"The gang leader is not in town right now, he's out negotiating business deals."
"Have him come back, I need to see him."
"This..." Several people looked at each other, unsure of how to respond.
"The gang leader is very busy, I doubt he will see you," one of them whispered.
"What is he busy with?" Valke was in no hurry.
"Busy with business, a lot of business. There are many companies coming to invest in the north these days," they answered with a hint of joy in their voices.
It seemed the local gang had also gotten a significant piece of the action from the recovery, which made sense. With large corporations investing in the north, they would surely investigate the local scene and cozy up to local powers to avoid future unpleasantness and obstacles.
"I see." Just when the few thought Valke had dropped the issue and their hearts began to settle, he added another sentence.
"Have Cook meet me within three days."
After speaking, he walked over, picked up the person who had been beaten earlier, carried him on his shoulder, and continued walking toward the distant church.
Xian Ta followed with interest, watching the people at the alley entrance, then smiled and followed Valke's figure.
After some distance, Xian Ta inquired about what had just transpired.
"Do you know that Cook?"
"Yes, I've fought with them before. Once, I knocked out one of his teeth, and I nearly died under their siege."
"That harsh? Then how did you survive? They seem to wield considerable power locally," Xian Ta asked casually.
"Afterwards, well, that's because my mentor heard about what happened to me and stopped by the town on his way somewhere else. That's how I managed to save my life," Valke reminisced.
"After that, I went to Edith Academy, and they didn't dare to bother me anymore, and later became friendly."
"I even came back during the first and second year with some friends and cleaned out the gangs on the edge of the town. I didn't expect Cook and his crew to survive."
"You plan to settle this for good this time?" Xian Ta saw Valke's intention.
"Right, I'm leaving soon, and it will be hard to come back, so I want to resolve this properly."
As they spoke, they arrived in front of the church. They knocked on the door, which was followed by the soft glow of warm orange light escaping from inside, illuminating the dark and gloomy outer world.
"I'm back, everyone." As Valke entered, a burst of cheers erupted from inside the church, followed by a lively chatter.
Later that night, after attending to the injured person, Valke stepped out of the room and found Boise, the priest, still standing in the church hall, praying towards the empty holy stand.
"Aren't you sleeping yet, Priest?" Valke approached.
"Hmm." Priest Boise turned and asked Valke to sit with him for a while.
"You shouldn't have provoked Cook and his men, especially since they've settled down in the past few years. Why stir up strife?"
"Besides, I've heard about their situation in the past two years; they've got hold of lots of black market firearms and special weapons," said Boise with evident concern.
"I know, Priest." Valke didn't let the other man continue his chatter.
He stepped in front of the priest, placing his hands on Boise's shoulders, sensing the age and frailty of the middle-aged man before him, as though a mere exertion of force might snap this dry stick, nothing like the strong figure of his memories.
With a touch of emotion, Valke lightly patted Boise's back, embraced the priest who had once taken care of him, then let go.
"I understand your concerns, like whether they might come back after I leave, if they plot secretly, or attempt to attack with guns and other weapons." The priest in front of him was, after all, a mortal, afraid of retaliation, without the ability to cope with such things.
"I know all this, Priest Boise, and that is exactly why I came back: to permanently resolve these matters." Valke turned his head to look at the vacant holy stand.
"Things have changed since the past, Priest." He looked at his own palm and slowly clenched it into a fist.
"I've grown up now and have the strength to break away from certain things from the past. You don't have to live in fear like before, nor worry about me."
As he spoke, strands of pale gold magic power rose from Valke's body, the steady and warm light of Magic Power illuminating every corner of the church, making all the objects crystal clear. Even the frail Priest Boise, standing in its halo, felt his body much relieved, as if years of chronic pain were beginning to heal.
With a wide palm slightly closed, a white flame condensed into a glowing sphere, seemingly gentle on the outside but the vigorous magic power inside was alarming.
Priest Boise, who had attended a quality academy in his youth, although unaware of the specific strength of the sphere, instinctively felt that even some Sequence 6 Transcendents might not be able to withstand it.
Amazed by the transformation and growth of Valke over the past four years, his initially heavy heart gradually eased.
"Ah, yes, I'm the one who has aged," he said with a mix of self-mockery and relief.
"You have grown up, Valke, and even it's hard for me to associate your current self with the child you were. When I first bathed you, you were so thin and small, just stick figures in the earth like you and Gleid. Washing you was akin to scrubbing bones."
"Huh... I always feel like I've done many things wrong in my half-lived life, but the one fortune I had was your arrival, bringing me quite a bit of dignity and comfort." Priest Boise reminisced about the past.