112: New information

Chapter 111 New Information

Arthur found it impossible to judge the sudden appearance of the young girl, whether she was good or evil.

But based on the information at hand, he could only confirm that Granny held no ill will towards them.

And it seemed their group would have to rest here tonight.

Therefore, clarifying this person's identity became extremely important.

However, this doubt did not trouble Arthur for long.

After Granny served steaming hot meat soup and bean cakes, she revealed the identity of the young girl beside her: Hael Lovich.

Arthur immediately recalled that the Mayor of Mist Town was named Demetri Lovich.

It seemed, then, that this young girl must be one of Demetri's two children.

And when she learned he was the new Baron of Qingfeng Valley, a look of surprise appeared on her face.

“Amn has sent another Baron,” she said softly, her tone carrying an unclear meaning, “I only hope he doesn’t meet the same tragic end as the previous few.”

“Lord Arthur is blessed by the Forest Mother,” Flora retorted, displeased by the other's sarcastic tone, “His arrival will surely spread the Goddess's glory to everyone in this land.”

Arthur, however, was not too concerned by this.

Since being appointed Baron of Qingfeng Valley, almost no one had been optimistic about his future.

Hael shrugged and raised an eyebrow, asking, “Then why did you come here instead of going to Mist Town?”

Only Arthur could answer that question.

But he merely brushed it off with a casual “Guided by the Goddess.”

Hael's face showed disdain: “There’s no Goddess here, only the Dark Lord and his hateful minions.

“I guess you got lost, didn't you?

“The fog of Qingfeng Valley is like a living thing, always trying to make people lose their way.

“You're lucky to have stumbled in here by mistake.

“My godmother isn't a bad person, but if you'd run into those few from the Old Mill, you'd probably be meat pies by now.”

“Little girl, don't forget the manners I taught you,” Granny interjected, “They are guests who have come a long way.

“Besides, they saved Mr. Zi Ai.”

Saying this, she placed a full bowl of stew in front of Arthur.

The stew was fragrant, but the ingredients inside made him uneasy.

Arthur saw at least two frog legs in the soup, and a strange, unidentifiable fish head.

“Taste my cooking, my faraway friend.” Granny said, serving soup to the others with warm hospitality.

Arthur took a spoonful and put it in his mouth, nodding in praise: “Delicious.”

Hael, who was helping to distribute the soup, heard this and turned to look at the young noble, “As a noble, you're willing to trust a Granny in the wilderness.”

“Aren't you also of noble descent?” Arthur responded, “Stepan Lovich, the fifth Baron of Qingfeng Valley, you are his descendant.”

Hael served herself a bowl of meat soup, her tone flat: “In Qingfeng Valley, everything speaks for itself through strength.

“Titles, bloodlines, and status are all irrelevant; you have to earn everything yourself.”

“I like that!” Drax grinned.

“You mean my identity and that letter of appointment are worthless, right?” Arthur asked.

Hael did not answer directly, only advised: “Before the Dark Lord's minions set their sights on you, leave quickly.

“Otherwise, you will sooner or later become wandering souls in this land.”

“No, they can't leave now,” Granny suddenly spoke, still smiling, “Those fellows' scouts have already spotted them.”

As she twisted open the bottle of Red Fern Wine, she continued: “Your carriage has been attacked by wolves, and crows are circling incessantly above your heads.

“Misfortune has clung to you from the moment you stepped into this place.

“If you try to leave now, I'm afraid you'll only meet the same fate as those who tried to escape.”

Granny's words reminded Arthur of the few corpses in the roadside bushes.

He raised an eyebrow and asked, “I heard that the Dark Lord has long fallen into a deep slumber, and his minions are acting independently.

And Mist Town has many capable individuals.”

“Mist Town will soon cease to exist,” Hael interrupted him, “Although the Dark Lord is gone, his minions are not something just anyone can eliminate.

“As for those so-called capable individuals in Mist Town, ever since my father died, they've become a disorganized mess.

“Some ran away, some went crazy, and some were overly reckless—”

At this point, the young girl let out a long sigh.

Arthur hadn't expected the situation to be so bad and asked, “How did it come to this?”

Hael did not speak.

Granny advised, “Child, you risked coming to me for help, and I've found you helpers.

“Why don't you tell them what happened? Perhaps these guests can help.”

The young girl pondered for a moment, then said, “For the past three months, the undead have been attacking Mist Town.

“Even though we repelled wave after wave of attacks, they seem endless and inexhaustible.”

Arthur connected the undead attacking Mist Town with the Night Mist wandering outside.

The two are probably very much related, he thought.

Arthur asked, “Have you encountered strange fogs?

“Like that magical fog that can turn living people into undead creatures.”

Hael frowned, looking at her godmother.

The latter gestured for her to speak freely.

“Yes, that fog also appeared three months ago.”

Old Joe interjected, “If that's the case, how did you survive?”

His question was also the doubt in everyone's minds.

“Godmother taught me how to use the power hidden within Mist Town,” Hael replied.

Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly: “The power hidden within Mist Town?”

Granny chuckled, explaining, “Otherwise, why do you think Mist Town has existed for so long and become a front line against the Dark Lord?

“Underneath the almost abandoned church in town, there's a surging power hidden.

“It's a pity that mediocre priest didn't know how to use it.

“I've been studying this power, but it—”

Granny poured herself another glass of wine, seemingly assuming the bottle of Red Fern Wine was now hers by default.

“It's like a sleeping giant dragon, difficult to tame.

“However, I'm not without discoveries; it's still possible to use a part of its power to resist that inferior magical fog.”

Arthur and his companions all showed meaningful expressions.

“Since Mist Town is protected, why do you say it's about to be destroyed?” Arthur pressed.

Facing this question, Hael gave a bitter smile: “Because that power can only resist the fog, not the undead.

“Over the past three months, we've lost too many people, and now even my father is dead.

“Morale is completely lost, and many people are planning to flee.

“We simply don't have the confidence to survive the next undead attack. So, the destruction of Mist Town is only a matter of time.”

Arthur pondered for a moment, then asked, “How many people are still resisting now?”

“There are over a hundred people left in the whole town, all of whom can't leave.

“Only about eleven or twelve truly want to resist.

“And we lack supplies, and the wooden walls urgently need repairs.

“Everyone is dispirited and completely at a loss as to what to do.”

Arthur listened, then responded, “Tomorrow, we'll go to town with you to see if we can help.”