Free Web NovelChapter 87: Ch 86: Vessel of Corruption
"A-Are we safe now? I don’t see the monsters anymore."
The old village chief approached Kael on trembling legs with a sorrowful look on his face. The remains of the destroyed village lingered around them, but no one paid them any attention.
After all, the most important thing for them at the moment was the fact that they had somehow managed to survive.
But just because they survived did not mean all their problems were gone. Another struggle was about to begin for them.
"What are you going to do about your food supply and housing problem? Have you managed to send another letter to the duchy?"
The reason Kael asked this question was because he wanted to know if he should run away now.
He had no intention of facing anyone sent by his family.
"We did send for help, but we have not received a reply. So we would like to ask you for another favor-"
"Village Head, this is not right! Sir Kael just helped us out. We cannot burden him anymore!"
The young man standing beside the village head looked aghast at the way their leader was treating someone who had just saved their lives.
Forget about being thankful, the old man was asking for even more help.
"Tsk, stop being a coward! This young man might be the Grand Master, but that does not erase the fact that he’s also the young lord of the Duke’s family. He has a duty toward us." freёwebnoѵel.com
Now that the real danger had passed, the village head was showing his true colors and demanding unnecessary things from him.
However, it seemed like the village head was the only one like that. Everyone else looked grateful for his help.
"Grandfather, please don’t be like that. Grand Master Kael left his family long ago when he joined the tower. He has no obligation toward us-!"
"No obligation? He was born into the Duke’s family! He was born with an obligation to help us. And he will continue to have this obligation as long as the Duke’s blood flows through his body!"
The grandson sighed before he took his grandfather back inside. He looked embarrassed to even face Kael when he came back out and immediately apologized to him. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
"We are so sorry. This accident has made us realize that our old village head is getting old. Please pardon his words as the babbling of an old man. We promise to repay you for the favor you have shown us."
Kael was not too disturbed by the old man’s words. After all, it was nothing new to him.
There was still a class system in this world, and with that came certain beliefs. Noble chivalry and responsibilities were just another thing people believed in.
He had heard it so many times that he was desensitized to such words.
"It’s fine. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs."
Kael’s words were tense, but his face was relaxed. Moreover, he was not holding the villagers responsible for what the old man had said.
It made them all relax and look at him in a new light.
But just because one side looked happy did not mean everything else was fine. He could see the dark looks on his companions’ faces.
’Let’s get these kids out of here before something happens.’
Kael decided and immediately gestured for everyone to gather.
"Let’s head back now. Seraphina, would you mind taking care of this kid?"
Kael pushed the still unnamed child toward Seraphina and she nodded.
Ideally, he did not want to burden someone as young as Seraphina with another person’s responsibilities. But she needed confidence, and having someone to look after would help her gain some.
Of course, not everyone was happy with his decision.
"So you are going to bring that kid back no matter what? I still think you are making a mistake."
Leon muttered, and Kael chose to ignore him.
However...wasn’t the hero becoming weirder and weirder? Leon was supposed to be the one who always gave others a second chance and treated everyone equally. He should not be getting suspicious of others like this.
’Does me getting involved with him change him? And is it a good thing? It feels like he’s becoming further and further away from the hero that he needs to be.’
Still, it was better than handing the kid over to the temple...maybe.
Kael’s spell worked and the teleportation magic started to take shape. However, there was a sudden spark of corruption that threatened to slip into the circle and disrupt it.
He immediately noticed what was happening and stabilized the magic circle, but this situation startled him more than he thought it would.
Kael’s eyes immediately went toward the only person who could have done this - the unnamed child. But he looked uninterested in anything that was happening.
Moreover, his corruption was still sealed by Kael’s magic.
’Then, was it a coincidence? Or did my seal lose focus for a few seconds because I was casting? No, I don’t think it was either of those two possibilities.’
Kael narrowed his eyes as he stepped into his home. No one else seemed to have noticed that small mishap. But Kael was beginning to have a bad feeling about his decision.
’I need to quickly hand this kid over to the authorities before an accident happens. I should also pull Seraphina away from him...’
But Seraphina seemed to have already accepted her duty as the one responsible for this child, and she was helping him stand back up.
Pulling the kid away from her would only serve to lower her self-esteem at this point.
[A new directive has been given]
[A new threat to the safety of the world has been discovered]
[Vessel of Corruption, has made contact with one of the targets. Please eliminate the threat before the counter reaches 100%]
[Current corruption level for target Seraphina: 1%]
This was...not a good thing to see.
Corruption was a phenomenon associated with the abyss and darkness. It was a parasite that ate away at one’s powers and drove them mad from the inside.
However, for one to become a Vessel of Corruption, they needed to be corrupted so thoroughly that they even lost their mind. But that was not the case for this kid.
’Shit! In the end, it was a trap...what do I do now? I guess I have no choice but to take care of things quietly.’
