Chapter 42: Parting Gift, a New Journey

"Are you mocking me, Mr. Sieg?"

Riley’s complexion was ghastly. Facing Sieg, who stood there looking entirely satisfied while holding the gauntlet Wang Yu had surrendered, he gritted his teeth as he forced the question out.

"Mocking you? I should think not. He is, in fact, the newest recruit to our Imperial City’s Blade of the Night special operations unit—Wang Yu."

"Hmm, though the name is a bit peculiar, that is indeed the case. This is the letter of recommendation from Father Fang. Do you have a problem with that?"

Sieg shrugged his shoulders and placed a sheet of paper before Riley. Riley glanced at it, and he knew instantly that things were exactly as Sieg had claimed; there was no room for debate.

Father Fang Stuart, the Bishop of the Church of Light in Alastair, was an absolute authority. If he declared someone a member of the Blade of the Night, no one dared to dispute it.

"No problem at all..." Though he felt deeply humiliated, he had no choice but to swallow his pride along with his bitterness.

With a hateful glare at the smiling Wang Yu, Riley led the rest of the dissatisfied noble investigation team away.

Not only had he come away empty-handed, but he also had to pay a hefty sum to these money-grubbing wretches.

While the individual amount for each person wasn't astronomical, the sheer number of them meant he would suffer a significant financial hemorrhage. As he thought of this, his expression grew even darker.

Once he had driven the annoying lot away, Sieg walked over to Wang Yu. The handsome man, who carried an air of scholarly refinement, introduced himself more formally.

"Sieg Welsbach, Registrar of the Imperial City’s Blade of the Night special operations unit. Currently, I am the only one who has officially taken up the post. Counting you, there should be four others. Is your recommendation letter still with you?"

As he spoke, Sieg tore up the paper he had shown to Riley.

"It is, but what about that?" Wang Yu retrieved the letter Garcia had given him from his inner pocket.

He was curious, however, if it was truly alright for Sieg to just tear up the document that served as his proof of identity.

"It’s fine. That was merely Father Fang’s signature. Outsiders think it’s precious, but for us, it’s just a matter of asking him to scribble a few lines. Still, to maintain its authority, we can’t have too many of them floating around. Once shown to someone, it’s best to destroy it." Sieg didn't seem to care in the least.

"Hmm, that makes sense." Wang Yu nodded, thinking to himself that this was the benefit of having a good relationship with one's superiors: being able to openly use their name to pressure others.

"Right, that’s settled. Once you reach the Imperial City, just take this to Red Maple Street. It will guide you to the Blade of the Night’s headquarters."

Sieg took Wang Yu’s envelope, pressed something against it—a flash of light flickered—and then handed it back.

"Got it." Wang Yu took the envelope and tucked it into his pocket.

"By the way, although the war situation is currently stable, there’s no telling when things might turn chaotic. The Imperial City is a melting pot of various factions, all of them restless.

Furthermore, spies from Wensetain have likely begun infiltrating the area. You’ll need to be prepared when the time comes." After handing over the envelope, Sieg offered a few words of caution.

Wang Yu nodded to show he understood. Since Sieg had said as much, it meant the war had truly begun—not just minor skirmishes, but a large-scale conflict that would inevitably affect the city and its inhabitants.

"Then, farewell. I look forward to seeing you in the Imperial City. Rest well and recover; to be able to handle a Void rift with such intense fluctuations, you certainly have the makings for this line of work." With a final word of encouragement, Sieg turned and left with his men.

After finishing his conversation with Sieg, Wang Yu walked back to where Avia and Mira were waiting. "Is that it?" Wang Yu asked Mira.

"Yes, it’s resolved. They shouldn't come to trouble us again."

"In truth, nobles using the Void in private is a grave matter. Not only could it lead to massive fines, but it could also result in the demotion of their own titles and those of their direct kin."

"To them, you are now holding such a handle over them—which, of course, means we are holding it over them." Mira explained the underlying dynamics to Wang Yu.

These were things not found in the books Wang Yu had studied; they were the unwritten rules of the kingdom’s various circles, useless to anyone not involved.

Wang Yu, lost in thought, hadn't realized the complexity of the situation. It had seemed like a mere exchange of sharp words, but there was so much more at play.

What appeared to be a simple verbal victory was, in reality, a game of mutual leverage.

