【Ding—】
【You have triggered a hidden quest: The Noble Girl in Distress】
【Quest Description: A group of black-robed men claiming to be from the Count's estate of Tecabelo pursued two girls. You have successfully killed the enemies, but both girls are severely injured. You decide to help them.】
【Quest Objective: Bring the two girls back to the town's Temple of Light for treatment.】
【Time Limit: None】
【Participant Limit: None】
【Quest Level: 10+】
【Quest Rewards: Experience Points, Merit Points】
Silent Rain was slightly stunned when he heard the notification chime in his ear.
At the same time, the pleasantly surprised voices of his teammates echoed from beside him:
“Holy crap?! It really is a hidden quest!”
“A hidden quest! We actually triggered a hidden quest!”
“Whoa?! Could this be related to future maps?”
“Very likely. After all, a Count's estate should be in the human world. It seems the world map of this game is far larger than just Starfall Forest.”
Unlike their excitement and pleasant surprise, Loria had already fainted due to excessive blood loss. Annie, who was holding her, wasn't faring much better. Covered in numerous wounds, she looked at the group and pleaded, her voice trembling:
“Please, save my lady! My lady is bleeding so much... If this continues...”
As she spoke, tears began to stream down her face, her voice choked with sobs.
Silent Rain nodded slightly. He stepped forward and picked Loria up directly in his arms. If she died, triggering this hidden storyline would have been for nothing.
“Let's go.”
Without another word, he set off toward the Player Town.
“Back to camp.”
The other four immediately followed.
Jiumeng quickly walked over to Annie. After a moment's hesitation, he held out his hand. “...Let me help you. You won't be able to walk on your own like this.”
Annie blanked for a moment, then nodded. “Thank you...” she whispered weakly.
The Knight player carrying the heavy shield brought up the rear, muttering to himself, “Does this count as us picking up two NPCs and taking them home?”
...
Meanwhile, in the Divine Kingdom of Light.
Iluvia watched the two girls in her field of vision, lost in thought.
She had been paying attention to this area ever since Silent Rain and his party discovered the black-robed men.
“Tecabelo... Count's estate...”
Iluvia softly repeated these words, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the armrest of her Divine Seat.
An aristocratic force from a human kingdom hunting down two girls, only to be run into by players—this kind of thing was actually very common in game worlds.
But the problem was, this wasn't a game; it was a real world.
Behind every NPC lay a complex web of intersecting interests.
She pondered for a moment, her eyes flickering slightly.
“Still...” She would have to leave Starfall Forest sooner or later to interact with more non-believer humans.
She couldn't hide in the forest farming forever. Spreading her faith, expanding, rebuilding the Church, and restoring her strength—every step was inseparable from the outside world.
Sooner or later, she would have to deal with those human factions.
In that case, it was better to take the initiative and reach out.
Having thought it through, Iluvia quickly made her decision.
The quest had already been issued. Now, she needed to do something else—
Have Lilith prepare in advance.
After all, bringing two wounded people back was easy. But how to handle them afterward, how to settle them, and how to use this opportunity to expand her influence outward—those were the things she really needed to worry about.
...
At the same time, in the dense forest about fifty kilometers east of the Player Town.
The sky had already begun to darken.
The sunlight shifted from gold to orange-red, and then to a heavy grayish-blue. The light in the forest grew dimmer, and the shadows of the trees became increasingly blurred.
The wind rustled through the branches and leaves, carrying the chill unique to late evening.
Six figures came to a halt in a relatively open clearing.
“Let's stop here for today.” The middle-aged knight in the lead looked up at the sun, which was about to sink below the horizon. “We'll camp here and rest. Traveling at night is too dangerous.”
The other five nodded in agreement, setting down their packs to prepare the camp.
Shiruya also set down her waist bag, carefully placing a cloth-wrapped scroll case from her arms onto the clean grass.
“Selby, I'll take the night watch tonight.” Levinel touched his staff.
He looked at Selby, his tone unusually serious. “You're the oldest, and you're the only one familiar with the route here. You have to guide us tomorrow, so you must get a good rest.”
Selby wanted to decline upon hearing this, but seeing Levinel's “I've already decided, so don't argue” expression, he ultimately nodded.
“Alright. Be careful. If there's any movement, wake us up immediately.”
“Okay,” Levinel nodded.
Afterward, Selby looked at Shiruya, who was setting up her tent nearby, and spoke in a warm but non-negotiable tone: “Shiruya, pitch your tent in the middle of ours.”
Shiruya looked up, her eyes curving into crescent smiles as she nodded obediently. “Okay, Uncle Selby.”
She knew he was doing this to protect her.
Rate on N.U.
