Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 229 - 83: Return to the Old Haunt_1

Chapter 229: Chapter 83: Return to the Old Haunt_1

(Happy New Year to everyone, wishing you all the best. Here’s to send my New Year greetings to everyone. P.S., I slightly modified the ending of Chapter 81. Is it better this way? Perhaps. I tried my best.)

"Hey, dummy Vivian." Lina reached out, poking Vivian’s cheek, "Since you’ve recovered, get up. We should get going."

"We’re leaving just like that?" Vivian cocked her head, stealing a glance at Catherine, "What about the real treasure..."

"Forget it, the Shining Forest is so big, we have no clues, where would we find the real treasure." Lina responded irritably. "Moreover, we don’t even know if the treasure exists. Let’s drop it."

"So, we’re just going to let Elrad go? The one who’s been playing us from the start?" Vivian retorted, dissatisfied. "I can’t accept this."

"None of us can." Catherine stated bitterly. "But what can we do, we don’t even know if he’s alive or dead. Even if he is alive, he just needs to hide somewhere unfamiliar for a few years, change his appearance as he grows, we might not be able to recognize him. By then, he could easily dig up the real treasure and revel in it. How could we possibly accept that?"

"Actually, there’s not much to be upset about, we lost fair and square. He’s smart, he must have planned for this outcome from the start." Pannis shook his head in resignation. "Ever since he guessed that we were out to hunt for the treasure, we’ve been following his plans step by step."

"I understand he had a plan, but I still can’t understand why he lashed out at us." Catherine questioned. "He clearly needed us to open the door for him, didn’t he?"

"Because he wanted to reduce the number of people." Pannis explained, "Don’t you think we have too many people? This many people

would make it difficult for him to kill everybody using the traps inside. Hence, he tried to control the number of people outside to a range that he can manage. Only then could he ensure his own safety."

"But, say, if you or Vivian had been killed by him on the way, we might not have even found the entrance." Lina interjected, interrupting Pannis’ explanation. "That way, his goal would have been unachieved."

"So what, it’s not the first time." Pannis shrugged nonchalantly. "What do you think happened to those past teammates he claimed to have killed or the adventure teams that were wiped out because of him? For ruthless fellows like him who stop at nothing to achieve their goals, they wouldn’t dare to seek vengeance just yet, he must’ve felt that those teams also had too many people to start off with, just like us. Only this time his plans fell through because we were prepared."

"Indeed, he didn’t expect it." Vivian agreed. "When we exposed him, he did panic, but quickly returned to his level-headed self. I thought he was venting right before death because he knew he was cornered, who knew these were also part of his impromptu contingency plans."

"Contingency plan? Shouldn’t he be trying to hide his deeds at that time?" Catherine asked, "Why would he confess instead?"

"Because he had already seen through you, our esteemed decision-maker." Vivian got closer and retaliated by poking Catherine’s face. "If he hadn’t confessed his crimes, could you have let him go just based on the things he did to us and to Dora?"

"I don’t know." Catherine thought for a moment and shook her head. "Perhaps I would have insisted on taking him to Dora. But I’m not sure, after all, I have a closer relationship with Dora, perhaps I would have taken care of him on Dora’s behalf. Now, if you ask me to imagine, I honestly don’t know how I would have decided in that situation."

"Yes, so he needed to make your choice more assured." Pannis continued from where he left off. "Why did you decide to spare his life without any hesitation? Back then, you had no clue that he might know where the real treasure was, there was no issue of who can, or can’t kill him over the treasure, why did you still let him go?"

"His crimes were too severe, and involved too many adventure teams. If possible, of course, I would want to take him back and let the Guild deal with him in the end, including all the belongings and equipment left by the adventure teams that were wiped out because of him, Edrad needs to repay them all to the Guild." Catherine stated, "In such a situation, how could I just simply. . . Okay, I get it. Was this his coping mechanism thought out within seconds?"

"That’s why he’s considered smart." Pannis sighed. "Unfortunately, he was too clever for his own good, and became the most unstable factor."

"But at least you could work out the reasons behind everything after the incident, which is really impressive." Lina gave a thumbs up for encouragement. "If it were just me, I wouldn’t be able to figure all these out even if I racked my brains."

"What’s the point of realizing it after everything happened." Pannis laughed bitterly. "So many years of experience, just to be fooled by a child like a complete idiot. It seems I’ve really been living too leisurely these past years."

"At least you now know how you lost, and you can learn from it for next time." Sensing the atmosphere was getting a bit grim, Lina tried to cheer everyone up. "Hey sis, doesn’t matter if you’ve been used this once right, no need to be downhearted over something minor like this. Let’s get ready to go, we still have more missions waiting for us."

