Chapter 414 Chapter415-A Humiliating Defeat
Pausing momentarily, Blindman opened his mouth to speak, "I don't want to—"
His words were cut short, interrupted by a somewhat crisp low sound as the stick, driven by the force of the blurred figure's wrist, traced a straight arc, skimming past Blindman's neck.
The last thing Blindman heard was a whispering sound, akin to the wind.
His vision spun, the world turning over until it succumbed to darkness.
"Unfortunately, I don't want to listen."
The figure seemed to smile, but the cruelty in that laughter sent shivers down Howard's spine.
He recognized who the blurred figure was, although he was loath to admit it.
Such a drastic change in demeanor could only mean she had concealed her true nature exceptionally well before.
"Shop... shopkeeper?"
Howard attempted to utter the title, but his voice faltered, unable to flow smoothly.
He was, understandably, a bit shaken.
Who would have thought that the typically gentle shopkeeper could be so ruthless in combat?
That clean, decisive beheading technique couldn't have been mastered without hundreds of practice sessions.
How many had died by her hand?
Howard didn't want to know the answer to that question, but he ultimately realized a harsh truth.
He seemed... to have boarded a pirate ship.
"It's me, little Howard."
The invisible boundary of stillness dissolved, the raging wind calming under the soothe of mana, and the figure turned around, her voice returning to the gentle tone Howard was familiar with.
If not for the fresh drops of red blood on her cheek reminding Howard, he could hardly imagine that the person in front of him, now resembling a gentle girl, was the same one who had just displayed such a frenzied demeanor.
The stick in the shopkeeper's hand is a straight sword, unsharpened, virtually indistinguishable from a steel bar.
"Scared?" The shopkeeper asked gently, smiling as she wiped the blood off the steel bar and slid it into its sheath, slinging it over her shoulder.
"A bit," Howard nodded.
Even though he had braced himself upon learning Antalya was an adventurer, he hadn't anticipated such a drastic transformation in her demeanor.
"Is it strange?" Antalya stepped forward towards Howard, cleaning the bloodstains from her face with a handkerchief, "Why do I become like that once I enter combat mode?"
Howard nodded, paused, and then shook his head.
A gentle smile spread across Antalya's face, but to Howard, it sent a chill down his spine.
"If you ask, I might tell you. For an adventurer, curiosity is as important as mana."
"But I also know there are some things one shouldn't inquire about," Howard continued, picking up on Antalya's lead, "Everyone has their secrets, as you've said before."
Everyone has their own experiences, their own darkness and light.
It's difficult to expect someone to be entirely open with you unless you're willing to share and endure those experiences with them.
Even among lovers or family members, so many secrets are kept hidden.
"You're very astute," Antalya didn't answer directly but affirmed Howard's statement, "It's really nothing serious, just a pitiful person's story. Since you're not interested, I'd rather not bother you with it."
"Let's go check on Ali. Her situation isn't looking good," Antalya turned, "To be more precise, our situation isn't too great either."
Howard followed Antalya, weaving through the alleyways.
He didn't ask about the person Antalya had killed; firstly, there was no opportunity to ask, and more importantly, he felt Antalya might not disclose it.
Though it was just a hunch, he sensed that Antalya might have known those people, even had numerous encounters with them.
Whatever lay behind it all, Howard decided not to delve deeper.
As he himself had mentioned, some things are better left unknown.
Too many have met their untimely deaths from knowing too much.
"Shopkeeper... you mentioned that our situation isn't good... what did you mean by that?"
Howard already had a vague idea of the answer.
The person attacking him was clearly not acting alone.
Coupling this with Greg and Ali's disappearance, it wasn't hard for Howard to conclude that someone, or some group, was targeting them!
Had Antalya not appeared when she did, it's very likely that the accomplices would have arrived, sealing Howard's fate.
However, Howard still wanted to hear Antalya's perspective, perhaps to glean some crucial information.
