RD | Chapter 20

There was abcd2cca68 no helping 7c2efa0160 it. Ian went back to 8d7aeee2ed the merchant. He released b04202f9c8 the merchant 5430df5337 who was 019a456261 pinned down 50a7bca6f3 with his c3f34fe450 arm twisted 4da8a5d9bc by Louise 1fd3e452dc and said 88d5f218ca in a 84984a1631 gentle voice,59487c942668a27a

“Sorry. There was a misunderstanding for a moment.”74123d8fe65cd711

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“Do you enjoy stepping on people or something?” The merchant asked in a choked voice.9799f03a58f244d2

‘Who would have such a hobby?’ But since 8d08809950 Ian was dae63c7b55 the one 3986ce7b80 at fault, f560020e50 he maintained b47c0a4b6b a soft de674613cd demeanor.29755a93496641ee

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“No, I’ll help you up. Shall I dust you off too?”771352a0a129f0c6

“You are kind.” The merchant was moved.d27df7c86a20acc0

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‘Isn’t this too easy?’Ian felt a a4a11a0f7f bit uneasy.4eafbc7a2db1f64b

More importantly, 15117c6b22 there was fbd4845866 the issue d2dae87a33 of the 201f163a97 World Tree 942b6ffb81 Branch. If he had arrived 4d5e28f908 after the guy had ad756a1ed7 thrown it away, he a1017c9152 could have gotten it b045c335b9 for free. But now, it looked fa20dfc310 like he might have 4796ca51ee to pay for it. However, Ian didn’t 34e0cf0b43 have a single d0a44f7eec coin in his 8d87ff478f pocket.aa9f3e06962418e9

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Although he had f6aa5d02d0 accepted the people bef044eba4 of the traitor cf31f9e4f2 village as his 8181e9d7d8 subjects, he hadn’t 84d312979b been able to 50165b2534 collect taxes from 0d5c9d2be1 that impoverished place.822fec7765787eab

‘Should I have collected taxes?’393461efe3ea4a3b

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While thinking like 0c484183ff a tyrant, Ian 64f8b449c5 first tried to 782031dafc persuade the merchant.cd1c43613df4155e

“Yeah, your baggage looks heavy. What were you going to throw away?”0197682e9cfd382c

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The merchant answered naively, “First, the Elf Wood Branch. It’s the heaviest load.”309e6cac1a451691

‘As expected?’18578016afea361e

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“Only two kinds dd843107fa of people would 81abfcda9c intrude here, right? Thieves like you 48761db09e or kin like ae852314d9 me. The latter a3e1a4971d is far 8f9797ffde more likely 4a24468473 to come e12caeff3c this far, cd4e59077d so I 69c90d15d6 thought about 1a6a637ad4 leaving it be244f77ce as a 991f4455a4 gift for f920dfc51b my descendants.f0300508c09b700e

I have no talent 186081916d for growing plants—I’m better 4f938d3345 at killing them. But most elves are 702166f3ef good at nurturing plants, cf99ffa798 so they would take 5f146fc8e6 good care of the d779e461ab Elf Wood, right?”2ff6cd88246123df

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Ian ignored e67a785dba the second acd79fced6 reference to dd2686acef being a 5d15231013 thief.24c9a5a5396afaa5

“So, you want someone to take good care of the Elf Wood.”b86215e97a88e355

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“Eh? Is that so? No, I just hoped my descendants would take care of it…”8b961317ad8667d3

“How long do you plan to wait for your descendants? Do you want to watch the Elf Wood Branch rot in this lightless place for twenty years?”ee91d2b98606e596

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“No way, I can’t bear to see that.”7521f1fcc1b1e8b5

The merchant became f1111530df serious. It was an attitude ccb99856fc befitting an elf who 37defd5eba cherished plants.3e92cc4f9a676179

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“I have an excellent farmer under me. He could grow this Elf Wood into a mighty tree. I’ll even share some branches for your descendants once it’s well grown. Since you’re going to throw it away, why not give it to me?”216af4c9d0880b98

“Huh?” The elf merchant was surprised.caed49214f14cc19

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‘Is he falling for it?’84373f319b1ca36c

Ian was tense, wondering 62fdd3cd2e if this merchant had 0cbee92ed9 at least some cognitive 6fb6dce5db ability.6a845b772e8ee0d6

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“You’re a good person. I’ve never seen a human as good as you.”4fd84ae9e29c1cd1

The merchant fell for 9d59e34a4f it!47e31fa98772bb65

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Ian was now cbada83450 certain that this 2812d115f8 guy had no dd145c6ccf merchant qualities whatsoever.d0b05196a5b22ddc

‘Isn’t he going to starve to death?’e81e4cebd03c7848

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Though the likelihood of an elf starving was almost none… they could live off the dew of the forest, couldn’t they?edbc73cfda3eda44