"Who’s downhearted over something like this?" Catherine rolled her eyes. "At the end of the day, I’ve had it too easy, which made me too arrogant. Felt like a lower rank Iron Rank Professional like him couldn’t possibly escape from our watch. Never thought he would not only escape, but also take the treasure with him. Next time I come across such a situation, I won’t be so arrogant. I’ll just break his legs and take him back. There’s nothing to be downhearted about."

"Then why do you look so guilty, like you’re about to cry?" Lina asked. "Let’s get going."

"Because I’m broke now, sigh. Is life meaningless without money?" Catherine returned to her low-spirited state, head drooping in melancholy. Fortunately, she regained her senses and returned to the nearby campsite and started packing.

"Actually, if you have a change of perspective, you might feel better." Pannis didn’t cease to work while continuing his persuasion. "Perhaps everything Elrad said was correct and we just didn’t understand the implied meanings. Maybe to him, we really are bandits."

"What do you mean?" Catherine paused, her hands slowing down as she pondered and said, "Isn’t it always first come, first served for ownerless treasures?"

"Heh heh, I just thought of an interesting question," Pannis gave a cryptic smile, "No one knows Elrad’s surname, right? If, I mean if, our guesses were correct, then wouldn’t you wonder why everyone else’s treasure maps are incomplete and only he has the detailed information of the real treasure?"

"You mean, he is the true inheritor of the Naren royal family?" Catherine dropped the tools she was holding in surprise, her suden shock brought her to say, "Is that possible?"

"Of course, there are no concrete records detailing the extinction of the Naren royal family," Pannis shrugged, "Don’t you think it would be more dramatic if his surname was Naren? And if he really is a Naren, every irrational part of this puzzle, including why he insisted that the treasure was his, why he despises other treasure hunters, all start to make sense, don’t they?"

"Now that you mention it, it does seem like that," Catherine said, suddenly enlightened, "If that’s the case, it would explain all the issues. Alas, it’s a pity that no one can tell us if this guess is true."

"Whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter to us anymore, since we’ve already lost the opportunity to find the treasure," Pannis said nonchalantly, "The key point is, does thinking this way make you feel a little better?"

"Um, indeed." Catherine nodded in agreement, her expression suddenly becoming sadder, "How could I feel better! It’s money we’re talking about, the most important thing in the world!!!"

"Hahahaha." Enjoying Catherine’s rare display of emotional breakdown, the two girls and Pannis couldn’t help but burst into laughter, their laughter dissipating the gloom cast by the unsuccessful treasure hunt. Catherine’s cries of heartache strangely blended with their joy, creating a strangely harmonious atmosphere that echoed under the sky of Dragonscar.

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"Damn Pannis, is this your definition of a shortcut? Damn it, I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you."

"Hahaha, we did return two days earlier, didn’t we? I wasn’t wrong, was I? Hehe, I never said the shortcut would be easy."

At dusk in early winter, such dialogues suddenly burst out from the periphery of the Shining Forest. Shortly after, four figures, all covered in dirt and blood, their clothes torn and stained, emerged from the almost bare forest, looking totally disheveled.

"Your said that the log was sturdy and we could safely walk on it. Why did it break when I stepped on it? That damn log caused me to fall into the river. I almost drowned," Lina, with her silver hair now a dirty brown, complained loudly.

"Actually, the log was indeed sturdy. It broke for a reason," Pannis said in all seriousness, his expression grave. "It broke because you’ve gained weight."

"I hope you die a thousand deaths."

"Alright, alright, stop the squabble," Catherine intervened with a wry smile as she held back the furious Lina, and chided, "The river was only waist deep. Who knew you’d almost drowned? And you, Pannis, you should stop provoking Lina, why are you giving in to her madness? And, it was your responsibility to check that log."

"Hey! Who are you calling mad?" Lina protested, "I’m perfectly normal!"

"Enough bickering, my head’s aching. Watch Vivi, be careful not to lose her again. You’re all so difficult," Catherine writhed with an agonizing headache, "At least we’re out. We’ll have a good bath and sleep once we’re in the village. I’m beat!"

"Absolutely, we need a good wash." Lina agreed vehemently, "Look at all this mud in my hair, it must’ve added at least three kilos."

"So, I was right," Pannis nodded, "You have actually gained weight."

"Die!" Lina darted after the fleeing Pannis.

"I don’t care anymore." Catherine said, massaging her aching temples. "Do as you please."

"Let’s see you run away! I’m going to kill you! Just try to get down from the tree!" Lina was both hunting and chuckling, ending up exhausted and panting by the end. "Damn it, he really can run!"

"I’ve always said, I’m a master at escaping," Pannis was saying, but then his face turned solemn. "Hush, something’s wrong in the village."

"What?" Lina, alongside Catherine who was leading Vivian, huddled past and peered through the foliage. In the distance, Spindle Village seemed just as calm under the outer wooden walls as it was when they left.