Chapter 104 - I Hope Ada is Happy

The commotion had already startled the neighbors. Some people didn’t even bother putting on proper clothes before rushing to the small courtyard to see what was happening.

Inside the room, Penny had already climbed down from the cabinet. Step by step, she carefully moved her tiny feet and made her way to Saul's side. Unlike her brother, she didn’t show any signs of despair.

She reached out and touched Saul’s knee, gently shaking his leg.

"Brother Saul."

"I'm here."

"They’re going to take Penny away, aren’t they?"

"Yes. And your brother probably won’t be able to stop them."

"Then, Brother Saul," Penny lifted her small face, without much fear in her expression. "If they take me away, does that mean I’ll die?"

"Pretty much. Are you afraid?"

"Actually, dying isn’t such a scary thing… Brother Saul…"

"Hmm?"

"If I’m going to die, then I won’t need my eyes anymore. You can take them, Brother Saul."

Saul looked at Penny and couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He raised his hand and gently ruffled her hair.

"I'm not someone who takes things for free. Tell me, do you have any wishes?"

Penny innocently touched the top of her head. This was the first time anyone had ruffled her hair like that.

"I hope…" Penny said without hesitation, "that Ada can live a happy life in the future."

Saul was momentarily stunned. He had thought she would say something like not wanting to die.

"Got it," Saul responded softly. "Now, lift your head and open your eyes wide. It’ll hurt just a little."

---

Outside, Ada was still making his last desperate efforts. Captain Jeff, however, hadn’t resorted to violence just yet.

For years, this was how he had handled things. Instead of directly using force to take away the girls, he preferred to let their families give them up under the pressure of the townspeople.

That way, in the quiet of the night, he could at least comfort himself—convince himself that he was only doing what was necessary for the greater good of the town.

Sure enough, the town’s residents began persuading Ada.

They used the same justifications as always: “The town took you in,” “You can live a stable life here,” “You shouldn’t be ungrateful.”

Then, Aunt Jenny, who always loved to watch the drama, appeared at the entrance of the courtyard. She slowly walked forward, and as soon as she opened her mouth, Ada’s resolve crumbled.

"Ada, just let Captain Jeff take Penny away. You've lived in Grindstone Town for so many years without trying to leave. Isn’t that because you were prepared for the day Penny would be taken?"

Ada, who had just been full of defiance, raised his head in disbelief. "Aunt Jenny!"

Jenny chuckled. "Otherwise, you would’ve left long ago. But you wanted the safety and prosperity of this town. Compared to that, risking your sister’s life just a little… isn’t that acceptable?"

Ada’s shoulders slumped, his face collapsing into despair. He shook his head furiously. "No… That’s not it. That’s not it!"

Captain Jeff glanced at the sky. This was taking longer than expected. And today, neither the town leader nor the wizard would be coming…

He gestured with his hand, and the soldiers rushed forward, ready to take Penny by force.

Over the years, they had encountered plenty of stubborn families. If persuasion didn’t work, they could simply take the girl first and deal with the family later.

Seeing the soldiers advancing, Ada immediately ran to the entrance of the house, bracing himself against the doorframe with his arms and legs.

"No! I won’t let you take Penny!"

The soldiers didn’t care about an unarmed boy. Just as they were about to use their fists to clear the way—

A figure suddenly stepped between Ada and the soldiers.

It was Jayce.

He held a long knife in his hand, identical to the one hanging from Captain Jeff’s waist.

"Hey, Ada, do you really think you can save Penny like that? In times like these, you need someone like me—someone who can pick up a weapon."

"Jayce?" Ada never would have expected that, in this critical moment, the person standing up to protect Penny was the very guy he had always looked down on and guarded against the most.

Seeing Jace step in, Captain Jeff finally moved forward.

"Jayce, this isn’t your business." Jeff also drew his sword.

"Of course, it is. To tell you the truth, Penny is my daughter now. She calls me 'father,' so naturally, I have to protect her."

Jeff’s expression turned serious.

The townspeople around them instinctively backed away. They realized that an actual fight might be about to break out.

"Go inside and bring Penny out. Leave Jayce to me," Jeff ordered loudly.

Jayce knew Ada wouldn’t be able to stop the soldiers. He had to keep Jeff occupied while also protecting Ada.

But after years away from the military, could he really hold off so many people?

A bloodbath was inevitable.

"Ada, Jayce."

"Brother, Father."

A low, hoarse voice came from inside the house.

Both men trembled and turned toward the source.

Penny was slowly feeling her way toward the door, her usual open eyes now tightly shut.

Inside the room, Saul was still sitting at the table, watching everything unfold with an expressionless face.

"Penny, go back inside!" Ada shouted.

"Ada, take Penny and run. I’ll hold them off!" Jayce yelled, trying to buy more time.

"Brother, Father, please don’t fight anymore. Just let them take Penny. I’m not afraid to die."

Ada looked at Penny in disbelief. "Why, Penny?"

Jayce, however, scoffed, "Don’t listen to a kid."

He lifted his sword and charged.

The soldiers didn’t expect him to attack so suddenly and had to scramble to dodge.

Jeff arrived at that moment, swinging his sword down hard—almost slicing into Jayce’s shoulder.

Fortunately, Jayce managed to react in time, blocking the strike at the last second.

Years without battle had dulled his reflexes. Holding a sword again, he realized just how much he had aged.

Ada, carrying Penny, tried to escape the courtyard, but the townspeople blocked the entrance, standing firm.

Even as Ada rushed toward them, they didn’t step aside.

He tried to push through, but he was no match for the sheer number of people.

Within moments, the soldiers caught up, forced him down, and tore Penny from his arms.

This time, the townspeople immediately cleared a path.

The soldiers grabbed Penny and prepared to leave.

Just then, Penny suddenly turned back and shouted, "Ada! Brother Saul promised me—he’ll make sure you’ll be happy in the future!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she was taken out of Ada’s sight.

"Penny!!!"

Ada was still pinned down, unable to move. Meanwhile, Jayce had been overwhelmed by Jeff and the soldiers, finally collapsing from his wounds.

Jeff didn’t deliver a fatal strike—he only left a thin, shallow cut on Jayce’s chest.

"Jayce, you’ve crossed a line. You have three days to leave Grindstone Town," Jeff said. He paused before adding, "But if you’re willing to repent and return to the guard force, I’ll let this slide."

Jayce simply pressed a hand to his wound and slowly climbed back to his feet, ignoring Jeff completely.

Jeff shook his head and led the soldiers away.

After they left, some neighbors hesitated, wanting to comfort Ada, but one look at his bloodshot eyes, full of fury and hatred, made them step back.

They muttered something about "waiting until you calm down."

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