At the end of the month, a luxurious carriage of Blackwood Family could be seen entering Badril Village.

But this time, it was not the Young Master of Blackwood Family who comes to visit.

At the front gate of Malikh Family stood a young cold-looking girl with short hair. She was Bhela Malikh, who is already waiting patiently for more than half an hour. Soon, the luxurious carriage could be seen in the distance. A rarely seen slight smile appeared on the cold princess’ face.

A younger looking, sweet innocent girl opened the carriage window, waving her hand excitedly to the cold girl.

The cold-looking girl waves her hand back. Her smile widens.

When the carriage stopped, the sweet fourteen-years-old girl couldn’t wait for a guard to open the door for her. She tried to jump from the carriage window in a mischievous manner and therefore almost fell with her face on the ground. Guard of Blackwood Family had a scare when they saw this. Fortunately, Bhela Malikh reacted fast, catching the falling girl before she hurt herself, and embraces the playful girl into her hug.

“Huuu… Sista Bhela… I missed you…” the girl said in a spoiled tone.

“Don’t do that again, Lyla. It’s dangerous.”

“It’s not. And I know you’ll catch me,” Lyla Blackwood tried to argue yet meekly buried her face into Bhela’s chest.

“Let’s go inside,” Bhela said.

“Let me see Sista’s Father! Let me see him! I have some good medicine pills here! I made it myself!” Lyla eagerly showed her friend a small box made of high-quality wood. It was expensive, Bhela Malikh could tell with a glance.

Bhela then lets out a gentle smile. “Is that so? You are a prodigy doctor then.”

Lyla Blackwood harmlessly hmph-ed, then yelled with a great aspiration. “Of course! Today I’m a Novice-n.o.body but tomorrow I will become some Great Master of Alchemist!”

Bhela Malikh rubs her head gently.

Later, almost everyone in Malikh Household knew the pampered Young Lady of Blackwood Family had visited the family.

Elders come one by one to curry favors with her. They first thought that the innocent girl would be an easy shortcut to climb the social ladder. But strangely, Lyla Blackwood always avoids them. The elders tried, again and again, but that resulted once that she cried for hours. So in the end, Bhela always made an excuse to protects her.

The innocent girl may be simple-minded. But often, it was that the ones with a pure heart could tell who are insincere people with a short glance.

Bhela’s mother welcomed the Young Lady of Blackwood Family with a complicated gaze. If this girl was from another family, whether it was big or small, then she would embrace Lyla like a second daughter of hers. But ironically, it was the Blackwood Family. The one who made her family suffers a lot during these past years. Yet, seeing the unbreakable bond between the girl and her daughter, she couldn’t just make herself to hate the innocent Young Lady. But she couldn’t easily forgive her family either.

The middle-aged woman could only sigh in her heart, when Bhela told her that Lyla Blackwood wanted to visit her husband.

“Promise me you two girls don’t disturb him too much,” this warning was the only thing she could say at the moment.

Lyla Blackwood happily nodded. The Lady of Malikh Family then led the two girls into her husband's sick bedroom.

The sick, middle-aged man was lying weakly in his bed, greeting them with a pale smile. Everyone's expression turned serious. Lyla hesitated. It was Bhela Malikh who gave her a small push.

“Hey, Uncle. How have you been?” the girl nervously asked.

“Always sleeping. Mm. Uncle getting lazy each day. How are you, Lyla?”

“I’m fine, Uncle. I have some medicines for you…” Lyla Blackwood shows him the wooden medicine box.

“Oh, did you concoct it yourself?”

Lyla earnestly nods. Ghalim Malikh, the deeply ill middle-aged man, reaches his shrunken hand to rubs Lyla’s hair. He widens his smile.

“What a smart and beautiful girl. You are much better than my daughter Bhela,” Ghalim Malikh lets out a faint laugh.

“I’m not! Sista Bhela is the most beautiful and smartest and bravest and kindest and—and… and beatifulest girl I know!”

Ghalim Malikh laughs even more, while his daughter didn’t twitch even for a second.

“Here, here. Let me eat your medicine then.”

After the sick man consumes her medicine, Lyla Blackwood nervously asked. “How is it, Uncle?”

Ghalim Malikh answered with a weak smile of his. “Mm, I feel much better now.”

The truth is, he wasn’t.

But the answer pleased the innocent girl greatly. Her eyes and smile were so bright and excited. The usually indifferent girl, Bhela, couldn’t help but feel very happy for her.

“Okay now. Let Uncle Malikh sleep,” Lady Bhela said. “Bhela, bring Young Lady Lyla to play around at Badril Mountain.”

“Yes, mother,” answered Bhela Malikh.

Badril Mountain was a place where monsters dwell. The younger generation of Badril Village would always climb the mountain to temper themselves, fighting monsters and hunting beasts and the likes. Hunters from previous generations also hunt there to provide meals for their family, though there’s always restrictions and rules for older warriors to not start conflicts with high-ranking monsters.

