"He didn't come to the hamlet today…"

Marsha looked out the window as she placed down a wooden cup of water.

She knew about Deklan's routine.

Before the attack on the hamlet, he would've gone hunting to sharpen his skills, and then come to either his house or her house. Even if he wanted to sleep alone in his house, he normally says hello to her first before going in.

But she didn't see him at all today.

"Is he still exhausted?" Marsha mumbled.

Even though she was afraid to disturb him, the sinking feeling in her stomach returned.

And she couldn't endure it anymore.

It was especially devastating considering their relationship had developed further before the attack on the hamlet happened. Now—suddenly, they weren't on speaking terms anymore. "Is he angry at me for making him stay and risk his life?"

Biting her lower lip, Marsha stood up and exited her house, not forgetting to bring some food with her.

Not too far away from the hamlet, Deklan sat under the Ward, mumbling and staring ahead blankly.

One would think he was lonely—a man holding a conversation only with the empty air.

Just then, he turned to the side when he caught the sound of rustling.

A week ago, any sound he heard in the night would've put him on alert, but he gave no reaction right now. Most of the Ghosts inside the forest were already slaughtered. And the ones who still remained were those from the Shadowed Town, Ghosts under his rule.

No need for him to be alert, as there's nothing left in this forest that could pose a threat to him.

Not before, and especially not now, when he already reached the bronze rank.

"I tried approaching silently, but you're incredibly sharp," Kaelyn emerged from the forest, going down the slope with steady steps. She was slightly surprised that Deklan could sense her presence. "Have you always been this sharp?"

"Got a magical fruit not too long ago," Deklan stared ahead again at the hut. "It boosts my senses."

"Lucky you…"

"I'm guessing you came because you already have a decision."

"Yes," Kaelyn stopped a few steps away and gestured towards the empty spot beside Deklan. "May I?"

"Nobody is stopping you," Deklan shrugged, but as she sat down, he noted that she was somewhat more beautiful than normal. Her cheeks were shaded by a natural red, and her eyes looked sharper. Am I going insane, or did she wear makeup? Does makeup even exist in this world?

Regardless, Deklan didn't comment.

Still fretting over how he could increase his sanity stat.

If it goes any lower than that, he's afraid he, too, would be turning into a Zombie like Zayne soon.

"You seem to have a lot on your mind."

"Yep. I think my mind is worn down, and I'm afraid I'll turn into a Zombie, too." Deklan paused for a second, and then turned towards her, realizing that she must know the way to deal—with this. "Do you know how to heal my mind?"

"You're a noble, and you don't know how?" Kaelyn raised a brow, confused.

"I'm the first son, but my mother is a concubine. And now she's dead."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Considering someone with his kind of identity being sent to this small corner of the continent, it should not come as a surprise that Deklan's position was difficult. It's a surprise to her because Deklan did not look like he was someone depressed and lost.

On the contrary, he seemed to have a fierce purpose in mind.

Losing his mother, who is only a concubine, is basically a political death.

She is the sole reason he's a Tiernan, and without her shelter, he must have quickly lost power.

And now, here he was, exiled to no man's land.

"No worries. So, do you know how?"

"Well, nobles usually have their own techniques to heal their minds independently, without any external help. But for the commonfolk, one would hire a Shaman to heal the mind. It's quite expensive, which was why normal Exorcists invest heavily in their Spirit Talisman."

"Hmm, I see… Guess it can't be helped for now."

Deklan scooted his butt back until he leaned against the Ward, wanting to rest a little.

Breaking through to the next rank is invigorating, but it's also exhausting.

'He's stronger… I don't know how, but it felt like he had gotten stronger.' Kaelyn stole a glance to the side, staring at Deklan, who was relaxing under the Ward, enjoying the night air. She was curious—and also confused. 'But based on his mana, he should still be at the iron rank.'

Even from the moment she laid her eyes on him earlier, she knew he had gotten stronger.

It's not backed by fact, but by her senses.

And for someone like her who trained her senses from when she was young, her senses are much more accurate than basing it on raw, naked facts. "I want to try—and get my people accepted into the hamlet. Is that okay with you?"

"Not a problem," Deklan answered nonchalantly as he crossed his leg and placed both hands behind his head. "I'll talk to Marsha tomorrow. I'll introduce her and the people to the Ghosts from the Shadowed Town, and also your people. I was planning to do it today, but something came up."

"Something came up?" Kaelyn raised a brow, probing him some more. "Like what?"

"As I said, I'll share my secrets after we get closer. So don't even try."

"I thought we were already closer."

Kaelyn smiled sheepishly as she tried to be subtle, but Deklan saw right through it instantly.

She won't get anything from him.

"Is Marsha the woman who was in the Shadowed Town?"

"Yep. That's her."

"Who is she to you? She looked really worried."

"Just someone I get to know, and things developed."

"Things developed…? If you're leaving, then what about her? It is okay to just leave?"

Deklan opened his eyes to look at Kaelyn; his stare was blank, almost like he was trying so hard not to show his real feelings. "I haven't even known her for a month," He shrugged, and closed his eyes again. "Besides, she's where she belongs. And I'm not."

From the start, Marsha has shown that she thinks highly of the people.

And she also felt guilty for not stopping Granny Linsa sooner, so she was right where she belonged.

On the contrary, Deklan needed to grow stronger so that he could go home.

"Better to say goodbye now than later," He muttered with a deep sigh. "In any case, I do want to talk to you about something."

Deklan changed the gloomy topic as he sat properly, pivoting his body towards her.

"What is it?" Kaelyn tilted her head a little curiously. "If you have questions, then I'm happy to help."

"I wanted to grow stronger, meet more powerful Ghosts, and raise my name. What's the best way to do that?" He asked blatantly—confessing his goals without thinking much. "I'll even give you a reward if your answer satisfies me."

Deklan wanted to come back to his family and use their resources.

But to do that, he couldn't simply come back without anything to offer.

I need to make them beg me to come back, and to achieve that, I need to make a name for myself.

"Hmm…" Kaelyn contemplated for a moment, thinking of the best way he could do that. "You probably would need to register—as an official Exorcist, and then join a well-known faction. There are many for you to choose from, so you should go ask around once you get to the nearest town."

Deklan listened attentively, nodding his head as he noted down what she said in his mind.

This might save him a lot of time later on.

He has no experience with the outside world, and Kaelyn looked like someone who traveled a lot.

"Although… Considering what you wanted, you have to sacrifice at least one of those goals."

"Sacrifice at least one? Why?"

"To put it simply, joining a big faction means you'll need to start from the very bottom. You'd need to complete their quotas and requirements to advance to a higher position. After around at least five years, you'll then be able to take on harder missions and make a name for yourself. Not to mention, the very big factions have soul-binding contracts; you need to pay attention to that."

"I don't want to wait for that long. Is there any other option?"

"Joining the frontline is another option. You'll meet strong Ghosts easily in the frontline—but you'll be deployed for at least ten years before you're able to return home. It got good pay, though."

Deklan stared at Kaelyn with a scrutinizing gaze.

All of the options sounded horrible as each was time-consuming.

Even though he doesn't have a fixed plan on when he'll go home, the faster the better.

However, for some reason, the options sounded more terrible than they should.

It felt like Kaelyn was leading him to opt for those options.

Feeling the stare, Kaelyn tried to keep a neutral face, but she was evidently sweating a little.

"You… You're exaggerating, aren't you?" Deklan asked, eyes narrowing. He gave Kaelyn no room to answer as he continued. "If you have another motive, then it's better for you to say it to me upfront. If you're leading me to your liking, it would only build resentment."

'Isn't he supposed to be a womanizer?' Kaelyn thought sheepishly inside.

She thought he wasn't someone bright, someone who could be led on with a few smooth words.

But that doesn't seem to be the case.

Not only were his senses sharp, but his mind was also the same.

"I was hoping that you'd become an independent Exorcist. You'll still need to register, but you're not tied to anyone. Think of it like being an individual ghost hunter," Kaelyn explained, deciding to take on the truthful route. "That way, you can harvest resources on your own. Pick the Ghosts you wanted. And make a name for yourself."

"Hmm…" Deklan folded his arms, contemplating her offer.

Of course, having no one to answer to sounded good, but he reckoned there would be a lot of trouble.

Being independent meant there's nobody backing him.

It's risky. Hella risky. But it's the only way that gave me a chance to go home sooner.

Deklan nodded, deciding that this is the best route to take, "And why do you want me to do this? What's in it for you?"

"You wanted to return to your family, right? I'll help you achieve that, and in exchange, I want your help when you regain your power," Kaelyn stretched her hand as she introduced herself. "My real name is Kaelyn Yamikage, the last member of the Jinketsu Clan."

"Jinketsu Clan…?" Deklan's eyes widened.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.