Welcome Back

Chapter 28: Welcome Back

"Um, Your Excellency, I've told you everything you wanted to know. Please spare me and all the villagers. I promise I won't reveal a single piece of information about you to the Adventurer's Guild."

Kenny looked at Lu Minghao, who was deep in thought at the table before him. He took a few deep breaths, mustered his courage, and spoke cautiously, his tone almost pleading. For him and the villagers, who were the weaker party, their survival depended solely on the slime before him keeping his promise.

As for revenge, the thought had never crossed Kenny's mind. As a former adventurer, he knew that high-level monsters possessed intelligence comparable to, if not superior to, humans.

Kenny, clearly aware of his weakness, knew exactly what he needed to do to survive. This was the wisdom of the weak.

"..."

Silence. A profound, silent stillness.

Lu Minghao turned around and looked at Kenny, who was bowing his head and pleading before him. In the oppressive silence, large beads of sweat dripped from Kenny's forehead like rain, and his shirt was soaked through without him realizing when.

"I will keep my previous promise, but you should understand what needs to be done. Also, thank Sally!"

A few minutes later, Lu Minghao's voice, tinged with a hint of coldness, broke the silence. He had indeed considered slaughtering the entire village after obtaining the information he needed. However, he recalled the little girl who had tearfully hugged him that morning and the energetic smile she gave him when she bid him farewell as he left.

Lu Minghao ultimately decided to give the village a chance. After all, it was Sally's former home, where her father and Grandma Oran lived.

"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

Upon hearing Lu Minghao's words, Kenny slumped to the ground as if his strength had been drained. Relief washed over his face, the kind one feels after escaping death, and he quickly expressed his gratitude.

"Alright, I should be leaving."

The next second, Lu Minghao, carrying the books beside him, sank into the shadows and vanished from the room, leaving only Kenny sitting stunned on the floor.

"Thank you, Sally."

More than ten minutes later, Kenny, finally feeling a bit of his strength return, stood up and gazed blankly out the window at the distant woods. He thought of the little girl who had been driven out of the village with his tacit approval.

During this time, Kenny had received reports from the villagers at the watchtower stating that Sally had rescued the slime that had entered the village.

However, the guilt he felt towards Sally, Grandma Oran, and Sally's father had always made Kenny tacitly approve of Sally's actions. After all, a mere slime could be easily killed even by the village children.

"I never expected it would be Sally who saved us in the end."

After a few seconds of silence, Kenny bowed towards the direction of the woods with a face full of guilt. His once robust frame now seemed thinner. He quietly tidied up the things Lu Minghao had disturbed in the room and then sat on a chair, gazing at the long sword he had discarded earlier.

A scene flashed through his mind: a boy under the scorching sun, wielding a long sword and swinging it repeatedly. Even though he was drenched in sweat and his body swayed precariously, he gritted his teeth and persisted. Eventually, the boy left the village and became an adventurer. Years later, news of him arrived again.

The boy was gone, leaving behind a half-human, half-ghost child who was brought back by Grandma Oran, who had raised the boy.

Meanwhile, in a wooden house deep in the jungle.

Lu Minghao watched as his clone, Number Three, emerged from the shadows. He silently observed it spit out two pieces of dried meat and a book before turning and disappearing back into the shadows.

"I hope you don't disappoint this rare act of kindness from me."

Watching the disappearing Number Three, Lu Minghao looked up in the direction of the village and murmured to himself. Although he had spared the villagers because of Sally, he would not be reassured by Village Chief Kenny's promise.

As a former human, Lu Minghao knew exactly what humans were capable of to survive, and he also knew how untrustworthy human promises could be.

"Speaking of which, Sally should be back soon, right?"

Looking at the village not far from the window, Lu Minghao also noticed the sun hanging high in the sky. It was nearing noon since Sally had left that morning, and it was about time for her to return.

On the other side, Sally, whom Lu Minghao was thinking about, was currently perched atop a large tree. She stretched her small hand forward with all her might towards a yellowish-green fruit. That was Sally's target.

Even though her small face was covered in sweat and the skin on her arm was scratched, Sally's small face remained wreathed in smiles. She was already looking forward to the slime that would greet her return.

"Got it!"

The next second, Sally's small hand yanked hard, and she successfully plucked the yellowish-green fruit. However, due to the excessive force, she lost her balance and fell from the tree. Even so, Sally held the hard-earned fruit tightly in her arms, protecting it well.

Crack!

Splat!

Accompanied by the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground, Sally climbed up from the branches she had broken. Even though the wounds on her body stung, Sally couldn't be bothered with them. She quickly took out the fruit from her arms. Seeing that the fruit was unharmed, Sally's small face broke into a happy smile.

"This should be enough food for two people."

Saying that, Sally stood up on her injured leg and walked towards a large tree not far away. Beneath it, a tattered wooden basket was already filled with various wild fruits. Among the leaves on top of the fruits were a few plump worms. This was the food Sally had found after a morning of hard work.

"Let's go home!"

Sally happily placed the fruit in her hand into the basket and limped towards the wooden house. As for the wounds on her body, Sally was long accustomed to them. Ever since she was young, whether she was scavenging in garbage heaps in town, fighting wild dogs for food, or picking wild fruits outside the city, Sally had suffered all sorts of injuries.

Sally's body had long grown accustomed to being injured.

"I'm home!"

As soon as she emerged from the forest and saw the wooden house from afar, Sally waved her arms and shouted happily. Even her limping gait quickened considerably.

"Welcome back, Sally."

Inside the wooden house, Lu Minghao watched Sally open the wooden door and enter. Noticing that despite being covered in wounds and limping, she still maintained a smile, Lu Minghao couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

"Mhm, Sally's back, Slime!"

At the doorway, Sally paused for a moment when she heard Lu Minghao's voice. Then, the smile on her face grew even brighter. She put down the wooden basket, gently hugged Lu Minghao, and buried her face in his body, whispering softly.

The author is asking for recommendation tickets, investments, and collections, hahaha!

Also, I'm recommending a book called Elf's Chronicle. Friends who like elf stories can check it out.