Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 26: Mission Accomplished
When he returned to the log cabin, Nol was still reminiscing about the earlier scene—
When Witch Lynn touched the candle, it was as if she touched a cockroach from G Province, and she almost threw it away on impulse. She paused for a few seconds before picking up the staff again.
“I can’t identify it. It’s neither a magical tool nor an item with a soul. It’s a living thing.” Lynn said. “The aura of this thing makes me very uncomfortable. Where did you get it?”
Nol: “…From the Eternal Church.”
Someone grabbed it while running away, and then he casually woke it up—it was just as brutally simple as that. He still remembered the disgraceful behavior of the black candle, and Nol couldn’t associate it with any noble concept.
“In any case, all I can tell is that it’s asleep.” Lynn hesitated before concluding.
It seemed they could only wait for it to wake up.
After reminiscing, Nol sighed and looked at Teest, who was lying on the straw bed.
In the morning sunlight, Teest sat on the edge of the bed, curiously looking at the little girl opposite him—it was a broken female doll. She had black hair and cracks all over her body, with only one leg intact. At this moment, she leaned on a crutch. Her face was vigilant, staring at Teest.
Margaret Swain, the newly born Puppet Witch.
She had already transformed completely, but restoring her body would take time.
Nol was speechless. They had only left for a short while, and the infamous Mad Monk had caused more mischief.
“What did you just say?” Margaret’s voice was a bit sharp.
“I said, your father is truly dead. He’s in my bag.” Teest patted the suspiciously spacious old waist bag. “Do you want to see? I can pull out a bit, so you can say goodbye to him.”
Margaret seemed uncertain whether to show sadness, shock, or relief. She stood still, statue-like.
Nol massaged his temples. “Do you always have to be this frank?”
This guy had no intention of concealing his identity as the “Mad Monk”.
“But this girl needs to bid farewell to her family, to find closure. Otherwise, she’ll think about it her whole life, even if her family was scum.” Teest shrugged. “Once I display Swain’s body, Miss Lynn will find out sooner or later. Anyway, they won’t report me.”
Yes, even if the two witches were willing to report to the Temple in a suicidal manner, they wouldn’t have substantial evidence. Nol couldn’t help but press on his temples again.
Lynn quickly caught on. “The City Lord’s corpse? Displayed? …Are you the ‘Mad Monk’?!”
Now Margaret knew how to react—she staggered back into a corner, shivering all over, looking like she wanted to cry but didn’t dare. “I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to attract the Investigation Knights… I really didn’t mean to…”
It turned out that in the eyes of the natives, the horror of the Mad Monk even surpassed being “eaten alive by a beast”. Nol slowly wrapped his arm around Teest’s shoulder and semi-dragged, semi-carried him out of the cabin.
Teest grimaced in resignation but didn’t resist.
“That’s enough, Mr. Celebrity. Margaret has been traumatized enough.” Nol found a log to sit on and patted the spot next to him. “The air outside is fresher.”
Teest sat next to him, emitting a peculiar sense of deflation. “You’re really not afraid of me… Even though you’re the kind who’d vomit at the sight of a wound. Are all you people from the other world this contradictory?”
No, most people would be afraid.
Even knowing that those killed by Teest deserved it, ordinary people would find it hard to accept his oddity… But Nol simply wasn’t scared, just as he couldn’t genuinely fear this world.
‘Perhaps it’s because of my creator’s sentiment at work,’ Nol thought.
“How old are you?” Nol asked, gazing at the beautiful forest in the morning sun, changing the topic.
He had been curious about this for a while.
“Twenty-eight.” Teest turned to face him. “Asking this out of the blue, are you actually a centuries-old creature—”
Nol glanced at him. “I’m twenty-seven.”
Teest genuinely paused before smiling. “I didn’t expect to be older. Seems I should be more respectful to you.”
“We’ve already married. There’s no need to say that,” Nol commented somberly. “If you really want to play the elder, I’d advise you not to use ‘Dream Manipulation’ on your juniors—if you induce me a second time, I’ll do my best to grow a succubus tail on you.”
