Chapter 33: The Troubled Daniels

On the eastern coast of the Empire, in Lemon Port.

The salty, damp sea breeze carried a thick stench of fish.

It swept across this bustling harbor town.

Captain Reed of the Gray Wolf Mercenary Corps—

At this moment, he stood travel-worn before a slightly shabby but tidy fisherman’s cottage.

He hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door.

The one who answered it was precisely the person he had come to find—

the former commander of the Gray Wolf Mercenary Corps,the man once known as “The Rock”—Daniels!

Even now, Reed, though the current head of the Gray Wolves, still called himself “Captain” rather than “Commander.”

It was out of respect for this old leader.

However—

The man who was once known for his steadiness, as unshakable as a mountain, now wore a face clouded with sorrow, his brows furrowed deeply.

He looked as though he had aged ten more years, his burly frame slightly hunched.

“Hmm? Reed?”

Daniels looked surprised to see the visitor, but more than that, he sounded weary as he said, “Why are you here?”

“I’m not taking any jobs now, nor am I in the mood to drink and reminisce. You should go back.”

As he spoke, he was about to close the door.

“Hey~ Brother Daniels! Please, wait a moment!”

Reed quickly reached out to stop the door, his tone urgent. “I didn’t come to ask you to take on a job!”

“There’s a massive deal, something big—enough to make us rich! The brothers won’t have to lick blood off their blades ever again!”

Daniels’s face didn’t show the slightest reaction.

Instead, a trace of bitterness appeared on it. “Money? Heh… No amount of money is of any use to me now…”

He shook his head and started to close the door again. “Go, Reed. All I want now is to stay with my daughter.”

“You… have a daughter?” Reed froze.

Only then did he notice the unshakable sorrow between the old commander’s brows.

He had only heard that Daniels had retired and settled in Lemon Port, marrying a fisherman’s daughter and living a simple life.

He hadn’t known that Daniels had a daughter—and apparently, something had happened.

“Brother Daniels, your daughter… what’s wrong with her?”

Realizing he had found the key to persuasion, Reed deliberately softened his tone.

Daniels let out a heavy sigh.

This iron-hearted man’s eyes even turned slightly red.

He stepped aside. “Forget it, come in and take a look.”

Reed followed Daniels into the small cottage.

The furnishings were simple, and the air was thick with the faint smell of medicine.

On the bed in the inner room lay a girl of about seven or eight years old.

Her hair was a soft shade of flaxen gold.

But her small face was pale and waxy, her body emaciated to the point of deformity. Her eyes remained tightly shut, her breathing so faint it was almost undetectable.

The tiny hand outside the quilt was as thin as a twig.

“My poor little Amy…”

Daniels walked to the bedside, his rough, calloused hand gently caressing his daughter’s burning forehead, his voice choking with emotion.

“She’s caught some strange illness… I’ve taken her to every doctor in Lemon Port, even summoned a priest from the capital, but none could do a thing.”

“They can only… only keep her alive with medicine, but even that won’t last much longer…”

Despair and helplessness filled Daniels’s tone.

Reed gazed at the weakly breathing little girl on the bed—and suddenly, something lit up in his eyes!

“Brother Daniels!”

He called out, his voice filled with excitement. “There might still be a way!”

“I know a place—there might be hope to save little Amy!”

Daniels suddenly raised his head.

In his clouded eyes, a flash of the fierce light from his younger days burst forth. “What did you say?!”

“What place? Tell me!”

Reed took a deep breath and lowered his voice, but his tone was dead serious. “At the edge of the Mistwood, there’s a place called Holy Light Town.”

“There’s true angelic protection there—I witnessed the miracle myself!”

“They even have the purest Holy Water, capable of purifying corruption, healing wounds, and dispelling sickness!”

“Brother Daniels, think about it—if it can heal such grievous injuries and corruption, then maybe Amy’s illness still has hope!”

“An angel? Holy Water?” Daniels froze, disbelief written all over his face.

He had roamed the continent for decades—he had seen every bizarre thing imaginable.

Angels were nothing more than legends!

As for Holy Water—

Ever since the Holy Light Church fell, genuine Holy Water had long since vanished from the world!

Besides, even in its day, it wasn’t as miraculous as people claimed—it was merely purified water infused with a trace of light.

“Reed, have you lost your mind? Or were you tricked?” Daniels frowned tightly.

“Brother Daniels, I swear!”

“I swear upon the honor of the Gray Wolf Mercenary Corps—and upon my own life!”

Reed was anxious now.

He hurriedly took out a small leather pouch hidden close to his chest and carefully pulled out the stopper.

A pure, warm scent, carrying a sacred aura, instantly filled the room.

It not only dispelled the stifling smell of medicine but even seemed to make the sleeping Amy’s brow relax slightly.

Daniels caught the scent—and his whole body trembled!

He was a Third-tier Earth Knight, his senses far keener than any ordinary man’s.

This aura… it was impossibly pure!

There was no way it could be faked by any alchemical potion!

His eyes locked firmly onto the inconspicuous pouch in Reed’s hand.

Then he looked at his daughter, her breathing faint as a candle in the wind—hesitation in his gaze finally hardened into desperate resolve!

“Where is Holy Light Town? Take me there!”

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