The Paladin Commander's Tremor

Passing beneath the Mana Sentinel Tower at the village entrance—a structure that made Leo feel suffocated—the Rank Five Holy Templar Commander from the Royal Capital felt his back already drenched in cold sweat.

Even though the two militiamen guarding the gate (Da Zhuang and Er Gou) were munching on apples, and the mouth-watering aroma of roasted meat drifted through the air, in Leo's eyes, everything was filled with an eerie sense of incongruity.

"Stay alert, everyone!"

Leo lowered his voice, warning his subordinates and the Norent family's private soldiers behind him via sound transmission magic. "Don't be fooled by appearances. This place... is not right. It's very wrong."

The group advanced along the wide, flat flagstone road.

Leo's gaze swept the surroundings like a radar. The more he looked, the more the turbulent waves of shock surged in his heart.

"Look at that streetlamp."

Leo pointed to an inconspicuous stone pillar by the road, its top inlaid with a crystal emitting a soft white light. "Is that a Radiant Stone? In the Royal Capital, that's a luxury only the noble district can afford. They actually use it for streetlamps here? And there's one every ten meters?"

"And look at that greenhouse."

He looked toward the massive glass building in the center of the village. "That level of transparency... that's definitely not ordinary glass, that's alchemical crystal! What are they growing inside? Star-Gazing Grass? Dragon Blood Fruit? Are those all high-tier magic potion ingredients?"

If the earlier sentinel tower could be explained away as "getting lucky and finding supplies from ancient ruins," then everything before his eyes was a blatant "piling up of resources."

How could a small, backward border village that had just experienced a beast horde possess this kind of wealth?

Unless...

In Leo's mind, records of "Demonic Contracts" and "Dark Deals" that he had read about in the Church's ancient texts instantly surfaced.

"Only those fallen ones who deal with the abyssal demons, selling their souls in exchange for wealth, could amass such terrifying resources in a short period of time."

Leo tightly gripped the holy sword at his waist, his knuckles turning white from the force.

"I understand now."

He thought with certainty in his heart, "How is this a survivor's village? This is clearly a monster's den wearing human skin!"

"That guy named Lynch is absolutely no ordinary apothecary. He is very likely a high-tier dark wizard lurking in the human world, or... an agent planted on the surface by the demons!"

...

Carrying this preconceived "truth," by the time Leo stood before the two-story house belonging to Lynch, he had already cast himself in the role of a "lone hero venturing deep into the tiger's den."

"Lord Leo, please."

Er Gou attentively pushed open the courtyard gate. "Brother Lynch and Miss Aria are both waiting inside."

Leo took a deep breath, adjusted the Holy Light combat aura within his body to ensure it could erupt at a moment's notice, and then stepped into the courtyard with a solemn expression.

As soon as he entered, he saw the man.

Lynch was wearing loose loungewear, holding a watering can, and watering a seemingly ordinary plant in the yard that was actually radiating a rich aura of life.

Seeing Leo walk in, Lynch turned around and revealed a sunny (which Leo saw as hypocritical) smile:

"Yo, you must be the VIPs from the Royal Capital, right? You've traveled a long way to pick up Aria, it must have been tough."

Leo narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at Lynch.

Rank Three.

Judging by the magic fluctuations, this man was only at the early stages of Rank Three.

However...

"He's too steady."

Alarm bells rang in Leo's heart. "Facing the pressure emitted by a Rank Five Holy Templar Commander like me, he didn't even furrow his brow? His watering hand didn't even tremble?"

"Either he is a dull-witted fool, or... he is hiding his true strength!"

"And hiding it very deeply! Unfathomably deep!"

Leo didn't speak; he just nodded coldly in response and walked straight toward the house.

He wanted to see exactly what kind of monsters and demons were hiding in the core of this "monster's den."

...

Pushing open the heavy oak door, a wave of warmth washed over his face.

The living room was covered with a thick shag carpet, and the firelight from the fireplace cast a golden glow across the entire room. The air was filled with a scent that mixed black tea, pastries, and some kind of expensive incense.

This level of comfort even surpassed his private lounge at the Church in the Royal Capital.

Some of the interior decor was made by Lynch in collaboration with the village carpenter, while others were built by himself using blueprints redeemed from the system.

"This is what they call 'staying temporarily'?"

Leo sneered inwardly. "It seems these fallen ones really know how to enjoy life."

However.

When his gaze swept across the living room and landed on the silver-haired figure sitting on the sofa, holding a teacup and quietly reading a book.

Buzz!!!

Leo felt as if his brain had been viciously smashed by a sledgehammer, and his entire body instantly froze in place.

It was an extremely beautiful woman.

Her long silver hair flowed like moonlight, and her purple eyes were as deep as the abyss. She was just sitting there casually, wearing a seemingly ordinary white dress, but the aura she exuded...

It was nobility. It was apathy.

It was the arrogance of looking down upon all living beings.

