The Wishing Well Under the Night Sky

Although he possessed perception far exceeding that of ordinary people and superior talent on the path of the priesthood, Alvin relied on more than just innate ability to become a second-rank priest capable of using first-circle divine spells in less than two years; he relied on unremitting effort.

Those who did not understand him deeply would only marvel at his "genius" and natural gifts, unaware of how much hard work and sweat this young child had poured out, driven by the fear in his heart.

Training his body to improve his constitution under the guidance of a martial arts instructor, praying and contemplating the holy light in the silence of his chamber, and absorbing knowledge in the Royal Library—this was his entire daily schedule.

Even Archbishop Faol, a man of humble origins who had seen countless people throughout his life, was secretly alarmed by the diligence and effort Alvin displayed, going so far as to subtly discourage him more than once. The kind-hearted elder worried that Alvin's young body would not be able to hold up.

Archbishop Faol and King Terenas, the two great figures who watched over him and possessed vast life experience, did not know why this child was working so hard, even to the point of desperation, and could only attribute it to Alvin's special talent.

After more than an hour of devout prayer, having once again solidified his connection with the Holy Light and broadened his perception, the boy rose to leave the quiet room, pushed open the door, and stepped into the night of the magic city.

A warm and gentle night breeze blew from the distant lake, carrying with it the clamor emanating from the Violet Citadel.

The boy looked up at the castle, which shimmered with mysterious radiance in the night, frowned, and turned to look at the royal guard who had been standing watch outside the door, his lips moving slightly: "Abberton, has the banquet in the castle not ended yet?"

The tall and mighty man raised his right hand toward the prince and bowed, his metal gauntlet striking his breastplate with a pleasant sound.

"Because Master Antonidas of the Violet Citadel is too enthusiastic, so..."

Everything was understood without further words.

Terenas was the ruler of the Kingdom of Lordaeron, and Arthas was the future heir to the Kingdom of Lordaeron. In this era of bloodline supremacy and primogeniture, even though Alvin was also a prince, it was his identity as a priest that drew more attention.

Just like in most noble families today, the eldest son inherited everything, including titles and property. The other sons could only receive a sum of money to go out and make their own way or assist the heir within the family; as for the daughters, except for a few with outstanding talent, most simply became tools for family marriage alliances.

Therefore, even though Alvin currently held the status of a prince of Lordaeron, his true future standing might not necessarily be better than that of a minor lord holding a mountain. This was the real reason he could leave the banquet safely; otherwise, those mages who were racking their brains over funding would never have easily "let go" of this young prince.

This point could be seen from the fact that he was currently followed by only one guard. One must know that during the day, Arthas and his retinue were followed by two full squads of soldiers, and this was in Dalaran, where safety was assured!

"I see," the boy said, scratching his head lightly as he saw the embarrassed expression on the royal guard's face.

Alvin did not care about this situation; he had no intention of staying in Lordaeron forever. As long as he could prevent Arthas's fall and ensure that the Kingdom of Lordaeron, which had raised him, survived the Undead Scourge, he planned to learn from that monster-pulling maniac Brann and set off on adventures across Azeroth.

The majestic Ironforge, the mist-shrouded Pandaria, the snow-covered Northrend, strange alien civilizations, powerful Dragon Aspects, mysterious titan relics—such adventures and journeys of exploration were the romance of a man!

It was this deeply buried longing that caused his second domain to automatically become the Travel domain when he became a priest.

"Then you can accompany me for a walk; let's go see that wonderful wishing fountain again."

The boy, who was thinking about what to do next, suddenly remembered that he still had the wishing coin Arthas had tossed to him during the day in his pocket, so he decided to go throw the coin into the wishing fountain on his brother's behalf.

Although he knew full well that this wish would be difficult to realize, humans were always full of fantasies about the future; perhaps this wishing fountain really had magical powers?

The pitch-black sky was like a wide curtain, sprinkled with stars like chess pieces. The stars twinkled, emitting warm light, and together with the magic lamps by the roadside, they illuminated the path ahead for Alvin.

The wishing fountain was not far from the Violet Citadel, only a ten-minute walk for an adult. However, for a young boy who had lacked exercise since childhood and had a weaker body than his peers, this distance was not such an easy journey.

It took a full twenty minutes, and Alvin's breathing had become somewhat rapid. He looked up at the wishing fountain lying at the street corner and was surprised to find that the visitors to this place tonight were not just himself and the guard behind him; a small figure was also standing by the fountain.

It was Jaina.

The girl was alone, completely unaware of the arrival of others, and remained in her original posture. She kept her eyes tightly closed, holding a gold coin in her palm, and muttered to herself: "I want to become a mage like Master Antonidas, hmm, or maybe like Uncle Kel'Thuzad? No, it's better to be like the Master!"

Although the girl was somewhat incoherent, Alvin understood that she had come to make a wish in secret by herself at night. Just like Arthas, who had avoided the girl during the day, Jaina did not want others to know her wishes. No one wanted their privacy to be pried into, even if that person was a newly made friend.

However, Alvin's sudden arrival was beyond her expectations.

The prince did not sneak away to the side but walked straight up and shouted: "Miss Proudmoore, good evening."

The boy's crisp voice rang out on the quiet street, startling the girl. Jaina opened her eyes abruptly and jumped on the spot like a frightened kitten. She widened her eyes and scanned the surroundings wildly, finally fixing her gaze on the boy, and put on a fierce expression: "Did you hear that?"

"No, I did not hear someone's wish to become a great mage," Alvin shook his head playfully, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Hmph, dummy!"

To his surprise, Jaina did not continue to threaten him but raised her little head, her mouth curled high, "You were fooled so easily; this young lady's wish is not that shallow!"

As if to prove her words, the little girl handed over the gold coin with a sense of superiority, "See, there's nothing on it!"