Just as everyone's spirits were soaring.
Suddenly.
Someone stepped out from behind the officer.
-it was a veiled Pointy-Eared Woman with a slender figure.
She walked straight up to Shen Ye, seized his arm, and asked in a low voice:
"Where did you get this?"
Everyone looked at Shen Ye's wrist and saw several bracelets woven from colorful wild grasses wrapped around it.
"Huh? That's something of the Elves'," the officer said instinctively.
Shen Ye paused.
Should I tell her?
How much should I say?
No, there's no time to think it through.
I'll get through this first.
Besides, I exposed the Undead's plot. No matter what, the Elves should owe me a favor, not want to come after me.
"Lanny gave it to me," Shen Ye said.
"Lanny." The Elf repeated the name, pointed at the bracelets, and softly recited a few incantations.
A faint light shone from the bracelets.
A young girl's voice came from them:
"May I ask who's calling me with Elves Spellcraft?"
The Elf immediately asked, "Lanny, this is Royal Court Archmage Eudria. Why is your Wristband on a human boy?"
"Ah, you ran into him?" The girl gave a delighted cheer.
Much of the solemn air surrounding Eudria instantly dissipated.
She looked at Shen Ye, her gaze no longer as sharp as before. Instead, there was something a little strange about it.
Shen Ye was somewhat bewildered.
The atmosphere-
The fiery atmosphere I worked so hard to build seems to have taken a different turn.
"Lanny, I don't mean to intrude on your privacy. I only want to know what this human boy has done. This is important," Eudria continued.
"Have him say something so I can hear him," Lanny said.
"Hi, Lanny. That magic trick was pretty good, wasn't it?" Shen Ye had no choice but to speak.
"It really is you! When are you coming to visit our village again?" Lanny asked excitedly.
"Lanny... answer my question," Eudria said.
"Oh, him. The High Priest was already prepared to kill those Undead, but he exposed their plot first, leaving the High Priest owing him a favor-the High Priest has been looking for him ever since," Lanny said.
"Is that so... you mustn't lie to me," Eudria said.
"You can ask the High Priest. How could something like this be made up? Everyone in our village knows about it," Lanny said.
"All right. I'll contact you again later," Eudria said.
The Spellcraft connection ended.
Eudria's gaze softened. She released Shen Ye's hand, turned to the officer, and said:
"He's so young, nimble, has survived a great calamity, and has ties with us Elves. I suggest sending him to study in the Imperial Capital."
The officer seemed to be in excellent spirits. He smiled and said, "Good idea. It's rare for you to think highly of a human youth. It's settled, then."
He gave further instructions to those beside him:
"Give him an Identity Document, and arrange a good place for him to rest for a few days before taking him back to the Imperial Capital."
"Have the recording officer make a record of this and pass it on to the Imperial Military Academy."
"Yes." A trusted aide took out a quill and quickly wrote something in a notebook.
The officer patted Shen Ye's shoulder again and asked with a smile:
"What's your name?"
Shen Ye scratched his head and said with difficulty, "I can't remember right now."
-the name Shen Ye seemed rather out of place in this world, and he knew nothing about Rhine County's local customs or naming conventions.
"You can't remember?" The officer looked at the physician beside him.
The physician bowed. "When we found him, he'd been struck by an Undead Giant's stone hammer and pinned beneath it. Even his sternum was broken-the memory loss was probably caused by a concussion."
Everyone looked at Shen Ye again.
An Undead Giant.
Tsk, an Undead species fit for laying siege to cities.
He had actually survived that. What a lucky fellow.
"Give him proper treatment. Charge the expenses to me, and bring him back to the Imperial Capital in a few days," the officer instructed at last.
"Yes!" the Medical Officers replied in unison.
Shen Ye stammered, "Pardon my impertinence, but you are-"
"This is His Highness Prince Norton of the empire," the white-haired wizard said from the side.
A prince?
Having no idea what that meant, Shen Ye could only try his best to widen his eyes and put on an incredulous expression.
-Surely I can't go wrong with that.
The officer smiled and patted his shoulder. "We'll meet again."
With that, he led the others away.
Only Shen Ye remained, still staring wide-eyed at their retreating figures.
Pah.
What am I watching him walk away for?
It's not like I'm his son.
Shen Ye suddenly came to his senses and hurriedly turned his head.
Only after the group had vanished from sight did Big Skeleton speak:
"Prince Norton is the Royal Family's eldest son, and the future Heir to the Throne."
Only then did Shen Ye understand the man's importance.