That was fine; at least for now, he didn't have to worry about retaliation.

"Thank you so much, Wang Yu. If it weren't for you, I needn't explain what the consequences would have been. Half of the money confiscated will be yours."

Mira spoke with sincerity; Wang Yu’s contribution this time was, frankly, absurdly large.

"Good, thank you." Without false modesty, Wang Yu accepted it gladly.

Decathlon certainly hadn't brought only soldiers to occupy this estate; he had also brought a vast amount of wealth.

The man had buried the money beneath the mansion. If the False God’s projection hadn't turned the place upside down and exposed one of the money chests, they might not have discovered it for a long time.

Before burying the bodies, that was exactly what Wang Yu had done. Using magic to count the money was convenient; there were roughly eight thousand gold coins.

Half of that was indeed a significant sum, especially for Wang Yu, who was effectively a penniless pauper.

"Right, no more talk. I need to find people to rebuild this estate. After all, Avia and I will be living here from now on!"

Mira smiled. It seemed that this gentle and wise mother, as described by Avia, was actually quite similar to her free-spirited sister.

With her arm around Avia, Mira went off to arrange the repairs. For a moment, Wang Yu found himself idle. The bodies were buried, the gold had been moved before the burial, and there was truly nothing left to do.

The repair of the estate had nothing to do with him; he was no professional.

Should he practice? He certainly couldn't train his physique; until his injuries healed, exercise would only aggravate them. Research wizard runes? That was possible, but Wang Yu chose to focus on the question that concerned him most: did he actually possess a "soul"?

...

The sun began to slant downward. During this time, two groups of people arrived—craftsmen hired by Mira to repair the estate. The area was not as desolate as the nameless village from before; there were plenty of people nearby, and as long as one had money, hiring help was simple.

Wang Yu sat on the trunk of a tree that had fallen for unknown reasons and fell into deep thought. He spent the entire afternoon in contemplation.

The sun had lost its scorching heat and was sinking lower, the horizon turning a deep crimson. Wang Yu looked up; the fiery sunset was truly a sight to behold.

After pondering for a long time, Wang Yu still couldn't figure out whether he possessed a soul, because he did have spiritual power.

But shouldn't that be the power manifested by a "soul"? Yet, no matter how much he exhausted it, his spirit never felt fatigued.

Correspondingly, he discovered he was incapable of things like "soul projection," which, theoretically, should have been a basic ability for any wizard.

In short, he possessed the characteristics of a soul, such as spiritual power, but he could find no evidence of a tangible soul.

For instance, he couldn't perform the simple technique of soul projection. After much effort, he still couldn't determine if he had one, but he had managed to figure out something quite miraculous.

He thought to himself that he would never reach a conclusion by working in isolation. Once he reached the Royal City, there would surely be many great scholars there.

He could also ask his future colleagues; they might have answers. Just then, the sound of footsteps reached his ears.

At this hour, the only person in the estate who would come looking for him was Avia. He turned his head, and as expected, it was her. The girl walked over with her hands behind her back, a subtle expression on her face.

She didn't say anything, simply sitting down on the tree trunk beside Wang Yu. Being much shorter than him, her fair calves dangled in the air, swinging back and forth.

She didn't intend to remain silent, either. "Wang Yu, where are you planning to go next?"

"The Royal City, I suppose. I'll leave once my injuries are healed. This world is quite interesting; I’d like to see more of it." Wang Yu didn't have to think long.

"Is that so? I’d like to go with you, but I have to wait a while. Mother needs to teach me some techniques regarding wizards and mages."

"Besides, I need to help with the reconstruction of the estate. I can't go to the Royal City with you, but once I’m finished with everything here, can I come find you?"

Her tone remained a bit dejected, though the final sentence was filled with anticipation.

"Of course. I wouldn't stop you." Wang Yu answered as a matter of course.

"Yay!" The girl waved her fist in a small cheer, then her expression suddenly turned hesitant.

"Um, I mean, I want to ask you a question. If it’s inconvenient, you don't have to answer..." Her tone was still full of conflict, but she gathered the courage to ask.

"Go ahead, it’s fine." Wang Yu nodded casually.

"Oh, um, Wang Yu, you said you came from a very far place, and you want to go back, right?"

Wang Yu raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected this question; he thought she would ask something he couldn't handle. This, however, was no problem at all.

