Becoming a God Starts with Acting-Chapter 91: [Fish] - Nerio’s Part (3)

All of humanity was stunned by the bald man’s words. Even Eryon couldn’t help but frown slightly.

[Surprised? Shocked? Didn’t expect that, huh? Ha ha ha ha]

[Who would’ve thought these NPCs are just a bunch of scammers who don’t even believe in the supernatural tales of the William family? Ha ha ha]

[Look at how those female NPCs are dressed—probably trying to seduce the head of the William family to change their lives. Ha ha]

[Anyway, every time these NPCs die, they get to start a new life, right? I bet the humans never imagined they’d walk alongside a nest of con artists. Ha ha ha]

The gleeful comments flowed endlessly, though the humans had no idea about any of it.

All eyes turned to Eryon—not just from the NPCs but also the humans.

Eryon immediately frowned, waving his hands dismissively as he replied dryly, "Alright, I get it!"

At that moment, the NPCs said no more and took the lead toward the William family castle. From afar, the castle looked enormous—up close, its vastness and grandeur were even more overwhelming.

As the group approached the gates, the large doors opened. A butler stood in the shadows, looking at them with a friendly smile:

"Our master has been expecting you for quite some time. Please, come in."

The exorcists chuckled continuously as they eagerly stepped into the castle.

As soon as he entered, Eryon shivered, rubbing his hands with an uncomfortable expression. "What the hell is up with this place? Why is it so cold?!"

The others felt the strange temperature difference inside the castle, too. Compared to the somewhat warm weather outside, the inside was noticeably chilly. The sharp drop in temperature was enough to make someone like Eryon, a regular person, visibly uncomfortable.

"Why are there so many stone basins here? Are they trying to refrigerate the place?" Eryon looked around the castle, frowning. Beneath the towering columns or the small decorative trees were solid blocks of ice placed in stone basins.

There were so many of these basins that the cold air they emitted made the floor seem as if it was wrapped in a thin layer of mist.

In this era, acquiring such ice blocks was indeed no easy task—this alone hinted at the unimaginable wealth of the William family.

But Eryon’s sudden remark was definitely inappropriate. No one could be sure whether his careless words violated some deadly rule. The expressions on Cocona’s group turned visibly unpleasant.

However, before the humans could react, the bald man angrily scolded Eryon:

"Eryon, show some respect to our client!"

Eryon’s face turned cold, and though he said nothing, his expression clearly showed his discomfort with everything around him.

[No matter how you look at it, Eryon is clearly a pampered young master who’s been spoiled since childhood—can’t endure hardship and doesn’t even bother to hide his feelings.]

[But that kind of personality won’t do him any good in a dungeon.]

[He might end up as a literal stepping stone. Ha ha ha.]

[I thought he’d hold himself back a little after entering the dungeon, but nope—he’s not, honestly not afraid!]

[I don’t know whether to call him brave or just plain stupid...]

[Stupid! Ha ha ha. But he’s so beautifully stupid that I’d feel bad if he died. Eryon, please live!]

[People who only judge by appearances like this are hopeless.]

"Our master does have a bit of a preference for the cold. It’s normal for you all to feel uncomfortable. We ask for your understanding," the butler said with a slight bow, hoping to receive some sympathy from the exorcists.

His body was unnaturally frail, with deathly pale skin and dark circles under his eyes so severe he looked as if he might collapse at any moment. His gauntness seemed to distort his entire face—his facial features appeared shrunken, except for his eyes, which had become unusually large, bulging slightly, with swollen eyelids.

A fish... That was the first thought that popped into Cocona’s mind upon seeing the butler’s strange face.

Upon hearing the mention of a reward, the bald man’s eyes almost lit up, though he quickly regained his composure to maintain the dignity of an exorcist. He smiled and nodded, saying:

"Let’s not talk about compensation now. Exorcising spirits is our duty—we won’t let Count William down!"

"Such noble spirit truly moves me. I’m sure you won’t be like the ones who came before."

At that moment, a man’s voice rang out.

Everyone turned to look and saw a family of three descending the grand staircase. The one who had spoken was a tall, handsome man—the master of the William family.

Next to him was his wife, who looked relatively young and beautiful even though they had a son who appeared to be nearly grown. That son, a teenage boy of around eighteen, stood between them.

As the William family descended, the eyes of the three female exorcists immediately lit up.

A blonde-haired woman smiled and said, "It’s an honor to meet you, Count William. You look so young."

The bald man shot her a cold glance, then quickly stepped in to add:

"The William family is, as the rumors say—a timeless lineage. I’m sure the Count and Countess will take your family legacy to even greater heights!"

Lady William smiled, seemingly unbothered by the attitude of the female exorcists. She nodded and said,

"Thank you for the compliment. First, if you manage to handle the strange occurrences in the castle, this is the reward you’ll receive. Naturally, the sooner everything is resolved, the more generous your reward will be."

The servants stepped forward as soon as she finished speaking, carrying a heavy chest filled with gold, dazzling everyone.

The NPCs widened their eyes, focusing solely on the glittering gold. They had already guessed the payment would be generous, but none had expected this much!

The bald man immediately exclaimed, "We will do our utmost, my lady!"

At that moment, the William family’s son, Lucian, suddenly said,

"It’s not like anyone’s ever succeeded before..."

"Lucian, what are you saying?!" Lord William snapped. Lucian fell silent, crossing his arms in frustration as he looked off.

Then Ron spoke up:

"So, there were other exorcists before us?"

Lord William nodded sincerely. "That’s right. However, none of them were able to resolve the matter. It wasn’t very pleasant. But you all are exceptionally skilled—you can succeed where others failed."

Ron smiled without replying. At that moment, Cocona asked,

"Do you not have a fixed deadline for us to complete the task?"

Lady William looked at all of them, her beautiful face curling into a mysterious smile.

"You’ll soon find all the motivation to finish things as quickly as possible."

Her words and smile gave the humans an ominous feeling. But after saying everything she needed to, the William family quickly took their leave.

Before leaving, the butler turned to the exorcists and said, "The monster tends to appear frequently at night. Also, be cautious when using water."

The butler’s warning caused everyone’s expression to grow grim. He didn’t pay them any further attention, pointed out the rooms prepared for the exorcists, and then left with the other servants to store away the gold.

The cold, desolate castle was now left in the hands of a group of frauds.