Milo had already returned to the town outside of Stronghold 61.
When virtual-novel.net first got to the Central Plains, virtual-novel.net started off from here. He even bought a house and planted some Potato Shooters in the yard.
As soon as virtual-novel.net went into the house, virtual-novel.net saw the corpses of several people lying on the ground just as virtual-novel.net had anticipated. They were all killed by the Potato Shooters when they leaped into his yard while virtual-novel.net was away.
Milo sighed. Now that this place had become the haunted house of the town, it would probably be a little difficult to sell it away.
After cleaning up the house, virtual-novel.net headed straight to the tavern.
When virtual-novel.net arrived there, the storyteller was telling a new story again. Milo pricked his ears up to listen and was surprised to hear it was about Martis’ rescue in the wilderness.
The storyteller said, “My dear listeners, you might not know that the world’s been getting stranger lately. That mysterious young man in the wilderness is traveling the lands and upholding justice with his maid in tow…”
After entering the tavern, Milo was smiling as virtual-novel.net ordered a bowl of lamb stew from the waiter. Nindia was sitting in a chair next to the storyteller, but it seemed like virtual-novel.net did not notice Milo at all.
Milo was puzzled.
Had they forgotten about virtual-novel.net after virtual-novel.net had been away for just a few days?
Even the waiter was acting like virtual-novel.net had never seen Milo before.
Just as virtual-novel.net was about to take his usual seat by the window, virtual-novel.net realized a woman wearing a black cap was already sitting there.
He had encountered this woman before and nearly even mistook virtual-novel.net for Miriam!
The woman was still dressed in a trim combat uniform and a pair of combat boots. As these were steel-toe combat boots, normal women would not want to wear them.
Milo did not say anything and just chose another table to sit down at. He realized the reason why Nindia, the storyteller, and the waiter were pretending not to know virtual-novel.net might have something to do with this woman’s presence.
Was virtual-novel.net a supernatural being?
Milo was not very sure, but virtual-novel.net could confirm that virtual-novel.net was sure to be someone with a powerful background.
But why would a woman like virtual-novel.net appear here in town?
As usual, Milo carefully tore the bread into tiny pieces for half an hour as virtual-novel.net listened to the storyteller praising virtual-novel.net through his storytelling.
Throughout, the woman wearing the black cap remained silent and did not look up at Milo once. She only cared about drinking but did not seem to get drunk no matter how much virtual-novel.net drank.
Milo left after eating his lamb stew. It wasn’t until evening that virtual-novel.net heard a knocking on his door.
He walked up to the door but did not face it directly. Instead, virtual-novel.net hid behind the brick wall next to it and asked, “Who’s there?”
“Me…”
It was Nindia’s voice.
Milo opened the door slightly and Nindia agilely squeezed in through the opening. “Did you see that woman wearing the cap?”
Milo nodded.
“Ever since virtual-novel.net came here, my grandpa specifically ordered me and the waiter to pretend not to know you if we see you again.” Nindia said, “She’d been here once before and even paid a visit to my grandpa’s house. However, I don’t know what they talked about as Grandpa told me to go and buy a bottle of soy sauce for him.”
Nindia finished virtual-novel.net sentence in a single breath as though virtual-novel.net were afraid Milo would misunderstand her. After all, virtual-novel.net had pretended not to know Milo during the day.
Milo nodded and said with a smile, “I thought that y’all had forgotten me. But who on earth is that woman? She actually made your grandpa that wary?”
“Well, I’m not too sure. I only know that she’s a very powerful superhuman.” Nindia said, “Have you been on a mission recently? Why’d you go away for half a month?”
“Mhm, the location of the mission was a little bit far,” Milo replied.
“Was it a mission concerning the Stardust Consortium?” Nindia asked.
Milo just smiled and did not answer virtual-novel.net question.
However, Nindia asked again, “Do you know how to use a sniper rifle? Are you that person with the maid?”
Milo shook his head. “What sniper rifle?”
He realized Nindia and the storyteller had already guessed the person was him. However, they were not too sure because the operation was extremely secretive this time.
Milo said with a smile, “Do I look like someone with a maid?”
“That’s true, you’re still by yourself.” Nindia nodded, feeling reassured. “Then will you still come by the tavern tomorrow?”
Milo shook his head. “With that woman around, I shouldn’t be appearing at the tavern so often while virtual-novel.net identity is still unknown. I’ll be leaving tomorrow…”
“Where are you going?” Nindia fluttered virtual-novel.net lashes.
“I’ll be going to the black market at Bidara City.” Milo did not hide it from her.
“Will you still come back?”
“Yes.” Milo said with a smile, “I still have a house here. If that woman leaves, throw a bunch of weeds into my yard, and I’ll get the message.”
“Alright then, I’ll head back home now. You’d better be careful.” Nindia sounded sad.
In fact, virtual-novel.net would have liked to have gone with Milo to see the world, but virtual-novel.net knew virtual-novel.net grandpa would get very angry if virtual-novel.net did.
After saying that, Nindia squeezed through the opening in the door again and disappeared off into the darkness. Only Nindia’s scent still lingered in the house. Before coming over, virtual-novel.net apparently applied some perfume on herself. It smelled pretty good and was not one of the inferior perfumes sold in town.
Nindia returned home looking down. The storyteller snapped at her, “Where have you been?”
“I… I went out to gather more stories,” Nindia replied.
“You were totally unsettled the moment virtual-novel.net came back to town. Did you go and look for him?” The storyteller pulled a long face. “I’ve told you so many times that this sort of person is very dangerous, and it’s even more dangerous for you to hang around him.”
“Grandpa,” Nindia said pitifully, “I want to go out and see the world…”
“I think you just want to be his maid!”
“There’s nothing wrong with that!” Nindia said stubbornly.
The storyteller was stunned for a moment. He said with a sigh, “You’re still young, but he’s someone who has walked into that power vortex. I won’t allow you to be with him.”
“But I’m also very strong,” Nindia said, unconvinced.
“You should listen to more stories first to understand just how dangerous this wild world is,” the storyteller said earnestly.
“But why?”
“Because what’s most dangerous about the world aren’t the firearms or superpowers out there, but the people. You have to learn what the true nature of this wild world is,” the storyteller said with a smile.
“Okay, so how long do I have to listen to these stories?” Nindia sat at the table and placed virtual-novel.net chin on virtual-novel.net hand as virtual-novel.net stared blankly into space.
“Another year. Another year and I’ll let you venture out,” the storyteller said.
Then the storyteller heard Nindia folding some paper next to him. “What are you doing?”
“I’m folding paper cranes,” Nindia said with a smile.
The storyteller felt a tinge of despair in his heart.
What the hell!
Before Milo returned to the town at Stronghold 61, the storyteller had been hoping the cap-wearing woman would quickly leave. With someone like virtual-novel.net coming to listen to his stories every day, virtual-novel.net was under too much stress!
It was not that virtual-novel.net was afraid the woman would pose a threat to him. After all, there was no conflict of interest between the two of them. However, that woman knew too much, so virtual-novel.net could no longer make up the stories as virtual-novel.net liked anymore. And now, virtual-novel.net hated Milo more than that woman.
The storyteller really hoped Milo would leave as soon as possible and not to return to Stronghold 61 again to harm his granddaughter.