Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Pato City**

Night always falls later in Pato City than in the surrounding areas, because it is filled with many excellent and energetic young people. This type of group is generally full of vitality, and no one can convince them to go straight home or to their dormitories after sunset, saving that excess energy to squander after sunrise the next day. After all, that would be far too cruel; even the strictest parents or teachers wouldn't be so unreasonable.

Moreover, after a day's work, people enjoy seeing those young men and women strolling noisily and cheerfully along the main roads in groups, discussing the knowledge they've learned, the beauties they've met, the handsome guys they've bumped into, or their strict teachers. They might also go to the Holy Alliance's church to pray for their families or secret crushes, or sneak into taverns that always turn a blind eye to them to order a mug of ale.

All of this is thanks to Parding Knight Academy. This academy, built seventy years ago by the high-level paladin Valentin Crow, who was originally from this area, convinced the Holy Alliance to establish it here, and it has always been the shared pride of all the locals.

It is also the fundamental reason why Pato City, originally a lawless small town in the countryside, can be so vibrant. Countless families from hundreds of kilometers away, or even farther, want to send their children here to study, to set them on the path to a successful life... uh, I mean, to change their originally destined fate.

By the way, as long as the children of Pato City's local residents are at least 16 years old, they can directly enroll in the knight academy. So, no matter the era, having a school district property is quite...

Alright, I'll restrain myself.

In short, Pato City is a peaceful and lively small town, at least under normal circumstances.

But beneath this calm surface, there are faint undercurrents stirring. At least some keen individuals have already sensed a different flavor in the air.

The Warm Sun Squad, second-year students of Parding Knight Academy, was ambushed on their way back after completing their final exams, and nearly all of them were wiped out. Only the captain, the Light Knight Dave, survived. When he returned to the city, he was nearly dead, with not a single intact spot on his body. It was a miracle that he was rescued before his last breath.

This incident has already spread...

The attackers were two Red Ridge Beasts, monsters that should never have appeared near Pato City. Although this level of monster poses no threat to Pato City, which has the Parding Academy as its anchor, it still makes people uneasy.

How did they get here? Why did they appear here? Why did they attack a few innocent students? Will they come to attack us next?

The source of fear is always the unknown. For instance, some tough guys can fearlessly face most venomous insects and ferocious beasts, even chopping off their heads and eating the rest to absorb a wealth of protein, but when confronted with zombies, vampires, or Kayako and her son—things that might be less lethal than the former—their manly bodies still tremble, and they grab their equally tough-guy cameraman and bolt...

In truth, we all enjoy scaring ourselves, and most of the time, reality isn't that absurd (it's just cruel).

But this time, things aren't so simple...

And an uninvited guest who has already arrived in this small town will make the already complicated matters even more convoluted, turning a big problem into an even bigger one.

"Sigh~ What a thoroughly unexciting place," Mo Tan muttered, standing in a rarely frequented alley, gazing at the slightly bustling street not far away. He let out a long sigh, but then curled his lips into a smile and murmured, "But I'll do my best to liven things up here. Don't thank me too much..."

By now, he had shed the somewhat gloomy-looking Ritual Robe and changed back into his original Linen Set, making himself as low-key and ordinary as possible. He then left the alley, grabbed a nearby uncle who looked simple and honest, asked for directions as a traveler, and ambled over to a tailor shop two streets away.

Although there weren't many customers left at this hour, it wasn't yet time for the shop to close, so Mo Tan smoothly purchased (with money he'd scrounged from Medi) a white belted robe and a pair of Long Leather Boots. Though of average quality, they at least made him look decent and not too out of place.

Afterward, he asked the shopkeeper about the cheapest lodging in Pato City, confirmed the directions multiple times (he had no sense of direction), and then quickly left.

A moment later, Mo Tan stood before the Rye Inn at the southernmost part of the city. He pushed open the door and strode in without ceremony.

