Chapter 95

Rodi initially thought that several people were blocking the entrance to the tavern, but when he turned his gaze, he realized that there was actually a man over two meters tall standing there. The man had a shaved head and was dressed in the typical short clothing of an adventurer, standing out in the already chilly autumn weather—his exposed arms were extremely muscular, but Rodi could tell that the muscles were the result of extremely systematic training, quite different from the simple bulk of orcs.

Rodi quietly called up the “Surrounding Characters Status Bar” and, upon seeing the bright red name above the man’s head, realized that this person was likely even more powerful than the strongest assassin. Upon closer inspection, the man’s powerful wrists and flattened knuckles suggested that he was a “Fighter,” an advanced class.

When the man pushed open the wooden door and entered the tavern, his head almost touched the already low ceiling—his striking appearance drew the attention of the few customers in the bar, who then noticed that he was followed by several companions. The rest of the group looked no different from ordinary adventurers, wearing cloaks and hoods, with average builds, weapons at their waists or backs, and light steps. Their eyes swept over the bar, revealing a hint of rebelliousness.

They all seemed to be strong adventurers.

Rodi’s gaze moved away from the big man and his companions, not particularly interested in their identities. He only thought it was quite a coincidence to encounter an adventurer with an advanced class in such a place at this time. In Rodi’s memory, in the year 590, advanced classes were still rare in Holier City. It wasn’t until around 592, more than a year after the war broke out, that NPC forces in the city began to generally have soldiers with “advanced classes.” By around 594, NPCs with advanced classes who had crossed the 30-level threshold were still extremely rare and powerful under the lords, and even then, the level distribution among players was similar.

As a player at the end of the first tier, Rodi was only at level 59 in 597, and at that time, NPCs with advanced classes over level 30 had just become the backbone of the military.

Given the rate of level progression and distribution, it was indeed reasonable for Rodi to marvel at the strength of a “Fighter” who might be at level 10 in 588, in a remote bar in Holier City. However, even at the start of the game in 590, there were already characters over level 60, so encountering a high-level character was not particularly unusual.

“Boss, do you have any rooms left? We are five people.”

The man’s voice, clearly accented, made Rodi, who was facing away from them, raise an eyebrow.

This accent… it should be from the southeastern territories of the kingdom.

Seeing potential customers and noting their intimidating appearance, the boss, Hook, immediately became attentive, introducing them to the rooms and enthusiastically leading them upstairs. Soon, they seemed satisfied with the accommodation and price, paid several silver coins for the stay, and sat at a wooden table behind Rodi, ordering several dishes with their accented voices. The five of them then sat silently, waiting for the boss to bring the food.

Rodi, thinking about infiltrating the Duke’s mansion, got up to leave. Seeing Hook place several dishes on the adventurers’ table, he greeted them, indicating that he had to go. As his gaze casually swept over the group, he noticed that the five adventurers were making some strange gesture over their food…

Turning to leave, Rodi’s brow furrowed as he walked out of the bar—those gestures looked familiar.

Where have I seen them before?

Some scenes from deep in his memory flickered, but since Rodi’s memory wasn’t particularly outstanding, he only had a vague impression of many things. After thinking for a long time without a result, he stopped trying and looked up at the street, heading towards the Duke’s mansion.

...

September 4th, early morning.

After midnight, the monastery always exuded an indescribable tranquility. With the candles extinguished, only moonlight filtered in through the windows. The cool night had lost the lingering warmth of late summer, and as the chill of autumn gradually set in, the people in the houses curled up in their warm beds.

Since the incident on September 2nd, many of the young people in the monastery had been sleepless for two nights. The sight of the three assassins brutally killed at the monastery’s entrance had left many of the nuns trembling with fear every time they closed their eyes.

On the 3rd, Bishop Benjamin questioned Layne Buck and others, gaining a general understanding of the situation. He also had a brief conversation with Sally, not discussing the identity of the assassins but only asking her to objectively narrate the events. After that, he let her go with the words, “If you have anything to say, feel free to find me.”

This outcome left Sally feeling very uncertain.

So at around three or four in the morning, after tossing and turning in bed, Sally finally decided to get up and think of a plan. These two nights were probably the first time in her life that she had been sleepless for two consecutive nights. The assassination attempt was over, but its impact had left her unable to shake off the anxiety. Reflecting on the past few months since she met Rodi, she realized that he had saved her life more times than she could count.

“Hero saves the beauty” was a common theme in the tales of bards: princesses in high towers, knights charging on horseback, and treacherous dragons. These exaggerated stories were popular and filled people with longing, but when it happened to her, Sally realized that Rodi, who saved her in a crisis, was fundamentally different from the “heroes” who charged into battle with slogans.

In Holier City, only Sally knew Rodi’s identity, even Bishop Benjamin was unaware that the person who escorted her back to Holier City was Rodi. Rodi always remained in the shadows, only acting at critical moments and ensuring that even his enemies never knew who he was…

A day and a night after the incident, Sally had gradually pieced together the entire story and understood why Rodi had killed the last assassin.

If the assassin had survived, he would have been interrogated by Bishop Benjamin, and if he had revealed that the order to attack the monastery came from Francis… then the “Rose Cross” monastery would have to take action against the entire Lucifer family!

This was a non-negotiable matter. Attacking the monastery was like slapping the “Rose Cross” in the face, and even if the slapper was the city’s most powerful noble, the “Rose Cross” would not back down. If a full-scale conflict erupted, Sally’s family would suffer severe blows!

In such a scenario, Sally would be completely isolated—her ailing father aside, the family’s vast business would suffer unimaginable damage, and her surname “Lucifer” would cause her status in the monastery to plummet, making it impossible for her to advance.

So, in retrospect, Rodi’s “cutting off the root” arrow had effectively redirected Bishop Benjamin’s anger towards the Lucifer family onto himself.

This made Sally unsure how to face Rodi again, as he had not only helped her but also the entire family—yet this “benefactor” of the family might soon face a “religious arrest warrant”!

This outcome kept Sally awake all night, and every time she closed her eyes, she involuntarily imagined Rodi being caught by the temple guards and burned at the stake…

“Sigh—”

She sighed heavily, rubbing her panda-like dark circles. Although she was somewhat anxious, the situation was not yet beyond repair… Bishop Benjamin had not seen Rodi’s face and did not know his identity, so Rodi could enter the monastery without being recognized—so long as he fled far away, he could survive.

But the thought of this possibility made Sally feel a strange sense of bitterness. She reached under her pillow and held the bone dice Rodi had given her, lost in thought about the words he had once said, determined to help him resolve this crisis.

With a plan in mind, Sally decided to first go to Bishop Benjamin to gauge his reaction, and then began to tidy up her clothes and bed as usual.

Her thin nightgown accentuated her curvaceous figure, and at her age, her body was still developing—taking off the nightgown, she felt that certain parts of her body had grown even larger. Picking up the blue soft armor by the bed to put on, she noticed that the chest area was deliberately designed to leave a perfectly fitting half-circular shape for her bosom, causing her thoughts to wander and her face to flush.

The scene of Rodi pressing his hand on her chest in the mine car flashed in her mind, and she muttered, “Pervert!”

“Who’s a pervert?”

Chris’s voice suddenly came, and Sally realized that she was peeking into her room with dark circles under her eyes. Thinking that she wasn’t wearing her habit, she felt a bit embarrassed, quickly pulling on her clothes and asking in a low voice, “Why didn’t you knock? You scared me.”

This scolding tone actually showed that she wasn’t really angry. Chris, knowing Sally’s good temper, made a pitiful face and said in a low voice, “I’m scared… I can’t sleep after what happened, and every time I close my eyes, I see the blood…”

As she spoke, she shivered, her dark circles making her look even more pitiful, and Sally couldn’t help but feel a bit sympathetic. She smoothed her platinum blonde hair and asked, “Why did you come to me? Your room isn’t close to mine.”

“Because… you were the only one who didn’t scream and panic like us when that happened—Buck and Layne were so scared they couldn’t move, but you could still give us orders to find the deacon… but why did they come to assassinate you? They were so bold, daring to attack the monastery directly, and if the guards hadn’t just left…”

“I don’t know either. I might seem calm, but I was also scared to death. See, I haven’t slept either.”

“Sigh, if it weren’t for that archer, we might all be dead—do you know who he is, Sally?”

Chris changed the topic, staring at Sally with her panda eyes, full of hope for an answer.

Sally shook her head and sighed, “I really don’t know who he is. Our family has never had a guard with such accurate archery skills, so it’s probably not someone my father sent.”

Her identity as the Duke’s daughter was well-known, so this statement made it more believable. Chris was somewhat skeptical but knew it wasn’t wise to ask too much, so she said in a low voice, “Bishop Benjamin must have breathed a sigh of relief. The Archbishop is coming, and if anything happens to the monastery, it would be difficult for the bishop. I heard he’s going to be promoted to Regional Archbishop, but I don’t know if it’s true…”

Girls’ gossipy nature never wanes, and even rumors might have some basis. Sally, who was worried about how to resolve Rodi’s situation, suddenly perked up at this news, thinking of a possibility—

“Where did you hear that?”

She instantly regained her usual composure and asked Chris in a low voice.

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