am Embilly Alva, in charge of this caravan for now. This here is my wife—you two have a good eye; my Avra is the kindest woman in the world.”

The middle-aged swordsman said, “You can call me Billy. I like that nickname.”

Alva? …Was this man a noble? But judging by his demeanor, he lacked the airs of an average noble.

Nol blinked, feeling a bit confused by the situation. But it didn’t matter; he had a full-time social expert beside him.

“It’s you! The famous ‘Golden Sword’. My God, I’ve read stories about you.”

Teest sounded genuinely like a country boy meeting a celebrity for the first time.

Now that he had changed his hair and pupil color to match Nol’s, it felt weird to Nol, as if he were engaged to a different person.

“Ha! What Golden Sword? I’m just better at wielding a sword among traders, nowhere near a true swordsman.” Billy laughed heartily. “Enough of the flattery—we’ve already taken in quite a few people. We can make room for you two.”

After saying this, he scanned their faces with a particularly warm smile. “Pardon me for being forward, you both are quite good-looking. If you don’t have a place to go, why not join me to Grape Collar? Don’t worry, it’s an honorable job—work in the Alva Merchant Group’s jewelry store under my name. Four gold wheels per person per month, five if both of you join. Beautiful jewelry deserves beautiful salespeople.”

Nol: “…”

As expected from a big business, using money to recruit people. Such a generous offer from a major trading group was quite tempting.

Teest tightened his grip on Nol’s shoulder, displaying a sincere and frightened expression. “I’m sorry, but we need to head to Silver Windmill Village to see our family first. My younger brother is a mage apprentice, so he probably can’t come… I have some matters to attend to; can I try joining a month later?”

“That might be difficult; I won’t be in Grape Collar in a month.” Billy scratched his head, looking somewhat regretful. “Never mind, don’t worry about it. For smart and attractive people like you two, Grape Collar is a gold mine. You’ll do fine.”

“Daddy, mommy–”

A little girl, no older than six, with light-gold hair like Billy’s but deep blue eyes like Ms. Avra, came running.

Her dress and shoes, though elegant, were now smeared with mud and grass.

“Hey hey, don’t trip, my little darling.”

Billy scooped up the little girl, teasingly rubbing his stubbly chin against her cheek, which made her scrunch her face in response.

Watching the scene, the woman on horseback showed a tender and loving expression. It seemed Billy had his entire family with him.

“Colette, where’s your brother?” After teasing his daughter enough, Billy gently brushed some leaves from her hair.

“Moore went to steal some jam,” the little girl slowly said. “Daddy, why has the caravan stopped?”

Billy: “Dad saved two more brothers. Cool, right?”

“You’re so cool, daddy!”

As Billy played with his daughter, he gave Teest and Nol a friendly wink. Holding his daughter, he walked away, and shortly after, the caravan started moving again.

“You two, go to the back.”

Avra finally spoke, her accent still evident, and kindly pointed towards the end of the line. “There are many hitchhikers at the back. They’ll take care of you.”

……

“We offer two meals a day. In the morning, there’s pickled meat, bread, and cheese, and in the afternoon, fruit and salted egg. If you’re still hungry, you can ask for more, but you must finish it right there… You don’t have to pay for these foods; just share this story with others when you’re outside.”

Inside the carriage, a young merchant said with a smile.

Indeed, the Alva Merchant Group had specially arranged this carriage for these “hitchhikers”.

Apart from Teest and Nol, there were a few others scattered inside the carriage, including a peasant woman reeking of blood, holding a crying baby. There were also some wearing off-season clothes, clearly survivors who had escaped from “Night of the Hunt”.

The latter merely glanced at Nol and Teest without paying them any significant attention.

Nol was cautious. Apart from the old hunter and the white wolf, he had erased the memory of the “escape process” from everyone else. Otherwise, if any of them encountered someone from the Temple of Life or the Eternal Church, he and Teest might become targets of special attention from these two major religions.

He had been unconscious before and hadn’t had a chance to confirm the effect. But now, it seemed to be working quite well.

In front of the young merchant, Teest, as if relieved of a burden, sighed deeply, leaning onto Nol’s shoulder. Before Nol could ask, Teest’s telepathic message arrived first.

[I’ll pretend to sleep now. There are things I need to tell you about as soon as possible,] he rambled in Nol’s mind. [I guess you have no idea about the ‘Alva Merchant Group’?]

[Right,] Nol admitted honestly.

A business surviving for a hundred years was rare, let alone two hundred. It would be strange if he knew about it.

So, maintaining the posture of resting on Nol’s shoulder, Teest quickly explained the backstory.

That Embilly Alva wasn’t part of the Alva family.

The Old Duke Alva had countless illegitimate children, like stars in the sky. To deal with the numerous claimants, he started adopting sons. Among these adopted sons, Embilly was the most famous. Originally a street urchin, he helped the old Duke retrieve a lost pocket watch. Recognized for his intelligence and good looks, the Duke adopted him. It was said that he was talented in both swordsmanship and business, but he eventually chose to focus on business. The Alva Merchant Group thrived under his management. As a result, his sword skills only remained above average.

Teest: [In terms of swordsmanship, I can easily beat him single-handedly. But he surely has powerful magical items—he’s one of the core members of the Alva Merchant Group. If it has a price, he can buy it.]

[Don’t measure based on the items Jack has. Given the wealth of the Alva Merchant Group, even the Temple of Life has to be polite to them, let alone the Eternal Church.]

Nol understood; this “Billy” seemed like a wealthy player with good strategic thinking.

[…And he’s very sharp and has an acute sense of observation. Don’t use the brooch given by the witch; it might give you away. It’s best to avoid him as much as possible,] Teest concluded.

[I don’t care. All I want to do next is eat and sleep,] Nol responded. “Night of the Hunt” had drained him, so he genuinely wanted to rest for a while.

[Mr. Billy seems harmless, especially with his children around; I doubt he’d go out of his way to trouble us,] he stated calmly.

Teest raised an eyebrow and pressed down on Nol’s shoulder. [You can’t be sure about that.]

“…Those two aren’t wanted criminals, and I haven’t seen any missing person notices that match them. Two weeks ago, the Rizzi Caravan did lose two cooks, but one of them had white hair and golden eyes, not like these brothers.”

At the same time, at the front of the caravan, the young merchant in charge of Nol and Teest was reporting.

“I didn’t detect any dye, nor any common color-changing magic. If they did disguise themselves, their methods must be very advanced. Sir, should we continue the investigation?”

“It’s fine. I was just curious. We’re close to our destination; they can’t cause much trouble,” Billy replied absentmindedly, riding on his horse. “It’s just strange—they’re too good-looking. Their parents must be very attractive too. If there were such beauties in small places, news would’ve spread.”

“But let’s not talk too much. Still, there are many scattered villages nearby… just keep an eye on them and make sure no issues arise.”

As Billy cradled his daughter, who was busy braiding the horse’s mane, two mercenaries nearby whispered to each other, “The Rizzi Caravan hired a white-haired chef? I heard they were open-minded, but this is something else… Look, now they’re in trouble.”

“Doing business and they dared to hire a white demon. Even Duke Alva…”

“Hey! Hey! You two over there—”

Billy tugged at the reins, stopping his horse beside the two mercenaries. “I can’t let that comment slide. Discrimination based on hair color is unacceptable. Such remarks absolutely cannot be made within the Alva Merchant Group, understood?”

The two mercenaries hastily shut their mouths, gesturing their apologies.

“Daddy, what is a ‘White Demon’?” Billy’s daughter blinked, looking up at him.

“A long time ago, some people disliked those with white hair,” Billy explained softly. “They believed that white hair indicated a demon’s lineage and brought disaster and death.”

“Really? But when people get old, don’t they all have white hair?”

“You see, my dear is more sensible than those fools. Of course, it’s not true. White hair can come from being a highland elf with mixed blood, aging, or illness—but even now, some people still hold onto this superstition.”

Billy chuckled then continued, “I’ll tell you a secret, the Duke had white hair when he was young. Though he dyed it caramel, those close to him know.”

“…Look at him now, the wealthiest man in the world, without any disasters befalling him. My little Colette can’t fall for such superstitions.”

The little girl seemed to half-understand, responding with a soft “oh” before returning to braiding her horse’s mane.

“So, where did this notion come from?” A young boy peeked out from behind Billy. “There must be a legend, right? Something really exciting—dad, you know, right? You must know!”

Billy sighed. “It’s from hundreds of years ago. Who knows for sure? Most are just rumors, but there is a nursery rhyme about it—”

He paused with an insinuating tone.

“White Demon, White Demon, crawling out of the coffin. Bad luck befalls those it encounters…”

Billy hummed a bit of the rhyme, his voice so low that it was almost drowned out by the forest breeze. The little girl in front of him yawned, leaning against his arm and closing her eyes.

“White Demon, White Demon, only tells lies, without blood, without tears…”

……

Teest let out a huge yawn, wiping away a tear that had formed in the corner of his eye.

He casually peeled a wild orange and ate a piece. Its sourness caused him to scrunch up his face. Once Teest recovered, he threw the remaining part, peel and all, into the shadow. The wolf’s mouth snapped out, swallowing the orange in one bite.

“Quite handy,” Teest remarked.

Nol could only pretend not to see, lest he lament the now lost majestic image of the shadow wolf.

They’d been following the merchant caravan for four days now, and Billy hadn’t approached them since. Teest had truly embraced the vacation life of eating and sleeping.

