Dekla stared at the daughter and father duo.

His lips curled into a smile as he watched the hairdresser hug his daughter in tears.

Surprisingly, the daughter woke up not too long after the black sizzle was cut.

She finally woke up after a few years of coma, basically, and that must be overwhelming for her as well as the hairdresser. Having to see people crying at funerals, countless time made Deklan numb to most emotions in this kind of situation.

But seeing tears of happiness rather than sadness brought a completely different feeling entirely.

This must be what doctors really feel after a successful surgery. It's kinda nice.

Deklan exited the room, allowing those two to have their moments.

He was doing this to pay for the haircut.

Now that he has paid for the service, it is time for him to leave.

I wanted to go eat as much as I want, but it seems like I'll have to wait for Kaelyn. Or maybe—can I make money since I'm an Exorcist? Is there a bulletin board where I can place an advertisement?

As Deklan was contemplating what he was going to do next, he heard rushed footsteps.

It was the hairdresser who was rushing back down.

"Here…" the hairdresser shoved something on Deklan's hand. It looked like a paper, but not a regular one. "It's a one-hundred-credit bank note. You've given me a miracle, and this is the least I can do to repay you."

"What? I was only doing that to pay for the haircut," Deklan smiled wryly.

He wasn't accustomed to the money in this world.

But compared to the cost of getting a haircut in a good establishment like this, where everything is clean and polished, which costs about six silvers, one hundred credits sounded like a fortune. Something that a normal family might live its whole life and never hold that much.

It was simply too much.

"Nonsense. Don't refuse this. My daughter's life is infinitely more valuable than money."

"In that case… I'll not refuse."

Putting it that way made it impossible for Deklan to refuse.

Then again, this should be more than enough to have a grand meal for himself while he waits for Kaelyn.

Just then, the hairdresser grabbed Deklan's hand and pulled him out of the shop.

"Everyone!" He shouted with a beaming smile—catching the attention of many passersby. "This man is a miracle Exorcist! He cured my daughter from Mana Infection that even three Shamans deemed to be impossible to cure!"

"A miracle Exorcist?"

"He's an Exorcist? He looked rough."

"But that's Albert; he's known to be reserved. If he came out like this, I'm sure it's true."

Hearing this, Deklan's eyes widened as he wasn't expecting to be promoted.

All he wanted was to get a haircut, but things developed this way.

However, it's not like he was going to shy away from this.

A grin crossed his lips.

This is an opportunity!

Deklan stepped forward and faced the people who stopped to listen, "Fellas! My name is Sir Pumple, and I am nothing but a wandering Exorcist. I'm not going to stay in this town for too long, but in the meantime, if anyone needed my help… Curing others or even killing Ghosts, I'm open to doing it!"

For a second, silence fell as the people stared at him in shock.

But in the next second, it was total chaos.

People crowded him and shouted their requests, desperate for Deklan's help.

Back to the present.

"So—let me get this straight," Kaelyn sat across from Deklan in a local inn, staring at him, devouring a whole roasted chicken like he hadn't eaten for days. "You came here to get a haircut. You can't pay, so you miraculously cured the hairdresser's daughter. The hairdresser announced you as a miracle Exorcist. And now people are lining up to request your service?"

"Yep," Deklan nodded eagerly with his mouth full of food. "Something like that.

"I want to say that you're lying, but this…"

Kaelyn looked down at the stack of paper slips with written requests on each one, along with the pay.

Each person who gathered earlier left this behind and gave it to Deklan.

Since he was in the square, the people going around there are in the middle-class and some even in the high-class. Had that not been the case, there was no way they would carrying paper slips like this, as all people from the lower class are mostly labourers.

None of them would carry these paper slips.

Not to mention, the pay also started at around ten silvers, which was a lot.

"I'm not sure about which one to pick, so you pick one for me," Deklan said—pointing a chicken thigh at the paper slips like he was some barbarian. "I don't even know a quarter of the Ghosts listed there. Oh, also pick only uniquely strong Ghosts. Don't pick the basic ones."

Upon hearing this, Kaelyn could only rub her forehead.

Being Deklan's companion in his rise to fame is nothing but a headache.

Noticing her frown, Deklan tilted his head in confusion, "What's wrong? This is a good thing, no? It'll take no time before I make a name for myself, and that means it won't take long before you can make your clan great again."

"Yes, this is good," Kaelyn crossed her arms over the table, and leaned forward, "And it's also illegal."

"Illegal? Illegal, how?"

"Are you being serious right now?"

Deklan nodded his head innocently; he was really at a loss as to how this was illegal.

