On a worn wooden bench, Max sat with a tranquil expression as he watched over the children. However, his chestnut eyes were elsewhere, lost in his memories. Max shook his head. He didn't want to spoil this moment by dwelling on those things.

Things would get better from now on. His wound had healed, and soon he'd be able to enter the dungeon again. After a few years, he'd rise in rank and earn enough money to be self-sufficient.

Soon, Max felt someone trying to get his attention. Max pushed aside those thoughts and looked at who was calling him. Before him, a little girl was tugging at his pants while gazing up at him with big eyes.

"What's up, Suzy?" Max asked in a soft, comforting tone.

Suzy was one of the youngest girls in the orphanage. No one knew who her parents were. One day, a baby appeared at the orphanage door. The matron tried to trace where she had come from, but no clues were found. The assumption back then was that someone from outside the town decided they didn't want to take care of her and left her there.@@novelbin@@

Today, four years later, no one can still confirm the truth.

"I'm tired, but I wanna play more," Suzy said with teary eyes as she hugged one of the orphanage's stuffed animals she had insisted on bringing with her.

"Is that so?" Max nodded. "We can't have our Suzy tired. Come here," he said as he picked her up and placed her on his lap, wiping the tears from her eyes. "How about I tell you a story?"

"Um," Suzy's eyes lit up at his suggestion. She nodded vigorously, staring at Max, waiting for him to begin.

Carefully, the boy started telling her a story, in which a handsome adventurer, perhaps inspired by himself, traveled the world meeting many characters and having marvelous adventures. With each word, the sadness in the little girl's eyes faded, replaced by a spark of curiosity and wonder.

Gradually, the children stopped playing and began to gather around, listening to the story they hadn't heard before. Even some adults were listening from a little farther away.

Slowly, the story reached its end, and the others left satisfied to see other things. Max stood up and offered a hand to the girl. "Still tired?"

"No," Suzy said energetically, with a radiant smile.

"Then let's play," Max said as he took her hand, feeling renewed and free from his worries.

At that moment, the age difference and the worries of the outside world didn't matter. Everyone was enjoying a good time at the festival.

Elsewhere, people weren't having such a good time.

After leaving his office, the mayor hurried downstairs. There, a carriage awaited him with closed doors surrounded by soldiers.

As the mayor approached the carriage, he bowed slightly and greeted the people inside. "Welcome to our humble town, Inspector, "the mayor welcomed with a flattering smile, cursing inwardly at the noble he had yet to see.

The carriage doors opened, and from inside, a pair of servants emerged slowly. Both stood on one side of the carriage, bowed slightly, and then remained motionless.

Seeing their strange behavior, the mayor had the idea of asking what they were doing, but seeing that the noble was still inside, he decided to wait silently by his side.

He wasn't sure how long they stood in that position. Just as he was starting to get impatient, he heard a noise coming from the carriage.

"Mmm. I've slept well," a disheveled head peeked out of one of the windows and glanced at one of the servants.

"Where are we?"

The butler, who was still bowed, respectfully answered the young man's question. "We have arrived at our destination, young master."

"Is that so? It doesn't seem anything special," the young man said disinterestedly as he looked around.

"Hey, you," the noble pointed to the old man. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is—"

"I don't care. Is there anywhere interesting around here?" the noble said with a condescending attitude, cutting off the old mayor before he could introduce himself.

Seeing the attitude of this noble, the mayor saw his plans crumbling slowly.

His original idea was to show the noble inspector the town's economic situation and present his development plans. In case the noble showed interest in the potential benefits, with his help, this town could enter a stage of development. Once the town received the funds, more and more people from the area would become attracted by the prosperity, and he, as mayor, would be rewarded with more influence. At best, the noble would notice his talents and recruit him as a servant.

Now, the mayor knew it was all in his head. Still, the mayor couldn't show dissatisfaction with a noble's attitude.

"Of course. Our town is pleased to be an entertainment hub for all—"

"Then take me there," the noble replied impatiently.

Looking around, the mayor saw all the soldiers the arrogant noble had brought with him were now looking at him. And they didn't seem friendly.

It was obvious this boy didn't care about what he had to say. In fact, with the questions he was asking, it would be a miracle if he fulfilled his role as an inspector.

His years of experience told him that what he had in front of him wasn't an opportunity but a disaster.

"Please follow me," the mayor said after a brief pause. If his wife were present, she would have noticed a touch of resignation in his voice.

The butler standing beside him guided him to one of the carriages to point the way, and in a few minutes, they were on their way to the commercial district.

As the group departed, the people who had gathered to watch what was happening dispersed, and the news that someone very important had arrived spread like wildfire. What none of them realized was that someone was watching with interest from the crowd in the direction the carriage had gone.

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Ups. A mistake. Here is the chapter.

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