Chapter 112: The Haunted Workshop

"Are you talking about his workshop being haunted?" Aive asked in surprise. "A noble in Rose City using Necromancy? That alone should be enough to end Fernando’s career as a nobleman, right?"

"It’s actually haunted?" Old Feibo was also taken aback. "I had no idea it was that kind of trouble... Did Daniel tell you?"

"Well..."

"I see," Old Feibo said, taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling. "While I can’t stand how Hendrix is always trying to manipulate the council, letting Necromancy run rampant in Rose City isn’t a good idea either. I hear you’re an Adventurer. Are you interested in a commission to uncover a secret?"

"Find the mastermind behind the haunting?"

"No, no, no," Old Feibo said, his eyes narrowing like a fox’s. "Find the connection between the trouble Hendrix is facing and the Fernandez family. If you can do this, I will give you a reward that will leave you completely satisfied."

’Two birds with one stone... no, three birds?’ Ron was shocked by the man’s duplicity. ’Take down one noble, win over two others, and marry into one of their families?’

’You can almost hear the beads of his abacus clicking!’

"I’m a father, am I not?" Old Feibo said, completely unperturbed. "And since you know so much about Hendrix, you must have a similar goal, right? I’m not exactly adding to your workload."

"Besides, it isn’t that difficult to prove something you’ve already decided is true, wouldn’t you agree?"

"We can’t agree to that just yet," Ron said after a moment’s thought. "If this whole affair truly has nothing to do with Fernando, we will absolutely not fabricate evidence out of thin air. Everyone has their own agenda, and I have no intention of getting myself and my companions tangled too deeply in this."

Especially since this could involve Aive’s parents. Plunging headfirst into the internal struggles of Rose City offered them no benefits. Simply ensuring Rose City wouldn’t take the lead in interfering with their feud with Carolina was enough.

"Alright," Old Feibo didn’t press them. "I’ll be waiting for your good news. And remember, my reward will be more than satisfactory."

He emphasized this point again, but offered no convincing proof.

"What kind of reward can a park groundskeeper offer? A pair of pruning shears?"

On the way back, Sera couldn’t help but complain, "I’d rather he just pulled out a bag of Gold Coins!"

"Gold Coins alone won’t help us solve this kind of problem," Ron said. "Only Aive is relatively familiar with the affairs of Rose City, and even she hasn’t paid attention for a long time. It’s best not to wade into muddy waters; who knows what kind of fish you’ll find in there."

"Ron’s right," Aive agreed. "Remember what my dad said? When we go tomorrow, we should avoid digging up secrets. If we actually find something, it won’t be good for anyone."

This wasn’t Delusional Land.

Thus, when Ron and the others arrived at Hendrix’s door the next day, the spice merchant was startled the moment he opened it.

"You all are... Why so serious?"

"We’re here on business," Ron replied succinctly. "Where exactly in your business is the problem? We’ve come to see if we can help."

To avoid attracting attention, Aive and the others hadn’t even come wearing their armor, instead changing into it after they arrived. Sera’s greatsword was also wrapped tightly in cloth strips, ensuring it wouldn’t draw any unwanted gazes.

’So professional!’

Hendrix didn’t know this was because of Daniel’s advice; he just assumed his own attitude from the day before had inspired this professionalism in Ron’s group, and his favorable impression of them naturally grew.

"Please, follow me. My research workshop is in the basement of my residence, not connected to the main factory," the spice merchant said, leading them through the backyard. He opened a Secret Door to the underground, hidden within a patch of bushes.

"But that’s what’s so strange: everyone who enters and leaves my home must undergo a strict inspection and body search. Who on earth could have put the Undead in my basement, and how?"

"Are you certain it’s the work of the Undead?" Ron glanced at the spice merchant. "Could it be one of your own researchers playing tricks?"

"Impossible!" Hendrix waved his hands dismissively. "I saw it with my own eyes. I can still tell the difference between the dead and the living."

"I’ll just see you off to here. Connie will be standing guard up top. If you find you can’t handle it, don’t force it. Just pull back immediately." The spice merchant’s build wasn’t suited for climbing up and down ladders, so he just stood at the top.

"Don’t worry, we know what we’re doing." Ron cast Light Magic on Victoria. The Priest went down first, and only after confirming there was no danger did she wave for the others to climb down the ladder one by one.

Unlike their usual formation, Aive couldn’t take the lead when facing the Undead. Instead, Victoria and Silvia went to the front.

The ladder to the basement didn’t lead directly into Hendrix’s workshop, but to an empty transitional room used for rest. On the only door, Ron could see the flickering engravings of a Magic Array. It was likely because of this Array that the Undead Creatures inside couldn’t escape the room and wreak havoc in the spice merchant’s home.

Otherwise, he definitely wouldn’t have been so concerned about keeping things secret.

"Spirit Guard!"

As Ron used Mage’s Hand to open the door, Victoria simultaneously cast her Divine Magic. Within a radius of four or five meters around her, several ethereal beings resembling Angels or Spirit Types danced about with a faint golden glow, protecting Victoria and her nearby teammates.

A sinister, bone-chilling wind howled out of the workshop. From within the darkness, a dozen or so illusory Spirit Bodies emerged. They let out incomprehensible shrieks, filled with hatred for the living, and lunged toward the group.

Victoria, standing at the very front, bore the brunt of the assault. However, these Ghosts were completely unable to penetrate the Spirit Guard’s defense. Flashes of golden light burst one after another, and these Essences, unable to pass on, were swiftly annihilated. Except for a few that managed to slip through to the people in the back, the vast majority, along with their unsalvageable souls, were reduced to silence.

"Why are there so many?!" Sera swung the Grip of the Vast Wave with all her might. Thankfully, it was an Enchanted Magic Weapon; otherwise, the barbarian who usually stood on the front lines would probably have been able to do nothing but stare.

"Aren’t Ghosts supposed to be beings bound to a specific location?"

"How should I know?!" Victoria shouted, frowning as she charged left and right through the Ghosts. "Something’s not right! I’m starting to suspect this isn’t the work of an outsider at all, but that the spice merchant himself is the problem!"