28: Legendary Figures (Thanks to Diao Pi Bai Jing Zhui Yi Na Nian Meng for the monthly ticket)

On the way back to the warehouse, Airo’s heart was in turmoil.

In just two days, she had gradually grown accustomed to being with Arthur.

She knew exactly why.

This extraordinary noble young master exuded a captivating charm.

But most importantly, he showed her hope, something she had long since abandoned.

Having wandered since childhood, she had always shied away from the word “hope.”

She had seen hope in her mother, in her first mentor, and even in Jessica Hughes.

But in the end, without exception, it all turned into disappointment.

Repeated disillusionments, repeated blows, and repeated despairs had long since made Airo cease to have any expectations for anything.

Corrupted by the Dark Lands, all she saw was endless darkness.

Until she discovered that faint light again; it seemed to possess magic, drawing her in like a moth to a flame.

But she knew this would be another disillusionment.

She understood that she had betrayed Arthur’s trust and could no longer stay by his side, but she truly couldn’t abandon Jessica.

Without this man who was like a father to her, she might have died among the refugees long ago, or perhaps already become a terrifying monster that only knew how to suck blood.

At the same time, Arthur was also contemplating how to leverage this situation.

More than ten years of navigating the officialdom in his previous life had long since smoothed out his rough edges.

He always admonished himself not to act on impulse and to think about problems more rationally.

Even when anger flared up during the incident, he quickly calmed down.

He could tell that this most wanted criminal was extremely important to Airo, and he also sensed Airo’s struggle at this moment.

Now, he faced two choices: one was to kill these two, along with the two implicated slaves, to eliminate future troubles; the other was to make good use of this opportunity to win people’s hearts.

As he pondered, the group arrived at the warehouse.

The Orc knocked open the door and threw the carried wanted criminal onto the ground.

The commotion woke up the others in the warehouse.

Catherine lit another oil lamp, and the others gradually gathered around.

When Old Dwarf saw the person on the ground, his small eyes widened, and he quickly stepped forward, wanting to see more clearly.

The Half-Elf, with better eyesight, recognized the person at a glance and rushed over, shouting excitedly as he ran, “It’s Jessica, Old Man, it’s Jessica!”

Old Dwarf’s heart was a mix of joy and worry.

He was happy that his former leader was still alive, but worried that he was now in the hands of the noble Arthur.

As Amn’s most wanted criminal, Jessica Hughes had an extremely generous bounty.

In addition to a landless Baron title, there was a bounty of seven hundred Platinum Coins.

Seven hundred Platinum Coins in Amn was equivalent to three thousand five hundred Gold Danters, almost a Baron’s annual income.

The bounty was so generous because, in the past two years, this rebel leader had repelled the Punitive Army (punitive army) assembled by Amn’s Supreme Council three times.

Other local allied forces were countless.

Remarkably, in numerous battles, he had only been defeated once, which was the encirclement battle that took place in Falcon Earl’s territory.

But even in defeat, he made the encirclement army led personally by Falcon Earl pay a heavy price, and even nearly killed Falcon Earl.

After this battle, the title “Noble Killer” became associated with Jessica Hughes.

After the defeat, this legendary rebel leader disappeared, and many believed he had died from severe injuries.

But as long as his body wasn’t found, the powerful figures within Amn would not have a moment’s peace.

Jessica Hughes was like the Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.

Old Dwarf felt that any sane person would choose to hand Jessica over for the reward.

For a moment, he thought of escaping with his former leader.

But as soon as he saw Arthur, that thought was extinguished.

Arthur was a good person, the kind he had rarely met in his over three hundred years of life, even Old Joe and Catherine, the smartest among them, were willing to submit to him.

A bold idea suddenly popped into the Dwarf’s mind: perhaps this eccentric noble young master would spare Jessica.

“Old Hutu, Old Hutu, please come and see,” the Half-Elf Newt sobbed, pleading with the Rabbit-man.

Jessica, currently in a semi-conscious state, was deliriously babbling, sometimes crying, sometimes shouting.

Old Dwarf quickly went forward to help hold him down, and as soon as he got close, a strong, foul smell wafted over.

He secretly thought it was bad and carefully lifted Jessica’s clothes, only to see the shocking, pus-soaked bandages on his lower abdomen.

Old Hutu quickly walked to the patient’s side, pushed the Half-Elf aside, and began to examine him.

