Chapter 38 of 100

Chapter 38

14 min read3,382 words

Clouds drifted across the sky, and under the sunlight, the lush green meadow was dotted with the twisted and mangled bodies of the fallen. Vultures, unique to the grasslands, circled and landed, while crows occasionally flew by with eerie calls, casting dark shadows that brought a sense of gloom to the otherwise tranquil landscape. The blood had already coagulated, and the stench of decay was gradually spreading. The battlefield where Rody had saved Sally remained unchanged since the battle.

Francis's men had already inspected the area, but they had no time to deal with the bodies of the orcs, so the battlefield was almost entirely preserved. As the sun rose high, an unexpected figure crouched down, carefully examining the orc corpses that had died in gruesome ways.

Judging the entire battle process from the bodies and the marks left on the ground was a rare skill. To most people, these bodies, pecked at by crows and exposed to the scorching sun, had lost almost all their value for judgment. However, for Soderlor, who had participated in the southern border wars with his baron father at the age of 13, these things provided a wealth of information about the battle.

Three days after the battle, the dead worgs, the orcs with maggots in their wounds, and the warhorses that had died from impact injuries still lay there. When Soderlor's tall figure appeared on the battlefield, a group of crows and vultures that were feeding on the corpses took flight in a flurry.

He endured the stench and examined all the bodies, his face expressionless, but he felt a sense of shock at the fatal wounds. "What excellent archery," Soderlor sighed sincerely.

He had already seen the brutal battlefield where the old Gerson and others had intercepted the worg riders. Soderlor, who had studied orcs for a long time, had also identified the identity of this worg rider unit. Combining this with the letter Rody had shown him, Soderlor easily drew a conclusion: Rody had uncovered the enemy's plot and saved Sally, who had no hope of survival, at a critical moment!

Thinking of this, Soderlor felt a surge of excitement. He was a noble descendant whose family had suffered a great tragedy, and his innermost desire was to have the power and status to revive his family and seek revenge. However, the young Soderlor had been repeatedly hit by reality, eventually becoming dispirited and despondent.

During his time in Finks Village, he had kept his distance from the scouts, as everyone knew that Soderlor's skills far exceeded those of a mere scout. However, he could not see any hope for the future—

Revive the family? He couldn't even compete with a fellow soldier in a fortress, let alone revive the family.

Revenge? He had to flee with the entire village when encountering orcs, let alone seek revenge.

His passion had gradually cooled, and in recent years, Soderlor had fallen into a resigned silence. But now, he felt something in his chest being reignited. Could it be because he had seen someone truly perform a "heroic" act?

Regardless of whether it was Rody who did all this, Soderlor was certain that a powerful individual had been here, capable of easily killing ten orc worg riders and leaving without a trace.

In this society, how could a descendant of a fallen noble not want to achieve something great? How could he not want to become a powerful lord?

His fingers trembled slightly, and Soderlor felt more excited than he had in a long time. He stood up, combining the map of the Efta territory in his mind, and carefully thought about the route Sally and Rody had taken to leave. However, he found it impossible to determine their direction due to the unclear and complex relationship between Francis and Sally.

In the end, the calculating Soderlor decided to go to Noland Village, where Rody had originally been. He needed to confirm whether Rody was responsible for all this. If so, seeing this "benchmark," Soderlor already had his own plans.

He wanted to become stronger, and the scout position, which involved riding horses and herding sheep, had become unbearable for Soderlor. He would not give up any opportunity to improve his strength.

Riding back, Soderlor's figure gradually disappeared on the horizon.

From this point on, the historical event that should have been settled long ago seemed to enter a truly chaotic stage—Francis had already prepared for the worst, even planning to "wait and ambush" Sally outside Holier City. Meanwhile, Soderlor, who had been an outsider, had changed his future plans due to the battlefield left by Rody.

Historically, Holier City was supposed to be holding a burial ceremony for Sally, but at this moment, it remained quiet, as if nothing had happened.

Rody and Sally, in the Silent Forest, were racing against Francis, but no one knew who the ultimate winner would be.

...

