Chapter 19: Your Father Is So Strict

Lin Lin felt that she had completely become a part of Demon King Castle.

Under the atmosphere of mutual assassination in Demon King Castle, she felt no guilt after insulting and hitting the little demon; instead, she thought of herself as a kind person helping the God of Light choose good Paladin candidates.

Even the weather today became beautiful.

After doing something bad, Lin Lin immediately waved goodbye, saying she was going home.

What a joke! When that little brat wakes up, she will settle the score! She’s acting so bold just because she has this new face!

Lin Lin said goodbye to Norman, and the blue-eyed knight smiled, "Miss, you can’t leave yet. After all, we live in a society with laws, and hitting someone has consequences."

The news about the poison I just revealed is even more dangerous!

Why would I, a proper staff member of the Demon King Castle, be taken away by a Paladin for just slapping someone twice?

Lin Lin couldn’t help but complain in her heart.

Lin Lin’s real reaction, "Okay, I will cooperate."

Lin Lin reached out her hands. It’s just handcuffs; she’s already familiar with this process. The last time she came to Tocopia, it was the same treatment.

Tocopia is truly an unlucky city.

Felix hesitated a bit; Dark Elves usually preferred to act alone and engage in stealthy attacks. This was neither the night he was familiar with nor the solitary mission he was used to, and Lin Lin seemed to be willingly cooperating with the other party.

The Dark Elf felt conflicted inside.

Felix knew that Lin Lin liked Norman’s face, and he thought: could it be that Lin Lin actually wanted to be caught by Norman!

Felix, who had mingled in the darkest circles of humanity, had once seen a novel written by a human about a woman being captured by a succubus from the demon race and "tortured." Could it be that female monsters also wished to be "tortured" by the knight of the God of Light?

Wouldn’t this be a bit inappropriate, after all, they were from opposing sides? That would be very unprofessional.

The truly pure-hearted Knight Commander looked at Lin Lin as she reached out her hands to him; her slender, pale arms seemed too fragile to be linked to a legendary, fearsome witch.

Lin Lin had a thin red string tied around her right wrist, adorned with delicate red beads, which stood out even more against her snow-white skin.

Norman, who had only wielded his long sword against monsters and villains, tilted his head slightly, unsure of what Lin Lin’s gesture meant.

Lin Lin lifted her head, her soft, deep brown eyes gazing at him. Before this, Norman had rarely seen such deeply colored eyes.

The Knight Commander avoided the witch’s gaze.

Perhaps the witch is just like this; one should respect the customs of every race, Norman reminded himself.

The Knight Commander reached out toward Lin Lin’s raised wrist. He meant to hold the delicate wrist of the woman, but his warm, rough fingertips brushed against her soft skin, and like a burn, they quickly pulled back. Norman turned his hand and gently grasped the red string on Lin Lin’s right hand instead.

The Knight Commander inexplicably clenched his fist, coughed lightly by his lips, and said, "Let’s go."

Lin Lin: ??? Where are your handcuffs?

Dark Elf: What kind of nonsense is this! Who’s responsible for this?

–

The warm sunlight, the slightly hard wooden floor, and the faint scent of flowers in the air.

Paul woke from his dream.

"This is…" whispered the red-haired young man softly.

"It’s paradise, little brother," said Lin Lin, sitting on the edge of the bed, peeling an apple with a fruit knife.

Seeing someone suddenly slap him, Paul instinctively covered his face, realizing the swelling pain on his cheek was not just his imagination.

He looked around in panic, hoping to find any familiar face, even the one that looked so perfect like a doll, the Knight Commander.

Paul saw the Dark Elf leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

I really am going to paradise today, Paul thought heavily.

Lin Lin finished peeling the apple in her hand; she handed Paul the misshapen apple that was nearly just a core, saying, "This is the Paladin’s lounge, have some apples to restore your energy."

Paul’s gaze went past the apple core in Lin Lin’s hand to see a plate of fruit on the low table beside her, which was not only peeled but also cut into even small pieces and had little dessert forks stuck in.

Paul did not take the apple from Lin Lin’s hand; he pointed to the fruit plate and said, "I want to eat that."

"That was cut by me," said the Dark Elf softly.

Oh, then it’s nothing. Paul took the apple from Lin Lin’s hand and began to chew the core.

"Young people are always seeking pleasure," Lin Lin said as she picked up the fruit platter and started to eat some fruit.

Paul: … That thing was cut for you! Who exactly is the sick one that needs nutrition?

Paul, who had just woken up but felt strangely tired and old inside, finally expressed an emotion that matched his age, "I want Grandpa, I want to see Grandpa."

"Actually," Lin Lin told him, "your grandpa has already been here."

The red-haired boy immediately raised his head, " then he didn’t take me away?"

"Um," Lin Lin scratched her head, trying to remember the exact words of that grandpa, "he saw you lying here and said, ‘My grandson hasn’t slept this deeply in a long time, it’s truly a blessing from the God of Light.’"

He said such words.

Lin Lin told the old man that it should really be her blessing, and she honestly explained the whole process of Paul getting hurt, including how Paul humiliated Knight Commander.

"Your grandfather raised his stick up over two meters high. It was Norman who saved you from being hit a second time," Lin Lin recounted the entire event.

Hearing that his grandfather had abandoned him, Paul felt very sad and clearly had no mood for talking back or resisting.

"By the way, because your grandfather was so upset and wanted to hit you when he left, the doctor took a look at him," Lin Lin held up a number, "the doctor said he could live for four more years."

One more year was added. There was a feeling that this old man’s life would last longer than the old church would stand.

At this moment, Paul had no reaction to what Lin Lin said; he stared blankly at the ground and said, "I have no blood relation to my grandfather."

"Yes," Lin Lin answered, "it’s clear because he is bald and you have hair."

The chance of male baldness running in families is really very high.

Paul ignored Lin Lin’s objective reply and continued, "I have been with him since I can remember; I am the one who will take care of him in his old age."

Lin Lin argued, "But your grandfather clearly wants you to be a strong man. If you stay here because of him, he will be sad too."

The boy was silent for two seconds, as if he finally accepted this reality.

He was still thinking, and Lin Lin did not disturb him.

Everyone has their own beliefs. The moment you make your own decision is the most important, compared to others’ suggestions.

In deep thought, Paul touched the painful corner of his mouth and said, "Why did you hit me in the face back then?"

Lin Lin replied, "I didn’t think much about it. It just felt right, like the distance and height were perfect."

The boy was still upset about being slapped and started to bare his teeth and threaten, "You better watch out! I know a powerful witch sister! I’ll have her cast a spell on you tonight!"

The witch you speak of couldn’t possibly be me, could she?

Lin Lin chuckled, "Well, your witch sister didn’t come to see you after you got hit! She doesn’t care about you!"

Paul is angry!

When Knight Commander Norman entered the hospital room, he saw a lively scene.

One red and one white person were arguing by the bedside.

Paul, "You have no idea how important a man’s dignity is! A man’s face can take a punch, but it must not be slapped!"

Lin Lin, "You’ve already been hit, so why care about your dignity?"

Actually, Paul was stronger than Lin Lin, but the Dark Elf stood nearby and helped Lin Lin when she looked like she was losing, making it a fair fight.

Paul saw Knight Commander and felt like he had found a savior, "Knight Commander! Please tell her that a knight’s face shouldn’t be slapped!"

Norman sincerely replied, "Indeed, it is not advised to do this."

Lin Lin shouted in anger, "You little brat, why are you acting like you’re dying just because you got slapped! What will you do when you fight against Demon King Castle? If they pull your pants down and mock your freckled face, will you just cry to your grandpa?"

"The Demon King Castle won’t do that," Felix explained, looking at Norman, "usually it wouldn’t, but now it’s hard to say."

After all, the accountant of the Demon King Castle has already spoken.

"You nasty woman! You’re making fun of my freckled face!" Paul shouted in anger, "You white-haired witch!"

I must say, Paul’s words didn’t hurt much, and Lin Lin took the chance to kick him.

I thought the Dark Elf was stopping the two from fighting, but I finally noticed that Knight Commander Norman was separating them by using his body, "Okay, okay, let’s all take a break."

Norman patted Paul on the shoulder and, in the way of a mature man, advised him, "Whether you want to be a knight or not, first you must be a calm and steady man."

Paul calmed down, "I want to be a knight!"

Norman: ?

Norman looked at Lin Lin, not knowing what she and Paul had talked about during this time.

Lin Lin hid behind Norman and said to Paul, "Freckle Knight."

Paul, "I’ll kill you!"

Norman, "…I just calmed him down."

–

Finally realizing that Lin Lin being in the room would make Paul’s condition worse, Norman decided to take Lin Lin away from the lounge to see outside.

Felix did not follow.

Lin Lin turned to look at the Dark Elf.

Felix pointed to the bright sun outside and said, "The sunlight is too strong; you’ll melt if you go out."

Lin Lin asked curiously, "Is it that kind of melting in a physical sense?"

Norman and Paul were shocked by such a cruel question.

"No," Felix replied seriously, "it will be very painful."

The other party also answered seriously.

Norman began to understand why the witch lived in seclusion and had such a bad reputation; standing next to the Dark Elf made her appear much more innocent.

Lin Lin visited the Paladin’s temporary camp.

It was only a short-term site, so everything was simple.

A flag with an eagle design like Norman’s chest badge was raised high, and the bright red flag of the empire stood out.

Noticing Lin Lin’s gaze, Norman smiled softly, "Is it very unfamiliar? We really don’t come to this city often."

"Do you come from… more human cities?" Lin Lin guessed.

"Yes," Norman’s expression softened a bit, "I grew up there. As a child, I always thought humans were the majority, but then I traveled and discovered that humans are only a small part of this world."

That is quite similar to me. Lin Lin could not say this out loud.

"The other races are similar to humans," Lin Lin began, "they are just bodies with different personalities."

When the Demon King Castle sees me, I am human; when humans see me, I am a witch; when the potion-blinded passersby see me, I am a half-human mixed child.

Walking to the knights’ training ground, under the bright sunlight, the knights still wore helmets and full armor while engaging in one-on-one combat.

The heavy sounds of strikes and the sound of heavy breathing.

Because I have already seen the huge bodies and great strength of the Dragon race, I understand all too clearly how fragile a human body is against such force.

In that moment, Lin Lin did not know which side she belonged to, which is why she felt this way.

The song of humans is a song of courage.

"I hope they won’t take part in the war with the dragons in the future," Lin Lin murmured.

"They really won’t take part in the war with the dragons; we usually fight dragons with mages and gunpowder," the Paladin answered honestly.

Lin Lin, "I’m sorry, I’m sorry, that was a bit dramatic."

–

"Hello, it’s like this: you might not know where I’m calling from," Lin Lin began.

The voice on the other end spoke slowly and hoarsely, like it was spitting out poison, "You said you would come back yesterday."

"Uh, yes, we initially planned that," Lin Lin made a ‘no need to help reply to parents’ gesture to the Knight Commander standing beside her, "but now we are at the Paladin Knights’ base in Tocopia."

The Dragon race on the other end fell silent, and Safir said, "I remember I told Felix not to take you to dangerous places."

"In fact," even without the microphone privilege, the Knight Commander, who always had a strong influence in calming parents, spoke up from the side, "the knight’s base should be the safest place."

"Something really happened," Lin Lin said vaguely, "They invited me to dinner, and there was a break too."

Safir paused for a moment, deciding to choose the more reliable one among the two who were leaving, "What about Felix? Ask him to answer the phone."

Lin Lin looked up and saw the expressionless Dark Elf making an "X" shape with his hands.

Lin Lin said, "Oh… he just went to the bathroom."

The anger of the Dragon race finally reached its limit, "You might as well never come back! Die out there!"

The dragon’s voice was deafening, and Lin Lin’s head buzzed; she heard the beeping sound that signaled the call had ended.

Lin Lin hung up the phone, "I have a bad feeling about this."

Felix said, "At least he won’t come to Tocopia to find you in person now."

Looking at Lin Lin’s stiff expression, the helpful Knight Commander spoke up, "Is your father really that strict? Maybe I should talk to him; most parents are overly protective of their daughters."

Lin Lin’s face was serious, "Don’t talk about it. If you talk about it, he will really come."

If he comes, it’s all over for you, and this city will be finished.

Norman decided to change the subject to make everyone a little happier. He handed the menu to Lin Lin, "Tonight, we will have barbecue and curry rice. Do you like curry rice?"

Human barbecue! Barbecue made by humans especially for humans to eat!

Lin Lin’s eyes sparkled as she had only been eating food made by other races lately, "Eat, eat, eat! I’m not picky!"

The cold-looking Dark Elf glanced at the menu and scoffed. There was nothing he liked.

Suddenly, someone knocked loudly on the door from outside.

Norman showed a polite smile, saying, "Excuse me, I’ll step outside for a moment."

Lin Lin thought that such an urgent knock must be about something very mysterious and important.

The Knight Commander stepped out of the wooden door and closed it behind him.

The loud voice of the knight reporting pierced through the wooden door and reached Lin Lin’s ears.

"It’s bad, Knight Commander! It’s bad! The accountant has run away with the money!"

Ah, work has come.