Chapter 489: The Righteous Man of the Dark Demon (6k)
Aaron Reed was bending down to pick up an apple that had fallen and rolled away, hitting the ground and bruising.
He picked up the apple, wiped it off, and said to the shop owner, “I’ll buy this apple.”
At that moment, the sound of hooves suddenly arrived, and he turned around to see three carriages from the Duke’s Mansion slowly approaching.
“Carriages from the Duke’s Mansion?”
Aaron Reed furrowed his brows slightly, lowering his eyes.
Under the sunlight, the old man with white hair looked gloomy.
He had been in the capital city for some time, but the people from the Duke’s Mansion had always been reclusive. Apart from the Valkyrie and the Beast Sage, the only ones who frequently entered and exited were the four tutors.
He had never found an opportunity to interact with any of them internally.
Unexpectedly, while waiting for a chance and taking a leisurely stroll, he coincidentally encountered the Duke’s Mansion carriages.
Such carriages pulled by dragon horns were naturally reserved for internal personnel.
Aaron Reed took a deep breath, knowing that his opportunity had come!
…
The carriages slowed down after entering the Eugenie Trade Circle and stopped directly in front of a tavern.
This tavern called “Horseshoe” was a negligible part of the Diemon family’s business chain.
But as part of the family’s business, whenever the Diemon family came to the Eugenie Trade Circle, they would park their carriages in the backyard of the Horseshoe Tavern.
The tavern owner watched as the main family’s carriages parked, and his originally relaxed expression changed slightly. He hurried out.
The tavern owner’s name was Hanson, a burly man whose arms were thicker than an average person’s thighs.
As soon as he stepped out, he asked the leading Dragon Tamer guard in a low voice, “Which noble is visiting today?”
The two men exchanged glances.
The Dragon Tamer smiled and replied, “It’s the young master.”
“Young master…” Hanson hesitated for a moment, trying to figure out which young master it was.
Until his eyes fell on the Diemon family crest beside the emblem of “Duke,” his expression changed dramatically, and he panicked, “Is it that young master?”
The Dragon Tamer smiled, “Hanson, I’ve transferred to the Duke’s Mansion for almost half a year now.”
“I don’t know,” Hanson rubbed his hands, his surface tension gradually easing.
Although the young master of the Duke’s Mansion was mischievous, he wasn’t so bad as to eat people; at worst, he might just tear down the tavern he relied on for a living—nothing serious!
“Don’t be nervous.”
Just as the Dragon Tamer was about to say something for his young master, the door of the carriage opened from inside, and “Lion” Trina poked her head out.
“We’re here?”
“Yes,” the Dragon Tamer quickly answered.
Trina didn’t even glance at Hanson and said, “Let’s go to the backyard first.”
The Dragon Tamer waited until she turned her head and then hurriedly drove the carriage into the backyard.
The backyard of the tavern was spacious enough for three dragon-horn-drawn carriages to enter one after another. Then Dark and others slowly got out of the carriages.
Hanson, who had been following closely, watched Dark Diemon get out of the carriage, feeling like there was a fire burning inside him, stifling him.
Though he hadn’t had much contact with the young master, the young master’s exploits were widely known.
Especially among those running taverns, they heard news quite often and naturally knew about the young master’s deeds.
Although the young master didn’t eat people, his skills in “destroying homes” were truly proficient!
Today, after this, his “home” he had stayed in for over a decade might be gone!
“Are you Hanson Uncle?”
Hanson blinked hard, thinking he must have hallucinated.
But he soon noticed that Diemon Young Master was indeed talking to him.
“Hanson Uncle, don’t you remember me?” Dark said with a smile after getting off the carriage.
Hanson’s expression froze, racking his brain but failing to recall when he had met Dark before. So he forced a laugh and said, “Welcome Young Master to the Horseshoe Tavern. If Young Master wants anything to eat or drink, just say so. I’ll immediately send someone to ask the head chef at the Eugenie Grand Hotel to prepare it.”
Dark neither confirmed nor denied: “Looks like Hanson you really don’t recognize me. Actually, I came here three years ago.”
“Three years ago?” Hanson closed his mouth, recalling.
Dark casually said, “Do you remember that fire?”
Hanson’s face instantly changed: “That child was you!”
Dark closed his Mana Book and turned his head toward the kitchen on the other side of the courtyard, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes: “I’m sorry for burning your kitchen, but Olivia should have compensated you, right?”
