Chapter 42: Birth of the Ghost (2/2)

Merlin couldn't help but giggle while reading thethat sobnny was rather chatty, he was also happy to know her and Typhoeus were getting along well, even using nickna that Merlin didn't expect was that Typhoeus had got a goblin soul, this never happened in the previous ti he influenced

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[05:43:36] Merlin: Sounds like you two are doing well, that's good to hear

[05:44:54] Merlin: But socontact, was it?

[05:46:22] sobnny: No it wasn't Do you know a user called LordKyle?

[05:46:55] Merlin: Yeah, I've had a few run-ins with the the latest

[05:47:36] sobnny: Well, he's now trying to forrown in numbers over the past couple hours

[05:47:58] sobnny: They've attackedother players ont join the after you soon, be careful

[05:48:44] Merlin: Don't worry, I'll deal with theet out of Lycoa as fast as possible

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Merlin ended the conversation as he finally reached Orchouards he was fah the upbeat one seemed rather tired When they noticed Merlin approach their eyes widened with shock

But this was the obvious reaction, considering his white hair was dyed red, blood was covering his face and his clothes were torn, indicating that he was severely wounded at souard was just about to ask if Merlin was okay when the stern guard took the words out of his mouth He seemed anxious, which was unusual, frouard up until this point But when Merlin looked above the guard's head, he finally realised why

The stern guard's nalanced over, but it held a newnow He was the brother of one of the bandits, the iveness as he slowly faded away, Woodrow Pollard

"Your brother said he was sorry, that you were right" Merlin's voice tightened as he spoke to Mosco "He kneas stupid to juiven himself But to you whose brother was branded a criminal, he is sorry"

Merlin didn't wait for an answer as he walked past, leaving the uard saddened He received strange looks as he walked down the paved roads of Orchoularly, seeing soht

Eventually he reached the uild, and when he entered, everyone's attention snapped to him Suddenly the rowdy environment died down, everyone sat quietly as they watched Merlin limp towards the counter

"They're both done" Merlin said as he pulled the two quest forms out of his inventory and placed them on the counter

The barkeeper was still surprised by Merlin's appearance, so surprised in fact, that he alh the front door

Merlin turned around to face the two htened by him, he wasn't quite sure why, until the barkeeper spoke up "Speak, what did you find?"

"Boss The entire ca "We saw countless corpses, not only the men, the women and children, even the elderly It was a bloodbath, they weren't just killed, they were mutilated"

Merlin realised now that they were talking about the camp he was just in, it seemed the mercenaries had sent a couple scouts out after hih, he wasn't sure

"We found a single survivor, but all he did was rahost" The otherbetween the barkeeper and Merlin "A pale wo hair, cold black eyes, and drenched in bandit blood"

When the , all the eyes in the room were locked onto Merlin, who currently had a downcast expression

"Well, that was an interesting report" The barkeeper turned to face Merlin, he began counting out silver coins, placing thirty of them neatly in three stacks "I believe you've earned these Unfortunately the bounty was only for twenty bandits, anything more than that is overkill"

As Merlin reached for the coins, the bartender grabbed his wrist Merlin tried to pull away, but the bartender was too strong to resist Merlin looked up at theto determine his intentions When he did so, their eyes met, and moments after, the bartender spoke in a soht you were just a well-spirited young lad who got in way over his head" The bartender closed his eyes and gentle shook his head, "I expected you to get into a fight and realise you bit off more than you could chew I even sent those two to help you when you didn't come back"

"But it was a shock to see you like this, and an even bigger shock to hear the atrocities you have caused" The bartender's voice started to crack, it see to be capable of such evil, what sort of lifestyle have you lived?"

The bartender released his grip on Merlin's ar Merlin to collect the thirty silver reward He wasn't happy about the lecture, but he kneasn't out of hostility He wasn't even sure if he should bother trying to explain that he wasn't the mass murderer, it seemed everyone in the room believed it, and it was only a et yourself killed, and don't do anything so irredee hiain, and as Merlin turned to walk away, the bartender spoke up one last time "You'll always be welcoivethat, he really hoped it wouldn't stick, but he kneasn't that lucky

With nothing else to do at the et new equipment, and then a bathhouse to wash hiether was an unco that he really wanted to rid himself of quickly

As he stared at his cursed arerously close to his shoulder, he needed to solve that issue quickly too, but equipment and a bath comes first