Hannas Had Never Suffered Such Humiliation

Jia Xiu had not expected that after spending several intense days combing through books in the lord's manor library, the first time he saw Bubu's name would be in a collection of nursery rhymes.

Someone in Creekwood Town had actually collected nursery rhymes.

This was largely thanks to the peculiar habit of clerics serving as historians. They recorded history less solemnly, more like keeping a diary, writing down every detail no matter how trivial.

All sorts of little things from daily life were recorded, such as what dishes had been served at a particular banquet.

So it was hardly surprising that nursery rhymes had been recorded as well.

Future historians studying the lives of ordinary people in this era would certainly find it convenient.

As for the nursery rhyme that mentioned Bubu, it was called Poor Bubu.

Just from the title, it sounded like an Undead full of resentment.

Jia Xiu carefully read the rhyme.

"Poor Bubu wanted to be a Knight.

"No helm, no armor, still he went to train.

"His slender sword flashed too fast to see; even instructors could not contend.

"Yet no title came his way, for he had no family name."

Seriously, were Creekwood Town's nursery rhymes all this realistic? It immediately spelled out the most essential condition for becoming a Knight: your father had to be a Knight. With a noble surname, everything was easy. As for peasants, they could go freeze somewhere else.

They truly did not leave children even the slightest illusion that the world was beautiful.

Once upon a time, Jia Xiu had thought such things no longer existed in his era.

Later, he discovered they had merely disappeared on the surface.

With a sigh, Jia Xiu looked at the second verse.

"Poor Bubu had ears both long and pointed.

"He helped folk harvest crops and mend their clothes.

"Bubu was so kind, everyone said so.

"Until the Knight Sword vanished from the Church."

Wait, this Bubu was not human?

Long, pointed ears meant nothing more than a Goblin, an Elf, or a Fairy. A Goblin was unlikely; no Goblin wanted to become a Knight.

An Elf was unlikely too. Elves had no interest in mingling with humans.

At least, Jia Xiu had not seen a single Elf during his more than two years in Creekwood Town.

Then it was a Fairy.

Some Fairies really did like playing with humans.

"Who stole it? Who took it? The town was in uproar.

"Bubu knew magic; no one could catch him.

"I did not steal it, I did not take it, Bubu hurried to explain.

"But no one would listen, so he left alone for distant lands."

So it was a young Fairy with a decent nature, one who liked being around people but had been falsely accused.

No wonder it had such deep resentment.

"Bubu vanished, and Bubu would not forgive.

"The Treasure Knight Sword was hidden in the instructor's home.

"On a moonlit night, the instructor went mad.

"On the next moonlit night, who would suffer harm..."

After reading the entire nursery rhyme, Jia Xiu had only one thought.

Was this thing really a nursery rhyme?

Making children sing a strange story that went dark from beginning to end, then leaving them with a cliffhanger about who would suffer next.

He seriously doubted the mental health of Creekwood Town's children.

Jia Xiu turned to the next page, wanting to see whether the cleric who had recorded the rhyme had left any other useful information.

"What thoughts and emotions does this nursery rhyme primarily express?"

Who were you asking?

The next page contained only a few questions left by the cleric.

Jia Xiu hated nothing more than people who set questions without providing reference answers.

Besides that reading-comprehension question, there were two more lines: "What exactly was Bubu's wish?" "How can Bubu be freed from resentment?"

"Solving these will allow Bubu's Undead to rest in peace."

"I failed..."

Jia Xiu understood now. The cleric who had recorded this nursery rhyme had wanted Bubu to rest in peace, but had failed.

Yes. What exactly had its long-cherished wish been?

Jia Xiu suddenly remembered that Undead Basics had described a way to establish contact with an Undead that had not yet fully awakened.

Using this method, one could conduct simple communication with the Undead. It would not answer directly, but one could sense which things triggered intense emotional fluctuations in it.

Logically speaking, if Bubu heard a wish it wanted fulfilled, it would definitely react strongly.

Jia Xiu thought of a way to solve the problem that was not particularly clever, but would absolutely work.

