Chapter 245: City Bulletin

Three days later...

The city of Montrelle stirred with unusual energy.

From the bustling plaza to the winding alleys of its outer districts, citizens gathered shoulder to shoulder before the tall wooden bulletin boards that stood like sentinels in every district square.

The pages posted there rustled faintly in the wind, but it was the stillness of the crowd that made the air feel heavier than usual.

People whispered, gasped, and pointed.

Murmurs spread like wildfire.

"Is this... really true?"

"Idiot, it’s from the City Bulletin. You think they’d post jokes there?"

"You’re right, but still— after eight years?"

"What could they even do now?"

"Maybe... let the families say goodbye properly?"

...

Eyes scanned a freshly plastered announcement, one that bore the seal of the Midas Merchant Organization in shimmering gold ink.

Its presence was unmistakable, the symbol catching sunlight like a beacon.

Official Announcement from the Midas Merchant Organization

To the respected citizens of Montrelle,

And to the families affected by the tragedy at the Ruins of Gold,

This letter serves as a formal declaration from Aurum Midas, Head of the Midas Merchant Organization.

After years of tireless efforts, it is with solemn honor and hopeful hearts that we extend this message to all who continue to carry the burden of loss.

Lady Aurelia Midas, daughter of the House of Midas, now possesses the ability to reverse the golden petrification affliction that befell your loved ones.

With the blessings of fate and perseverance, she shall begin the process of restoration.

We humbly invite the families of the afflicted— and any who wish to witness this miracle— to gather tomorrow morning, at precisely seven o’clock, in the plaza before the Ruins of Gold.

A banquet shall follow to celebrate the return of those long thought lost.

Let this be a day of remembrance, of reunion, and of hope.

Signed,

Aurum Midas

Midas Merchant Organization

***

Inside a luxurious carriage travelling through the busy streets of Montrelle...

A fat man sat hunched over a printed article, his expression unusually solemn.

But as his eyes reached the final lines, his face twisted— then erupted into laughter, loud and jarring, echoing off the carriage walls.

"Pfft— Hahahaha! I didn’t expect Aurum to be this desperate! To think that he would make such an impossible claim under the pressure of the masses..."

The fat man laughed loudly before looking at the fully armored guard in front of him.

"What do you think of this, Gerald? To think that your previous boss would use the death of your family and the others’ families in an attempt to clear his image..."

’If I didn’t see it myself, I would have long cursed him to death...’

The guard in full armor, Gerald, did not react, ’I’m finally about to become free of this bastard.’

Even though he was cursing the fat man in his mind, he did not make his thoughts obvious.

The fat man before him was none other than Puglee Crypto, the owner of Crypto Merchantry and Aurum’s business competitor.

Puglee was known by many to be greedy, lecherous, and selfish.

However, it could not be denied that his business acumen was top-notch, as he had always seen through various opportunities, especially in illegal trades.

The reason Gerald began working for him was due to two main things:

His hatred for Aurum in the past.

And the loans he had incurred due to the effect of being depressed, due to his daughter’s death.

In the past, he had refused to accept the compensation Aurum had given the affected families due to the complicated events that had happened along with his hatred.

This eventually led to Puglee approaching him— setting everything in motion from that point onward.

Now, only a singular thought ran through Gerald’s mind.

’Carolyn, my daughter... soon, we’ll be together with your mother. Our family will finally be whole again...’

***

In the training ground beneath Midas Mansion...

Regis was reading a book while Aurelia scrutinized a golden statue of a dog on the table in front of her.

Pandora sat near him, while reading a book of her own.

Not far away from them was Killian, who was currently performing different sword strikes with a steel training sword.

At this moment, Aurelia let out an exasperated sigh as she looked at Regis, "I don’t think I can do this..."

"Hmm?" Setting down his book, Regis stood up and approached her with light steps.

He looked at the golden dog statue and asked, "But you’re able to dispel the gift on the dragonflies and other insects..."

As soon as Regis saw her biting her lips, he put two and two together and asked with a smile, "Are you nervous?"

