Chapter 42: Lord Dominik’s Daughter

[Ding! You have received a new quest: Avatar - Act II]

As soon as Liu Ye crossed the gates of the Newbie Village, he received a new quest he was waiting for. Since he completed Act I by reaching level 10, there was bound to be some continuation. 

Liu Ye couldn't help but roll his eyes when he checked the follow-up quest though. 

[Avatar - Act II]

[You reached Level 10 and learned to fight! Time for a challenge! Gather a group of skilled benders and join forces to defeat the Bandit Leader!] 

[Quest Clear Conditions: Clear the Dungeon.] 

[Clear Reward: Access to the Mainland.]

He just cleared the Dungeon, yet now he had to do it again. It was a waste of time but at the very least, he could receive more experience and improve the clear time. Liu Ye didn't even want to check the ranking tab that just unlocked for him, knowing his clear time was around twelve hours. 

"Vice Leader Marco! You returned!" 

The guards in front of the Village Lord's mansion greeted Marco only to frown at his solemn expression. 

"Did something happen? Are the Bandits preparing an attack for the Village?" 

It seems like Marco's mission wasn't a secret between the guards but he shook his head. 

"Bandits are no more," Marco announced hurriedly. "We slew the Bandit Leader together with all his subordinates. Bandits will not bother our Village ever again." 

Whoa!

The guards exclaimed in amazement while looking at Liu Ye in admiration but Marco cut it short. "I wanted to bring the Bandit Leader's body as proof but something came up. We returned faster because we had urgent news for the Lord. Is he in the mansion right now?" 

"Yes, he is in his office right now with his wife," the guards replied while letting them through. "Let us know what's going on afterward."

Thanks to Marco's identity, they were able to skip all the guards as Marco led them directly to Lord's office. Liu Ye just remained silent the whole time as he observed the situation. With all the information he has gathered so far, this item was bound to bring him a great quest. 

"Lord! Your daughter might be in danger!" 

Marco called out as soon as they entered the office, surprising both the Lord and his wife. She was actually sitting on his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck. 

[Lord Dominik - Lvl. 20] 

"Vice-leader Marco! Why come without knocking?!" the Lord scolded immediately only to change his expression as if he finally processed Marco's words. "Wait, what? My daughter? What happened?"

The handsome middle-aged man stood up swiftly while placing his wife on the desk. Even though he had to zip back his pants, he didn't care much about his appearance. He gazed at the new face in the room and Liu Ye finally spoke for himself. 

"I'm Grind God and we killed all the bandits together. When I searched the Bandit Leader's pockets, I found this," Liu Ye explained politely while pulling out the necklace. "Marco said it belongs to Sir's daughter." 

When Lord and his wife saw the necklace, they immediately paled. "Ah! It's my baby's necklace!" 

The Lord rushed to Liu Ye's side and took the necklace away to inspect it from up close. "Yeah, it's definitely my daughter's necklace. But how? She left the town over a year ago. I personally escorted her to Emerald City. She still wore it at that time." 

"Oh no, did something happen to our baby?" Lord's wife muttered worriedly but Liu Ye swiftly assured her. 

"Don't worry Ma'am, your daughter is most definitely fine. If I were to guess what happened, she either sold it for money, lost it in a bet, or most probably got robbed on the streets of Emerald City. I personally would bet my cards on the last option since we all know how common it is."

"That's… What if they hurt her?" Lord's wife questioned, looking like she found it hard to believe. 

"Killing is rare these days because it comes with complications. If she was kidnapped, I am sure you would already receive a letter asking for ransom. Having such a father, I am sure she is a skilled bender so I am guessing they overwhelmed her with the number advantage and demanded the necklace. She must have given up on the necklace to avoid confrontation," Liu Ye explained further in a calm manner. "Of course, all of it is speculation and it would be best to contact her as soon as possible."

"I will go personally and kill whoever dared to rob my daughter," Lord decided firmly while squeezing the necklace in his hand. "The only thing I don't understand is how the local Bandit Leader possessed the necklace. Wouldn't it be in Emerald City instead?"

