Linley traveled south for more than half a month before finally stopping in a riverside county town. That evening, as he stood at the inn's counter, the innkeeper handed him a letter sealed with wax. The wax bore the seal of the Yulan Empire's official government, which he recognized immediately, and his heart skipped a beat.
It's a letter from Delia.
He returned to his room, opened the letter, and slowly read it by candlelight. The handwriting on the letter was delicate and neat, typical of Delia's style. She didn't offer many pleasantries; she began by asking him directly where he had been staying, whether he was injured, and how his trip south was going. The words were simple, but as Linley read line by line, he could almost see her sitting under the lamp in her study writing the letter. She never wrote any sentimental sentences, and at the end, she only added, "If you have time, please come to the Yulan Empire; there are some things I'd like to tell you in person."
Linley read the letter twice from beginning to end before folding it and tucking it into his pocket. He got up and walked to the window, gazing at the layers of lights in the distance, and suddenly remembered his days at Ernst Institute many years ago. Back then, he had just arrived in the capital and saw Delia standing in the academy corridor for the first time. She wore a simple mage's robe, her features were clear and bright, and she spoke with composure. At such a young age, she was already a young mage with considerable skill in the path of magic. Later, they investigated cases together and went through life and death together. Even in the most critical moments, she never panicked.
He thought of Doehring again. The old man who had protected him and taught him magic since childhood had now condensed a divine body, achieved Deity Level, and was stationed in the depths of the Chaotic Territory Realm. The farther he traveled, the more often he spoke to this teacher in his mind, as if that kind voice was still the same as before, guiding him through his confusion.
He had kept these thoughts buried deep inside, always feeling that with his great revenge unavenged and the road ahead fraught with danger, he shouldn't burden others. But now, Wharton had established himself in the Baruch Mountain Range, Reynolds had found a home in a mountain village, and even Grandpa Doehring had finally put an end to his long-held obsession, regaining a body on this continent. He suddenly thought, shouldn't he also live for himself for once?
Linley stood by the window for a long time, until the night wind made the candlelight flicker, before he murmured to himself, "Grandpa Doehring, I should go to the Yulan Empire this time." It was as if someone on the other end could hear him. He took out the letter again and read it, his gaze falling on that line of text, and the string that had been taut in his heart suddenly relaxed. The next day he checked out of his room and hurried towards the Yulan Empire.
When Linley arrived at the capital of the Yulan Empire, it was raining in the autumn. He waited outside the palace gate for half an hour before Delia emerged from the corridor, holding an umbrella. She looked thinner than when he last met her, but the composed demeanor in her eyes remained unchanged. Upon seeing him, she was taken aback at first, then her lips curved into a smile, and a gentle light appeared in her eyes.
"You've come," she said, her tone flat, as if he had only been gone for a few days.
"I came as soon as I received your letter." Linley looked at her, and all the hard work he had put in seemed worthwhile at this moment.
The two walked side by side on the stone path after the rain, talking for a long time. Delia asked him about his experiences in the mountain village, about Reynolds and Monica's recent situation, and about whether he had encountered any trouble during his journey south. Linley answered them one by one, but as the conversation progressed, he always felt that there was a sentence stuck in his throat that he couldn't say.
The rain stopped, and the two walked to a pavilion overlooking the lake before Linley stopped.
" Delia," he called to her.
She turned around, looked up at him, and her eyes held a hint of inquiry.
Linley took a breath, pulled the letter from his pocket, but didn't hand it back to her. He just held it in his hand and said softly, "I've been thinking about something all this way. I used to think that since I hadn't avenged my great enemy, I shouldn't burden others with these matters, so many things remained buried in my heart. But now I'm gradually realizing that if a person doesn't even dare to speak their true feelings, then they've truly wasted their life."
He paused, looked into her eyes, and spoke softly, each word clear. " Delia, I've loved you since our time at Ernst Institute. You've been with me through thick and thin, through life and death, and my feelings for you have never changed."
Delia was stunned. The sound of rain outside the pavilion seemed to fall silent for a moment. She looked at him, a little water glistening in her eyes, but she still kept her lips pursed and didn't say anything.
Seeing that she didn't respond, Linley's heart tightened. He swallowed hard before whispering again, "If you're willing, I want to marry you. From now on, whether you stay in the Yulan Empire or travel the world with me, I will stay by your side."
There was a moment of silence.
Delia lowered her eyes, her ears slowly turning red. After a long while, she spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly. "I thought you would never say those words in your life."
Linley's heart warmed, and he took a step forward: "So you mean—"
"I wrote in the letter that there are some things I want to tell you in person." Delia looked up at him, her eyes slightly red, but the corners of her mouth curved into a smile. "Why do you only understand when I write this down clearly?"
Linley paused for a moment, then a surge of inexplicable joy welled up in his chest. He reached out and gently took her hand. She didn't pull away, only giving a soft "Mmm" in response.
The rain gradually subsided, and a thin layer of mist rose from the lake. The two stood side by side under the pavilion, neither saying a word, their clasped hands seeming to hold in their palms all the hardships they had endured along the way.
That night, Linley wrote a letter from the inn back to the Baruch Mountain Range, telling Wharton and Reynolds the good news. He wrote very briefly, but added at the end, "I have finally lived for myself. I hope you can also find such a person to spend the rest of your lives with." After finishing, he put down his pen, thought for a moment, and then started a new line, adding a short letter to the Chaotic Territory, addressed to Mr. Doehring Cowart. The letter contained only one sentence:
"Teacher, I'm getting married."