Whitewashing (Part 2)

Unwilling to meet Jefa directly, Romon applied to have the Adventurer's Guild step in and return Jefa's three hundred silver coins. Though he paid an extra thirty silver coins, it no longer mattered. After all, now that he had cleared his name, he could produce over a thousand gold coins without arousing suspicion.

At this point, every debt had been repaid.

Rika Town. Tax officer Bakasi hurried into the Temple of the Goddess of Agriculture, his face so gloomy it seemed water could drip from it. Along the way, anyone who failed to read his expression and tried to greet or flatter him was mercilessly berated. His reasons were bizarre beyond measure—from vegetable leaves caught between their teeth to the color of their clothes, anything could give the tax officer cause to fly into a rage.

"Priest Tennis!" After entering the Temple, the tax officer removed his hat and bowed. "I have something I would like to discuss with you alone."

Priest Tennis wore the standard smile of a priest. "Certainly, as you wish, Mr. Bakasi." He made an inviting gesture.

Inside a small house beside the Temple, Bakasi carefully closed the door. Then he turned around and said in an eerie tone, "Tennis, that brat Romon has repaid his debts—his uncle, who knows where he sprang from, left him a large inheritance. He has money now. I heard it from Bali at the town's Adventurer's Guild."

Tennis froze, then his face twitched involuntarily. After thinking for a moment, he roared, "Is that so? With money, he can obtain legal residency in Aps City. That place isn't Rika Town—it isn't our territory. We can do nothing to him there. We have to find a way to bring him back!"

Bakasi roared as well. "That damned Barnel actually dared to take Romon to Aps! The next time his caravan comes through, I'll make things difficult for him, levy heavy taxes on him! I'll make him understand that if he offends Bakasi, he can forget about doing business in Rika!"

Tennis said coldly, "Bakasi, Romon's friend Nick and Fafier are both in town. Romon owed Jefa a great sum to treat Nick's injury. He is a man who values his feelings. You should make more trouble for these people. There is also the couple Motte, who run the inn. They took Romon in and treated him well. You can trouble them too. But remember, it is enough to make them hurt. Make them howl in pain, and call Romon back!"

Bakasi looked at Tennis and suddenly sneered. "Tennis, are you asking me to play the villain again? Romon is an outsider with no roots in town, but good old Motte is different. He is judicial officer Galen's younger brother. Fafier's family is different too—Fafier's father, Old Bernie, was once a squad leader who died fighting for the lord. I have no desire to ruin my reputation in town and then be kicked out of my post as tax officer by the baron! Besides, Romon is a resident of Rika. If he wants legal residency in Aps, he must return to Rika Town and have the administrative officer process the paperwork. When the time comes, will I not have ways to deal with him?"

At this point, Bakasi smiled. "Priest, I came today merely to tell you this news."

The tax officer bowed, put on his hat, and turned to leave.

Priest Tennis remained where he was, his expression shifting between gloom and uncertainty.

Noon arrived in Aps City. The sun hid behind lead-gray clouds, and when people looked up, all they could see was a pale disk of light. Yvette had not come to deliver food. Someone else had brought it instead. Alec said Old Vilen had something to do at the last minute and could not cook, so he had temporarily hired someone else to take his place.

After making three potions, Romon simply returned to his little room and buried his head in sleep—though in truth, he went into the space of Shennong Horn to memorize herbal knowledge.

In the blink of an eye, night had come. Romon rolled over and got out of bed, studied for a while, then observed the space for some time. Gradually, he yawned.

He walked to the window. Outside, a crescent moon hung in the sky. This month was almost over. Checking the time and deciding that the night had grown deep, he climbed back into bed, and his consciousness slowly blurred.

"Creak..." After an unknown amount of time, the door made an extremely faint sound and was pushed open.

"Who..." Romon's voice stopped dead in his throat.

The visitor wore a tawny cloak with a hood concealing their face. "Shh." The visitor raised one finger to their lips.

