Going Home

The next morning, as the first rays of moonlight filtered through the mist onto the streets of Maestra, Kalei rose early as planned.

He carefully packed his belongings, wrapped his Crescent Staff, shared a simple breakfast with his teacher Matt and Dinia, and left Maestra to return to Moonshadow Village.

Moonshadow Village remained as Kalei remembered it—peaceful and serene, unchanged. The events that had transpired in Bristlelimb Village, dozens of kilometers away, had not affected this place in the slightest, and thus, no one knew the role Kalei had played in those affairs.

The villagers, assuming he had just returned from Maestra, greeted him warmly.

"Good night, Kalei. You're back from Maestra? Was the journey smooth?"

"How are your studies going?"

"I heard from your mother that you've already completed your coming-of-age ceremony. You've grown so much! Have you found a girlfriend yet?"

"Kalei, what do you think of the weather today?"

As Kalei responded to the villagers' greetings, his mind drifted to his conversation with Arenia and the others a few days prior.

Was it truly possible that a Satyr could be hiding among these people he knew so well?

He was unwilling to believe it, but the memory of Sain in Bristlelimb Village made him hesitant to jump to conclusions.

Regardless of whether a Satyr was lurking, he had no time to investigate such matters now; he only wanted to go home.

Kalei's house had been designed and built by his father, a clumsy Druid, and consisted of a two-story, six-room structure. Outside the house lay a courtyard planted with flora unique to the Night Elf, making the property look like a garden with a house nestled inside.

As Kalei approached the gate, Little Black darted out from the woods, pouncing toward him and Big Black.

Kalei dismounted from Big Black and patted Little Black's head, laughing, "Little Black, how was it being home alone these past few days?"

Little Black let out a low purr and nudged Kalei's hand with its nose as an answer.

"What, it wasn't fun? Did you miss Big Black? Look at how affectionate you two are."

"Alright, alright, you two go off and play. Remember to be back by dawn." Kalei patted the backs of the two Sabers and watched them run side-by-side toward the forest behind the house, shaking his head with a helpless smile.

Holding his staff in one hand and the pack removed from Big Black in the other, he pushed open the courtyard gate, walked along a stone path, and arrived at the front door.

Just as he was about to knock, the door creaked open, and his mother, Velina, stepped out carrying a basket.

She wore a simple pale purple dress, her silver-white hair tied loosely behind her head, and she still looked young and elegant.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw her son. "Child, why are you back?"

Kalei set down his pack and staff, embraced his mother, and laughed, "What, is it that surprising?"

Velina pulled back to look him over, smiling, "Didn't you say it would take at least half a month if you were fast? It's only been a few days."

Kalei shrugged. "There are exceptions to everything."

Velina asked with concern, "Did you pass your teacher's assessment? Did you run into any trouble?"

Seeing her expression, Kalei knew she was worrying again and quickly said, "Don't worry, the teacher's assessment wasn't too hard for me. Not only did I pass, but I also advanced. I am now an intermediate Druid."

Velina gasped in surprise. "How is that possible? It's only been..."

Kalei smiled. "Mother, you have to have confidence in me. Look at this in my hand—this is the reward the teacher gave me."

Only then did Velina notice the Crescent Staff in his hand. Although she was not a mage, she had served as a Priestess of the Moon in her youth, which gave her enough insight to recognize the extraordinary nature of the staff at a glance.

She had no choice but to believe that her child had indeed passed the assessment and advanced. A wave of happiness and pride surged in her heart, and she couldn't help but cry out, "By the Goddess, child, you have completely surpassed your father. I am so proud of you." As she spoke, tears shimmered in her eyes.

Watching this, Kalei felt a pang of emotion. He knew that while his mother often spoke disparagingly of his father, she held deep feelings for him, and since his father's disappearance, Kalei had rarely seen her truly happy.

Over the years, his mother had constantly inquired about his Druid training, always hoping he would achieve great results—likely because of his father.

Now that Kalei was making such strides in his training, far exceeding her expectations, it was only natural for her to be overjoyed.

The mother and son shared a moment of quiet sentiment before both breaking into relieved smiles.

Kalei placed his pack and staff in the living room, then turned to see Velina holding her basket. "Mother, what were you planning to do with that basket?"

Velina laughed, "Don't you love Sweet Moonberry? They've ripened in the field over the last few days. I was afraid they'd fall and rot, so I was going to pick some to make dried berries. I didn't expect you to be back already."

Kalei's eyes lit up. "Is that so? Perfect, I'll come with you."

Velina teased, "I see you're just being a glutton again."

Kalei smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

Velina was right; Kalei was indeed craving them. While the Night Elf did not study gourmet cuisine extensively, their understanding of nature allowed them to harvest food that was truly wonderful and unique.

The two of them, each carrying a basket, left the house and followed a small path toward the nearby fields.

The moonlight filtered through the treetops, casting dappled shadows on the forest path and upon the two of them.

Kalei's family plot was located not far to the west of their house. The land was perfectly level, about an acre in size, and divided into three sections for fruits, vegetables, and staples.

Because the area where the Night Elf lived was bathed in the radiation of the World Tree, Nordrassil, the natural energy was abundant, the soil fertile, and the climate like spring all year round. Nourished by the village Moonwell, any plant grown there could thrive rapidly. The harvest from this single acre was enough to feed Kalei's family of three, with plenty to spare.

As a child, Kalei loved wandering through the fruit section, which held not only his favorite Sweet Moonberry but also Gold-skin Apple, Flash Pear, Sun Fruit, and more.

These fruits were sweet, unique in flavor, and ripened quickly, yielding at least three harvests a year.

As a child, this meant Kalei had fruit to eat every day, sometimes eating so much he couldn't finish his meals, which earned him many scoldings from his mother.

Though Kalei was grown now and had curbed his gluttony, he still had little resistance to the Sweet Moonberry, which looked beautiful and tasted soft and fragrant.

Seeing her son set down his basket and immediately pick several large, white Sweet Moonberries to stuff into his mouth, Velina felt both amused and comforted.

No matter how her son changed or what he achieved, he remained the child she had watched grow up, which put her mind at ease.

The mother and son chatted aimlessly while picking ripe Sweet Moonberry.

Velina asked, "Child, how long will you be staying home this time?"

Kalei swallowed the fruit in his mouth and said, "I don't know yet; I have to wait for a notification."

"What kind of notification?"

"A notification from the Cenarion Circle."

Hearing this, Velina stopped what she was doing, looked at Kalei, and said, "The Cenarion Circle! Child, are you able to join the circle so soon?"

Kalei said with some uncertainty, "I don't know if I can join yet, but my teacher has already submitted my application."

Velina comforted him, "I believe you will definitely succeed."

Kalei laughed, "Why does Mother suddenly have such confidence in me?"

Velina smiled, "Child, of course I have confidence in you. Because I know that when it comes to cultivation, you have always worked harder than other Night Elf, and I believe that a hardworking Night Elf will surely receive the favor of the Moon Goddess."

Kalei's heart stirred; he suddenly understood and said with some embarrassment, "Mother, you found out."

Velina laughed, "There is nothing to be embarrassed about. I have known for a long time, but I never told you because I felt that someone who works hard should not be mocked."

Kalei shrugged and smiled helplessly, "I couldn't help it, Mother. Actually, I am not a genius at all. My Druid talent is very poor, but I didn't dare tell you. I was afraid you wouldn't support me, so..."

Velina sighed, "So you often practiced in secret behind my back... Child, you have suffered all these years. Fortunately, after so many years of hard work, you have finally reaped the rewards."

"Although I don't know why, I can feel that both your physical and mental states have grown significantly. This must be the favor of the Moon Goddess."

It must be said that although Velina did not know what had happened to Kalei, her intuition was very accurate; she was truly his mother.

So Kalei went along with her words, "Mother, you might have guessed right. I have felt very lucky lately, and everything I do goes smoothly. I even feel like I have heard the voice of the Spirit of Nature. I believe my future path as a Druid will be much smoother."

Hearing this, as a devout believer of the Moon Goddess, Velina immediately felt that Kalei's hard work had moved the Moon Goddess and that he had received her blessing. She hurriedly pulled Kalei over, cupped her hands toward the moon, knelt on one knee, and prayed to the two moons in the sky.

Although Kalei felt the scene was very incongruous, considering that the Moon Goddess truly existed, he didn't mind.

After the two finished praying, Velina realized it was already midnight, so she ended the topic and asked instead, "Kalei, what would you like to eat tonight?"

Kalei said, "Do we have White Salmon? Nightscale Fish would also be fine."

Velina said, "Then how about Nightscale Fish soup, plus some potato stewed venison?"

Kalei clapped his hands happily, "That's great, that's great! I can't eat such authentic hometown food in Maestra, and I'm already starting to drool."

The mother and son happily picked a full basket of Sweet Moonberry and another basket of vegetables, returning home laughing and talking to prepare their late-night meal.

Although Velina was not a professional chef, she had hundreds of years of cooking experience, and the food she made was comparable to that of a master chef.

Soon, the fresh aroma of the Nightscale Fish soup and the rich scent of the potato and venison stew drifted from the kitchen.

The two sat around the dining table, enjoying their delicious dinner while chatting about trivial matters in the village.

After the meal, they took advantage of the night to stroll around the village, greeting neighbors and chatting about daily life, only slowly walking home as the night deepened.