Chapter Sixty-Seven: Lysa's Secret

Anna had wanted to invite Chu Yun to join her, but she had yet to finish her work for the day. The magical devices at the Mage’s Inn, which had been running all night, needed to be recharged; only after completing her tasks could she attend the festival.

This time, Chu Yun opted not to ride Paimon out. The hour was still early, and he preferred wandering the city, admiring the customs and scenery of this other world.

The Festival of the Goddess of Life was a momentous occasion. The streets had already been adorned with exquisite decorations, and carts laden with delicious foods lined both sides of the thoroughfare.

Chu Yun, who hadn’t tasted meat in quite some time, felt his appetite stir. The grotesque scenes at the goblin camp no longer unsettled him, having grown accustomed to slaughter over these past days.

“Big brother, would you like to try some bunny? Bunny is not only cute, it’s delicious too.” A little girl, wearing rabbit-ear ornaments and holding an unfamiliar skewer of roasted meat, began to promote her wares as soon as she saw Chu Yun pause at her stall.

Today, unlike Anna, Chu Yun had forgone his mage’s robe for casual attire; his mage’s badge was stored away in his spatial belt. Thus, neither the girl nor her stall-owner recognized him as a mage.

“One skewer is just two copper coins.” The girl’s large, gleaming eyes made it impossible for Chu Yun to refuse.

“Mmm~ so fragrant~”

Chu Yun promptly bought ten skewers, sending the girl into a joyful near-dance.

“Mama, look! I can help too!”

Having gone so long without meat, Chu Yun’s appetite was voracious. He ate and drank as he strolled, stopping here and there; if Paimon found out, he’d surely face dire consequences.

For these common folk, the festival was both a day of celebration and an opportunity to earn money. Despite the possibility of mishaps during the Festival of the Goddess of Life, they prepared diligently nonetheless.

“Master Chu Yun? Is that you?”

As Chu Yun savored the flavors of various delicacies, a leather-armored adventurer approached him. Chu Yun glanced at the man; he seemed familiar, and a group of seven or eight adventurers followed behind.

“Captain Barton, is this the mage who saved everyone?” asked a woman among them, a dagger hanging at her waist.

“Yes. If not for Master Chu Yun’s magic, we’d have been killed by the Thunder Water Ray. If not for his healing, I wouldn’t have made it back to Blackstone City alive.” Barton spoke with gratitude.

Hearing this, Chu Yun recalled him. The battle then had been chaotic, and with Barton bandaged up, Chu Yun hadn’t remembered his rather common face.

“These are all members of the Obsidian Adventurer Team?” Chu Yun remembered the group’s name from before and hadn’t expected to meet them again.

Barton smiled. “That’s right. These are my companions; some you’ve met, others were on different missions in Blackstone City at the time.”

“You’re here for the festival as well? You don’t quite look the part.” Chu Yun found it odd—everyone was armored and armed, their eyes vigilant.

Barton shook his head and smiled wryly. “We’d love to rest, but today’s situation is unusual. The Blackstone Knights have issued a co-defense mission through the Adventurers’ Guild. Our team suffered losses recently, but the reward this time is generous, so we had to accept.”

“The Blackstone Knights can’t handle it themselves? Why do they need adventurers?”

Chu Yun surveyed the area. Besides Barton’s Obsidian Team, he noticed other adventurers with special bands on their arms—likely all hired by the Knights for the mission.

Barton leaned in and explained, “I heard that yesterday, Haig was injured by a fire crystal trap while chasing Shivana. And the Dragon Cult is notorious for seeking revenge for any slight. With a vital Dragon Soul priest dead, they won’t let it go easily.”

“Though no one knows who killed the priest, the Dragon Cult may blame Haig, or else cause trouble during the festival. After all, the Dragon Cult despises the Goddess of Life most.”

The twelve Dragon Soul liches of the Dragon Cult had slain the Dragon God, provoking the wrath of the gods, with the Goddess of Life as one of the leaders. Though those events were ancient history, the cult’s followers clearly still nursed their grudges.

“Without their priest, what can those people do?” The Dragon Cult’s headquarters was neither in the Kingdom of Aelno nor Blackstone City. Encountering a Dragon Soul priest here was rare enough; Chu Yun doubted others lurked nearby.

Barton felt the same, otherwise he wouldn’t have accepted the mission. “In any case, caution never hurts. By the way, Master Chu Yun, if you need any help from us, just say the word. If it’s within my power, I won’t refuse you!”

“No need. Carry on with your duties. I’m just wandering.”

“Wait.” As Chu Yun turned to leave, the female adventurer from earlier hurriedly spoke up.

“Hm? Meyda, is there something else?” Barton asked, puzzled.

Meyda smiled and sidled up to Chu Yun, glancing at her captain. “Captain Barton, you said Master Chu Yun is visiting Blackstone City for the first time. He must be unfamiliar with the festival. Why not let me show him around? It’s always better with company.”

Barton knew Meyda well. She was a greedy woman.

“Meyda, Master Chu Yun is my benefactor.”

“Don’t worry, I just don’t want to be working on a holiday. Let me have a day off, please~” Meyda pleaded.

Barton looked awkwardly at Chu Yun. “Would you like a guide, Master Chu Yun?”

Chu Yun glanced at Meyda and did not refuse. “It’s a bit dull alone. Let’s stroll together until the festival begins.”

“Meyda, mind your manners. No disrespect,” Barton reminded her, still uneasy.

“Heehee, Master Chu Yun, let’s go!” Meyda seemed to ignore Barton’s warning, grabbing Chu Yun’s hand and running off.

Barton’s face darkened instantly, and he began to regret his decision.

Once out of sight of the others, Meyda, now alone with Chu Yun, grew a little shy. Her cheeks flushed as she let go of his hand and asked, “Master Chu Yun, I read yesterday’s paper and heard you know Miss Lysa?”

Chu Yun nodded, puzzled. “Yes, why?”

It seemed Meyda wasn’t simply drawn by his powerful charm; she had another purpose.

“You’d best be careful.”

“Oh? Because of Viscount Karl?”

“No, because of Miss Lysa. You must be cautious with her. She’s not as simple as she appears.” A trace of fear flickered across Meyda’s face.

“Is there something wrong with Lysa?” Chu Yun pressed.

Meyda glanced around nervously, lowering her voice. “You saved our captain, so I wanted to warn you. I can’t say more, nor would I dare. I hope you never learn Miss Lysa’s secret.”

Having said this, Meyda turned and left, leaving Chu Yun speechless.

“Heehee, Master Chu Yun, I’m skipping work—keep it secret from the captain, okay?”

“A secret... Interesting. Perhaps I’ll investigate the Mirror World someday.”

In truth, Chu Yun didn’t care much; everyone has their secrets, and as long as they didn’t infringe upon him, he wasn’t interested. Still, since Meyda had gone out of her way to warn him, perhaps he should exercise a bit more caution.