“Get it! Get this disgusting thing off me!”
After vomiting, Bella jumped back, face pale, pointing at the Puchi she had just puked all over.
Though puzzled, the Guard Captain still grabbed the struggling Puchi as ordered and tossed it back into the Puchi pile.
Then he asked, “What happened?”
“So… so disgusting… urk…” It was Bella’s first time seeing those chaotic color blocks. The nausea was uncontrollable. She vomited until her stomach was empty before barely recovering.
After catching her breath, Bella refused to go near the Puchis again.
If she hadn’t known they were friendly magical pets, she would have wanted to slice them all and feed them to the fish.
Meanwhile, Lin Jun, controlling the Puchi, lay limply in the pile, too despondent even to care about the sticky vomit.
Humiliation!
For Dylan’s sake, he had lowered himself to act cute!
And this was the result?!
Puchi took corrosive stomach-acid damage!
This stupid woman. Today’s shame would be repaid a hundredfold… on Dylan!
…
The decision to send Bella ashore had been correct. The Guard Captain had originally planned to withdraw immediately after confirming the pigfolk routed.
In his eyes, every extra moment risked the Hero unnecessarily.
In fact, he hadn’t even approved of coming ashore to save these people.
But as Sophia’s personal attendant, Bella insisted on following the Hero’s orders.
Under her urging, the guards had to help wake the Puchi masters dazed by hallucinatory spores.
“We… we’re alive?” A young Puchi master sat up rubbing his head, looking around blankly.
“The Church saved us!” another said excitedly, staring at the guards. “Praise the God of Light!”
As people awoke from chaotic dreams and realized they had miraculously survived, relieved sighs and fearful murmurs rose and fell.
Even Angela was surprised to be alive. Only when she saw the faint mycelium in her wounds did she feel somewhat bewildered.
At that moment, two Church warriors escorted Baron Morton and his daughter to the center.
The girl’s face was streaked with tears. Morton was ashen.
The instant they appeared, someone spat viciously. “Traitor!”
“Let me kill him! He got so many of us killed!”
The survivors wanted to tear him apart, but the guards blocked them. Clearly only Bella and the Guard Captain could decide his fate.
Baron Morton pressed his forehead to the ground, knowing death was certain, making one last plea. “I deserve ten thousand deaths! But please… spare Lucia. She had no part in my decision.”
Beside him, Lucia sobbed. “Father…”
The Guard Captain drew his longsword expressionlessly. “Traitors have only one fate: to lose everything they wish to protect.”
Morton wept bitterly, crawling to the Guard Captain’s feet, begging with all his strength. “It was me! All my fault! She’s just an innocent child! For the sake of Lord Ixyon, spare her!”
“Those who consort with demons and betray their kin have no right to invoke our Lord’s name!”
“No—!”
In Morton’s despairing gaze, the Guard Captain’s sword took his head.
Lucia let out an inhuman scream and collapsed, trembling violently. Terror stole even her ability to cry.
The Guard Captain flicked blood from his blade and walked toward the girl without hesitation.
His tall shadow fell over her under the moonlight.
“Enough!” Bella stepped forward, pressing the Guard Captain’s sword arm. “The traitor has been executed in deepest despair; he’s paid. But this girl is innocent!”
The Guard Captain didn’t force his way past, showing respect for his comrade, but shook his head. “The Divine Words record: ‘The blood of sinners receives no salvation.’ United Kingdom law states: traitors’ crimes extend to kin. Sparing her today would only encourage future traitors to think one death can protect their families.”
He gently pushed Bella aside.
During their journey, Bella’s courage and wit had earned the Guard Captain’s respect. He saw her as a comrade. Though they disagreed now, he didn’t dislike her, so he used measured force.
Bella stumbled a step. Seeing the Guard Captain approach the girl again, she took a deep breath and spoke softly, only for his ears. “But would Lady Sophia… want you to do this? Would she want an innocent’s blood to stain her follower’s sword?”
The Guard Captain’s step faltered. He turned, gaze passing Bella to the ship now only a faint silhouette under moonlight, as if he could feel the Hero watching through the hull.
After a long moment, his wrist turned. With a crisp *shink*, the sword returned to its sheath.
“With her condition,” the Guard Captain said without looking at the girl, voice carrying unclear emotion, “living may not be easier than death.”
He said no more, directing the Church warriors to assemble quickly for departure.
As for Goldvalley City’s survivors, their future survival was their own problem.
Protecting the Hero was their highest mission. They couldn’t stay to babysit defeated troops.
Fortunately, Goldvalley’s survivors harbored no unrealistic hopes.
Back aboard, sails adjusted, the ship sped away under the Ocean Scepter’s power.
For the Hero’s party with the incomplete divine artifact, the open sea was far safer than land.
For a long time after, they would avoid shore as much as possible.
Yet facing the worsening continental war, Sophia couldn’t stay completely uninvolved.
At her insistence, the ship turned north, sailing slowly along the coast, trying to help where they could.
At the stern, Bella leaned on the rail, squinting at the receding shore, recalling with a strange expression the scene before leaving.
She had seen an awakened Puchi master, while thanking them, reattach his own severed arm.
No medical treatment; just shoved it back on. Soon his fingers moved again.
It gave her chills. She even wondered if these people were still human.
But since Sophia said nothing, it was probably some new kingdom technology…
Still, thinking of the Puchis made her nauseous again…
…
When the sun set again, Angela’s team returned to Goldvalley City.
Half their number lost, but they brought back far more corpses than expected; some even fresh…
Meanwhile, Dylan, having just said goodbye to off-duty Bianca, leaned against the Puchi House door watching her back and let out a soft breath.
He felt this energetic girl had healed his weary heart lately. He even slept better.
Closing up, he prepared to rest when he noticed a new note on the counter!
The moment he read it, his heart clenched.
[Want to know your daughter’s whereabouts? Midnight 2 a.m., abandoned village north of the city.]
“Boss… did anyone enter the shop just now?”
“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention!”
(End of Chapter)
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