2-73 - How Could the Villainous Young Master Be a Saintess?

Return Volume Two - 73: The Riddler Aysifis How Could the Villainous Young Master Possibly Be the Saintess? Volume Two - 73: The Riddler Aysifis Author: Han Tang Return Updated: 2025/6/20 20:30:01 Word Count: 4026 Aysifis was somewhat surprised to find the thing that had been spying on them dared to come back. She hadn't expected something so brainless to attempt something with such disproportionate risk to reward. It appeared she might have overestimated her opponent. This incident's mastermind wasn't the inscrutable strategist she had imagined. There was nothing meticulous about the plan, and there was a chance this idea was conceived on a whim. In her vantage as an observer, Aysifis saw no woman on the wooden fence. It seemed to be a pure magical ripple that had pulled Vinni into an illusion, muddled and unclear. Just as she was about to intervene, Vinni astonishingly managed to free himself from the illusion. This unexpected turn indicated to Aysifis that he possessed an uncommonly strong will and formidable mental fortitude, sufficient to break free from an enchantment beyond his level. Upon sensing the retreat of that power and presence, and confirming Vinni was unharmed, Aysifis returned to her room, closing the door as if nothing had happened. Aysifis returned to the magic-crafted bathtub. Her delicate, snow-white lotus foot gently pushed aside the brown loafers as she dipped her toes straight into the clear warm water. Why didn't she believe that the lurking entity would return? Because doing so was foolish—reappearing with them on guard would expose its mysteriousness completely. Now Aysifis had fully guessed what was plaguing the village. Why were the magical serpents within the nest divided into two distinct groups? The first bunch were wild beasts that attacked the village, but they were later replaced by serpents bred by the demon race. These obeyed the commands of the demons, indicating a fundamental difference. Expert in illusions, controlling serpents, striking when an opposite sex is alone, and that unique magical aura — all pointed towards a specific species. At the moment, in the courtyard, Vinni stood dumbfounded for quite a while before realizing. Did this Young Master just fall under a spell?? Damn it, there indeed was something unclean in this village. Thinking back, when under the spell, he felt a strange familiarity, as if he had encountered a similar scene before. But how could that be? His life experiences weren't so diverse to have faced such an event. He reckoned this was his first such encounter, yet couldn't place where the fleeting sense of familiarity came from. So many oddities. Vinni sighed softly, drained from the occurrence. He washed up quickly, disposed of the water, and took another glance over the fence — still nothing there. After inspecting the yard, Vinni returned to his room, tidied up, and went to sleep. The next morning, the sun was nowhere seen; the sky seemed misty. Vinni grabbed a piece of bread, walked out, and found Aysifis already awake, conversing with an old man. Vinni approached to eavesdrop on their conversation. "Young lady, I saw you coming back from the northwest yesterday—pardon my asking, but did you go to the serpent's lair yesterday?" the old man asked, leaning on a cane. "Yes, we needed to investigate thoroughly, and naturally went to the serpents' den," Aysifis admitted openly. Hearing this, the old man sighed deeply and shook his head. “Let an old man give you a word of advice: stay away from such perilous places.” “Oh? Why is that?” “It has housed magical creatures—there’s bound to be danger.” The old man explained, “The village is peaceful now, as you can see. There’s nothing suspicious anymore.” “But we did find something amiss in the serpents’ lair yesterday.” Aysifis tilted her head. “Amiss? Young lady, there’s nothing of the sort,” the old man responded, his voice dropping a bit along with a subtle change in expression—none of it escaped Aysifis's notice. “Indeed, we found traces of alchemical potion use within the lair, smelled the remnants of it, though the serpents themselves would lack the intelligence to make or use such things. I suspect duplicitous individuals visited that place.” Aysifis analyzed with seriousness. Hearing this, Vinni’s brows furrowed. Didn’t they find traces of scroll magic last night? How did it become traces of potion usage? Yet he stayed silent. Did Aysifis remember wrong? Clearly not; she must be lying to the old man for her own reasons. “Alchemical potion?? Young lady, are you sure you didn’t smell it wrong?” surprised, the old man lowered his voice and glanced around the courtyard unconsciously. “No mistake about it. To speak frankly, I am an alchemist myself and cannot be wrong about it. This must be thoroughly investigated.” Aysifis declared firmly. The old man said no more, only sighed. He knew how stubborn the young could be. He’d been the same in his youth, not heeding advice. “Young lady, some things are best left unprobed. Sometimes pretending ignorance is a wise choice.” “Old sir, do you know something?” Aysifis pursued. “What could I know? Just an old man with one foot in the grave, hoping only for someone to care for my grandson after my passing.” The old man shook his head, then walked away, leaning on his cane. "Aysifis." With the old man gone, Vinni stepped forward. Aysifis glanced at him, but her look conveyed that no words were necessary—her eyes already had his query answered. She gave Vinni a look that said 'Patience,' then, “We’ll revisit the serpent’s lair tomorrow; maybe we’ll find something new.” “Oh, right.” Vinni nodded, slowly grasping the meaning behind her words. Why not revisit