Chapter 867: White Spider Forest
The next morning, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, the side door at the back of the castle mountain was pushed open.
Baron Moroz walked back into the castle with a hasty demeanor, still bearing the heavy bags under his eyes from staying up late. As a man over fifty, he was no longer young. Behind him, the butler dragged a girl inside. From their not-so-good looks, it could be seen that their mission last night had not gone smoothly.
After tossing the raggedly dressed girl aside, the butler carefully closed the door behind him before approaching Baron Moroz cautiously to inquire.
“What should we do with her?” It was clear that Baron Moroz was quite agitated at this moment, so the butler asked very carefully.
“Why did you bring her back? Just execute her outside and be done with it,” Baron Moroz dismissed with a wave of his hand, showing his disdain.
“Sir, if we leave a corpse out there, it will inevitably attract a lot of trouble,” the butler explained in a low voice. Finding a body in the wild would likely prompt adventurers to report it; even if it could be suppressed, it would still cause a lot of problems, which does not align with our current plan to stay low-key.
“Tsk, what a hassle. Lock her up in the castle’s underground dungeon for now, we’ll deal with it later,” Baron Moroz removed his gloves and threw them aside, then left in a huff. He needed a hearty meal to calm himself down and a good sleep.
—
In the small town below the castle hill, Lolan Hill had just gotten up.
After washing her face and putting on her well-fitted silver armor once again, Lolan Hill stepped out of her room.
“Good morning, Miss Mesia,” greeted the members of the trade caravan on the road, while some of the adventurers who had met her last night waved to the young lady.
“Good morning, beautiful and valiant Miss Mesia.”
As she passed through the courtyard where the trade caravan was camped, Lolan Hill arrived at the place where breakfast was being prepared. Today’s meal was pancakes and vegetable hot soup.
In the bustling little canteen, everyone chatted about their recent work and the events that had occurred.
“I heard that many demonic beasts have appeared near here recently, and many adventurers have been summoned by quests.”
“Yes, that’s true. Even things like tents and ropes have become more expensive. Unfortunately, we didn’t bring enough of these supplies this time.”
“We missed another opportunity to make money,” one member of the trade caravan sighed.
“But not entirely. We can always find something suitable, like candles and blankets, which are also needed in the wild. And since it’s only our caravan that came, even if other merchants receive the message and send supplies, it will take about two weeks.”
“Use this time to set up a stall and try to make a small profit.”
“Yeah, you’re smart,” they said with a laugh.
Listening to the conversation nearby, Lolan
Sil Hu thoughtfully finished his breakfast, then stood up and walked towards the adventurer’s hall in the city.
After some inquiries and exchanges, Lolan Hill also learned the direction of the next task, which was deep within a large mountain not far from the small town.
“That’s the direction. Follow the cliff westward for about twenty miles, and there’s a forest covered in spider webs. That’s what you need to clear.”
“Mm, I understand.” The young lady nodded, then she asked the counter staff again.
“Have there been many demonic beasts appearing recently?”
“Yes, although they’re not high-ranking ones, mostly only 1st or 2nd tier, they still pose a significant threat to ordinary people.”
“In that case, if adventurers are too busy, how would the local lord generally handle it? I rarely travel, so I don’t know much about this.”
“In such situations, we usually release higher-level tasks and recruit more people over a wider range to solve the problem.”
“And if the demonic beast is above Sequence 6, the local lord would usually report it upwards, and the higher-ranked nobles always have their methods.”
“Sequence 6 powerhouses, who are rarely seen by ordinary people, are well-known among the high nobility, and some even serve under their residences.”
“As for those above Sequence 7, such existences would attract attention across the entire empire; at that time, the sages would receive messages and send people over.”
“Compared to us commoners, the extraordinary beings trained by Emanas are much stronger. They can easily dispatch some graduates to solve problems.”
Lolan Hill continued to gather information about the empire and the southern region. Before raising suspicion, he temporarily took his leave.
That’s enough for today; asking further would seem suspicious, Lolan thought. He would discuss the current situation with some mercenaries later. These mercenaries and adventurers, due to their tasks or work, move around in various places in the southern region and have a better understanding of the actual situation.
Carrying his longsword, the young lady turned to the market, bought some equipment for wilderness survival, and then began to venture into the mountains. Although she didn’t lack these things, she felt it necessary to put on a show.
The glaring sunlight baked the ground, though it was already September, the southern part of the empire had not yet fallen into cold but still retained the summer heat.
Walking through the silent forest, all she could hear were distant cicadas and bird calls. Lolan Hill curiously examined the surroundings. Compared to the forests of Clancia, the plants here were quite different, and the wild grasses under the shade of trees had distinct appearances.
This seems to be gelsemium, with delicate white flowers. Lolan Hill’s gaze swept over a clump of grass leaves under the shade, and he knelt down curiously to observe.
Actually, she was quite interested in various flowers and plants. At this moment, seeing flowers and plants recorded in books but never seen before,
There was a hint of joy in her heart.
Walking leisurely along the way, although it felt like a trip in the countryside, she was actually moving faster than most adventurers. The armor on her body did not hinder her movements; she lightly stepped over the fallen branches and twigs in the forest, always landing on flat surfaces.
As Lolan Hill continued deeper into the forest, the small town behind her gradually became smaller. Finally, after turning at a hillside, it completely disappeared from sight.
This place was already deep within the forest, where occasionally one could see small animals moving among the shrubs. Some were gray forest mice, wild boars with manes, and white-tailed deer with a few white hairs.
“This…”
Lolan Hill stopped walking as a small animal blocked her path.
It appeared to be a raccoon dog, with black and white fur, but its appearance was very similar to that of a raccoon. In reality, they were two quite different animals.
This raccoon dog should not be an animal from this forest; Lolan Hill remembered that these animals usually lived near water.
The little creature seemed thirsty, its mouth open, and the thick fur made it hard for heat to escape, so it was panting with its tongue out.
It looked at the young lady nervously, seemingly hesitating, a mix of fear and need, but not afraid of people.
“Are you thirsty?” Lolan Hill was somewhat puzzled. She thought about taking an orange from behind her, breaking it open, and handing it over.
The little creature immediately squatted down and happily ate it, licking its lips after finishing, as if still wanting more, then raised its head to look at the young lady again.
“Alright, here’s another one.” The young lady thought, and took out another orange.
In this way, the black-and-white raccoon dog ate three oranges before finally stopping.
Then Lolan Hill continued forward, and the raccoon dog followed. It wasn’t bold enough to walk directly behind her but followed stealthily by scent, as if considering this young lady as a savior in the forest.
Lolan Hill could only shake her head and let it follow from a distance.
However, the destination was approaching soon.
The young lady lifted her head, looking up at the high tree branches where some white spider webs came into view, and the forest ahead was dark.
Thick spider webs covered the trees, blocking the sunlight. Small spiders crawling up and down the tree trunks made one feel a chill.
No wonder no one else wanted to take on this task.
Lolan Hill observed the situation inside the forest, slowly drawing her sword, a faint purple glow gradually shining on the blade.
As magic power gathered and surged, rustling sounds echoed through the forest. Several huge, ferocious white spiders emerged in droves, their numerous eyes staring at the slender adventurer under the tall canopy.
(End of Chapter)
