Chapter 115: Chapter 32: We Are Not Heroes
Today, Van Helsing seemed to be quite in the mood for conversation.
He took out a cigarette from his body, used a Dharma Seal to ignite a small flame, lit it, and then took a deep puff, saying, "Do you know why I don’t like dealing with ordinary people?"
"Why?" Su Ziyu asked in confusion, "Because they see us as outcasts?"
Van Helsing flicked off some ash, seemingly immersed in past memories, and slowly said, "I once took on a task from a school to deal with a Demon Hunter who had massacred ordinary people."
"I tracked him for half a month before finally catching him near a small town in Ivya."
"I thought he was a Demon Hunter who had lost control and gone mad, but his mind was very clear. Do you know why he massacred those ordinary people?"
Long exposed to various monsters, some Demon Hunters also gradually lose their minds.
However, their will is very strong, and those who lose control are very few.
"Why?" Su Ziyu asked curiously.
Van Helsing took another puff of tobacco, saying slowly, "His name was Velen. He wasn’t a very powerful Demon Hunter, and I defeated him quite easily."
"He took a job in a village in Tania, helping them get rid of a troublesome spirit. He expended great effort to eliminate this enemy, but when he took the monster’s head to the village elders for his reward, they gave him all sorts of excuses, offering only three Golden Galleons, an amount that wasn’t even enough to cover the cost of his Magic Potion."
"Velen was very dissatisfied with this."
"Because he was injured dealing with the monster, he needed money to sustain himself until his injuries healed."
Hearing this, Su Ziyu couldn’t help but furrow his brows, his expression growing more somber.
It seemed the life of a Demon Hunter was indeed difficult.
"The villagers noticed he was injured." Van Helsing exhaled a cloud of smoke and said in a deep voice, "Then they tricked Velen, telling him there was some money hidden in the village’s warehouse, and while he wasn’t paying attention, they attacked him from behind with weapons."
"Unfortunately, they underestimated the reaction speed of a Demon Hunter; Velen avoided a fatal blow, and their premeditated ambush did not kill him."
"Then he lost control."
"Velen killed all the villagers in that village, leaving only a little girl."
Su Ziyu’s frown deepened upon hearing this, and he asked softly, "What happened to him in the end? How did you deal with him?"
Van Helsing did not answer this question but instead asked, "What about you? If you had to deal with a Demon Hunter who massacred ordinary people, what would you do?"
"I..." Su Ziyu’s expression instantly became hesitant, murmuring, "I might have let him go."
"After all, it wasn’t his fault."
"Those people didn’t give him his due reward and even attacked him because he was injured."
"Such behavior is deserving of death!"
Su Ziyu imagined himself in the Demon Hunter’s place. If he had risked his life to help those villagers get rid of a monster and they refused to pay, even trying to ambush and kill him, Su Ziyu thought he too would have gone into a rage.
For a Demon Hunter who spends years protecting ordinary people by hunting monsters, such a blow is terrifying.
It’s not just about the money.
Most Demon Hunters aren’t wealthy; they earn just enough to barely make a living.
If it were truly about money, there are many ways for someone with a Demon Hunter’s skills to procure it.
"At that time, I killed him," Van Helsing said, his fingers trembling slightly as he took a deep breath of tobacco. "Because his sword was stained with the blood of innocents."
As he said this, a bitter smile appeared on his face, and he murmured, "What a pity."
"Now my sword has also been stained with the blood of ordinary people."
Su Ziyu remained silent.
He finally understood why Van Helsing concealed his injuries from ordinary people when dealing with the Water Ghost Witch that day.
This was a very complex Demon Hunter.
He could haggle with clients over money, trying every means to get them to pay more, and at the same time, for a small reward, set out overnight to help impoverished villagers deal with a harmful Ghoul.
Van Helsing’s skills weren’t considered very strong, but his figure appeared tall.
"Let’s go." Van Helsing extinguished the cigarette in his hand and said.
He turned his back on Su Ziyu, hands in pockets, and said softly, "Your potential is greater than mine. Perhaps one day, you can rebuild the Demon Hunter Academy and restore our legacy."
Van Helsing was imparting more experience to him through his life experiences.
He always told Su Ziyu that Demon Hunters weren’t heroes; they were just experts in dealing with monsters. However, Su Ziyu learned many things from him. Even though his character had flaws, it could not overshadow the kind of spirit the old Demon Hunter possessed.
It was a lonely yet resilient soul.
On the way back, neither of them spoke again. Van Helsing went straight to see Lady Inid, while Su Ziyu returned to his residence.
Melissa was still practicing her White Crow Swordsmanship.
Watching the sweat on the girl’s face, Su Ziyu said softly, "Rest now. Today’s training is enough."
"Okay, mentor." Melissa nodded and sheathed her sword.
She took a few steps, her pace suddenly hesitating. Without looking back, she asked softly, "Is he leaving?"
"Yes." Su Ziyu did not choose to hide it.
Melissa’s figure paused for a moment then she returned to her room.
She said nothing, perhaps having anticipated this day would come.
The next day.
Su Ziyu saw Van Helsing fully prepared to leave, with Melissa’s eyes slightly red beside him. Van Helsing walked over and patted Su Ziyu’s shoulder, saying, "I’ll leave this to you."
"Leaving today?" Su Ziyu asked with a somewhat disappointed expression.
"Yes." Van Helsing lowered his voice, "Lady Inid will take some action during this period, and for now, she can be trusted."
"If you feel it’s too dangerous, just give it up."
"Someone will come to help you after some time."
"There are still some of us at Cold Crow Castle. If you have nowhere to go, you can go there!"
Some Demon Hunters still survived in this world.
Van Helsing had mentioned Cold Crow Castle more than once. This collaboration was more like an experiment, because both the female warlocks and the Demon Hunters were finding it increasingly difficult to survive on the Southern Continent, and they all had the idea of expanding to and gaining a foothold on the Northern Continent. The Academy of Demon Hunters has long been reduced to ruins, and the surviving Demon Hunters are now wandering all over the world. Van Helsing also had his own plan, but no one knew what agreement he had reached with Lady Inid.
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