Translator: CinderTL
"Shadow Veil?"
Roland ignored the unfamiliar term, his gaze remaining fixed warily on Avril.
"So you're..."
"Mr. Colin sent me to protect you," Avril said, suddenly scratching her head awkwardly, her pointed ears flushing slightly.
"But..." She gave an embarrassed smile. "I didn't expect that guy to be not only proficient in mental spells but also capable of creating doppelgangers using secret arts."
The elf girl's voice trailed off.
"So just now... he lured me away."
"Wait a minute."
Hearing this, Roland's brow furrowed deeply as he turned his gaze to the spot where the mysterious white-robed figure had turned to ash.
"You're saying... he was just a doppelganger?"
"Exactly!" Avril nodded vigorously. "My Shadow Veil teammates and I clashed with him before."
At this point, the elf girl frowned slightly, her tone becoming uncertain.
"I don't know if the one we fought back then was also a doppelganger, but his strength was far greater than the ones who appeared at Far Ocean Port."
Far greater?
Roland's expression immediately turned grave.
Immune to physical damage, possessing astonishing speed, wielding seasoned combat skills, and mastering secret arts of mental assault...
Recalling the mountain of corpses and sea of blood from their earlier encounter, Roland couldn't help but take a deep breath.
If not for the enhancement of his Steel Will, he would have instantly become the white-robed figure's plaything.
And this terrifying power wasn't even the full extent of their capabilities.
Remembering the white-robed figure's covetous gaze, Roland didn't understand what they coveted, but it was clear they had already set their sights on him.
With this in mind, Roland asked in a low voice, "Do you know any specific details about this person?"
Avril shook her head decisively.
"I only know he's the mastermind behind the Church of Truth. Beyond that..."
"I understand."
Seeing that Roland's face still held lingering skepticism despite her revelations, Avril had a sudden idea. She slowly raised her right hand while carefully retrieving an object from the leather pouch at her waist with her left.
It was a uniquely shaped badge.
A crystal, its deep blue tinged with crimson, had been carved into a seashell-like pattern, shimmering with an otherworldly luster in the setting sun.
"Now... will you believe me?"
Roland's eyes flickered slightly.
The badge was nearly identical to the token Colin had given him, differing only in the minute details of its patterns.
Moreover, the unique warm texture and shifting light and shadow effects of this material were impossible for ordinary craftsmen to replicate.
Roland relaxed his posture slightly, but his right hand remained firmly gripping the sword hilt. He subtly retreated half a step, maintaining a safe distance from Avril.
Even though the badge appeared genuine, he wouldn't lower his guard until he had fully confirmed her identity.
"So... what exactly happened here?"
Seeing Roland finally lower his guard, Avril exhaled deeply and flashed a bright smile.
"It was all part of Mr. Colin and His Majesty Monen's plan!" she explained, gesturing emphatically with both hands.
"The Church of Truth has been causing trouble in the Golden Valley Kingdom and the River Domain Nations for years. So this time, we deliberately set a trap to lure them to Far Ocean Port, intending to capture them all in one fell swoop!"
Church of Truth's Scheme
As Roland pondered this, Avril suddenly leaned closer, clasping her hands in a pleading gesture.
"Please, Roland!" she begged, tilting her head and causing her pointed ears to twitch slightly.
"Considering I sold you the Devilfish at a low price before..."
"Wait a minute," Roland interrupted, frowning. "Did you say... Devilfish?"
"Of course!" Avril replied with a sly grin, then cleared her throat.
In an instant, her clear, melodious voice transformed into a rough, gravelly woman's voice.
"Little brother's back again! We just got a fresh batch of Devilfish today—I saved some especially for you!"
The familiar voice made Roland's expression change drastically.
He stared in disbelief at the slender girl before him, unable to reconcile her with the burly, pockmarked fisherwoman Jenny from his memories.
Yet the truth was undeniable.
Even his close friend Darco knew nothing about his Devilfish transactions with Jenny.
The Church of Truth could never have investigated such a trivial matter just to scheme against him.
A sudden realization struck Roland, his expression hardening.
As his thoughts raced, the pieces began to fall into place:
King Monen's sudden change of itinerary to visit Far Ocean Port. The inexplicably lax security at the city gates after the King's arrival. Avril, disguised as a fisherwoman, selling Devilfish to the Church of Truth. Gondar and Colin's cryptic warning before their departure.
There were even details he hadn't noticed.
Every detail confirmed that Avril's account was true.
"So..."
Recalling the look of surprise in the mysterious white-robed figure's eyes when he saw Roland, Roland sighed softly.
"I'm just a hapless fool who got caught up in this?"
"Exactly. You're quite unlucky," Avril said, playfully sticking out her tongue, a hint of annoyance in her expression.
"The Church of Truth's target was definitely His Majesty Monen. But according to the plan, His Majesty was supposed to go to the beach at dusk for the treasure hunt show."
"So, even though Mr. Colin told me to protect you, he didn't reinforce security at the Sea Pearl Pavilion."
"Who could have imagined that the church leader would actually..."
She repeated her explanation for her mistake, then looked at Roland with her violet eyes, full of anticipation.
"So, Roland... could you not tell Mr. Colin about my mistake at the Sea Pearl Pavilion?"
"I just joined Shadow Veil as a ranger, and I'm still in my assessment period."
"Ranger?"
Hearing that word, Roland's eyes widened as he scrutinized the girl before him.
He vividly remembered Bronson saying that rangers were one of the few remaining transcendent professions in the modern world.
"Hahaha!"
Seeing Roland's shocked expression, Avril couldn't help but burst into laughter, proudly puffing out her chest.
"Just an apprentice, an apprentice ranger!"
"So, Roland, could you..."
Roland waved his hand, cutting her off, and glanced around the smoke-filled, fire-scorched room. He shook his head in resignation.
What was done was done; further recriminations would serve no purpose. He couldn't just draw his Mithril Longsword and kill the elf girl before him for the sake of momentary satisfaction. That would gain him nothing.
Instead, it would be better to have her owe him a favor. After all, he would eventually need to travel to the River Domain Nations, a place completely unfamiliar to him. He might even need this elf girl's help there.
Moreover, she was a transcendent professional about to officially become a ranger. By any calculation, this was a far more advantageous approach than mere blame or reporting her.
With this thought, Roland lifted his gaze, meeting Avril's faintly glowing violet eyes, and slowly began to speak.
"I can agree, but..."
"But what?" Avril's ears perked up immediately.
"You'll owe me a favor, to be repaid whenever I need it."
"No problem!" Avril exclaimed, raising her hands in the air and eagerly agreeing before Roland could finish. "I knew you were the best, Roland, ever since you bought the Devilfish from me!"
Her smile shone like the sun, as if the tension and worry from moments ago had never existed.
"So... what's the situation now?" Roland asked.
Hearing his question, Avril tilted her head slightly and glanced out the window.
"His Majesty Monen and Mr. Colin had planned everything meticulously. By now, it should have been over. But who could have imagined that the mastermind behind all this could still control demonic beasts?"
"Control demonic beasts?" Roland frowned, following Avril's gaze.
The next moment, his pupils constricted sharply.
On the far side of the harbor, a horde of fish-faced demonic beasts brandished rusty tridents, roaring as they clashed with the guards.
Despite the guards' rigorous training and seamless coordination, which forced the fishmen into a steady retreat, the pervasive stench of blood and the rising chorus of screams weighed heavily on Roland's heart.
However, what truly made Roland's breath catch in his throat was the sudden spectacle rising in the distance.
Through the layers of overlapping rooftops, several colossal, crimson tentacles erupted from the water. Each one was as thick as the trunk of an ancient tree, its surface covered in grotesque suckers and glistening with viscous slime, reflecting a cold, damp sheen in the twilight.
The tentacles writhed skyward, blotting out the sun and casting the evening light into fractured patches.
As the tentacles emerged, the entire port began to tremble.
Wooden crates and cargo tumbled into the sea from the distant docks, and moored ships collided violently as massive waves tossed them against each other, their masts snapping with a series of sharp cracks.
"What... what is that thing?"
Gazing at the writhing tentacles in the distance, Roland felt his throat tighten.
(End of the Chapter)
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𝟏𝟒 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 | 𝟖.𝟓𝐤 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 | 𝟏𝟒.𝟑𝐌 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 [𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦]