Chapter 151: Last Straw
The sky over Weisshem was gradually darkening.
Having purchased nearly two tons of various "specialty" spices, Young Master Parker Odysse raised his departure to Rex. "I hope my grieving aunt can see her son Dart as soon as possible. Please understand my urgency," said the always elegant and composed young master of the Odysse family.
Touched by Young Master Parker's concern for his family, Rex offered to provide manpower to help load the goods onto the carriages.
Parker's convoy consisted of 16 carriages, designed for the dignified traveler. These carriages featured high chassis and two pairs of wheels made from alloy bearings and thick rubber for agile maneuvering.
The sturdy, defensive body of the carriage was large and robust, divided into an upper and lower deck. The lower part served as a sleeping and resting compartment, while a mezzanine space below was used for storing luggage and supplies.
These carriages, prioritizing durability and comfort, differed significantly from the typical large covered wagons used by merchant caravans. They were not ideal for heavy loading, with a carrying capacity typically half to two-thirds the weight of the carriage itself. The "specialty" goods purchased by Young Master Parker had to be evenly distributed among the carriages still having space for cargo.
Parker did not refuse Rex's kind offer, as he indeed wanted to load his goods and leave this strange town before night fell.
Then he watched as Rex called over a group of undead.
The players, just returning from the Wanderer Guild construction site on the main street and preparing to return to the Exile Town to farm monsters during the game's "night," didn't mind taking on such an easy quest. Players were willing to do anything as long as it rewarded reputationeven if it were shoveling pig manure.
"Are these not storyline NPCs? They are just passing by?"
"Seems like it. Weisshem has a lot of NPCs without a clear purpose."
"This game is so annoying. Why bother with so much useless data? Aren't they afraid of crashing the servers?"
"That's why they keep releasing accounts little by little. The servers' resources are all used up on NPC numbers"
Young Master Parker Odysse, with a strained smile, watched the undead, still covered in dirt and mud from the construction sites, unabashedly handling his purchased goods and climbing all over his carriages.
The damned illegitimate son even stood beside him, proudly boasting to Parker, "Our undead friends are always eager to help. When manpower is short, there's no one more reliable than our undead friends."
Parker struggled to suppress the urge to scream at this madman and responded with a forced chuckle, "Is that so? Heheh."
"Yes. All it takes is a small, negligible price," Rex said candidly.
The "territorial prestige" and "special copper coins" allotted by Yang for distribution were limited. Although Rex didn't quite understand the significance of these numbers that only showed up in the imprint matrix and toy currency that couldn't be circulated outside, he didn't expect the undead to do all the work anyway.
On hearing the mention of "a small price," both Young Master Parker and Grey felt a chill running down their spines.
Hold on! What sort of price?!
Surely it doesn't mean making a contract or something about pledging one's soul for just helping to move the goods, right?!
As Parker was contemplating how to probe further without revealing his apprehension, another undead entered the courtyard, heading toward a large covered wagon driven out by a burly man with a shaved head in the corner of the yard.
Young Master Parker watched Rex wave to the undead.
"Sis Zhao, where are you off to?"
The undead looked up and made a "KABAKABA" noise in response.
"Yang has assigned me a mandatory task. I have to go to Indahl again using the guise of 'Exorcist Feng Alphonsus,'" said Zhao Zhenzhen, resignedly.
"Ah? Isn't that dangerous?" Rex asked in surprise.
"It's fine. Ben will just drop me outside the city and return. I'll die once in the city and then come back. It won't hamper tomorrow's grain collection work," Zhao Zhenzhen explained.
"That Why does he want you to go and die?" Rex was puzzled.
"Who knows." Zhao Zhenzhen shrugged as she climbed onto the wagon. "I'm heading over now."
"Have a safe journey." Rex waved.
Young Masters Parker and Grey glanced at Rex, then at the large covered wagon that had already left the town hall courtyard.
From what they could understand of Rex's conversation, the whole situation seemed bizarre indeed
Of course, neither of the young masters had any intention of inquiring furtherthey had no interest in knowing the depth of the relationship between this illegitimate son and the undead!
All they wanted was to leave as quickly as possible, to get as far away from this eerie godforsaken place!
Just as Young Master Parker was eagerly anticipating their departure, more people arrived at the town hall.
The newcomers were two men. A dark-haired middle-aged man in a robe and a refined man with silver hair, dressed in ordinary clothes.
