Chapter 533 – Tavern

Tracking two Master-Level powerhouses alone, with one target being a peak Level 19 wise mage—such a dangerous endeavor would terrify ninety-nine percent of Master-Level professionals just by hearing about it. Yet now, the Female Knight had resolutely embarked on this seemingly “suicidal” mission.

Audreylinda was not overestimating herself. As a wandering knight who had lived for over a thousand years, she knew her limits well and understood that recklessness would only empower evil. Thus, her swift pursuit into the Tar Swamp was backed by her own confidence—she was certain she could drag one enemy to their doom alongside her!

Death! It was a terrifying concept. When faced directly, this weighty word felt cold and heavy even to the self-proclaimed “champion of justice.”

But Audreylinda would not retreat. The moment Bartos revealed the mage’s identity, the righteous knight had made a resolute decision: she must thwart that evil on the verge of reaching Legendary, even at the cost of her own life! If she, a “righteous pawn” with little hope of advancing to Legendary, could eliminate a potential “evil monarch,” then Audreylinda would die without regrets.

Guided by her unfailing intuition, she arrived at this filthy swamp and entered the Rabbitfolk Tavern, a place unwelcoming to humans.

At this moment, the knight facing death with equanimity had only one concern: her stubborn apprentice before her.

“I shouldn’t have brought you…” Audreylinda said after taking a sip of fruit wine. “I should have hardened my heart and left you tied up in some inn in the Bokkat Kingdom. That fellow Bartos could have offered you some protection…”

“You know, Mentor, that would be worse than killing me.”

Claire interrupted Audreylinda with a trembling voice. The boy stared down at his mug, speaking hoarsely as if to himself:

“Lina and I grew up together in the slums. She was the most important family I had in this life. When you took us away from our parents, I swore to them I’d protect her. But now… she died so suddenly right before my eyes…”

As he spoke, Claire’s fingers dug deeply into the wooden table, and his teeth cracked from the strain of clenched muscles.

“Could I act as if I never had a sister? Could I live on like a coward?”

Lifting his head abruptly, his eyes bloodshot, Claire nearly shouted through trembling sobs:”No, I cannot! I feel the flames of hatred scorching my soul. I too wish to contribute to this righteous vengeance. Give me a chance, Mentor. I can be of use. Those arrogant evildoers would never pay attention to an insignificant ‘ant.’ With the scrolls Uncle Bartos gave me, I can make our enemies feel the wrath of justice.”

Clenching his right hand over his heart, the teary-eyed youth spoke each word with deliberate emphasis:

“Justice never retreats. Even if there’s only the slightest possibility, we must fight against evil to the end. This is the most precious lesson you taught me during my first battle, Mentor. I, Claire, carry it in my heart every day.”

Claire’s rising voice was muffled by Audreylinda’s Battle Aura, but his conviction solemnly reached the Female Knight’s heart. Seeing how Claire had grown from a boy into a youth, Audreylinda fell into silent speechlessness.

As Claire had said, letting him join the battle might indeed succeed in ambushing the overconfident villains. Since that was the case, as a knight upholding justice, what reason did Audreylinda have to stop a righteous youth from seeking vengeance?

So, using her Battle Aura to press the youth back into his seat, Audreylinda only heaved a deep sigh. In this situation, the Female Knight neither expressed agreement nor disagreement. She simply picked up her fruit wine and drank it in one gulp.

Then… Audreylinda murmured in a barely audible, somber voice:

“Claire, being able to speak such words means you’ve already become a qualified knight walking the path of justice. No one can stop a knight from pursuing the justice in his heart—not even me, your mentor. Though in my heart, I grieve for your choice… but… Claire…”

Audreylinda gazed intently into the youth’s eyes and said earnestly:

“You’ve done well. I’m proud of you!”

“Thank you… thank you, Mentor!”

Hearing Audreylinda’s final approval, Claire took a tissue from a Storage Ring to wipe his tears.

Is death truly so terrifying? When belief burns the soul like a torch, what fear does the shadow of death hold?

As the saying goes: “Upon hearing the truth in the morning, one may die content in the evening.” Being able to give one’s life for their path—neither Claire nor Audreylinda would have any regrets.

————————Separator—————————

While Mentor and apprentice were conversing, the Rabbitfolk Tavern finally entered its busiest noon hour.

Thanks to the Female Knight’s masterful use of Battle Aura to block Claire’s voice, no patrons were paying attention to the knight sitting in the corner anymore. Rabbitfolk filing into the tavern began selecting meals from the serving girls. It appeared that at noon, the Rabbitfolk Tavern could temporarily function as a “Rabbitfolk Restaurant” for returning rabbitfolk.

“Don’t speak while eating, don’t talk while sleeping”—this wisdom for preventing choking and loud snoring was destined to be understood by few. While dining and drinking with friends, most people would chat about amusing incidents around them or share exclusive “tidbits of news.”What Audreylinda, who was already fully focused with perked ears, needed was precisely these Rabbitfolks’ “unrestrained conversation.”

Unlike the boisterous atmosphere of human taverns, Rabbitfolk always disliked noisy environments due to their long ears granting acute hearing. Thus, they never spoke too loudly or performed exaggerated gestures while chatting. Rabbitfolk dining in the tavern almost always gathered in groups of five or six acquaintances to converse, their voices so low it resembled whispering.

However… even if their words were merely “like” whispers, even if they were truly whispering directly into ears, their conversation content couldn’t escape the hearing of a Master-Level expert.

After cutting two roasted goose legs for Claire, the impatient Audreylinda immediately began receiving and processing every conversation in the tavern.

“Hey, Gana’s daughter actually got together with old Mondo’s grandson.”

“Oh my, how old is that little girl of Gana’s? Old man Gana will surely beat that rascal to death.”

“Come now, old Mondo is at least a ranger apprentice after all. Don’t look down on his grandson.”

“Tsk tsk tsk, another flower stuck in cow dung. With so many young rabbits in our tribe, why can’t any appreciate a hardworking youth like me?”

Most of the Rabbitfolks’ conversations consisted of boring gossip and bragging. This was hardly surprising – in this small tribe with barely twenty to thirty thousand residents, how much noteworthy news could there be? It was completely normal for minor matters to be discussed repeatedly.

But… among these mundane domestic trivialities, there were always fragments of useful “news,” particularly from those Rabbitfolk hunters who frequently went out hunting. Their conversations involved much information about areas beyond the Rabbitfolk Tribe.

Therefore, Audreylinda didn’t need to wait long before the hunters, after several rounds of drinks, soon mentioned a piece of intelligence that made the Female Knight’s expression turn grave…

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(End of Chapter)