Chapter 280 - Undead Vengeance Domain

By the sixth night, not just the two apprentices, but Darnell himself felt the strain.After leaving Weizemay Manor.

A weary Darnell solemnly said to Regina and Gaven, "We can’t enter the manor again. This is no longer just a ghost problem; it involves divine intervention."

"Divine intervention?" Everyone exchanged glances, horror evident in their eyes. Regina hurriedly asked, "Which deity’s will is it?"

"Chiaranlisha."

"The Dwarves’ Goddess of Death and Revenge, Chiaranlisha?"

"That’s her," Darnell said with a long sigh. "The entire manor is engulfed in the domain of undead vengeance. Estelle and Amanda are engaged in an endless holy revenge. Now, this hatred has spilled over onto us. Every time we enter, their hatred for us accumulates, and their strength intensifies. If we go in tonight, we will sustain casualties."

Gaven mused, "So, to resolve the Weizemay Manor’s problems, we must break this undead vengeance domain?"

"Exactly," Darnell nodded. "Once we break the domain of undead vengeance, the problems here will be easily solved. Next, it’s all up to you, brother Gaven."

Regina, worried, said, "Even you, Darnell Inquisitor, are struggling so much with the situation inside the manor. If Mr. Gaven and his team enter, isn’t it more likely that something will go wrong?"

Darnell replied, "That’s not a concern. It’s because they’ve accumulated so much hatred against us that such a strong reaction occurs when we enter. Gaven and his brothers haven’t been inside yet and are not tainted with cause and effect. Upon entering, the manor might very well return to its original state. As long as he doesn’t attack them first, they might even ignore Gaven and his brothers."

After a brief pause, Darnell seriously added, "This is just my speculation based on the intelligence we currently have. I can’t guarantee its accuracy, so, brother Gaven, your next choice needs to be made with caution."

"Well, we’ll wait another night and then decide based on the situation," Gaven said without making any hasty decisions.

The sound and light effects previously conjured by Darnell were so impressive that they left Gaven quite daunted.

The strong damage reduction of combat armor is often no use against most spectral creatures.

With three Holy Warriors present, he couldn’t summon his Devil Bodyguard.

"That’s fine," Darnell candidly said. Having confirmed that he was unable to purify Weizemay Manor, he directly handed the entrance ticket to Gaven, "It’s up to brother Gaven now. Actually, I suggest that brother Gaven give up and let other brothers from the Hammer of Justice handle it."

The Weizemay Manor entrance ticket was a magic scroll. One could feel that the magic power had dissipated significantly since the first encounter.

This item probably had a timed limit; in a month, it would become just a scrap of paper.

This way, it saved the trouble of retrieval.

Darnell had not mentioned it, but upon doing so, Gaven didn’t dare wait any longer and took the ticket.

During the days that followed, Gaven had not been idle; he had thoroughly scouted the ten kilometers around Weizemay Manor.

The more he examined, the more he considered it a truly valuable location.

They had arrived at just the right time; the vineyard at Weizemay Manor was already bearing grape clusters, green and exceedingly inviting.

Even though the vineyard had been neglected for nearly three years, with poor management resulting in a less than ideal yield.

But the sheer size was impressive; with a vineyard of ten square kilometers, even a fraction of a normal harvest would be staggering.

Regina, who had accompanied him to inspect the situation, saw this and her beautiful eyes gleamed with eagerness. Without guessing, one knew what she was thinking.

If both he and Darnell failed to solve Weizemay Manor’s issues, the property would certainly not be auctioned off next month. She would personally come to harvest the grapes; all these free grapes were worth the effort.

In Gaven’s eyes, this was but minor profit.

The real advantage lay in the convenience of transportation in this area.

Initially, they had only considered land transport, not waterways.

Weizemay Manor was located alongside Ashaba River, which originated from the Mokou Mountain Range, spanning the entirety of Kosoman and pouring into Giant Dragon Bay at Scar Valley.

Weizemay Manor’s location in the Three Rivers Region was situated in the middle reaches of the Ashaba River.

With control of this area, one could go upstream through Deep Forest Valley, Mist Valley, and Shadow Valley in sequence before reaching Dagger Valley.

Approaching Mist Valley, it would intersect with Moon Sea Road. In other words, goods coming from Rocklands or headed there could be transferred between water and land here. Compared to taking Rosaville Road via Moon Sea Road, it was not just two or three hundred kilometers closer; the convenience of water transport could not be compared with land.

Flowing downstream would pass through Battle Valley, Taser Valley, Feather Wing Valley, and then enter Giant Dragon Bay at Scar Valley.

Going upstream along the Sanbo River would lead directly to the core area of Deep Forest Valley, Lake Seber.

Taking the Glaemrei River upstream would pass Taser Valley and Bow Valley.

Among the eleven valleys connected by the three rivers, eight can be accessed. The significance represented by this is self-evident.

By building a strong inland naval force, one’s influence could directly extend over these eight valleys.

This treasure land had been overlooked before, but now that it has been seen, and is within reach, there must be a way to claim it, no matter what.

