Chapter 277 - Just Hammer

"You are truly out of the loop, the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice is located in the Dun Hills of the Taser Valley, it’s the largest Tyr Monastery in the valley, dedicated to the idea of justice, and they say it provides free legal education to everyone who sets foot in the monastery. The Holy Warriors that come from this monastery are all known as the Hammer of Justice or the Justice Hammer, and they wield their warhammers to uphold the fairest justice.""The Dun Hills of Taser Valley? Are they just across the Ashaba River from the Three Rivers Region where Weizemay Manor is located?"

"If you hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have noticed, but it does seem to be the case. Could it be that the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice wants to extend its influence to our Battle Valley?"

"That wouldn’t be such a bad thing. With their protection, I believe the safety of the Three Rivers Region will significantly increase. It’s said that there are vast fertile lands there, but due to its remoteness and rumors of various beasts, magic beasts, and even beastmen roaming the area, no one has been willing to settle it. Weizemay Manor is considered to be the largest settlement there, but it too has been lost."

"Don’t imagine things to be so rosy. I’ve heard that the situation around Weizemay Manor is quite unusual. Several groups of Priests and Holy Warriors have been sent there, and it’s said that those who return are beside themselves, insisting it’s impossible. Several didn’t make it back at all, and it’s unclear whether they were resurrected or not. I’ve only heard that the Hammer of Justice judges the living, not the dead; whether they can resolve the issue with Weizemay Manor remains an open question."

"That’s true, tsk, these Sambia bastards really bring trouble to themselves and to others, leaving us with nothing but problems."

After Regina revealed the other party’s identity, there was another round of murmurs in the surroundings, as many indeed recognized the identity of the person.

Some held high expectations for him, while others were rather skeptical.

As for the Half-Elf and his Priest companion who were previously bidding, they were directly ignored and forgotten.

The Holy Warrior named Darnell did not reach out to take the entry ticket to Weizemay Manor, but instead said solemnly, "Miss Regina, please continue with the auction. Since we are in Battle Valley, we must follow the rules of Battle Valley; otherwise, it would be unfair to that gentleman, and might cause unnecessary trouble after the deal."

"It’s okay, I won’t bid any higher, the entry ticket goes to the gentleman." The previous Half-Elf bidder had already squeezed over with his companion.

Regina gave the young man an apologetic smile, "I apologize, esteemed guest, for my indiscretion and for overlooking your feelings. Fortunately, Judgment Chief Darnell reminded me. How about this, as compensation, you may choose any other abandoned territory not included in this auction to reclaim, and we will not charge any fees. The promises for after the recovery still stand."

With that smile, Regina blossomed like a myriad of flowers, swaying the hearts of even those nearby.

Not to mention the Half-Elf young man himself, who felt that everything around him had lost its color, and only the maiden’s stunning beauty and smile remained in his eyes.

Her charisma attribute must have surpassed twenty points, surely unlocking a Transcendent reward related to charm or indirectly influencing the minds of others.

The Half-Elf young man was completely certain of this and calmly shook his head in refusal, "I apologize, but I am not familiar with other abandoned territories, and cannot act recklessly. How about this, we give the priority trial rights for this month to Judgment Chief Darnell, and if they determine that they can’t solve the problem with Weizemay Manor, they can pass it on to us, what do you think?"

These words immediately drew everyone’s gaze to him, although the meanings varied.

Regina’s gaze clearly stirred with curiosity, as she was very aware of the deadly appeal her appearance and abilities had on men, especially young men in the prime of their lives. Even without deliberately employing her abilities, the opposite party would often be so enchanted as to do anything for her.

However, this tactic was obviously ineffective with the Half-Elf youth. His eyes were clear, showing no sign of ulterior motives or desires, at least not the intense possessiveness or the lustful gaze that undressed her with their eyes.

The longer she observed, the less Regina could see through him. He seemed to emit an intangible aura that made her feel very familiar and close. His not-so-sturdy body exuded a profound sense, giving her the illusion of looking at a towering tree.

In the ears of Darnell and his group, however, these same words might sound a bit off.

What she implied was that Darnell and his team definitely couldn’t solve the problem at the Weizemay Manor and that in the end, they would have to rely on others.

The mature and steady Darnell simply gave the Half-Elf youth a couple more looks, but said nothing.

The two young Holy Warriors by his side could not contain their anger, glaring furiously as they said, "What do you mean by that? Explain yourself clearly, are you questioning us, questioning the Inquisitor’s capabilities?"

The Half-Elf youth spread his hands and said, "Please don’t misunderstand. I absolutely do not mean to question you, nor do I doubt Darnell Inquisitor’s capabilities. The situation at Weizemay Manor is just a bit special; it isn’t simply a matter of Bound Spirits or Specters causing chaos there. Mere purification is likely ineffective, otherwise, the problem would not have persisted until now, nor would it have been brought up at the auction with such a great mobilization of people. Am I right, Miss Regina?"

Clearly, the Half-Elf youth’s involvement in the auction of Weizemay Manor was not, as with the previous young lord from Sambia, merely to crowd the scene and toss Gold Coins to attract attention. Instead, he had done his homework.

