Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 102 - 98 Division of Labor

"The curse of Naslan?" Ralph took the piece of paper, frowning as he deciphered its handwriting. "Verlet, what is this curse? A special product of this ghostly Naranya?"

The eyes that resembled amber stones glanced at him with a coquettish irritation, then closed in contemplation. Verlet stroked her chin thoughtfully, "It seems to be a legend passed down among the older generation."

"It’s said that the current lord of Naranya, namely Baron Tyron, is actually just a branch of the family that once ruled this land. The territory originally belonged to the Naslan family. However, for some unknown reason, the family ultimately fell to ruin, so the previously departed branches inherited the original domain."

"But Baron Tyron did not follow tradition and ascend to the title and position of Duke of Naslan, and he did not even reclaim the ancient surname."

"The elders believe that these could be considered irreverent decisions, which angered the ancestors dormant within those woods."

"The last Naslan Duke had mysterious powers, and it was rumored that he was a sorcerer."

"But what attracted most attention was not his power, wealth, or status, but his daughters."

"The legendary beauties, known as the Naslan Jewel. Every subject of the duke was captivated by their beauty, and merely gazing upon them was enough to bewitch the beholders, sending them into ecstatic rapture."

"Some said they were angels leading Naslan, others thought they were demons tempting people into depravity."

"A disaster devoured all the beauty that Naslan possessed. The ancestors of Baron Tyron, with some of their subjects, fled, while the rest remained forever with that bygone family."

"Those woods are where the Naslan castle ruins lie, deep in the forest, perhaps with remnants of broken walls still there. But we will never know for sure."

"Every person who entered the deep forest never came out again. Those woods, like a man-eating monster."

"Members of the Naranya family, if they have an eldest son, are drawn to those woods. And eventually, their servants would see a beautiful woman appear beside them, shortly before they disappeared."

"That is the daughter of Naslan, coming to take away the family’s descendants."

"This is the curse of Naslan."

Lyle posed the question, "If the problem lies with those woods, why didn’t Baron Tyron move far away, instead building his castle near its edge?"

"Because of the opposition by the older generation, the very elders we see outside the castle."

"They weren’t the ones who fled Naslan, but their forebears were deeply affected by Naslan, retaining absolute loyalty to the Naslan family."

"To them, the Naslan family is their true lord, while Tyron is merely a usurper. This abnormal mindset has been passed down to their progeny."

"This results in the true peasantry having a good impression of the lord of Naranya, but those with a glimpse of Naslan’s former glory look coolly on Baron Tyron."

"Their longing for those woods and disdain for Naranya are like an inherited disease in their blood."

"The Naranya family had no choice but to position their living areas close to the forest, allowing those people to gaze upon the place that haunts their dreams."

Ralph placed his boots down from the table, having left muddy prints on the previously unblemished mahogany surface.

He flipped the manuscript over, wiped off the mud, crumpled it up, and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Uncle, how could you do that? That was an important clue."

"What kind of clue?" Ralph casually flipped through the books sandwiched in the bookcase to check for any remnants of a similar manuscript.

"Evidence like the study of the mystic arts by a noble scion can only be considered a trivial scandal, one that brings neither benefits nor achievements. It’s a lose-lose situation; waste paper can only serve the purpose of waste paper."

"By the way, we should deal with Baron Tyron’s eldest son’s bad habits before they burn us too."

"This room, it seems to have no value left."

"For Karent’s disappearance case, we still need more information. Let’s split up and act, teams of two. Gather intelligence in Naranya and meet up at the inn in the evening."

"Myself and Lyle, Verlet and Karen..."

"I object! There’s something wrong with these groups!"

Ralph looked at Verlet and Karen’s refuseful expressions, his eyebrows knitting into a frown.

"Do you have any objections to my arrangement? Verlet, pairing veterans with newcomers is our most effective distribution of labor. Although your work abilities remain to be confirmed, your experience is undoubtedly the most extensive after mine. This is the most reasonable approach."

Verlet raised her fingertip to the same level as her willow-leaf eyebrows, speaking confidently and arrogantly.

"First, I am the Chief of Public Security; I hold the highest office here. Next, I am a local of Naranya; I am most familiar with the local customs and practices. Therefore, I should lead this operation."

"Second, considering the efficiency of gathering intelligence. Ralph, you should give up your blind confidence. Perhaps you are unaware of the extent to which outsiders detest you. If we really went by your plan, I’m afraid the intelligence gathered by your team would near zero. In fact, the only people who can gather intelligence are three of us." Verlet curled her lips into a smirk, giving Ralph a teasing look as his face turned pitch black, "And then there’s a negative one."

"Third, even though Lyle is young, the gap between him and you is immense. I believe his articulate nature and maturity more than qualify him to lead a team."

Upon hearing praise directed at Lyle, Ralph’s sullen face softened considerably.

"So, your suggestion is..."

"Lyle and Karen will team up, the collective youth may lower others’ guard, potentially leading to unexpected results."

"We’ll form a team. My socializing abilities in Naranya are evident to all. I will coordinate with your communication skills, which are as dead as a doornail, to potentially gather intelligence."

Lyle had every reason to suspect that this woman, with her smile and clear thoughts, had ulterior motives.

Ralph thought deeply, seemingly coming to a decision. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

He glanced at his internally selected niece-in-law.

"And what do you think, Karen?"

"Verlet’s arrangement is not wrong, but her reasons are," Karen voiced.

"The reason I’m in the same team as His Highness Lyle is that we might encounter a vampire attack. I’m a Paladin of the Silver Knight level; I am the strongest against vampires! I must stay by His Highness Lyle’s side to protect the Purifier’s safety!"

Karen devoutly clasped the long staff, and on its surface, a shadow of holy light materialized into a long-handled war hammer.

You all are weaklings; I will protect His Highness the Purifier!