Nier City's morning came unusually early.
Akes stood atop the city wall, watching the eastern horizon turn pale.
"Lord Akes." The commander of the garrison approached and bowed respectfully. "Captain Reynolds and the others have already set out for the Imperial Capital.
"They left before dawn. He asked me to tell you that words cannot express his gratitude, and that he will repay you someday."
Akes nodded, his gaze still fixed on the distance. "Is the road safe?"
"I sent a company to escort them, so there shouldn't be any problems." The commander hesitated, then asked cautiously, "As for Prince Yulin..."
"Report the truth." Akes spoke calmly. He turned to face the commander, his crimson eyes betraying little emotion. "If His Majesty asks, tell him I killed the prince. If he's unhappy about it, he can come find me."
The commander shuddered. Daring say nothing more, he lowered his head and withdrew. His footsteps gradually faded along the stone-paved road.
Akes turned back toward the city's outskirts, resting both hands on the rough battlements.
Just as he was about to leave, a long-familiar mechanical voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
"Ding—Sign-in function triggered. The host has successfully rescued the key character Reynolds and changed the tragic ending of the original story. Special-scene sign-in triggered."
"Sign-in successful! Congratulations, host. You have obtained a rare treasure from the world of Azeroth—the Random Teleportation Scroll."
"Random Teleportation Scroll: A masterpiece by an Azerothian archmage. Tear it to teleport to a random location within one hundred thousand kilometers. Single-use item. The scroll disappears after use."
Akes was briefly stunned, then overjoyed. He could feel something new in his pocket, thin and folded like a piece of parchment. He reached inside, and his fingertips brushed the scroll's rough surface. A faint trace of magic