Chapter 97: Chapter 93: The Village Chief’s Commission and the Magic Scroll

Early morning sunlight slipped through a crack in the window, landing on Lin Mo’s face.

Lin Mo’s consciousness slowly returned before he even opened his eyes. The muggy air made him frown.

’Summer weather is just unbearable. If only this world had air conditioning...’

’But why do I feel a little cool... Did the villagers bring some ice?’

The chilly sensation jolted Lin Mo fully awake, and only then did he hear the sound of steady breathing next to him.

He looked down to see two slender arms wrapped tightly around his waist and a pair of fair thighs draped over him, as if he were a body pillow.

The heavy weight on his chest was the girl’s delicate face. The ears on her head were pressed right against him, their fluffy texture tickling his skin.

"Ali?!"

Lin Mo was stunned for a long moment. He was certain he hadn’t had anything to drink last night, nor had he done anything strange.

’So, why is she in my room?’

"Lin Mo, are you awake yet? The village chief is looking for us, he has..."

Alton, who had just pushed the door open, froze at the scene before him. The corner of his mouth twitched as he silently closed the door again.

"Ahem—the village chief needs us for something. You... both of you, come straight to his house when you’re up."

Lin Mo raised his hands high, a look of pure innocence on his face.

’I’m so screwed. This is one of those situations you just can’t explain away...’

The commotion finally woke Ali. She let out a cute, sleepy hum, rubbed her eyes, and stared blankly at Lin Mo.

"Ah, Lin Mo... good morning."

’Good morning my ass!’

Lin Mo couldn’t resist pinching her cheek. "Snap out of it, Ali. Why are you in my room?"

Ali paused, the question finally sinking in. She frowned in thought for a moment before smacking a fist into her palm. "Oh, I remember! I got up to use the bathroom last night and forgot how to get back to my room."

"And then?"

"And then... and then I think I accidentally went into the wrong one..."

Ali noticed that Lin Mo seemed a little unhappy, so she lowered her head and spoke sheepishly.

"How could you get that wrong?"

Lin Mo looked completely exasperated. ’I knew I shouldn’t have slept so soundly last night.’

"I just smelled a really nice scent, and then..."

Ali scratched her head. "I’m sorry, okay? Please don’t be mad."

"I’m not exactly angry."

Lin Mo didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "But you have to be more careful. See? The Captain just got the wrong idea."

Ali didn’t reply, just kept giggling foolishly.

"Do you hate this, Lin Mo?"

"Hate what?"

Ali didn’t say a word. Blinking her eyes, she simply hugged him.

"This..."

Lin Mo’s body stiffened. He suddenly realized she wasn’t really so naive after all.

’So... does this count as me being taken advantage of?’

"Lin Mo, did you know?"

Ali leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Last night, I was so scared something would happen to you. So, so scared..."

"Back then, I was thinking that if you came back alive, I would never be a coward again."

"So, do you hate this?"

Ali’s body was soft, astonishingly so. Her slender arms were wrapped around him, trembling nervously. At such close range, Lin Mo could clearly hear her racing heart.

"No. It’s very comfortable."

Lin Mo finally answered honestly. Ali’s body was cool to the touch, and hugging her in this sweltering weather was truly comfortable, like being wrapped in a small blanket of Ice...

Ali nuzzled against his chest, letting out soft whimpers of contentment.

...

When they arrived at the village chief’s house, walking side by side, their teammates all looked over, their eyes full of teasing.

’Looks like Alton wasn’t very discreet. He just went and blabbed everything.’

’Although I want to explain that nothing happened, on second thought, there’s no point.’

Lin Mo shrugged. As long as he was thick-skinned enough, he could just ignore their stares and pretend nothing had happened.

The village chief walked into the room holding a document. "Mr. Alton, here is your squad’s mission report."

Falling Leaves Village had suffered heavy losses this time. Even though the mission was ultimately completed, the village chief still needed to personally explain the circumstances and affix his seal. Otherwise, it could affect the Association’s evaluation and the final reward.

The other squads had already taken their reports and left. Thanks to Lin Mo "sleeping in," the Bull Run Squad was the last to leave.

Alton accepted the document, exchanged a few pleasantries with the village chief, and prepared to leave.

"Um, actually... I have an impudent request to make."

The village chief hesitated for a moment but finally spoke.

"I know your mission is complete, but this is something we villagers cannot handle on our own. We must rely on the strength of you Adventurers..."

"Please tell us, Chief."

Alton didn’t agree immediately, instead asking for the details first.

"It’s like this. After the Goblins retreated yesterday, I took stock of the village’s losses. Besides those killed by the Goblins, there are also some who have gone missing."

He pursed his lips. "The ones who are missing... they’re mostly young girls from the village, between the ages of ten and twenty. My granddaughter is one of them."

Lin Mo recalled saving a few girls from the Goblin Caster the day before, but that clearly wasn’t all of them. The others had likely already been taken away.

"The total number of missing girls is over fifty. If we go and post a new mission with the Association now, I’m afraid..."

He was afraid that by the time new Adventurers arrived, the situation would be beyond saving.

"I know this puts you in a difficult position, but we certainly won’t ask you to help for free!"

As the old village chief spoke, he took out the heavy cloth bag hanging from his waist.

Inside were some twenty-odd Gold Coins, over a hundred Silver Coins, and many Copper Coins.

"This is the life savings of myself and the families of the missing girls, plus money that others in the village helped raise."

He put the bag down, went into the back room, and returned with a yellowed Scroll.

His withered hands gripped the Scroll tightly as he carefully unrolled it. "One of my ancestors was a Professional. This is one of the Skills he left behind when he left the village. It’s just that, after all these years, no one has ever been able to learn it. If you can help us rescue those poor girls, then this Scroll will be your reward."

’A Skill that no one has been able to learn for so many years?’

Alton was suspicious. ’It’s not a fake, is it?’

"Can I take a look?"

The village chief nodded and handed them the Scroll.

Alton took one look at it and immediately understood.

"A Magic Scroll!"

’In a small village like this, it would be a miracle if someone managed to learn Magic from a single Scroll.’

When Lin Mo heard those two words, his eyes lit up. He took the Scroll from Alton and examined it carefully.

Indeed, it was covered in content related to "Magic Circuits" and "Spells," similar to the other Magic Scroll he had obtained before.

However, the one he had gotten before was Flame-related Magic, while this Scroll was related to Frost Ice.

"Lin Mo, what do you think?"

Alton could clearly see Lin Mo’s intense interest in the Magic Scroll, so he took the opportunity to ask, "So, should we accept the village chief’s request?"

Although he was the captain of the Bull Run Squad, Lin Mo had clearly become the team’s core.

The old village chief also looked at him with pleading eyes.

He didn’t know much about Professionals, but he knew the tide of battle last night had turned with this very young man’s departure and return.

Lin Mo was his last hope.

All the squads before them had refused his request...

It wasn’t that they lacked compassion; it was simply that the difficulty of the mission was impossible to predict.

Yesterday’s Goblin Army had only scattered in the chaos, they weren’t all dead. Several Mutated Goblins were also still alive. Rashly giving chase would be far too dangerous...

Besides, to be honest, the reward the old chief was offering wasn’t all that enticing.

Twenty-odd Gold Coins wasn’t a huge amount for them, and even if they obtained the Mage Scroll, they would only be able to sell it.

A Mage Scroll was certainly valuable—it might even fetch a high price of several hundred Gold Coins—but they would have to consign it to an auction house in the city, which would take a long time and be a huge hassle.

Of course, the main reason was that they didn’t believe they had the ability to pull off the rescue.

Lin Mo thought for a moment, then finally nodded.

He couldn’t give up on his goal of becoming a Mage, so this Magic Scroll was an immense temptation.

Besides, if they didn’t rescue those girls, then in a short while, new Mutated Goblins and even Goblin Casters would be born. Their victory last night would become meaningless.

So, whether for humanitarian reasons, future considerations, or the reward upon completion, he had no reason to refuse the village chief’s request.

"What about the rest of you? This isn’t an Association mission, so whether or not you come is up to you."

Carson, the Assassin, gave a bitter smile. "I’m injured right now. Even if I came with you, I’m afraid I’d just drag you down..."

"Me too."

Rick the Knight also shook his head.

Solan hesitated, glanced at Alton, then looked down and remained silent for a long time.

"You should go back with them."

Alton glanced at him. "This mission is dangerous. You’d only be a hindrance if you came along. Remember to tell Bena not to worry, I’ll be back soon—"

"Stop!"

Lin Mo cut him off just in time to stop him from raising that flag. Under Alton’s confused gaze, he explained, "He gets what you mean. Back where I’m from, saying things like that is considered bad luck."

"Alright."

Alton nodded, not pressing for details. "Anyway, that’s the plan. The three of you take the carriage back first. We’ll leave after we’ve rescued them."

As for Ali, he didn’t even have to ask.

’From the look in her eyes, she probably wishes she could be glued to Lin Mo’s side at all times...’

Besides, compared to the other three, Ali was stronger. At the very least, she could protect herself.

"There’s no time to waste. Let’s head out now!"