"Yes, though it’s not that urgent. It’s just a goal, I suppose. A person needs to have some sort of simple direction in life." Wang Yu answered the girl’s question with candor.

"Oh, I see. Then, could you tell me about that place? You know, the place you came from?" The girl still wore a constrained expression, clearly worried that Wang Yu might be displeased by her asking about his origins.

In truth, she was overthinking it; Wang Yu was not particularly guarded about his origins. He was merely a transmigrator—did he really think he was some grand, earth-shattering protagonist?

This world was teeming with monsters and demons; there was nothing for a mere traveler like him to be arrogant about.

Wang Yu reckoned the only things he could truly claim as assets were the cultural, intellectual, and philosophical crystallizations of his past life; in other areas, he might not even measure up to the geniuses of this world.

Thus, he never really took himself too seriously. Having a sense of self-awareness was, perhaps, one of Wang Yu’s few virtues.

In reality, the old knight Leonard had never asked where Wang Yu came from, but had he asked, Wang Yu would have told him directly, as he was one of the people he trusted most.

Otherwise, he would have to resort to lies to deceive the old knight. Whether the man could see through his deception, Wang Yu did not know, but he knew that once a lie was told, it would require an endless succession of further lies to patch it up.

It was meaningless, truly meaningless. Rather than treating his identity as some profound secret that would lead to doom if revealed, it was better to simply lay it all out.

Since it was someone he trusted, there was nothing to hide. If something went wrong after speaking the truth, then his judgment of character would be truly pathetic.

"Ah, no problem. I can tell you, but it’s best if you don't spread it around." Wang Yu remained as casual as ever.

"Mm!" The girl nodded, her eyes shining with excitement. It wasn't that she was truly burning with curiosity about his background, though there were indeed many things about Wang Yu that set him apart from others.

Especially after spending a year together, the occasional vocabulary that would pop out of his mouth, his uniquely logical insights, and his ideas that diverged entirely from the mainstream concepts of this world all revealed that this guy was, in the end, somewhat out of place.

These things were, in fact, difficult to conceal. The traits formed from childhood, the differences in worldview, knowledge, and ways of thinking—these could not be masked by mere pretense.

Especially in the eyes of a keen observer. Wang Yu had often wondered if the old knight had seen through him and simply chosen not to speak, so he had never gone out of his way to hide his differences, nor had he made a point to display them.

Clearly, these details were conspicuous to Avia, this sharp-witted girl. She had maintained a tacit understanding and refrained from asking, but as the time for their temporary parting approached, she could no longer hold back.

It wasn't for any other reason than wanting to understand the young man who had served as her knight attendant for a year—she simply wanted to know more about him.

"The place I come from is called Earth, I suppose. I don't know if you have the concept of a 'planet' here, but it was a pretty good place. As for me..." Wang Yu began to talk, with a relaxed air, about the world he had traveled from.

He had no worries; it had been two years, and no "world will" had emerged to try and snuff him out. He only had so much ability; if he were truly being targeted, he would have died long ago without even knowing why.

Therefore, either the world's will was exceptionally friendly, or his identity as a transmigrator was truly not worth noting, or perhaps this world simply lacked such a thing as a world's will.

"My grades in high school were average... ah, high school? It’s actually much like your magic academy. In essence, it’s all about selecting talent, right?" Wang Yu sat on the tree trunk, sharing his own unique story with Avia.

It was a simple narrative. Wang Yu was not a gifted storyteller, but the things from the world of Earth were so numerous and so fascinating that Avia was completely drawn in, realizing that the place Wang Yu came from was indeed an incredibly magnificent world.

Under the setting sun of dusk, Wang Yu sat on the trunk chatting about his life before transmigration, while the girl listened with rapt interest beside him.

Time passed quickly. The sun dipped completely below the horizon, and the moon began to rise. The girl listened intently, but despite her interest, she began to yawn.

Seeing her growing drowsy, Wang Yu thought that for Avia, whose worldview had been shaped entirely by this world, hearing too much about the previous one all at once might not be the best thing.

He needed time to recover from his injuries anyway, and there would be time to talk later, so he nudged the girl leaning against him, telling her to go back and sleep.

She did not refuse; the girl waved goodbye to Wang Yu.

