Granny Kasi's basic information instantly transformed Tyler's indifference into profound respect!
This 68-year-old grandmother might just lift Viviana off the ground and give her a good thrashing!
Tyler couldn't help but exclaim from the depths of his heart, "Indeed, the older, the stronger…lol"
(Silly Nissen: I must be seeing things... The people I've encountered-o lately are getting more and more outrageous!)
(Tyler: Well, except for Granny Kasi, the others have been somewhat reasonable so far...)
Indeed, once he calmed down, Tyler immediately noticed something off about Granny Kasi. Despite her immense strength, she moved with trembling steps, and everyone in the caravan regarded her as an ordinary old lady.
(...Maybe even if I hadn't intervened just now, Tocchini wouldn't have been in any danger.)
Tyler speculated that Granny Kasi might have been testing him, which is why she refrained from taking action. After all, he was a stranger to the caravan.
·
"Well, handsome young man, you probably don't know this, but there are monsters in the Sandrift Gorge."
With a shaky gait, Granny Kasi joined the conversation among the others.
Taking advantage of the situation, Tyler observed Granny Kasi up close. At first glance, she appeared to be just an old lady, devoid of muscular strength or an ethereal demeanor.
"Granny, by monsters, do you mean the Rock Shadow Demon?" Tyler approached her, offering support, and asked with utmost respect.
Marik, Lawrence, and little Tocchini, witnessing Banning's gesture, couldn't help but think that this young man was indeed a rare species who knew how to care for the elderly!
Little did they know, Banning(Tyler) was actually testing their inner thoughts.
"Oh~? Young man, you know about the 'Rock Shadow Demon'?"
"Yes, I heard it from the Gudetown Cavalry."
"Are you from Gudetown?"
"No, I'm from Ira Village."
After briefly explaining his situation, Tyler, in a show of respect, found Granny Kasi's hand tightly gripping his!
"You're from Ira Village, huh? Oh, my dear Kana... I mean, Granny Kana! She's a dear friend of mine~!"
"Oh, I see. No wonder I felt that you resembled Granny Kana~!"
Tyler didn't care if the resemblance was genuine or not; what mattered was establishing a good relationship with this level 67 Mercenary Sage.
·
With the aid of mind reading, Tyler swiftly assimilated into the ambiance of the Traveling Merchant Caravan.
Whether it was intentional concealment or genuine ignorance, the other members of the caravan truly treated Granny Kana as an elderly person with limited mobility, providing her with care.
Despite employing mind reading ability, Tyler failed to detect any loopholes.
Furthermore, Tyler did not perceive any malice or schemes within Granny Kana's thoughts. Their interaction truly resembled that with Granny Kana.
(Perhaps... a good person's companion is also a good person.)
While conversing, Granny Kasi suddenly sighed.
"Ah, I hope Kana recovers soon..."
"Eh? What happened to Granny Kana?"
"Kana fell ill. Didn't you know?"
If Granny Kasi hadn't mentioned it, Tyler would have remained unaware.
It turned out that since Tyler had left Ira Village many days ago, he was oblivious to the subsequent events in the village.
After Tyler's departure from Ira Village, the Traveling Merchant Caravan paid a visit to the village.
That day, Granny Kasi went to chat with Granny Kana as usual, but upon entering her house, she learned that Kana's recurring heart pain had resurfaced, leaving her bedridden.
Granny Kana's condition was exacerbated by the scorching summer heat, and the only effective treatment required boiling water with sandrift flowers and consuming it.
These sandrift flowers grew only in Sandrift Gorge, located nearby, and they only bloomed in moonlit areas during the night. The more water sources there were in the vicinity, the greater the likelihood of finding them.
"I wonder if anyone from the village has been sent to search. Ira Village doesn't have many capable individuals..."
Both verbally and inwardly, Kasi expressed deep concern for Kana.
Initially, Tyler was touched by Granny Kasi's consistency, but he quickly noticed something illogical.
·
Tyler found it somewhat perplexing.
If Granny Kasi genuinely cared for Granny Kana, her close friend, why didn't she go to Sandrift Gorge to help with this matter?
As a Level 67 Mercenary Sage, she shouldn't have trouble dealing with the monsters in Sandrift Gorge, right?
If she couldn't handle it, then wouldn't it be akin to sending the Gudetown Cavalry, whose levels ranged from a mere ten to twenty, on a futile monster hunt?
However, Tyler was reluctant to cast doubts on Granny Kasi, as her thoughts were sincere; she genuinely cared for Granny Kana.
Therefore, Tyler could only make a temporary conjecture:
Perhaps Granny Kasi had grown old and feeble, with her current status and strength falling behind her past glory.
Regrettably, Tyler couldn't voice these questions. He had to keep the matter of the Divine Eye of Transcendence a secret from everyone.
·
The members of the Traveling Merchant Caravan had a delightful conversation with Tyler, and even the adorable loli Tocchini took a great liking to him. Under their warm invitation, Tyler joined them in having lunch on the grassy field.
During the meal, Granny Kasi left to attend to personal matters. At that moment, Tyler's attention was focused on a conversation with Marik, and he did not notice the unusual demeanor of Granny Kasi.
After all, nature calls, and everyone understands the need, especially in the wilderness.
However, unbeknownst to the others, once out of their sight, Granny Kasi no longer moved slowly but swiftly made her way into the depths of the forest.
Before long, she arrived beneath a tree marked with the "Snake Eye" symbol, emitting a faint magical aura. It was her perception of this magical energy that led her there.
"A wise old soul has come to visit the denizens beneath the earth~"
Granny Kasi softly uttered the passphrase. Shortly after, a verdant snake with venomous fangs descended from the tree.
"Good to see you, Kasi." (In the language of evilkinds)
The snake spoke with its venomous fangs.
"I can't die yet~ By the way, can you speak the language of the humans while on their territory, 'Earthly Ghost'?" (In the human language)
"Of course, as long as you complete the mission successfully, we can negotiate any terms." (In the human language)
An evil gleam flickered in the snake's eyes. It was not its true form but merely a messenger.
The true form of the snake was known as the 'Earthly Ghost,' currently serving for the Eternal Winter Lord in the Abyssal Empire.
Controlling snakes to establish contact with the Alliance of Light's insider was a skill the 'Earthly Ghost' excelled at.
"Tell me, what is the mission? If it's too difficult, this old soul may not be able to handle it."
"It's not difficult, not difficult at all. You know the nearby Sandrift Gorge, right? Swarerock 'resides' there, do you know him?"
"Yes, I do. What about him?"
"There's a possibility that someone will kill him soon. Once he's killed, I need you to immediately gather information about the killer and participants. You also need to keep track of the killer. Can you do it?"
"Swarerock will be killed...?"
Granny Kasi widened her eyes in disbelief.
"Even I may not be able to deal with him if I were to confront him. When did such a powerful individual arrive in this vicinity?"
"That's none of your concern. Just tell me, can you do it or not?"
"Naturally, it's a piece of cake."
"Very well, I leave it in your hands. Keep a close watch."
With a hiss, the venomous snake disappeared into the bushes, and the snake eye mark on the tree trunk vanished.