Young Master Parker's gaze naturally fell on the younger guy with light-colored hair
Light hair colors were predominant in the Rhine Kingdom's upper class. Light golden curls were a distinguishing feature of the main bloodline of the Odysse family. The young man's impressive appearance and demeanor instinctively made Parker assume that this newcomer's status must be higher than that of the illegitimate son beside themalthough Rex also had light hair, his short cut and overall appearance lacked the refinement of a high-class upbringing.
"Good evening." The dark-haired middle-aged man nodded at Rex and the two young masters.
"Evening," Young Master Parker responded politely, though his scrutinizing gaze swept over this man.
And then He felt something amiss.
He was certain he didn't know this man with pure black hair.
Dark hair was a symbol of lower status in central Navalon but represented nobility in the north; given the man's aura, it was plausible to suggest he was a northern noble. However, the Odysse family had never done business with northern nobility, and Young Master Parker had never interacted with northerners.
Yet why did he feel that this black-haired man looked familiar as if he had seen him somewhere before?
"Allow me to introduce, this is Lord of Taranthan, Yang," Rex said, though he was slightly puzzled as to why Yang had come.
The Odysse family's territory was far from the border, so when Young Master Parker first heard the name "Taranthan," he thought it might be some unfamiliar place in the north. He instinctively showed a more polite and approachable smile and extended his hand in a friendly gesture.
Yang Qiu smiled and shook hands with the young master.
As their hands touched, Young Master Parker suddenly came to a realization. "Wait, Yang?!"
"Do you know me?" Yang Qiu chuckled.
Young Master Parker stiffened as he stared at Yang Qiu, his eyes scanning the man's distinctive features and shoulder-length black hair. A guttural sound escaped his throat as his eyes rolled back, and he slumped down.
The shock Young Master Parker had received today was already overwhelming, and this last straw proved too much for him to bear
In a daze, Parker seemed to be transported back to his youth, to the time when he first became curious about girls and received shocking education from his father, Count Odysse.
Count Odysse claimed this was the teaching he had received from his own grandfather back in his youth and felt it essential to pass on to all his sons
It concerned an incident that had occurred with a former business partner of the Odysse family in a small state within the Norsk Federation.
Nations in central Navalon never intermarried with member states of the Norsk Federation, as noblewomen in Norsk held no status. Marrying a Norsk noblewoman brought no advantage to one's family.
Business, however, was a different matter, especially with the Norsk Federation located in the east of the continent, boasting fertile lands and a long coastline, rich in grain, salt, and various special minerals.
About 60 years ago, when the patriarch of the Odysse family was still young and healthy, he went to the Norsk Federation to negotiate business with the ruling family of a small state.
At a palace banquet, the Odysse patriarch witnessed a horrific and inhuman eventa crazed demon brutally murdering the state's prince in front of hundreds of guests.
This demon, wielding a heavy iron hammer used by the royal stablemen to put down old horses, brutally smashed the charming, handsome prince, who was frequently featured in newspaper scandals, into a pulp.
The esteemed count, patriarch of the Odysse family, witnessed every detail from his seat of honor among the distinguished guests.
Overwhelmed by the shock, Parker's grandfather fell gravely ill upon his return home.
After a month of recuperation, the shaken patriarch gathered his sons and described his experience in vivid, alarming detail, insisting they engraved the lesson deeply in their minds.
The psychological impact this terrifying account had on Parker's father, the current Count Odysse, was evident.
When Parker turned 13 and began to notice the curves of the maids, the count hurriedly summoned his son to his study. There, he showed him clippings from newspapers over 60 years old and wanted posters issued by the Storm Church, accompanied by a long, perhaps embellished, narrative as if he had witnessed it himself.
After that, young Parker experienced nightmares for a long time.
In his dreams, a butcher-like demon with a rusted hammer dripping with human flesh loomed over him. The demon's long black hair, like numerous writhing snakes, blotted out the sky, sneering devilishly at the young Parker
Inspector Lowell watched silently as the flustered butler and servants carried the unconscious Young Master Parker into the town hall building. He turned to Yang Qiu with a puzzled look.
"Are you sure you've never been to Count Odysse's territory?"
Yang Qiu was equally surprised. "Of course. Didn't you see that Dart Odysse didn't recognize me?"
Lowell glanced at Dart Odysse, panicking and following behind the entourage, then he fell silent.
Dart's family had branched off from the main family since his grandfather's generation. The true cause of the early demise of the previous Count Odysse was indeed not known to the side branches
"The reaction this young master of the main family branch had toward you doesn't seem to be like someone who would cooperate with you," Lowell commented wistfully.
Yang Qiu turned to look at the jittery convoy and replied optimistically, "At least our guests will have to stay the night, right?"
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter