Chapter 104: (Grind Sail Town Arc) I Hope Ada Can Be Happy

The commotion had already alarmed the neighbors. Some of them didn’t even have time to get fully dressed before rushing to the courtyard gate to see what was happening.

Inside the room, Penny had already climbed off the bed, slowly shuffling her small feet until she reached Saul’s side. Unlike her brother, her face showed none of the despair he wore.

She reached out and touched Saul’s knee, giving his leg a gentle shake.

“Brother Saul.”

“I’m here.”

“Are they going to take Penny away?”

“Yes. And your brother probably won’t be able to stop them.”

“Then, Brother Saul,” Penny looked up at him with her little face, surprisingly calm, “if they take me away, does that mean Penny’s going to die?”

“More or less. Are you afraid?”

“Actually, dying isn’t such a scary thing. Brother Saul…”

“Hm?”

“If Penny’s going to die anyway, then these eyes won’t be needed anymore. You can have them, Brother Saul.”

Saul looked at Penny and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He reached out and ruffled her hair.

“I don’t take things from others for free, Penny. So tell me—do you have any wishes?”

Penny innocently touched the top of her head. This was the first time anyone had ever ruffled her hair.

“I hope…” she said without much hesitation, “I hope Ada can live a little happier from now on.”

Saul was momentarily stunned. He’d expected her to say something like “I don’t want to die.”

“Got it,” Saul said softly. “Now, tilt your head up and open your eyes wide. It’ll sting just a little.”

Outside the house, Ada was still making his final stand, while Captain Jeff had yet to resort to violence.

Over the years, this had always been Jeff’s way. Rather than forcefully taking the girls, it was better to pressure the family under the watchful eyes of the townspeople until they gave up willingly.

That way, when they lay awake at night, they could still comfort themselves with the thought that they had sacrificed their children for the greater good of the town.

And sure enough, people had begun to persuade Ada.

The reasons were nothing new: “The town took you in,” “You can live a peaceful life here,” “One must not forget kindness,” and so on.

Aunt Jenny, who was always eager to gossip, appeared at the gate. She walked slowly into the yard, and her first words completely broke down Ada’s resolve.

“Ada, just let Captain Jeff take Penny. You’ve been in Grind Sail Town for so many years and never showed any sign of leaving with her. Wasn’t that because you were already prepared for the day she’d be taken away?”

Ada, who had just been standing strong, looked up in disbelief. “Aunt Jenny!”

Jenny chuckled lightly. “If that weren’t the case, you should’ve left long ago. You were just clinging to the safety and comfort of Grind Sail Town, weren’t you? And when faced with that kind of life, risking your sister a little… that was something you could accept, wasn’t it?”

Ada’s shoulders slumped all at once, and he shook his head in despair. “No. That’s not it. It’s not.”

Captain Jeff glanced up at the sky. This Ada was proving to be unexpectedly difficult. And today, neither the wizard nor the mayor could come…

He motioned with his hand, and the soldiers behind him rushed forward, deciding to seize the girl by force.

Over the years, they had run into stubborn types before. If time was short, they could just grab the girl first and smooth things over later.

When Ada saw the soldiers charging, he ran to the doorway and braced himself in the frame with both arms and legs.

“No! I won’t let you take Penny!”

The soldiers didn’t care about a defenseless boy and were about to break through with brute force.

But then, a figure suddenly darted between Ada and the soldiers.

It was Jayce.

He held a long blade in his hand—one identical to the one Captain Jeff wore at his hip.

“Hey, Ada. You think you can save Penny like that? At a moment like this, someone like me who’s willing to pick up a weapon is what you need.”

“Jayce?” Ada couldn’t believe it. At this most critical moment, the one standing up for Penny was the very person he had always looked down on and been wary of—Jayce.

Seeing Jayce appear, Captain Jeff finally stepped forward.

“Jayce, this isn’t your concern.” Jeff also drew his blade.

“It absolutely is. Hate to break it to you, but Penny is already my daughter. She calls me ‘father,’ so naturally, I’ll protect her.”

Jeff’s expression darkened slightly.

The onlookers in the yard began to back away. They realized that a fight was about to break out.

“You lot, get Penny out of there. I’ll deal with Jayce,” Jeff barked.

Jayce knew Ada wouldn’t be able to hold off the soldiers. While keeping an eye on Jeff, he also had to bear most of the pressure to help Ada.

But having been out of the military for so many years, he wasn’t sure he could handle so many opponents.

It looked like a bloody clash was inevitable.

“Ada, Jayce.”

“Brother, Father.”

A hoarse voice called out from behind them.

Both men froze and turned toward the house.

Penny was slowly feeling her way outside. Her eyes, usually wide open, were tightly shut.

Saul still sat on the table inside, watching everything unfold with an emotionless face.

“Penny, get back inside!” Ada shouted.

“Ada, take Penny and run. I’ll hold them off,” Jayce said, still trying to buy time.

“Brother, father, don’t fight anymore. Just let them take Penny. Penny’s not afraid of dying.”

Ada looked at her in disbelief. “Why, Penny?”

Jayce snorted coldly. “She’s just a child. Don’t take her words too seriously.”

And with that, he charged forward with his blade.

The soldiers hadn’t expected him to attack so suddenly and had to dodge first.

At the same time, Jeff arrived. He slashed down, narrowly missing Jayce’s shoulder.

Luckily, Jayce changed his move in the nick of time, raising his blade horizontally to block, avoiding a bloody injury.

But he could feel it—after all these years without fighting, he was no longer the warrior he once was. The moment he picked up the blade, he realized he’d grown old.

Ada picked up Penny, intending to dash out of the courtyard. But the gate was already packed tight with townspeople.

Even when they saw Ada carrying Penny toward them, no one moved aside.

He tried to push through them, but there was no way he could overcome the strength of so many people alone.

He was quickly pinned down by the pursuing soldiers, and Penny was snatched from his arms.

This time, the townspeople immediately cleared a path.

A few soldiers dragged Penny and began heading out.

Just then, Penny, who had been silent, suddenly turned her head and shouted, “Ada! Brother Saul promised me! He said he’d make sure you’re happy in the future!”

As soon as she said it, she was taken out of Ada’s sight.

“PENNY!!!!”

Ada was still being held down, unable to move.

Jayce, meanwhile, had been struck down by Jeff and several soldiers.

Jeff didn’t go for a killing blow—just left a long, thin cut across Jayce’s chest.

“Jayce, what you did today crossed the line for Grind Sail Town. You’ve got three days to leave,” Jeff said, then added, “Or, if you’re willing to change and come back to serve in the guard, I can still let this go.”

Jayce just clutched his wound and slowly got to his feet, not responding to Jeff’s offer.

Jeff shook his head and left with his men.

After the soldiers withdrew, some neighbors wanted to approach Ada and offer comfort but when they saw his bloodshot eyes glaring at them with such fury, one by one, they shook their heads and backed away.

And, as if to preserve their dignity, they murmured, “Let’s wait until he calms down.”

(End of Chapter)

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