Chapter 119: The Haunted Mill
Chapter 119: The Haunted Mill
"Reyn, you can take a look at the information related to this bounty scroll first."
"This was originally a bounty, but after being posted for a long time without resolution, it has now become an enigmatic incident that requires official intervention from the Empire."
"This is one of the few mysterious incidents I've selected from the recent dozen or so that occurred within the jurisdiction of Myester County. Once a mysterious incident is resolved, the merit points awarded are three to five times that of a regular incident, or even more."
"Reyn, considering that you have entered the Extraordinary stage as a Knight and possess the Flawless Stone Weapon, the 'Radiant Greatsword', I believe that with a little caution, this task shouldn't pose a significant safety issue for you."
Reyn nodded, having no objections to Hamilton's arrangement.
With the 'Radiant Greatsword' in his possession, he had an advantage if the source of the enigmatic incident was some kind of evil force.
Reyn took the bounty scroll and examined it carefully. After a while, he exclaimed in surprise, "So, ghosts do exist!"
"Although it's possible that ordinary people may exaggerate, these things do exist, but they are extremely rare, so most people tend to treat them as legends."
"In fact, most bounty hunters wouldn't even consider accepting a bounty like this. Firstly, they don't have the ability to eliminate such ghosts, and it would be a fool's errand to risk their lives for nothing."
"Secondly, those who can eliminate these ghosts are usually Demon Hunters, a group even rarer than the ghosts themselves." Hamilton explained.
"Demon Hunters?" Reyn couldn't help but chew on this title in his mind.
In this world, Demon Hunters probably also wielded a pair of swords, one silver and one steel.
"Yes, it's said that to become a Demon Hunter, one must awaken a certain Extraordinary Ability. As for the specifics, I'm not too clear."
"Of course, aside from Demon Hunters, there are also people in the Church who can eliminate them, but in all of Myester County, there's only the Cathedral of the Gale and Sea Goddess."
"Those with the ability to exorcise evil are mostly from the Church's upper echelons. If the enigmatic incident didn't occur within the county city, they usually wouldn't get involved."
"The same goes for the advisors of the great nobles."
Reyn nodded in understanding. Those with such abilities were scarce and held high positions, so it was natural that they wouldn't take on such bounties.
"Lord Hamilton, I'll make some quick preparations and head to Agatha Mill as soon as possible."
"Oh, Reyn, I have some 'Holy Water' here from the Buffalo Cathedral in the county city. If the entity is an evil spirit like a vengeful ghost, the 'Holy Water' should be quite effective against it."
Hamilton thought for a moment and took out an oval-shaped glass vial from his desk drawer.
The liquid inside was clear and visible, a light cyan color.
Reyn took it and examined it carefully. He could sense a faint energy within, but it didn't seem to pose any threat to him.
"Thank you, sir," Reyn said, inclining his head slightly in gratitude.
Hamilton seemed to have given his first enigmatic mission some thorough consideration.
After leaving the office, Reyn thought for a moment and realized he didn't have much to prepare.
The 'Radiant Greatsword' was currently sheathed on his back, and he was wearing his Knight's Plate Armor. Other items like shields seemed redundant now that he had the Extraordinary Ability 'Iron Skin', as they would only hinder his dual-wielding greatsword style.
After some contemplation, Reyn decided he could set off immediately.
It was only about nine in the morning, and if things went smoothly, he might even be able to return before evening.
Since this was an official errand, Reyn didn't hesitate to ask the guards at the Admin Hall's stable to provide him with a horse.
With a gentle nudge, Reyn mounted the horse, ready to depart.
At that moment, a carriage arrived at the entrance of the town's admin hall. Reyn glanced at the emblem on the carriage—a surprising sight: the noble emblem of the Habsburg family, depicting a 'Diving Raptor'.
Reyn was puzzled but assumed they were here to see Hamilton. He didn't pay it much mind and was about to ride away.
"Excuse me, is this Sir Reyn?" a middle-aged man's voice called out from behind just as Reyn was about to leave.
Reyn turned around in confusion. A middle-aged man dressed in black emerged from the carriage, a formal smile on his face as he addressed Reyn.
"Yes, that's me. What can I do for you?"
"Sir Reyn, I am Michel, the butler of Baron Alonso, the eldest legitimate son of the Habsburg family."
'Alonso'? Upon hearing the name, Reyn's pupils dilated. He knew who the man was but was unsure of his purpose.
The butler, Michel, maintained his formal smile and continued, "Previously, there might have been a small misunderstanding between us, but it's all in the past now."
"This time, Baron Alonso has asked me to speak with you, Sir Reyn. If it's convenient, please join me in the carriage for a chat." Michel maintained his smile, gesturing with his hand.
Reyn pondered this development.
Could they be here to assassinate him?
It was unlikely that they would attempt such a thing at the town's admin hall entrance, in full view of the guards.