"Because you are not a registered Exorcist—idiot!" Kaelyn said in frustration, but she quickly lowered her voice when it came out louder than she wanted. She leaned back again, exhaling roughly, "It's better to find you flirting with a married woman than this…"

"What? How can your mind—even go there?!" Deklan argued. "I mean, if it's a hot mom, I won't mind, but still!"

Kaelyn rubbed her face exasperatedly.

It's like she was dealing with a child.

"Barmaid, I'll have a beer, please!" Deklan raised his hand and yelled.

"Beer?" Kaelyn face-palmed herself. "It's early in the morning, and you're already drinking beer?"

"What's so wrong about that? I've always wanted to try it out."

"We can try it out later in the night. Have some restraint, please, you're not a child?"

"And you're not my girlfriend, so cut it out. Unless this is your way of wanting something… more."

"Drink your beer. I'll not stop you."

For the next half an hour or so, Deklan ate and drank beer without restraint.

He was stuffing his face with food to the point that his belly was now bigger like a pregnant woman.

Across from him, Kaelyn was the complete opposite.

She was drinking tea, waiting for him to finish whatever craving he was having right now.

It was then that Kaelyn stole a glance at him—remembering something that wasn't quite addressed by Deklan or even Marsha. "I was refraining from asking this since I thought you were still grieving," She put down her cup of tea and stared straight at Deklan. "But since you looked fine right now, I've got to ask. How are you here?"

"How am I here? What do you mean?"

"I mean, how are you still here in front of me? How are you still alive?"

Upon hearing that, Deklan's hand paused mid-track.

He looked up at Kaelyn and then placed down the drumstick on his plate, "Didn't I tell you that I'm going to tell you my secrets when we're closer? Why do you keep asking these things? Have a sliver of restraint, will you?"

Deklan covered his mouth with his hand and chuckled cynically.

It felt good to throw back Kaelyn's words.

Especially seeing how the calm and composed Kaelyn was now holding back anger.

"You little kid…" A vein bulged on Kaelyn's forehead as her face turned red. "It's too unnatural for me not to ask. You're supposed to be dead. I saw how wounded you are, and there's no way you could've survived that. I need answers, and you can't get out of this easily."

"We're going to be sticking together. Wouldn't it be better for you to tell me?" She continued.

"Is that a challenge?" Deklan grinned as he wiped his greasy lips with a napkin and leaned back. "Are you sure it's a good idea to challenge someone who supposedly came back from the dead? For someone like you, that's pretty stupid."

Kaelyn's eyes narrowed.

He wasn't wrong.

Even the sheer fact that she was insisting on an answer showed that she was disturbed.

'Nothing about him made sense,' She thought, then shifted her gaze to his arm. 'I have never even seen that mark on his arm before. He's right. I think it's best for me to back down now. I don't want to make an enemy of him.'

'Besides, his secrets might even get me killed.' She closed her eyes and crossed her arms.

Forcing this matter is not a good idea, and she now realizes that.

"Fine, I won't as—"

"Tell you what," Deklan cut her sentence short, folding his arms as his gaze swept over the barely filled restaurant. "If you eat this big ass drumstick that I was about to finish before you fouled my mood, I'll tell all my secrets. Right here, right now. But you have to do it like a caveman. Total mess."

Kaelyn massaged her temples.

It was going to be one of Deklan's antics again.

"And what do you get out of watching me do that?" She asked.

"Hmm…" Deklan rubbed his chin, contemplating the answer. "Maybe because you're always so uptight and calm. Even when you told me your worries—your face barely changed. And meeting with Marsha, too, you're not fazed at all. It makes me kinda want to ruin your image."

"Is this one of your kinks?"

"Hey! Calling it a kink is too much, n—"

Before Deklan could even finish his sentence, Kaelyn grabbed the drumstick and began.

She threw away any etiquette.

Kaelyn untied her hair, letting it fall down loosely, and grabbed the drumstick with her bare hand and started shoving it into her mouth. She took bite after bite, even chewing loudly to the point that all the people in the restaurant turned to look.

Munch! Munch!

Even though she was creating a scene, she didn't seem to care.

In fact, while eating, her eyes never faltered from Deklan.

Almost like she was making sure that Deklan was watching her do exactly what he wanted.

It was a sight that completely stunned Deklan.

Once she was done, she threw the bone to the table and only then wiped her mouth elegantly.

"Are you satisfied?" She asked, completely unfazed. "Now, tell me your secrets."

Deklan swallowed harshly as his lips curled into an awkward smile.

Hahaha… I'm only teasing her. I wasn't planning to tell her that easily. But with her being so eager like this, can I even say no?

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.