Exhaustive enumeration!

He would list a whole pile of possible wishes, then test them one by one when Bubu entered the state between awakening and not awakening.

Reasonable.

Once he decided, Jia Xiu immediately tore off a sheet of scratch paper and began listing possible wishes one by one, continuing until dawn.

When he walked out of the library, the world felt strangely unreal.

So this was what staying up all night felt like?

But he still had to go to work, so Jia Xiu decided to make do with two hours of sleep in the ox cart.

"Those damned cultists not only failed to kill Jia Xiu, they even went into business with him! Went into business with him?"

Inside the lord's manor, Hannas tore the newspaper in his hands to pieces.

"What about my money? My money? They swallowed my money, then used my money to start a tourist attraction!"

The more Hannas thought about it, the angrier he became.

"How is this any different from lying in the house I bought, sleeping in my bed, drinking the wine I bought, and holding my woman?"

"Young master, that comparison may be a little excessive."

His loyal servant spoke from the side.

Hannas's eyes were bloodshot. "It is not excessive! It is completely appropriate! I need to think of a way. I must think of a way..."

"Um, young master, why not tell the master and have him send the Knights to wipe them out?"

"Idiot! Can I let Father know about my dealings with the cult?"

Hannas paced back and forth across the room.

"Besides, Father has long known there is a cultist stronghold outside town, yet he has never wiped it out because it is not worth it. Those cultists are poor as dirt. What benefit is there in killing them?"

"Young master is right."

"No, I am not right!"

Hannas raised a finger, looking as though inspiration had struck.

The servant exerted every ounce of control he had to keep his expression steady.

If Hannas had not been the young master, who would put up with him arguing with himself like this?

Hannas began searching through the scraps of newspaper he had just torn apart.

He painstakingly pieced together the report about Cult Escape.

After staring at it for several seconds, he suddenly burst into wild laughter.

"Hahaha! I know! I know how to persuade Father to wipe out those cultists!"

With that, he dashed toward the study.

"Father, have you heard of the Cult Escape outside town?"

In the study, Hannas spoke excitedly.

"Yes. The visitors have been enjoying it lately."

"The cave they use belongs to that cult that worships the God of Deceit and Curses."

"So what? Is it not good that it helps us Make More Money?"

From the Baron's tone, whether they were cultists was completely unimportant. What mattered was who could make money for the territory.

"Look."

Hannas took out a newspaper scrap and pointed at one line.

"It says that the final part of the experience is receiving a blessing from a Cleric of the Church of Light. That means the town's Cleric. The Church of Light would never cooperate with a cult, which proves someone has concealed the truth."

"Oh?"

The Baron stroked his beard, showing his interest.

"We send troops to wipe out these cultists and let the Church's Cleric learn the truth. We will earn the Church's gratitude, and there is no reason our own people cannot continue this business afterward."

Earning the Church's gratitude was indeed a good thing.

Those cultists' deaths would at least have some value.

It was worth doing.

"Good," the Baron said.

Before long, more than a dozen Knights set out in formation.

The Baron took the lead, with Hannas following close behind.

There was no need to dispatch so many Knights against such a small stronghold. More than a dozen was nearly all of Creekwood Town's strength.

They were making such a show of force mainly for the Church of Light to see.

A Knight's horse was much faster than an ox cart. In less than forty minutes, the group reached the cave outside town.

Many visitors could be seen waiting there. The newspaper's advertising effect was clearly substantial.

When Hannas saw Jia Xiu selling tickets, he could no longer suppress his excitement.

He would condemn Jia Xiu as a cultist, tie him to a post, and burn him alive!

No, first he would smash out all of Jia Xiu's toenails, then burn him alive!

"Prepare to die, you lot—"

Hannas had shouted only half the sentence when his father suddenly slapped him across the face, nearly knocking him off his horse.

As his head spun and he wondered what had happened, he vaguely saw his father hurriedly dismount and stride forward in a few quick steps.

The Baron placed his left hand over his chest, removed his hat with his right, and bowed deeply.

"Your Highness Emilia, I did not know you had come here..."