This time, it seemed they were here to recruit him, but she couldn't shake off her suspicions. She decided to hear them out, no matter how grand their offer, and gauge their intentions.
"Let's go!" Reyn dismounted and walked over, while Michel enthusiastically opened the carriage door for him.
As soon as Reyn stepped into the carriage, he froze.
The next second, he reacted and slowly sat down on the carriage seat, which was wrapped in brown lambskin.
Across from him were a pair of beautiful twin girls, wearing identical white off-shoulder gowns with lace trim, showcasing their beautiful and delicate bodies to perfection.
When the two girls saw Reyn's gaze, they shyly lowered their heads, and their delicate bodies leaned against each other, giving off a sense of admiring the beauty of conjoined lilies.
Reyn couldn't help but take a few more glances.
When it comes to beautiful things, humans instinctively pursue them.
Michel, seeing Reyn's slightly shocked expression and his subsequent glances at the twin girls, smiled and nodded slightly.
It seemed that his arrangement was quite pleasing to this 'Farmer's Son'.
His previous judgment was that since this 'Farmer's Son' had such exceptional talent but had never shown it before, it was likely that he had a special affection for Lady Claire, otherwise, it would be hard to explain this situation.
Since that was the case, even if he couldn't find a beauty comparable to Lady Claire, there was a saying, two is better than one.
It seemed to be working well.
"Sir Reyn, Baron Alonso greatly admires your talent. If you agree to become his follower, these two beautiful girls from Crab Claw Peninsula will be your maids."
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"Also, Sir Reyn, here is a set of equipment prepared especially for you."
"Wait, Steward Michel, if I heard correctly, did you just say follower?" Reyn interrupted Michel's enthusiastic explanation, frowning.
"Yes, if you become Baron Alonso's follower, all your cultivation expenses will be..."
"I'm sorry, but I cannot agree." Reyn shook his head and refused outright.
What a joke.
If Reyn didn't understand the difference between a follower and a Guardian Knight before, Hamilton's explanation made it very clear.
Being a follower seemed appealing, with the master providing food, lodging, and cultivation resources, but the consequence was a lack of autonomy.
This was fundamentally at odds with what Reyn sought—controlling his own destiny.
So, Reyn refused without hesitation.
"What!" Michel's expression was like a duck with its neck pinched, while the twin girls beside him covered their mouths, looking at Reyn in astonishment.
Michel paused for a while, then said with a somber expression, "Sir Reyn, I think you should carefully consider the Baron's suggestion."
"Thank you, but no need!"
"Steward Michel, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now." Reyn turned and stepped down from the carriage.
Reyn was well aware of what his refusal would mean, but the wise are not confused, the benevolent are not worried, and the brave are not afraid!
Meanwhile, in Myester County Town.
In the basement hall of a luxurious mansion.
A tall knight carrying a 'scythe'-shaped weapon was reporting respectfully:
"High Priest, the cause of Mort's death has been investigated. It is said that he was killed by a newly promoted knight. Here are the related materials."
The scythe knight handed a dossier to the High Priest sitting in a large armchair. Under the light, the dossier's cover clearly displayed Reyn's name.
"Additionally, due to the exposure of the outpost near Flashgold Town, we lost more than twenty 'materials'. The Black Flame Prayer Ritual will definitely not be ready in time, so we can only hold a blood sacrifice to speed things up."
"Regarding the choice of location for the blood sacrifice, please give us your instructions, High Priest." The scythe knight continued.
"Hmm! The newly promoted knight from Flashgold Town? What a coincidence."
"You've heard about the location, right? A Demon Knight has appeared near Flashgold Town. This might just be our opportunity."
"Are you suggesting Flashgold Town, High Priest? But isn't it a bit too close to the county town? Also, the Habsburg Manor is right in Flashgold Town." The scythe knight hesitated for a few seconds before speaking.
"The Church of Gale and Sea Goddess will likely send people to Nocturne Forest to investigate the Demon Knight incident soon. At that time, the garrison force in Flashgold Town will be redeployed, leaving it vulnerable."
"As for the personnel movement in the Habsburg Manor, leave it to Baron Alonso."
"Yes, High Priest."
After refusing Michel, Reyn quickly rode his horse to Agatha Mill, located not far from the county town.
According to the jurisdiction, this mill was no longer under the administration of Flashgold Town but belonged to the outskirts of the county town.
The mill's location was excellent, backed by a grassy slope and facing vast wheat fields. Apparently, it was an ideal spot to build a mill.
However, even during the harvest season, there were few pedestrians on the path leading to the windmill mill.
Reyn rode his horse closer to the mill.
As he approached, he saw three tall windmill mills shaped like lighthouses. Except for one that was still in use, the other two mill doors were locked, and there was no sign of activity.
At that moment, a round, chubby middle-aged man came running over, wiping the sweat off his forehead.
(End of Chapter)
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