Arknightcraft Modpack (Patreon)

Chapter 13: She Said She Wouldn't

"Beauty, turn off the high beams; my eyes are going blind."

Shielding his eyes, Steven called out to the girl blocking the road.

Not knowing how she managed to turn her lantern, which looked like a medieval oil lamp, into something resembling a powerful flashlight, Steven decided not to complain considering his torch was nuclear. Besides, the light, though a bit dazzling, had no other effect on him. However, the elderly village chief next to him seemed uncomfortable under the light, squinting like a vampire exposed to sunlight.

"The commander was right. Since the people in this village are so warmly welcoming the Inquisition; they must be hiding something."

The girl blocking the road didn't put down the lantern as Steven requested. Instead, she muttered to herself as if confirming some speculation.

With her dress resembling both formal wear and a trench coat, the outfit emphasized the slightly immature figure of the girl. Under the white long hair, a delicate face bore a scar across her left eye that ruined her beauty.

If that was all, she would be a child in fancy clothes. However, the silver sword already drawn in her hand and the large pistol-like short gun hanging at her waist indicated that this seemingly underage girl was not someone easy to mess with.

"What do you want to do? Are you plotting something?"

With an unyielding tone, the girl walked toward Steven and the others, holding the lantern high.

"Damn Inquisition, are you going to take away the people in this village again? You bandits, unreasonable murderers!"

Without waiting for Steven to remind her that it's impolite to speak while shining a light, the elderly village chief couldn't endure the glare and shouted at the girl.

As he did, a group of villagers armed with strange "weapons" like hoes and shovels rushed out of the houses. They swarmed towards the girl.

Benefiting from the appearance of these villagers, the light in the girl's hand was blocked, and Steven was finally spared the torture of his eyes.

"So, what's going on here?"

More curious about the situation than the discomfort in his eyes, Steven wondered which play was being enacted. It was one thing for agents of the Inquisition to suddenly appear in this small village, but why was the old village chief commanding villagers to help him?

Steven didn't believe that just three gold nuggets were enough to make these people act like this.

"Hurry, come with me. The Inquisition won't spare you Agors. If you want to live, escape with me. The equipment she carries is not something ordinary Inquisition members have. The villagers won't hold her off for long."

The old man briefly explained to Steven, urging him to escape together.

Together with the screams coming from the direction of the blocked girl, there was indeed a certain sense of oppression.

However, contrary to the old man's expectations, Steven made no move to leave.

"Hold your horse, I'm not an Agor. Why should I be afraid? They're an official organization; they should at least consider reason, right? Besides, if I just run away like this, even if I didn't do anything wrong, people will misunderstand me, won't they?"

Steven analyzed the current situation seriously and made a decision that surprised the old man.

He walked towards the surrounded girl, waving and greeting her.

"So, you are from the Inquisition, right? Are you here to arrest the Agors?"

Condensing all questions into one sentence, Steven straightforwardly shouted at the girl.

"Huh? Agors?"

The girl, resisting the approaching villagers, furrowed her brow. If she weren't concerned about the possibility of innocent people among the villagers, she would have broken through long ago.

But Steven's question caught her off guard. After all, it's not common for a suspect to ask questions of the police.

However, due to Steven's question, the girl finally noticed the race of Steven and the girl beside him. They were Agors, a race the Inquisition's superiors had emphasized to be especially wary of.

"If you are judged innocent, why would the Inquisition arbitrarily arrest you? As long as you haven't committed any crimes, being an Agor shouldn't matter."

Despite wondering why Steven was acting so strangely, the girl responded resolutely.

After receiving this answer, Steven nodded in agreement.

"See, she said she wouldn't randomly arrest people."

Explaining seriously to the bewildered village chief, Steven held onto the curious gaze of Gladiia, who had been observing everything.

"Do you actually believe the lies of the Inquisition? Once they take you away, endless interrogations and torture await. Do you know that hardly anyone who's taken by them comes back alive?"

Shouting loudly at Steven, the village chief couldn't understand what the young man was thinking. In a normal situation, shouldn't he be panicking and trying to escape? Why did he seem so carefree?

"Well, I didn't believe her. It's just... how should I put it?"

Scratching his head, Steven felt a bit embarrassed.

"The problem is, I don't trust you either. Why should I trust that you're not some guy with ulterior motives? I just met that girl over there for the first time today, and I haven't dealt with you before. Why should I trust her and run away with you?"

Steven's face showed clear confusion, but there was a hint of mockery in his eyes.

"Let's do this then. You two fight, and whoever wins, I'll follow their lead. That's fair, isn't it?"

Taking Gladiia to the side, Steven assumed the role of a host, offering the stage to the two debating parties.

Meanwhile, the girl on the other side had finally dealt with all the villagers blocking her. Holding the lantern, she continued to walk towards them.

"You just slandered the Inquisition, and I have it recorded. Can you please cooperate with the Inquisition's investigation now, old man?"

Ignoring Steven, who was watching with amusement, the silver-haired girl silently pointed her sword at the elderly man who was still standing there with his cane.