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Chapter 121: Sacrificial Pawn
Chapter 121: Sacrificial Pawn
The young girl seemed delighted as she witnessed Reyn slay the monster, a faint smile emerging on her previously somber face.
Reyn's hand paused as he reached for the 'Holy Water' in his waist pouch.
But after a moment's thought, he withdrew the Holy Water and held it in his hand.
Sensing the energy emanating from the Holy Water, the girl glanced at it and her expression turned to one of terror. She clasped her hands in front of her chest, and a ghostly voice filled with panic sounded, "Warrior, don't hurt me. I'm not a bad person."
Huh?
She can speak?
But her voice sounds so familiar.
Could it be the same female voice that warned me to run earlier? Reyn wondered.
As the fog seemed to dissipate slightly, the girl's figure became a little clearer. However, upon closer inspection, Reyn noticed an unreal quality to her body, and as the fog continued to disperse, she appeared more translucent.
Reyn asked slowly, "Can you understand what I'm saying?"
The girl nodded.
Relieved, Reyn continued, "Was it you who warned me to run earlier?"
"Yes, warrior. But I didn't expect you to be so powerful, killing that fog demon with a single strike," the girl's expression became less wooden, and her speech more fluent as she seemed to grow more conscious.
"Was that monster just now called a fog demon?" Reyn asked.
"Yes, I heard the bounty hunter call it a fog demon before he died. It can control thick fog and prefers to attack humans suddenly in the mist. Most people find it hard to defend against its attacks."
"Then why did you warn me to run but also distract me every time the fog demon attacked? It's as if you were helping it assault me!" Reyn countered.
"I'm sorry, warrior. I was under the fog demon's control and had no choice but to do those things."
"I'm truly sorry!" The girl's expression turned sorrowful again, and she began to sob softly.
Reyn waved his hand, not wanting to dwell on the issue. Instead, he asked, "How did you become like this?"
"By the way, what's your name?"
"I'm Agatha! I don't know what happened either. When I woke up, I was already in this state," the ghostly girl replied.
Hearing her name, Reyn immediately associated it with the mill they were at, Agatha's Mill. "Could it be that this mill has something to do with you?"
"Yes, warrior. My father and I used to run this mill," Agatha explained.
As Agatha recounted the story, Reyn learned the full details of what had transpired.
It turned out that Agatha had been defiled by Colm Tucker, the steward of Baron Watson. When Agatha's father discovered this and confronted Colm, he became enraged and killed both Agatha and her father, burying them beneath the two windmill mills.
This tragic tale should have ended there.
However, something strange happened to Agatha's dead body, and when she woke up again, she found herself as a ghost.
While Agatha was still in a daze, a fog demon approached, possessing the ability to control both the dense fog and spirits.
Thus, the deceased Agatha was forced to succumb to the demon's claws, compelled to draw the victims' attention so the fog demon could launch a deadly strike from behind.
Reyn nodded, realizing that the rumors about the stench of decay and ghosts were not unfounded.
After a moment of hesitation, Agatha spoke up, "Warrior, may I make a request? If possible, could you help me take revenge?"
"I don't have any reward to offer you. Perhaps the brass ring on my remains is the only thing of value I can give you, but it doesn't seem sufficient as compensation for your help."
Reyn's expression turned thoughtful, neither immediately agreeing nor refusing.
Agatha's story was indeed tragic, and Reyn was willing to help, but he didn't want to make things worse and end up in trouble. The culprit was a baron's steward, clearly trusted and valued by the baron, so getting him to confess and cooperating with the baron would require careful planning.
After a few seconds, Reyn spoke, "Agatha, if you tell me the whole story in detail, we might find evidence that works in our favor."
"Even for me, getting a baron's steward to admit his crime directly would be extremely difficult."
Agatha nodded and began her tale.
After listening to Agatha's story again, Reyn left the windmill with the fog demon's corpse.
As he stepped out of the mill, Reyn checked the system prompt, his eyes flashing with a subtle light.
He hadn't expected such a generous experience reward for killing the fog demon.
[Your skill, Bear Sword Technique, has improved. Experience +274]
[You have engaged in combat. Knight (Extraordinary) Experience +54]
Knight lv1 (86/100) was now on the verge of leveling up.
It seemed that these monsters offered particularly generous experience rewards. At least, in Reyn's opinion, the fog demon's combat strength wasn't that impressive, perhaps even weaker than Carave. Its attacks were more about surprise and weirdness.
If one could seize the moment when the demon revealed its physical form and deliver a devastating blow, it might be possible to severely injure or even defeat it in one strike.
Regarding Agatha's request, Reyn already had a somewhat immature plan in mind.
It might not succeed, but he was determined to give it a try.
Gregory, who had returned from Watson Manor, waited outside and was overjoyed to see Reyn emerge.
"Sir Reyn, I'm glad to see you safely returned!" Gregory exclaimed.
Suddenly, Gregory's voice trailed off as he spotted the monster Reyn was dragging out, his eyes widening in shock.
"There really was a monster! I thought it was just a ghost. What an unreliable bounty hunter!" he muttered.
"Gregory, regarding the mill issue, I've temporarily resolved it.
If I want to permanently solve this issue, I need to meet with Baron Watson."
"Sir Reyn, do you wish to meet with the Baron?"
"That's great. Baron Watson also mentioned that he wants to meet you. At this moment, the Baron should be at the nearby Watson Manor."
Not long after, Gregory led Reyn towards Watson Manor, not far away.
As it turned out, Baron Watson had just arrived at the manor from the county city that afternoon and wanted to meet regarding the matter of the mill.
"It's an honor to meet you, Baron Watson," Reyn said with a slight bow.
Although he had entered the realm of the extraordinary, he was not technically a noble yet, so he still followed the basic etiquette.
Baron Watson was a tall, elderly man dressed in noble hunting attire. The man in black robes standing beside him was likely the murderer Agatha had mentioned—the butler, Colm.
Baron Watson smiled and sized up Reyn, saying, "So, you're the newly extraordinary Reyn? I didn't expect you to be the one to solve this matter."
Reyn was slightly taken aback. He didn't expect the news of his extraordinary status to spread so quickly.
"Yes, Baron. This is also the mysterious incident at Agatha's Mill that Sir Hamilton mentioned to me. For now, I have temporarily resolved it."
Baron Watson frowned at the word "temporarily."
"Well, I did solve the murder of the farmer and the guards by that fog demon. However, the root problem at Agatha's Mill remains unsolved, and there's something secretive about it."
As Reyn said the word "secretive," he glanced at the butler Colm, and the latter's eyes briefly showed a hint of panic.
"Hmm? Reyn, please explain in detail," said Baron Watson, looking puzzled after hearing the word "secretive."
Reyn then began to slowly tell the story.
"Agatha's tragic experience turned her into a vengeful spirit, constantly attracting various monsters to the mill. Therefore, we can only restore the mill's normal operations by letting her rest in peace."
At this point, Colm's forehead began to bead with sweat.
"Reyn, Agatha's experience is truly distressing. But how can we let her rest in peace? Do we need to capture the murderer? Do you have any leads?"
"Baron, it's not that complicated," Reyn replied.
"Do you know who the murderer is, Reyn?" Baron Watson asked, realizing the implication.
Reyn nodded, his gaze fixed on the trembling Colm as he said, "The murderer is right before your eyes, Baron."
Following Reyn's gaze, Baron Watson looked at Colm in surprise.
"What? Colm?"
"Sir Reyn, this is the ghost's accusation, an accusation!" Colm trembled, his face turning red. Despite his fear of Reyn's extraordinary status, he still tried to defend himself.
After a moment of thought, the Baron's expression turned solemn.
"Reyn, we need evidence for this. We can't necessarily trust the words of a ghost."
The Baron was instinctively reluctant to believe that someone close to him could do such a heinous thing. However, based on Colm's reaction, he knew that Colm was likely involved.
Evidence?
Reyn smiled.
This incident had occurred several months ago, and without modern forensic means, the only way to make the murderer confess was through some mystical ritual.
Obviously, Reyn didn't possess such abilities at the moment.
"Reyn, I plan to seal off Agatha's Mill completely, and I will also dismiss Colm," Baron Watson said, glancing at the butler before turning to Reyn.
It seemed that Baron Watson had already decided on a solution.
Dismissal was a minor punishment compared to the suffering Agatha and her father had endured.
Fortunately, Reyn had prepared for this.
"Baron, perhaps you think that by doing this, Agatha's ghost won't come back. But I've heard that ghosts can further mutate and even become malevolent spirits!"
"Additionally, the area around Agatha's Mill may continue to attract more monsters, and your manor is not far from the mill."
"Are you sure you won't mind if the situation escalates to that extent? By then, even if you spend a fortune to ask the church's high command for help, they might not be able to resolve the issue."
Reyn had improvised these words based on the rumors he had heard from Sir Hamilton over the past few days, aiming to intimidate the Baron.
As Reyn spoke, the Baron's expression grew increasingly grim.
Reyn's words resonated with the Baron, who had also heard similar rumors.
Moreover, seeking help from the church's high command was neither easy nor cheap, and it would also incur a favor.
The Baron's eyebrows furrowed, his eyes darting back and forth as he weighed the pros and cons.
Although Colm had served as the butler for many years and was quite useful, the Baron never expected him to commit such a heinous act. More importantly, if the situation escalated, it could lead to significant losses for the Watson family.
Initially, the Baron had intended to downplay the matter, but after hearing Reyn's words, he hesitated.
At that moment, Colm's face turned pale, and his legs trembled, almost unable to stand.
"Colm, go with Reyn to Agatha's Mill and resolve this matter," Baron Watson said after a moment of thought, having decided to abandon the butler.
"Baron, I'm innocent!" Colm pleaded, his usually robust frame now resembling a snake without its spine, collapsing to the ground.
"Baron, you've made a wise decision," Reyn said with a smile.
Reyn grabbed Colm by the back of his neck, lifting him like a chicken, and headed towards Agatha's Mill.
(End of Chapter)
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