Compensation?
Even if his bones were nearly broken, compensation?
Hanson’s heart was bitter, but he could only lie on his lips: “Compensated, compensated.”
No wonder…
Back then, he had puzzled over who he had offended, leading to his kitchen being mysteriously burned down, and after the incident, he was beaten severely with a sack over his head!
He had intended not to pursue the matter since the other party was a child…
But who could have thought that the disheveled child would turn out to be the young master of the family?
Right, Olivia…
So the person who beat him that day was the Headmaid Olivia from the “Aries Constellation”!
No wonder he couldn’t fight back back then.
Hanson couldn’t help shivering.
“Hmm?”
Dark noticed Hanson’s unusual expression and immediately realized that his understanding of the situation might be wrong.
But since that matter was in the past, it was best left there.
Who hasn’t made mistakes when they were young?
Thus, Dark easily forgave his past self.
Then he no longer looked at Hanson, turning to the other two carriages and clapping his hands: “Everyone, get out.”
Immediately, all the Golems poured out of the carriages.
Hanson could never have imagined that these three carriages contained so many creatures, including even dragon breeds!
Sweat flowed down his forehead, and he dared not speak more.
After getting out, the Golems opened their eyes wide and looked around.
The architecture style of the tavern’s backyard was similar to that of Traveler’s Street, so they were not unfamiliar with it.
The Vampire Noble pulled the Phoenix Girl and ran over, jumping and bumping into Aurora, and asked Dark, “Where are we going to play next?”
Dark looked outside and smiled, “Divide into groups of six, take the maid sisters along, and go wherever you want, but remember to return here before eleven. We will have lunch at this tavern today, and perhaps we can hear some interesting stories from the adventurers’ mouths.”
“Really?” The Vampire Noble’s eyes lit up immediately, and her Phoenix companion also showed emotion.
Although these Golems had gained consciousness—they became even more aware of their identities because of it.
Being a Golem meant
It was supposed to have nothing to do with “freedom.”
They could now think, learn, and even do many things they desired, all because of the presence of their current master.
Being his golem, was already the greatest happiness in this world.
Moreover, he loved and cared for them so much.
…
“Of course it’s true.”
Dark chuckled and nodded, then said, “After we go out, you can use your sacred coins to buy whatever you want. If you don’t have enough, you can borrow from the maids. However, every hundred sacred coins borrowed need to be repaid with one hundred and twenty when you return, using little red flowers as repayment. If your savings at home aren’t enough to repay the debt, the amount due will increase by 10% each month after that. Do you understand?”
Not only the vampire noble.
The other golems also quickly calculated in their minds, then their expressions froze. They knew they couldn’t spend money recklessly; otherwise, they might fall into an endless cycle of debt!
But some of the golems had an idea and realized there was a big business opportunity here.
If borrowing from the maids required paying 20% interest, what if they offered loans with 10% interest?
“Hahaha!”
Thinking about this, the imp beast couldn’t help but laugh.
Dark glanced at it and said, “Golems in my group can now apply to join other groups.”
“Meow!” Meow immediately raised its paw.
“Yomimi—” the mana spirit flew over.
But Dark immediately said, “Meow and Yomimi cannot.”
Both golems immediately wilted like frost-bitten vegetables.
But Dark knew their dispositions very well.
Once away from his control, Meow’s greedy nature would surely flare up. Buying things recklessly would be bad enough, but he feared she would buy things without spending money.
As for the mana spirit…
He didn’t want to hear screams on his rare leisure days.
“What about me?”
When no other golems showed any willingness, the imp beast pointed at itself with its wingtip.
Dark trusted it completely: “Choose a group.”
The imp beast immediately started choosing between the two groups led by Deoxys and the lion beast.
Since the wealthy big milk jar was in the lion beast’s team, it had no chance to interfere there, so it had to choose Deoxys’ team.
Fortunately, the weakest-willed among them, the vampire noble, was in that team—haha, they were somewhat related, so they could help each other.
…
With the groups clearly defined, three teams filed out of the back courtyard of the Horseshoe Tavern.
The appearance of these golems inevitably affected the operations of the Eugenie Trade Circle.
To those who didn’t understand magic, these golems were no different from monsters.
Only the vampire noble’s chicken wings were hidden in her clothes, otherwise, it would cause even more commotion.