“Oh, you noticed.”
“You induce Mr. Kurt to apply for the requiem ceremony, induce me to let you go back to the city alone—was that your doing?”
“Yes, but you already know my identity.” Teest took a deep breath of the fresh morning air. “Inducing works better on those who have a high regard for me, and you…”
“I still think you’re a good companion.” Nol’s tone was sincere.
Teest fell silent, and the two were at a loss for words leaving the only sound of a slight breeze gently shaking the shrubs.
‘Twenty-eight years old’ Nol repeated in his head. If Teest wasn’t lying, this man became the “Mad Monk” when he was just a boy… at seventeen, sixteen, or even earlier.
Nol felt intuitively that this was a topic that shouldn’t be touched, at least not now. He wasn’t Conan* and didn’t have the ability to make a murderer confess his life story in just a few words.
*Japanese detective series where the protagonist is a high school detective that gets turned back into his prepubescent self and goes around solving murder mysteries.
“If necessary, I will use ‘Mental Barrier’. Liches are good at these things,” Nol said after a moment of silence. “But I don’t want to waste mana on this.”
“Alright, I promise not to induce you.” Teest looked up at the sky. “But I feel like I’m at a disadvantage. How about you make a promise too?”
Nol raised an eyebrow. He was upright and honorable. What more promises did he need to make?
Teest looked at him with a scrutinizing gaze for a while. “Promise me—when your opinion of me changes, let me know.”
“Why do you suddenly care about this?” Nol was surprised.
The Mad Monk didn’t seem like the type who cared about the opinions of others.
Teest responded with seriousness, “I need to know when my inducing no longer works on you. It’s crucial.”
Nol: “……” Then what did you promise just now? Thin air?
Teest was indeed a good companion, if one could overlook his peculiar way of thinking. Perhaps he shouldn’t expect too much—after all, he was using a cult member’s prop, so his own mental state was far from normal.
“Fine,” Nol said weakly.
Teest flicked his fingers.
Golden threads, like snakes, slithered out of the old waist bag. They intertwined and melted into a pair of intricate gold earrings. They looked exactly like Player earrings, but with a small, inconspicuous mark on the back, like a twisted trident.
“A deal is a deal.” Teest handed one earring to Nol. “You’ll find use for this sooner or later. Consider it a token.”
He gave Teest a tool to hide his real earring, and he returned a carefully replicated fake earring. Holding the tiny earring in his hand, Nol felt a sense of absurdity.
Still, he carefully kept it and placed it in the inner pocket at his chest.
Teest didn’t put away his earring immediately. He held his up and compared it with Nol’s from a distance.
“You’re more suited for the blue moonstone,” Teest said softly, with the gold in his hand reflecting the shards of dawn. “Sadly, we can’t change its design.”
……
At lunch, Hannah came to deliver the latest news. She remembered Teest’s warnings, so all the other kids were at the church. Only she came secretly, also to visit her twin sister.
Who would have thought she’d bump into the Mad Monk? Hannah’s scream pierced the sky, forming a cacophony with Margaret’s.
“Did you have to scare her?” Nol’s hand holding the fork twitched.
“After all, Margaret would tell her sooner or later. It’s better for me to teach her about the dangers of the world firsthand,” Teest mused while chewing on a roasted potato. “It’s so interesting!”
Lynn looked at him with a stern face but remained silent, apparently preferring to keep her distance from this dangerous individual. The witch was more focused on the parchment beside her, which contained information Nol had for trade—mainly details about important cities, landmarks, and attractions in Tahe.
Indeed, just before lunch, Lynn had declined Nol’s invitation to travel together.
“Two reasons. First, I don’t want to travel with the Mad Monk; he’s too dangerous. Second, I indeed have my own things to deal with,” she stated bluntly. “I know you want to help, but your upcoming actions won’t be centered around me—and I don’t want to wait a moment longer.”
Nol pondered briefly. “You’re looking for someone? A family member, or…”
Lynn’s expression darkened momentarily. “My younger sister. The day we transmigrated, I was sick with a high fever. She came to take care of me. She was supposed to be at boarding school… She’s still in high school.”
“You must have a good relationship.”
Lynn shook her head. “No, our relationship is average. We even quarreled that day. I told her she shouldn’t take leave during her busy school days, and she left angrily.”
She lowered her head, her voice filled with bitterness and melancholy. “I was so drowsy from the fever. I’m not sure if she went straight back to school or came to me again. I don’t know if she’s in this world, but I need to find her…”
Nol glanced instinctively towards the door of the wooden hut. Bloodstains still remained on the stone steps outside. Just the other night, Hannah, holding Margaret, had pleaded outside that door.
He believed he knew the reason why the shrewd and cautious neighbor had opened the door.
Though it was regrettable that they couldn’t cooperate, everyone was an adult, and one couldn’t force matters. The Puppet Witch was quite capable of surviving on her own. As long as they stayed in touch, Lynn’s safety wouldn’t be an issue.
At the dining table, the adults hadn’t finished discussing the follow-ups. Instead, it was Margaret who spoke first.
“I must return to the City Lord’s mansion,” she said. “After saying goodbye to my father… um, Lord Swain, I’ve done a lot of thinking.”
Nol looked at her curiously.
Margaret and Teest: one dared to look at a corpse, the other dared to display it. Their farewell to the body wasn’t heartwarming at all. Margaret glanced into Teest’s old waist pouch and promptly ran out to vomit. She’d been silent since then, and Nol thought she might have been traumatized.
“The appearance of a Puppet Witch doesn’t change. If you stay there for too long, you will be exposed,” Lynn immediately said.
“I know.” Margaret lowered her eyes. “So the ‘Margaret Swain’ that is going back isn’t me.”
Hannah’s fork and knife halted abruptly.
Margaret ran her fingers through her black hair. The black faded away, and the straight hair slowly curled. With the magic lifted, her brass-colored curly hair cascaded down.
Then she reached out and pointed to the still-shocked Hannah. Hannah’s short hair rapidly grew longer, turning pitch black and straight.
“I’ll hide my face, and Hannah will act as the heir. As for the discrepancies in knowledge and physique, let’s say she got traumatized, lost her memory, and wandered alone, leading to malnutrition. In fact, she knows more about this city than I do,” Margaret said. “I can’t grow older, but she can, right?”
Hannah reflexively wanted to refuse but swallowed her words. After a while, she carefully asked, “If I replace Margaret as the heir, can I take her back to live in Whitebird City?”
“This is a small border town, so it’s not so strict. As long as Margaret doesn’t expose herself in public and no controlling magic can be detected on you, even if the Temple suspects something’s off with her, they can’t force an identity check,” Teest casually said while picking up a piece of stir-fried meat. “This is power, future City Lord.”
“But I would be taking Margaret’s life…” Hannah murmured.
“You’re wrong,” Margaret replied seriously. “You’re giving me a new life. Hannah, you will make a great City Lord. Think about Little Spoon and the others.”
Hannah remained silent for a good five minutes.
“You’re wrong too.” Hannah finally smiled. “Let’s go together. ‘We’ will make a great City Lord.”
Margaret smiled and turned to Nol, bowing her head solemnly. “Thank you both for your assistance to Whitebird City. Once we’re back at the City Lord’s Mansion, I will prepare your reward privately.”
[You have met the general requirements for the quest “The Missing Lady”: Find the missing Margaret Swain (alive or dead)]
Just as Nol was about to reply, a ghostly system prompt emerged. Unlike during the time with the Lich, after the voice prompt, a pop-up appeared abruptly.
[Task Reward: Monetary Reward [General]; Friendship of the Lord of Whitebird City [Normal]]
[Do you want to settle the quest? Note: Settlement is considered giving up on “Perfect Achievement”]
Nol’s smile faded.
