Chapter 58

Gentle sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting its rays on the pure white floor. The girl squinted slightly, half-lying on the soft sofa, enjoying the leisurely afternoon.

Outside the window, the rippling lake water shimmered under the wind, producing a captivating echo. The emerald branches swayed gently, rustling and adding to the accompaniment. The magnificent and precious crystal chandelier emitted a magical glow, and on both sides of the golden hall, the beautiful paintings and finely crafted sculptures complemented each other. Just standing there felt like stepping into a hall of art.

The door carved with a nine-winged bird opened silently, and then a formally dressed noblewoman walked in, stepping over the red carpet to the girl lying on the sofa. She knelt down.

"Your Highness."

"Hmm?"

Hearing the woman's call, the girl opened her eyes slightly, her emerald eyes revealing a hint of laziness and mischief. Three pairs of spotless, white wings enveloped her beautiful, slender, and alluring body like gentle veils. Her snow-white, slender legs stretched out, exuding an irresistible charm.

Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, shimmering in the sunlight, as dazzling as a crown.

"What is it, Lady Kaelor?"

"Everything is ready, and the Merchant Association has been dealt with. We only await your command, Your Highness..."

The woman did not finish her sentence because at that moment, she saw the girl close her eyes again. Knowing her Highness well, she quickly stopped and waited for her command.

"The branches of ** are indeed detestable."

With her eyes half-closed, the girl reached out to stroke the lazy, curled-up black cat in her arms and spoke.

"But using them as nourishment, the new sprouts will bloom into beautiful flowers. Suppressing the growth of beauty is a very unromantic thing, and I do not like it."

"I understand, Your Highness."

Although the girl's words seemed disconnected, the woman seemed to understand her meaning, nodding slightly to show her comprehension. However, she soon looked troubled again.

"... The recent reports from the Pafeld region, the rats in the Council..."

"Let them be."

The girl stopped stroking the black cat and sighed.

"My dear subordinates should know what to do. The rapport between ruler and subject is what makes a relationship beautiful. A qualified subject will understand my intentions. Only those who are willing to endure the storms and stand tall deserve the glory of my favor. I believe they know what to do."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Hearing the woman's response, the girl finally showed a playful smile.

"Having been busy for so long, I'm sure you must be tired. How about joining me for a cup of tea? This is a fresh batch of black tea that just arrived, I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"You're too formal, Lady Kaelor, but that's precisely what makes you so irresistible... Come, you're standing too far away. Why don't you come closer?"

"Your Highness..."

The wind grew stronger.

Only after returning to Deepstone City did Rod finally breathe a sigh of relief.

On their way out, they did not encounter any more obstacles, as Marin had said, the undead creatures relied entirely on the power given by their master to exist. Therefore, when the necromancer was completely destroyed, the undead outside also returned to dust.

This mission could be considered a win-win situation. Rod had created the soul core he needed, Lige had obtained the holy book, and even old Walker had received a cloak with elemental resistance.

However, there was a small disagreement between Rod and Marin regarding the distribution of the Dark Soul.

In the Dragon Soul Continent, the characteristics of rare items are generally divided into two types: one is that they possess some rare and unique skill, and the other is that they can significantly enhance the holder's attributes. Rod's Star Mark Holy Sword belonged to the latter, while the Dark Soul was entirely the former. It had a highly praised skill among players—Shadow Fog Shift.

Shadow Fog Shift: The holder can create a dark shadow area, and when inside, they can move without regard to distance or obstacles, gaining the "Stealth" characteristic. The effect is canceled when the holder is attacked.

In essence, this skill is a limited-range spatial movement. In the game, this is a very rare item. First, it is of "Rare" grade, and second, for players other than mages, it is difficult to have a fast movement skill, and Shadow Fog Shift can make up for this. Additionally, when fleeing from danger, Shadow Fog Shift can allow players to quickly escape from combat and leave leisurely. The only drawback is that it must be used within a shadow area, but for players who spend most of their time adventuring underground, this is not a significant issue.

