Rewards

Kalei did not intend to give up on tracking Ordos.

That afternoon, he borrowed a detailed map of the area surrounding Moonshadow Village from the village chief to pinpoint the region where Ordos had vanished. To his surprise, he discovered a familiar name in that sector: Fel Fire Valley.

He recalled that back when he played the game, Fel Fire Valley was crawling with Fel Fire Satyrs. Could it be that the valley was already infested with Satyrs now?

He knew that in the game, Satyrs only became active after the Battle of Mount Hyjal. Where did they hide the rest of the time? Could it be right here in Fel Fire Valley?

Kalei felt it was entirely possible; at the very least, he could not rule out the presence of Satyrs in Fel Fire Valley at this moment.

However, this was merely his speculation for now. To confirm it further, he needed to gather sufficient evidence.

Still, this single lead was enough for him to take action.

But on the second night, just as he was preparing to move, unexpected news disrupted his plans.

His teacher, Matt Hardwood, sent him a letter from the Cenarion Circle headquarters via an owl messenger. The letter confirmed his acceptance into the Cenarion Circle, praised his contributions to the Night Elf people, and announced that the Circle had decided to reward him with a standard-issue Druid robe.

Holding the letter, Kalei beamed. He hadn't expected things to proceed so smoothly; not only had he successfully joined the Cenarion Circle, but he had also secured a robe.

Although he hadn't seen the robe yet, he knew that equipment crafted by Night Elves was never trash. Especially the standard-issue gear forged by the Cenarion Circle for Druids—it would be at least of Rare quality and provide significant bonuses to spellcasting.

When his mother, Velina, learned that her son had successfully joined the Cenarion Circle, she was happy but not surprised. She had already decided that her son was favored by the Goddess, so any achievement he attained was only natural.

Of course, as a mother, she couldn't attribute all the credit to the Goddess; she firmly believed that it was her son's persistent hard work that had moved the Goddess, leading to such good fortune.

Kalei didn't care what his mother thought. As long as she had confidence in his path as a Druid and wasn't worried about his safety, he wouldn't shatter this beautiful misunderstanding. He knew well that his mother needed a spiritual anchor to ease her anxiety over his safety.

Kalei had originally planned to head to Fel Fire Valley alone to scout and search for Ordos's whereabouts.

Now that he was a member of the Cenarion Circle, he decided to change his plans: he would first go to Maestra to consult with his teacher, collect his equipment, and then decide on his next move.

When Velina learned that her son was leaving home again, she couldn't help but feel sorrowful. Ever since her husband went missing, her son had been her only kin left in this world.

She hoped her son would follow in his father's footsteps and go further on the path of the Druid, yet she also wished for him to stay by her side, never to leave or take risks.

But ultimately, the traditional wisdom of the Night Elves made her realize that she could not keep her son by her side forever. He was a grown man with his own mission and responsibilities to fulfill. She shouldn't be a burden to him, but rather a source of support for his flight.

Suppressing the reluctance in her heart, she began to prepare his travel gear.

Kalei was in a rush to get to Maestra and failed to notice his mother's conflicted feelings.

With her help, he packed his things, changed into a clean set of travel clothes, took his Crescent Staff, and mounted his loyal Saber, Big Black. Under the moonlight, he bid his mother farewell and set off toward Maestra.

After several hours of travel, he arrived in Maestra before dawn.

This time, it wasn't the mischievous Dinia who greeted him at the gate, but his teacher, Matt Hardwood.

Matt Hardwood wasn't surprised by his swift arrival. He knew this student was decisive; once he set his mind on something, he acted immediately, unlike other Night Elves who were often prone to procrastination.

The two exchanged greetings and entered the living room. Matt took two wooden cups from the cabinet, filled them with fresh morning dew, and they sat by the window, chatting under the moonlight.

Kalei asked with a smile, "Teacher, where is Dinia? Why don't I see her?"

Matt replied, "Playing at home."

Kalei asked, "Oh, has she stopped her training?"

Matt shook his head. "Not exactly. She hasn't given up on the path of the Druid, but she isn't as focused on it as you are. She has already agreed with her father to only come to me for study four days a week, and she arranges the rest of her time herself."

So that was it. Kalei smiled helplessly. He wanted to urge the young girl to work harder to avoid future regrets, but this was the prevailing mindset in Night Elf society, and he couldn't change it. After all, for an immortal race, what was a little wasted time?

Matt turned the conversation to business. "You received the letter, right?"

Kalei said, "I did. But honestly, I can't believe I joined the Cenarion Circle so quickly. I thought there would be some hurdles, given how conservative those old fellows usually are."

Matt laughed. "Your judgment is correct. In fact, as far as I know, your entry into the Circle wasn't smooth sailing. Many Archdruids felt you lacked sufficient experience and wouldn't be up to the task, so they opposed your admission."

"Fortunately, Archdruid Broll Bearmantle had read your report on the Furbolg crisis. He believed that despite your youth, you displayed extraordinary courage and wisdom, so he overruled the objections and insisted on your inclusion."

Broll Bearmantle? That was the tough guy who would later win the Crimson Ring championship in the arena alongside the human King Varian and the legendary High Elf assassin Valeera. He hadn't expected to be favored by him, and he felt a sense of pride.

However, he had no time to dwell on Broll Bearmantle; he was too far removed from him to have any connection in the short term. What he cared about most now was how the aftermath of the Furbolg crisis was being handled, especially whether there had been an investigation into the power of the Nightmare.

Matt didn't know why Kalei was so concerned about this, but he knew that Kalei had shown wisdom beyond his years since childhood and never acted without reason.

So, he answered patiently, "The power of the Nightmare you mentioned caught the attention of two Archdruids, including Broll Bearmantle. They suspected it might be related to the Emerald Dream, but the majority of the Archdruids dismissed this, as they hadn't detected any similar anomalies within the Emerald Dream."

"Furthermore, they don't believe that under the guardianship of Archdruid Malfurion and the Green Dragonflight, anything could threaten the Emerald Dream, let alone those skulking Satyrs."

"However, they agreed that the power is terrifying. They believe a Satyr must have obtained this power from some horrific entity. They have already ordered high-ranking members, including myself, to launch an investigation and hunt down that Satyr leader."

Kalei shook his head helplessly. He couldn't help but recall a quote from his past life: "Weakness and ignorance are not barriers to survival, but arrogance is."

The strength of the Night Elves made them fearless of any enemy, but it also made them prone to overlooking the weak ones.

Ever since the Satyr King Xavius was defeated by Malfurion, the Night Elves had frequently purged the Satyrs, but they treated them merely as annoying beasts and never truly took them seriously.

They never imagined that it would be these very skulking Satyrs who would eventually cause the greatest disaster for the Night Elves.

Although Kalei was disappointed by the Circle's approach, he knew that such things couldn't be achieved overnight; it would take time. After all, changing the ingrained mindset of a ten-thousand-year-old race was no easy task.

The two then chatted about recent events, and Kalei took the opportunity to tell him about his findings in the village.

This included the location of the Satyr leader in Bearclaw Valley, Ordos's suspicious behavior, and the potential threat of Fel Fire Valley.

Matt was shocked. He hadn't expected his student to have such significant findings just from taking a vacation back home—not only discovering the mastermind behind the Furbolg crisis but also locating the enemy's potential lair.

This matter drew Matt's utmost attention.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Your discovery is of great importance. If there are indeed Satyrs entrenched in Fel Fire Valley as you say, we must dispatch the Sentinel Corps to purge them. But to mobilize the troops, we need detailed intelligence, not just speculation."

"You go and rest. I will go and discuss this with Darian Lightwind, the person in charge of the Cenarion Circle here, and have her send a capable assistant to investigate Fel Fire Valley with you and gather evidence."

Kalei nodded. "Alright, please be quick, Teacher. Ordos has already realized I am tracking him. If we give him too much time, he might relocate or prepare for our investigation."

Matt laughed. "Don't worry, your teacher isn't like those old fellows who only know how to drink afternoon tea." He set down his cup, stood up, and walked out.