Regina certainly did not wish for conflicts to arise on her own turf and agreed, "That’s right. The detailed intelligence about Weizemay Manor was supposed to be given to you along with the entry tickets. Now, let me briefly explain it to you.

The circumstances at Weizemay Manor are quite special; everything there seems frozen in time, endlessly repeating the same day.

If no external forces intervene, the danger remains relatively minor.

Yet once external forces interfere and disrupt the cycle of Revenge, the situation can become extremely hazardous, potentially even breaching the estate’s boundaries.

Until the next night falls, and the cycle of Revenge begins anew.

Mere purification bombardment resolves nothing. The Bound Spirits will reappear in the manor the next night, not a second late, and they will remember and act accordingly to how they were treated by the intruders the day before.

So I advise that whoever takes on the task of dealing with the manor’s issue should not resort to force right from the start."

While Regina’s Transcendent Charisma did not have a strong effect on the Half-Elf youth, it certainly worked wonders on the young Holy Warriors. Moreover, the intelligence she provided was closely linked to their subsequent actions, and naturally, they paid close attention.

The situation described by the other party indeed exceeded his knowledge.

In both his experience and the relevant books he had read, there was no mention of such undead.

Darnell Inquisitor, however, remained very rational and nodded, "As long as Miss Regina has no objections, I have none either, but please, Miss Regina, let us conclude the ongoing auction."

Extreme fairness sometimes is synonymous with rigidity.

The character of Darnell fully embodied this notion.

Even though an agreement had been reached by the three parties, the process had to be followed to the letter.

Regina, who had dealt with these holy warriors more than once, knew their nature and stood her ground, raising her voice, "Inquisitor Darnell bids twenty thousand, is there a higher offer?"

The Ghost Castle Auction today had already been full of twists and turns.

The onlookers, who loved a good show and didn’t mind stirring up trouble, couldn’t help but look around, wishing for more notable figures to step in and spice things up even more.

Unfortunately, such dramatic scenes did not recur.

Under Regina’s deliberate guidance to speed up the process, Inquisitor Darnell secured an entry pass to Weizemay Manor with twenty thousand gold coins, bringing this month’s auction to a close.

The spectators slowly dispersed, still wanting more.

Only Sambia’s young master, who had won the entry pass to Anka Estate, lingered with his servants, reluctant to leave and hoping to strike up a conversation with Regina, cozy up to her and see if there was a chance to win the beauty’s favor and take her home.

But as his gaze fell on the three Tyr holy warriors, especially their sturdy warhammers, he felt a deep unease, for he bore secrets on his back. Although the events had taken place in Sambia, once these holy warriors took action, they did not concern themselves with such details.

Especially when the gazes of the two younger holy warriors frequently fell on him, their faces eager to try their hand at justice.

The young man from Sambia decided not to dawdle any longer and, with his servants, left the Battle Courtyard as quickly as if his tail were on fire.

After all, Regina wasn’t going anywhere; he could find another opportunity to approach her in the future.

Due to Darnell’s special status, Regina, who had initially been ready to travel far with her maiden cavalry squad in military attire, was not in a hurry to leave. Instead, she whispered a few words to another leader of the cavalry squad, who, under her command, led them away at a gallop.

The three holy warriors were invited into Ilmet Estate, and even the half-elf youth and the maiden priestess managed to follow them inside, basking in reflected glory.

By the time everyone was seated, they had all introduced themselves.

The leader of the holy warriors, a middle-aged man named Darnell Hebraic, was one of the twelve Hammers of Justice from the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice. He had enjoyed a renowned reputation in the Valley for many years, not only being a long-time friend of Lord Ilmet but also familiar with Duke Kolonfer, the previous owner of Weizemay Manor.

The two holy warriors accompanying him were his apprentices, David and Dick.

David appeared more reserved and gentle, not much of a talker.

Dick, on the other hand, was the one who had previously questioned the half-elf youth, and he came across as impulsive, with an air of palpable sharpness.

The half-elf youth and the maiden priestess were none other than Gaven Nort and Anna Caben.

After repeated deliberations and evaluations with Lord Virginia, Gaven had ultimately set his new sights on the Valley, on Battle Valley.

Just as Lord Virginia said, Gaven’s nature ensured that he did not like to be constrained; he enjoyed painting on a blank canvas, relishing the feeling of creating something out of nothing. Follow current novᴇls on NovᴇlFɪre.nᴇt

Locating his second stop in the Red Spring Reclamation Area near Tivandun offered the convenience of proximity to Rocklands, but he would have had to play by the laws and rules set by the Komeer Kingdom.

It might be easier to make headway in Battle Valley, a place sparsely populated, with relatively few major powers and underdeveloped laws.

The first order of business upon arriving in Battle Valley was naturally to secure a piece of territory for himself.

The Ghost Castle Auction was a natural point of entry.

In truth, there were far more ghost castles in Battle Valley than those presented at the auction—the ones brought to the block were simply the more valuable and uniquely challenging ones.

Some ghost castles could be directly claimed by Gaven and his men.

But doing so, without official sanction, would lead to many troubles later on, not only from Lord Ilmet, the nominal owner of Battle Valley but also from relatives of the original owners of those castles, many of whom were wealthy nobles from Sambia.