Chapter 40

Chapter 40 – The Argadilin Family

Angus’s voice gradually became low and intermittent. When he finished telling his own story, his eyes slowly closed.

“Do you regret it?” the young lady asked.

“I regret not being able to protect Elyan.”

“Do you want revenge?”

“I have thought about it, but unfortunately, I can no longer do so. Revenge can only bring the greatest solace when one does it themselves. Imposing such dark emotions on others would only disappoint them.”

“She?”

“Mm, Elyan’s mother, my eternal love. She wouldn’t want me to become someone with a dark heart, because even if she herself was hurt, she wouldn’t become someone who hurts others.”

“Shouldn’t one avoid becoming evil because of others’ evil deeds?”

“Yes, that’s what fascinated me about her back then—the gentleness, kindness, and strength of her character.”

“If someone treats me poorly, using underhanded means, I will retaliate and punish them, but I won’t use the same despicable methods. This is what I take pride in as a person.”

“And this is also the most beautiful quality I learned from Elyan’s mother. I wanted Elyan to learn it too, but it’s no longer possible.”

Angus’s voice gradually faded until it became silent and quiet.

Lolan Hill stood up, looking at this man who had fallen into eternal sleep, feeling a deep sigh before softly saying,

“Wish you a good dream.”

—

Vergha Trade Alliance, near Kemp Lake.

Several luxurious carriages were traveling on the road, accompanied by groups of horsemen. They wore steel armor, carried long swords and shields, and had crossbows hanging behind them. There were about a hundred people in total. The shields of the horsemen and the sides of the carriages bore the mark of Nightbloom flowers, indicating they belonged to the Callites Guild.

Lolan Hill sat in the elaborately decorated carriage, looking out the window at the calm and beautiful lake in the distance, with birds flying overhead.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“This is Kemp Lake. We should arrive there tonight to spend the night. It’s within the territory of the Argadilin Guild, so it will be safe,” replied the head maid next to her.

“Argadilin?”

“Mm, the Argadilin Guild mainly deals with fishing, olives, river clams, pearls, jewelry, and furniture. They are commercial allies with our Callites Guild, and we’ve worked on many projects together, so they’re still trustworthy.”

“Is that so?”

As the carriage continued, a vast expanse of lush green forest appeared ahead, with closely arranged trees and light green branches that shimmered with vibrant life under the sunlight.

On both sides of the road were neatly arranged olive groves stretching endlessly. The scent of the trees mingled with the summer breeze in the air.

“These are all the olive trees of the Argadilin family. They are primarily used for oil extraction, and occasionally some old trees are cut down to make furniture or sold to us for shipbuilding materials,” Chelsea, the head maid, explained to Lolan Hill, who seemed very interested in the olives.

“How lovely. Does our guild have such industries?”

“Our Callites Guild mainly deals with timber, citrus, cotton textiles, spices, and shipbuilding.”

Upon entering the territory of the Vergha Trade Alliance, the old butler Sereles quickly contacted the nearby branch of the Callites Guild and gathered armed forces from nearby cities and towns. There were over 100 fully armed horsemen, about 40 shielded crossbowmen, and some auxiliary personnel, totaling around 160 people.

Under such layered protection, the old butler felt reassured and set off again.

These days, the young lady listened to Chelsea and Sereles explain the specifics of the guild while thinking about how to handle subsequent issues after arriving at Hope Lane.

Once she officially inherited the Callites Guild at Hope Lane, many problems would become easier under the protection and assistance of the guild’s strength.

But the question was whether there would still be attacks along the way. If the enemy was determined to eliminate all heirs of the Callites Guild, what then?

Lolan Hill tried consulting the system. If she used extraordinary power to protect herself now, it would be considered a violation since she claimed the name of Angus’s daughter, which brought wealth. Using extraordinary power for personal gain was also prohibited unless she abandoned this identity and started anew.

This meant that if Lolan Hill faced a dead end and had to act, the mission would fail, and the wealth given by Angus would no longer be recognized by the system. She would have to find another way to complete the task.

However, this didn’t mean that inheriting Angus’s property would complete the mission. The goal was to earn, not just possess. That is, Lolan Hill needed to use the principal given by Angus to earn 100,000 gold coins to be considered successful. But if she encountered mismanagement and losses along the way, she might fall further away from completing the task.

Based on Angus’s will and recent information, the total assets accumulated over the past decade amounted to approximately 280,000 gold coins, much of which was immovable property. The truly liquid funds were only 20,000 to 30,000 gold coins, which could not be easily accessed and were needed for emergencies.

“Miss, we are approaching Kemp City,” came the voice of the old butler Sereles from ahead.

“Good.”

After some negotiations, the guards at the city gate opened the path, allowing the large group to enter the city.

“Miss Lacy, upon entering the city, we should follow the previous etiquette and traditions to visit the Argadilin family.”

“Did Angus have much interaction with them?”

“Sir and the current head of the Argadilin family are very good friends. They once went together to the Southern Islands for business, taking great risks.”

“Alright, I understand. After resting in the city, we will go to visit the Argadilin family.”

As the Callites Guild’s caravan slowly entered the city, several guards in green cloaks hurried to the city lord’s mansion to report the situation.

Inside the city lord’s mansion, the hall hung white banners with green patterns of olives and shells, symbolizing the Argadilin family.

A middle-aged man wearing glasses was writing a letter at his desk when a knock sounded at the door.

“Enter.”

“Lord Jerlick, the Callites Guild’s caravan has arrived in the city today.”

“Hmm, I know. Angus should come over later. Prepare the banquet,” he said, still busy writing and not paying much attention. He and Angus were old friends and met frequently, so there was no need for formalities.

“But sir, this time it’s not Lord Angus, but reportedly his daughter, Miss Lacy. Lord Angus was attacked on the way back and has passed away,” the adjutant said somewhat nervously.

“What!”

The pen in the middle-aged man’s hand skewed, leaving a streak of ink, and he stood up in surprise.

“Angus is dead?”

“Yes, sir,” the adjutant repeated.

“Only his daughter survived?”

“As far as we know.”

The middle-aged man began pacing back and forth in the room, then instructed the adjutant.

“Prepare a grand banquet tonight, and call Rikie over. She should be around the same age as Angus’s daughter, making it easier to get along. Then invite Angus’s daughter to our home.”

“Yes, sir.” The adjutant left the room.

Jerlick looked out the window at the sky gradually turning dusk, whispering,

“You left so suddenly, Angus.”

— End of Chapter

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