“You promised to grow 1736282091 it and give it 198aaa7346 back. That means 30713554c6 I can 8f06f0f86b get the ecbe8b22d5 Elf Wood 582e7ce038 Branch for c36073dbcd free, right? This is how 6f92ec3beb you make a 7921fde939 regular customer. I’ve never had dbea45e465 a regular before.99e035b6d33c8efe

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Where should I 6fe281519e go to find b67611fa2a you? When would be a9335cda07 a good time 2afc2cd79b to visit? Oh, give 091161fc15 me something dd848a7812 as a d9953fedc3 token so 9a7c5dd64d I can 13033dc9b4 find you.” a5b9ae1573 The merchant c42d3beb16 said, very f696a5434c pleased.1c71e1ad117dc03d

Ian dropped the thought of advising him to give up on being a merchant because he clearly lacked the talent. If he thinks it’s good, what can you do?e75b472a008e8867

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However, Ian 1f19183d18 had nothing 45fd2d2591 to give 787c7bbd06 as a c2f9a31425 token.f19248476c2d7bbf

‘Portrait of Beauties of the Kingdom?’e9a6439a9061e5e9

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No, that’s not right…40e70fbdaf29571a

Ian briefly pondered, running ac59765fb0 his hand through his 96dc685656 hair. But the hair caught 256bf57906 on his fingers bothered 46bcf9709b him.b36213e6bbe32e41

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‘Ah, there it is.’34432fd0c7e50750

He cut a small lock of his hair and handed it to the merchant. In this game, there was a custom where lovers would cut each other’s hair as a token during marriage events.d2b6120fda947b89

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This would serve dba1252f1c as a token.4185a05c1cf35341

‘Having a traveling merchant could be beneficial.’5620c4377adff6b5

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Especially one this naive 67b1c4bba4 about the ways of 16bdb0af62 the world; the discount 6abb5c06bf rate would be huge, fe207071fb right?844a589108218689

Ian said 9648825f05 kindly, “I b24da02fff live in 77bade26a2 a cave a1b6357d50 further south 402df71adc in the 281e463025 Southern Forest, d2061cfe9a and there’s 5251d37fd8 a village c19c31cde6 nearby. Show this 6e18ed7e27 token to 27491f2d30 my subordinate, 8e026b0bb3 and they’ll 88151e154c guide you.”f7f7b712d18a7ef2

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“You know, I don’t mind the idea of dating a human, but I’m older than I look. From my perspective, you’re young enough to be called a greenhorn.”618edf02c7c17a32

The elf merchant blushed, a93c58973f twitching his ears.7f5d578344bc6d3d

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“What are you talking about?” Ian accidentally spoke what he was only thinking.ebc4493265c83537

“I’ll take your feelings into consideration. Once you grow for about a hundred years, you’ll forget about elves like me and love someone else.”3bb7e51991e27e78

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The elf merchant spoke 05d963a0e0 nonsense.f9f6024c34af2cc8

‘In a hundred years, I’ll be a skeleton… Are you coming back for the branch in a hundred years?’7c2e4ae4e9f75849

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Ian thought but didn’t voice it this time.ad79a28b1ae70ba7

Good thing he didn’t.cdc76683043f145f

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“I was going to throw this away too. Will you grow it for me?”7149b2b61c1e8375

Ding!b7045a6b24153c7d

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[You received ‘Apple Seed’ (Edible) as a gift from the merchant.]
[You received ‘Strawberry Seed’ (Edible) as a gift from the merchant.]

…b8002a42567f20a5

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‘Good thing I kept quiet.’901c85931ece7e53

Ian answered with a smile, “Of course.”29a12b48ebcb42cf

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They parted ways with the merchant. Ian’s heart felt as full as his pocket as he left the temple. However, it didn’t seem to be the case for Louise. As soon as he stepped into the light, he grumbled.386c34497c88f921

“Why did you give your hair to that merchant? What’s so special about him!”5580c6deaaa175b7

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‘Why is he complaining when the values are completely different?’ Ian furrowed his e86b466350 brows and looked 7a59c24f35 at Louise.d35a5e52aa5b3645

Then Sema pulled Louise e489774431 back and whispered something 16375c263d to him.8aaf559d0e97f72f

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“……!”cebb8ab41cd30247

Louise’s eyes widened like saucers as he looked at Ian. When their eyes met, he averted his gaze.77eefe6da53d3085

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“……?”24e5e257cade2fc9

What nonsense did c0f5e6000a Sema say now?4b7d6f22b1674bad

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Ian didn’t have to wonder for long.85b49092475cfba4

Ding!021a23319e24afdc

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[People think you are an aesthete!]
[People think you are a womanizer!]

