The Female Knight of Doom - TFKOD 12: Displacement

This surprising turn of events left everyone dumbfounded.

Even Hewlett, who had been oblivious of his own thoughts, looked up at them at that moment.

The tavern crowd had long known that Alice didn’t have a father. At that moment, they all focused on Alice and Immortal Rom, trying to find their resemblance.

Immortal Rom tried to remain calm, but he couldn’t hide his misery.

He couldn’t help but mumble, “This is really bad. Have I ever slept with a redhead in this neighborhood? Damn it! I can’t remember at all.”

Neglecting the crowd’s reaction, he opened and closed his lips, seemingly counting the names of the women he had slept with.

Such behavior was not becoming of a legendary mercenary. If his admirers saw it, they would be disappointed.

Lina and the other waitress wore subtle expressions of humiliation.

Looking at the mercenary who had taken the liberty of panicking at this point, Alice was embarrassed and wanted to dive into a crack in the floor.

She desperately tried to say something, “I don’t think you’re my father.”

Immortal Rom had already fallen into his own world, overlooking Alice’s words, “…Now that you’ve done it, you should take responsibility for it. Don’t look at me like that. I’m a responsible man too. It’s okay; don’t be afraid. Tell me, who is your mother? As long as you’re really my daughter, I’ll take full responsibility.”

Alice was flustered but knew she had to speak up to clear up the situation, “My father is a follower of Ludnir, so he must be a mage. My mother has brown hair, though.”

“I don’t believe in gods, and I don’t have red hair. So you’re not my daughter,” Immortal Rom finished his sentence, finally relieved. “I don’t know what I’d do if I had a daughter that old. But in the end, what exactly do you want from me?” Immortal Rom’s words trailed off, and if Alice didn’t come up with a good reason, it seemed like this matter would be complex to resolve.

Alice’s mind raced as she struggled to think of an excuse that had nothing to do with the gods. Perhaps it was the sword Immortal Rom was carrying that inspired her.

She blurted out, “I have long heard of your great name, and I admire you greatly. I was just thinking that perhaps you could teach me to use a sword.”

Alice said this just to cloud the matter.

Sure enough, Immortal Rom’s jaw dropped, and he bursted out laughing, “My swordsmanship is for saving my life on the battlefield. It’s not for showing off. Besides, I don’t have a fixed residence. Even if I were willing to teach you, I wouldn’t have that much free time.”

Alice knew he would deny, but she appeared regretful and bowed her head in silence. Immortal Rom seemed more or less apologetic about it. Before he left, he doubled her tip.

The tavern closed. Alice took the tip she had received that day, went home, and saw the landlady’s servant, Grizzie, standing in front of her house, waiting for her.

“You’re back at last,” Grizzie yawned, looking jaded and tired. “The mistress asked me to wait for you here and told you to come over tomorrow morning.”

Grizzie left without letting Alice to ask her what was on her mind, leaving her alone and confused.

This was unexpected.

Alice had always paid the rent on time. According to the landlady, she should not have summoned her. The sudden desire to meet with her probably means something is wrong.

Alice was a little apprehensive, but a child’s sleep wouldn’t be disturbed by anything. She lay down on her bed and quickly fell asleep.

The next day, she was dressed and ready to meet the landlady. Before leaving, she thought about taking one of the gold coins Etienne had given her.

If she came across any trouble, she would use the coin to solve it.

She arrived at the landlady’s residence, where Grizzie opened the door and told her to sit in the parlor.

The landlady seemed remarkably frigid, completely contrary from when Alice used to work there as a servant, “I’ve heard about your work at the tavern for a long time. Granted, it wasn’t exactly a proper occupation, so I didn’t mention it, considering the hard life you had. But lately, I’ve heard rumors that you are very unruly when you are young. I told you a while ago that I don’t rent my place to whores, so you should move out.”

Alice’s eyes widened in blow; she didn’t know where this was coming from. Then she grasped that it was possibly because of her meeting with Etienne that night.

She hadn’t done anything sinful and wanted to plead her case.

However, she realized that if she told the truth about Etienne’s visit, she wouldn’t be able to conceal what had happened in the temple from the landlady. From Etienne’s attitude, Alice knew that if the world found out she had spoken with the God of Doom, her fate would be worse than displacement.

She looked at the landlady, helpless to say a word.

Seeing that Alice was silent, the landlady’s suspicions grew.

She pushed the prepared money in front of Alice, “Here’s the rest of half a month’s rent. Take it back. You have a week to move out.”

