Parting now, we shall meet again upon our return.

January 6th of the 795th year of the New Era, Tania, capital of the Principality of Ernifia.

"...That concludes our temporary handling of the situation in Kosma County. The rest is up to you, Pamir."

The circular council hall was packed with representatives from various regions of the principality. They were holding an emergency meeting to discuss the war against the empire on the front lines.

Kosma County was located in the northwestern borderlands of the Principality of Ernifia, an area bordering the Frey Empire. The conflict had originated right there before gradually escalating into all-out war. In just a few days, several towns within the county had fallen one after another. This not only demonstrated the empire's thorough preparation for the war, but also hinted at the still-lacking strength of their own nation's army.

After all, the standing garrison stationed there was facing the vanguard of the empire's Snow Wolf Army—one of the two major elite forces of the Frey Empire.

However, President Holsman was already accustomed to such occurrences. Over the past decade or so, friction between the empire and themselves had been constant, accompanied by several wars of varying scales, with reasons for fighting that were utterly bizarre. The strangest reason of all had once been when the empire discovered some counterfeit items among the birthday tribute presented to Queen Fima, the primary wife of King Dreynir, and then claimed that these counterfeits had been smuggled from Koka County, another border county of the principality.

What absolute, utter nonsense... Yet even that time had ended in defeat.

President Holsman sat at the exact center of the round table in the council hall, rubbing his graying hair as he watched the councilors still arguing over a resolution that had already been settled.

He was sixty-seven years old today, having entered the twilight of his life. Yet his adversary, the current king of the empire, Dreynir Frey Cadrevert, was barely forty-eight years old, even after celebrating his birthday this year. Perhaps he could rely on his seasoned experience to gain a slight upper hand in the diplomacy between the two countries, but that was all—at this point, he had to admit that the lion-like emperor sitting in the palace of Redcar indeed possessed the breadth of mind and grandeur of his ancestors.

He needed to find a suitable successor; otherwise, once he stepped down from office, what would the future of the principality hold... He closed his eyes, refusing to look at the endless debating in the council before him.

The councilors present were power representatives from the various counties that made up the principality. They arrived here through some cycle akin to elections, forming the power center of this country and determining its various directions. In a sense, despite having sat in this position for nearly a decade, he still had to tread carefully around them regarding certain matters.

Such was the power structure of the principality.

He slowly opened his eyes into a slit and glanced at the middle-aged man sitting at the head of the lower tier. The man wore a neat side-parted hairstyle, his formal suit immaculately pressed, with a white handkerchief folded into the shape of a flower tucked into his left breast pocket.

Pamir Lester, Speaker of the Principality Council.

He sat quietly in his seat, hands crossed and resting on the circular table, saying nothing. His expression was stern, as if he were attentively listening to the discussions of the people below. However, Holsman knew that the speaker must also be weary of such pointless arguments.

Ever since the flames of war ignited in Kosma, the principality's side had remained at a disadvantage. The reasons for this were naturally multifaceted, but what use was discussing those reasons now? Their focus should be on how to respond to the upcoming battles, even though their current options were severely limited...

That lion emperor... Hmph.

"Mr. President." A steady, deep voice interrupted the old man's thoughts. The president fully opened his eyes, at the same time banishing any distracting impurities from his gaze, and put on a standard, amiable smile. "Is there anything else, Lord Pamir?"

"It seems something has happened in the southeastern part of the principality." The impeccably groomed man was folding a newly delivered secret report from his subordinates, then placed it to his left. "An anomaly appears to have occurred in the Emerald Forest of Westwind County."

"Oh?" The old man's smile remained unchanged as he gestured for the speaker to continue.

"According to reports from the sentries guarding the border of Windflower Town, yesterday afternoon, a massive pillar of green light appeared from the direction of the Emerald Forest. The report states that the soldiers could clearly see the pillar shooting straight into the sky, and it persisted for a very long time."

Holsman remained silent, seemingly pondering the significance behind this event.

"That outpost is located at the foot of the Lesser Anctidal Mountains, about twelve dēri away from Greenstone Village." Pamir's voice continued, though these details were likely outside the scope of the report: "If the report is accurate, that pillar of light was likely located in the central area of the forest. Judging by the distance, the scene at the time must have been extremely..."

"...Magnificent." He paused for a fraction of a second, then smiled faintly.

"It seems you also find this matter quite interesting, Your Excellency." The two men spoke in low tones, which did not carry far across the noisy circular hall. However, a few observant councilors had already begun to notice the anomaly near the president, casting suspicious glances in their direction.

"The central area of the Emerald Forest is extremely mysterious. In the principality's reports over recent years, there has been almost no description of the conditions inside." Pamir straightened his stern face again, his two small mustaches twitching slightly on his tense lips. "To my knowledge, most of the creatures in that forest are bizarre and ferocious. The cause of death for most people who venture deep inside is attributed to this, while a few cases... are said to have been killed by unknown individuals."

"The survivors' descriptions of the murderer are inconsistent. There are signs pointing to suspicious foul play by adventurers, but... it cannot be confirmed." Pamir finished stating these matters in one breath, then looked at the president's energetic face. "Forgive my presumption, Mr. President... That place remains an unknown to us, and this incident certainly has..."

"Do not worry, Lester." The old man said softly. "You may not know this, but those two sisters of the Council of Seven came to visit me a few days ago."

Pamir's pupils contracted. On this continent, only one organization was referred to as the Council of Seven. And those sisters among them...

"They came to brief me—the Restorers also heard the rumor and sneaked into the Emerald Forest. On one hand, they are investigating the matter, and on the other hand..."

The old man paused. "They went to... see for themselves whether it is true or false."

"In other words, they are behind this..." Pamir's brow furrowed deeper. "Forgive my bluntness, but this is going too far. It is a contempt for the principality's sovereignty..."

"You know, my dear Speaker." The old man shook his head with a bitter smile. "Even you and I can only offer suggestions to people like them. Trying to interfere with their decisions... is simply impossible."

He spread his hands. "They certainly won't listen."

Pamir pressed his lips into a thin line. Holsman raised both hands, pressing them downward in a calming gesture. "Do not be so angry. After all, we do not yet know the whole truth of the matter. I do not believe these things were done by the two young ladies; I trust their character, heh..."

"How many of those who survived that battle are people you don't need to worry about..."

Noticing that the whispering in the hall was dying down, Holsman raised his head and found that the councilors had ceased their discussions at some point. Most of them were staring at the two of them, their eyes undisguisedly revealing an inexplicable sense of curiosity.

According to rumors circulating outside, the relationship between these two highest figures of the principality had not seemed very good lately. However, judging by today's posture, those rumors appeared to be entirely baseless...

"Ah, everyone..." The old man smiled, then extended his left hand toward the speaker seated below. "Perhaps you have grown tired of the previous topic. Fortunately, our speaker has brought us some new information..."

Gradually, the entire affair became known to all the councilors, and then, like a storm from the Emerald Tower, it rapidly spread outward until it swept across the entire Free Continent.

*********************

The massive green pillar of light in the Emerald Forest was naturally not only witnessed by the sentry guards at the foot of the Lesser Anctidal Mountains. Everyone in Greenstone Village, and even people much further away, witnessed that miracle on the afternoon of January 5th.

Consequently, certain pieces of intelligence reached the capital even faster than the principality's intelligence network—players could log off, and their speed of transmitting information was naturally much faster.

The players in Greenstone Village immediately posted such incredible news across major forums. Although there was no recording feature to provide substantial evidence of the miracle they described, with so many people giving the exact same account, the matter was most likely true.

The Frey Empire, Southwest, Estdala Province. This was a prosperous region located in the central plains, as well as the border territory shared by the Frey Empire and the Principality of Ernifia. Estdala was famous for producing Carbin fruit and blue crystals, and its boundless plains terrain had also made it a paradise for all kinds of crops. With the gradual development of the province in recent years, even farmers who faced the loamy soil day in and day out had begun to shake off poverty and stride onto a prosperous path.

Yet today, this was the front line of war.

Diyi Town, located at the forefront of Estdala Province, was the transportation hub of this region and naturally became a major military fortress. Now, with the main battlefield located within enemy territory, this place served as the base for securing logistical support and troop deployment.

Flying Free led numerous subordinates from the Wings of Freedom guild, sitting right now in the tavern of this small town, closely monitoring news from the front lines.

"If the operation to attack Baker City goes smoothly, the empire should be able to stabilize its footing in this region," Wings of Freedom said, holding a slip of paper and pointing at a map on the table while speaking to the other members. "By then, it will be our turn to enter the stage."

"Even so, the mission assigned to us from above will probably be minor chores like escorting supplies and delivering intelligence. They won't even hand guard duties over to us..." said an iron-willed male player whose ID was Half a Box of Cigarettes, his tone reeking of boredom and low spirits. "This is not the battlefield I wanted. We've spent the last few days like this..."

"What are you rushing for!" retorted a female player named Gardenia, as if the two of them were natural born rivals. "Look at how miserably those rash players who rushed to the battlefield earlier ended up—either being thoroughly trampled by NPC armies or arrested as disturbers by the rear imperial forces. Our guild alone has already lost over a thousand people..."

"We aren't those weaklings..."

"No, there is still a huge gap between a regular army and a rabble." The white-robed scholar sitting on the other side said flatly, pushing his monocle. "No matter how the principality is suffering defeat after defeat, if we were to pit ourselves against their army, we'd probably... still lose."

"Heh, don't always be so cautious, tactician..."

"I am stating facts." The white-robed scholar's voice remained calm, but it carried a sense of absolute persuasiveness to those around him. "You know it. The NPCs in this game generally possess higher strength than players. Therefore, aside from encountering wild beasts in the field during adventures, we do not wish to make enemies with any NPC faction on the Free Continent..."

"Unless forced by circumstances." He added after a brief pause.

"Alright, you don't need to be anxious, Iron Plate," Flying Free chimed in. "Once the missions are assigned, we'll naturally know. Besides..."

He lowered his voice. "Even if they assign us insignificant tasks, we can still find ways to profit from them..."

"Use your brains..." He tapped his head.

Aside from the white-robed scholar, everyone else chuckled softly.

"By the way, did you all see that news on the forum about the Emerald Forest?" Gardenia suddenly asked. She usually loved browsing novelties across various online platforms, which was why she was the first to discover it.

"Oh, that? Naturally, I saw it..." Flying Free said indifferently.

As fellow top executives of the Wings of Freedom, the few people present knew about their dispatch of the strongest party to Greenstone Village. Later on, except for Snow Soul Mirage, the rest had died and returned. Although Pleasing Jade had given a relatively clear account of the facts, based on Flying Free's understanding of him, there was definitely a fair amount of exaggeration mixed in. Therefore, as for Snow Soul Mirage, who had yet to return, Flying Free had already written her off. For a period of time, he had even secretly resented her arrogance, acting independently for some bizarre goal and ignoring both guild interests and his orders...

However, upon learning this news, everything turned into an unspeakable feeling.

"Well... Guild Master." Iron Plate knew a bit about Flying Free's situation and could guess his current mood. "Anyway, this should be considered good news..."

"Ah, it should be good news..." Flying Free replied. "Once she returns, we'll know..."

He waved his hand, clearing away the stale air of the tavern, as if trying to dispel his own mood.

*************************

January 6th, morning, northern entrance of Greenstone Village.

"Hey, are you really not planning to come with us..." Dream Bamboo and A-Niu were standing together chatting. Liu Qingniu had previously turned down Duan Qing's invitation—he wanted to step out of the starter village, but didn't want to travel alone, so he wanted to find a few like-minded companions.

The group hadn't found that unlucky Young Master Jiecheng in the village; who knew where he had run off to. The young girl readily accepted Duan Qing's invitation, while A-Niu made the decision to refuse.

