玉蒲团之云雨山庄

The road of the highway towards the village is kind of rugged. It shows that the access and control of the remote region of the Astellia kingdom are not well-maintained by the regional lords.

Because of the condition of the road, the wagon traveled slower than its usual speed. They travel for about four hours before a village finally enters their view from the distance.

"So that\'s the little girl\'s village, huh? I\'m impressed she could travel that far into the forest. What kind of herbs or plants is she trying to search for, I wonder?" Surena wondered as she stares at the little girl\'s feet that is full of calluses and dirt because she doesn\'t even wear a sandal.

It\'s easy to wonder the reason why she\'s not wearing one. But the main problem must be that the economy of the village is not going so well. It\'s either centralization of money and high tax by the lord of the land, or due to a bad harvest of the region. But either way-

(Looking at a girl this young in such a condition is not pleasant. But well, most importantly, I need to bring this girl to her parents. They must be very worried) (Lyan)

It\'s already afternoon, the adults especially the mothers that have some works mostly have already finished their work to retire to their home and their family. So by the time now, the mother should have wondered where her child is and found out that she was not around the perimeter of the village.

The mother then would tell her husband, and they will notify the other villagers and the village chief. They would tell the hunter team and have them help search for the child, and the village should be having a fuss because of it.

But somehow, none of those are happening in front of Lyan.

"The village is surprisingly peaceful despite such a young girl had lost to quite far outside the village," (Surena)

"Don\'t tell me... This girl doesn\'t have a parent?" (Alice)

"Alice!" Emilia warned Alice.

"Ah... Sorry, I forgot. This girl is Lyan\'s bastard child, isn\'t she...?" (Alice)

(She\'s not) (Lyan)

As the wagon got closer to the village, the view of the village got closer, and they could see what is happening in the village even more clearly than before.

The villagers are having their activity normally like nothing happened, while a single woman is wandering around in hurry in barefoot. Her complexion is pale as she asks the other villagers one by one, asking about something. It\'s obvious that she\'s looking for something important and it\'s a grave matter, but the reaction of the other villagers is odd.

(None of them are helping her?) (Lyan)

Rather than calming her down and answering her gently, the other villagers are answering her with a harsh expressions and look at her as if she\'s a bother.

"Please stop for a while sir," A man that seems to be the village\'s guard stopped Lyan\'s wagon.

"Are you traveling to the Astellia Kingdom, sir?" The man asked politely. He seems to notice that the horses and the wagon are not something an unwealthy man would have. Not to mention that the air around Lyan is not something a common person has.

"Yeah," (Lyan)

"You chose quite the odd period to travel, young sir. At this kind of se-"

"Excuse me! Did you see a young girl about 6 years with brown-" The woman cut the guard\'s words, annoying the guard. With a frown on his face, the guard kicked the woman away without even letting her to finish her words.

"Know your place, you cursed woman! Don\'t hinder my-" The man was about to raise his feet and stomp her, but Lyan tapped his shoulder and tossed a gold coin at him.

"Have some good food and spend it leisurely somewhere. No need to get so emotional," Lyan stands between him and the woman before turning his back and crouching down as he lends a hand for her to stand.

"T-Thank you..." The woman replied hesitatingly.

"I believe I\'ve found a girl with the same characteristics you\'ve mentioned, young madame. Surena," (Lyan)

"Y-You do!?" The woman\'s eyes brighten up.

"Yeah. Surena," (Lyan)

Following Lyan\'s call, three girls together with a little girl in one of the girls\' arms appear from the wagon.

"Nia!!!" The woman immediately sprang into her child and hugged her tightly with tears running from her eyes. It\'s bare visible how worried she was.

"He doesn\'t seem to know the woman," (Surena)

"Yeah. Looks like we\'re making a wrong assumption," (Emilia)

"Lyan is not the type of person that would just abandon a woman he impregnates, after all," (Alice)

(Looks like the misunderstanding got cleared by its own, master~) (Lilith)

(So you\'ve been watching, Lilith) (Lyan)

(Hehe~ Of course, I do! It\'s just that... I can\'t really be that active since the other girls are watching me very closely because of my past actions...) (Lilith)

Every time Lilith went from one place to another, the other great spirits would have one of them monitor her or use the skeletons or even summon their summoned golems to monitor her and make sure she was not sneaking around doing something behind their backs.

