Chapter 373 - A Story of an Egg

The journey to the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice was not particularly smooth, but it still did not pose too much of an obstacle for them.The straight-line distance between Weizemay Manor and the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice was closer than expected, not exceeding twenty kilometers.

However, the actual journey was rather circuitous.

First, they had to follow the flow of Ashaba River downstream to reach Good Fortune Gorge, where they could disembark.

After traveling fifteen kilometers through the Dun Hills, they would be able to see the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice.

If they had crossed over from the spine of the Dun Hills, not only would the water route be halved, but the land route could have been reduced by a third.

But among that route, five kilometers were completely devoid of roads, through mountainous terrain; even with six Treants at his disposal, Gaven dared not take five carts of heavy goods that way.

Any damage to the goods would result in significant loss.

If a stable agreement were reached with the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice, opening up the other side of the road would be an inevitability.

But this matter required the consent of the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice, as it was, after all, on their turf.

No.

To be more precise, given Gaven’s character,

he would definitely want the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice to initiate the construction of the road, or pay to have them construct it.

Making that happen wouldn’t be difficult if he made the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice dependent on him, on Three Rivers Region; naturally, they would find a way to open up a more convenient path.

Like most monasteries, the Hammer of Justice was not built on flat land but atop a mountain, typical of a stronghold that was easy to defend and hard to attack.

Gaven was not seeing it for the first time.

Because its rear, the side leaning against the cliff of Dun Hills, overlooked the Ashaba River, it was considered a landmark building.

If they could build a port at the base of the cliff, providing direct access up and down, that would be the closest to the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice.

However, the scale of that project would be quite significant.

Without the intervention of magic, it would be hard to accomplish.

The Monastery of the Hammer of Justice was more like a small castle than a monastery.

It was not an isolated structure; from the foot of the mountain, the road snaked upward with houses on both sides, stretching all the way to the monastery.

The residents living here were either common believers of Tyr or farmers employed by the monastery to cultivate the land around it.

The extensive farmlands they saw along the way mostly belonged to the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice.

There was no concern about land consolidation. Google seaʀᴄh ɴovel(ꜰ)ɪre.nᴇt

It was only because of the presence of the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice that it was possible to open up so much farmland.

Since they redirected to the official trade route, the Holy Warriors, dressed just like Darnell and his companions with a Warhammer and Holy Warrior Shield in tow, were the ones Gaven and his party saw most frequently.

Some were proceeding to the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice at a leisurely pace, most likely returning from a completed task and going back to report and rest.

Others were quickly moving away from the monastery, most likely charged with new tasks, heading for reinforcements or investigations.

Unbeknownst to Gaven, they were the most eye-catching group on the trade route, not just to the passing Holy Warriors but also to the other travelers who couldn’t help but stop and watch them.

In the Valley, everyone knew about Treants, and many had seen or even interacted with them before.

Most parts of the Valley interwove with or delved into the Comanso Great Forest, where the number of Treants was far greater than the rest of the world might imagine.

After all, the history of the Comanso Great Forest was as ancient as that of Felen, with Treants often living longer than Giant Dragons.

But the Treants they had seen were mostly in the forest.

Seeing Treants pulling carts was a first for many, especially since the leading Treant looked so exceptionally unusual.

The gazes of those Holy Warriors lingered more on Five-Willow because the aura of negative energy emanating from them was so intense that it surpassed many places of evil.

However, as soon as they recognized Darnell, they immediately let down their guard and gave him sincere smiles, with some even dismounting their warhorses to bow and pay their respects.

This showed that Darnell’s status at the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice was far more esteemed than Gaven and his group had realized.

Although the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice was not a law enforcement agency, it still held the practical authority of one in the Valley.

Many locals sought the monastery’s assistance when faced with unsolvable problems, especially cases suspected to involve Undead or evil creatures; the Monastery of the Hammer of Justice was the best choice for people from several nearby Valleys.

The Monastery of the Hammer of Justice did not hesitate to lend a helping hand.

It was usually gratuitous.

Of course, those who received help would not let these kind and just Paladins make the trip in vain; they would prepare the most precious gifts for them.

The nature of these gifts entirely depended on the local economic conditions and the willingness of the involved parties.

It might be a pile of grain, vegetables, or perhaps a chicken, a sheep, or a cow.

In his lifetime, Darnell had received two most precious gifts.

One was a child, from a family he had helped, who offered up their child to follow Darnell and become a Paladin like him, to help others. That person was none other than David.

The other was an egg, from a beggar he had helped. A beggar who, in the cold of winter, was close to starvation. That half-cooked egg, warmed in his bosom for three days, was the last bit of food he had.

When someone gives away their own lifeline, is there anything more precious?

"What happened to the beggar in the end?" the kind-hearted Anna couldn’t help but ask.

Darnell gave Anna a look of admiration and sincerely praised, "True to a devoted follower of Ilmater, I’ve told this story to many, but few, like you, have asked about the beggar’s fate. Less than one in ten."

