The Elf's Advice

Lieutenant Mailun was held in a separate tent.

His spirits were fairly good; apart from the deep sorrow between his brows, he showed no signs of suicidal tendencies... He seemed to have given up on the idea of dying.

Cleveland's voice rang out from outside. "Mr. Mailun."

The adjutant calmly said, "Please come in."

The knight entered and sat down opposite him.

The human and the elf locked eyes.

After a moment, Cleveland said, "You look great."

The elf knew what he was talking about. The lieutenant paused for a moment, then said, "Sometimes living takes more courage... Last night I thought about ending it all, but now I want to live."

"Because of His Excellency the Captain, Sir Taize, and many other comrades, they displayed the nobility and responsibility of the Elves, and made enormous sacrifices... I want to tell their story to my people, so that the Dusk Moon Dynasty may remember the names of these heroes, and remember their contributions and achievements."

The knight remained silent.

A long silence followed.

Then he raised his head, looked at the elf opposite him, and said solemnly, "I swear to you in the name of a knight that Goth will fully convey to the Dusk Moon Dynasty the fighting spirit, resilience, sacrifice, and achievements of all the Wings of Wayne. Humans, too, will remember your names. This is also a promise from the Taidariel Family, which my master has instructed me to convey to you."

This solemn promise has a subtext.

Lieutenant Mailun was neither surprised nor afraid. He simply looked at the other man calmly, as if he hadn't understood the knight's unspoken meaning, and said softly, "Why?"

It's really hard to understand.

In this situation, he felt that Goth no longer needed to kill him to cover it up.

If they wanted to cover up the fact that Goth's side had defeated and captured an elven capital ship, they would not have promised to fully convey the Wings of Wayne's achievements to the elves.

He seemed to understand something, but still calmly said, "The war has progressed to this point, are you still afraid of the Dusk Moon Dynasty's retaliation?"

The knight shook his head and said, "There's no need to provoke us; the Goth People are never afraid."

Lieutenant Mailun looked directly into the other man's eyes. "Then let me die in peace."

The knight pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright... I'll ask you a question, Lieutenant Mailun. If we were to bring you back to the mainland alive and send you back to Twilight Moon Royal City, when you are questioned by the council, would you conceal anything about what you saw and experienced on Holy Seal Archipelago?"

Lieutenant Mailun replied, "No."

"That's the reason," Cleveland stated frankly. "We don't want any details of this battle to be known to outsiders, because we want to conceal the role one person played in this war. We are not afraid of the elves' revenge, but we don't want an innocent person to be dragged into this vortex, and that's the reason."

Lieutenant Mailun closed his eyes.

Elves are cunning and suspicious.

He didn't sleep a wink last night, going over everything from beginning to end. An overwhelming advantage in troop strength and superior ship performance, yet the entire army was inexplicably wiped out.

They fell into the trap step by step, from the reconnaissance team losing contact, to the discovery of the artifact fragments, then the dazzling beam of light shooting into the sky, and finally the deadly trap. The Wings of Wayne was attacked, and the warship was seized and controlled in a short time. Despite being a magic-free zone, the ballistae were still injected with magic energy. Every step had a corresponding cause.

Sir Taize said that those who devised ambush strategies were skilled in mathematical calculations, while the Goth People were just a bunch of barbarians.

The strange magical artifact tied to the Pigeon.

The incredibly awe-inspiring images he witnessed after entering the rift valley.

When he finally detonated the magic core, he saw a black-haired Cathayan surrounded by a group of animals. His clothing and appearance were completely different from those of the Goth People, and he looked more like... those humans in the images.

He initially thought it was a trap, that the images were created through some kind of magic.

But now it seems...

The elf whispered, "So, that Cathayan... really wasn't Cathayan."

The knight's eyes suddenly sharpened like those of a hawk.

Lieutenant Mailun seemed oblivious to the chilling intent in his eyes. He said softly, "I was crying all night, but I was secretly watching. He left early, and his relationship with you was only temporary, not a close alliance, is that right? He was much closer to the animals on the island, which means he's a resident."

The knight said coldly, "You're saying he's not from Cathayan?"

"Yes..." Lieutenant Mailun chuckled, "We've blocked your sea routes, preventing communication between the East and the mainland. You rarely see the Cathayan, but we do. The Cathayan don't wear those clothes, don't have those hairstyles, and don't carry those weapons. Most importantly, they have that kind of aura."

"The nobles of Cathay are more arrogant than the elven royal family, and the commoners of Cathay are more timid than the elven beggars. The former disdain to speak to you, and the latter dare not speak to you. One looks to the sky, and the other to the ground. But that black-haired man greeted everyone when he left, and his tone and attitude did not change because of the change in the other party's status... There would never be such a person in Cathay."

He chuckled softly, "What good luck, Goth People."

The knight remained noncommittal, his expression unchanged, and calmly said, "Since you've considered this possibility, you can understand our motives, right? Elves, your courage and sense of responsibility are admirable and praiseworthy, but unfortunately, I must make this choice. Do you have any last words or wishes?"

Lieutenant Mailun was still smiling, "Yes."

"What?"

The elf said, "Could I see that Cathayan? I want to talk to him."

The knight resolutely refused, saying, "No."

The elf continued, "I swear by my dignity, honor, and soul as an elf, I will never do anything to harm him. I simply want to talk to him."

Cleveland raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are we talking about?"

The adjutant said softly, "I want to tell him that the elves aren't as bad as he thinks."

The knight coldly replied, "You invaded without cause, slaughtered indiscriminately, and started a war; you are just that evil."

The elf gave a mocking smile, "And what about you?"

The knight snorted.

"Are you righteous to impose your own good intentions on others and prevent them from seeing another world fairly through other channels?"

Lieutenant Mailun said calmly, "Why not ask him what he thinks?"

The knight said in a deep voice, "He doesn't understand your language."

"I understand human languages." Lieutenant Mailun switched to the standard common language of the continent's humans, revealing a standard elven-like elegant smile. "Humans, you are not the only ones who proactively seek to understand your opponents."

Cleveland was about to say something when a whisper came from outside, "Knight, Mr. Kang De is here."

Mailun's smile carried a hint of triumphant satisfaction.

"... Hmm? That elf wants to see me?" Kang De asked, "Why?"

The knight looked somewhat embarrassed, unsure of where to begin.

His knightly code forbade him to lie and conceal, but from the perspective of a Goth People's simple patriotism, he did not want Kang De to meet the cunning spirit.

Tina said, "Let's meet him, but please be careful."

Kang De and Cleveland looked at her together.

The girl tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled gently, "At most, they'll say some slanderous things, but Goth People acts with integrity and has no selfish or evil intentions, so what is there to be afraid of?"

After a while, Kang De saw the spirit that was tightly bound.

"Good day, sir."

Pointed ears, a robust physique, and a rugged face.

Burly chap.

Kang De sat opposite him. "Hello, elf."

They communicated using the common language of the humans from another world.

No, it was less of an exchange and more of a one-sided focus on Kang De.

It was as if they wanted to see right through his soul.

Kang De felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze. "You want to see me? Is there something you need?"

He remained vigilant.

Kang De originally didn't want to see any spirits.

Mainly due to a sense of defensiveness... The defeat of the Wings of Wayne can be said to have been orchestrated by Kang De. He can be considered the mastermind behind the deaths of nearly five hundred elves. If the elves in front of him knew about this, they would definitely seek revenge against him at all costs, and he would surely smash their dog heads in.

But I still agreed to the meeting.

Perhaps it was out of some kind of respect... He originally thought the elves were a bunch of war-crazed brutes who had no other desires than burning, killing, and looting, but they made that choice and sacrifice.

I'd like to ask you a question.

If others were present, they would certainly be astonished. Kang De had no comparison, so he did not know that this was a courtesy—generally speaking, elves would never maintain such politeness and respect towards humans.

Mailun said, "If the roles were reversed, and the elf fled to this island, was hunted by the Goth People, and showed you absolute friendliness and respect... then what would the outcome be?"

Kang De's expression suddenly changed.

--He actually found out.

"Don't worry, it wasn't Goth People told me; I guessed it myself."

Lieutenant Mailun calmly said, "I understand that you helped the Goth People win this battle. We were defeated by your strategy and strength. But I can also tell you clearly that I do not harbor hatred or desire for revenge towards you. Besides, there's nothing I can do. As a defeated and captured soldier, I just want to talk to you. Can you answer my questions?"

Kang De gradually calmed down.

Then I pondered.

He thought of a classic plot from early Western fantasy novels—traveling to another world, encountering beautiful and kind elves, and a vicious human slave-hunting team.

The plot will most likely only have one development—to smash the slave traders' heads.

If.

He replied, "That depends on what you and Goth did, elf. Thank you for your frankness, and I will frankly answer you as well. I helped Goth for self-preservation, because you are a different race, have extremely strong racist tendencies, and launched a war of aggression—did Goth People lie?"

Mailun shook his head with a wry smile.

Kang De continued, "I think that once you land on the island, kill all the Goth People, and discover me, you will most likely take unfriendly measures against me—what do you think?"

The adjutant sighed and nodded.

He pondered for a moment, then said, "Then, may I assume that you judge a faction based on actions rather than appearances? In other words, if the elves were the victims of invasion and persecution, and Goth was the executioner who started the war, would you help the elves?"

--That depends on whether you have any pretty girls around here.

Just kidding.

Kang De nodded. "Yes, I have my own moral principles and code of conduct."

This is another world.

He is an Earthling.

Therefore, even if Goth People were a wicked scoundrel, he would not condone the behavior of others, nor would he think that just because someone looks human, they can arbitrarily bully and enslave other races.

To put it another way, even if he saw a China person beating up a foreigner on the street, he would go up and find out what was going on before deciding how to intervene.

The elf smiled, "Thank you for your answer. I'm very happy and pleased. In return, please allow me to offer you a piece of advice."

Kang De raised an eyebrow and said, "What?"

The elf leaned forward, looked at Kang De, and said, word by word, "Beware of humans."

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PS1: First update, almost 3,500 words... Damn, updating this much every day, and you guys don't even vote more, it feels like a waste, I really want to start a bounty...