"Really, it's hard to imagine... you're really 37 years old?"

Sally had said this countless times. On this journey, she had encountered many new things she had never experienced before—apart from the events in the "Stairo's Stream" dungeon, Rody's subsequent rapid departure from the Silent Forest was an unforgettable experience.

According to the methods used by adventurers in books, the best way to escape from a forest was to follow a stream or river, but no one had told Sally that drifting downstream was much faster and less tiring than walking.

"Things you learn the hard way stick with you," Rody replied, not looking up as he sorted through the items he had just bought in Kig Town.

In the early morning, the two of them had used a raft made of vines and trees to travel down the river at an astonishing speed, emerging from the forest edge before Sally could react.

This was probably the first time anyone had done this in the Silent Forest, but for the "player" Rody, it was a common practice. In the "Rift" he had experienced before his rebirth, everything was designed to be as realistic as possible. The environment players encountered in the forest was meticulously crafted, with humidity, heat, and insect bites, and there were no quick teleportation points or return scrolls. Everything had to be done on one's own. After extensive research, players who came to the Silent Forest to complete dungeons had learned to use this method to leave the forest.

Rody still remembered the congestion on the river when many people were returning, but now, traveling alone, he found the empty river somewhat unfamiliar.

It had been five days since the night they killed the orcs.

Since the "exposure" incident, the two of them had remained silent for a night. The next day, Sally seemed to realize that it was not the time to throw a tantrum and gradually returned to normal, never mentioning the incident again.

Rody was secretly relieved to have escaped a crisis.

It was now noon, and Rody had already made a trip to nearby Kig Town and returned. He had sold the leopard skin and spider venom sacs at a relatively low price and used the silver coins to buy food and other necessities. His next plan was to change Sally's appearance and take her through the town, which was now patrolled by Francis's spies, and return to Holier City via a small path around the Endor Mines.

They could not ride horses or rent carriages, as that would immediately attract the attention of the Condon cavalry and town guards. Rody chose to walk through the town to avoid drawing too much attention. Once they left the town, everything would be easier for him.

"Are we really going to enter Kig Town?"

Sally took the clothes Rody handed her, seemingly unsure about his decision.

"Your brother is probably on his way to Holier City, but he will have people watching all the towns along the way. He won't just wait for you in Holier City; he's probably gone to great lengths to intercept you," Rody said, taking out a purple-black plant stem from the bag he had bought and using a pebble to crush it.

"So... we must get back before him, or you might not even be able to enter Holier City."

Thinking of her brother's methods, Sally understood the urgency of the situation. If she could return to Holier City early, she had enough ways to ensure her safety, but she couldn't understand how Rody could be so confident.

Francis would certainly return on a fast horse, while she... was on foot.

"Time is tight, let's start by dyeing your hair."

Rody was gradually returning to his usual "tech-geek" state, acting efficiently and without unnecessary words. The crushed plant would temporarily dye Sally's striking white-gold hair black, the first step in her disguise.

Sally had gradually become accustomed to Rody's style of doing things. Although the previous incidents had left her feeling embarrassed and angry, she realized that this man was simply dense when it came to women. Understanding this, she was no longer as angry as before and sometimes even showed a compliant attitude—though compliant, when she lay on the ground and watched Rody seriously dye her hair, her mind couldn't help but wander.

They say a man is most charming when he is serious. For Sally, who had never been close to a man, Rody's current appearance had a certain indescribable allure...

No matter how rational a woman is, she is ultimately emotional. They had experienced awkwardness, misunderstandings, and life-threatening situations. Reflecting on it, there seemed to be a vague, indescribable connection between them. However, after calming down, this feeling was faint and not overwhelming, like a stream quietly flowing in Sally's heart, existing but not noisy.

Lying on the ground, Sally gazed at the blue sky, her hair spread out, her posture calm and serene. Occasionally, her eyes would catch Rody's moving hands, but he was focused on the dye, frowning in thought, seemingly unaware of her gaze.

What a strange and silly man.

Sally felt a bit amused, but a mix of emotions filled her heart, making her want to enjoy this moment of peace.

---