"Yvette, what are you doing here so late?" Romon asked in a low voice.

The hood was lowered, revealing long golden hair cascading like a waterfall and a face carved from jade beneath the moonlight. It was Yvette.

"Romon, I missed you." Yvette suddenly threw herself into Romon's arms.

"Yvette? What happened?" Romon was startled. He grasped the girl's shoulders and was about to ask something when a lilac tongue, like a darting fish, pried open his teeth.

"Romon, I love you." Her face flushed, but she boldly stared into Romon's eyes and spoke firmly, word by word.

"Yvette..." Romon cupped her face. It was flawless as a full moon.

"Then, Romon, love me." As she spoke, she unfastened the buttons of her cloak, and it slipped to the floor.

Romon felt as if struck by lightning, his mind going blank. Under the moonlight, the girl's delicate body, brimming with youthful vitality, was laid bare like an elf who had stepped out of a classical oil painting. Somewhere in his mind, a string called reason seemed to snap. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms...

A night passed. Morning sunlight shone through the window lattice. Romon woke from deep sleep and yawned. Then he suddenly felt something strange. What dream had he had last night?

It seemed to have been a very passionate dream!

Romon propped up his head with one hand and carefully recalled it. Suddenly, his gaze swept across the room, and he sprang out of bed. There was a parchment scroll on the table. He hurried over, picked it up, and opened it. Only one simple sentence was written on it: I'm leaving, Romon. If we meet again someday, you must remember me.

Then yesterday had not been a dream? Yvette offering herself to him, the tavern that had not opened yesterday morning, the father and daughter nowhere to be seen all day—everything was like scattered pearls threaded together on a single string.

Romon hurriedly dressed and ran toward Old Vilen's tavern. When he reached the entrance, he found the door shut once again.

Romon wandered outside for a long time before sighing and slowly walking back.

Time moved on, and spring quietly entered Aps City. Old Vilen's tavern in the eastern district had long since changed owners. Though some still remembered Old Vilen's fruit wine and coyote meat, the disappearance of Vilen and his daughter no longer stirred the city's interest.

Perhaps Old Vilen had discovered treasure in the tavern cellar and fled overnight with his daughter and the treasure. Perhaps he had once been a great thief wanted by another city, and his whereabouts had been exposed, forcing him to flee overnight. Perhaps... perhaps it had nothing at all to do with Romon.

Pasterfield Bay. After his one-month contract expired, Romon chose not to renew it and simply left Sackville's workshop.

Then he found a small inn in a village outside the eastern district, beside the bay, and settled down there. Like a Druid, he meditated upon nature and cultivated himself through hardship.

Time flowed swiftly like this, and in the blink of an eye, it was January of the following year.

That day, Romon was in a forest by the sea, lying on the grass.

Within Shennong Horn, golden radiance spilled across all things, while the orb of light still hung thirty meters overhead.

The entire space was about two mu in size, blanketed by a beautiful halo. A small stream divided the field in two. Romon noticed that the fish had not grown much. Perhaps they lacked food?

Perhaps he should consider planting some aquatic grass? Romon pondered.

The two mu of land were clearly divided in half. One side held thirty fruit trees. As for the genetically modified wheat he had once planted, it had already been harvested. He had not taken it out, merely stored it away. As long as he did not plant it, the seeds could remain viable for a very long time.

The other half was entirely planted with Bluegrass. A faint mist, carrying a fresh fragrance, curled through the entire space, nourishing the Bluegrass as well. It had grown exceedingly lush and had already matured.

A semi-transparent information panel appeared automatically, floating within his field of vision with a faint glow. Large amounts of data emerged before Romon's eyes. "The Second-Level space has met the standards for advancement. Advance?"

"Advance!" Romon said excitedly.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than green light blazed forth. The green barrier at the edge of the space suddenly expanded, earth emerging from the void. At nearly the same time, the orb's brightness increased, and the space expanded upward to fifty meters. The orb floated higher, illuminating the entire space.

Romon looked around and discovered that the space had expanded to roughly five mu, gaining more than twice as much land.

"Space advancement complete. Five percent plant-enhancing effect added. Synchronous resonance—altering the master!" As the voice spoke, green light spread again and extended into Romon's body.

As green light manifested around Romon's body, circles of ripples also spread through the forest. The plants of spring stretched out their stems and leaves, swaying as specks of green light floated free.

A gentle breeze blew through the forest, producing a rustling sound.

It was this rustling sound that formed a resonance. But unlike last time, Romon was awake. He saw not only the green light of the space, but also threads of green light from the forest slowly flowing into his body.

The green core spun rapidly, drawing in the green light. Upon reaching a certain limit, there was suddenly a boom, and the green core expanded.

For one instant, Romon felt his green light become one with the entire forest. But it was only an instantaneous sensation, vanishing in the blink of an eye. Once he recovered himself, another voice sounded. "Unknown Bloodline detected within the body. Activate?"

Romon was immediately startled. "What bloodline?"

A faint point of light suddenly appeared before him and rapidly enlarged into a semi-transparent information panel. It floated in his field of vision with a faint glow, but only one sentence appeared upon it: "Unknown Bloodline, enhances nature affinity. Activate?"

Romon scratched his scalp. Could I have some bloodline of the Gods and Devils? His heart filled with anticipation. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Activate!"

His body trembled, and the semi-transparent information panel slowly unfolded. "Due to activation of Unknown Bloodline, excessive energy has been consumed. This space advancement will not grant any new skills."

Romon felt somewhat regretful, but immediately checked his status.

\nName: Romon (Qian Pinji)

Life Race: Human (Unknown Bloodline)

Attributes: Strength 11 (10), Agility 15 (10), Constitution 11 (10), Intelligence 13 (10), Perception 15 (10), Charisma 15 (10)

Class: First Authority Master of the Space, Second-Level Druid

Skill List:

Permanent Imprint—Detect Aura

Basic Footwork Level 2

Basic Swordsmanship Level 2

Space's Inherent Added Ability: Can contain herbivorous animals!

To test it, Romon later caught a wild rabbit and put it inside. It truly could be stored there. He then checked his Heart of Nature. The green light barrier had expanded to around five centimeters, and the spells the core could produce had increased greatly. Each day, he could create five First-Level Druid spells and four zero-level Druid spells.

Romon's heart immediately filled with joy. After a long while, he looked at the palm of his right hand, then clenched it into a fist. "I am finally a Second-Level Druid."

Every advancement in level brought entirely different influence and status.

Romon got up and went to the Adventurers' Guild in the city to have it certified. He passed without trouble. Yet when he left the city with his new class insignia, there was not the slightest joy in his heart. Instead, melancholy rose within him.

Yvette had indeed left without a sound. He had once asked mage Sackville about it. The old mage had shaken his head with a bitter smile and told him that Vilen had gone out alone to cultivate for a time, and afterward returned with a daughter. As for what had happened during that period, Vilen had never mentioned it.

"One day, we will meet again," Romon murmured to himself. No matter what, after that strange night, her image had become especially vivid in his mind.

"At Pasterfield Bay, I will remember practicing swordsmanship with Yvette. I will remember her wiping my sweat with a handkerchief, and how she used kisses as rewards. In the eastern district of Aps City, I will remember the first time I saw her. I will remember her bringing me food and rushing to wash my clothes for me. At the city market, I will remember buying her gifts and the surprise on her face. I will remember holding hands with her as we wandered aimlessly down the streets..."

"Yvette, I will not forget you. I am leaving Aps, this city that carries too many memories."

Romon raised his head and strode toward Aps City. Today, Barnel's caravan bound for Rika was waiting for him at the Cramp Trading Company.

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