Alice was startled and pushed the money back.

She took out the gold coin from her pocket and put it in front of the landlady, “Landlady, this has always been my home. Please don’t kick me out. I have money and can afford the rent.”

The landlady scrutinized her with a raised eyebrow. The gold coin Alice pulled out further confirmed what the landlady had in mind.

Her voice was icy and authoritarian, “This isn’t about money. You must go.”

The landlady spoke decisively.

Alice looked terrified, “But where can I go?”

“Wherever you want.” The landlady bore a businesslike face, “Although Dark River Street is poor, the women here are clean. Since you have money, you can rent a more expensive house or live in the Red Light District. The people there won’t look down on you.”

Without saying anything more, she stood up and walked away, her head held high, as if saying one more word to Alice would be an insult to herself.

Alice stood where she was for a moment, only to see Grizzie come in and ask her indifferently, “Why don’t you leave?”

Alice had no choice but to leave the landlady’s residence and slowly make her way back. She hadn’t gone more than a few steps when she came face-to-face with Burke.

Burke didn’t just pass through this place on his way to the union; it was clear that he had come looking for her on purpose.

He saw her coming and called out to her, “Alice, you…”

Seeing the look on his face, Alice understood it all at once.

Only he knew about her meeting with Etienne, and only he saw them push each other for the two gold coins. Clearly, Burke had broken his promise and disclosed it to someone else about it.

A wave of betrayal and fury welled up in her heart, and hot blood rushed to her head. She wanted to say something unkind but couldn’t think of anything in the heat of the moment.

Instead, she said the cold truth, “The landlady told me to move out.”

This short sentence was more fierce than any insulting curse.

Burke turned so white that he was on the verge of tears, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I was in a daze that day, and they could tell that something was wrong with me. I didn’t want to say anything, but they forced me.”

Without Burke needing to say it, Alice imagined the scene herself.

In the end, he still didn’t believe her. Burke wasn’t good at hiding things; she had known that for a long time. After what had happened, there was no point in blaming him; she only found it ironic.

It was complicated to tell what expression was on Alice’s face at that moment. It was a mixture of fury, disappointment, and anguish, and it demonstrated an authoritative aura.

Burke gazed at her, not daring to say anything. He was even somewhat afraid to look her in the eyes.

Alice had never seen Burke like this before. His body was initially so tall, but at that moment, he looked smaller than Alice.

Staring at him, Alice developed a vague dislike for him, and the good feelings she once had for him seemed to have vanished.

Burke didn’t follow her, and she figured he probably lacked the audacity to do so.

In any case, now that she was moving, she probably wouldn’t see him again. She went back to her place and looked at her few pieces of luggage, deciding that she didn’t need to rush to pack just yet.

How was she supposed to find a new home?

She didn’t have a clue. She had been living with her mother for as long as she could remember. She knew, however, that her mother had chosen to settle on Dark River Street because the rent was the cheapest in the city. After leaving this street, it would be hard for her to find an affordable place to live.

What if she went to get help first?

Etienne conveyed that if she encountered any difficulties, she could find him at the temple. But Alice refused to bother him so soon. After all, he had already helped her so much: he helped her hide the matter with the God of Doom, gave her cakes to eat, visited her at the tavern, and gifted her with gold coins.

To Alice, Etienne was like a god. He showered her with sunshine, gave her rain, and provided feelings she had never experienced before.

How could she, someone completely incapable of reciprocating, take this kindness for granted and ask for more?

Alice rejected the idea of asking Etienne for help right away. She decided it would be better to ask her tavern mates for help figuring out what to do first.

The waitresses and cooks were all older than her and had more exposure in this area.

Besides, she had worked at the tavern for so long that she thought of it as a second home. If she couldn’t find a suitable place to live within a week, she could perhaps stay in the tavern kitchen for a while Hewlett usually didn’t say much, but he was a good boss and wouldn’t disagree.

With her mind made up, she packed up and headed for the tavern. She arrived a little later than usual, having been delayed at the landlady’s house earlier that day. As soon as she entered the tavern, she sensed that something was off.

Everyone looked depressed.

The atmosphere made her uneasy. She had a vague sense that doom probably wouldn’t leave her alone easily. She wondered where its claws would come from and if it would strike her a fatal blow.

She surveyed around, lost for words and unsure who to ask. That’s when Lina came up to her and informed that Hewlett wanted to talk to her.