"What do you want?" A middle-aged man with a messy bird's nest of hair, sitting in a rocking chair by the door, glanced at him, straightened up, and asked impatiently, "Eating or staying? There's no other fun to be had here."

Before Mo Tan could answer, a man completely shrouded in a cloak rushed down from the second floor, waved a hand at the man who seemed to be the owner, and said rapidly, "He's my friend—the one I told you about earlier."

"Got it, go on up." The owner shrugged and lay back in his chair. "Don't stand by the door for no reason; you're blocking my business."

"Do you even have any business?" The Apprentice Thief Cole, having slightly lifted his hood, curled his lip at the owner, then gave Mo Tan an apologetic smile. "Let's talk upstairs."

The latter nodded noncommittally and followed Cole up to the second floor of this shabby inn, entering the smallest room at the far end.

"Let me confirm one thing first—aside from that innkeeper just now," Mo Tan said casually as he leaned against the wall after entering the room, addressing Cole, who looked both respectful and uneasy, in a low voice. "Is there anyone else who knows that Cole Shuren has returned to Pato City?"

The young thief apprentice lowered his head with a hint of panic. "No one else, Sir. I sincerely apologize. I should have followed your instructions and not let anyone know, but..."

"But the 'Cheapest Inn' I told you to stay at earlier—its owner is someone you know." Mo Tan smiled and shook his head. "You were probably worried I wouldn't be able to find you, so you didn't switch places. It's fine; I didn't think it through. I won't blame you for something like this."

"Thank you, Sir." Cole nodded, then looked up with concern in his eyes. "May I ask about Rona..."

"That elf girl's soul is still intact." Mo Tan raised a hand to cut him off. "I'm not unreasonable, but right now, you need to stay calm. Only by staying calm can you avoid making mistakes. Do you understand what I mean?"

Cole realized his emotions were getting the better of him. He didn't answer immediately but clenched his fists tightly. After a long pause, he met Mo Tan's eyes and nodded. "I'm fine now, Sir."

This gesture earned Cole a great deal of goodwill from Mo Tan. After all, it's extremely difficult for anyone to truly calm down in such a situation, let alone in such a short time.

And from Cole's gaze now, Mo Tan could no longer see the anxiety, longing, torment, and faint fear that had been there before. Or rather, they had been buried deeper, in a corner where they couldn't affect his reason or judgment...

"You're quite impressive." Mo Tan nodded slightly. "Next, I'm going to tell you two things. During this process, I hope you can keep your emotions steady and maintain enough rationality. Can you do that?"

Cole replied without hesitation, "Yes, my Lord."

"Call me 'Sir,' and don't be so formal~ I don't like overly serious people." Mo Tan smiled. He knew he wasn't the type of person who could make countless wise men weep and beg to call him their big brother with just a commanding presence. It was only because he held the soul that mattered most to this young thief, and by using a bit of misdirection, he could temporarily make the other blindly trust him. That was precisely why he didn't want Cole to treat him too rigidly—it would inevitably create a subtle rift between them. While it might be convenient in the short term, over time, that rift would only grow larger...

At this moment, Mo Tan, positioning himself as a chess player, couldn't accept the potential risk of gradually losing understanding of the 'piece' in his hand.

Cole didn't show much emotion and simply replied in a low voice, "Alright, Sir."

"First, you've probably heard that only Dave from your squad came back alive." Mo Tan said to Cole. "You know what that means, don't you?"

Cole nodded heavily. The result was obvious—aside from himself and Dave, the other two had also lost their lives, just like Rona.

"But in fact, only one male student who used a greatsword died. If I remember correctly, his name was Rada Dona." Mo Tan narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, "The one who killed him is named Dave Sager."

What!?

Even though he had already braced himself for bad news, Cole never expected that his companions had not died from the fangs and claws of the Red Ridge Beast, but were instead murdered by another of their own.

"This isn't..." Cole shook his head with a vacant look, trying to say something, but was coldly interrupted by the man before him.

"It is the truth." Mo Tan shrugged and spread his hands. "By the time I arrived, Dave had already left. Your classmate named Rada had his chest pierced straight through by a lance and died on the spot. The other girl, a Priest, was severely injured. I saved her and got the full story of Dave's sudden attack. She's now hiding somewhere in Pato City, just like you. If you don't believe me, you can sneak off and find her to confirm it later."

Cole stood pale-faced for a long time, then finally shook his head in defeat. "No, I believe you, Sir. Please continue..."

"Good." Mo Tan walked over to Cole and whispered softly in his ear, "Everything you experienced before was orchestrated by Dave. Whether it was those two abnormal Red Ridge Beasts or the fact that only one survived from the Warm Sun Squad, it was all part of his plan. Clearly, you and your companions became the sacrifices in this scheme... So now, if you don't mind, can you tell me how you feel?"

Cole remained silent, but his tightly clenched teeth had already begun to seep traces of blood...

"Your answer, Cole." Mo Tan smiled calmly.

"Kill him!" Cole said tremblingly, his face slowly twisting with rage. "If all this is true, I want to tear him apart piece by piece with my own hands!"

Mo Tan clapped his hands. "Very good~ Especially with the prerequisite that 'if all this is true.' Don't look at me like that, Cole. Caution and doubt are good qualities. After all, compared to Dave, whom you've known longer, I, a stranger of unknown origin, am even harder to trust..."

Cole seemed about to say something, but in the end, he just lowered his head and remained silent. What this 'Sir' had just said was not wrong. Perhaps deep down, his suspicion of him was even greater. After all, compared to Dave, this mysterious man gave him more of a feeling of being a schemer.

He didn't want to believe that Dave had betrayed him and the other three companions he had lived with day and night for over a year. If that were true, the deaths of the fallen would be too tragic.

But at the same time, Cole didn't want to believe that Mo Tan was lying to him. If so, the slim hope of Rona's resurrection would be completely dashed!

So...

"Go find out the truth." Mo Tan smiled at Cole, who was about to speak. "That priest girl named Ai Fanye should be at a place called Forest Abode right now. I don't know the specifics, but you can go find her in a bit."

Cole was stunned for a moment, then gave Mo Tan a bitter, forced smile. "Thank you for saving her."

"It was nothing." Mo Tan shrugged indifferently, then patted him on the shoulder. "But now, you need to tell me something..."

...

Seven o'clock in the morning sharp.

In a very spacious, warm-toned bedroom, two game pods lined up side by side opened almost simultaneously.

"Good morning~ Xiaodao!" Ji Xiaoge, wearing a cute, goose-yellow pajama set, greeted her twin sister, who had just sat up beside her. She giggled and reached out to tousle her sister's hair. "I've never seen you put so much heart into playing a game before."

Ji Xiaodao, however, seemed a bit dazed, showing no reaction to her sister's prank. She replied absently, "Mm... Good morning, sister."

Noticing that her sister hadn't swatted her hand away as usual, Ji Xiaoge paused for a moment, then pursed her lips. Suddenly, she pounced, tackling her sister onto the soft carpet and vigorously kneading Ji Xiaodao's soft cheeks. "So cute! So cute! Little sister, you're melting my heart! Give your sister a kiss... Uh..."

"Stop being so silly!" Ji Xiaodao, her face flushed red, pushed against her sister's face, ignoring the latter's flailing attempts to hug her again. She bit her lip gently and whispered to the still-unsettled Ji Xiaoge, "Hey... sister... I might not be able to come find you for a while."

"Huh?! Aren't we together right now?"

"I mean in the game, dummy!"

"Oh, why's that?"

"Because... there's someone I can't quite feel at ease about..."

"A boy?"

"Mm."

"..."

"Sister? Where are you going?"

"To find Dad. When we were little, he said that if anyone tried to steal his daughter, he'd cut them down."

"Hey!!!!"

Chapter 22: The End