Details he hadn't seen or couldn't access, yet could significantly impact him.
"You must have felt it too."
Antalya's voice remained gentle, but her tone carried a hint of coldness, clearly angered by the targeting, "Yes, we are being targeted. I anticipated something, but I didn't expect them to act so swiftly."
"The attackers number more than three, each targeting one of you. If my judgment is correct, Red Eye is among them!"
"Red Eye!" Howard exclaimed softly.
If his memory served him right, this whole commission had started because of Red Eye.
And now they had fallen into Red Eye's hands? For an adventure group, this was undoubtedly a disgrace of monumental proportions.
"Yes, Red Eye. Moreover, he's likely gone directly after Ali."
Although Antalya had never explicitly commented on Red Eye's strength, she had never asked Howard or Ali to confront Red Eye directly.
Even as a level 3 magus, facing Red Eye—a criminal with a bounty of thousands of gold coins—was beyond their capability, perhaps even beyond Greg's ability to withstand.
Antalya had hinted from the start that Red Eye was her prey.
"Against Red Eye, Ali stands no chance of resistance. Lilianne is likely already in Red Eye's hands," Antalya stated.
"I know Red Eye; he's someone who plans meticulously before acting.
He wouldn't have made his move at this time without sufficient confidence."
Lilianne in the hands of Red Eye.
Another piece of bad news.
However, Howard was somewhat prepared for this and didn't panic excessively.
What needed consideration now was how to confront Harry, how to retrieve Lilianne.
That was the key to breaking the deadlock.
"Since Red Eye's target is Lilianne, it means he won't kill her easily because Lilianne's significance lies only in her influence on Harry."
"Red Eye's ultimate goal is likely still the Lorinda mushroom; his current actions are merely to add leverage for negotiations."
"The settlement has already sought aid from Breeze City, and Breeze City has been wanting to deal with the Red Eye nuisance. They certainly won't sit idly by this time."
"We must not act recklessly now. Although Lilianne's situation is dangerous, it's not yet fatal. However, should we act impulsively, Lilianne might lose her current value! Once Red Eye deems there's no need to restrain Harry, Lilianne's safety will have no guarantee."
"I'm actually very concerned about Ali's state since Lilianne was taken under his watch. I'm worried he might do something rash in his impulsiveness. We currently have almost no information on Red Eye; acting rashly would not yield any positive outcomes."
"Red Eye will definitely contact Harry, which will be our only opportunity in the short term. However, the enemy will also be extremely cautious."
"Therefore, direct actions will be handled by Greg and me; you and Ali will be responsible for Harry's protection, ready as backup forces."
"If Ali acts impulsively... I hope you can restrain her."
"In necessary circumstances, you may intervene, using non-
lethal means."
Antalya spoke these words with such calmness, as if Howard was being instructed to act against a stranger, not his own companion.
This near-heartless composure was something Howard could never achieve.
Yet, he had to admit, often it's individuals with such personalities who are more suited for leadership roles.
Their burdens are usually heavier because they carry not only their own lives but also the responsibilities of others.
"I will," Howard nodded, albeit with some hesitation, but he understood this was almost an inevitable outcome.
Although his time spent with Ali wasn't long, he could tell she was someone who took her responsibilities very seriously.
More than that, Howard could subtly sense a similar essence in Ali as in himself.
Both burdened with a past they preferred remained hidden, both mired in regret and self-reproach.
Yet, it seemed Ali was more proactive, seemingly trying to compensate for her past with her present actions.
Therefore, this failure might hit her harder than one might expect.
"We're here."
Harry's building came into view, and they saw Ali supporting Greg, seated on the steps at the entrance.
Greg appeared to be unconscious, while Ali didn't seem to have any visible injuries.
However, Howard could distinctly feel that Ali's current state was far from normal.
She was too calm.
Beneath that calm, what was hidden was either madness or decay.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel