Return to the Village

"I'm back."

Stepping down from the luxurious carriage and looking at the familiar surroundings, Locke suddenly felt as though he had left home young and returned only in old age.

"Uncle Fulin, I'm home. Please return this carriage to President Luqi for me."

The man Locke called "Uncle Fulin" was the driver who had been driving for him over the past two months.

In terms of driving skill, Fulin was the best coachman in the Luqi Merchant Guild, with more than forty years of experience.

Otherwise, President Luqi would not have assigned Fulin to drive for Locke.

However, upon hearing Locke's words, Fulin's face showed panic. "Lord Locke, have I done something wrong? Have I displeased you?"

"Please tell me. I'll certainly change."

"No, Uncle Fulin. I'm very satisfied with you."

"Then why are you dismissing me, Lord Locke?"

"Oh?"

Locke found this somewhat strange. "Uncle Fulin, I merely asked you to return to President Luqi."

"Besides, you aren't even my employee. When did I ever have the authority to dismiss you?"

"Lord Locke, you don't understand..."

Bending at the waist, Fulin said to Locke with a miserable expression, "President Luqi told me that from the moment this carriage and I began serving Lord Locke, we belonged entirely to you."

"President Luqi even paid me ten years' wages in advance. If you send me back and I can no longer serve you, President Luqi will surely dismiss me and make me return all the money."

"Lord Locke, you can't abandon me. I already used that money to find my son a wife. If you don't want me and I have no money to return to President Luqi, my whole family will have no way to live..."

Hearing this, Locke frowned.

To be honest, he greatly disliked arrangements that felt like emotional blackmail.

So what? Luqi paid the wages, you benefited from them—why should I be the one to pay for the benefits you already received?

Even if Luqi dismisses you, then so be it. From the sound of it, if you get dismissed, you'll blame me for it?

I'm polite to you because I have manners.

But if you take my politeness as a reason to coerce me, then I'm sorry—when I no longer feel like showing you any manners, I hope you won't regret it!

Thus, Locke's tone turned slightly cold.

"Fulin, I said I'm home. Take the carriage back."

Fulin raised his head, about to say something, but when he saw the chill in Locke's eyes, his heart shuddered.

This lord he had transported this time was unlike any of the others.

This lord was a mage who had killed nearly a thousand people in just a few minutes!

Over the past two months, because Fulin was Locke's driver, all the lords who had once looked down on him now greeted him with smiling faces.

Without realizing it, Fulin had lost sight of his own place.

Now, Locke's words sent Fulin crashing down from the clouds.

Once he came to his senses, Fulin thought of his earlier behavior and nearly cried from his own stupidity.

He had offended such a powerful patron just like that?

"Yes, yes, yes, Lord Locke. I'll go back right away."

With a bitter expression, Fulin quickly turned the carriage around and drove back along the road they had come from, as though he feared that if he delayed even a moment, Locke would kill him.

Only after watching the carriage disappear into the distance did Locke slowly walk into the village.

This was Pu'er Village, Locke's hometown in this world.

It was called that because the land here was especially suited for growing a medicinal herb called "Pu'er." This herb was highly effective at stopping bleeding and dispersing bruises, making it extremely popular among warriors.

Whether training or fighting, warriors were highly prone to injury.

At such times, a good medicinal herb that could quickly heal their wounds was something no warrior could refuse.

Thanks to this livelihood, the villagers of Pu'er Village lived fairly well.

Of course, with medicinal herbs like Pu'er, the people of Pu'er Village also cultivated.

Although there were no experts above Rank 7, there were quite a few Rank 6 Warriors.

After Locke entered Pu'er Village, someone immediately reported the arrival of a mage to the village guard.

As he walked, Locke searched through his memories, trying to find the direction of his home.

After all, he had only been seven when he left.

Sixteen years had passed in the blink of an eye. The village's layout and buildings had changed somewhat, so it would take Locke some time to find his old home.

"Honored mage, I am the captain of Pu'er Village's guard. Welcome to our village. Is there anything we can do for you?"

Just as Locke was searching for his old home, a burly middle-aged man approached him and asked.

"Huh? Are you Captain Carlet?"

Seeing the middle-aged man, Locke found him somewhat familiar. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly remembered and asked.

"Sir Mage, you know me?"

When Locke called out his name, the middle-aged man named Carlet froze for a moment before asking in confusion.

Locke smiled.

Carlet had been the most talented warrior of his father's generation.

At twenty-seven, he had already become a Rank 6 Warrior. With his formidable strength, he became the youngest captain of Pu'er Village's guard.

Before Locke had been tested for Water Element Affinity, he had regarded Carlet as his idol. He had wanted to join Pu'er Village's guard and become a powerful warrior.

More than a decade had passed since they last met. Carlet was now nearing fifty, and his aura was stronger and more mature than before.

However, Carlet had clearly not joined the Frost Snow Empire's army and had not obtained a battle qi cultivation technique. While he appeared somewhat stronger than he had been over a decade ago, he had still failed to cross the chasm from Rank 6 Warrior to Rank 7 Warrior.

"Captain Carlet, it's me—Locke of the Manla Family."

"The Manla Family?"

After hearing Locke say that, Carlet instantly remembered who Locke was.

Although there had been many mages when the Frost Snow Empire fought the Temple of Light, that number had only been possible because it encompassed nearly the entire Vakanda Plane.

Well, the main reason was that the Vakanda Plane was currently the plane where the Water Sovereign Philo and the Light Sovereign Augusta contended for faith. At present, this plane only had Water Mages and light mages.

This made the number of official mages in the Vakanda Plane extremely small.

Fourteen years ago, Pu'er Village had discovered a Youth with Water Element Affinity. Even now, it remained a topic the villagers loved to discuss.

Mages were important figures far more noble than warriors.

Without a battle qi cultivation technique, a warrior could only cultivate their body to Rank 7 if they possessed a stronger bloodline power.