Soon after, the garrison troops conducted an on-site investigation. After that, Nathaniel left a few guards behind to protect the villagers and prevent any unforeseen events from occurring.In the following days, the village remained relatively peaceful. Even though there were some minor monster attacks from time to time, Ash managed to defeat them promptly. As time passed, the villagers gradually came to believe that there was a monster hunter guarding their village. Therefore, they collectively raised funds to refurbish the shrine.Everything seemed to be heading in a positive direction, and the affairs of Meadowshire seemed to have temporarily come to a close. However, Adrian could not shake the feeling that things were not truly resolved. It was not just the matters within the village, but even previous events had some strange aspects to them. Yet, he could not make heads or tails of it for the time being. 'Ah, screw it. I'm sure a solution will present itself when the time is

Adrian was certain that this man was anything but ordinary. However, he was perplexed by the fact that all signs indicated that the figure was human. As a human, the figure exuded a chilling aura that sent shivers down Adrian's spine. From that, Adrian knew that confronting this individual would be no ordinary encounter."Hey, can you guys run?" Adrian whispered.The students behind him were initially taken aback but then nodded hesitantly in response."Good," Adrian continued, "I'll count to three, and you guys run. Don't worry about me. Just get out of the academy. One… Two…" Just as Adrian began the countdown, the man in the black robe waved his hand, and a surge of dark energy appeared to block their path. He chuckled sinisterly, "Since you're here, why rush to leave? Why not stay and keep me company?""Hah, who do you think you are? Why should we stay with you? Why don't you just show me your true face? Hiding behind that hood, you're probably just an ugly bastard!" Adrian t

"Uh-oh," the man realized Adrian's intentions and swiftly turned to defend himself, but it was too late.Adrian waved his hand, exclaiming, "Hah!"A fierce attack followed, catching the man in black robes off guard. He was struck, and a sharp, miserable scream escaped his mouth. Simultaneously, onlookers witnessed a black shadow erupting from his body, transforming into a whirlwind in preparation for him to escape.Adrian knew the robed man would try this trick. "Trying to run? Seal!" he shouted, launching another attack.The shadow had no chance to evade and emitted another agonized scream upon being hit."Good heavens, that was incredibly powerful. Who are you? Are you from the garrison?" a bystander exclaimed.As the enemies were defeated, students rushed over. Adrian, Ash, and the others' heroic actions left them wide-eyed with awe."Not really," Adrian replied bluntly.Clayton was puzzled. "Then, who are you—”Adrian interrupted, "Anyway, the enemies are gone. Does it mat

"I'm truly sorry, but my tea is reserved for those with good intentions toward me. I know nothing about you, so offering you tea would be premature," Adrian explained, shrugging.At this moment, his vigilance heightened. This man had just called him by his name, implying some level of prior investigation."If that's the case, let's not beat around the bush.” Nathaniel produced a token from his pocket. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Nathaniel Albarea, deputy head of Mapleston City’s garrison."Adrian's eyes sparked at the realization of Nathaniel's high status in Mapleston, though he maintained a puzzled expression. "I'm just a commoner running a small art studio. Why would the garrison send someone of your stature here, sir?"Nathaniel chuckled at Adrian's words. "You're quite amusing, Adrian."Adrian gave him a disgruntled look. "What's so funny?"Nathaniel's laughter subsided as he continued, "Your disguise is clever indeed. But there's no need for pretense. I'm aware of wh

At the intersection, Herman asked Nathaniel, "Sir, are we really going to leave just like that?"Herman had witnessed how Adrian had unceremoniously pushed Nathaniel out the door. Seeing a leader of the garrison treated in such a way by a kid made him feel a bit uneasy.Nathaniel glanced at Herman. "What else was I supposed to do? Arrest him?"Herman looked around cautiously before whispering, "I think we could employ some covert methods. Perhaps threaten to raid his shop...""Stop." Nathaniel immediately cut Herman off. "We are the garrison, not bandits. Our duty is to defend the peace of the region. We can't resort to such tactics.""But—""Don’t even think about it."Nathaniel strode away, and Herman, who followed him, wore a scowl. They were unaware that a shadow, lurking in a dark alley nearby, was observing their every move.After observing for a moment, the shadow swiftly vanished and reappeared in a secluded location where several other black-clad individuals had been w