But I Refuse

“But those are just ancient legends, aren't they?” Mia said.

Lovene nodded and placed the book back onto the shelf.

“Yes, so it's also possible that this is all just my imagination.”

After saying that, she took Mia's hand and led her out of the library.

“It really is getting late. Let's head back and rest. Over the next few days, I still need to keep purifying Marcus.”

Mia did not suspect anything and followed Lovene back to the bedroom.

As the door closed behind them, the library fell silent.

The light from the blue-light wall lamps fell upon the row of book spines. The words “Oswell Territory Annals” shimmered faintly in the glow, as if their sharp edges had been worn smooth by time.

...

In a dimly lit tavern in the northwestern corner of the territory, only a single blue-light lantern on the wall remained lit. The air was thick with the stench of sweat and the sour tang of fermented alcohol.

The tavern door swung open, and a swaying figure walked in clutching an empty wine bottle. The bartender behind the counter glanced at him, a look of disgust crossing his face.

“You again, Gale!”

Gale ignored the disgust on the man's face. He pushed his bottle forward an inch with his left hand. “A bottle of ale. Make it strong!”

The bartender slammed his rag onto the counter and said coldly, “You come here begging for alcohol every single day. Do you even have any money? Get lost, stop hurting our business.”

Gale's left hand rested on the rim of the glass. He looked up, slapped his chest, and laughed, “Money? Heh, I used to be—I was the leader of the Eagle Mercenary Group! How could I ever be short on money? I... I have plenty of money!”

Hearing this, the patrons in the tavern couldn't help but sneer.

“The Eagle Mercenary Group abandoned you ages ago. Keep boasting like that, and aren't you afraid the new leader will come looking for trouble?”

“Exactly. A guy who couldn't even keep his own woman has no right to drink here!”

Gale shook his head, not caring in the least about what they were saying.

A tavern waiter carrying a tray walked up to Gale and shoved his shoulder. “Get lost. Broke bums aren't welcome here!”

Gale reeled backward from the push, but he still kept his bottle firmly planted on the counter.

Seeing this, the other waiters slowly surrounded him. In the end, they all reached out to shove him out of the tavern. The onlookers, who loved nothing more than a good spectacle, also stood up and began pushing and pulling him.

Gradually, the shoving escalated into a beating. Gale was thrown out of the tavern, tumbling onto the ground in a pathetic heap.

Amidst the chaos, a sharp cry echoed from the street: “Stop! Stop it!”

A small, slender figure squeezed through the crowd. Her hair was slightly disheveled, her cheeks flushed with anxiety.

She rushed to Gale's side and shielded him with her arms. “Stop it! Don't hit Grandpa Gale anymore!”

The waiters and patrons couldn't help but stop. It wasn't because they wanted to listen to the girl, but because she was so young and frail. If they accidentally hit her, they might actually kill her.

Beating a young girl to death in public was a crime punishable by death in the territory.

“You... you ungrateful bastards... If this tavern is thriving today, it's only because of the help I gave you back then!”

Gale scrambled up from the ground, spitting drunkenly onto the floor. The waiter stood before him and sneered, “That's why we're only telling you to scram. If anyone else came here trying to steal drinks, we would've broken their legs long ago!”

The young girl, Lina, grew furious upon hearing this. She raised her voice, “You people are too much! Grandpa Gale only avoided broken legs because his body is tough! And he helped you so much in the past, yet you treat him like this! You have no conscience!”

The waiter's face darkened, and he waved his hand dismissively. “What does a kid like you know? Just take this bastard and get out. The tavern doesn't welcome either of you!”

With that, they turned and went back inside. The onlookers followed them with amused grins. In their eyes, kicking Gale out was no different from shooing away a stray dog.

They felt absolutely no guilt.

Lina tugged at Gale's sleeve. “Grandpa Gale, let's go!”

Gale didn't resist, stumbling along behind her.

After they made their way back to Gale's house, Lina had him sit on a chair. She found a clean cloth, soaked it in cold water, and handed it to him. “Grandpa Gale, your face is swollen.”

Gale took it, holding the cloth to his cheek with his left hand. “It's fine, it's fine. It'll get better on its own in a bit.”

The cold sensation sobered him up quite a bit.

Lina sat down on a low stool opposite him, resting her hands on her knees. She stared at him for a long moment, a hint of envy in her voice. “Really? I wish I had that kind of recovery ability...”

Gale set the cloth down and looked at her. “Train for a few more years, and you can be just like me.”

Lina lowered her head, her lips curling into a somewhat bitter smile.

Just then, a soft sound came from the doorway.

A holy, pure figure stood at the entrance.

“Mr. Gale.”

When Gale saw who it was, his eyes flickered slightly. “Oh, it's you, Lady Saintess. What brings you to me?”

Even if the church's Saintess could purify Marcus, he still couldn't rid himself of his prejudice against the church, nor could he prevent that prejudice from spilling over onto her.

Lovene paid no mind to his cold attitude. Her gaze fell upon Gale's empty right sleeve, and she said, “I can heal your right arm.”

Gale's fingers froze. “Stop joking around. My right arm is gone, not just injured. How could it possibly be healed?”

“Regrowing a lost limb. I can do it.”

Gale's body stiffened.

Regrowing a lost limb?!

Though he was a drunkard, he had recently caught wind of various rumors, one of which was that the Saintess's Holy Light magic could regrow lost limbs.

When he first heard this, he couldn't help but laugh, thinking it was just a lie made up by the church's Saintess to promote herself. But now, sensing her seriousness, he realized it was all true.

Regrowing a lost limb? It was truly unbelievable.

Once his right arm grew back, he would be able to shoulder his greatsword once more. His life would change completely, and the title of the territory's strongest knight would belong to him once again.

But...

“I don't need it.”

His gaze fell upon his empty right sleeve, and he shook his head.

His life right now was fine. He was satisfied.

Lovene, however, saw right through his thoughts. “Are you still unable to move on? The reason she left you wasn't because you weren't good enough, but because she chose an easier path.”

“A person like that is not worth destroying yourself over.”

Gale's breath hitched. Right on its heels came a surge of inexplicable anger. “You've never been through this. What do you know?”