Chapter 70: Praying to the Gods

"Aiden, we're back!" We cheerfully stepped through the gates of The Martinez Villa, only to find a few unexpected guests inside.

Aiden looked particularly serious. He nodded slightly and spoke in a deep, powerful voice, "Go upstairs and wait for me. I'll be there shortly."

His demeanor radiated an undeniable authority, and we immediately sensed that something was off. Without asking any questions, we quietly headed up the stairs.

I couldn't help but glance back downstairs, trying to observe the uninvited guests.

I noticed that from the moment we walked in, a man sitting on the sofa had his gaze fixed on Howard.

His eyes seemed to carry an inexplicable focus and scrutiny.

Clearly, Howard had also noticed this unusual attention. He coldly returned the stare, his eyes filled with displeasure.

Under Howard's gaze, the man seemed to feel the pressure and quickly looked away.

I frowned, curiosity bubbling up, and softly asked Howard, "Do you know him?"

Howard's response was brief and indifferent, "No."

We waited in a room on the second floor for quite some time before Aiden finally came upstairs.

I couldn't help but ask, "Aiden, did you see off your guests? Who were they?"

Aiden shook his head and turned his gaze to Howard, his tone serious, "Mr. Smith, there are a few things I'd like to discuss with you privately, if that's alright."

Howard didn't seem surprised by Aiden's request. He replied calmly, "You can say it here."

Seeing Howard's laid-back attitude, Aiden didn't insist and said directly, "The people downstairs want Mr. Smith's help with something. I wonder if Mr. Smith is willing to assist."

Curiosity welled up inside me. Who were those people downstairs? Did they know Howard? How else could they have singled him out from all of us?

"First, tell me what they need help with," Howard asked cautiously, not outright refusing.

"Those people have a problem in their village. You’ll get the full picture once you go there. They somehow heard about your reputation and came to me, hoping I could connect them with you," Aiden explained, a hint of helplessness in his voice.

"They know Howard? That's impossible," I exclaimed in surprise, filled with doubt.

Aiden shook his head. "I asked them where they got the info, but they wouldn'tt say."

Aiden's eyes flashed with confusion, clearly as puzzled by these people's origins and intentions as we were.

He then looked at Howard. "If you don't want to take it, I'll go and turn them down for you."

Howard sneered. "I don't like dealing with people who hide their intentions. Tell them directly, if they want help, the person in need should come to me personally."

"Alright," Aiden agreed without hesitation. He then remembered our mission and asked with concern, "By the way, how did the task at Whispering Willow Village go?"

Wesley explained the situation in detail.

After Wesley finished, Aiden didn't think we had acted recklessly. Instead, he felt we handled it well.

"Personal sins should be atoned for personally. You did the right thing," Aiden affirmed. "I'll explain it to them. You don't need to worry about it."

With that, Aiden went downstairs to decline the request from those people.

It was getting late, so Howard and I decided to leave.

As we descended the stairs, we were surprised to find that those people hadn't left. They seemed to be waiting for something.

When we reached the bottom, they immediately stood up and surrounded Howard, urgently pleading, "Mr. Smith, please help us."

As the man spoke, he suddenly knelt down with a thud.

The living room was carpeted, and their heads made muffled sounds as they hit the carpet.

I frowned at the sight. What were they doing? We had already said we wouldn't take their task.

The man continued speaking while crying, "I heard that only Mr. Smith can solve the problem in our village. Please, Mr. Smith, don't refuse. My daughter is only 16. She has her whole life ahead of her. I'm begging you..."

Another 16-year-old girl.

I hesitated and looked at Howard.

Although their kneeling to force Howard to help was somewhat shameless, it was still about a living girl. I couldn't help but feel a bit sympathetic.

Clearing my throat, I voiced, "If you want help, you need to explain what's going on. We can't just help you without knowing anything."

Amelia chimed in, "Yeah, what's going on in your village that makes you need Howard's help so desperately?"

The men exchanged glances before diving into the details of their situation.

The men had come to the city together for work. Their hometown was a remote village with an ancient tradition.

Every five years, the village had to select a girl to sacrifice to the Riverlord. The girl was chosen by drawing lots, and the age range was from 10 to 20 years old. Unfortunately, this year, the man's daughter was the one picked.

"What do you mean by sacrificing to the Riverlord?" I asked, puzzled.

"Well, although it's called a sacrifice, it actually means drowning the girl in the river and then throwing her body into the water to pray for good weather in the coming year."

I frowned deeply, finding it hard to believe. In this day and age, how could such superstitions still exist?

"Isn't this harming people?" Amelia spoke angrily. "Throwing a living person into the river, do you really believe it will ensure good weather next year? I don't believe it."

I didn't believe it either.

"It's true. The sacrifice to the Riverlord has been a tradition passed down in our village for generations."

"If you don't want your daughter to be sacrificed, why not bring her to the city? As long as she stays away from the village, that should be enough, right?"

The man's face turned pale as he replied, "That's not possible. If the chosen girl doesn't fulfill her duty, the Riverlord will get angry and come after us."

Amelia and I exchanged a glance, both finding it absurd.

Throughout history, there have been many customs that oppressed women. It's unbelievable that such ignorant superstitions still have followers.

I asked, "So what do you want Howard to do? He can't take your daughter's place in the sacrifice."

The man looked at Howard pleadingly. "If Mr. Smith can help, I hope you can save my daughter, by any means necessary."

Though it was superstitious, it was clear he was a loving father.

Seeing him reminded me of my own dad, and I softened. "Do you want to help?"