Where would you like to go, Mister Wilf? "
Accepting his loss, Gerald took a long leave from the noblewoman, temporarily putting aside his identity as a knight to stay by Marni's side as a normal guard.
Marni never imagined that he could subdue Gerald with a single tremble of his body, turning him into a lackey who would obey his every command.
That was why he didn't bring Gerald to the Lancaster Hideout. After all, the Tierra survivors led by old Vanke considered the Lancaster Hideout a safe haven for them, and it must not be exposed before the Players could stand against the Valla Empire's official faction.
Even so, changing Gerald so that he could open his eyes to see the world and understand the meaning of his life clearly wasn't something that could be done in Lancaster.
So, if he couldn't enter the Lancaster Hideout, could he head to the Unnamed Town?
The answer was yes.
Through experiments, the Players had determined that the Lifestone's effect wasn't activated only by standing beneath it. In fact, they could use its teleportation function as long as they were within a certain range of the Lifestone.
On the other hand, the Players who had completed their daily quests and daily dungeons but didn't want to risk their lives outside had already found the corresponding location of the Lifestone in the Lancaster Hideout.
"Let's go to where my supply is."
Marni answered.
Gerald did a double take at those words.
He had naturally looked into Marni Wilf, and knew that the eccentric traveling merchant was famous in Lancaster for peddling two types of potions with excellent taste.
Those potions sold well, with their low price and excellent effects being sought after by many, and the prices of alchemical potions in the black market kept falling.
At the time, Marni, who was still a nobody, was naturally seen as a slime to be bullied and pillaged by the various factions in the city. Everyone wanted a piece of fat meat from him, with some with bigger appetites even wanting to devour his entire supply.
At that time, Marni Wilf would be assassinated and kidnapped by other factions almost every week. There were even a few times when people swore that he had died to assassination attempts, but Marni Wilf would reappear unscathed in three days at most!
Unknowingly, he had gained the title of 'Undying Wilf'.
In turn, the factions that had tried to assassinate Marni would be attacked by an unknown faction. Even if the mastermind was fine, the shady underbelly that those factions had painstakingly built up would be wiped out by that unknown faction!
Even though the city watch had been in chaos for a while, the atmosphere in Lancaster had improved considerably after the cleanup was over.
Now that he thought about it, that unknown faction was probably the 'Players' who were friends with Marni Wilf.
"Is it really okay to let me know where your source is?"
Gerald asked.
That was important information that many Lancaster factions had paid a hefty price for, but in the end, they couldn't even get a single strand of it!
"No problem. Why don't you tell me? It's useless even if you know."
Marni answered nonchalantly.
Just as Gerald was thinking about what Marni meant, he realized in shock that the scenery around him had changed.
The streets that had appeared dirty and messy due to their age and lack of attention to hygiene were gone, replaced by streets that were clean, beautiful, and wide enough for two carriages to run at the same time without being cramped. There were also pavements paved with red bricks on both sides of the wide road, and a dazzling array of shops on both sides.
"W-what's going on here?!"
Gerald had heard of ancient portals that could teleport a person thousands of miles away, but he was sure that he was still in Lancaster just now.
How did he appear in this unfamiliar place in the blink of an eye? What actually happened?
"Welcome to our little town." Marni said softly, seemingly satisfied with Gerald's shocked expression, smiling as if his prank had worked.
"Your … little town?"
Gerald frowned. It was not as if he had never seen bustling markets, but it was the first time he saw one so lively.
There were people coming and going on the streets, but all of them had smiles and hope on their faces.
It was a sight that would never be seen in other cities. Even in the relatively relaxed Lancaster, everyone was busy making a living for themselves, and apart from a few nobles, the common folk had nothing to look forward to in life — their greatest hope was to survive.
And yet, it seemed that everyone in this city had their own hopes and goals to live on. Their eyes were clear and bright, unlike the turbid and numb eyes of the common folk in other cities. It was truly unbelievable.
Moreover, some of them were wearing weird whale or dolphin balaclavas over their heads, which was so surreal that it was almost comical.
Interestingly, there was no disdain or mockery in the eyes of the common folk around them when they looked at the balaclava-wearing people, but instead showed longing and envy.
Could balaclavas be a trend in this place? Gerald couldn't help muttering inwardly when he remembered the Flatfish Swordsman he had fought before.
The Unnamed Town was no longer what it used to be after the Players' voluntary efforts in preaching and recruiting. Though it couldn't compare to a major city, it had become quite prosperous.
The town's permanent population was now over two thousand, and it was still rising. Although the Players had just reached four hundred, each of them were true believers, and there was much to look forward to in the future after they received the System.
With the Players as role models, the remaining sixteen hundred or so people would one after another become true believers of the God of Games. After all, unlike other churches that were adept at painting a pie in the sky, the Church of Games never painted a pie in the sky. The pie was there, and they just had to take it …
"Yes. Although there are still many things I want to show you, accompany me to restock my goods first."
Marni was about to lead Gerald to the System Shop so that he could see the modern facilities their God of Games had developed with inspiration from the vending machines back on Earth, but they had only taken a few steps when they heard passing Players excitedly discussing things like 'The Koi Brothers have discovered a new Boss' or 'Your news is outdated, it's a new dungeon over there!' as they headed towards the Lifestone.
Marni promptly paused and looked thoughtfully at his guard beside him. 'I wouldn't die right away if I have a guard, would I?'
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Chapter 256:
The Development of the Unnamed Town
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