As for capitalizing on the oversights of the three Holy Warriors, Gaven felt no psychological burden whatsoever.

In the hands of those Holy Warriors, Weizemay Manor would at most become a new monastery or perhaps a new human settlement, or even a town.

But in Gaven’s hands, one day, it could become Odulin, a capital surpassing Sambia, the largest commercial city in the entire valley—not merely a pipe dream.

After nightfall, Gaven, holding his entrance ticket, stood at the gates of Weizemay Manor and invoked the corresponding incantation. The Mist Barrier, blending with the darkness of night, split open like the gaping maw of a monster.

Gaven stood at the gate, not entering.

Weizemay Manor was dark and chilly, emitting a cold aura. However, the intensity was incomparable to the previous night when the three Holy Warriors had opened it.

The noise level was also different, deathly quiet without a stir, as if the three Holy Warriors had thoroughly cleansed the manor, leaving not a single living thing.

At the gate, Gaven crouched all night, not going in.

He did this, naturally, to verify Darnell’s hypothesis.

So far, it seemed quite accurate. Thɪs chapter is updated by N(o)vᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt

Until daybreak, there were no significant changes inside Weizemay Manor.

There were sounds from within, but they were monotonous, likely part of the holy vengeance narrative unique to Weizemay Manor.

Not until the following evening, after he had filled the Howard Convenient Bag to the brim with Holy Water, did Gaven formally begin his exploration of Weizemay Manor.

"Mr. Gaven, let me join you," pleaded Anna, determination written all over her small face. If only her body didn’t tremble, and her voice didn’t quiver, it would have been perfect.

Anna, a Priest, was afraid of ghosts.

This was something unexpected by Gaven; in his previous life, Anna had ventured into the Shadow Plane alone without batting an eyelid.

It seemed that because of his own reasons, Anna in this life had missed many opportunities for autonomous growth. It looked like he needed to intensify her training in this aspect in the future, but not now.

Gaven shook his head and refused, "No need. Mr. Darnell had analyzed earlier that the likelihood of combat is very low. If unpredictable danger arises, I can immediately return to my old home. Taking you with me would be inconvenient. Moreover, if we separate, we have an additional opportunity. If I fail, you can go in later with Lord Virginia."

Gaven was determined to conquer Weizemay Manor within the month, if need be by repeatedly attempting with more people from his territory.

Hearing Gaven speak so, Anna no longer persisted. Her presence might indeed cause more trouble than assistance.

Just as Gaven was about to activate the entrance to Weizemay Manor and prepare to enter, Darnell called out loudly from behind, "Pay attention to identifying items related to Chiaranlisha, especially her Holy Emblem. Look for the palms of female Dwarves wearing one or several silver rings, and the silver ring on the left hand of Duke Kolonfer seems problematic. Pay attention to where it ultimately goes; it might be a key point."

Gaven paused, turned to Darnell to express his thanks with a bow, and then carefully entered Weizemay Manor.

To an outsider, this image, stealthy as a sneaky thief, didn’t seem much different, except that playing stealth with ghosts probably wouldn’t work.

Dick couldn’t help but mutter under his breath, "Teacher, why share such important intelligence with him? We’ve paved the way for him on this journey."

"One must have a generous spirit, especially as a Holy Warrior. You must never lose your true nature over a bit of gain," Darnell spoke earnestly. "Why did we come to Weizemay Manor?"

Wasn’t it to acquire the ownership of Weizemay Manor?

Just as the words reached his lips, Dick swallowed them back and corrected himself, "To purify the ghosts of this place."

In the moment Dick faltered, Darnell had already seen through his true thoughts, "Your abilities are far superior to David’s in all aspects, but why lag steps behind on the path of the Paladin? In the end, it’s because you lack the devoted heart of a Paladin. When you grasp this, your journey as a Paladin will truly begin."

"Thank you for your teachings, Teacher," Dick knew that Darnell was seizing the opportunity to instill the doctrines of Tyr’s Holy Warriors in him. Even if he didn’t quite agree, he still had to appear humble and willing to learn.

"There were no Paladins in the world at first, only knights who devoutly served the True God. When they loyally embodied the virtues of the True God, proud of it as their life’s cause, those who were helped and favored by them acknowledged the knight’s character, venerating them as Paladins.

Therefore, a Paladin is never self-appointed but recognized by others. When others consider you a Paladin, you are a qualified Paladin. When they do not, you will always be just a knight." Darnell explained the true meaning of the title ’Paladin’ to his two Apprentices with heartfelt emphasis.

David appeared to be lost in thought, whereas Dick appeared attentive, but there was a hint of dismissal in the depths of his gaze.

Darnell sighed inwardly.

The path of the Paladin is not for everyone to walk.

Especially gifted prodigies, who can often stray as they walk it, burdened by too many personal desires and distractions.

Conversely, some who progress slowly and seem somewhat foolish may stick to their true nature and advance further and more smoothly, reaching heights unachievable for most.

His two Apprentices were typical examples of these two situations.

He vividly remembered when they both entered the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice at the same time.