Vylian and Anlis were eventually kicked out.
Sigh.
She let out a heavy sigh inwardly.
Anlis truly felt regret. Uncle Fike’s kindness could only be kept in her heart.
“Oi! Anlis! Come here quick!”
The one calling Anlis was not Uncle Fike, but Aunt Meri, who made a living selling milk and honey cakes in the village.
Before she had even taken a few steps, she was stopped again.
For some reason, Anlis had a bad feeling about this.
“Come, come, Anlis.” Aunt Meri walked up with a smile, took her hand, and said in a familiar tone, “I’ve watched you grow up, little girl. I believe in your character. Now that you’ve become a hero, don’t forget your original intentions.”
“Here, this is a magic charm passed down in my family. Take it. Consider it my gift to you.”
With that, the aunt shoved a silver magic pendant engraved with intricate patterns into Anlis’s hand.
Anlis was completely stunned.
“Aunt Meri, I can’t accept this. I really can’t.”
She felt like she was about to cry.
‘Another heirloom?’
Even at her current low level, she could sense how powerful the energy contained in this pendant was. It was definitely no ordinary item.
“How can you not accept it? You’re such a kind-hearted child. This pendant gives you a shield that blocks one fatal injury every day, and wearing it also speeds up leveling. It’s just sitting here with me, and I don’t go on adventures, so it’s useless to keep it.”
What does that mean?
Vylian, standing off to the side, said nothing. She just quietly stared at the pendant, as if she could see a faint, ancient spirit residing within its patterns.
“I really don’t need it!”
“Take it!”
Seeing the two of them tussle, Vylian felt a bit speechless. “Why not give it to me?”
“Well…”
“No!”
Anlis immediately interrupted Aunt Meri’s words, raising her hand to stop the aunt’s outstretched arm.
“Save it for your own child! You can’t let Little Rosa go into marriage without even a single precious thing.”
With that, she shoved the pendant back into the aunt’s hand with lightning speed, grabbed Vylian, and practically fled, afraid that Aunt Meri might chase after them.
Before Anlis could even catch her breath, she heard someone shouting from not far away: “Anlis! Come here quick! I have a suit of ancestral armor here! It’ll fit you perfectly!”
Not you again!
How is there more?!
And it’s ancestral too?!
She had lived in this village for 18 years. When had she ever seen them have so many ancestral treasures?
She laughed in frustration.
Anlis was sure these guys had planned this all just to mess with her today!
Vylian was also at a loss for words.
This village really was a hidden dragon and crouching tiger.
The ancestral items that followed included armor, enhancement crystals, an infinitely usable healing scroll, and even a legendary-level staff.
Was this reasonable?
By the end, even Vylian was numb.
If they dug three feet into this village, who knew how many good things they’d find?
But the most baffling thing was that Anlis hadn’t accepted a single one!
Why?
That was probably the most unreasonable part of all.
Did this girl really have no greed at all?
Or was it…
“Sigh. Everyone’s life isn’t easy, you know.”
Walking down the road, Anlis suddenly spoke.
Her expression carried a hint of helplessness and worry, but also a trace of relief. “Do you think I’m being pretentious? All those treasures laid out in front of me, and I didn’t take any?”
“But these are treasures that everyone’s ancestors have passed down for who knows how long. Just because I became a hero doesn’t mean I can take them all for granted. That would make me no different from a bandit or a thief.”
Vylian fell silent.
Maybe she had thought it was unreasonable only because her own thinking couldn’t match the hero’s noble character.
‘Take not a single needle or thread from the masses?’
‘This girl really can’t be allowed to live.’
Suddenly, Anlis felt a chill run down her back.
‘Did I explain it badly? Or is this reason not to the Demon King’s liking?’
“It wouldn’t hurt to take a little, would it?” Vylian spoke slowly.
‘Maybe I need to find a way to corrupt this overly noble character of hers.’
‘A greedier hero is easier to tarnish and easier to control.’
“It’s fine. Even without these, I can still defeat strong enemies with just an ordinary sword.”
Anlis deliberately said that to make herself seem like a fool, naively believing she could beat powerful foes with a common blade.
In Vylian’s eyes, that was impossible—a hero needed the Holy Sword to defeat the Demon King.
Surely that would make Vylian sneer in disdain.
But instead…
Vylian’s expression turned serious.
‘So familiar. So familiar.’
‘Don’t those heroes in novels and manga who have all the cheat abilities love to say such naive things?’
‘No wonder she became a hero.’
‘She really can’t be allowed to live.’
Anlis had no idea why the chill on her back was growing stronger.
‘Maybe, probably, perhaps, definitely, my excuse didn’t satisfy her.’
She suddenly felt like she couldn’t keep up with the Demon King’s thought process.
Not it!
Where had she gone wrong?
Anlis was a native, after all, her thinking still somewhat grounded in reality.
She simply couldn’t match the modern novel and manga clichés running through Vylian’s mind.
But Vylian didn’t lash out. Wasn’t that the whole point of her disguise?
‘Must correct this! This kind of naive, righteous thinking must be completely corrected!’
‘She should be greedy, insecure, thinking all the world’s treasures belong to her, and that without the strongest gear, she can never defeat a strong enemy…’
‘No, that won’t work either.’
‘What if she actually manages to dig up a treasure that can defeat a strong enemy?’
Vylian’s mind suddenly became a storm of thoughts, nearly crashing as her left brain fought her right.
“You’re back! I made dinner tonight. You’ve been tired all afternoon, come and taste it.”
As soon as they walked through the door, Lisina greeted them with a beaming smile, holding freshly cooked dishes. “I learned from Vylian’s cooking style. It’s bound to be delicious.”
It looked… passable.
Looking at the food on the table, Vylian temporarily pushed aside the chaotic thoughts in her mind.
She took a small bite and, under Lisina’s expectant gaze, said gently, “Not bad. For a beginner, this is impressive.”
“Hehe, that’s great! Everyone, sit down!”
After a meal that was a bit of a lie—not particularly bad, but not particularly good either—they finished.
She took a quick bath and Vylian went straight to her room.
Maybe because she figured Anlis had only practiced all afternoon without achieving anything, Bolai didn’t test her sword skills when he came back.
Anlis breathed a huge sigh of relief, secretly glad she had dodged that bullet.
As for what she had gained today?
Anlis racked her brain and could only come up with the soft, fragrant black silk knee pillow.
But there was one good thing she had to mention.
She had gone an entire day—almost 24 hours—without triggering the curse!
That was also thanks to her pure heart, free of any wicked thoughts…
“Anlis, didn’t you say you were going to sleep in the living room tonight? Why~ are you following me into the bedroom instead?”
A gentle voice sounded behind her. The black-haired girl gave her a faint smile.
Fresh from her bath, her whole body exuded the same lingering, clear fragrance as last night.
Her skin was as white as snow, her stunning face and petite figure cast in a breathtaking silhouette under the lamplight.
Anlis’s heart suddenly began to race uncontrollably, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
A certain thought, insidious and invasive, began to consume her mind bit by bit.
Oh no!