Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 1169 - 281 Thank you, Matilda

Chapter 1169: Chapter 281 Thank you, Matilda

"To be precise, only one person may pass through this door," said the ghoul that came out. She was a middle-aged woman with dark skin and slender, upturned eyes that gave off a faint allure. She spoke in a calm and gentle voice as if she were a tender woman, "As for who exactly may pass, I believe there is no need for me to explain. Of course, you may try to force your way through. None of us will stop you, but whether you can enter the ritual space or not, I trust that you already have your answer."

"So, you’re planning to divide and conquer us?" Catherine sheathed her one-handed sword with a sneer, "Your plan is indeed a clever one. It started with tempting and inciting Mr. Dillie. Unfortunately for you, Mr. Dillie drew all the magical beasts into his domain, which forced you to alter part of your plan."

"This isn’t coercion. You are entirely free to refuse," said the female ghoul with a faint smile, "Personally, I would rather you all refuse and even turn back and leave, avoiding senseless sacrifice. If you return now, Death’s Gate will still open, but you can join the resistance of sentient creatures and contribute your strength. Perhaps, like a hundred years ago, a way will be found to seal Death’s Gate again, which would be better than this futile death."

"I remember now. I must have seen you before, at one of the City of Freedom’s Mercenary Corps gatherings. We were in the City of Mercenaries at the time and were invited to observe," the words of the female ghoul took everyone by surprise. Pannis looked seriously at her appearance for the first time and said with realization, "Back then you followed behind Nald of the Palm Leaf Mercenary Corps. Weren’t you just a teenager, a logistical mercenary or perhaps Nald’s attendant? I seem to recall having a few words with you, um, it’s been too long, I’ve forgotten what exactly was said."

"Commander Nald was a very strict superior, appointing me as his personal guard and having high expectations of me, even publicly reprimanding me several times. Of course, later I understood he wanted to cultivate me, it was his unique kindness. At that time, however, I was very upset. The time I met you, I was just considering leaving the mercenary corps," said the female ghoul with a grateful smile, her voice tender, "No one noticed what the commander’s young attendant was thinking, but you seemed to. You picked up the most ordinary pebble and skillfully carved it into a beautiful lark with the flick of your blade and gave it to me. When you handed it to me, you said a couple of things which I still remember very clearly. You first asked me, do you like it better now or how it was before, and after I replied that I liked it better now, you asked, do you think it was in pain just now? Was it in distress? After those questions, you patted my head and left, and I never saw you again. The gift you gave me was lost from my neck during a fight more than twenty years later. But your questions, I remember them to the death. It was those questions that made me persist in the mercenary corps and eventually be promoted to Legendary."

"Hmm, I have done such a thing? I don’t remember it," Pannis said, scratching his head, "The world is truly small, isn’t it? Back then I was persuading you, and now it has turned into you persuading me, hasn’t it?"

"Yes, I really want to persuade you not to go in. Regardless of how powerful you are, you cannot prevent Death’s Gate from being reopened," said the female ghoul earnestly, "Rather than waste your life here, better to join the upcoming war."

"Can you tell us the reason for saying this?" Catherine, sensing the female ghoul’s sincerity, softened her tone and asked gently, "Are those moribund creatures truly that powerful?"

"I’m sorry, speaking this much is already my limit. If I say any more, it would mean betrayal, and I’m not yet ready to betray my own camp," the female ghoul apologized with a small smile, "The two high priests are aware of my gratitude towards Lord Kyle and have granted me exemption from battle, allowing me to meet you simply as a messenger. However, this is the greatest concession they could offer. If I were to say any more, it might not be acceptable to them."

"But just a few words from you isn’t enough to make us give up our purpose," said Catherine, shaking her head, "We came here to prevent the reopening of Death’s Gate. No matter how formidable the opposing forces are, we won’t back down."

"Sigh, I knew it would end this way," the female ghoul said with a wry smile, shaking her head, "Perhaps this is why the two high priests allowed me to tell you all this. These words not only fail to dissuade you from stopping the ritual, they may, in fact, have the opposite effect, reinforcing your resolve."

