Everyone Wants Me Dead: The Villain Lord's Survival Diary-Chapter 8 – Your horse is gone

"Saintess, how can I complete tasks to level up faster?"
"Saintess, can I get your autograph?"
"That tail looks so tempting to touch..."
"Are you still accepting followers?"
"Wow, such expressive emotions, you can't even tell she's an NPC!"
"Saintess, I xxxx, xx? Damn, why is my speech being censored?"
"Hey, you guys should tone it down. Even though she's an NPC, she's very intelligent, almost like a real person."
"Yeah, yeah, the Saintess's face is all red, she looks so flustered, it's adorable..."
...
Roye found herself surrounded by a group of players, her expression somewhat bewildered and helpless. She had initially thought that the summoned Heroic Spirits would be a group of brave, steady, and disciplined warriors.
However, the reality was that the square outside Morninglight Town, specifically cleaned to welcome the arrival of the Heroic Spirits, had turned into a noisy marketplace.
Roye cast a pleading glance toward Ye Hao, only to find that he was in a worse situation, nearly buried under layers of Heroic Spirits... all of whom were asking him about professions.
These Heroic Spirits behaved frivolously, spoke rudely, and some even tried to get handsy with her, but it seemed a mysterious force zapped them into charcoal...
In the distance, a Heroic Spirit climbed to the top of a high roof and then jumped down with a howl, while a group of Heroic Spirits around cheered.
Indeed, Roye thought they might have some issues with their brains.
Even though she knew these Heroic Spirits could be resurrected infinitely at a cost, Roye still couldn't accept the bizarre behavior of treating suicide as a game.
Their personalities were unlike Heroic Spirits, more akin to a lower-level creature on the Kain Continent—goblins.
The same chaos, the same noise, the same irrationality.
"By the Goddess, can these people really lead us to the glory of the Demi-humans?"
Roye couldn't help but worry deeply in her heart.
But the Goddess had instructed her so and had given her something called the NPC Interface, through which she could issue tasks to all the Heroic Spirits.
Every moment the Heroic Spirits spent on the Kain Continent, especially when they killed enemies of the Kain Continent or handed over resources found there, would replenish the Goddess's divine power. When these Heroic Spirits completed their so-called tasks, the divine power would in turn reward them with energy, enhancing their strength and creating a virtuous cycle.
In the mouths of these Heroic Spirits, this was called leveling up.
They seemed particularly enthusiastic about leveling up, with the majority of the crowd asking her how to level up.
Roye forcibly suppressed the unease and panic in her heart and showed a gentle and kind smile to the sea of players.
"The Demi-human race is in a state of disarray, and we need to rebuild our home in a hidden and safe place. Many of our compatriots are wandering outside the borders or are enslaved. I hope you Heroic Spirits can assist me in finding our lost compatriots and rescuing the Demi-humans living in distress."
Will this work? Will they listen to me? Roye anxiously looked at the Heroic Spirits before her.
As soon as she finished speaking, the players erupted into chatter again.
"A task! A task!"
"Hmm, collect wood, hunt game, and gather boulders in the forests near Morninglight Town to prepare for building a temporary Demi-human settlement?"
"Be wary of the militia guards in Morninglight Town and gather intelligence for the Saintess."
"Search for wandering Demi-humans at the border."
"Rescue the enslaved and suffering Demi-humans."
"Except for the first one, the rest are all team tasks!"
"Is gathering intelligence considered a team task? Is it because a big group makes it harder for the guards to notice?"
"If we just take out all the guards, we can still get the intel!"
***
At this moment, Ye Hao, who had been silent for a while, walked over. He knelt on one knee, looked up at the Saintess with eyes like stars, and spoke softly.
"Miss Roye, I will lead a group of Heroic Spirits to Morninglight Town to search for and rescue the enslaved Demi-humans."
The players were surprised to find their attention involuntarily focused on Ye Hao and Roye, and even though they were far away, they could clearly hear their conversation and see their expressions and movements.
They guessed this must be the main storyline animation because a highlighted task had appeared in their task bar, marked as the main storyline.
[Follow the Chosen of Destiny, Ye Hao, to Morninglight Town to search for and rescue the enslaved Demi-humans. Note: Try not to alert the guards of Morninglight Town, as this may cause trouble for your actions.]
***
"So, this little dump is Morninglight Town?"
Sylvie frowned, disdainfully wiping the filth from his shoe on a step.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Sylvie would find it hard to believe that such a dirty, chaotic, and rundown town existed in his territory.
Dusty yellow earth covered the ground, with animal and human waste visible everywhere; the walls were mottled and dilapidated, long overdue for repair; the outdated buildings were in disrepair...
To read the uncut version, go to [pawread.com].
The greenery was decent, though. Sylvie noticed that one of the rooftops of a resident's house had a large tree crown sticking out.
"What was the previous lord doing? Even if the resources in the territory were scarce and it was far from the Royal Capital, the territory shouldn't be managed so poorly!"
"Master Sylvie."
Reckmon noticed Sylvie's displeasure and explained:"The previous lord was Earl Kalant of the Ironwall family, a complete war fanatic and a devout follower of Balda the Flame Dragon. During his tenure, Earl Kalant was constantly at war, neglecting the management of the territory. In fact, the Earl of Eaglehold's territory wasn't originally large enough to require griffon travel. The current large expanse of land was all captured from the Beastfolk by Earl Kalant."
"Kalant?"
Sylvie recalled an image of a portly, bearded, greasy middle-aged man who was always smiling, but who turned out to be a warmonger at heart.
"So I should be grateful he left me an enlarged Eaglehold?"
Sylvie felt exasperated looking at the town that was so in tune with nature. A larger territory wasn't always better; the larger it was, the harder it was to manage, especially in a border area like Eaglehold with a mixed population.
Sylvie decided to start his territory construction plan as soon as he returned.
Even the Demon King had a grand Demon King Castle. As the Earl of Eaglehold, the future strongest villain BOSS, and the nemesis of the Fourth Calamity, Sylvie couldn't have his territory look like a rural-urban fringe area. Otherwise, outsiders would laugh their heads off.
On the crooked town walls, a few militia guards had already spotted Sylvie and Claremont. Although they didn't know Sylvie's exact identity, they recognized the Golden Lion Crest on his armor.
One guard quickly ran down from the wall and approached Sylvie and Claremont, bowing respectfully.
"Honorable sir, I am Goodbye, the Guard Captain of Morninglight Town. How may I assist you?"
Sylvie took a closer look and then grinned. Ah, a familiar face.
In the game forum of his previous life, some players had made videos of the first beta, including the process of the task to rescue Demi-human slaves in Morninglight Town.
Goodbye was an elite warrior encountered by these players during the task, a Guard Captain skilled in sweeping and thrusting attacks, who caused quite a bit of trouble for the players at the time.
Sylvie couldn't help but look at Goodbye's information with curiosity:
[Name: Goodbye]
[Identity: Guard Captain of Morninglight Town]
[Strength: Intermediate Swordsman Level 13 (11-20)]
[Skills: Whirlwind Sweep, Brave Thrust]
[Equipment: Guard Plate Armor (Common), Guard Longsword (Common)]
[Cologne Empire Reputation: 31 (In Morninglight Town, he is a skilled and respected individual)]
[Demi-human Faction Reputation: 6 (Little known)]
"Not bad, just as I remembered, the man of sweeping and thrusting."
Sylvie nodded to himself. This guy was talented, turning two skills into a combo, and a rather annoying one at that.
But according to the storyline from his previous life, this Guard Captain would eventually die at the hands of the players, leading to the emergence of the minor BOSS of Morninglight Town, Mayor Megil.
The position of mayor in the towns within the Earldom wasn't something just anyone could hold. They were usually minor nobles or butlers under the Earl's command without their own fief.
So this Megil was technically his vassal, assigned by the family to help manage the territory. Unfortunately, he was a waste.
