Chapter 27: Aileen

The person coming to the door was, to be honest, somewhat unexpected for Miss Vilyric. It wasn’t some brutal and hefty man, but rather a gray-haired girl dressed in simple cloth, about the same age as the character with bangs. She had a gentle appearance, and though she could hardly be called a beauty, she was quite pretty, at least above average by human standards.

For some reason, she looked a bit excited as she slapped the door open with quite some force. However, upon seeing the girl with bangs and Miss Vilyric, she visibly froze, instinctively shrinking back a little, and timidly asked, “Who are you? What do you want?”

Vilyric noticed that the girl’s eyes kept glancing apprehensively at the big sword behind the bangs character, probably because it was the only weapon among the three that looked like it could be used.

Seeing her, the bangs character seemed to grow… excited, but was also struggling to suppress that overwhelming feeling that was wanting to burst out. He managed to respond in a somewhat low voice, “Aileen, it’s been a long time. I’m really glad to see you’re doing well.”

“Huh? Y-you are…?”

Without saying much more, the bangs character simply lifted the long hair that covered half of his face, revealing his entire face along with the vicious scar on his forehead, forcing a smile.

“You… Cyril?! Is it really you, Cyril? You’re still alive!!!”

The alertness and wariness melted away in an instant. The girl named Aileen covered her mouth with both hands, tears spilling out, and then excitedly embraced the bangs character, almost losing her words in her enthusiasm.

“I-I thought you were dead! They all said you died! Died in the Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons, died at the hands of the magical beasts! It’s been a year, did you know? A whole year I’ve lived in despair! Cyril, you jerk! If you’re not dead, why did you take so long to find me!!!”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Aileen. I… I miss you too, but I couldn’t come looking for you. It would violate my promise with the captain, and I was also scared that seeing you would unleash my urge for revenge, hurting both you and me. You know me…”

The bangs character looked like he was about to lose control himself, tightly holding Aileen in his arms and explaining with some distress.

Whoa, there’s more to this than meets the eye…

While it felt a bit mean to interrupt their emotional reunion, Vilyric was not here to watch their romantic drama unfold, so she cleared her throat a few times, intentionally asking, “So, she’s the one you said can lead us to the Ghost Thieves?”

“Ah!”

Miss Priestess’s interjection finally pulled the two from their emotional whirlwind, and realizing Aileen was aware of the third party watching, she quickly pulled away from the bangs character, blushing and turning her head away. The bangs character awkwardly scratched his nose and turned to Vilyric and Little Dragon Daughter.

“Ahem, let me introduce you. This is Aileen, another child who grew up in the slums. Our parents were friends, but they both passed away early. Aileen and I have relied on each other, supporting one another through everything, so you can think of her as my sister.”

“Sister?”

Vilyric gave the two fidgeting individuals a strange look but didn’t dwell on this topic. Whatever their relationship was didn’t matter to Miss Priestess; she only cared about whether this girl named Aileen could help achieve their goal.

“Ahem… In any case, it’s a long story. Aileen, is it safe inside? We need a place to discuss things.”

“Ah? But Cyril, they just said they came to find…”

“Call me Cyril. That name, I’ve decided not to use anymore.”

The bangs character gently stroked the girl’s gray short hair, smiling affectionately.

“Aileen, do you trust me?”

The girl froze for a moment, then swatted the bangs character’s hand away, seemingly annoyed.

“What nonsense are you talking about, Cyril—no, Cyril, right? How could I possibly not trust you? If I can’t trust you, who in this world can I trust? I understand what you mean. Come in.”

With that, Aileen turned back into the house, re-locking the wooden door behind them.

Inside, the wooden cabin looked just as shabby as the outside. The furniture was also quite limited—a wooden plank bed, an aged wooden table and chairs, and a simple stove made of bricks—that was all.

“Aileen, why is it still… I remember there should have been quite a lot of money left at home… Did those bastards take it all…?!!”

The gray-haired girl gently grasped the man’s hand and shook her head.

“Okay, Cyril, stop looking so angry. No one is bullying me; I’ve kept the money safe. That’s what you risked your life to save, and its source… Well, if you want it, I can give it to you right now…”

The bangs character opened his mouth, his anger slowly dissipating, replaced with some embarrassment.

“I’m sorry, Aileen, you’re right. It’s always been this way. I understand now, poachers are indeed a bunch of bastards. That dirty money… I should find a way to dispose of it when I get the chance.”

“…Let’s not talk about that now; first, tell you what happened back then.”

After a bit of time, the bangs character described the story he had once heard from the captain from another perspective, detailing it more thoroughly.

In essence, it was a tale of a young man who used to be a poacher, betrayed by his companions, rescued by a kind-hearted soul, later meeting reliable partners, turning over a new leaf, and deciding to change his ways.

Vilyric had heard it before and felt pretty indifferent, mostly wanting to sleep. Little Dragon Daughter remained cold-faced as usual, while the bangs character and Aileen both seemed filled with emotion, lost in reminiscence.

“So, it was Blais who betrayed you? He… wasn’t he a companion who grew up in the slums with us? He took such good care of me after you went missing in the Mountains of Ten Thousand Demons…”

“I don’t know, but clearly, that guy planned to do me in. This time I’m back, partly because the captain ordered me, and partly because I want to find him, clear things up, and settle scores.”

“…I understand.”

A trace of unbearable gloom crossed Aileen’s face, and she nodded heavily, turning to move the old wooden bed aside with effort. Seeing this, the bangs character quickly stepped in to help.

The two worked together, soon clearing out the space beneath the bed. Vilyric watched in surprise as she noticed a barely visible metal latch hidden under a layer of light dust on the floor.

Clearly, there was something hidden underneath.

The girl skillfully located the latch attached to the floor and began to gently pull it up, all while explaining to Vilyric and Little Dragon Daughter, who were seeing this for the first time.

“Cyril and I are both outer members of the Ghost Thieves. This organization is quite large; not all members are out there hunting for ‘goods.’ Someone like me, who can’t fight, is responsible for intelligence liaison and managing one of the entrances to the dark zone.”

“Dark Zone?”

Vilyric, who had been pondering other matters, couldn’t help but tilt her head in curiosity at this term.

“Uh… I can’t explain it well; you’ll understand once you see it.”

Aileen instinctively touched the necklace hidden beneath her clothes on her smooth neck, her expression pensive.

“Honestly, I don’t like poachers, but Cyril insisted on doing this job with his quick temper… You all have probably met him. I worried something might happen, so I joined the organization, hoping to help him out… Haha, I never expected a day like this to come.”

   

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