Chapter 666

Fifty-First Chapter Dark Alley Three People

Tap tap tap tap…tap, tap, tap…

The footsteps changed from hurried to steady, then became unhurried. Not far behind them, the young girl still walked with her head down, but the little maid couldn’t hold back and turned her head, stealing a glance at the man who had caught up. She tugged on the girl’s clothes and whispered, “Sister, he’s here…”

“Mm.”

The girl nodded slightly, indicating she knew.

“It seems he has something he wants to say to you…”

“…”

“Sister, is he a Knight of the Pontiff?”

“…Mm.”

“Oh…”

Betty was surprised, with more confusion mixed in. She had clearly seen that the woman, whom her grandfather had warned about being cautious of when she went to town, was obviously in league with the man following them.

They seemed to know her sister, and their relationship appeared…

Not ordinary.

Knight of the Pontiff…

The little maid vaguely remembered hearing this title before.

Although she had always stayed in town and never ventured out, there were still opportunities to hear adults’ casual conversations.

In her mind, Knights of the Pontiff were formidable knights in the church who could slay abyss monsters. There were many legends about them, and even Betty’s grandfather had told her a few stories. Although they were rarely seen in the Eastern Continent, even the elders of Mese Town spoke of them with a hint of respect.

“Even in such a corrupt place like the Holy Church, there are still a few decent people… Of course, those people are not many.”

This was what her grandfather had told her.

Thinking of this, Betty suddenly felt a bit curious about the man behind them.

“Sister…”

The little maid raised her head, hesitantly calling out to the girl.

She was still nervous, but she realized that if he was a Knight of the Pontiff and knew her sister, he might be a good person. Besides, Betty had seen him take off his hood in the tavern; he had silver hair and blue eyes…

A person from Mese Town.

People from Mese Town wouldn’t be bad…

So the little maid tilted her head, lowered her voice, and cautiously asked the girl, “Aren’t you going to talk to her… He seems to have something to say to you…”

The girl remained silent.

“Hey, Sister…”

“We can go back to town, maybe we can get him to help us…”

The girl still didn’t respond.

The two continued walking through the dark alley. The little girl looked up at the girl for a moment, saw that she really didn’t want to talk to the man, and pouted, saying nothing more.

Though young, she wasn’t a fool who couldn’t read the situation. She could see the confusion in her sister’s eyes, guessing that something must have happened. Her sister had her own thoughts, so she was hesitant about something…

This wasn’t something she could just meddle in.

Betty couldn’t help but look back again. The man was a dozen steps behind, maintaining the same pace as them, neither getting closer nor initiating conversation, just slowly following.

Under the vast night sky, the man’s cloak fluttered gently with each step. The silver buttons on his coat shimmered faintly under the moonlight. He hadn’t put his hood back on. His stubbled face stood out clearly in the dark alley, his brows furrowed, faintly carrying an indescribable sorrow and worry. His azure eyes gazed at her sister’s back, as if entranced, lost in thought.

That look suddenly made Betty feel a slight pain in her heart.

He should be a very powerful person…

But…

Why does he look so vulnerable…

Suddenly, the man noticed the little girl looking at him. In an instant, he composed himself and gave her a friendly smile.

Ah!

That smile startled Betty, and she quickly turned her head back.

He noticed me…

He won’t do anything to Sister…

What trouble could it cause…

But his smile was really charming… It was the kind that made one feel at ease… A sense of reliability? He seemed like a very good person.

Speaking of which, what exactly is the relationship between my sister and him?

Could it be…

That kind of relationship…

The little girl couldn’t hold back her curiosity any longer.

But her sister remained silent and made no sign, so she had no choice but to close her mouth and follow silently.

Three figures swayed in the gradually darkening night, walking deeper into the increasingly dark alleys, where there were no streetlights, only the faint light from the earthen houses illuminating the path ahead. The young girl led the little girl, slowly retracing their steps as they remembered, and before long, they returned to the entrance of Drunkard Street. Turning the corner, the pungent smell in the air began to ease slightly.

And the man finally spoke up.

“Hey, I’m saying… How long do you plan on walking like this?”

It seemed he had snapped out of the emotion he was previously immersed in, placing his hands behind his head, his tone somewhat drunken, just like when they were in the tavern, lazy yet comfortable.

“You’re not familiar with this place, right? You’ve only been in this town for a few days, haven’t you?”

“If you keep walking like this, you’ll soon enter Naidelin’s territory… Why? Are you upset about something here, feeling frustrated, and can’t help but cause trouble for others?”

“…”

The young girl ignored him, remaining silent, lowering her head and quickening her pace.

“That’s right, it must be like that…”

The man quickened his pace too, his hard-soled boots clacking on the ground. He wasn’t angry at being ignored; he yawned, drooping his eyelids and looking around listlessly.

“This place, when I first came here, I went looking to see if there were any people who could make desserts or anything like that… But there weren’t any. Everything here tastes awful; people don’t care much, as long as it’s cooked and fills your stomach. And… often the ingredients and spices are odd, I find them hard to get used to, let alone you…”

He paused, as if suddenly remembering something: “Oh right, just now, when we were in the tavern, what I said was all nonsense, just joking… Yes, just joking. Don’t take it to heart, we’re just a regular male-female relationship, yes, a very simple one…”

“Lia and I, along with that woman from Ethanbell, we are all apprentices of Mr. Lane. This time coming to the Eastern Continent, I’m here to look for them… I mentioned this to you before, right? I can’t quite remember… Hey, I’m saying, you…”

He paused, his voice turning teasing: “Are you jealous because of her?”

“It certainly looks like it…”

After saying this, the man instinctively showed a wary expression, his steps faltering, his body ready to dodge at any moment.

But after waiting for a while, no sudden attack came as expected.

The young girl seemed not to have heard him, continuing to walk forward without turning her head once. However, the little girl actually understood what the man meant; her eyes widened, she turned her head quickly to glance at the man, then looked up at the young girl’s face, covering her mouth, her face full of shock.

She was immediately hit on the head by the young girl with a “thud.”

“Oh, that hurts…”

The little girl rubbed her forehead and complained softly. The man behind saw this, a momentary sadness flashed in his eyes, but it vanished instantly. He continued to follow the young girl, muttering to himself casually: “Strange, maybe it’s because I haven’t had sweets in a long time… My brain has become more sluggish than before… Could I still be sleepwalking…? Huh? Can’t hear me? That’s really a shame…”

“I wanted to tell her about a nice place where the food has a Western flavor, even though the seasoning is lacking, the overall taste is still decent… And they stay open late, you can sit and eat for a long time…”

“…”

The young girl suddenly stopped walking.