Chapter 117: Trick Brian Into Taking the Maid Ruins!

Avril, this girl—

The more Lynn looked at her, the more he liked her. She truly had spirit!

Originally, after seeing her finish setting up the magic array, he had planned to let her rest for two days before heading to Lemon Port.

But the outcome?

She had barely been back from the mine for half an hour.

Yet she had already stuffed several magic books and piles of bottles, jars, and spellcasting materials into a new carriage Old John had “generously sponsored.”

The coachman was an honest fellow from town, named Burton.

He had driven caravans before and knew the roads well.

Avril herself nimbly hopped onto the carriage.

Her pale-violet magician’s robe fluttered softly in the evening breeze.

It made her small face look especially serious.

“Lord Divine Blessed, are we truly leaving now?”

Burton gripped the reins, asking somewhat uncertainly.

After all, the sky was about to turn dark. Ordinary people would never travel by night.

But Avril shook her head, her eyes shining.

She carried the fearless vigor of a newborn calf that feared no tiger.

“Uncle Burton, let’s go!”

“What Lord Angel entrusted us with must not be delayed even a moment.”

“Besides, I can meditate and rest inside the carriage on the way. It won’t interfere.”

She was thinking to herself:

This title of “Divine Blessed” wasn’t meant to be called for nothing.

She had to live up to Lord Angel’s trust!

“All right then, sit tight!”

Burton cracked the whip.

The carriage wheels rolled over the gravel at the town entrance—

Creaking, it headed straight for the road leading out of the forest.

Lynn withdrew his divine sense and nodded in satisfaction.

This employee had high awareness, strong initiative, and was extremely useful!

Once the Lemon Port affair was settled, he should give her some kind of “year-end bonus”—perhaps infuse her with more Holy Light.

But for now—

Lynn’s attention immediately shifted to another super combat asset.

“Having Brian act as a free instructor is good, but it’s a bit of a waste…”

Now that he had free labor, Lynn began thinking about the Eldwin Ruins again.

Those pieces of cutting-edge, era-defying black technology inside—

Especially that perfect mechanical maid floating in the container.

If he could get his hands on her, it would absolutely benefit the development of Holy Light Town!

Not to mention—

If the ruins contained any agricultural technology…

Automatic seeders, high-efficiency fertilizers—tripling food production wouldn’t be a dream!

Then the town could support more people, and the Holy Radiance would surge.

That would be a truly positive cycle.

“The most important thing is—”

“My mechanical maid could finally come home!”

Time to act!

Lynn, this old fox, fully understood the art of indirect strategy.

Approach Brian directly?

That guy was as sharp as a ghost. Being too straightforward would only make him suspicious.

The best breakthrough, of course, was his beloved goddaughter—Liz!

Back then, when Liz had been gravely wounded and unconscious, Lynn had used divine sense to influence Ulf, making him take the lead in organizing the refugees to rebuild their homes. The effect had been outstanding.

This “subconscious guidance” was one of Lynn’s secret techniques.

He rarely used it—if he used it, it never missed!

……

In the center of the town—

Inside Liz’s simple and tidy wooden cabin—

A homely dinner was underway.

Brian sat beside the rough wooden table.

His posture remained straight as a spear.

Even while holding a crude earthen bowl of soup, he carried the natural aura of a seasoned warrior.

Liz bustled around.

She brought out crispy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside bread and a steaming pot of stew filled with meat and wild vegetables.

Everything came from the town’s own stores.

Though simple, it carried a comforting, earthy fragrance.

“Uncle, please eat more!”

Liz placed the largest piece of meat into Brian’s bowl.

She tore a piece of bread for herself and munched on it without care for her image.

In front of Brian—

She seemed to become once again that impulsive girl who used to practice swordsmanship in the back mountain of Sandstone Town.

Brian ate silently.

His gray-blue eyes occasionally swept over to Liz.

The scar on her face had vanished, her skin smooth, her gaze bright.

Her whole being radiated vigorous vitality and strength.

The change was truly earth-shaking.

