Vivian’s small hut.
Vivian lay nestled in Nolan’s arm.
Enjoying the lingering afterglow from their time in bed.
She lazily turned over, draping herself on top of Nolan.
“Hey, should we tell Derek about Marco tomorrow?”
She asked, tracing circles on Nolan’s chest as she spoke.
“It’s probably better not to,” Nolan replied after some thought.
“Derek is too soft-hearted. I’m worried he’d consider their past friendship as classmates and let Marco go again.”
“To deal with a blood mage, the two of us are enough.”
“Exactly! When the time comes, I’ll just punch him once, and Marco won’t have enough lives to survive it.”
Vivian confidently lifted her chin.
“Then let’s talk about the specific plan for tomorrow,” Nolan said.
“Tomorrow afternoon, I’ll go scout the hay warehouse area first, then lie in wait nearby.”
“At night, Vivian, you’ll disguise yourself as Big Tail Rat and make the trade with Marco.”
“When he gets close, find an opportunity to take him out.”
“Wait, I have a question!”
Vivian slapped Nolan’s chest and said loudly.
“I don’t have a big tail. What if I get exposed?”
“That’s simple. Put on a black robe and prop a stick inside it.”
“Just make your backside look puffy and full.”
Nolan quickly came up with a terrible idea.
“Hmm… That doesn’t sound very reliable.”
Vivian wasn’t very convinced by this suggestion and offered her own idea.
“I heard there are wearable fake tails in the black market. I’ll go ask about one tomorrow.”
‘This is absolutely not to satisfy any weird desires of mine. It’s a necessity for apprehending a criminal.’
She defended herself in her heart.
“Suit yourself.”
Nolan didn’t make a big deal of it either, brushing it off casually.
—
The next day, early morning.
Vivian and Nolan arrived at Derek’s church, familiar with the routine.
“Hey! Old man, open the door! Don’t you dare eat alone in there!”
She pounded on the door forcefully, like a debt collector’s enforcer.
Two hungry devils had come to the parish to freeload bread again.
Although they could get free bread from Blake’s bakery.
But Vivian still preferred to see Derek’s pained expression.
“Get lost, Vivian!”
Derek appeared from somewhere behind Vivian.
He picked up a wooden stick and tapped her on the head.
Thump!
A low, somewhat hollow sound rang out.
It made one wonder if her head was just full of water.
“I just want a piece of bread… I haven’t eaten for three days.”
“Can you really bear to see me starve to death on the streets…”
Vivian tried hard to squeeze out tears, looking pitifully at Derek.
Even though she had just come here for a free meal yesterday…
“Alright, alright.”
Derek helplessly covered his forehead and still opened the wooden door.
He had no resistance to children acting pitiful.
Even though Vivian only looked like a child and was probably an antique older than him inside.
His heart still softened.
Just a piece of bread, it wouldn’t cost much.
“Yay!”
Vivian pulled Nolan into the temporary classroom, found a seat, and sat down obediently.
She stretched her neck like a hungry baby bird, watching Derek walk into the small partitioned room.
“Did you two have any success last night?”
Derek walked over carrying a silver tray and asked at the same time.
A plate of soft white bread and a bottle of malt ale.
This was the standard fare in the church.
“Nope, that Big Tail Rat’s mouth is especially tight.”
“I plucked all the fur from her tail, and she still wouldn’t talk.”
“A true model among thieves, a fox among foxes.”
Vivian grabbed the bread, tore off a small piece, and said with her head lowered.
“Is that so? What a pity.”
Derek shook his head regretfully, speaking in a tone of genuine disappointment.
“By the way, Derek, I need to go out this afternoon,” Nolan suddenly looked up and said to Derek.
“What’s up?” Derek asked.
“My neighbor’s cow ran away. He wants me to help him find it.”
Nolan casually made up a reason.
“No problem at all. Maintaining harmony among the neighbors is exactly what a church knight should do.”
“A noble knight should act just so!”
Derek agreed without even thinking, speaking in a righteous and awe-inspiring tone.
He had actually been wondering how to find a reason to get Nolan to leave.
And then, in the blink of an eye, Nolan himself requested time off, which was perfect for him.
So he quickly agreed, afraid Nolan might suddenly get a burst of work ethic and insist on staying at the church to work.
Hearing this, Nolan was also taken aback, not expecting Derek to agree so readily.
It suddenly made him feel a bit embarrassed.
“Should I leave Vivian here at the church to help out?”
Nolan lifted Vivian up like a chick.
Vivian: ?
“No need, no need. I need to prepare lessons for next week’s classes. I need a quiet environment,” Derek hurriedly waved his hands in refusal.
He still had to prepare to deal with Marco’s matter this afternoon. If Vivian followed, he wouldn’t be able to act freely.
“Alright, then. That’s settled.”
Seeing Derek refuse, Nolan didn’t say anything more.
—
Afternoon.
“May Elios guide you and help you successfully find your neighbor’s cow.”
Derek waved goodbye to Nolan at the door.
Returning to the classroom, he quickly locked the door from the inside.
“Finally, the time has come…”
He leaned against the door, closed his eyes, and took a deep, heavy breath.
Calming the complex emotions in his heart.
After a while.
Once his emotions stabilized, Derek walked into the small partitioned room.
He opened a wooden cabinet in the corner.
Took out a large, wide black robe and put it on.
Pulled the hood over his head, revealing only his chin.
He glanced in the mirror, felt his beard was too conspicuous, and decisively shaved it clean.
Then took out that gem-encrusted longsword from the cabinet.
Derek knelt before a small statue of a deity, placing the sword horizontally on the floor in front of him.
He bowed his head, hands clasped over his knees.
He offered a silent prayer for his actions tonight.
“May Elios watch over me…”
He stood up, his knees cracking softly, and picked up the longsword.
Turned and walked out of the partitioned room, heading towards the hay warehouse outside the city.
—
Meanwhile, Vivian sneaked her way to the Squid Tavern.
“Big Tail Rat, where are you?”
“Why is there no one here…”
She muttered, somewhat disappointed.
She had been hoping to get a tail here to make her disguise flawless.
But she came up empty. The Squid Tavern was completely deserted, not a soul in sight.
“Guess I’ll just have to make do with a random stick then.”
She crossed through Black Rat Street, grabbed a ‘kind-hearted’ thief on the street corner.
Snatched the black robe off him and draped it over herself.
Picked up a handy stick from the roadside, and then headed towards the hay warehouse outside the city.