The father and daughter chatted like this. Hardly anyone bought things from them. Goods in the imperial capital were cheap; logically, prices should have risen with the influx of refugees, but this was different from usual. It was a contest between merchants.
"Father, will those three children die?"
"Maybe. They stole something, and they're beggar children from a gang. Even if they don't die, their hands will be chopped off."
"Can we save them?"
"Go to the monastery, Claire. The Church and the monastery suit you well. You're very kind." The man smiled and slowly sat back down in the carriage.
Although there were many people out tonight, their goods were not that cheap. Even though the prices were already close to cost, they still had trouble selling anything.
A few Orens could buy a piece of bread. Between learning knowledge and buying bread, people would still choose bread first.
Meanwhile, Mel Carlo and the others had already returned to the gang's courtyard. They had eaten well today and were in good spirits. After a bath, they could sleep soundly.
"Hey, Chubby, do you know who that Silver-haired Knight I met that day was?" Akai asked.
"Akai, I guess he might have been Silver Vulture of House Edwen. I heard that he was a very gentle man, unlike the other nobles. He was friendly to commoners too, a very righteous person."
"You've seen him too?"
"No, I haven't. But I've heard of him. His master is the kingdom's Sword Saint." Chubby's expression remained calm, with no hint of admiration in his voice. To him, most of those knight lords were no different from scoundrels. Even the supposedly friendly Silver Vulture might have been trash behind closed doors.
He hated knights, and he hated the Church too, because his parents had died at those people's hands. But seeing how much Akai admired them, he did not say anything to spoil the mood.
After that night, Mel Carlo returned to diligently recording everything he could remember. He wrote down every bit of information still in his mind, afraid that he might forget it someday. He even recorded the entire process of his reincarnation.
This was a fantasy world. If one day he was struck by some strange magic and forgot everything, then at least by reading this notebook, he would still know who he was.
A week later, Mel Carlo stopped recording game content. He had written down everything he could think of for the moment, even the content from spin-off works. As for the remaining details, he could only add them whenever they came to mind. After all, his memory had limits.
Akai was especially happy that day. News had apparently come back of a victory in the lands beyond the border. It was not a complete victory, but winning even a single battle was enough to lift spirits.
The Knight Order that had gone out to war would return to the imperial capital today. No matter what, Akai wanted to witness their grandeur.
"Mel, aren't you coming with us?" Akai wanted to invite Mel along.
But Mel Carlo had only just finished writing his notes and simply wanted to rest. Going outside to brave the cold wind? He would pass.
"You go. Just tell me about it when you get back. Let me rest for a while." Mel Carlo sat beside the fireplace with his eyes half-closed. He did not want to think about anything, nor did he want to move.
[Flying Blade], [Assassin's Breathing Technique], and [Dagger Attack] had all reached maximum proficiency. [Back Hop] Proficiency: 1601/10000 [Stealing] Proficiency: 320/10000 Effort Points: 31807
There were still four skills he could choose to train: [Mighty Slash], [Cut], [Thrust], and [Rising Uppercut]. Since they were all upper-body skills, they did not conflict with his other training.
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"I'll go check on Master Anke." Mel Carlo yawned and headed upstairs.
When he pushed open the door, he found the room empty. The stove had only recently gone out. "I didn't expect Master Anke to enjoy joining the crowd too."
There was no one in the gang's courtyard now. It seemed he was the only one left behind. It was rather boring.
Akai and the others had already run to the city gate. The roads on both sides were packed with people, though guards had separated them. No one was allowed to occupy the road in the middle, because the Knight Order would pass through there.
There was no music, only the howling cold wind and silent breathing. When several children poked their heads out from the crowd, they immediately sensed that something was wrong.
Wasn't this supposed to be a triumphant return? Why was it so quiet?
The vanguard of the Knight Order entered the city first. Behind them came a carriage hauling a massive stone, with a sword that looked freshly forged stabbed straight into it.
"Is that the Sword in the Stone? I heard only a chosen hero can pull the sword out."
"Wait." The person beside him suddenly widened his eyes, because the carriage behind it carried a corpse.
Silver hair spilled over the carriage. The once handsome face was now stained with blood, and there was not a trace of color in the man's skin. It was a cold corpse.
At last, someone recognized him. "That's the knight from House Edwen. My God, how could Lord Silver Vulture have died?"
"Wasn't this mission just to retrieve the Sacred Sword from the lands beyond the border? And even the Sword Saint went. He was the Sword Saint's disciple!"
A commotion erupted through the crowd, and many women who admired Silver Vulture began to weep.
"The Knight Order's numbers seem off." After the Knight Order entered the city, someone noticed that their numbers did not match. Half of them were missing.
Was there only one corpse?
The members of the Knight Order lowered their heads. More or less all of them were wounded. Beside the Silver-haired Knight's body stood a weathered old man with a striking cross-shaped scar at the corner of his eye. He was the empire's strongest Sword Saint, but his disciple was dead.
"Eugene!!! What happened?! Why did Big Brother En die?! Didn't you say you would protect him?!" The furious red-haired girl shoved through the crowd and kicked the old man in the head, sending the Old Sword Saint sprawling to the ground.
Her blazing red hair instantly drew everyone's attention, but the old man did not resist. He allowed the red-haired girl to bite down on his arm.
After he got back to his feet, the girl continued punching and kicking one of his legs like an enraged lion cub.
The old man remained silent. In the end, he could only clench his fists, unable to stop his tears. "I'm sorry. Your master failed to protect him."
After venting for a while, the girl seemed to lose her strength. "Why? Didn't you promise to protect Big Brother?"
The girl jumped onto the carriage and grabbed the Silver-haired Knight's hand, hoping her brother would respond as he always had. But her brother no longer had any warmth. There was only coldness.
Akai stood in the crowd as if he had lost his soul. All he could do was watch from afar. That knight lord had clearly still been alive a few months ago.
"Chubby, is that girl from House Edwen too? She looks so sad," Lily asked Chubby beside her.
"I've never heard of her. And that blazing red hair is a little scary," Chubby said slowly.
Even when humans had red hair, it was usually a more natural shade. Hair that crimson generally belonged to demons, or to a mixed-blood child of a human and a demon.
They were not the only ones who thought that way. Many others thought the same, because that was what they had heard since childhood.
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