"What's someone like him doing here?" he asked curiously.
"In this battle, he led the allied forces of the Human Race and the Elves to repel the Undead offensive. Why do you think he's here?"
"So young." Shen Ye sighed, sounding somewhat astonished.
"You're the young one," Big Skeleton said.
Shen Ye lay on the stretcher and rested.
Suddenly.
Faint glimmers appeared on his retinas, forming small lines of text:
"You have gained a certain amount of renown." "You have a certain chance of obtaining the Self-Created Trait:" "Boy Who Survived." "Please continue to spread your fame."
Shen Ye paled in alarm. He hurriedly asked for a mirror and examined his forehead in it for a while.
"What are you doing?" Big Skeleton asked.
"Checking whether I have a lightning-shaped scar on my forehead," Shen Ye said, staring into the mirror.
"A scar?" Big Skeleton was baffled.
Just then, a physician came over to check on him, asked whether he felt unwell anywhere else, and treated him with Spellcraft.
In fact, he had already recovered completely.
But since the physician wanted to treat him, Shen Ye could hardly refuse such kindness or stop the treatment.
This seemed to mark a beginning, as physicians kept coming over.
Half an hour later.
Even the hemorrhoids Shen Ye would develop twenty years later had been treated.
He was starting to find it a bit much.
-This can't go on. Am I supposed to lie here all day?
What about things in the Main World?
He got up, left the Emergency Treatment Area, and headed toward other parts of the military camp.
Many soldiers along the way smiled and nodded in greeting when they saw him.
It seemed he had gained a little fame already.
But I don't want to be some "Boy Who Survived"!
Resisting the idea inwardly, Shen Ye wandered around.
Suddenly, he spotted a tent.
The flag in front of it bore three daggers.
"The Brotherhood sets up intelligence relay points wherever the army makes camp. If you see a tent displaying three upright daggers, you can go there to turn in your mission."
-The Shadow Hand's tent!
I can go in, turn in my mission, and claim my reward!
Shen Ye was just about to step forward when hesitation stirred in his heart again.
I'm famous already.
If I take out the Nightfall dagger now, reveal that I'm an Assassin, and claim my reward-
Never mind anything else.
At the very least, the Shadow Hand's Assassins will know my background.
-What? That "Boy Who Survived" is actually an Assassin!
Damn it!
I only wanted to get some skills from the Nightmare World, not draw too much attention.
"Are you afraid?" Big Skeleton asked.
"No," Shen Ye said.
"True, I misunderstood you. After all, you're not from the Nightmare World. You've got nothing to be afraid of," Big Skeleton said.
Shen Ye froze.
That's right. I'm not from the Nightmare World!
What am I afraid of?
If it really doesn't work out later, I can just come back with another identity!
At that thought, Shen Ye held his head high, puffed out his chest, and walked into the tent.
"Hello."
Inside the tent, an unremarkable-looking man was squatting on the ground, skinning a bear.
He glanced back at Shen Ye, his gaze falling on the dagger at Shen Ye's waist. Then he stared at Shen Ye without saying a word.
Why isn't he saying anything?
Shen Ye thought for a moment, folded his middle and ring fingers, and extended the other three, making an "I love you" gesture.
"May the shadows always shelter you and me," he said.
The man nodded, made the same "I love you" gesture, and finally spoke:
"Brother, what news do you have?"
"This."
Shen Ye tossed him the Crystal:
"I got it from a Soulfire Cannon at the Undead position. I'm sure you've noticed too-their cannon fire was fiercer in this battle than before."
The man caught the Crystal, examined it carefully, and nodded:
"Very good. This is indeed valuable-what would you like in exchange?"
"What do you have?" Shen Ye asked with interest.
"I've got plenty here. I guarantee it'll open your eyes," the man said with a smile.
Elsewhere.
Norton arrived at the largest tent in the army camp.
"That boy just now was quite interesting."
The white-haired wizard spoke.
"Sir, what did you notice?" a Grand Knight asked.
"He has a high-ranking token of the Shadow Hand on him. Tsk, to have come this far at such a young age-he's no ordinary boy," the white-haired wizard said.
"You mean that dagger," Royal Court Archmage Eudria said.
"Exactly. I saw it too. That's Nightfall, something only high-ranking Assassins have," a Sharpshooter said.
Somewhat surprised, Norton smiled. "To think I discovered such a talent just by taking a casual stroll. What a stroke of luck."
He thought for a moment, then said, "Apply for a Medal of Valor for him in my name."
"Yes." The Clerk behind him quickly recorded it.