The Alva Merchant Group was genuinely generous, providing them with high-quality ingredients. It was Nol’s first time tasting such fresh bread and cured meat. If it weren’t for the issue of “the truth of the world”, Nol would’ve gladly joined the merchant group for employment.

Such a fantastic enterprise, with great benefits. He completely understood Chef Kurt’s sentiment.

Now, they stood at the forest’s edge, waiting for the cook to distribute the food. That morning’s menu featured vegetable juice meal packs, stewed pork with meat juice, and smoked cheese slices. Just the aroma had Nol salivating.

Even better, Teest preferred meat over bread, allowing Nol to enjoy two meal packs. Nol meticulously sliced his meal pack in half, shredded the pork, and stuffed it with cheese slices, topping it with chili sauce. An otherworldly sandwich that was easy to make.

It reminded him of home.

“So sophisticated,” Teest remarked. “Is it really that delicious?”

Having already devoured one and a half, Nol shoved the remaining half under Teest’s nose. “Try it.”

Teest hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. “Never mind, you can—”

“Sorry! Please prepare yourselves.” A young merchant who was responsible for their group hurriedly approached. “Before entering the city, the Temple of Life’s representatives will check everyone… The Eternal Church has been quite active recently. Please understand.”

“Go ahead and check!” A woman holding her child exclaimed, gritting her teeth. “The more thorough, the better. I’ll cooperate fully—”

Teest glanced at Nol, who quickly stuffed the last half of his meal pack into his mouth, choking slightly.

“We have no objections,” Teest finally said. “Has something happened in the city?”

“Not at all. Grape Collar is safe.” The young merchant hurriedly waved his hand. “There were issues in Whitebird City, and the Investigation Knights from there just returned not long ago… Since you all were picked up from the Whitebird City route, they’re being extra cautious with the checks.”

“Moreover, the people who came for inspection this time are quite special. They hold a high position within the church. Everyone must be cautious in what you say and do.”

The peasant woman got excited and immediately crossed her fingers to form the shape of a wheat ear. “Could it be the Investigation Knights?”

…It seemed she was a follower of the Temple of Life. Nol chewed on the last bite of his bread in silence.

“No, it’s even more special.”

The young businessman’s face became serious. “Have you ever heard of the ‘Returning Saints Council’?”

Nol’s chewing abruptly stopped at the mention of the name…

The young businessman made a praying gesture. “They are envoys of the Goddess of Life, immortal saints. Please, out of respect for us, be kind to them.”

“Of course, of course!” murmured the excited peasant woman.

A few steps away, Nol choked dramatically, coughing heavily. Teest helplessly patted his back. “My younger brother is quite fond of the Temple of Life. He just got too excited…”

[Old friend of yours?] Teest said telepathically.

[Very likely.] Nol wiped his mouth, finally swallowing his food.

[Oh—so are you going to acknowledge your kin?]

Nol was silent. Had it been when he first came to this world, he would have eagerly approached. But now…

[Let’s see how it goes,] he responded after about half a minute.

……

The members of the Returning Saints Council arrived soon after.

One glance and it was obvious they were players. Nol felt mixed emotions.

There were two men and two women, a standard team of four. All wore level 60 graduation equipment and had professions distributed as Tank, Healer, and two DPS. The players stood out with their impeccable and almost unreal avatars compared to the standard NPCs.

Their eyes immediately fixed on Teest and Nol, split between thinking, “Are these two players?” and “Are they important hidden quest NPCs?”

Nol, Teest: “…”

In a way, they weren’t entirely wrong.

The group exchanged glances, and one of the DPS led the others away, leaving three to approach Nol and Teest.

Nol’s grip on his staff tightened, while Test perfectly played the role of a protective “older brother”, shielding Nol.

“What do you want?” Teest asked nervously, acting genuinely scared.

The shadow wolf curiously sniffed but was nudged back by Nol’s foot.

“We mean no harm. This is just a minor inspection. Don’t be afraid, alright?”

The healer stepped forward. Her—probably a “her”—voice was soft and light, which was quite soothing.

Judging by her attire, she was a Holy Priestess, and Nol detected a familiar touch in her voice, suspecting she used a sacred mental spell.

In her hand was a peculiar golden tuning fork.

A sense of dread washed over Nol, and he subconsciously grabbed Teest’s arm, transmitting his thoughts—

[The Silent Truth: A fork made from the bones of a saint. It only sounds when lies are told.

※Special reward for first completion. Limited to holy professions.]

This was going to be problematic.

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The author has something to say:

The young couple is stirring up the players’ nest (?

Nol: Oh no, they are going to interrogate the Mad Monk…

Nol:

Nol: When your partner meets your distant relatives…

A realistic family crisis indeed (kidding).

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