Chapter 510 511-The Secret Inside the House


    ??"Elder Monka, may I meet with the hunter named Rudo?" Ali requested.


    Despite hesitating for a moment, Monka did not refuse.


    Truthfully, he didn''t believe Rudo to be capable of such an act as attacking humans.


    The subhumans in the vige were those who sought no conflict with humans, wishing only for a quiet ce to live.


    This very reason was why the people of Oak Vige, knowing of their existence, helped conceal them and even introduced other like-minded subhumans.


    Initiating an attack on humans now would ce everyone in the vige in extreme danger!


    No one could escape the relentless pursuit of humans.


    Even if they miraculously avoided the military''s clutches, the ubiquitous adventurers, motivated by hefty bounties, would joyously y any wandering subhuman they encountered, delivering them to the adventurer''s guild for rewards.


    Ultimately, no one would survive.


    "You can rest in the empty house over there for now. I will bring Rudo to you shortly!"


    Monka gestured towards a small, somewhat dpidated but still intact house on the edge of the vige.


    It was perfectly suitable for a brief respite.


    "You can be assured, no one in our vige has ever initiated violence against humans. If they had killed anyone, they could not stay here; we wouldn''t ept such an unstable element."


    A policy of prudent self-preservation, then.


    Ali lowered her gaze, deciding not to reveal her own status as a subhuman.


    She wanted to see, when facing a "human," to what extent these subhumans would go.


    Would they simply yield unconditionally, or would they opt to leave room for negotiation for both sides?


    Neither staunch resistance nor unconditional surrender is the best choice.


    The former is too reckless, thetter too weak.


    True living should embody neither subservience nor arrogance.


    Nodding, Ali took Jelia''s small hand and headed towards the somewhat dpidated house.


    Monka nced at their retreating figures, signaling the surrounding subhumans with a look before quickly turning to leave.


    He needed an exnation from Rudo; there was no room here for any element that might disrupt the bnce with Oak Vige.


    Without the vige''s support, none here would survive.


    ...


    Stepping into the house with Jelia, Ali and Jelia found that it wasn''t as rundown inside as it appeared from the outside.


    The walls and roof were intact, and although the house was dusty from long disuse, it was perfectly suitable for a rest.


    Ali ced their bags down in a rtively clean spot, watching Jelia explore the house''s only two rooms without stopping.


    After calling her, Ali finally got the little girl to settle down.


    Yet, Jelia''s eyes remained wide with curiosity, looking around.


    "Ali, why is this house empty?" Jelia tugged at Ali''s sleeve and asked.


    "How would I know?" Ali rolled her eyes, unsure of what else to say.


    Such nonsensical questions could onlye from Jelia, a seemingly smart yet often silly little girl.


    Why does everything need to be questioned to its roots?


    Isn''t it a blessing not to know many things?


    "I know, though," Jelia said, mysteriously blinking her eyes, looking quite pleased with herself as if saying, "Beg me, and I might tell you."


    "What''s the reason?"


    Unfortunately, Ali didn''t catch on to Jelia''s real intentions, or perhaps she understood but chose not to y along, deciding instead to exert her "adult" authority.


    She ruffled Jelia''s hair, taking advantage of the moment Jelia was fixing her hair to ask, "What did you see? I''ll mess up your hair again if you don''t tell me."


    "I won''t tell! I''ll have Howard break your legs! Howard said he''d break the legs of anyone who bullies Jelia!"


    The little girl backed away and then hurried into the inner room.


    Soon, there was silence from Jelia.


    Ali didn''t take it to heart, assuming the girl had found something else to capture her attention.


    Unpacking some belongings from her bag and cleaning a table with a rag, Ali considered whether to borrow a pot to make some soup for dinner.


    Jerky is tasty when roasted, but it feels dry in the mouth.


    Some soup would be much better.


    After waiting a while with no sound from Jelia, Ali wondered if the girl had suddenly be more patient than usual.


    Normally, she would quicklyin of hunger.


