Chapter 289 - Being Consistent from Start to Finish

That is, the manor owner can open a passage from the inside.Currently, there is only one person who has this authority, naturally it’s Gaven.

If Gaven wishes, he could also grant this authority to someone else, and Estelle is undoubtedly the best candidate.

Although he knew that Estelle, for her own sake and the safety of her daughter, would certainly not betray him lightly, much less betray the manor.

But Gaven felt that this matter could wait.

After all, for now, there were only a few people who needed to enter or leave the manor, and he could still manage it.

Once he pocketed the entry ticket, Gaven pulled open the gates of Weizemay Manor—the Mist Barrier that had merged was clearly advanced to a higher grade.

At least on the surface, it was no longer so obvious; opening the gate was equivalent to opening the barrier’s gate, allowing free entry and exit.

As soon as the gate opened, what met his eyes were several concerned faces; not only was Anna there, but the other four had also been waiting outside the gate early on.

Not only because Gaven had been inside long enough, a full day,

but also because they had felt a drastic change in Weizemay Manor from the outside.

Just as night fell, the mist that shrouded Weizemay Manor dissipated.

But when they looked at Weizemay Manor, it wasn’t clearer but fuzzier, hazy and indistinct, as if it didn’t exist in front of their eyes, but rather in a distant, separate space.

Though the mist had dissipated, the barrier had not been affected in the least; they could not even touch the edge of Weizemay Manor, the only thing they could do was wait anxiously outside.

"Mr. Gaven, are you alright?" This was a concerned question from Anna.

"Did it succeed?" This question came from Regina and the three Paladins.

The former was more concerned about Gaven’s safety, while the latter four were more concerned about the state of Weizemay Manor.

"It was successful, take a look at who this is," Gaven said, nodding and using his actions to answer them.

He stepped slightly to the side, revealing the mother and daughter behind him.

"Lady Estelle? Miss Amanda? Weren’t they already dead, turned into vengeful ghosts?" Regina exclaimed in surprise.

The three Paladins instinctively reached for their Warhammers at their side; the two of them, though now corporeal, still radiated a dense chill of Negative Energy.

Gaven took a half step back to shield the two behind him and explained, "Their current situation is a bit special. When the domain of Undead Vengeance collapsed, they were revived by a powerful force, but having dwelled in darkness for years, their souls have been eroded by Negative Energy severely, so they still have an aura of ghosts, but I assure you, their consciousness is clear and they will not do evil again."

Gaven’s intent to protect was very clear; to attack them, one must first get past him.

This action infused a warm stream into the long-stilled cold heart of Estelle, who stood behind him, rekindling her once-vibrant spirit.

Although she did not know whether the other party was sincere or had ulterior motives,

at least he was fulfilling his promises.

Estelle took two steps forward, stood beside Gaven, and in front of the three Paladins, she performed a standard Sambian noble’s courtesy and softly said, "Mr. Darnell, years have passed without seeing you in good health, the last time we met was at the Wine Festival."

It seemed that what Darnell had previously said about being well acquainted with Duke Kolonfer was no falsehood.

By doing this, Estelle undoubtedly used her actions to indicate that she was not a vengeful ghost dominated by Hatred and Negative Energy.

This significantly eased the expressions of the three Paladins, at least their hands moved away from the handles of their Warhammers.

Darnell, with unmistakable regret on his face, said, "I’m so sorry, madam, back at the Wine Festival, I should have offered my help to you and Miss Amanda. Then, the tragedy that followed would not have occurred. Having heard about the situation here, I came to try and rectify, but I still failed. I let down the lady, I let down the sacred duty of a Paladin."

"Mr. Darnell, it’s not your fault, at that time, it was ultimately just a family matter, and the subsequent development could not have been anticipated by anyone. Besides, you tried, and that is enough." Perhaps through endless baptism of Hatred or the torment of constant reincarnation, Estelle had come to an epiphany about many things and saw much of life very openly and indifferently, at least not blaming others for her own misfortunes.

The more she was like this, the more self-blame and guilt Darnell felt, proactively saying, "The state of Weizemay Manor had been deemed a Lost Land, so when it is reclaimed, everything will belong to the reclaimant. If the lady and the miss have nowhere else to go, why not return with me to the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice? Besides, you should get rid of the Negative Energy from your souls and bodies as soon as possible, or it will ultimately burden your bodies and souls, leaving troubles for the future."

Darnell was genuinely well-intentioned.

For ordinary people, having a body filled with a large amount of Negative Energy is a very dangerous thing.

In fact, the same can be said for Positive Energy; being infused with it in large amounts is not much better.

Such a condition is referred to as an Energy Imbalance, which at the least can result in illness, and at worse, death—a concept akin to the imbalance of Yin and Yang in traditional medicine.

However, compared to Positive Energy, Negative Energy poses a greater danger. If accompanied by an uncontrolled emotional outburst, it’s all but guaranteed to transform a person into an Undead Creature after death.

Of course, for Professionals, especially for those who have unlocked their professional specialties and have been specially Enhanced in certain aspects, that is a different story.

A Holy Warrior’s body, for instance, clearly has an absolute dominance of Positive Energy.

