Return of the General's Daughter
Chapter 84: Meeting The Hermit

Chapter 84: Meeting The Hermit

At Galeya’s Throne in Mount Ourea, Alaric restlessly paced the room, his steps measured. As his wound healed, so did his energy—yet the more his body mended, the more his impatience grew.

That morning, Felix, hands trembling, had carefully removed the stitches from Alaric’s abdomen. He could hardly believe how quickly the wound had closed. Even Angus, Alaric’s guard, had recovered and was already up and moving.

Yet, strangely, several soldiers—whose injuries had been less severe than Angus’s—remained bedridden.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the door.

Six soldiers unsheathed their swords, their blades gleaming as they pointed them at the chest of a man with shoulder-length white hair.

"You occupied my house, cooked my rice, killed my chicken and hares, harvested my vegetables to the point that the garden is now bald, and you dare to point a sword at me? Outrageous!" Jethru’s outbursts boomed like thunder, catching the soldiers off guard.

Stunned, they hesitated. One by one, they lowered their swords, shifting uncomfortably under the intensity of his glare.

A familiar voice broke the silence.

"Oh, Sir, are you the owner of this house?" Agilus emerged from Reya’s room, flashing a fawning smile. "I gave Kane a gold and a silver ingots, and he said we could take whatever we needed—including the fish from the pond."

The white-haired man narrowed his eyes. "Kane? Who is Kane? I don’t know him!"

Agilus stiffened. His gut feeling had been right all along. Kane had set them up.

From inside Lara’s room, Alaric listened with a knowing smirk. It seems the master and disciple didn’t have time to coordinate their story.

Agilus cleared his throat. "Sir, Kane Mendel. He told us his master owned this house."

Jethru paused.

Mendel.

Why does the name sound familiar? Wait. Isn’t that his last name? A flicker of realization crossed his face before his lips curled into a grin. Clever girl.

So, Lara had disguised herself as a man and taken the alias Kane Mendel.

He liked the sound of it.

His grin widened—so much so that the corners of his mouth nearly touched his ears.

His cunning disciple Lara, what a bright girl

"Ah, Kane," he mused, stroking his chin, only to realize he no longer had the goatee. "I must be getting old. Of course, he’s my disciple. And you said you gave him a gold ingot?"

Agilus nodded eagerly.

"That damn brat! He didn’t give me a single cent!" the man cursed.

As he stepped inside, his expression darkened. His once pristine home was now crowded with soldiers, their clothes slung carelessly everywhere.

The soldiers tensed.

When they noticed his frown, they scrambled to clean up, rushing to restore order. Within minutes, the ground floor was spotless.

Unfortunately, Jethru’s room was in the loft.

The man grasped the wooden ladder railing, and in a swift, fluid motion, he hoisted himself up.

The soldiers watched, stunned.

All the clutter on the ground floor were thrown on the loft without care.

A string of curses rained down from above. In a blink, only Agilus remained standing on the ground floor.

Moments later, Jethru—leaped down, landing effortlessly in front of Agilus.

Agilus stumbled back, eyes wide.

Did he just jump down?

He’s old, isn’t he?

No. Not quite. A closer look revealed that Jethru was not a frail old man—he appeared to be in his late forties, early fifties at most.

No wonder he could leap from such a height without so much as wincing.

"Damn! Could you guys not clean up? Reya would definitely get mad if she saw this mess."

Inside the room, Alaric perked up.

Reya.

Was that the woman’s name?

Before he could move, the door swung open.

Standing before him was the white-haired man—Jethru Mendel.

Alaric’s gaze flickered with recognition.

It was the same man he saw in the courtyard at the back of the inn—only then; his hair had been waist-length, his beard a cascading snowy mass. Now, without the beard and with shorter hair, he looked years younger.

Alaric bowed respectfully. "Forgive us for encroaching upon your home, Sir. We suffered a disaster, and your disciple saved us."

Jethru hummed, his gaze lingering on Alaric.

The man was tall, exceptionally handsome, with a light stubble that only accentuated his ruggedness.

Perfect for my young disciple, Jethru mused.

"What’s your name? Are you the commander of these soldiers?"

"Alaric, Sir."

"Alaric, from which family?"

Outside, Agilus frowned. Why was this man interrogating Alaric?

"Hey, Alaric!" Agilus interrupted. "I told you, didn’t I? That Kane set us up. He took the gold and silver ingots and didn’t even share them with his master!"

Jethru’s eyes darkened.

Alaric noticed immediately.

"Watch your words, Agilus," Alaric warned. "Don’t throw around accusations without knowing a person’s character."

Agilus grumbled. Shouldn’t he be grateful? I just saved him from revealing his identity.

Clearing his throat, Agilus turned back to Jethru. "Sir, may we know your name? Also, please accept this as an apology for making a mess of your home." He produced two gold ingots and offered them up.

Jethru grinned. His trip back to Mount Ourea was not in vain. He wanted to retrieve the herbs that he had previously processed and sell them to the pharmacy in Calma, but he gained more.

"My name is Jethru. Jethru Mendel."

Agilus brightened. "Sir, that mechanism in the shed—it’s fascinating. Would you consider selling the design to us?" Agilus asked enthusiastically. He learned that the alcohol they used to disinfect the surrounding area of the wound was generated by those mechanism.

Jethru’s expression turned serious. "The idea belongs to my disciple. It’s not my decision to make."

Alaric flicked his eyes toward Agilus, a silent command.

Agilus understood immediately. He cleared his throat and excused himself.

Once they were alone, Alaric spoke.

"Sir, your disciple is incredibly talented. Can you tell me her name?"

Jethru arched a brow.

"Her?"

"You already know she’s disguising herself as a man?"

Alaric smiled faintly. "She slipped up the day she saved me."

Jethru scoffed.

"You brat," he muttered. "Since you knew she was a girl, why did you send her to Hainai to deliver the letter?"

Alaric’s expression remained steady. "I didn’t send her, Sir. She volunteered."

Jethru chuckled, shaking his head.

"That woman... she really thought she was cunning enough. Who would have guessed she’d blow her own cover?"

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