But since Dark brought them out, he didn’t care about these details.
In fact, some adventurers carried tamed beasts, and some magi were accustomed to carrying a few golems.
The difference was just that he had a few more.
So, everything was fine!
…
As Deoxys and the lion beast led their respective teams away, Dark turned and asked, “Do you have anywhere you want to go?”
Diana blinked and immediately said, “The Fluffy Candy House!”
Aurora curiously asked, “Is it the one that sells heart-piercing plum candy? Is there a branch here too?”
Diana puffed out her chest and said, “There isn’t a candy house in the capital I don’t know!”
Dark smiled, “Then let’s go to the Fluffy Candy House.”
So, Dark held the Mana Book and carried Meow under his arm, setting off!
…
Since they had no particular purpose, they naturally did whatever made them happy.
Even when they encountered reckless bandits along the way, they were terrified by the maids’ “aura” and fled in panic.
Such minor incidents were good for cultivating one’s temperament.
Dark accompanied Diana and Aurora to the candy house, snack shop, clothing store, toy store, bookstore—and even a kitchenware store!
Watching Aurora carefully selecting kitchen utensils, Dark realized for the first time that she could do more than just sewing.
He wondered if her cooking skills were as good as Olivia’s.
…
Happy times were always fleeting.
Before long, it was noon, and Dark returned to the Horseshoe Tavern, sitting by the window on the second floor, watching the bustling crowd below with a relaxed feeling.
The tavern owner Hanson kept asking what they wanted to eat, but Dark simply replied, “Anything goes,” and dismissed him.
Soon, some nut snacks were served on the table.
Then Hanson personally cooked, vowing to make the young master bow before his culinary skills, and then disappeared for a long time.
Only when the other two teams of golems returned did Hanson come out with a pot of sour cabbage fish.
“This is a local specialty dish I learned from a wandering bard!” Hanson proudly said, seeing the young master’s surprised expression.
“It looks good.”
Dark didn’t hesitate to praise it, then picked up a fork and plunged it into the pot, taking a piece of fish to savor in his bowl, tasting flavors reminiscent of his past life.
Just this familiar taste alone made his appetite soar.
Seeing Dark rarely showing such an expression, Diana was also tempted beyond endurance.
Before lunch began, they were already enjoying themselves immensely.
The other tables of golems immediately knocked on the table with their forks and knives in dissatisfaction.
This behavior would certainly be severely criticized by Vigo, the head maid, in the duke’s mansion.
But the tavern had its own rules.
People drank, sang, laughed, and cursed, making quite a lively scene.
At first, guests felt wary of the golems, but as the golems displayed childlike innocence, curiosity replaced their initial caution.
As the atmosphere relaxed, the tavern gradually returned to its usual ambiance.
Listening to the guests’ boasts, Dark found it amusing.
…
On the second floor of the tavern, just a table away from Dark.
An elderly man with white hair and beard spread out a tarot card set on a round table and began divination.
This naturally caught Dark’s attention.
Tarot cards were a commonly used tool for divination.
Professor Metia had mentioned them in her astronomy class.
Of course, she only gave a brief introduction.
After all, she only touched on the basics.
“Tarot divination,” is extremely profound and difficult to master.
On the streets, those fortune tellers who use “tarot cards” for predictions are almost always frauds—99.999% of them.
However, seeking a fraudulent fortune teller’s prediction can be quite an interesting experience.
“Blub?”
Eevee poked its head out from Diana’s arms.
Since Professor Metia had taken a class on tarot cards, Dak bought a deck of tarot cards for Eevee.
Eevee clearly enjoyed the tarot cards and often played with them in the dormitory.
Dak occasionally saw it using tarot cards to predict for other golems.
Of course, that was just a small game called “divination.”
Now seeing someone playing the same small game in the tavern, Eevee was very interested in joining in.
But as soon as it stuck its head out, its fate was firmly seized by the back of the neck.
Diana grabbed it back into her arms, stroked its spine, and smiled, asking, “Do you want to do a divination?”
Eevee immediately nodded: “Blub!”
“Then let’s take a look.”
Diana grinned, jumped off the chair, and eagerly approached the old man’s table.
At this moment, three others were receiving a divination. They looked like an adventuring party.
Seeing Diana walk over, Dak slowly strolled over with the mana book in hand.
The adventuring party consisted of two men and one woman.
This was quite common in a three-person adventuring team.
After all, women tend to be more meticulous and usually have some life skills, making them good at managing resources and gaining advantages in communication.
In short, the presence of a woman is necessary for an adventuring party.
A team consisting entirely of males often gives off a too masculine impression.
And a team of two women and one man might seem less reliable.
This is the result of the current era’s differences in gender perception.
Dak glanced over and noticed that the only woman was a “mage archer,” a general term for an archer who has a basic grasp of magic.
The two men were one traditional warrior with a sense of aura but no fluctuation of mana.
From the long sword hanging at his waist and the spear in his hand, it was clear he was proficient in two weapons.
The other male adventurer was a shield-axe wielder, also a traditional warrior focused on cultivating aura.
This adventuring party had the shield-axe wielder as the vanguard, the swordsman/spearman as the midguard, and the mage archer as the rearguard, combining defense and attack, close combat and ranged attacks, and having some magical attack capabilities, making them quite versatile.
From their aura, they didn’t seem like newbies who had just entered battle.
However, the three-person team was currently quite nervous.
“Did they take on a high-risk task?” Dak guessed, walking up to the table.
He then looked at the “fortune teller.”
The elderly man with white hair and beard was slightly haggard but had few wrinkles, giving him an air of longevity and otherworldly wisdom.
Such an elderly person often wins people’s trust at first glance when acting as a fortune teller.
“Old sir, how much does your divination cost?” the mage archer sitting down asked.
The old man counted on his fingers and said, “Today’s destiny is here; no charge.”
“No charge?” the mage archer hesitated, “Then will it be accurate?”
The old man raised his eyelids and said, “Fortune tellers who defraud do so for money. Since I don’t charge you, what are you afraid of?”
“That’s true.” The mage archer relaxed a bit, “I want to know if my companions and I will encounter danger in the next half month.”
“Is that all?” the old man asked.
The mage archer nodded forcefully: “That’s all!”
The old man responded, shuffled the cards, arranged them according to a spell circle, and lightly touched them, causing the tarot cards to vibrate.
A light array flashed and disappeared, and the tarot cards returned to silence.
But this added a mysterious element.
Including Diana and Eevee, the spectators became even more focused.
The mage archer was even more tense: “Has the divination come out?”
The old man smiled slightly and said, “If destiny could be easily revealed, what would we fortune tellers do? Show me your palm, facing upwards.”
The mage archer extended her hand.
The old man’s fingertips emitted mana, drawing a “4” in her palm, then withdrew his hand and said, “It’s done. From now on, your fate is intertwined with the tarot cards. Draw a card, and it will show your destiny.”
The mage archer felt the lingering mana fluctuations and picked a card from the deck on the table.
She drew slowly, beads of sweat gradually forming on her face.
If this tarot card truly foretold their fate in the next half month, then her current actions were deciding their fate.
This put immense pressure on her.
Yet, the moment her finger fell, “destiny” was already decided.
The old man pressed down on the card she drew, squinted his eyes, and said, “Give it to me.”
The mage archer involuntarily retracted her hand.
Her two companions also closely watched the card.
Under everyone’s gaze, the old man flipped the card open.
On the card was an upside-down figure!
“An upside-down person?”
A hint of astonishment and suspicion appeared on the old man’s face, with a shadow deep in his eyes.
The mage archer noticed his subtle expression and asked nervously, “What does this card symbolize?”
The old man was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “This is the ‘Hanged Man.’ The Hanged Man symbolizes justice. Those who fear justice are hung upside down. But justice never compromises; even hanging here, it continues to reflect and await the day of rescue. So, what you are about to do, is it a righteous act or an unrighteous one?”
The mage archer’s expression changed slightly, her lips slightly parted: “Naturally, it’s a righteous act.”
The old man lowered his eyelids and said, “If it’s a righteous act, there’s no need to fear. Even if the worst situation arises, as long as you patiently wait, misfortune will eventually pass.”
The mage archer couldn’t help but look up at her two companions, but they did not respond.
She couldn’t help but say, “Does this mean we will definitely encounter danger?”
The old man nodded: “Though it’s not a good interpretation, it’s indeed so.”
Having said that, he prepared to reshuffle the tarot cards.
But the “Hanged Man” card was suddenly pressed down.
Dak curiously asked, “What if it’s an unrighteous act?”