today if it was urgent? Also, noting she hadn't lowered her voice before, he was aware it was not meant solely for him. “Indeed, on reflection, we must’ve been too hasty in our previous search—there are clearly more questions to be resolved. Let’s check again,” Vinni said, feigning insight. Both returned to their quarters, acknowledging one another’s unspoken plan. Vinni sat across from Aysifis the whole day in contemplation. “So, what’s the situation now?” Vinni whispered. “Tomorrow morning, all will be revealed,” Aysifis responded enigmatically, tucking her hair behind her ear with a confident smile. Is she really pulling the riddler act now? It’s as if she enjoys watching him rack his brain to no avail. Oh well, as a freeloader, he might as well let Aysifis run the show. By evening, the old man returned, advising them to stay indoors as wild beasts might roam at night in such remote villages. Yes, something does wander, but it might not be wild beasts. During this time, Vinni and Aysifis strolled around the village, noticing many villagers listless, zombie-like, making the whole village appear morbid. One more night passed. The following afternoon, Vinni heard a knock on his room door. Dressed and yawning, Vinni stepped outside, and there stood Aysifis. "Vinni, how was your sleep last night~?" Aysifis asked with a cheerful smile. She was immaculately dressed, her silver hair perfectly combed, shimmering under the sunlight. Her flawless appearance starkly contrasted with Vinni's disheveled look, his hair a messy tangle. Aysifis resembled a dazzling gem, always appearing so classy and poised. Vinni had never seen her flustered. "Not bad, just average," Vinni replied nonchalantly. "Average? You’ve slept until the afternoon." "Why? Do we have plans today?" "Yes, tidy yourself up. Later, we’ll be meeting with Father Fukas." "Oh," Vinni responded. He didn't question why or why it had to be in the evening; he was content to let Aysifis handle the thinking while he simply went along. After a while, Vinni quickly tidied up, and together they headed out. Arriving at the village church, they knocked on the door. "What can I do for you two today? Please, come in," Father Fukas greeted them warmly as he opened the door. "Father Fukas, we're here to inform you that we've made some progress in our investigation," Aysifis said after they sat, while Vinni silently sat by her side like a bodyguard. Since he didn't have to speak, Vinni chose to play the part of the silent, mysterious character, exuding calmness and depth. "Oh? New progress?" Father Fukas was quite surprised. "Do you have new information to add?" "It’s not just an addition; I believe it's too soon to conclude on the serpent problem," Aysifis smiled. "Too soon? What do you mean?" Father Fukas asked curiously. "Father, we've investigated the serpent lair over the past couple of days and found traces suggestive of alchemical potion production. We also detected the lingering scent of such potions." Aysifis reiterated the story she'd told the village elder, now for the priest. Vinni was used to it by now and silently observed the modest church. "Is that so?" Father Fukas seemed quite surprised. "When I led the villagers into the lair last time, we didn't notice any unusual smells. Was I not paying enough attention?" "It’s likely not an error on our part, though we haven’t found concrete evidence yet. It’s getting late today; tomorrow morning, we will continue our investigation and hope to uncover something." Aysifis full of righteous determination, talked with the enthusiasm of a novice determined to clear the innocent—a touch naive but earnest. Her acting was impeccable; apart from Vinni, everyone believed her. "We’re approaching you because we're hoping you could contact your church to send professional help for verification and further assistance. It's crucial for us, given it concerns all the villagers of Lake Village. We suspect the matter might not be simple." "Understood, I’ll try to reach out to the church," Father Fukas readily agreed. "Thank you; the Carriemn Institute is far, and we can only rely on you." "It's no trouble; just part of my duty." After bidding their farewell, Father Fukas saw them to the door. Once back in the yard and inside their room, Aysifis’s expression shifted from upright innocence to a sly, fox-like grin. Tsk tsk. Vinni observed quietly, suppressing a smirk. Her acting and rapid change in demeanor could leave Detectival Master Restanne crimson with envy. "So, what exactly are you planning?" Vinni asked. "Tomorrow, the fox’s tail will show," Aysifis chuckled. "I don't know about others’ tails, but yours is showing," Vinni glanced at Aysifis, "Grinning like a fox indeed." Vinni didn’t bother asking about Aysifis’s exact plan anymore, knowing she’d only give cryptic hints and leave him to riddle it out himself, which was quite maddening. Ah, the main character life. "Remember to wake up early tomorrow, Vinni." "Yeah, I know." The next morning, they headed back to the serpent’s lair. Vinni expected Aysifis to search earnestly this time, but after entering the cave, she only half-heartedly searched for a bit, wandered around, and then conjured a chair to sit elegantly, playing with her fingers. “?” Vinni was increasingly puzzled by Aysifis's actions. Perhaps there’s some investigation that needs to wait for darkness? After quite a while, as dusk fell, Aysifis finally got up from her chair and headed towards the entrance. "Let’s go, Vinni." "Huh? Just like that?" "What else? Do you plan to stay the night here~?" 2025/06/20/23/01 『Add to bookmarks for easy reading』 Previous Chapter | Directory | Next Chapter Bottom ad banner floating ad Enter book title•author ↑ Home | My Bookshelf | Reading Log