At the exact moment Leo looked at her, the woman also slowly raised her head.

Their eyes met.

Boom!

Leo felt the Holy Light combat aura in his body acting as if it had encountered its natural predator, trembling madly, retreating, and even letting out a wail of fear.

This was not demonic aura.

This was a kind of pressure from a higher being... purer, more ancient, and more terrifying than demonic aura!

As an elite who fought against the demons year-round, Leo was all too familiar with this feeling.

During the last crusade at the demon border, he had sensed the aura of a Demon Marquis from afar. That Marquis had caused half a knight order to lose their combat capability with just a single glance.

But the woman before him...

The fleeting purple light in the depths of her eyes, that indifferent gaze as if she were looking at an ant.

It was ten times, a hundred times more terrifying than that Demon Marquis!

Gulp.

Leo's Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, and his back was instantly soaked in sweat.

"What... what kind of monster is this?!"

"This is definitely not human! This oppressive feeling... could it be a Grand Duke of the demons? Or even... a legendary Demon King-level existence?!"

"Why is she here? Why is she disguised as a village woman?!"

Fear coiled around Leo's heart like a venomous snake.

He instinctively wanted to draw his sword, wanted to call for backup, wanted to run away.

But reason told him that if he made a move now, let alone him, even if the entire Inquisition came, they would probably be reduced to ashes in an instant.

"Lord Leo? What's wrong? You don't look so well."

Lynch's concerned (looking at an idiot) voice came from the side.

Leo abruptly snapped back to reality.

He realized that the terrifying silver-haired woman had already withdrawn her gaze and gone back to reading her book, as if the suffocating pressure from a moment ago was nothing but his hallucination.

"N-nothing."

Leo's voice was dry, even carrying a hint of a tremble. He forcefully controlled his weak legs and found a corner of the sofa furthest from that woman to sit down, his posture as upright as a green recruit undergoing inspection.

"It's too hot in here... a bit... a bit hard to get used to."

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, roaring madly in his heart:

"Damn it! The intelligence was completely wrong! How is this a demon proxy's stronghold? This is clearly the Demon King's personal vacation villa!"

"That idiot, Count Gael! He actually let his daughter live here? Does he think he has lived too long?!"

Just as Leo was already drafting his suicide note in his mind.

"Uncle Leo! It really is you!"

A burst of cheerful footsteps came from the kitchen.

Immediately after, the Eldest Miss Aria, who had Count Gael worried sick and caused the Templar Knights to mobilize in full force, ran out like a happy little bird, carrying a large plate.

"I heard voices from the kitchen just now! Look, these are freshly baked cookies! Lynch taught me how to make them! They are super delicious!"

Aria was wearing an apron stained with flour, with a bit of cream smeared on her face. She had completely lost the reserve of a noble lady, and instead was full of...

Full of the down-to-earth vibe of a housewife.

"Miss... Miss Aria?"

Leo's eyes widened as he looked at the girl before him, smiling like a flower, handing cookies to that demon proxy Lynch, and affectionately calling him Brother Lynch.

Was this still the Eldest Miss Norent, known in the royal capital as the Thorny Rose, who had a terrible temper and looked down on everyone?

"What... what are you doing?"

Leo pointed at the apron on her, his voice trembling. "You are a noble! The daughter of a lord! How can you do this... this kind of servant's work?!"

"Oh, what's all this about servants."

Aria nonchalantly stuffed a cookie into her mouth. "Do it yourself and you'll have plenty to eat and wear! Besides, Uncle Leo, you have no idea how delicious the food is here! How happy life is here!"

Saying that, she turned around and hugged the arm of Felsy, who was sitting on the sofa, as if showing off her treasure:

"Sister Felsy is so good to me! She taught me how to coordinate my outfits and even gave me this snow rabbit! Oh right, and Kuma, even though she always steals my chicken drumsticks, she's the best playmate!"

Felsy, who was being hugged, did not tear this human girl to pieces as Leo had imagined.

On the contrary, that Demon King-level existence just sighed helplessly, stretched out her slender fingers, and wiped the cream off Aria's face, her eyes actually revealing a trace of... doting?

"Go wash your hands after eating. Don't rub the cream on my clothes," Felsy said faintly.

"I know, Sister!" Aria chuckled.

This scene was cozy, harmonious, and full of family warmth.

But in Leo's eyes, this was simply the most terrifying picture in the world!

"Brainwashing! This is absolutely brainwashing!"

Leo's pupils contracted violently.

"Miss Aria has been completely controlled!"

"Not only has she lost the dignity of a noble, but she has even developed a Stockholm syndrome-like attachment to these two demons!"

"Look at her eyes! That is a look of someone who has completely given up independent thought and is indulging in false happiness!"

"Too terrifying... Is this the method of high-level demons? Without shedding a single drop of blood, they can transform a paladin seedling with a bright future into a puppet maid who only knows how to bake cookies!"

Leo looked at the cookie Aria had forcefully stuffed into his hand.

Its golden, crispy exterior seemed to turn into some kind of alchemical potion exuding an evil aura in his eyes.

"This cookie definitely has hallucinogenic magic powder or an obedience potion added to it!"

"I can't eat it! I absolutely cannot eat it!"

"Uncle Leo, try it! It's really delicious!" Aria looked at him expectantly.

Even the man named Lynch was looking at him with a smile. "Yes, Lord Leo, taste Aria's handiwork. This is a masterpiece she finally succeeded in making after failing over a dozen times."

That smile, in Leo's view, was simply the sinister grin of a demon luring a mortal into signing a contract.

"I... I'm not hungry."

Leo's hand trembled, almost throwing the cookie away. Suppressing his fear, he placed the cookie on the table and said in an almost pleading tone:

"Miss Aria... the convoy is already waiting outside."

"Lord Count misses you very much... He hasn't even closed his eyes for three days because of you. We... we should hurry up and depart, right?"

He didn't want to stay in this demon lair for another second.

He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would also be brainwashed and become like that beast-eared girl squatting on the roof beam cracking melon seeds.

"Ah? Is it that urgent?"

Aria was a bit disappointed. "But Lynch said he was going to make Buddha Jumps Over the Wall tonight to see me off..."

"Eat it later! You can eat it later when there's a chance!"

Leo was so anxious he almost jumped up. "Now! Immediately! Right away! We must leave!"

He stood up, his movements so large that he knocked over a cup on the coffee table.

"Crash!"

The sound of the cup shattering seemed particularly piercing in the quiet living room.

Leo's entire body stiffened, and he subconsciously looked at the silver-haired woman.

He saw Felsy frown slightly, her gaze moving away from her book and landing on the fragments on the floor, then slowly moving up to look at Leo.

There was no murderous intent.

There wasn't even anger.

There was only a faint disgust, as if she were looking at an ignorant, mischievous brat.

"...A fifth-tier paladin, no less."

Felsy slightly parted her lips, her voice melodious yet cold. "Can you not even hold a cup steady?"

"If you can't afford to pay for it, then leave your sword behind."

"I'll pay! I'll pay!"

Leo was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He frantically pulled out a large bag of gold coins from his chest and slammed it onto the table without even looking. "Is... is this enough?! If not, I have more!"

That was his half-year's salary.

But in the face of his life, what was money?

"It's enough."

Lynch smilingly put the coin purse away. "Lord Leo is too polite. It's just a cup, there's no need for this much."

"He's extorting me! This is naked extortion!"

Leo wept in his heart, but he still had to keep a smile on his face. "It's only right, only right. Breaking things requires compensation, this is a knight's code."

"Since I've paid... Miss Aria, can we go now?"

Leo looked at Aria once again, his eyes filled with the despair of 'please hurry up and leave with me, if we don't leave soon, your uncle is going to die right here.'

Aria looked at Leo, who was covered in sweat and fidgeting restlessly. Although she found it strange, she didn't think too much of it.

"Alright."

She sighed, looking somewhat reluctantly at Lynch and Felsy.

"Brother Lynch, Sister Felsy, I'll be going now."

"Once I'm back in town, I'll definitely write to you! Also, next spring, let's meet in the royal capital!"

"Mm, have a safe trip," Lynch patted her head.

"Remember to take that rabbit with you," Felsy said flatly. "Don't let it starve to death."

"Got it!"

After a reluctant farewell (mostly a one-sided reluctance from Aria, as Leo just wanted to grow wings and fly away), the luxurious convoy from the royal capital finally drove out of the gates of Lynch's estate.

It was not until the carriage had completely left the boundaries of Buena Village, and the terrifying magic sentry tower had vanished from sight, that Leo, sitting on his mount, felt so drained he nearly tumbled off his griffon.

He glanced back at the village, which looked exceptionally peaceful and serene under the setting sun, but the terror in his eyes remained undiminished.

"Terrifying..."

Leo muttered to himself, wiping away a cold sweat.

"Buena Village... Lynch... Felsy..."

"How is this some kind of utopian paradise?"

"This is clearly the most dangerous forbidden zone on the entire continent! It is an abyss where ancient demon gods slumber!"

"I must report this to His Holiness the Pope immediately upon my return! Furthermore... this place must be classified as a Special Alert Zone! No clergy members are ever allowed to go near it!"

"As for purification? Hmph, whoever wants to do it can do it. I am never setting foot in this hellhole again for the rest of my life!"

Meanwhile, in the carriage behind him.

Completely unaware that she had just been classified as an abyss survivor, Aria was holding the snow rabbit, happily munching on cookies she had snagged from Lynch's house while gazing blissfully at the scenery outside the window.

"Hehe, the cookies Brother Lynch makes are so delicious."

"I really hope next spring comes quickly..."