"Actually, Lord, the Bandit Leader once visited the Emerald City a few months ago. That's when I planned to finish my mission but he returned too fast. I am guessing he acquired the necklace at that time," Marco informed with an apologetic bow. "I have failed to notice it earlier. It's all my fault." 

"No, you did nothing wrong," Lord pardoned. "I'm greatly satisfied with your performance and you will be rewarded for the success of your mission."

"Thank you, Lord," Marco bowed in gratitude while Liu Ye recalled something. 

"Didn't the Bandit Leader also wish to master the second Element? He desperately tried to find a Water Stone so he could use the power of the necklace."

"I see… So that's how he got it," Lord muttered as he approached his wife and cheered her up. "Thank you for informing me about this issue. I will not forget it."

[Ding! Your affinity with Lord Dominik increased by 30. Current affinity: 30]

Liu Ye raised his eyebrows after reading the notification. All he got was Lord's affinity in exchange for the powerful necklace. Liu Ye couldn't even return to the Newbie Village after he left so it would be useless to him. It couldn't be over. 

"Sir, I have a suggestion," Liu Ye began as he stepped forward. "I was already planning to depart for Emerald City today. Instead of going there by yourself, how about you let me check on your daughter's safety and later inform you on what I found?"

"Huh?" Lord and his wife looked up at him suspiciously. 

"It is never good when a Lord leaves his town unprotected and it is even worse to leave such a beautiful wife alone. She is already worried about her daughter's safety. What if she falls sick from the stress?"

Before they replied, Liu Ye added while patting Marco's shoulder, "If you don't trust me enough, you can trust the leader of your Guards, Marco. He can accompany me to the Emerald City and later return with the news. What do you think?" 

"This…" Marco muttered unsurely but then Liu Ye leaned over to his ear and whispered, "You can meet her again…" 

It wasn't long before Marco nodded firmly and announced, "I support this idea Lord! You can trust me!" 

"Hmm, it's true that it is not the best idea for me to go myself but can you really handle it?" Lord questioned hesitantly. Even the 235 fame that Liu Ye gathered wasn't enough to fully convince the Lord. 

"I can personally vouch for Grind God's strength. He fought alone against forty Masked Bandits and he didn't even break a sweat," Marco reported. "Without his assistance, I wouldn't be able to finish my mission." 

"Alright then. I will trust you." Lord finally nodded and pulled out a small leather bag from the desk. "Consider this sack of gold as payment for your help in this matter." 

The sack let out a metallic sound upon hitting the desk and Liu Ye picked it up, keeping it into his inventory without checking its content. Any gold was enough for him as long as he could receive another chain quest. 

[Lord Dominik's Daughter] 

[Visit the Elemental Academy in Emerald City and find Lord Dominik's daughter. Make sure she is safe!] 

[Difficulty: A] 

[Quest Clear Conditions: Meeting with Lord Dominik's daughter.] 

[Clear Reward: 100 gold (Advance Pay)]

Liu Ye couldn't help but nod in approval when he noticed no penalty. After all, he could always run away even if Lord Dominik's daughter was found dead and keep the gold. The quest seemed to be only based on trust. 

'I guess fame came in handy,' Liu Ye thought as he gazed at the necklace in Lord's hand. It would be a pity to leave such a good item behind. 

"Sir, if you don't mind, I would like to bring your daughter's necklace with me," Liu Ye suggested. "In case of an emergency that will lead us to split up, I wish to have something on me that will buy your daughter's trust. She already knows Marco but I'm a stranger. I don't wish for her to consider me as another bandit." 

"Oh, if that's how you put it then here," Lord replied while passing him the necklace. "You can return it to my daughter when you meet her."

Liu Ye was excited to have it back on hand but the game AI couldn't help but mess with him. 

[Quest Item - Lord Dominik's Pride]

The necklace was suddenly locked with all of its descriptions gone. Even if he wanted to run away, it wasn't possible anymore. 

"Alright then, we will depart as soon as possible," Liu Ye informed as he kept the necklace but the Lord stopped him. 

"Wait, we forgot about something," Lord called out while gazing at Marco. "Since you helped Marco defeat the Bandit Leader, you deserve a gift from me. Marco, lead him to the treasury. Let him pick one item he desires." 

Liu Ye's eyes instantly shone with interest.