Then, Brian suddenly put down his bowl.

As concise as always, yet he asked a question that nearly made Liz choke.

“You don’t have… a partner?”

“Pfft—cough, cough!”

Liz hurriedly took a sip of soup to wash down the bread.

Her face turned a little red—more from helpless amusement than embarrassment.

“Uncle, why are you suddenly asking about that?”

She waved her bread. “I’m nearly forty! Isn’t it a bit strange to start thinking about finding a partner now?”

Brian shook his head, his tone calm.

But it carried the stubbornness unique to an elder. “One must have… descendants.”

“Children are the future.”

He had witnessed too much death, and thus held an almost instinctive reverence for the continuation of bloodlines.

Liz fell silent for a moment.

She dipped her bread in the stew and spoke in a softer tone. “Sigh, let’s leave it to fate.”

“Besides, right now… all my thoughts are on serving Lord Angel and protecting the town. I really don’t have time for that.”

In truth, she still had a little complaint buried inside.

Before, she had scars on her face and looked fierce—men avoided her, at best treating her like a brother.

Now that she had healed and looked decent enough,

the men in town still kept their distance, too respectful—or rather, too intimidated—by her status as ‘Lady Liz.’

And honestly, she had never given thought to things like romance, marriage, or children.

Her days were filled with training, patrols, and chores, so busy that her feet barely touched the ground—how could she have the time for such thoughts?

Thinking of that,

Liz felt a bit indignant, and decided to turn the question back at Brian. “Then what about you, Uncle?”

“You’re more than two cycles older than me, yet I’ve never seen you get married or have children.”

“If you’d had a son earlier, I might’ve even paired up with him!”

“Cough!” Brian nearly sprayed out his soup for real!

He stiffened, a slight twitch at the corner of his eye.

He had always thought of her as a niece—yet she wanted to be his daughter-in-law??

The hierarchy was completely tangled now…

Images of the noble ladies from the Imperial Capital who had schemed to marry him flashed through his mind.

He only found them increasingly troublesome.

The air suddenly grew quiet.

Only the faint crackling of firewood came from the fireplace.

Just then,

Liz suddenly slapped her forehead, eyes lighting up. “Oh right, Uncle! I almost forgot!”

“Not long ago, Ulf and the others found an ancient ruin.”

“I thought it was too dangerous inside, so I didn’t let the others enter. I just marked it as a forbidden zone.”

She set down her bowl and gestured animatedly. “But I can’t shake the feeling that there might be some ancient treasure hidden there!”

“Anyway, since you don’t have anything pressing right now, how about coming with me to take a look?”

“With you around, there’s nothing to fear!”

Liz spoke with great enthusiasm.

The idea came to her so naturally that she didn’t even notice anything unusual about it.

Brian raised his eyes slightly at her words.

A ruin?

He wasn’t much interested in archaeology or exploration.

He was not a scholar—he was a warrior.

But since Liz brought it up, and seeing how eager she looked… perhaps there was no harm in going.

Maybe they could even discover something useful for the town.

After all, he had heard of the ancient, mysterious depths of this Mistwood.

“An ancient ruin?”

Brian repeated the words, his tone unreadable.

“Yes! It’s about five miles from here—not far at all!”

Liz nodded quickly, looking just like when she was a child trying to drag her uncle on an adventure.

Brian glanced at the window—the night sky was already pitch dark.

Then he looked back at Liz’s expectant eyes.

Exploring ruins at night.

For him, there was no difference between day and night.

“All right.”

He picked up the last piece of bread, finished it in a few bites, and stood up. “Lead the way.”

“Great!” Liz’s eyes immediately brightened with joy.

She gulped down the rest of her soup, wiped her mouth, and said, “I’ll go grab the torches and weapons! Uncle, wait right here!”

Like a gust of wind, she dashed into the inner room, leaving Brian standing where he was.

Watching her hurried figure,

the corners of Brian’s mouth curved upward slightly.

That girl—though she was older now, stronger now—

her fiery, impetuous nature hadn’t changed one bit.

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