Danielle was only a weak mercenary inside a little insignificant mercenary group. Her life was like faint candlelight; it could go out at any minute.
However, due to a unique experience she had a little while ago, her strength increased dramatically, and she became a One-Star Warrior.
This sudden change affected her life path. As a One-Star Warrior who was younger than 18 years of age, her strength was mid-tier amongst all mercenaries in the region, and she was finally qualified to join a mid-tier mercenary group at Hot Spring Gate.
Although she still had to complete quests and live with dangers around her, she could accumulate some money and didn’t have to worry about having no money for food and clothing.
Different from most mercenaries who danced on the edge of life and death, she was a girl, a girl who was good-looking.
Beauty was the pursuit of all girls, but it wasn’t a good thing to have as a mercenary.
Her looks brought her a lot of unnecessary troubles.
What was strange was that she looked ordinary and dull before she became a One-Star Warrior. At that time, she was dark and thin, and she was a bit dirty and had to fight for survival with weapons in her hands just like men. The cruel pressure of survival forced her to focus on what was necessary, and she didn’t have time to worry about her appearance. In fact, she sometimes forgot that she was a girl.
However, after that special experience, she became a One-Star Warrior and transformed. Under the nurturing of her warrior energy, she turned from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. That thin and fierce tomboy turned into a beautiful girl who had a great figure.
This beauty that came with her power-up brought her a lot of trouble.
For example, she was stared at by the people around her, and her teammates teased her and tried to get their way with her.
In the end, she had to wear an ugly black iron mask to cover up her face every day.
Even though her situation got better, Danielle still chose to stay in the poor neighborhood at Hot Spring Gate.
Many heart-warming things happened here, and they brought warmth to her grey and emotionless life. Every time she thought back about those times, she would smile subconsciously.
However…… Those cold-blooded and merciless killings and that terrifying flames devoured all those beautiful memories, destroyed everything, and even took away that person a little over half a year ago.
Danielle chose to stay in the poor neighborhood and live where she used to live. Just like what that person did about half a year ago, she protected more than 20 poor infants and became these kids’ only spiritual pillar in this cold world.
“Haha, stand still! Straighten your back, stare at the front, and punch fast!” Danielle said as she smiled and nodded.
The beautiful morning sunlight shined through the garbage piles and brightened this little courtyard that could be considered clean and organized. More than a dozen little boys who were between the age of six and eight were practicing their fist techniques earnestly in the sun. Even though they still looked childish, their attitudes were serious. As they shouted and practiced, big sweat drops slid down their foreheads.
Not too far away, a few girls were picking out usable items out of the garbage piles, including leftovers that weren’t rotten and still edible.
In this poor neighborhood that was filled with violence, murders, robberies, and bad odor, this little courtyard was like a pure and safe paradise. In the golden sunlight, the children’s laughter got rid of the chilliness of the early morning in the spring, and this dirty and cold world became lively and energetic.
Danielle who was wearing a light red leather armor that was full of tears looked like a perfect sculpture. Right now, all her guards were down.
She didn’t have that ugly black iron mask on, and there was a big smile on her beautiful face. As she looked at these kids, her memories flashed back to eight years. At that time, there were a bunch of kids as well. He was one of them, and she was the oldest girl there……
Suddenly, Danielle discovered something and frowned.
She lightly clapped, and the children quickly ran back to the stone house at the corner of the courtyard like scared moles. That clap was probably a signal, and the kids were looking out through the window as well as the slit in the door with startled expressions on their faces.
A series of rapid footsteps sounded.
A team of soldiers from the [Rapid Wind Legion] suddenly appeared after turning at a garbage pile, and they walked in as they surrounded a few young men who were dressed fancily. As they dashed toward this direction, they shouted ferociously, looking hostile.
Danielle frowned, thought about something, and put her black iron mask back on.
On the faces of the soldiers and the young men, she saw a kind of expression that she was very familiar with, and she felt like throwing up.
……
“Although more than half a year passed by, it seems like this place didn’t change.” Inzagi slowly rode forward on his well-trained black horse alongside his other four peers, and they felt a little nostalgic.
All that they could see were rotten garbage, and the little pits on the road were full of black, stinky liquid. There weren’t many pedestrians, and the ones who were here looked cold and numb. There were a few prostitutes who had little clothes on and tried to get customers as they shivered in the cold wind, and wild dogs and cats fought over half rotten corpses in the garbage piles with a bunch of mice running around.
Nothing changed.
“Under the terrible management of the Tolemy Family, the officials already forgot about this poor neighborhood. When the noblemen and influential figures have their parties around heated fireplaces, how could they remember this place where they never set foot on in their lives.” The youngest one among the five of them, who looked 15 years old, Michael Owen, said angrily, “Compared to the Chambord City, this is a living hell! If King Alexander ruled this city, it would be much better.”
As he said that, his blond hair shone under the sunlight.
The other three young men behind him were silent.
What happened here about half a year ago made them hate the rulers of this city dearly, and murderous spirits appeared. They had been waiting for this day for 217 days now.
Once they could see the place where Uncle York and their other friends had once lived, they were going to let those bloody murderers pay the price!
They were very close!
They were approaching the place where they lived before.
As an indescribable sadness and solemnness enveloped them, they suddenly heard a burst of arrogant and ear-piercing laughter in front of them, coming from their old home.
“Hahahaha! You are a rebellious chick. What do you think? Do you really think that your One-Star strength could save you? Hahaha, hit me? Aren’t you captured by me right now? Block her warrior energy and tie her up! Hehehe, I’m going to get a good taste of this rebellious chick right here in the poor neighborhood before the eyes of those little kids! Hahaha! I will ride this One-Star female mercenary! Hahaha!”
Inzagi and his four peers instantly looked at each other immediately, and their hands that were holding onto the reins shivered.
This voice was too familiar to them; they memorized it in their souls.
For the last 217 days, what kept them motivated at every second was this voice! Their hatred toward this man made them cultivate and train even though they were too exhausted at times.
They didn’t expect to meet their biggest enemy at this place that was very special to them. This was the place where they grew up and had great memories, and it was also the place where Uncle York and many of their friends were killed.
Inzagi lightly patted his black horse.
At this moment, he was the calmest.
Without a sound, he signaled his peers and went toward the direction of that voice.
