Chapter 20: My Friend

Chapter 20 My Friend

Outside Maple City, Li Wei arrived at the maple forest.

He looked around, searching for Leina’s figure.

A shadow emerged from behind a great tree, waving and calling, “Li Wei, over here.”

Hearing the voice, Li Wei turned his head.

It was Leina. He walked toward her.

Only when he drew near did he notice she wore full knight’s armor—helmet on, longsword and shield upon her back.

Fully armed, ready for war.

A strange feeling stirred within Li Wei. He asked, “Why did you call me outside the city?”

Leina said, “Help me with something.”

Li Wei frowned, refusing without hesitation. “No.”

Leina froze in place.

Seeing this, she didn’t press him further.

Her expression calm, she said, “Last time I stole the spellbook, my master found out. I never had another chance to show it to you.”

She pulled the spellbook from beneath her armor. “My master left the city two days ago. I seized the moment to bring it out.”

“You have only half a month. When my master returns, I won’t be able to steal it again.”

She paused, then added, “If I don’t come to retrieve it from you after half a month, take the spellbook to the Knight Academy.”

Li Wei took the book, still warm from her body, surprise flickering across his face.

Glancing at the spellbook in his hands, he looked up at Leina. “What are you planning to do?”

“It’s none of your concern. Take the book and go.”

With that, she turned and walked alone into the depths of the maple forest.

Li Wei watched her recede into the distance, gripping the spellbook tightly, emotions churning inside.

He didn’t want to be dragged into trouble.

Yet the lingering warmth on the book reminded him—if anything happened to Leina, he would regret not following her.

“Ah… If only you’d pleaded with me a little more, I might’ve agreed.”

Li Wei sighed inwardly.

A cold wind blew. The warmth on the spellbook faded completely.

His fingertips grew numb; the fleeting impulse within him vanished.

He tucked the book away and turned back toward Maple City.

“Leina is an important member of the Goldshield family. If she’s in danger, they’ll surely send experts to rescue her.”

On his way back to the Mage Tower, he ran into Xiao John, dressed in his knight apprentice training uniform.

“Hey, Li Wei! Long time no see. How’ve you been?” Xiao John greeted cheerfully.

“Not bad.”

“By the way,” Li Wei asked, “do you know why Leina went outside the city?”

Xiao John looked puzzled. “My sister went outside? I didn’t know.”

Li Wei’s heart skipped a beat. Had Leina secretly left, hiding it even from her own family?

After a moment’s hesitation, he turned and sprinted back toward the city outskirts.

“Hey, Li Wei, where are you going?” Xiao John called after him.

Li Wei shouted back, “To the maple forest to find Leina! Go tell your family to come quickly!”

Xiao John stood stunned, until Li Wei disappeared from sight. Only then did he snap back to reality.

After a long pause, it dawned on him—Leina had gone to the maple forest.

The beastmen routed by Maple City’s forces had all fled into the forest, hiding there to survive.

The maple forest had become far more dangerous than before.

Xiao John couldn’t understand why his sister would go there now.

But he knew one thing—he had to tell his father.

Li Wei returned to where he had met Leina.

She was already gone.

Following the faint footprints she had left, he pressed forward.

“I hope she hasn’t run into danger.”

His hand brushed the spellbook beneath his cotton coat—it felt like a burning yam, scalding his chest.

If Leina didn’t return, this book would become a ticking bomb.

And in half a month, it would explode.

An hour later, Li Wei stared ahead at the trail leading deeper into the woods, helpless.

“How could she have gone so far?” Leina was a first-rank knight; her strength and stamina far surpassed his.

If she kept walking, he’d never catch up.

The only comfort was the bitter cold—the wild beasts and magical creatures of the forest had already retreated into hibernation, sheltering in warm dens for winter.

Otherwise, this journey would’ve brought countless perils.

Another half hour passed. Li Wei’s back was soaked with sweat.

Suddenly, he heard the clash of battle not far ahead.

He quickened his pace, rushing forward.

After several hundred meters, three figures came into view.

Two beastmen clad in animal hides were attacking Leina. She fought them with sword in one hand, shield in the other.

Nearby, on the snowy ground, lay the corpse of a beastman.

Clearly, the battle had been raging for some time.

Li Wei slowed, creeping cautiously toward the battlefield. He stopped forty or fifty meters away.

Leina had taken on three foes, slain one.

But against the remaining two, she could no longer strike decisively.

She knew well—before her inner energy ran dry, these two couldn’t defeat her.

But neither could she break free and escape.

Her energy would eventually be spent.

The situation was bad, but not yet at its worst.

Li Wei cast his spell from behind the cover of trees, waiting for the right moment before locking onto an orc and launching a small fireball.

Whoosh!

By the time the orc noticed the fiery projectile, it was already less than ten meters away.

At such close range, there was no chance to dodge.

In desperation, the orc swung his weapon, trying to deflect the incoming blast.

Boom!

The fireball struck true, erupting in a violent explosion.

The force tore through the orc’s body, leaving him grievously wounded.

His arm was blown clean off; he lay on the ground, drenched in blood that gushed hot and steady.

Another orc, seeing his comrade fall, turned pale with terror.

Without hesitation, he abandoned the dying one and fled, not daring to look back.

Leina made to give chase, but Li Wei called out, “Don’t go after him!”

At the sound of his voice, she turned—and froze.

“Why are you here?” she asked in surprise.

She had assumed it was just some passing mage, never expecting it to be Li Wei.

He ignored her question and instead asked, “What exactly are you trying to do?”

“My friend is missing,” Leina said. “I need to find her.”

She explained everything from the beginning.

“Half a month ago, Susan joined a warrior guild mission to exterminate orcs. Every day, she wrote me letters, updating me on their progress—until five days ago, when the letters suddenly stopped.”

Li Wei’s expression shifted slightly.

“Five days ago? That’s around the same time Professor Guze returned.”

Something clicked in his mind.

Leina continued, “Later, I found out Susan had been assigned to a grain transport escort team. A returning mage said everyone in the convoy vanished mysteriously along the way.”

“I don’t believe Susan simply disappeared into thin air. I *will* bring her back!”

Her eyes burned with determination, her voice unwavering.

Li Wei felt a headache coming on. This girl was stubborn—impossible to reason with.

He knew if he tried to persuade her to turn back, she’d only tell *him* to leave while pressing forward alone in her search.

The disappearance of the escort team—Professor Guze had mentioned it too.

Back then, Li Wei had treated it as mere gossip. He never imagined it would one day become his own concern.

Puzzled, he asked, “If the escort vanished, why are you here in Maple Forest?”

“I suspect the orcs are behind it,” Leina replied. “I wanted to capture one and get answers.”

Li Wei glanced at the dying orc lying motionless on the ground.

“If you have questions, ask now. He doesn’t look like he’ll last much longer.”

(End of Chapter)