"I’m sorry, but it is indeed so," Catherine said with a sigh, "But you don’t seem like someone who would be tempted by the promises of moribund creatures. Why would you become what you are now and stand with them?"

"What do you think we should be like? Savage? Cruel? Having killed numerous people? Extremely evil? Indeed, there are such people among us, and not a few either, but that doesn’t represent us all," said the female ghoul, shaking her head, "There are also many who do not engage in those evil deeds, and only fight for the two high priests when needed."

"Then why did you let them turn you into a ghoul?" Catherine pursued.

"Why? Because I am afraid of death, very, very afraid of death," the female ghoul did not shy away from her own weakness and stated bluntly, "Unlike you adventurers, we are mercenaries that have seen death regularly, enemy deaths, and our own. With each battle, death might descend upon us. Do you think that seeing death often makes us fear it less? No, on the contrary, the more death we see, the more we fear it, so in the time before I was on my deathbed, I was willing to pay any price to keep living. It was then that the two High Priests approached me. I could continue living, and the price was merely to assist them in battle when needed, depending on the situation. With such generous terms, how could I refuse, and why would I want to? Of course, only a few of us earliest Lost Souls received such preferential treatment. Those who joined later had no choice but to fight for them."

"Okay, I understand. Thank you for being willing to share this with us and for your warning, even though we are not willing to accept your advice," Catherine nodded, "Could you speak in more detail about what happens after? Of course, only if it doesn’t affect you."

"I can, as there is no need for secrecy." The female ghoul nodded with a grave expression, "First, the two High Priests wish for Lord Kyle to enter Between the Rituals alone, because your soul is connected to our lord’s world. If you were to completely die within Between the Rituals, your soul would become the finest offering. Of course, the High Priests are also aware of your undying trait, but it seems they have a way to weaken this trait with each of your deaths. Perhaps after dying many times, you will no longer be able to resurrect."

"I was mentally prepared for this," Pannis nodded without surprise, "If they didn’t have such a method, they couldn’t have lured me here. Heh, but they seem to have underestimated me. Once I’ve regained my full strength, even with the two of them, do they really think they can kill me that easily, repeatedly?"

"Perhaps you are confident, but I fear your confidence won’t stop the two High Priests, after all..." The female ghoul began reluctantly, then sighed and continued, "As for the ladies, you must stay here. If you wish to follow and burst in as well, the High Priests would immediately close Between the Rituals and switch to a contingency plan."

"It’s probably more than just staying here for them," Pannis said, "I don’t believe those people behind are just praying."

"Mm, Lord Kyle, you guessed right. A battle is sure to erupt. There are twenty-one of us companions like this, and aside from four of us who chose to stand aside, including myself, the remaining seventeen of Legendary Rank are all here. There are also those Undead Mages, whose task is to eliminate the ladies as a threat right here," the female ghoul said with a bitter smile, "The ladies have no chance of winning against their assault, unless you completely withdraw from the temple. However, once you leave the temple, everyone here will turn back to Between the Rituals and join the fight against Lord Kyle. In the High Priests’ plan, they have accounted for the fact that even if the ladies die in battle here, you would not choose to abandon Mr. Kyle and flee."

"Is there anything else?" Catherine asked, unstartled, even knowing that her side, the five young women, might face an onslaught from over a hundred formidable opponents. She just asked with a faint smile, "They’ve been very cautious with us, the variables. There shouldn’t be any other preparations, right?"

"Yes, that’s all," the female ghoul sighed once more, realizing she could not persuade the people before her to turn back, and spoke bitterly, "I think I understand your choices now. All I can do is wish you well and hope we can all hold on a little longer."

The female ghoul took one last look at everyone’s face, as if trying to memorize each visage, deeply bowed to Pannis, and then, without a word, turned and left.

"Regardless of the outcome..." Just as the female ghoul was about to push open the door behind her to return to the rear sanctuary, Pannis suddenly spoke, "Thank you, Matilda."

The female ghoul spun around, with a flicker of incomprehensible emotion in her eyes. Her lips trembled, wanting to say something; but Pannis just smiled, gestured with his hand, and said, "Go back, we will survive."