Free Web NovelChapter 103: Chapter 96: Food-Guarding Ali
Flora fell into deep thought after listening to Lin Mo’s complete account and analysis.
If everything was as Lin Mo said, then some of Baron Lael’s actions seemed to have a rational explanation.
"It seems the truth is more or less as you’ve described... They killed my student, and fearing the consequences, they used this method to cover it up."
But there was still one major unanswered question.
"Why on earth would they do this?"
Flora was completely baffled. "As the Lord of a border town, neither Baron Lael nor the Lawrence Clan has any reason to provoke Saint Anthony Academy and kill one of its disciples for no reason."
"That part isn’t very clear..."
Lin Mo shook his head. Who could possibly understand the affairs of those nobles?
"Maybe there was some kind of conflict?"
Alton guessed from the side.
"Unlikely."
Lin Mo shook his head. Although he didn’t know much, judging from the blond man’s reaction earlier, Saint Anthony Academy was clearly not an organization those nobles could afford to provoke. Given that, murdering one of the academy’s students over a minor conflict was obviously illogical.
The nobles were malicious, but not stupid—at least not *that* stupid.
"There must be a deeper reason behind this."
Flora’s thoughts mirrored Lin Mo’s, and her expression was grim. "It seems this little Lania City has a dark side just as big as the Royal Capital’s."
What frustrated her even more was that although she could deduce the truth, it was still just speculation. Until she had concrete evidence, she couldn’t directly confront Lael and the Lawrence Clan to settle the score.
"Captain, what do you plan to do next?"
Lin Mo looked at Alton. "Knowing how those nobles operate, they’ll most likely adopt a ’better to kill the wrong person than let one slip by’ mentality and eliminate everyone connected to this... I’m sorry. I’m the one who got you all involved."
A bitter smile appeared on Alton’s face. Having offended the Lord, the only option was to leave Roland Town, to leave Lania City. For a middle-aged man like him with a stable life, this was truly an unexpected disaster.
Moreover, his wife and daughter were still in Roland Town. He couldn’t just abandon them. But if he went back, whether he’d be able to leave again was another question entirely...
"They probably won’t dare to act rashly before their men report back, lest they expose themselves."
Flora spoke up. "I’ll go back with you and help you get out of the Lawrence Clan’s sphere of influence. If you don’t have a suitable place to go, you can come with me to the nearby Silver Stream City. I know the Lord there. As it happens, she doesn’t get along with the Lawrence Clan, so she can guarantee your safety in the city. Also, I’ll write a letter to the academy and stay in Silver Stream City for the time being. I’m going to see this investigation through to the end!"
"Then we’ll be in your debt, my lady Mage."
Alton bowed deeply in gratitude. Although it was a major upheaval, just being able to ensure their safety after getting entangled in such an incident was incredibly fortunate.
"There’s no need to be so formal..."
Flora waved her hand. "I don’t like all that red tape."
She then turned to Lin Mo and continued, "Little guy, I might need your help with this matter later. I hope you won’t refuse when the time comes. Of course, I’ll offer you proper compensation."
Lin Mo nodded, glancing at the Scroll in his hand, looking like he wanted to say something but held back.
’Forget it, I’ll bring it up later.’
"Before that... we still have a mission, or rather, a request, that we haven’t completed."
Lin Mo told the straightforward Miss Mage about the village chief’s request.
"Then what are you waiting for?"
After hearing him out, Flora instantly tightened her grip on her Magic Staff. "Where is the Goblin nest? Lead the way, quickly!"
’As expected. Although her status is far more noble than those so-called aristocrats, Miss Flora doesn’t look down on ordinary people. Hating evil as she does, she has a kind and passionate heart.’ fгeewebnovёl.com
Ali’s injuries had fully recovered, so she resumed her duty of leading the way.
Following the scent of Goblins, they soon found the Goblins’ lair.
It was called a lair, but it was really just a temporary settlement. Most of the Goblins were gathered in the open area outside a cave. The Goblin Caster had only just gathered these Goblins and hadn’t yet had time to establish a proper tribe.
Because of its death, many of the Goblins had already dispersed, leaving only about half of them behind.
Needless to say, with a powerful Mage like Flora helping them, the rescue mission suddenly became effortless.
She strode openly out of the jungle and stood right in front of the Goblins.
When the Goblins saw a young human female, their eyes lit up, and they all charged at her in a frenzy.
Flora chanted a Spell, and a wall of fire rose up, instantly incinerating a large group of them.
The power of Magic was far more visceral than that of other Professions. That single attack shattered the Goblins’ Fragile psychological defenses, and they immediately showed fear, scattering and fleeing in all directions.
Flora didn’t stop. She swung her Magic Staff again, and a massive Fireball shot out, burning all the Goblins in its path to ash.
"That’s terrifying..."
Alton was stunned. "Miss Flora must be an Elite Level Mage!"