……
“The ‘Margaret’ found isn’t Margaret, and the ‘City Lord’ offering friendship isn’t the previous one… This quest is chilling,” Nol said.
That night, they stayed in the witch’s hut. Nol promised Lynn that he would keep an eye on the Mad Monk, so the two ended up on a straw bed in the living room.
The night was young, and the moonlight was just right. The two sat cross-legged, facing each other, discussing the situation.
Looking at it now, it seemed as if the system knew the fate of the sisters. It was a big deal, so Nol directly showed Teest the quest.
“Um, but the system isn’t that smart.” Teest was playing with Nol’s robe. “My quest also had a ‘Witness the Mad Monk and report’ condition. As soon as I took the task, the ‘Witness the Mad Monk’ part was completed.”
Nol: “…Pfft.”
“It’s funny, right? I guess the ‘Witness the Mad Monk’ condition is open to everyone, and the system has no idea who the Mad Monk is,” Teest said. “As long as it’s not omniscient and omnipotent, it can be dealt with.”
“You’re quite ambitious.” Nol laughed. “Challenging two gods isn’t enough for you?”
Teest shrugged and smiled indifferently. “It’s still questionable whether they exist. Over the years, I’ve hunted down the high ranks of the Eternal Church, blasphemed the Temple of Life, but the gods never punished me… Even the last Pope of the Temple that apostatized wasn’t punished by the gods.”
Nol felt a bit relieved. Talking to Teest, a local, was reassuring. Left to his own devices, he might become paranoid, which would only lead to more anxiety.
“I’ll go get something to eat,” Teest said, climbing off the bed in the early hours. “I didn’t eat enough during the day, and I can’t compete with those two little ones for food.”
He had only taken a few steps when Nol grabbed him.
“Wait.” Nol pulled out a small cloth bag. “Can you turn this into something edible for me?”
Teest opened the cloth bag, frowning at the scraps and shards inside. “What is this stuff?”
“Lynn is helping me modify the Dragon Corpse Notebook. These are the discarded trimmings,” Nol explained. “It’s part of a dragon’s body, so it’s worth a try.”
Teest: “.…..”
Teest: “You’re really ruthless, aren’t you?”
Nol flashed him a toothy grin. “Don’t worry. A good killer won’t be eaten by a bad Lich.”
Half an hour later, the two sneaked back to the dining table. Teest had caught a fat long-horned chicken and roasted it to a golden hue. He divided half of it for Nol, accompanied by a plate of gray-green sauce.
“Herbs, wild fruits, honey, plus the trash you provided. I’m not responsible if it tastes awful,” Teest stated.
Nol poured the sauce over it. The gray-green sauce contrasted with the crispy golden skin, which made the appearance somewhat acceptable… Though this was probably the most humiliating moment in dragon history.
He picked up a piece of chicken meat and decisively put it in his mouth.
The author has something to say:
Nol: Eat, eat, eat. I still have an empty skill slot.
Teest: Damn, I’ve really became a cook.
————————————
Answering a few questions that the comment section is concerned about:
- As mentioned in this chapter, Miss Lynn will not join the team, but she has ways to stay in touch with the protagonist group. After all, she’s a character with a name in the supporting cast:
remote technical support engineer. - In the early manuscript, Teest had another name (?). This name has not been discarded, but it’s not advisable to infer anything from it. Just read on and you’ll understand XD.
Kinky Thoughts:
This marks the end of this arc.
For those who haven’t read Nian Zhong’s work… Her novels have an underlying plot that is usually slowly revealed through each arc. Everything happens for a reason, and it will come together in the end. So if things don’t make sense right now, it doesn’t mean it’s an oversight.
As this novel is ongoing, I don’t know how many chapters there will be, but be patient with the plot. The best feeling is when all the puzzle pieces click together in the end.
The best example is Stray, which also happens to be western fantasy and is based on a similar setting to this novel. I strongly recommend you read that.
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