He tried to untie the bandages but found that some of them had already embedded themselves in the flesh.

“Hey, big guy, give me the knife,” the Rabbit-man shouted to the Orc.

Drax didn’t move but looked at Arthur; only after Arthur nodded did he hand the knife to the Rabbit-man.

Seeing this, Old Dwarf breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The Rabbit-man skillfully cut open the bandages with the knife, revealing a terrible wound—the wound had already festered, and pus mixed with dark red blood continuously flowed out.

The moment he saw the wound, Old Hutu completely sobered up.

He exclaimed, “By the Rabbit God, how did this guy survive?”

Even the Orc, who had spent many years in the gladiatorial arena, couldn’t help but look away after seeing this wound.

Recalling their recent encounter, he couldn’t help but wonder if he would have had a chance to win if this man hadn’t been injured.

After his exclamation, the Rabbit-man placed one hand on the patient’s forehead and the other opened his eyelids, instructing, “Find a cloth and stuff it into his mouth, otherwise he’ll bite off his tongue.”

The Half-Elf was about to go look when Arthur took out his own handkerchief. He quickly took it, thanked him, and returned to Jessica’s side.

“Thank you,” Airo, standing beside Arthur, whispered.

Arthur said coldly, “Don’t thank me so early, I haven’t forgiven you yet.”

Airo immediately shut her mouth.

“Damn it, I have no medicine and no surgical tools, he needs debridement,” Old Hutu quickly made a diagnosis, “At this rate of blood loss, he won’t last until morning.”

Everyone’s eyes were focused on Arthur; without his permission, no one dared to take Jessica for medical treatment on their own.

“Do you all know who he is?” Arthur asked the others.

Except for Old Hutu, everyone present recognized Jessica’s identity and knew what his presence here meant.

“He tried to hijack me,” Arthur added, “Just now.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Old Dwarf’s heart instantly chilled by half; he clenched his fists, trying to conceal his inner fear.

The Half-Elf Newt was also too stunned to speak; he had completely not expected things to be this way.

The warehouse fell into a dead silence.

Just then, the Rabbit-man broke the silence, saying, “I… I don’t know who he is, I only know he’s dying.”

“Hey, kid, if you want to interrogate him, you at least have to save him first, right?”

“If you don’t plan to interrogate him, then you’d better throw him outside; a corpse here will cause a plague. It will also infect the livestock, and then the livestock won’t be able to be sold for money.”

Arthur sighed, about to speak.

Catherine stood up, “My Lord, I don’t know what happened, and I have no right to ask you to save someone.”

“But what I want to say is, from the mouths of those captured female rebels, I learned that Jessica is a true hero.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow and asked Catherine, “He’s a Noble Killer, do you know that?”

“I know,” the noblewoman nodded, “But he fights for the weak.”

As soon as Catherine finished speaking, Philip also spoke, “Boss, I’m a rough man, I don’t understand too many reason (principles).

“I’ve heard many stories about him, not from those high-and-mighty lords.

“But from ordinary people like me—they all say he’s a really good person, just like you.”

Arthur pondered for a moment and said, “If I save him, all of us will be guilty of harboring and abetting.

“According to the law, harboring such a wanted fugitive, we would all end up on the gallows, so you better think it through.”

Old Joe was quick-witted and immediately interjected, “Wanted criminal? What wanted criminal? I only saw our kind, warm, and selfless Lord helping a dying beggar.

“Isn’t this what Mother Earth teaches us? Is our great Lord not walking correctly and perfectly on the path Mother Earth desires?”

These words made Arthur’s skin crawl.

“Alright, if none of you have any objections.”

Arthur stepped forward, chanted a spell, and began to cast a healing spell.

Except for the Orc and Airo, the others had never seen Arthur cast divine magic.

So, when they saw the surging green energy, everyone’s eyes widened.

Old Joe, dedicated to the freedom of spellcasting, even exclaimed excitedly, “Magic, magic, it’s magic!”

The green energy illuminated the entire warehouse, surging like a tide towards Jessica’s body.

The wound on his abdomen began to heal, new flesh grew, and rotten flesh peeled away.

Jessica struggled in pain, and the Dwarf and Half-Elf held him down tightly.

Newt was already in tears.

After finishing the spell, Arthur exhaled heavily, and a strong sense of fatigue washed over him.

This fatigue was not physical but mental.

He knew this was because he had used up all his spellcasting attempts for the day.

