Free Web NovelChapter 7: Marquel Razor
"Yes... and the price was my friends. Austin... Liam... are gone." He mumbled, suppressing the sadness in his tone.
Upon hearing that, the guards was a little speechless.
Seeing an opportunity to continue speaking, Hans explained what had happened.
He spoke about their encounter with the old man, but when it came to describing his appearance, he couldn’t clearly recall it.
Hence, he focused on the encounter with the Third-Stage abomination. After the explanation, Hans continued to speak.
"If not for them, I also would’ve died out there. I assure you, they mean no harm."
"I’m in their debt."
The guards remained silent for a moment, exchanging a brief look before stepping aside to discuss.
Five minutes passed before they finally reached a decision.
"You’d better explain this to your father, and accept the punishment for breaking the rules."
As the guards examined them, their instincts immediately locked onto Samminah. Among the three, she was clearly the most dangerous one.
"We can’t trust that woman—or that skeleton. They look too suspicious."
The mere sight of her violet eyes sent a chill through them, making them even more cautious.
Fred however, stood silently.
Even so, an armed skeleton was never something to take lightly. Although the skeleton seemed innocent, the guards remained very wary.
Living in this environment for a very long time, they of course adapted a very cautious nature.
Hans sighed and suggested.
"Let them wait outside. I’ll ask my father and let him decide whether they’re allowed in."
The guards exchanged a look, then nodded and opened the gate.
The large gate opened, Hans and Ryven walked inside.
Ryven looked back at them, offering reassurance. "Just wait here. I’ll try to negotiate as quickly as possible."
Samminah didn’t respond, merely glancing away from his gaze. Neither did Fred, who simply stood silently.
The corner of his mouth twitched slightly when Samminah didn’t respond.
Fred’s silence was understandable—after all, he couldn’t speak.
Turning away from them, he walked forward and observed the village.
Inside, there were about a dozen of wooden houses. The thick fog was barely visible here, and he could see children occasionally playing around.
The grey sky was even more visible inside the village. For a moment he realized something, night or day doesn’t exist from this place.
Ryven next observed the area occupied, it was vast enough to resemble a small city.
As they moved deeper inside, the wooden houses gradually became fewer, replaced by wider open spaces.
Following Hans, Ryven eventually arrived at a quiet isolated area, where a massive wooden mansion stood alone.
It had three floors, with servants moving in and out as they maintained the cleanliness of the mansion.
In front of the mansion was several strange, withered plants. Without the servants presence, Ryven might have mistaken it for an abandoned mansion.
Ryven and Hans slipped inside without being noticed.
Right after entering, Hans headed straight for the second floor, where his father’s office was located.
He glanced around the second floor before heading toward his father’s room.
Opening the door gently, the village chief immediately noticed them.
He had the same blue eyes as Hans. However, unlike Hans, who has dark hair that came from his mother.
The village chief had dark brown hair tied neatly into a ponytail.
Looking at the village chief, Ryven couldn’t help but feel tremendous pressure.
Even though the village chief was seated, Ryven could feel how powerful he was. His presence alone had to surpass even that of Samminah.
The desk before him was covered with countless sheets of paper, each detailing the various issues and affairs of the village.
After a brief moment, Ryven suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure bear down on him, forcing him to his knees.
"Who is this? I’ve seen everyone in this village, yet I don’t recognize him."
Hans bowed politely before speaking.
"This is Ryven Calestair. And Ryven, this is my father, Marquel Razor, the chief of our village."
After the brief introduction, Marquel’s gaze lingered on Ryven.
For a fleeting moment, his eyes darkened, something only Ryven had notice. Then it also vanished as quickly as it appeared.
The chief then turned his attention back to Hans, waiting for an explanation.
Meeting his father’s gaze, Hans began recounting what had happened, including the reckless choices he had made.
"I’m sorry... If not for me, they wouldn’t have died. And if not for him, I would’ve died as well."
The chief let out a quiet sigh upon hearing that two more lives had been lost.
"Describe the old man appearance. Someone like that must be punished for luring you outside the village."
Hans nodded and opened his mouth to speak, but as he expected, he couldn’t recall the appearance of that old man.
"I-I can’t remember it..."
The chief didn’t force him as he calmly dismissed it, "Don’t force your mind if you can’t recall it."
He said while his gaze fell on Ryven.
"Your origins are unknown, so I cannot fully trust you. However, you have my gratitude for saving my son’s life."
Ryven nodded, understanding his concerns.
