Chapter 44
Nelly’s whole body was screaming at this intimate posture. It was too familiar. The scent, the warmth, were all so familiar it was chilling. She used a great deal of effort to suppress the sudden burst of emotion and didn’t push him away. Instead, she almost mechanically steadied Kal and said with a blank expression, “You’re seeking your own death by leaving now. Melissa will be very troubled.”
Kal seemed to let out a low laugh. They were so close that the slight tremor in his chest reached her heart with unerring accuracy, easily stirring up waves of emotion.
Before Nelly could put some distance between them, he asked clearly and softly in her ear, “And what about you? Will you be troubled?” He paused meaningfully, and his voice took on a sharp, grating, self-deprecating tone. “Or, will you actually be happy?”
“Of course I’ll be troubled,” Nelly cut off his unuttered, husky laugh and raised her head slightly.
A few wisps of the hazy moonlight from behind Kal fell on her face, illuminating her deep-sea-like eyes. The struggling waves were violent, but that speck of light never went out.
“You saved me. If I just let you go to your death, even I… would have a guilty conscience.” Nelly’s fingertips dug into her palm. She took a breath and, without taking no for an answer, pushed him back toward the bed.
Kal sat back down on the edge of the bed. He covered his mouth and coughed twice, and Nelly turned her head nervously, afraid of waking Melissa.
When she turned back, the smile on the young man’s lips hadn’t had time to disappear, and she caught him red-handed. His face was pale, but his lips were red, and in the ambiguous night, this smile was bewitching and dangerous.
For some reason, it was Nelly who was more flustered. She couldn’t help but glare at him, tiptoed back to her own bed, wrapped herself in the blanket, and turned over to lie down, but she couldn’t fall asleep again.
The next day, Melissa woke up refreshed and, in front of her, was a sickly mage with dark circles under his eyes and a guide spirit who had also clearly not slept well. She was a little embarrassed. “Did… I snore last night?”
Nelly gave a dry, awkward laugh. “I just happened to have insomnia.”
Kal silently pulled his hood down as low as it would go.
Hey! It’s you! Are you laughing in your cloak?!
“Is Kal still planning to go to the Demon’s Lair?” Melissa suddenly asked after finishing her breakfast.
Nelly couldn’t help but stop organizing the hero’s item bar and looked at the mage. Kal glanced in her direction as if unintentionally, and their gazes brushed past each other in mid-air.
Kal lowered his eyes and gave a nod. “Mhm.”
Melissa smiled brightly. “That’s great!” She almost pounced on him and patted the mage’s shoulder to express her camaraderie, but then she remembered that he was, one, a patient, and two, a withdrawn child. She chuckled a few times, rubbed the back of her head, and didn’t seem to be planning to delve into the reason for Kal’s departure.
For some reason, Nelly let out a sigh of relief for Kal. On the surface, she said in a business-like tone, “In that case, Melissa can stay in Renis for a few more days to do some quests, and also…” She glanced at Kal. “Leave some time to rest and recuperate.”
“Then it’s settled!” Melissa rubbed her hands with great enthusiasm and excitedly walked toward the window, but the door was knocked on. She asked in a loud, confused voice, “Who is it?”
“The great scholar from the main city.” A familiar, old voice sounded. It was the great scholar who had examined Kal before.
Melissa hurriedly welcomed him in. The great scholar waved his hand and declined the offered stool, and got straight to the point. “The Viscount has something to ask of the Lord Hero.”
Renis had once been an important town on the coast, managed by Viscount Ciro. This time, he was also in charge of receiving Rosalia and arranging for her to stay in the Misty Tower.
“I wonder what it is?” Melissa frowned in confusion.
The great scholar sighed. “It’s related to that Highness.” He looked around and shook his head. “Could you please come with me to the main city? This is not a suitable place to discuss official matters.”
Nelly and Melissa exchanged a glance, and they saw the same confusion in each other’s eyes.
“But…” Melissa glanced at Kal, and before she could finish, the great scholar added,
“Please rest assured, I will make arrangements in the main city to give this gentleman the best treatment.”
Since he had said so, Melissa naturally had no reason to refuse and nodded seriously. “Alright.”
The great scholar clapped his hands three times, and a few more people pushed the door open and deftly made a gesture as if to help Kal up. The white-haired young man gave the newcomers a cold look, and with a wave of his hand, the quill turned into a staff, and he stood up straight on his own. “I’ll walk on my own.”
A carriage was already waiting outside the inn. After a short ride, the three of them entered the main city of Renis. It was a slightly younger fortress than the Misty Tower, and the stone and design were clearly not as well-crafted as the former. It must have been a hastily built base after the pirates had made a comeback. The great scholar led the three of them to the courtyard and looked at Kal, whose face was still not very good. “Shall I have someone take you to rest first?”
Kal clearly hesitated for a moment, then finally uttered a single word. “Alright.”
Melissa and Nelly were then led toward the east tower. The great scholar explained as they walked, “The Viscount usually handles his affairs there.”
“What is it this time?” Melissa couldn’t help but ask again.
“To put it simply, although Her Highness is already protected in the tower, there was… almost an accident last night.”
Melissa gasped. “An accident?” She and Nelly exchanged a glance, and they both clearly thought of the mysterious person in black from their journey.
“It’s better for the Lord Viscount to explain the details to you two.” As he spoke, the great scholar personally pushed the door open for Melissa, revealing a simple, hexagonal room behind it.
A bald, middle-aged man was sitting behind the stone table in the center of the room. He looked up at the sound, was dazed for a moment from fatigue, and then quickly wiped his face with his hand, forcing a weak smile, and stood up to greet them. “You’re finally here!”
He was almost at his wit’s end. He grabbed Melissa’s hand and, without caring that the door was not yet fully closed, said in a trembling voice, “Last night, a person in black sneaked into the Misty Tower and even reached the top floor where Her Highness is staying. If it wasn’t for the timely discovery…” He looked as if he would forget to breathe from fear at any moment, his face flushed like a drowning person, and Melissa was the life-saving straw he had grabbed.
“Did that person in black escape?” In comparison, Melissa seemed much calmer, and she even squeezed the Viscount’s hand comfortingly.
Viscount Ciro’s face turned even redder. “It’s truly shameful… none of my men could stop him, and a few were even injured…” As he spoke, his voice dropped, and he looked like a child who had made a mistake.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” As soon as Melissa said this, the Viscount’s eyes immediately lit up, and he tremblingly made his request.
“Maybe the person in black will come back tonight. Could the Lord Hero wait at the top of the tower? I will arrange for men to block all the paths down and cut off that villain’s escape route. If he…” the Viscount gritted his teeth, “still dares to lay a hand on Her Highness, I ask the Lord Hero not to show him any mercy. If you can’t capture him alive, please kill him on the spot!”
He grabbed Melissa’s hand and shook it vigorously a few times. “Please, I beg you, promise me! If anything really happens to Her Highness, I… I’m willing to accept any punishment from His Majesty, but I still have a newborn child at home. If I lose my title…” He trembled, and his lips turned white. “Goddess bless, please understand. Renis is so poor right now that we can’t even hire an army. I don’t have a single gold coin myself. Without my title and fief, I’m no better than a peasant on the manor…”
Melissa nodded in understanding. “I understand. Please leave the protection of the princess and the repulsion of the person in black to me.”
Nelly stepped to the side and opened the system interface. A new “(Hidden) Visitor in the Night” had appeared in the quest log. She was a little numb to the endless hidden quests, so she didn’t look at it for long and closed the interface, walking back to Melissa’s side.
The Viscount let out a long breath, took a handkerchief from behind him and wiped his face, then turned to order the great scholar, “Have the kitchen make something good and send it up!”
The great scholar looked troubled, but still replied, “Yes, my lord.”
The “good food” Viscount Ciro had mentioned was just a herring stew that was slightly better than the chowder at the inn. It was full of potatoes and cabbage, and there was hardly any fish to be found. But the Viscount ate with great relish, a look of wanting more on his face.
Melissa ate all the food in her bowl without a single complaint, her expression serious. Nelly secretly sized up the hero. There was not a trace of contempt or pity on her face. Her violet eyes were bright and calm, and in the sunlight shining through the window, they had a captivating, clear glow.
Nelly took a look at the bare four walls and couldn’t help but feel a little desolate. The food in the most ordinary inns in Halga’s Keep, and even in the besieged Nafaray, was more sumptuous than the “delicious meal” in this Viscount’s eyes.
This was another humble and unknown side of the continent under the threat of the Demon King. People often saw the splashing blood on the front lines, or the treacherous upheavals in the royal capital, but they forgot that there were still people struggling to make ends meet on the coastal frontier. But they had not been directly invaded by the demon army, and even their complaints seemed to lack a certain confidence.
But if it weren’t for the Demon King’s rampage, how could the pirates be so rampant, plundering along the coastline?
With that thought, Clovis and Pepin’s intention of sending Rosalia here became even more suspicious. Even if this place was sparsely populated and had a sturdy, ancient fortress, was it really safer than Mez, or any of the more prosperous fortresses in Merovingia?
After repeatedly comforting the terrified Viscount, Melissa and Nelly left the tower, their hearts a little heavy.
Kal was arranged to rest in a wing on the other side. For convenience, Melissa and Nelly’s residence was right next to it. The two of them first went to Kal’s room to check on the situation and briefly explained tonight’s mission.
“Kal should continue to rest tonight. Nelly and I can go by ourselves,” Melissa said, about to get up.
But Kal spoke with a firm attitude. “I’m going too.”
Melissa found it troublesome. She pouted and tried to persuade him, “You’re just injured. The great scholar also said you should…”
The mage, for a rare moment, looked directly into the hero’s eyes and repeated, “I’m going too.”
Seeing that the two of them were glaring at each other and had no intention of backing down, Nelly had to intervene and stop them. She asked Kal in a gentle tone, “Can you tell us why?”
Kal glanced at her nonchalantly, his voice very light, but with a natural, cold expression. “I don’t think you can defeat him.”
Melissa’s mouth twitched, and she let out a laugh. “Ahaha, although I’m not very strong, but…”
But Nelly began to think. In the two previous encounters with the person in black, one was when he had taken the initiative to leave after being discovered, and the other was when he was temporarily on par with Melissa… Her gaze wandered and met Kal’s, but he no longer had the frankness of their conversation that day. He decisively avoided her gaze and once again became that withdrawn mage who wished he could use his magic book to block out everything.
“Melissa, that time with the bear monster, how did the person in black get away?” Nelly had been preoccupied at the time, so she had to ask Melissa for confirmation now.
“I noticed the commotion on your side, and I didn’t have time to think… I just pulled Her Highness and went toward you. When I looked back, the person in black was already gone.” Melissa realized the situation was not in her favor and awkwardly touched her nose.
“Assuming that the person who attacked last night was the same person we met… are you confident you can defeat him?”
Melissa sighed and raised her hands. “Alright, I get it. Then please come with us, Kal.” She paused and leaned toward Kal with concern. “Are you really okay with your injuries?”
Kal picked up the red-leather-bound magic book from his side and held it in front of him, and replied in a muffled, brief voice, “I am.”
So, in the evening, Melissa, Nelly, and Kal set off with the Viscount. The Viscount was clearly at the height of his nervousness, and his personal presence only exacerbated his anxiety. He sighed all the way in the carriage, and looking at the frail coachman, his eyebrows were almost a straight line.
The Misty Tower gradually appeared in the evening tide, and every floor was lit, revealing the iron bars that sealed the windows and the patrolling figures.
Nelly had an aversion to any place with a strong sense of enclosure, and seeing this, she couldn’t help but frown. This isn’t a heavily guarded fortress, it’s more like a prison!
This sense of incongruity grew even stronger after entering the Misty Tower. The chains that locked the cellar, the iron bolts that sealed the exit, and even the unknown devices that blocked the stairs, which looked like torture instruments. The lines of these objects were all cold and brutal, with a strong sense of aggression.
Viscount Ciro clearly noticed Nelly’s confusion and explained awkwardly, “Because we really couldn’t find the raw materials… so we just took some from the empty main city cellar…” He couldn’t continue, gave a dry laugh, and turned to wipe his sweat.
“Her Highness is on the top floor. I won’t go up, so as not to attract attention.” The Viscount looked at Melissa’s face uneasily. “I ask the Lord Hero not to blame me for my absence.”
Melissa shook her head wordlessly, her expression serious as she was the first to ascend the half-blocked stairs. She stopped and turned back. “I’ll leave the support to you. I’ll shout as a signal.”
The Viscount nodded, almost in tears, his attitude so respectful that he was on the verge of bowing. “Yes! I understand, Lord Hero!”
Nelly glanced at Kal. The white-haired young man was carefully examining the surroundings with a sharp gaze. Noticing her gaze, he paused slightly and silently pulled his hood down to cover his face.
She couldn’t help but be irritated by his attitude. It was hard to imagine that just one night before, this guy with “everyone stay away” written on his face had been leaning on her shoulder, asking her with a half-smile if she minded if he left.
But now was not the time to dwell on that. Nelly shook her head and shook off her restlessness, following Melissa all the way to the top floor of the Misty Tower.
Even though it was clear that the Viscount had tried his best to create a comfortable environment for Her Highness, the top floor of the tower was not even suitable for ordinary people to live in, let alone a pampered princess born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Worn-out tapestries covered the cracked walls, but the patterns on the tapestries were blurry, and the blank faces covering the surroundings only gave one a doubly oppressive and gloomy feeling. Besides the tapestries, the vast top floor only had a simple bed, a small cabinet, and a cracked full-length mirror.
Rosalia was standing by the window, her back to them. She was wearing a simple, dark green linen long dress, and the headscarf was the same one she had worn when she had left Mez, the corners a little yellowed. Her figure was slender and graceful, and standing against the light, she became a beautiful silhouette. But this was not a portrait of a beauty painted by a court painter. The distant view behind the silhouette was unsettling—cold, hard iron bars blocked the magnificent seaside sunset.
She was a princess in a high tower, protected but also imprisoned.
The three of them fell into silence, not disturbing Rosalia, just accompanying her as they watched the last rays of the setting sun sink into the gray waves at the end of the sea. The surface of the water shimmered with a will-o’-the-wisp-like light. It was the night-luminescent fish unique to the Misty Coast, coming in schools after nightfall. A few bold fishing boats braved the danger of encountering pirates and set out to sea, their small white sails bobbing up and down, weaving through the sea mist that never dispersed all day.
The sound of the waves crashing against the reefs was incessant, monotonous and rhythmic, lulling one to sleep.
At that moment, the chains blocking the top of the stairs collided, making a crisp sound.
Melissa and the other two turned their heads in horror. A black shadow had silently appeared at the bottom of the doorway.