"Yeah, through this journey, I feel there's still a huge gap between myself and everyone else. Along the way, I hardly helped you guys and received so much care, so..." He pressed one arm with his other hand. "For brothers on the road, loyalty is paramount! Since you guys helped me this much, once I become stronger in the future, I will repay you a hundred- or thousandfold!"

His tone was sincere and firm, and the kind-hearted young girl was already moved to tears. "A-Niu, you must... definitely come find us in the future..."

"Of course, you guys haven't paid my wages yet. My dad said migrant workers' wages cannot be delayed... Ouch..."

"Go die!" The young girl tapped him on the head. A-Niu didn't resist, merely holding his head and chuckling foolishly aside.

Come to think of it, people in this era didn't seem to have heard of a "migrant worker"; what on earth was that?

The clueless A-Niu still didn't understand it to this day.

Part (1/3)

Part (2/3)

"I say..." The young girl looked ahead, her voice growing soft. "Those two won't start fighting again, will they..."

"Hmm, I don't think so." A-Niu also looked at the village entrance ahead. "Everyone's brothers, how could they fight..."

"That's hard to say, things like that... happened yesterday..." Mentioning what happened yesterday, the young girl once again felt a sense of disbelief, while her face flushed red all over again.

Yesterday afternoon at the top of the Emerald Tower, after Duan Qing broke through the dark canopy of heaven, he didn't see any towering pillars of green light, but rather a scene of scattered rubble and utter disorder. The ceiling had been blown away, exposing the sky. At the center of the rooftop sat a broken stone throne, upon which sat a skeletal figure resting its chin on its hand.

Hello, Lord Mesclada Staraff—Duan Qing looked at the skeleton sitting on the throne before him, placed a hand over his chest to bow, and then looked toward... the people sitting scattered around.

Dream Bamboo was holding a cloth bag, desperately stuffing fragments of stone into it; Liu Qingniu was holding a wooden stick, trying to put on some old clothes he had dug up from somewhere; Snow Soul Mirage stared blankly at her own hands, completely clueless about what she had been doing earlier; as for Broken Mountain, he was already lying flat on the ground, completely unconscious.

A-Niu was still looking around in a daze, not knowing what had happened. The young girl blinked, then her face suddenly turned crimson. She awkwardly dropped the stones in her hands, slowly tucked her hands behind her back, and hung her head looking like a child who had done something wrong. Snow Soul Mirage's reaction was much more intense—she swung her exquisitely crafted long sword and slashed right at the smiling Duan Qing.

"My book pages! My scrolls! Give them back to me! Give them back!"

"Hey, hey, wake up, those are fake, taking them back will only screw over your own people... Hey, don't hit me, we're on the same side..."

After a period of chaos, everyone finally realized they were standing at the very summit of the Emerald Forest, overlooking the true appearance of this forest—the ocean of green was still there, but the foundation comprising it had fundamentally changed.

Duan Qing and the others stood there, gazing at the stone forest composed of ancient column-shaped stones that ancient mages had named Emerald, speechless for a long time. Finally, Duan Qing rubbed his chin and made a summarizing remark.

"Well... Now it really is the Emerald Forest."

In the air below, two figures—one blue, one red—were slowly rising, gradually flying up before them and descending softly.

"Respected adventurers, it seems you have had a hard time." Christine's voice was forever elegant and melodious: "Thank you for your... brave struggle."

"Though you all look so lively." She added, then covered her mouth with a chuckle: "Oh呵呵呵呵..."

"Uh, the previous enemy..." Duan Qing stopped the black-cloaked woman who was about to act up again, quickly asking.

"Oh, Konverna? He has already left." Christine stopped her queen-like laughter. "The secret of this tower has been uncovered, and he probably felt there was nothing left to gain... Speaking of which, you guys basically saved both our lives."

"Heh,呵呵呵呵, you flatter me,呵呵呵呵..." Duan Qing chuckled along, then stared dumbfounded as the blue-robed woman took her sister's hand and performed a bow once again toward Duan Qing and the others.