For Professionals, Level 1 to 5 was collectively known as Entry Level, while Level 5 to 10 was Veteran.
Only those who reached Level 10 or higher could be called Elite, and the step beyond Elite was Extraordinary!
Reaching the Elite Level at only twenty-one years old, Flora truly deserved her reputation as the Kingdom’s once-in-a-century magical genius.
Of course, the others weren’t idle. While Flora was annihilating the Goblins, the members of the Bull Run Squad circled around to the side of the cave and charged in.
There were only a few Goblins inside the cave, most of them stronger than average, the cream of the crop among their kind.
But they were still just Ordinary Goblins, completely powerless against the three of them.
Venturing deep into the cave, they soon saw the young women who were locked in cages made of bamboo and wood.
The four Mutated Goblins that had escaped the previous day were also here. The two adults were fighting each other and were both injured. It seemed that with the death of the Goblin Caster, the tribe had fallen into chaos, and they were now vying for the position of leader.
They were clearly stunned when humans suddenly appeared before them. They then recognized Lin Mo and their faces filled with terror.
"ROAR—"
They immediately stopped their infighting, pointed their weapons at the three humans, and let out a threatening roar.
However, the roar clearly lacked conviction. It was obvious that Lin Mo’s actions the previous night had left them with significant psychological trauma.
"Go!" freёwebnovel.com
As soon as Alton spoke, he was the first to charge, targeting one of the Adult Mutated Goblins.
Lin Mo was about to follow when he suddenly felt a chill beside him. Looking closely, he saw that Ali’s Sword, along with her forearm, was covered in a layer of Frost.
’Just as I thought. That sneak attack on the blond man wasn’t a fluke...’
Ali’s fighting style was still that of a Warrior, but her attacks now seemed to be infused with a hint of Ice Element power.
This wasn’t Magic, but a talent derived from her bloodline.
The Ice Wolf Race itself was a type of Beastman that had mastered the power of Ice Elemental Magic.
’And judging by the power of this attack...’
Lin Mo watched as Ali faced off against the other Adult Mutated Goblin. In a direct clash, she was only forced back two steps and was otherwise unharmed.
It seemed that with that previous sword strike, not only had her Bloodline Power been activated, but her Skills had also broken through their final shackles, allowing her to master them completely.
With that, Ali had officially advanced and become a Professional.
And compared to an ordinary Professional, thanks to her bloodline talent, Ali was clearly a bit stronger.
Lin Mo refocused. His figure suddenly vanished and reappeared over ten meters away. Two streams of Sword Qi flew out from a [Cross Slash], effortlessly slaying one of the Sub-adult Mutated Goblins that was trying to sneak away.
The other Sub-adult Mutated Goblin’s pupils constricted. It waved its hands frantically and pleaded in broken Common Tongue, "Please... you, don’t..."
Before it could finish its words, Lin Mo followed up with another [Cross Slash], decapitating it.
Lin Mo looked down at the fallen corpse with contempt. "The villagers who died at your hands were never spared when they begged for mercy."
[Invisibility] Skill Level +5
[Cross Slash] Skill Level +5
[Cross Slash] Skill Level +5
Alton and Ali’s fights were still ongoing. A Professional versus an Adult Mutated Goblin was an evenly matched battle. This was especially true for Ali, who had just advanced; even with the boost from her bloodline talent, she was at a clear disadvantage in a direct confrontation.
Lin Mo used Invisibility again, appearing behind the Mutated Goblin fighting Ali and plunging his sword into its back, right through the heart.
Then, before it breathed its last, he finished it with a [Cross Slash], earning another 8 points of Skill Level.
He dealt with the last one in the same way. Lin Mo was now quite proficient with the [Invisibility] plus [Cross Slash] Combined Technique. Against a Demon with a Threat Level of around 1, like a Mutated Goblin, he could basically take it out with a single combo.
With the battle over, Alton took charge of collecting the spoils while Lin Mo turned his attention to the captured young women.
Fortunately, perhaps because of their devastating defeat the night before and the subsequent struggle for leadership, the Goblins hadn’t had a chance to "start planting their seeds." The young women were all unharmed, save for a few scrapes they got during their transfer.
With a single slash, he cut through the wooden bars of the cage. Lin Mo and Ali went forward to help untie the girls’ ropes. In an instant, the cave was filled with the sounds of grateful and desperate crying.
These girls had spent the entire night in despair, their spirits on the verge of collapse. Now, suddenly rescued, their emotions completely broke down.
Several of the girls clung tightly to Lin Mo, while others hugged his legs and tugged at his clothes, leaving him at a loss for what to do.
Seeing this, Ali’s expression immediately soured. She wasn’t as polite as Lin Mo. She went straight up and pulled the girls off him one by one, then spread her arms to shield Lin Mo behind her. She put on a fierce look, her hair bristling as she bared two sharp little canine teeth.
She looked just like a little puppy guarding its food.