There is also a forest behind the mountains, where the most dangerous or resourceful monsters and beasts live. Older youths from this generations usually form a party to gain experience there. Not to mention herbs and other medicinal plants grow mostly in the forest, the forest became more and more exciting hunting area as the years goes by.

The cold girl and her shorter best friend were walking through the crowd at the foot of Badril Mountain.

A lot of shops were opened by locals here. Supply shops, medicine shops, weapon shops, or shops that buy hunting loots from the returned hunter and young warriors were stood busy with customers.

“Sista Bhela, is that boy s.h.i.+ra? Your fiancé?” whispered Lyla.

“Huh? How did you know?” Bhela Malikh asked back with her eyebrow slightly raised.

“I overheard some gossip just now. That is s.h.i.+ra Yashura, right?”

“Hmm. Yes, he is.”

The curious young girl was gazing the isolating youth from afar. s.h.i.+ra didn’t meddle with the crowd. He also didn’t seem to try to join a party team, or maybe he didn’t come here to climb mountains for hunting in the first place?

After gazing the youth long enough, Lyla finally noticed something and decided to asks her Sista Bhela. “Sis, is that s.h.i.+ra boy crazy?”

“Why did you said so?”

“Look at him. He was talking to himself right now.”

Bhela also glancing to the youth. Her brow furrowed, finally noticed the alone s.h.i.+ra currently was whispered to empty air like he was conversing with someone. “He isn't crazy,” Bhela said. “But maybe a little bit stupid.”

Lyla Blackwood nodded at her words. In the innocent young girl’s mind, Sista Bhela is always right.

On the other side, the Good-Natured Spirit, who currently discussing his training plan for s.h.i.+ra, suddenly laughed hard out of the blue.

“Why are you laughing? There’s something on my face?” s.h.i.+ra knits his brows and said in a complaining tone.

“Nothing, brat. I just overheard some girls’ gossip just now,” the spirit answered with a mocking smirk on his face.

“Well, we didn’t have much time to talking about some girly gossip now. I need to grow strong so my cousin Mila wouldn’t beat the c.r.a.p out of me if I lose my family’s face later.”

The event s.h.i.+ra talking about, of course, his upcoming duel with the Young Master of Blackwood Family.

“Brat. Your motivation was weird enough for an MC,” the Good-Natured Spirit sneered.

“What is MC supposed to mean?”

“Nothing an ignorant pleb like you would understand even if I had to explain it one hundred times. Okay then. Don’t waste too much time. We need to meet up with those disciples of that Balont guy or something. I saw both of them walking around here before.”

“Why do we have to meet them. It was awkward enough when I had to greet that Yurin girl. I want to avoid them if possible,” s.h.i.+ra lamented.

“What? Why? How much did that Mila girl give pocket money to you? Do you think that measly number of coins is enough to buy supply for my awesome training plan of h.e.l.l?”

“No. I don’t think so.”

“Yes, of course, it isn't. Do you also know that the Yurin Family is much-much-much richer than your poor s.h.i.+tty Yashura Family? So naturally, we need to borrow some money from them.”

s.h.i.+ra held his chin, thinking for a moment.

“Okay then. We borrow some money from them, or else I have to go back to ask some more.”

“That’s the spirit! I borrow some money from them, you just wait here!” the Good-Natured Spirit disappears in an instant, leaving the speechless youth alone waiting.

Jerrin Yurin and his younger cousin, Merly Yurin, were planning to get some spiritual herb for Madam Ross recovery at the forest behind Badril Mountain. It was harder for outsiders like them to entered experienced hunt party. So, in the end, they need a lot of expensive supply and potions for bribes if they want their journey to the forest to be a smooth one.

But soon, the pair of cousin noticed a grinning spirit float closing by. It was the spirit who forced Madam Ross to the current condition; the evil spirit!

Scared silly, their legs turn jellied all of sudden.

“You two brat! Give me your money or else…” Good-Natured Spirit intentionally stopped. He smirks gleefully.

However, the words of the spirit were so chilling and intimidating that both Jerrin Yurin and Merly Yurin didn’t dare to hesitate to present their whole wealth to the spirit. They begged in silent for the spirit to spare their pitiful lives. The Good-Natured Spirit laughed out loud, nonchalantly grabs all their money and then went away without looking back.

When he returned, s.h.i.+ra Yashura suddenly felt something wrong looking at his cheerful grin.

“Did something happens?” s.h.i.+ra raised his eyebrows.

“Why—what? You stupid piece of s.h.i.+t always thinks I'm suspicious whenever I’m smiling, geez.” The spirit felt wronged.

s.h.i.+ra, who never believed one word from the shameless looking spirit, asked again, “what did you say to them?”

“I totally said, ‘brat, give me your money or else s.h.i.+ra has to go walk back to his s.h.i.+tty home for more.’ Well, maybe I should say ‘borrow’ instead of ‘give me your money’.”

“Mn. It was rude. Looks like I have to apologize when we get back.”

“Who the f.u.c.k cares! Time to shwooooping spree! Let’s go!” roared the Good-Natured Spirit and he floats away.

s.h.i.+ra shakes his head, follows behind.