"I have companions waiting outside. Could you allow them in? One of them is a skeleton, but I assure you, it isn’t a threat since it’s within my control."
The chief tapped his desk thoughtfully.
"Very well. Let them in, but they will be closely monitored."
"If we notice anything suspicious, all of you will be expelled immediately," He added, his tone firm.
Just as Ryven was about to nod in agreement, they heard a strange loud sound.
It was Ryven’s stomach that was growling loudly.
The room fell into awkward silence.
His face burned deep crimson as he turned his face sideways.
The embarrassment surging through Ryven, felt utterly beyond redemption.
Of all times...
But again, Ryven couldn’t blame his body, after all, he hadn’t eaten in nearly two days.
The chief let out a frustrated sigh, before shifting his gaze back to the papers, and noting something down.
"We’ll continue this conversation after you’ve eaten."
Ryven coughed awkwardly and lightly explained.
"To be honest... I haven’t eaten for almost two days. I’d be grateful if I could get something to eat."
The chief waved his hand dismissively.
"Hans, have the servants prepare food for him."
Hans nodded, "Understood."
The chief cast Hans a brief, disappointed glance.
"Don’t think you’ve escaped the consequences of disobeying the village’s rules just because I’m your father."
"As your father, the village chief, I am deeply disappointed on what happened."
After saying that, Hans could only lower his gaze, staring at the floor as a deep sense of shame bore on him.
After all, his actions might tarnish his father’s reputation.
Ryven remained silent as they left the room. Hans then guided him to a table.
He noticed Hans speak to a few servants. Afterward, they left and returned with warm dishes on their plates.
A young lady with short brown hair, gently place a delicacy in front of Ryven’s table.
He was very delighted at the sight of a well-cooked piece of meat.
Though he wasn’t sure how livestock could exist in such a dangerous place, he set the thought aside and ate heartily.
After almost two days without food, the meal felt especially satisfying.
While eating, Hans suggested.
"Your body won’t be able to keep up in this kind of environment. Do you want me to introduce you to one of our instructors to train?"
"In case you didn’t know, leveling up isn’t the only way to strengthen your stats. Training your body matters as well."
After hearing that, Ryven nodded in consideration.
"Mm, sure. Getting trained by someone would be more effective."
Ryven answered after finishing his meal.
Before returning to the chief, Hans first showed Ryven around the village.
On the way, they reached the main part of the village where most of the people gathered. As they walked, they stopped by a shop selling apples.
However, the apples were not red, but a dull purple. They weren’t shiny, yet still looked edible.
"Who’s this boy? I haven’t seen him around here before," The old shopkeeper lady asked with curiosity.
Ryven glanced at Hans, noticing he was struggling to think of an explanation where he came from. He decided to speak instead.
"It’s a bit hard to explain... But I’m not here to cause trouble. In fact, I’m hoping to make a few acquaintances."
Seeing his polite demeanor, the old woman’s gaze softened.
"Is that so? Then take this apple. It’s on me."
Ryven was taken aback, but he accepted it and thanked her, before calmly storing it in his inventory.
Unexpectedly, after the tour around the village, everything had went smoothly, and everyone he met was kind and likable.
Meanwhile upon arriving at the training ground, Ryven watched with interest as people around Hans’s age trained.
Amidst the youngsters training, a middle-aged man was instructing them. Hans approached and greeted him.
He had a pale rough skin, light brown eyes that carried deep experience, ordinary dark hair, a scarred face, and a muscular build.
"Instructor Lawrence can I talk to you for a moment?" Hans politely and seriously asked. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
Lawrence paused mid-instruction and turned toward Hans, taking in his serious expression and the change in his demeanor.
A ftown formed on his face.
"What is it?" He asked in a deep voice.
Hans first led him in a more secluded place, then he spoke quietly.
"My friends... Liam and Austin... They died because of me. I can’t face their families... So please, could you explain what happened to them?"
Lawrence froze for a moment. Upon realizing two of his students died, a surge of anger rose within him.
His expression darkened. It was clear to Hans that he was struggling to contain his anger.
With such an intense reaction, Hans could only look away.
"I’ll take responsibility for my mistake," Hans continued, his voice still sounding melancholic. "I may be locked in the underground prison for quite some time..."
He paused, then added.
"That’s why I’m here to ask one more favor."
He pointed his finger toward Ryven.
"He saved my life. So please, train him, help him adapt to this environment, and teach him the basics."
"From what I can deduce, he is not from this place."
