A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Chapter 571 Seraphina is Indeed In Trouble - I

In theory, this commission seemed nearly impossible to complete.

Ansel had scoured the human traffickers' den without finding any trace of the client's son. The boy was either a lifeless corpse in the sewers of the lower city or already sold off as a slave elsewhere.

Of course, for Ansel, locating the target was merely a matter of will, but such an approach did not align with the demeanor of an adventurer.

"Is this the place?"

Standing before the mold-ridden old wooden door, the adventurer, accompanied by his servant, looked out of place in the squalid surroundings. Enjoy more content from empire

"You obviously have something connected to him," Ravenna snapped, kicking Ansel's arm in frustration. "Why make me waste my precious time and energy on a wild goose chase? My time is valuable, Ansel."

"I recall a certain lovely lady telling me she needed to learn to make changes."

Ansel knocked on the wooden door, glancing at Ravenna with a look of mild surprise. "Who was she again?"

Miss scholar's expression faltered, her slightly parted lips hinting at an unspoken retort. In a rare moment of compliance, she remained silent and still, perched dutifully on Ansel's shoulder.

Ansel had promised Ravenna he wouldn't disturb her unnecessarily, but as time passed, he had reassessed his stance. Ravenna's current reaction validated his thoughts.

— His dear miss scholar, who had been fixated on her research and studies for twenty-one years...Does she wish to continue in such an isolated manner?

Ansel doubted her resolve to remain unchanged. If she truly intended to persist this way, it was his responsibility to intervene and correct her stubborn mindset. Friends, after all, should aid each other.

Having deprived Ravenna of her chance to walk among mortals, he felt obligated to shoulder the responsibility and explore the world with her.

Before long, the old wooden door creaked open. A haggard man clung to the doorframe, asking cautiously, "Who are you...?"

Ansel handed the commission slip to the man. "The executioner's commission—was it you who issued it?"

The man's expression froze, his exhaustion crystallizing in that moment.

As Marlina pondered this, the man inside had already pushed the door wide open, falling to his knees before Ansel, his voice quivering, "As long as you can find my son, I am willing to pay any price! Please, help me... help me!"

Ansel remained silent, leaving the negotiation to Marlina, elevating her to the role of the omnipotent adventurer, the extraordinary being... above all others.

Marlina understood Ansel's intention, but she hesitated, momentarily dazed by the sight of the man kneeling before her.

In the Red Frost Territory, as Ansel's proxy, she had witnessed many such desperate pleas, where people were willing to sacrifice everything, even their lives.

Yet... this felt different.

What distinguished a mortal's plea to an extraordinary being from a plea to her, Ansel's representative?

The daze lasted only a moment before Marlina refocused. Her priority was to propose a price that would earn Ansel's approval, not to dwell on these abstract thoughts. She wished Ansel would help the man find his son, but everything hinged on Ansel's stance.

After a brief pause, Marlina softly asked, "How much money do you have on you now?"

The man froze, then scrambled back into his house. The sounds of frantic searching echoed from within, and soon he returned, clutching a box containing a few dozen scattered copper and silver coins. Kneeling before Ansel, he presented it with trembling hands.

Marlina stepped forward, her gaze falling on the dirty coins. Her expression softened with a hint of pity, but she silently poured all the coins into a cloth bag.

Taking everything was necessary to secure an adventurer's aid; taking only this much was Ansel's mercy.

Ansel did not comment, seemingly approving Marlina's actions. "Within three days, I will find your son. Whether he is dead or alive, you will see him."

With that, he turned and left, not sparing another glance at the pitiful father.

Marlina couldn't help but steal a glance at the man.

She saw the conflicting emotions of sorrow and relief on his tear-streaked face, a look of someone who felt saved.

It made Marlina wonder—

Perhaps, helping mortals was already an act of mercy for extraordinary beings...?