    Jelia was more punctual than Ali when it came to meal times, always dering her hunger right on schedule, far more urately than any mana-crafted clock.


    Something seemed off.


    Ali thought for a moment and called out.


    No response.


    Something might not be right.


    Ali touched the hilt of her shortsword at her waist, silently channeling mana and stepping lightly towards the inner room.


    Perhaps due to the surrounding subhumans, she had somewhat neglected to inspect the entire cottage immediately.


    Standing at the doorway, Ali heard no sound from within the room, not even Jelia''s breathing.


    With a swift step into the room, her shortsword unsheathed with a clear ring, Ali''s gaze swept across the entirety of the space.


    Her actions froze, her gaze solidified.


    "This is no joke."


    The room was empty, Jelia nowhere to be found.


    "If Howard learns of this, this vige might not survive." Ali scanned the room again.


    The small space contained only a wooden bed frame, without even a mattress.


    The floor, made of wooden nks, showed no signs of any secret passages.


    After a full circle, Ali''s expression grew increasingly grim.


    If not for her certainty that Jelia was not in immediate danger, she''d already be considering destroying the vige to prevent Howard from intervening too harshly.


    With no clues, the window shut tight from the inside, and thetch untouched, this was a sealed room.


    The only entrance was an open doorway, yet Jelia had disappeared without a trace.


    Ali knew Jelia sometimes possessed an extraordinary intuition, a sense that always pointed towards the truth.


    If one were to exin it, this intuition bore simrity to "prophecies" or "divine guidance" - a vague but direct hint at the essence of matters.


    If this intuition guided her, even without piercing through the veils of truth, Jelia might still touch upon reality.


    Was there truly something amiss in this room?


    With that thought, Ali immediately turned to find Monka.


    Neither Gick nor Rudo mattered now; Jelia was the priority.


    Where is this ce? Jelia observed the walls glowing with a faint green light, inscribed with runes that flickered with her breath.


    Even the usually fearless girl started to feel nervous.


    Reaching into her cloak, Jelia gripped the handle of her short knife tightly.


    She only remembered touching a dark red pattern on the wall in the room, then after a sh of bright light, she found herself here.


    Although not ustomed to wielding a weapon capable of killing, Jelia knew that in this situation, she could only rely on herself for protection.


    If she panicked now, even if Ali found her quickly, anything could happen in the meantime.


    And these potential idents were hers to face alone now.


    Breathing in the cool but clear air, Jelia quickly calmed herself.


    The surroundings reminded her of the days and nights spent wandering the streets and alleys alone.


    She knew how to protect herself; this survival instinct wouldn''t disappear quickly due to Howard''s affection.


    She was never a greenhouse flower but a resilient weed.


    With her knife unsheathed, Jelia recalled the instructions Ali had given her, adjusting her grip on the knife, her orcishbat instincts slowly awakening.


    Holding the anti-slip patterned handle, Jelia''s rapidly beating heart began to steady.


    She started moving forward.


    Staying put was safe, of course, but it didn''t diminish the unknown.


    Should danger emerge, it could be fatal.


    Compared to waiting passively for danger to emerge, Jelia preferred to take the initiative to explore and confront challenges head-on.


    Had she been of a passive and timid nature, she would not have boldly offered to be Howard''s ve upon their first encounter.


    Adventure and impulsiveness have always lurked within her, only restrained by Howard''s presence, thus never fully surfacing until now.


    If Howard had not agreed to her proposal back then, she certainly wouldn''t have resigned herself to her fate; instead, she would have silently sought any opportunity to rebel.


    That is Jelia, a half-orc who appears fragile but is, in reality, tenaciously strong to her core.


    The surroundings appeared to be a passage within some structure.


    If Jelia had some experience with adventures, she would quickly realize that there must be an exit here, or at the very least, a ce for air to circte.


    Otherwise, the air would have be increasingly stagnant over time, rather than remaining as clean as it was now.


    The stone bricks on the ground were clearly cut, likely mass-


    produced.


    Each brick was nearly identical, a uniformity difficult to achieve without mass production.