Although it is a very rare and useful item, Rod is not the type to keep items for himself. He explained the function of the Dark Soul to Marin and asked if she needed it.

However, he did not expect that although Marin heard his explanation, she still dismissed it. Her reasons were simple: first, she was a mid-level mage with plenty of survival spells. Second, she did not think the skill was as powerful as Rod described. During the battle with the necromancer, he used this skill to hide, but Rod easily revealed him with a single strike. Marin's belief was that anything not under her control was not worth trusting. From this perspective, she clearly did not trust the power of a magic ring and instead trusted the spells she knew. In the end, Rod took the ring.

One can only imagine the expressions of the players who would pay a fortune for this ring, only to find out that it was not even trusted by a native.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Rod."

At this moment, Shana's condition had improved significantly. Although the necromancer's attack was venomous, the red-haired mercenary was not a novice and managed to avoid the vital areas. Her shoulder, though pierced, needed proper rest but would not cause any serious issues.

However, compared to the great harvest of Rod and his companions, the Red Eagle Mercenary Group suffered significant losses. They searched the necromancer's lair thoroughly but found no trace of the sword they were commissioned to find, which left Shana disheartened. For Rod, this was an expected result. In his memory, all the equipment from the Pavel Cemetery was for magic users, and he had never heard of a quest involving a sword. Initially, he thought it might be an NPC-exclusive quest, but now it seemed strange...

"Miss Shana, are you sure the client wanted you to find a sword?"

"Yes."

Sighing, Shana shook her head helplessly.

"He said it was a family heirloom that was later taken by Pavel. He commissioned us to find it and, according to the contract, paid us 150 gold coins as a deposit. I don't think it's a lie, but... now that we can't find the sword, I don't know what to do."

It was no wonder Shana did not suspect anything. According to mercenary rules, once they received the deposit, they did not have to return it, regardless of whether the mission succeeded or failed. Therefore, clients often paid a small deposit as a symbolic gesture and the rest after the mission was completed. This time, the client paid 150 gold coins, which was equivalent to the reward for a standard three-star mission. Such a generous reward made it hard for Shana to doubt the client's honesty, after all, who would spend so much money just to fool them?

However, it was too late to think about this now. Shana had not found the sword, and according to the description, Rod guessed it was an ancient sword. These items were not rare in the game but were mostly symbolic and of little practical use. Despite this, the failure of the mission and the loss of several companions left the red-haired mercenary in low spirits. She mustered the strength to bid farewell to Rod and his companions, then dragged her exhausted body towards the Mercenary Guild. The others followed her, except for the idiot Barney, who was still unconscious after being beaten by Rod and was being carried by the shield warrior. If Rod's guess was correct, he would not wake up for a day.

Watching Shana and the others disappear around the corner, Rod's eyes turned cold.

"They were deceived."

Then, Rod said very confidently.

"Huh?"

Hearing Rod's words, Lige's eyes widened in surprise, and even old Walker frowned in confusion.

"What do you mean, kid? You're saying Shana and the others were deceived? What's going on?"

"It's simple."

Facing their confusion, Rod shrugged.

"If it were truly a family heirloom, as the client claimed, he would not have just commissioned these mercenaries and stayed away himself."

"That's right."

Marin nodded in agreement.

"For us nobles, a family heirloom is a symbol of the family's spirit and honor. If it were lost, we would have to retrieve it immediately. If the Senia family's heirloom were lost or stolen, even if I commissioned mercenaries to find it, I would have to go with them. Only the family's bloodline can reclaim the honor, and they would earn the respect of the entire family. Otherwise, even if we recovered the honor, it would be a handout from others, which is an intolerable stain for any reputable noble. I don't believe a family with a family heirloom would be a newly risen upstart. As Mr. Rod said, there must be something wrong."

"What's wrong?"

Hearing this, Lige became nervous. After all, Shana was her good friend, and the thought of her being in danger was unsettling.

"I don't know."

Rod shook his head and then looked thoughtfully at the stone city before him.

"But I might have some ideas."

He said.