Chapter 265: Hidden Motives

Aunt Jenny, in front of him, was now completely immersed in a painful yet exhilarating memory of the past.

“That fire…” Saul suddenly realized.

So the burning of the Grinding Sound Fruit fields had been Aunt Jenny’s doing.

Even the townsfolk probably never suspected that this woman—always so passionate about preserving the Holy Maiden’s fruit sacrifice tradition—was in fact the one who hated the Grinding Sound Fruit the most.

Or rather, she hated the Grinding Sound Fruit… and hated the people of this town even more.

Now, the consciousness of Aunt Jenny’s soul had completely collapsed, showing signs of corruption.

Perhaps it was because true clarity brought the deepest pain.

She was still laughing—until her entire head twisted grotesquely, becoming one giant, gaping mouth.

Had her soul been powerful enough, Aunt Jenny might have transformed into a real wraith right then.

Unfortunately, she was just an ordinary person. In both life and death, all that awaited her was soul collapse—shattering into dust.

Saul stood up. His needle-like right hand flicked with a snap—an octopus-like tentacle shot out, slamming hard into Jenny’s soul before sucking it dry, like slurping jelly.

At the same time, a trace of evil thought from Jenny entered Saul’s soul body.

The Diary stirred eagerly, seemingly desiring to purify this trace of evil. But Saul shook his head gently, stopping the Diary from “cleansing” it.

“I imagine you wouldn’t be content to just vanish like this. Why not come with me for a while? See for yourself the fate of this seemingly warm, but truly coldhearted little town.”

Saul leapt back onto the rooftop across the street. This time, as he searched for the most lavish house in town, he also scanned for any other lingering souls.

But just then, the sound of surging tides reached his ears again.

It was closer this time—so close it seemed to be flowing within a hundred meters.

Yet, looking out over the town, everything remained pristine. No red water. No streams.

Though he saw nothing, and the tidal sound vanished again just as quickly, Saul felt his nerves tighten with each closer wave.

“I have to move faster. I can’t stop for souls that don’t know where the apprentices live.”

He vaulted across several blocks and landed on the town’s most bustling street.

From the rooftops, he’d already noticed this area housed the most magnificent buildings in Grind Sail Town.

But even here, there were three or four such grand homes. Without further clues, he might have to check each one—an enormous waste of time.

Just then, he spotted a lone figure staggering through the street.

The man’s armor and clothing didn’t match the styles of Kema Duchy or its vassal regions. He appeared to be from even farther away.

More importantly—he was just an ordinary person. In a place cursed like this, that meant he could die at any moment.

Saul watched him carefully avoid all buildings, steering clear of windows and doors, keeping strictly to the center of the road.

The man shivered as he moved, glancing warily in every direction.

He hadn’t gone mad yet, but he was certainly close to breaking.

And the most crucial part… he was alive!

“So there are other people inside this town. That matrix of graves at the entrance—was it really just part of a curse ritual? Or was it bait?”

After all that had happened, Saul no longer believed the mastermind’s goal was simply to curse the town. There had to be something bigger at play. A deeper ambition, and a hungrier appetite.

He recalled the strange expression on Mochi Mochi’s face as the senior entered the town. Perhaps that brief encounter hadn’t been as honest as he’d assumed.

Either Mochi Mochi was the one pulling the strings, or he’d changed his plans after seeing the curse for himself.

Saul’s arm lowered, and a golden antique coin rolled into his palm. Both sides bore the smile of a beautiful woman.

He flicked the coin through his fingers, letting it spin and dance across his knuckles.

But he didn’t use it to contact Mochi Mochi. Instead, he tucked it back away.

Just then, the man walking down the center of the street suddenly screamed, and turned to flee.

As if ten starving wolves were chasing him.

But when Saul looked in the same direction, he saw nothing.

Moments later, though, a soul appeared around the corner—a man in half-armor, wielding a curved blade.

“Is that… Captain Jeff?” Saul turned back toward the fleeing man. “Did he see something? Something that let him sense Jeff’s presence in advance? Or… has this town already taken on a different appearance in the eyes of the living?”

That would make sense.

Ordinary people’s mental strength weren’t as strong as a wizard’s, and they lacked the protection of magic. Even minor exposure to the curse could cause terrifying hallucinations.

Let alone in a fully cursed town.

Saul didn’t flee. Instead, he leapt straight in front of Captain Jeff.

“Hello, Captain Jeff.”

“Who are you?” Jeff looked far more normal than Aunt Jenny had been.

“I’m a wandering wizard, just passing through. I’d like you to take me to meet your town’s resident wizard.”

Saul had no idea what kind of illusion Jeff was under, so he made something up—asking to be guided to the wizard’s dwelling.

“No. I’m on patrol.”

To Saul’s surprise, the soul version of Jeff was quite firm—he refused.

“If you don’t take me, I’ll kill you,” Saul said coldly.

“I’m on patrol. Please don’t interfere with my duty to protect the town.” Jeff answered solemnly, then tried to walk around Saul and continue down the street.

“…Okay, I take it back. There’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ soul,” Saul muttered, shaking his head with a self-deprecating chuckle.

“Hey!” he called out.

Thankfully, Jeff still retained enough instinct to respond.

The next moment, a translucent giant hand suddenly slammed down on a nearby building, smashing one of its corners into rubble with the sheer force of a wizard’s spell.

“If you won’t lead me there, I’ll destroy the town you’re trying to protect.”

Saul knew full well that destroying an entire town was beyond his capabilities, but bluffing worked just fine on a confused soul.

“…Alright.” The dutiful Captain Jeff hesitated as he stared at the broken wall. Then he finally relented. “Follow me.”

And with that, Jeff turned and led Saul into the same luxurious mansion Saul had just partially demolished.

Saul: “…Really?”

“The wizard is inside. If you need something, go ask them.”

“You think they’d keep anything important here?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have to go. I’m busy keeping the town safe.” With that, Jeff turned and resumed his patrol.

“Captain Jeff,” Saul called after him, “Are you protecting the town—or its people?”

Jeff’s steps faltered for a moment. But he didn’t answer. He kept walking.

Saul chuckled softly and headed into the mansion’s depths.

Once he entered, the front door quietly closed—guided by an invisible hand. Meanwhile, from the crack in the corner of the building, where it had been smashed earlier, a stream of red liquid began to seep out.

The crimson fluid spread, pooling into a shallow puddle—then deepening into a small basin of water.

The sound of waves lapping against stone echoed again.

“Splash… splash…”

(End of Chapter)

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