(Well, you reaped what you sow for that) (Lyan)

(That\'s mean, master~) (Lilith)

"Um..." The woman that seems to have regained her senses pulled Lyan\'s sleeve.

"Yes?" (Lyan)

"Are you travelers? It\'s going to be dark soon, and it will be more dangerous to travel ahead to the next town in such darkness. As thanks, how about having a rest at our house, sir traveler? You and your mistresses must be tired as well," The woman said meekly.

!?!?!?

Hearing the woman\'s suggestion, the guard\'s face immediately tensed up, and a vein popping on his forehead could be seen.

"You... There is a limit to how rude you are! The traveler will be cursed if he sleeps at a house of a cursed one like you!! Don\'t you dare try to stain the village\'s good name!!" The guard shouted harshly. But since his attempt to stomp her was stopped once by Lyan before, he only use his verbal abuse to the woman.

(Curse one, huh... She\'s clearly not being seen in a friendly way by the people...) (Lyan)

Lyan squinted his eyes left and right and saw that the other villagers are also directing their hostile eyes toward the woman. They must be thinking that she\'s making a problem as a cursed one just like the guard.

(Meddling with her affairs might brings more trouble, but...) (Lyan)

Lyan\'s eyes stopped at the child the woman is carrying.

(Are you going to help the woman, master?) (Lilith)

(Kicking such a frail woman that has a child... The morality of the village should be questioned) (Arturia)

(But there must be a reason why she\'s getting such hostility from the whole village. There is no discrimination that appeared without reason, after all) (Griselda)

"You\'re right..." Lyan muttered under his breath.

"Eh?" The woman exclaimed dumbfoundedly. Not only her, but the valkyries are also surprised by Lyan\'s mutterings, while the guard made a grin on his face.

For them, it was like he is agreeing with the guard\'s words. While in truth he\'s agreeing with Griselda\'s words.

(A reason... Curse...) (Lyan)

Lyan scanned the body of the woman with his eyes. Noticing Lyan\'s eyes scanning her whole body, the woman hides her body and hugs her child as she glares at Lyan.

(Hm... The big sis has an abnormal amount of nature mana inside her) (Azelia)

"Heh! You bastard. Even though you\'re a cursed one, you have great looks and physiques. At least let him do you once and-" The guard was about to raise his hand and slap her, but Lyan caught his hand and tossed it away.

"What do you mean, Azelia?" (Lyan)

(Oh... Now that you mentioned it. That woman, she has a great potential of nature mana inside her, master. But shamefully, her mana channel is not mature and trained. There must be some kind of side effects running on her body because of it) (Hestia)

"I see..." (Lyan)

"Um... Sir traveler. She\'s a-" (Village\'s guard)

"I\'ve been wondering for a while now, but why do you keep on insisting to use violence in front of a child since the beginning? Can\'t you see that I\'m against it?" Lyan glared at the village\'s guard.

"F-Forgive me, sir!" The guard hastily apologized and retreated, leaving them alone.

*Sigh!*

"Then, young madame. If it won\'t trouble you, please let us lodge at your house for a while," (Lyan)

___________________________________________________________________________

<-1 Gold coin>

Name: Lyan Arkanium Evocatore

Occupation: Mythril-ranked Mercenary

Money: 3,797,710,950 Elnes / 3797 gold 71 big silver 9 big coppers 5 coppers

Weapon: Magic Glaive, 1 (Decent) One-handed Sword, 2 (Good-Quality) One-handed swords, 1 (Decent) bow

Equipment: Black leather cloak, Leather Armor, Breastplate, 2 Health Potions, 2 Poison Vials

Grimoire\'s Companions: 8 High Spirits, 3 Valkyrie, Shadow Goblin Lord (Lv. 5), Papilio Slime (Lv. 45), Galewing Butterfly (Lv. 45), Rock Golem (Lv. 50), Deadlight (Lv. 63), Moonlight Butterfly (Lv. 45), Ice Golem (Lv. 50), Acid Ant Queen (Lv. 9), Magma Bear (Lv. 1)

Grimoire\'s Army: 6 Shadow Servants, 800 Skeleton Army