Today, Lester wasn’t on patrol, but it wasn’t difficult for Violet to find him.
The Black Knight’s Soul War Shield was personally given to Lester by her. Although equipnt of this level like a spirit weapon wasn’t bound yet, it had been in Violet’s bag for a long ti, so there was still a certain connection between them.
The universal skill, “Map-Wide Directional Detection,” might seem a bit redundant now that she had mastered the application of SP, but in situations where there were marked items, it was still quite convenient, at least not so conspicuous.
Following the guidance of the skill, Violet eventually found a man with a worried expression in the captain’s office at the headquarters.
“Hey hey! Why do you have the expression like soone owes you thousands of gold coins and then runs away, Uncle Lester?”
“Uh!!”
Startled by the sudden appearance of two girls in front of him, Lester was so shocked that he almost knocked over the shield on the table. It was only after seeing Violet’s ambiguous smile that he quickly restrained himself.
“It’s not that, Miss Violet, how did you suddenly appear like a ghost...”
After staring at the black-haired girl’s pretty face for a few seconds, and then looking at the golden-haired dragon girl behind her to confirm that it was indeed them, Lester sat back down and rubbed his forehead helplessly.
“No one owes gold coins, it’s just that a group of troublemaking girls stirred up trouble last night and then disappeared at a critical mont, causing wanted posters to be posted all over the city now. I was worried all night long... sigh, it seems I was overly concerned. But Miss Violet, aren’t you being a bit too arrogant? Instead of running when the army ca, you...”
As Lester complained incessantly like an old nagging mother, Violet quickly waved her hands to stop him.
“Stop, stop, stop! What happened yesterday was really just an accident. I didn’t expect that situation to occur either... Anyway, rest assured, we’ve found a safe place to stay and new allies. Actually, the reason we ca to the headquarters this ti is to ask for Uncle’s help, hehe...”
“You... sigh, fine, what is it? Just make it quick. But I need to make it clear first, because of the situation last night, the military is already keeping an eye on us. If things get too noisy, it won’t be good.”
The captain smiled bitterly with an expression of “I really can’t believe you guys,” but his deanor seed noticeably more relaxed.
It was evident that he genuinely cared about Violet and the others. Coupled with Lester’s unquestioning support for them yesterday, the priestess was actually quite satisfied.
However, this ti, they did need Lester’s help again.
“Well, it’s like this. I rember you ntioned before that Cyril, the one in the rcenary group... ahem, Cyril, used to co from an organization called the ‘Ghost Thief Group.’ Could you give so more details about that?”
“Hmm?”
Lester furrowed his brows. Although he had indeed ntioned this incident casually before, Violet bringing it up now, especially with her unmistakable tone, made him keenly aware of sothing.
But since Violet specifically asked, he couldn’t just outright deny it.
“That kid Cyril... indeed, for so reasons in the past, he was misled into doing so foolish things.”
Standing up, the man walked to the window with his hands behind his back, looking out at the slightly gloomy sky, his tone tinged with nostalgia.
“I t Cyril during an adventure commission on the edge of the Ten Thousand Demons Mountains. At that ti, he had been betrayed by his comrades, severely wounded and left to die by pursuing monsters, unconscious in the woods. Since I encountered him, I couldn’t just ignore him. I rescued him, only to later find out that he was actually from the infamous ‘Ghost Thief Group,’ a shaful group of poachers.”
“Not many people know about this incident, only a few trusted companions within the gang, and myself. When Cyril confessed to , I initially wanted to drive him away... but those guys pleaded desperately. After spending so ti together, I realized Cyril’s nature wasn’t inherently bad. He just took the wrong path in his early years, which led him astray. So, I allowed him to stay.”
“I laid down three rules for Cyril. Firstly, no association with those filthy poachers anymore. Secondly, no more stealing, robbing, or senseless killing. Thirdly, no betraying comrades or selling out for personal gain. Otherwise, I’d personally deal with him under my shield.”
Lester turned around, a hint of warmth softening his weathered face.
“But, you know, that lad hasn’t disappointed . At least for over a year now, he’s kept to every part of our agreent, even growing his hair out and altering his appearance so his forr associates wouldn’t recognize him.”
“Um...”
Though Lester spoke this way, Miss Priestess didn’t know how to respond, so she simply nodded to indicate she was listening.
The captain didn’t mind the girl’s indifferent attitude. He looked at Violet with a slightly wary expression, his face serious.
“Cyril indeed was a poacher before, but in life, who doesn’t make a few mistakes... Well, Miss Violet, I wonder what your intentions are in bringing up this matter?”
Seems there’s been a misunderstanding... At a ti like this, being deceitful or evasive would be too much. Since Lester has proven himself a trustworthy friend, Miss Priestess no longer concealed anything and roughly described the information she had gleaned from Lan.
“So it was the Ghost Thief Group’s doing? Hmm... those guys are indeed a bunch of bottom-of-the-barrel scum even among poachers. No wonder... So, Miss Violet, are you planning to use Cyril as a lead to find them?”
Lester pondered while Violet nodded candidly.
“Well, that’s the simplest thod for now. Otherwise, I’d have to storm the Lord’s Manor, brandishing my staff at Taylor Tulls’s head to force a confession out of him. But you know, I’m usually not fond of resorting to violence.”
The captain’s lips twitched a few tis.
“Is that a question of violence or not? Do you take the Lord’s Manor for a tourist attraction or your backyard... Fine, for your sake, I’ll make an exception this ti. But we still need to consult Cyril on this matter. If he’s not willing, then I can’t do much about it.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m not the type to force others into things. Persuasion is the key, right? I understand. So, shall we call him over now?”
....................................
“Sure, as long as the captain agrees, I have no objections.”
Unexpectedly, before Miss Violet could try to persuade him as planned, Cyril readily agreed to her request.
“Are you sure about this, Cyril? You know if what Miss Violet says is true, the Ghost Thief Group is currently at the center of a major upheaval. Do you understand what it ans to seek them out? Even so, you still choose to join them?”
Seemingly unconcerned that Violet and Miss were watching, Lester earnestly advised him.
“Captain, I understand what you’re saying. It’s just that the Ghost Thief Group’s usual antics have stirred up trouble this ti.”
With his broadsword slung over his back, Cyril turned his gaze to the dim sky outside, chuckling lightly.
“I used to get into a lot of trouble before, until I joined the rcenary group and beca an adventurer. It was then that I understood the aning of survival and comradeship. Poachers are just a bunch of desperate criminals driven by greed, profiting from harming others. They should have been dealt with long ago.”
“But this city is such a ss. Those big shots not only fail to crack down on the wrongdoers but also shelter and condone them, while targeting the real adventurers at every turn.”
“I don’t know what’s going on in the heads of the nobles of Demon Suppression City, the Human United Kingdom, and why they’re so hostile towards monsters, even willing to collude with poachers.”
“I, Cyril, am just a small fry, don’t understand all these big principles, but when I like sothing, I like it, and when I hate it, I hate it. If there’s a chance to give those self-righteous disgusting bastards a good beating, even if it ans risking my life, why not?”
He brushed aside the slanted bangs, revealing a deep and sinister scar that almost split his right eye in half, a fleeting flash of hatred in his eyes.
“Well, then, I have so old scores to settle, and I’ve been wanting to settle them for a long ti.”
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