According to the information Sylvie had learned from the forum in his previous life, this mayor of Morninglight Town was notorious for his misdeeds, and his strength was lacking. Calling him a minor BOSS was an overstatement; he was just slightly stronger than an ordinary guard.
"Bring Mayor Megil to me!"
Thinking of the evil deeds Megil had committed, Sylvie's expression turned stern.
He indeed had a fondness for Goodbye's talent and wanted to bring him back to Winterfell Keep for training. As for the rest of these useless people, they could die for the sake of the storyline. If they didn't die, the protagonist party wouldn't be able to take over Morninglight Town, and the novice village couldn't be established.
***
When the guards found Megil at his home, he was sleeping soundly with two maids. Annoyed at having his dream interrupted, he was about to take the whip off the wall and give the lowly guard a beating.
But when Megil heard that the person looking for him was a young man with a Golden Lion Crest on his chest, he immediately deflated like a punctured balloon.
A young man with a Golden Lion Crest? In Eaglehold, who else could it be but Earl Sylvie Goldlion?
Although he didn't know why Sylvie had traveled so far to the border town of Morninglight, Megil forced himself to move his weak legs, not even bothering to dress properly, and scrambled to Sylvie's presence.
Megil put on a flattering smile, bowed deeply, and bent so low that his head almost touched his knees, just short of kneeling to lick Sylvie's shoes.
"Honorable Master Sylvie, your humble servant has prayed day and night to the God of Luck, and finally, you have come! You don't know how much I've missed you in the days I couldn't see you, your humble servant..."
Sylvie coldly looked at the nodding, bowing, chubby middle-aged man and glanced at his information:
[Name: Megil]
[Identity: Mayor of Morninglight Town]
[Strength: Knight Level 11 (11-20)]
[Skills: Mounted Charge (requires a horse), Lance Charge (requires a horse)]
[Equipment: Exquisite Craftsman Armor (Fine), Ancestral Longsword (Fine)]
[Cologne Empire Reputation: 352 (He is notorious in Morninglight Town)]
[Demi-human Faction Reputation: 37 (The Demi-humans detest him)]
Just two ordinary knight skills that could be learned for free at the Knight Academy, requiring a horse. Without a horse, he was just a useless knight with no skills, only battle aura.
Sylvie shook his head, thinking this guy was completely rotten.
"Megil, tell me, has there been any unusual activity in Morninglight Town recently?"
Megil's heart skipped a beat at the question.
"Could the Earl know about the shady things I've done? It shouldn't be possible, given the distance..."
Megil's mind raced, but he couldn't grasp any clues, so he forced a smile and said:
"Master Sylvie, rest assured, what could happen in Morninglight Town? Everything is normal, the residents live in peace and prosperity, and they often express their gratitude for your selflessness and greatness..."
"That's a load of crap!"
Sylvie coldly interrupted Megil's flattery with a shout, causing Megil's face to turn pale.
"The Demi-humans have already infiltrated your house, and you claim to know nothing. Since that's the case, you're temporarily relieved of your duties as mayor. I'll take over as mayor, and you'll stay here as the Guard Captain. Once you've figured things out, come find me to resume your position!"
Goodbye stood to the side, bewildered and a bit anxious.
Why was he suddenly relieved of his duties as Guard Captain? It was an undeserved disaster, and his family depended on his stipend to eat!
"Um, honorable Earl..."
"You'll be my Royal Guard! Stipend doubled."
"Yes!"
Goodbye was no longer anxious. He swiftly stood behind Sylvie, feeling no emotional turmoil, and even a bit amused.
"Master Sylvie, I..."
"What do you mean, 'I'? You'll stay here and do what a Guard Captain should do if anything happens in town. Oh, and don't ride your horse anymore, I'll take it."
With that, Sylvie led Claremont and Goodbye toward the Mayor's Estate, not bothering to look at the despondent Megil left behind.
***
Soon, a grand drama would unfold in Morninglight Town. Sylvie eagerly awaited it, standing at the highest point of the Mayor's Estate, having found the best vantage point.
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan