Chapter 39: The Battle Outside the City

An old man leading two children simply couldn’t move quickly.

“Lord Mason, what do we do next?”

The speaker was a broad-shouldered man wearing an apron, looking like a craftsman, with clanging hammer and pliers hanging from his waist.

The man he asked was named Mason, dressed similarly but not as stocky, though quite tall. One of his eyes was either blinded by the furnace fire or by some other reason, but this physical damage did not diminish his commanding presence.

“Stay close. After all, it’s Bali Saihe. There are plenty of people in the royal capital who want to settle scores with him.”

“Are we going too?”

“Ke Lun was the first, but he won’t be the last…”

Mason said, clenching his fist.

“That red-haired kid beside Bali Saihe is quite skilled—cut down the leader of the Shadow Thieves’ Guild with one swing… Most of the remaining petty thieves will scatter and flee, but a few will keep chasing. A bunch of clowns who won’t give up.”

Because these people knew that the little granddaughter of Old General Bali Saihe was a rare commodity.

That person in the royal capital… had offered several thousand gold coins for her…

“Keep chasing, but safety first.”

Mason waved his hand.

With that wave, many people stood up…

***

Though Bali Saihe was blind, he could still perceive the subtle movements around him. The old man sniffed, sensing the minute changes in the environment.

“Be careful.”

The master spoke, and Luo Yi naturally had to be on high alert. Without hesitation, he took off the heavy sword from his back.

The red-haired boy looked up:

“What is it, Master?”

“…It’s going to rain… Make sure to put your hoods on.”

Asuna couldn’t help but laugh:

“Brother Luo Yi is as nervous as a cat!”

“I’m just worried about you…”

The boy pouted.

“Who asked our team to have such an important little girl…”

Asuna didn’t reply, which was taken as agreement.

“Just how important is ‘important’? Is it important in Brother Luo Yi’s heart?”

“Hurry up and keep moving—that monastery Master mentioned is in Privet Town, who knows how far from Grinno City!”

Luo Yi changed the subject.

“We’re just walking on two feet. I don’t know if we can make it there before the first snowfall of this year…”

“Got it…”

While the children were bickering, Bali Saihe muttered to himself.

“One table of food, and two groups come to eat, right?”

The former old general looked around with hollow eyes—outside Grinno City was just a boring wasteland. They had just left not long ago, and the shadow of the city wall was still visible at the far end of the horizon.

There were some sparse trees and hills nearby. The three of them were just following a traditional dirt road to their next destination.

With this pace, being ambushed or attacked by enemies was highly likely.

Bali Saihe understood this, so he subtly reminded Luo Yi.

“Keep your sister close, and do your duty as her brother.”

The red-haired, gray-eyed boy nodded. He took the lead at the front of the group, guarding his sister behind him.

And behind Asuna was her beloved grandfather. Bali Saihe’s tall figure also protected her well.

***

When they set out, the sun was still in the sky, and the light was still hot. Bali Saihe praised the name of the Sun God Helong—a necessary skill for an ascetic monk traveling the lands.

Luo Yi still didn’t understand. For him, begging was begging, no matter what sign was held.

“I’ve seen a few ascetic monks before. Dirty clothes, stinking all over, holding a broken bowl, some begging for food, some for money…”

Luo Yi said quietly.

“My grandfather Roderick and I never really understood why they had to beg. They have hands and feet… Even if they really had no choice but to beg, troubling us country folk isn’t good either.”

Luo Yi himself came from a tenant farmer family. He was so-so at herding sheep and planting wheat, but he couldn’t save much money year after year.

And an ascetic monk who showed up from somewhere else begging for food was hard for them to respect—whether begging for a piece of bread or a few copper coins, it was a tough situation for a tenant farmer.

Their own pockets were not well-off either.

If they wanted money, they could go to the nobles and knock on their doors!

“You don’t understand. It’s about judging the customer—if we knocked on a noble’s door, the knight’s lackeys would definitely give Grandpa a beating.”

Asuna smiled bitterly, revealing a worldly wisdom that didn’t match her age.

“Everyone has their own difficulties…”

Bali Saihe agreed with Asuna:

“It’s just life’s constraints…”

The old man said a lot after that, but Luo Yi didn’t understand much. A long speech on the road only increased the boy’s drowsiness.

The content wasn’t very interesting—just talking about how after the Four Kingdoms’ Alliance disbanded, the armies had different fates. The Western Kingdom of Vistania was rebuilding its navy, while the Eastern Kingdom had a civil war because their king died on the battlefield like the Crown Prince of Norsenia…

All in all, it was somewhat bad.

But for Luo Yi, those complicated place names were just distant symbols.

He had originally hoped that Master would talk about the techniques for controlling Ether!

The only part he could relate to were the snippets about the Kingdom of Norsenia…

In Norsenia, due to internal strife in the court, large numbers of troops were disbanded, and military pay and pensions were never properly paid. Many soldiers returned home bankrupt and became tenant farmers. Luo Yi and his grandfather were not isolated cases.

But being a tenant farmer wasn’t the worst.

Many others became bandits and thieves, or the violent components of underground gray organizations.

The Shadow Thieves’ Guild was a typical example, although its founder was a deserter with even worse morals…

But what truly caused these tragedies… the victim, Bali Saihe, made his conclusion: it was those bootlickers in the royal capital who, upon seeing the Crown Prince die and the war turn unfavorable, abandoned their earlier pro-war stance and replaced it with surrender and “cleaning out the cowards,” causing Bali Saihe to lose everything.

He himself had suffered enough, but countless soldiers had lost everything along with him.

People like Luo Yi and his grandfather, who still had a piece of land to farm, were considered lucky.

“Therefore, walking on such a countryside path, never let down your guard—because the sun is about to set, and at this time, the wind blowing is cold.”

Bali Saihe spoke with a commanding tone:

“Luo Yi, ready your heavy sword. Enemies are approaching from the front.”

As soon as the words were spoken, the sound of several crossbow bolts cutting through the air came—

Bali Saihe grabbed Asuna and dodged the bolts. Luo Yi assumed a defensive stance, holding the heavy, broad gray sword in front of his chest. The crossbow bolts didn’t cause any damage.

“Damn! Missed…”

Several men in black clothes jumped out from the hill, cursing. Luo Yi recognized these people.

Remnants of the Shadow Thieves’ Guild. They were still clinging to the three of them!

“Aren’t you running?”

Bali Saihe said.

“Ke Lun is dead…”

“Because you killed our boss, that’s why we came.”

The leading man spat.

“There are countless underworld organizations in Grinno City. With the boss gone, we’ve become a bunch of homeless dogs in the city…”

The man raised his short sword and screamed:

“In that case, why not fight to the death, grab the girl for money, and start a new life in a new city?!”

“Idiot.”

Bali Saihe shook his head, signaling Luo Yi to get ready for battle.

But Luo Yi saw more.

“Master…”

the boy stammered.

“I see more people behind them—they’re big, look tough to mess with.”

“I saw them long ago,”

the old man said.

“They’re not enemies. They’re friends.”

This not only surprised Luo Yi but also the people behind Luo Yi.

Mason smiled wryly. After all these years, Bali Saihe was still so perceptive…

Even taking his eyes couldn’t take away his judgment!

Mason laughed heartily, then announced—

“Fellow Stonemasons Brotherhood, follow me. Let’s slaughter these rats of the Shadow Thieves’ Guild!”