Simply put, his magic power was depleted, and until it fully recovered, he could only cast some cantrips.

Airo was quick-witted and stepped forward to support Arthur to prevent him from falling.

Is this what magic power depletion feels like? Arthur wondered.

The feeling of fatigue came quickly and receded just as fast. He quickly recovered his spirits.

Just as everyone thought Jessica was saved, he suddenly began to convulse.

Old Hutu quickly had the Dwarf turn the patient on his side to prevent posterior tongue displacement and oral secretions from blocking the trachea.

After the convulsion, the Rabbit-man turned to Arthur and reported, “Corrupted Blood Disease, we need to give him medicine.

“Otherwise, even if he survives, he’ll become an idiot. The high fever will burn out his brain.”

Corrupted Blood Disease, a disease similar to sepsis. It is one of the most common and deadliest diseases in the DND world.

Healing spells can only heal injuries but cannot cure diseases.

Arthur knew this, so even if he healed Jessica’s wound, he couldn’t eradicate the disease in his body.

“Prepare the carriage,” he immediately ordered, “A few of you come with me, I know a place where we can find medicine.”

Before leaving the warehouse, he also said to Airo, “I hope he’s worth this much to me.”

“You won’t be disappointed,” Airo said firmly, “He’s the most outstanding warrior I’ve ever seen, I guarantee he will be loyal to you.”

-----------------

The rebel leader was placed on a flatbed cart, with Old Hutu in charge of his care.

The Dwarf walked alongside, holding an oil lamp, Arthur rode his horse, the Orc and Half-Elf cleared the way ahead, and Airo followed at the very end of the procession.

The group headed towards the slum.

Arthur knew a Black Market Doctor there; throughout Wolf Den City, if anyone could save this rebel leader, it could only be her.

-----------------

Initially, it was just two knocks.

Bang-bang.

Then, there was a pause that Joan considered hesitation. Followed by a series of annoying bangs.

Joan was awakened by the midnight knocking and had to get out of bed and walk to the clinic door.

She didn’t forget to bring that extremely sharp meat cleaver—she had been robbed before, mainly by drugged-up street thugs.

They had no money but desperately needed medicine, and her clinic was undoubtedly the best place to get hallucinogens.

When Joan opened the small window on the heavy wooden door and looked out, the knocking had stopped.

In the darkness, the first thing she saw was the dim yellow light of an oil lamp, followed by the face she hated so much.

She opened the two bolts as quickly as possible, then took out a key and unlocked the door.

As soon as the door opened, she swung the meat cleaver at the person outside without hesitation.

As expected, the other party easily dodged the attack, as if already anticipating this scene.

“You’re still as beautiful, Joan, and your temper is still as fiery,” the newcomer praised.

“And you, you damn bastard, are still as annoying.”

Joan calculated how to strike next to make this man bleed non-stop.

The man took out a gold coin, tempting her, “I’ve brought you business, Joan, a big one.”

The gold coin sparkled under the oil lamp.

Only then did Joan put down her knife, her gaze shifting to the carriage not far away.

“Let them come in through the back door,” she finally chose to succumb to money.

The man gestured towards the carriage, and the cart immediately drove towards the clinic’s back door.

She couldn’t remember how many times this drama had played out, but victory always belonged to this man.

She always succumbed to his sweet talk, his skills in bed, or his money.

In short, Arthur always had her wrapped around his finger.

After the noble young master entered, Joan relocked the wooden door; she didn’t even bother to check if there were others around.

Local gang members had declared her clinic a safe zone—an area immune to threats during the gang wars in the slum.

If anyone dared to cause trouble here, within three days, they would be hanged by the gang on the dead tree in the center of the slum.

“What’s the situation?” she asked Arthur as she walked towards the back door.

“Corrupted Blood Disease, a very serious kind, so I had to come to you. I know you’re the best.”

Arthur’s flattery pleased the Black Market Doctor.

But as soon as she opened the back door and let the carriage in, her entire body instantly froze.

Two seconds later, curses spewed from the doctor’s mouth like a machine gun.

The infuriated doctor even threw the keys in her hand at the noble young master.

Arthur was prepared, easily dodging the flying keys, then a wooden barrel, then a bone-crushing hammer…

As he dodged, he gestured for the others to quickly close the door and carry the patient to the treatment room.

“You damn bastard, do you know how much trouble you’ve brought!”

The Black Market Doctor wailed in despair.