"I-I..."

Aurelia wanted to deny it, but ultimately nodded her head meekly.

She then lifted her head a moment later, "C-Can we postpone it for a few days? I still feel scared trying it on dogs... much less people."

"That won’t do, Dad has already made an announcement."

Hearing a voice in the direction of the door, everyone in the training ground promptly turned their heads.

It was Auryn, along with Patti.

In the former’s hands was a tray carrying a selection of refreshing drinks; chilled fruit juices like citrus blend, apple, and watermelon, each in tall glasses beaded with condensation.

Small ice buckets and damp towels sat beside them to help cool down after intense training.

In the latter’s hands was a tray of assorted desserts— soft cookies, oatmeal bars, and a few bite-sized pastries arranged neatly for easy grabbing during breaks.

Before Aurelia could react, Patti spoke, "Mom told us to bring this to you. You must be tired from all this training..."

Under Aurelia’s frozen gaze, Regis, Pandora, and Killian all approached her siblings.

Auryn and Patti set the trays down on a nearby table, careful not to spill anything.

The chilled scent of fruit juice drifted into the warm training room, mingling with the smell of sweat and steel.

The three, upon tasting the refreshments and pastries, all complimented the flavor as they engaged in light small talk.

"Ooh, finally!" Killian said, grabbing a chilled glass of citrus juice and taking a long sip, "This tastes amazing! So refreshing."

Regis picked up one of the miniature pastries and popped it into his mouth in one bite.

His pupils dilated the moment it hit his tongue, "Hm, this is delicious!"

"Thank you, that’s one of the few things I baked personally." Auryn gave a sweet smile.

On the side, Pandora munched through the cookies with a satisfied expression on her face.

At that moment, Aurelia seemed to come back to her senses.

She blinked, then said, "S-Sis, what did you say earlier? Dad made a what?"

Her tone had a slight tremble to it.

Auryn smiled at her, "I said Dad already made an announcement."

"A-Announcement about what exactly?" Aurelia could not believe what she was hearing.

This time, it was Patti who answered, "Dad announced that you’re dispelling the ’curse’ in the Ruins of Gold tomorrow morning. I wish you the best of luck, Sis!"

"..."

Feeling the uncomfortable atmosphere emanating from beside him, Regis wordlessly turned his head as he continued chewing on a pastry.

In one hand, he held a refreshing glass of lemonade, droplets of condensation sliding down the sides.

In the other, a soft cookie that flaked slightly with each bite.

What greeted his blood red eyes was the downcast Aurelia, whose lips were trembling.

After a moment, she looked at him and met his gaze, seemingly asking for help as desperation oozed from her eyes.

Regis reached out with one hand., "Cookie?"

Aurelia did not respond.

Tears silently gathered at the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall.

For some reason, her current image seemed to overlap with a crying cat in Regis’s eyes.

"Ehem—"

He coughed, preventing himself from letting out a chuckle.

"Hic..."

Aurelia’s throat trembled, but she nonetheless accepted the cookie.

Auryn and Patti smiled gently at their little sister.

They fed her more pastries and made her drink some refreshments.

Aurelia, though on the verge of tears, still allowed herself to be pampered by her siblings.

Unable to contain himself, Regis chortled.

"I guess we need to do this another way. After all, you’re too pressured and nervous right now to practice properly."

Aurelia turned her gaze towards him, "There’s another way?"

"No... I need to do this myself..." She said after a moment, despite being tempted.

Regis shook his head, "You misunderstood. I’m talking about a better way of training."

Aurelia perked up, "Really?"

"Yes. It’s just that this kind of training is a little special."

At his words, everyone seemed to be intrigued as they looked at him with curiosity in their eyes.

"It’s fine. Whatever it is, as long as I can do this with my own hands." Aurelia said cheerfully.

Regis scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed smile, "Well, you just need to lend me your body."

As soon as he said those words, an eerie, absolute silence followed.

It was only a moment later that he realized his blunder, but it was already too late as everyone looked at him speechlessly.