Chapter 835 - Tinder (1) (1/2)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Rhode pushed the wooden door open as the refreshing scent of incense entered his nostrils. He squinted while entering the ordinary-looking room, only to realize that it was much colder and damper. Fortunately, the coldness had driven the stench away and its interior appeared much more ‘luxurious’ than the outside. Of course, this was only a comparison. At least there were clean, tidy tables and chairs and a thick woolen blanket over the table. A thin, frail elder sat around the table. He wore an old but clean robe and held a huge brass alcohol cup with both hands. A little girl who was between six and seven years old stood behind him. She wore a one-piece overall, but it might be rather forceful to describe it as an overall. Strictly speaking, it was just a piece of long cloth with a hole cut on the top and could barely cover her thighs. She seemed to be as haggard and malnourished as the old man. Her limbs were as thin as stick matches while she stood barefooted on the cold floor, coughing away lightly.
The little girl watched anxiously as Rhode entered the room. She hid behind the elder and clutched his sleeve. Then, the elder smiled and beckoned to Rhode.
“Please have a seat, young man.”
Rhode didn’t reply to his invitation. Instead, he gazed at the little girl quietly and strolled toward the chair. He rested his hand on the pitch-black sword hilt around his waist and tapped his fingers, wrapped in a white glove, slightly. The little girl took two steps back in fear and instinctively gazed at the elder. Then, Rhode pulled the chair out and sat down. He leaned back, crossed his arms, and nodded to the elder.
“I would like to say nonsense like “It’s nice meeting you”, Sir. But, it’s a pity that you seem to be welcoming me with menacing intentions.”
“Hahaha. You’re smart and brave, young man.”
The elder revealed a smile.
“I have to admit that I did have such intentions, but not anymore. I apologize for my rude actions and hope that you can forgive me, for the sake of my age.”
“…”
Rhode continued to cross his arms and gazed silently at him. In an instant, the atmosphere in the room was awkwardly silent. After a few minutes, Rhode twitched his brow and curled his lips into a smile. Then, the room temperature dropped drastically, where even white frost emerged over the walls.
“It seems like you don’t intend to work with me, Sir.”
“Oh? How did you know?”
Not only was the elder not astounded, but he also gazed with curiosity.
“If you did have the intention to work with me, you wouldn’t be this polite, Sir. I understand a lot about the Order Refugees and etiquette isn’t a compulsory course for you. I believe that you’re already raising several conditions now if you have no intention of rejecting me.”
Rhode said.
“Alright then, I guess I shouldn’t waste any more precious time… Hmm. I shall take my leave.”
Rhode paused slightly before shifting his gaze to the incense plate on the table.
“Perhaps you shouldn’t waste such an expensive incense, Sir, because this Hallucinatory Nectar is extremely rare. But, this thing isn’t that popular in the Land of Chaos, I guess.”
“You…!”
The elder widened his eyes and revealed a horrified expression. Then, before he moved, a shadow darted toward him at lightning speed. In the blink of an eye, the incense plate toppled to the floor while a viper-like black blade pressed against his throat.
“I advise you to not act rashly, miss.”
Rhode leaned forward, but his eyes were locked onto the frightened little girl beside him.
“I guess you’re aware of my strength, so I hope you can drop your weapon. That’s right, the dagger behind your back.”
“…”
The little girl sulked instantly. She slowly stretched out her left hand and dropped the blunt copper dagger on the ground.
“Good.”
Rhode nodded in satisfaction before turning to the elder.
“Alright then. I hope you can tell me the coordinates of the tinder. If not, I will need to extract that information from your brain myself.”
“I didn’t expect that you’ve actually learned to cast undead spells, young man.”
The elder’s eyes glinted in surprise. He neglected the razor-sharp blade pressing against his throat and placed the alcohol cup on the table calmly. Rhode shook his head slightly.
“No. I don’t have the time to learn those tricks, of course. But I do know someone who loves playing around with them. I’m sure that she won’t mind conducting experiments on a person and also satisfy your curiosity.”
“Haha. since that’s the case…”
The elder maintained his smile when suddenly, his expression changed abruptly. He straightened his posture, clutched the chair handle, and widened his eyes. His gracious smile had vanished, with fear replacing it entirely.
“You…!”
“That’s why I said, Sir.”
Rhode lifted his chin and gazed at the elder proudly. At this moment, a petite figure wrapped in a white cloak had emerged behind the little girl, pressing a razor-sharp wrist blade against her throat. On the other side, another almost identical petite figure extended her arm and pressed against the elder’s chest.
“Don’t act rashly… Yes, I may not match up to two legendary beings, but I have to admit that it is foolish of you to pretend to be fragile. I think you fully understand how harmful it is now. If you didn’t pretend to be this sickly, perhaps I may fear you even more.”
“Hahaha…”
The elder revealed a complicated smile before sitting back on the chair. He looked at the petite figures who emerged out of nowhere and shifted his gaze to the little girl behind him. Then, he forced out an exhausted smile.