In the end, I took the beggar back to the monastery. Just wait, and you’ll meet him. Look, here he comes now."

As he spoke, an elderly man approached Gaven and the others with a limp. His wrinkled face was filled with a sincere smile, and from his cracked mouth, only half of his yellow teeth remained. From a distance, he bowed reverently and said, "Master Darnell, you’ve returned."

Darnell dismounted from his warhorse and strode quickly forward, saying, "Uncle Duke, how many times have I told you? You don’t need to come down the hill to meet me with your bad leg. Come, get on the horse quick."

Duke shook his head repeatedly, "How could I ride the master’s warhorse? Master, please get on quickly. I will lead the horse for you. This bit of hill can’t trouble me. I can lead your horse for another twenty years without a problem."

"Uncle Duke, you don’t have to do this."

"It’s what I should do."

Darnell and the old servant named Duke argued back and forth, but neither would take a seat in the carriage.

Gaven couldn’t help but ask, "Mr. Darnell, does this happen every time you return?"

David nodded, "Ever since I followed the teacher, it happens every time. The other Paladins at the monastery knew of Grandpa Duke’s habit, so every time they met the teacher on the road, they would secretly inform him."

Such simple emotions are hard to find in this world. He’s repaying his debt of life with his whole life," Gaven thought with genuine admiration, not just for Darnell, but for that limping old servant.

Even a common deed, if persisted in for decades, can become extraordinary.

Gaven called out with a smile, "Mr. Darnell, there’s no need to dispute, there’s still room in the cart over there. Let the old man come and sit, and we’ll head up the mountain together."

This time Duke didn’t refuse. He hobbled over and climbed onto the empty seat of the cart pulled by Thornspike, while giving Gaven a thumbs-up, "Good man, the young master makes friends with good people. Has the young master told you the story with the egg again?"

"Don’t just listen to young master Darnell’s side. I don’t have the noble awareness of the Paladins like they do. At that time, I was simply too hungry and foolish. I took out the egg in a moment of delirium.

You have no idea, when I took out that egg, how much I regretted it, my guts were in knots.

But who would have thought that young master Darnell was such a good man. Not only did he accept the egg, but he gave me a whole loaf of bread and carried me back to the monastery.

You don’t know, at that time, young master Darnell had just had a fierce battle with the Undead, his body covered in blood.

Leaving a trail of bloody footprints, he still carried me on his back. It was right where I had been standing, on all fours, inching our way up."

From that moment on, I made up my mind.

Young master Darnell once acted as my horse, so from then on, I decided to lead his horse for a lifetime.

Unfortunately, time spares no one, and in the blink of an eye, twenty-two years have passed.

Young master Darnell has become Mr. Darnell, and I’m just here going through the motions. Young master Darnell has never really let me lead his horse."

Without Gaven and the others asking, Duke just rambled on, pouring out the old memories from his belly like beans from a bamboo tube.

This made Gaven and the others understand Darnell on a deeper level. He was a man of purity too, a pure Holy Warrior, steadfast for decades, unchanged at heart even now.

Perhaps around pure people are where more pure people gather.

A journey with stories to tell passes especially quickly.

In the blink of an eye, they had arrived at the mountaintop along the circular mountain road.

Dun Hills were typical of hilly terrain, not too high or steep, and were belt-like in shape.

The Monastery of the Hammer of Justice was situated on top of one of the peaks, occupying the entire summit. In front of its large doors was an artificially cleared, vast square.

Surrounding the large square were a ring of shops, taverns, and inns.

Wherever Gaven and his party went, unusual gazes followed them.

No sooner had they arrived than a group of Holy Warriors greeted them, led by one who also appeared elderly. The wrinkles on his face were like carvings, and though he wore a simple and unadorned white robe, the holy aura he emitted was vast and profound. If he was not a Legendary Holy Warrior, then he was not far from it.

Upon seeing this elderly Holy Warrior, Darnell was clearly surprised, "Grand Inquisitor, what brings you here in person?"

The Grand Inquisitor smiled, "When a distinguished guest arrives, I of course must personally welcome you as a sign of respect."

Darnell quickly introduced, "Let me introduce you. This is Valon, our Grand Inquisitor of the Hammer of Justice. He oversees all the affairs of our order. This is..."

"There is no need for introductions here. Recently, all I’ve been hearing about is his name. Mr. Gaven, so young and promising! Our Hammer of Justice will be honored by your light," Valon said with a hearty laugh, obviously well-prepared in advance.

Gaven humbly bowed and responded, "Grand Inquisitor, it’s actually the other way around. It’s me who is honored by the Hammer of Justice, by Mr. Darnell’s light. Without Mr. Darnell’s selflessness, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to reclaim Weizemay Manor, let alone everything that followed or even today’s meeting. All of this was made possible by Mr. Darnell’s selfless character."