Suddenly remembering something, Wang Yu called out to Avia, "Oh, although there is still some time, I’ll give this to you as a parting gift. It’s something I just figured out today."

Wang Yu opened his palm, and a translucent cube floated above it. This was something he had puzzled out today; while trying to see if he had a soul, he had attempted an out-of-body experience, only to have a large chunk of his mental energy manifest into this.

According to his experiments, if this object were deployed within a mental space, it would form a harmless barrier, isolating the mind from external spiritual intrusion, and it was remarkably strong. The strange thing was that the interior of the cube contained a projection of Wang Yu’s old bedroom.

Since he had already told Avia about his world, giving this to her as a parting gift seemed like a fitting choice.

"This is?" The girl looked at the object in Wang Yu’s hand, puzzled. Despite her broad experience, she couldn't quite fathom what it was.

In truth, Wang Yu didn't fully understand it either, but as long as it worked, that was enough.

"It’s a small mental defense trinket. Store it in your mental space, and you should be able to trigger it whenever you need. I think free will is our most precious treasure; if I can help, I don't want others to influence your mind."

"Ah?" The girl took the cube. It was unclear whether the translucent object was material or spiritual, but it was accepted by the girl with ease. As she opened her mental energy to touch it gently, the object drifted softly into her mental space.

If Wang Yu were to look now, he would see the cube floating and bobbing gently within the castle that represented her mental space.

"Thank you!" The girl hadn't expected this slightly dull guy to give her a gift, and she was delighted.

On a sudden impulse, she leaned over and pecked Wang Yu on the cheek, then turned and ran away, her flustered back hiding a face that had turned bright red.

Touching the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him, Wang Yu shrugged, wearing a somewhat helpless smile. What was this all about...

……

Avia ran back to the room she shared with her mother. The moment she opened the door, she saw her mother watching her, her expression strange, a playful smile on her face.

The girl froze for a moment, then noticed her mother’s smile becoming even more peculiar. She touched her own crimson face, realized what was wrong, and felt even more embarrassed.

Her mother pulled Avia close, her tone teasing, "What did your knight say?"

Avia was at a loss. When had her mother become so unconventional? She was a bit like Aunt Lilia.

"He’s going to the Royal City," the girl replied.

"Hey, do you want to go with him? I mean, right after, without staying on the estate."

She glanced at Mira. Although she felt she should stay to help her mother, under her mother’s gaze, she nodded honestly.

"Then go. Don't worry about it. I was just like you back then. If you want to, then be brave and do it. There’s nothing you can't do." Mira suddenly wore a look of reminiscence, as if seeing her younger self.

"Ah?" Avia was stunned. Her gentle mother had such an experience too?

"Don't think about it, go to sleep. You still need to recover," her mother said with a smile, pushing Avia toward her bed.

"Goodnight, Mother." Avia lay down.

"Goodnight, rest well," Mira responded, extinguishing the magic crystal lamp in the room.

The room plunged into darkness. Closing the door to her daughter's room, Mira walked to the living room and sat down before a floor-length mirror.

Her expression shifted back to that strange smile—the one Avia had seen earlier, peculiar and playful, though Avia had been too distracted to notice the anomaly at the time.

Words drifted from Mira’s lips. Though only one person was speaking, it sounded as if she were conversing with another.

"You still haven't given up. No matter how much you try to distance your daughter from yourself, the fate of your family will never change."

"How could I give up? This is my only daughter..."

"It's useless. What is owed to the devil must eventually be repaid. The void affinity you possess—the stronger it becomes, the greater the price you must pay. You should feel it; no matter how you resist, you will eventually return to the void."

"You are right, but that was a contract signed by our ancestors. I do not acknowledge that it has anything to do with us!"

"That is not for you to decide. When you make a deal with the devil, you must be prepared to lose everything, including your descendants. The kind of void affinity your daughter has—I don't even know what price she will have to pay for it. Hahahaha."

"What if that is her own innate talent?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, how could that be? You think she is one of those pathetic evil gods? Even if it were her own talent, she would still have to pay the price. After all, that is what the devil is. You should worry about how much longer you have to live, hehehe..."

"..."

The eerie conversation ended, and the room fell into a deathly silence.

(Volume One: Welcome to the New World, concluded. Tomorrow will be the attribute sheet, the future plans for this book, and a special mention for a reader I am particularly grateful to!)