It was the same gesture she had performed when they first met, yet at this moment, the identical movements of the two red- and blue-clad beautiful figures, like reflections in a mirror, still stunned the others present.

Snow Soul Mirage embarrassedly put away her long sword, looking somewhat at a loss for words. On the other side, Dream Bamboo was already flustered. "Tw-Two big sisters, please, don't do this..."

She lowered her head, saying shyly and softly, "We didn't do anything..."

"Alright, everyone. The matters hereafter will be handled by our Mage Council. If you don't mind, we hope to leave this place somewhat early." Christine revealed a smile once more. "By the way... to study those stones."

"I knew it..." Duan Qing rubbed his forehead. "Though I'm exhausted too, you guys... uh..."

"I have no objections."

"Whatever you say."

"M-Me too..."

"Heh..." Duan Qing smiled. "Then... let's go."

The crisis had passed, and the two grand mages no longer conserved their magic, lifting all of them up and floating them down from the heights. During the descent, Duan Qing and the others discovered that the endless staircase section they had climbed earlier was actually a single massive piece of rock.

"This columnar stone is now merely a shell; the inside is hollow," Christine explained with a smile. "It was probably evolved from whatever was atop this tower."

"Ah, I see..." Duan Qing said.

"What, what are you thinking? Are there still any issues?" Seeing Duan Qing's expression, Christine asked.

"Nothing, hehe..." Duan Qing replied, his voice lowering. "It doesn't matter anymore..."

"According to my preliminary resonance with Freya, this stone forest has expanded over a massive area, already approaching Greenstone Village." Christine pointed in the direction they had come from. "I, however, have a question for you. When did you... realize something was wrong?"

"When..." Duan Qing recalled the scene when he first entered the game, where a wild boar seductively swayed its hips back into the forest: "Probably when I first arrived here, I felt something was off..."

"That... really is very early..."

"Yeah... Huh?"

The group had already landed by the riverbank flowing toward the Emerald Tower. On both sides of the stone road beside the river, massive green stone pillars that had revealed their true forms stood densely. Although lacking their "canopies," they still blotted out the sky, shocking the mind. Yet everyone's attention was drawn to the person standing right before them.

To be precise, it was an illusion.

"I am leaving." The uncle dressed as a farmer removed his straw hat, revealing his weathered face. "Thank you for everything you have done."

He shouldered a rake and turned to walk toward the upper reaches of the river, looking remarkably like the Second Senior Brother from some ancient television serial. But not a single person present could laugh—as he walked away, light and shadow emerged from his feet, transforming into sand-like dust that slowly drifted into the air.

Within his receding steps, the scattering light and shadow gradually spread, and soon his legs disappeared as well, making it look as though a human silhouette was simply floating forward.

"Uncle..." Dream Bamboo couldn't help shedding crystal-clear tears. "You saved us too..."

"Hey!" Duan Qing suddenly stepped forward, shouting ahead.

The floating human silhouette gradually grew transparent, yet still did not look back.

"Your weapon!"

The sand melted by the light had spread to his chest, reflecting colorful rays. He took a few more steps forward, then paused as if having realized something.

"That thing..." He turned his head, but the dazzling multicolored light blocked his face. "That thing..."

"I'll leave it to you."

His voice drifted with the wind, and like a burning torch, the silhouette finally vanished completely.

Duan Qing stared blankly for a long time before breaking into a smile. "Hmph, heh... Now that's something worth being grateful for..."

He pulled out the short sword that Iron-Hearted had given him, which had now changed its appearance, and sighed inwardly. Surely when Iron-brother casually gave him this short sword, he never could have imagined it would lead to this development.

[Phil's Short Sword (Fine)]

[Weapon Power: Strong]

[Required Strength: 15, Agility: 8]

[Strength +2, Agility +1]

[Effect: Your thrusts can now be charged.]

[“A standard-issue sidearm from an unknown era. Having endured a millennium of corrosion, its sharpness has long been dimmed by dust, but it still retains considerable power.”]

[“Engraved in small letters beside the crossguard: ‘With this sword, let it be awarded to veteran Phil of the Empire’s 2nd Army Group. He has established countless merits in the Battle of Galadari and deserves our respect.’ — Imperial General Wuxinke”]

"As expected... they're all people with stories." Duan Qing recalled the short sword's old description, grinned, and hung it back at his waist. "Well, you can finally rest in peace..."

He placed a hand over his chest and bowed. Following his movement, everyone behind him also saluted, expressing their respect for the uncle who had become a vanished soul.

"If you don't mind, would you mind sharing your adventures inside the tower with us sisters..."

"Of course, it's my honor, Your Excellency." Duan Qing replied. "Though there really isn't much to tell..."

"Let's get this straight, don't mention that matter." A voice shouted from behind.

"Right, right, don't mention mine either!"

Amidst laughter, the group followed the riverbank back in the direction they came from, and the long journey through the Emerald Forest thus came to an end.

Twilight gradually descended upon the place after they left, casting a twilight hue over the Emerald Tower and the surrounding gigantic stone forest. The wind swept across the ground, kicking up layers of yellow sand and rendering the place even more desolate. A figure emerged from the shadows of the stone forest and walked toward the towering structure that had fully revealed its ancient state: "They are gone."

"Let's go in." Another voice echoed, yet only a single person could be seen in the surroundings. That person seemed accustomed to such circumstances, strolling with slow, relaxed steps to the side of the miniature moat and looking down below the water's surface: "It should be down here."

"Yes."

"Let's go. Hopefully... the thing is still there."

Slowly, the figure vanished beneath the water.

*******************

Tania City, Principality of Ernifia, "Dignity of the Commoner" tavern.

A burly figure pushed open the tavern doors, glanced around, and walked toward a certain direction. At a round table over there sat a figure who wasn't bulky, yet possessed a well-proportioned build.

"Died and crawled back?" The person was pouring drinks for himself, not looking at the burly man approaching, and simply dropped this question as the latter sat down.

"Died and crawled back." Sitting opposite him was none other than Broken Mountain. He picked up a wine glass from the table, filled it to the brim with fiery liquor, and downed it in one gulp.

"Ha..." He let out a long breath, then sighed. "The strongest ale—how many days has it been since I tasted it."

The person said nothing.

Part (2/3)

Part (3/3)

"Fine, I know you aren't satisfied, Big Brother." Broken Mountain curled his lips. "Those guys from the Wings of Freedom actually made a killing over in the empire, and I heard that in this war, the principality is getting the short end of the stick, tch..."

He picked up the flagon in the middle and refilled his cup. "Their good fortune..."

"You know that's not what I want to ask." The big brother sitting opposite Broken Mountain finally raised his head, his steady gaze fixing on him. "Talk to me..."

His hair, like Broken Mountain's, was short and black, and his lean face was etched with resolute lines. A scar ran from above his right eyelid down below it. Anyone who had ever seen him would wonder whether that was his natural appearance or if he had intentionally "sculpted" his face to look like that when creating his character.

However, if Duan Qing were here, he would tell you with absolute certainty: This was his original appearance.

The eldest of the three Broken brothers, guild master of Jianghu, Breaking Wind and Thunder.

"Don't rush, we have the whole night." Broken Mountain ignored his elder brother's attitude, knowing his brother's personality—composed, measured, unhurried. Time had carved him into someone even more resilient; how could he possibly rush over just this little bit of time? He took another gulp of liquor, exhaled a satisfied alcoholic breath, wiped his mouth, and then began leisurely: "First of all, I committed suicide. Heh, there's no faster way to return to town than that..."

"Meaning this trip yielded zero gains. Is that what you mean..." Breaking Wind and Thunder quickly seized upon the main point.

"On the surface, yes." Broken Mountain admitted indifferently. "However... in reality, the harvest this time was huge."

Breaking Wind and Thunder remained silent, his gaze signaling the other to continue.

"Tch, tch, tch, big brother is truly big brother, completely unfazed..." Breaking Wind and Thunder chuckled maliciously. "I wonder if you'll still keep that expression after you hear what I'm about to say..."

He restrained his smile and turned serious. "I saw him."

"Him" and "her" sounded identical in speech, and even seeing "him" in text wouldn't immediately reveal who was meant, but Breaking Wind and Thunder knew.

He knew instantly who this "him" referred to, which was why his expression changed.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh... Hahaha..." Broken Mountain pointed at him, laughing wickedly.

"He really came back..." Breaking Wind and Thunder ignored his brother's mockery and muttered to himself.

"I've already tested him, it should be him." Broken Mountain took another large gulp of fiery liquor, then slammed the cup onto the table as if venting the stuffy frustration in his chest: "I'll tell you everything, and then you can judge whether it's him..."

"He just let you walk away like that?" Breaking Wind and Thunder suddenly asked.

"Yeah..." Broken Mountain froze for a moment, then memories began to ripple in his eyes: "He... changed a lot. It probably has something to do with what happened three years ago..."

Silence lingered between the round table for a few seconds before Broken Mountain's voice sounded again: "When I was finally leaving, I asked him if he had any words for you..."

Breaking Wind and Thunder looked at him.

"He said... heh..." Broken Mountain chuckled. "To tell you to wash your neck and wait for him."

"Hmph... Heh... Hahaha..." Breaking Wind and Thunder fell silent for a moment, then slowly burst into loud laughter. That laughter ignored the astonished gazes of the people in the tavern, swept across every corner of the hall, drifted out of the tavern, and dispersed into the damp air of the capital.

"Interesting..." Finally, words emerged as the laughter faded, though this time, it became Breaking Wind and Thunder's own whisper.

"This feeling... really makes me nostalgic..."

********************

"Hey, that line you told Broken Mountain to pass along... was it... true?"

"Of course I was just scaring him. I don't have any ambitions... Heh, are you trying to use me as your gun again? I already did it once for you, don't even think about tricking me a second time..."

"When did I trick you? You volunteered willingly, didn't you? Besides, did I ever beg you?"

At the entrance of Greenstone Village, the woman named Snow Soul Mirage still hadn't removed her black cloak. Ever since her entire party was wiped out, it seemed she never wanted to show her true face to others again.

"Alright, alright, sigh, that's why women..." Duan Qing placed both hands behind the back of his head, gazing up at the sky. "Hurry up and leave, goodbye... No, let's better not meet again."

"Am I a disaster star?" Snow Soul Mirage pointed at the tip of her nose with her finger, then couldn't help bursting into a chuckle.

Thinking back carefully, this seemed to be the first time Duan Qing had heard her laugh like this—probably because the dust had settled, resulting in a different state of mind.

"You..." Snow Soul Mirage stopped herself mid-sentence, her hands rubbing nervously. Duan Qing watched for a few moments, then said: "Not interested."

"Who's asking about that!" the woman shouted loudly, entirely as expected, and then lowered her head again: "Um... back then, at the top of the tower..."

"What about it?"

"You probably had a chance... I mean, at the time we were all trapped in our own worlds, and only you managed to break out, so..."

"So I had a chance to get that stone... Is that what you're asking?" Duan Qing said.

The woman was no longer nervous. She raised her head, staring at Duan Qing as he looked toward the south, trying to glean something from his expression.

"That question is very simple—that stone has too many unstable factors, both in itself and in what it involves." The man looked toward a nearby place. That was the sky above Greenstone Village, where chimney smoke curled lazily, peaceful and serene. Occasionally, the laughter of children drifted from some corner, carried away by the wind into the distance.

"So I didn't want to bring it out... And you must have played league matches too. Maybe not for long, but you should have heard that saying." He said slowly: "The power that belongs to oneself is true power."

"I always thought that sounded like trying to act cool."

"But it makes a lot of sense."

"Fine, fine... Anything else?"

"That's pretty much it, and besides..."

I like this village—Duan Qing didn't voice those words aloud.

As if waking from some memory, he irritably waved his hand. "Go on, go on. If you don't leave soon, your guild people are going to get anxious..."

"They aren't anxious at all." Snow Soul Mirage, also looking at the village, seemed to be in a very good mood, seemingly unconcerned about the sordid business behind her own guild: "However, I'll keep the promise I made. When I get back..."

"Oh, that? No need." Duan Qing shook his head. "Dream Bamboo just accepted my invitation. From now on... she's someone under my protection." He pointed backward, then noticed the ponytail-swishing girl chasing and playing with the fellow named Liu Qingniu, causing him to awkwardly pull back his finger. "Ahem, anyway, if you guys want to cause her trouble in the future, you'd better think carefully about the consequences..."

"I see..." For some reason, Snow Soul Mirage's improved mood dipped back down, but a moment later, she smiled again. "That's fine too, I can rest easy..."

"Did you ever look after her..."

"Of course. If you don't believe me, drag her over and ask."

"Alright." Duan Qing put away his joking expression and extended a hand. "Parting ways here, who knows when we'll meet again. So... let's bid a proper farewell."

Bathed in sunlight, Duan Qing's face seemed coated with a layer of radiance. Snow Soul Mirage's gaze wavered slightly, but she still extended her hand. "Um... alright."

Their hands met and shook.

"We'll meet again." Snow Soul Mirage blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering twice before she returned to normal and withdrew her hand. "I'll be waiting for you in the capital of the Frey Empire. I believe... you will definitely go there."

"Heh... I've always been confident."

Amidst the blowing breeze, the woman's cloak fluttered, setting off the long black hair beneath it to sway slightly in the air. She turned her head, then slowly turned her body, walking to a nearby tree where a horse was tethered, quietly grazing on the green grass.

This was one of the few remaining trees surrounding Greenstone Village—as for the Emerald Forest to the south, as long as one ventured one dēri deep, they would see green stone pillars sprouting like bamboo shoots after rain, stretching southeastward like a stone sea as far as the eye could see.

"Green on the Road." The woman walked to the tree, pulled the reins, and led the horse onto the road leading out of the village, then suddenly turned back and shouted to Duan Qing.

Duan Qing had been watching her all along, seemingly never shifting his gaze.

"You... why did you help me?" The woman looked into his eyes, hesitating for a moment before finally mustering the courage to ask the question she had hidden for so long.

"...How should I put it." Duan Qing scratched his right cheek with his finger. "I once saw... a you like this. I felt that someone like you shouldn't end up like that."

This explanation was vague and ambiguous, but with Snow Soul Mirage's intelligence, she still understood his meaning. She lowered her head in thought for a moment, then turned and mounted her horse.

"Our parting now is for the sake of our reunion later," she said. "I forgot where I heard that line, but I think... it makes a lot of sense."

"It sounds pretty good," Duan Qing replied. "Though you don't have to tell me, I know that wasn't your original quote."

"Hmph..." Snow Soul Mirage knew the other person was mocking her, but upon second thought, she found herself unable to refute it. "I'm leaving."

The sound of hooves rang out, accompanied by the woman's light shout, gradually fading into the distance.

"Stop staring, she's not coming back even if you look..." Dream Bamboo's singing drifted from behind. She had no idea where she picked up the tune of this song, but casually made up a couple of lines and sang them aloud.

"You little rascal, really..." Duan Qing made a motion as if to strike, then sheepishly retracted his hand upon seeing the girl's arrogant expression. "Fine, you win."

"Hmph hmph, aren't you afraid your budget will get cut in the future?" In order to recruit Dream Bamboo, Duan Qing had been forced to surrender certain privileges, and now he somewhat regretted it, feeling rather passive.

"Now you know the charm of gold coins..." Dream Bamboo said smugly. "Too late now though, you've already boarded my pirate ship..."

"Oh." Duan Qing replied dully, lowering his head to look utterly dejected. Yet Dream Bamboo couldn't see the expression on his lowered face—he was secretly smiling as well.

As to whose pirate ship it really was, that remained to be seen.