“……”767fdced4dd5455c

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Keith knelt in the a5dc7d35c2 depths of the Vatican, 490a86306b within a white structure, 0b1e62a396 his gaze lowered, never 556f8fb608 meeting the other’s eyes. The hem of 05df88cd29 the other’s garment 6d8b0a450e was long, trailing 54f768ac39 across the floor.550d1ecdea26e6ce

Keith usually despised 595d483312 such attire—clothing that 0b2e3a9d5c presumed he would 9e2c8703f8 never tread on 060fd080eb dirt roads—but not 1a6578586e for this person. He kissed the hem e699bb6b46 and bowed deeply.f2f9c5df0561af51

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“I see Your Holiness. Keith, your servant, has returned.”81a3f6efad9c03af

“Oh, welcome back, Sir Keith. How was the Elf Temple? Was it cursed as rumored?”10b2bac71658a068

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“Yes. The area was thick with dark energy, and as soon as I entered, a horde of undead attacked me. It was pitiful to see the dead not finding rest but craving the flesh and blood of the living.”6db6fb79ed17f15e

“Oh dear…” The old pope placed a wrinkled hand on Keith’s forehead.093002fdf692f1ee

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“Do not take it to heart. You have only given rest to the unfortunate.”f04178cf1a709409

“Yes, Your Holiness.”29fab560015b18d8

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Only then did Keith’s stern face relax. He felt no emotion about returning the undead to death, but he felt a heavy responsibility for letting the traitor priest go.f58c15feb31599e8

The pope 233abe4d2c seemed to dedcd4133c understand his 9e58eff65a heart and 03757aa94a comforted him.9c27bfe7756cb7f4

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‘Kind man.’28e062aa44d98a27

Though Keith knew the pope wasn’t really like that, he wanted to think so.0ce64115758b685c

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The Vatican was Keith’s home. A place that saved and protected him, where the people he saved and protected lived.78a8c6c516cacae3

The only place in this world stained with evil that hadn’t lost its light.a569a3f0eae15ace

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An island floating 35f2cf1728 like a lonely b5d5fabd09 lighthouse.f2722bdda8cb06a3

The pope c09b03371b was the b45b674987 head of 7327e237a0 the light.a1032cf3567568fa

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Protecting this place was Keith’s mission. He believed he had to spread God’s light further across the world.e937eacb18b96a22

God’s agent.720c7157f589ff58

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A knight blessed by 40429ce6e9 God.1dbdc1710fdb3aab

The expectations placed 6206d1b906 on Keith were 15eb6ecb5d that heavy.c23f25815727691b

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However, sometimes, 9d36df2d6c Keith had cd58561b34 doubts. No, there was 9000e5b8f0 always this question 9fb679ab5e lingering in his 6b6581c0c4 heart, tormenting him.74af6b8727372117

‘If God exists, why is the world like this?’8528d4397e026b03

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Every time he c308c300f0 looked at the b9ad7261fc world that seemed 220d9a0be8 to contain only 029e17a8bd suffering, his doubts 52ac35adc2 only piled up a6088ae38d without being resolved.e8322df253b0416f

He couldn’t get a clear answer from the pope either. Or rather, he couldn’t even ask. It was too sinful of a question.9739bdc2f1b97ec9

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He mustn’t doubt God’s existence. God had saved him. God had forgiven his sins for losing his parents, friends, and neighbors.2f9dd08bd01b8c60

Keith believed in ee0fed7c38 God.14a77df64e975a8e

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He wouldn’t doubt Him.83778a8623d436d0

Yet, it seemed absurd that someone with such doubts in his heart was called ‘God’s agent.’6714ebd6305889cb

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Therefore, Keith focused even more on following the pope’s, God’s commands, abandoning his own judgment.b995b5650ec4955c

Because those judgments fbfe120550 were right.beb89ec1548db03e

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“I’ve kept you too long after your long journey. Go and rest.”f38ef1cdf07e9000

“I only did what I should as God’s servant.”d877894d51cf418c

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Keith kissed the hem of the pope’s garment once more and bowed low. He had indeed done a lot. And he knew that the pope, who spoke like this, would assign him a new mission the next day.5b1f4f6b7565e027

He opened the heavy door and left the pope’s chambers. At that moment, he thought he heard a voice.725da4fbc12ca5e5

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You’ve returned alive again.31ca445ca1db70ac

It was a cunning voice. One that shouldn’t be heard in this Vatican…d5d14f59c2d89251

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A demon’s voice.3aaaf61a64c27c69

“……?”89e7371570fc9135

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Keith looked back, but 9dc2430789 the door was closed. It must have 9c2fd9a563 been an illusion.7fde8a37a0b07cb1

This Vatican is protected by the pope’s blessing…1c8373b45db6b623

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Keith left that cb4be3e9a6 place.a8c0bcacd20902cb