What Darnell didn’t know was that Estelle also didn’t fit into the normal category. They couldn’t leave Weizemay Manor at all. She hurriedly said, "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Darnell, but Mr. Gaven has saved our lives. We have nothing with which to repay him and have decided to stay in the manor to serve him as maids; he has already agreed to this."

"Weizemay Manor is in need of much work, and Lady Estelle is the person who understands it best. If she could stay here to assist me, it would certainly save me a lot of trouble. As for the Negative Energy within her body, Anna will help them to slowly remove it. If it cannot be resolved, then it would not be too late for me to personally take them to the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice since it isn’t very far," Gaven quickly stepped in to cover for Estelle.

It was undeniable that most Paladins were good people, and Darnell was an even better person among them.

However, dealing with such good people was often the most exhausting.

Because their vision couldn’t tolerate a speck of dust, they tended to view some matters in black and white.

Darnell hadn’t judged them for the people they killed when they were vengeful ghosts, which was already comparatively lenient of him.

This kind of thing had to be consensual; it couldn’t be forced. Darnell said with resignation, "Since you have already discussed and agreed, I have no right to interfere. My lady, just remember that the doors of the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice are always open for you."

"Thank you again, Mr. Darnell," Estelle sincerely expressed, feeling the warmth and care that came a little too late but was genuinely appreciated nonetheless.

"Don’t just stand there. You don’t plan to spend the night outside, do you? Although the manor is a bit run-down, it can at least provide shelter from the wind and rain," Gaven took the initiative to invite Darnell and the others into Weizemay Manor.

"That’s a good idea. Now that things here are settled, we will impose for a night and leave on a journey tomorrow," Darnell readily accepted.

Even if Gaven hadn’t invited him, he would have actively requested to stay at Weizemay Manor for the night. Rest was secondary; his main intent was to personally ensure that everything here was finally over.

Seeing something through from start to finish was his life’s creed.

Under Gaven’s lead, everyone headed straight to the third-floor parlor.

The fireplace of Weizemay Manor, which had been out for more than two years, was once again blazing.

Even though it was early summer and the nights were not cold,

But Weizemay Manor, situated in the Three Rivers Region and cradled by the Ashaba River, dealt with dampness from winds from all directions, except for the east wind, coupled with occasional light rain.

Having stayed outside Weizemay Manor for a few days, one could feel their body damp for days, especially when getting up in the morning, feeling completely soaked through and frozen.

Luckily, they were all Professionals, with robust physiques; otherwise, they would certainly have caught colds.

If there was a fireplace to make the entire room a bit warmer and drier, nobody would refuse.

Even Estelle and Amanda seemed to enjoy the warmth brought by the fireplace, though their nature meant they didn’t need it. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn NovᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet

With a fire going, Gaven instinctively set up a pot and a grill above it, throwing in various ingredients.

For the expansion of their territory, Gaven and Anna each carried a Howard Convenient Bag.

His Howard Convenient Bag was packed full with all kinds of weapons and equipment.

Anna’s was mostly empty, but he had filled it with various food ingredients, especially spices, salt, and unique seasonings from the Fairy Wilderness, which were not easy to replenish.

No matter where they ended up, Gaven would certainly not cheat his own palate; this was one of the great joys of life after all.

Gaven handed over a skewer of meat, showered with seasonings, to Amanda, who looked at him eagerly like a puppy from beginning to end, all while casting an inquiring glance at Estelle, the implication clear, "Can you eat food?"

After all, being Earthbound Spirits, Gaven was still not quite clear on the state of their physical bodies.

Estelle understood and subtly nodded. Although they didn’t need to eat due to the supply of Negative Energy, eating would have no effect on them; after all, they were no different from living people in all other aspects after their transformation.

In Amanda’s eyes, one could clearly see a longing to reach out and take it, but then she seemed to recall some unpleasant memories, and quickly withdrew her hand again.

A flash of distress passed through Estelle’s eyes. Of course, she knew the reason. Kolonfer once handed over a skewer of meat like this, only it wasn’t meant for Amanda, but for his pet dog instead.

Mistaking it for herself, Amanda was kicked by Kolonfer, breaking three ribs, and lay unable to leave her bed for three months—a skewer of meat Kolonfer would rather give to a dog than to Amanda, let alone finding a priest for her or using a Magic Potion. She had to rely on the herbs Estelle found, and to bear it all by herself.

Estelle reached out wanting to help her daughter accept it.

But Gaven withdrew his hand and said in a low voice, "Let her do it."

Amanda’s mentality was clearly problematic; even though Kolonfer was already dead, and even though she had killed him countless times,

The hatred and Fear in her heart could never be dispelled.

She was an Earthbound Spirit, a vessel for Negative Energy; this kind of self-isolating mindset could easily lead to issues, and it was essential to find a way to help her break free.

The simplest method was to proceed gradually, beginning with the easiest and most accessible task: eating.

Although Estelle didn’t quite understand what Gaven was trying to do, she intuitively felt that this would be good for Amanda. Therefore, she didn’t insist, but instead patted Amanda’s thin shoulders encouragingly.

Lacking no courage, Amanda had proven this numerous times with her actions. Encouraged by her mother, she reached out again, took the skewer of meat, and quickly drew back, cautiously and treasuredly eating it as if it were the most exquisite delicacy.