Asa woke up.

  That was the inn, that room, the pile of hay by the wall, and the oil lamp on the table still looked exactly as it did when I left that night. I was lying in the bed where she used to sleep, with my head on the straw-woven pillow she had used, and although it should have been a long time ago, I could still feel the faint breath on it. The sunlight and noise outside the window were pouring in, this was the morning of Eufu. Asa felt very light and good, and it was as if he had never felt so good before. His hands' tendons and muscles were all so strong, his skin was full of healthy elasticity and complexion. His mind was extremely clear, and he could even distinguish each beastman's voice outside.

  As he walked out of the hotel's gate, the highland morning sun brought a refreshing feeling that seemed to penetrate his body. On the street, beastmen were busy rushing back and forth, chatting, shouting, and making a lively scene with endless energy. The half-beastman owner of the hotel was sitting at the entrance peeling those hard-to-eat root vegetables, and it seemed like another group of merchants had arrived at the hotel, so he would be busy again soon. This city was full of vitality, peace, and harmony. Asa shook his head hard, and the bloody fear in his memories from last night's dream seemed to have disappeared.

  Fragments of memories floated out from somewhere in his mind like wisps of smoke. During that half-dead period, he couldn't move or speak, but could vaguely sense what was happening around him. Although he didn't fully remember, he had a hazy awareness that everything had started anew. The people beside him were gone, and the enemies he had misunderstood were no longer enemies. Now, he was alone in a strange city, with an eerie feeling of loneliness welling up inside him.

  "Lord Sedelros wants to see you at the city hall after you wake up, he has something to tell you." The half-beast boss looked up at him and then lowered his head to continue focusing on the food in front of him.

  "Ah? Oh." Asa nodded.

  They arrived at the city hall, where Cedros City Lord was holding a meeting with the elders of various tribes. Asa was waiting in the city council hall. It was still bustling here, with half-beast and human officials talking to each other, discussing documents, and a few cannibal wolves, lizard people, and others among them. The voices of different languages rose and fell, and the diverse figures mixed and intersected, making the atmosphere inside even more lively.

  General Gru walked in from the gate with a few werewolves and ghouls. These beasts were all equipped with weapons and armor, looking like his combat troops. General Gru just glanced at him twice before nodding to him, leading those beastmen under his command into another conference hall.

  Asa looked at Gru and couldn't help but nod in agreement. Is this the terrifying enemy from his last memory? He suddenly remembered a story: someone who slept in the mountains had a dream, and when they came down, they found that a hundred years had passed, and the world had completely changed. And now he felt as if he had just woken up from such a long dream of a hundred years.

  The world has changed. What about her?

  The meeting finally came to an end. Lord Sedros of Cedlo City walked out of the conference hall with a smile on his face and beckoned to Asa, who followed him onto the main street.

  "Has she returned yet..." Azusa muttered to herself after hearing the words of Cedros, the city lord.

  Cedros nodded and said, "Right, she went back by herself. Go home and get married."

  Those two words "self" sound particularly jarring. Asa didn't know if Sedro was intentionally expressing it that way or if he just heard it that way. He felt like something had slammed into his chest from the inside, stabbing him, very painful, suffocating, and sour, even feeling himself tremble slightly.

  "What do you plan to do?" Sedros asked him.

  Asa walked silently, his face expressionless. The street seemed as lively and peaceful as ever, with people of all shapes and sizes walking, running, shouting, and talking around him. But the commotion seemed like a mere illusion, distant and unrelated to himself. He just kept walking alone, one step at a time. Cedros walked beside him, watching him without speaking, simply accompanying him in silence.

  He finally sighed and muttered: "I want to travel all around, visit various places and broaden my horizons. This is a wish I've had for a long time."

  "Oh? Don't you want to go back to the capital and find her?" Sedros asked in surprise.

  Of course, this is not encouraging, just a little curious. The emotions of young people are usually able to send but not receive.

  "If she wants to leave by herself, she must have her own reasons. What's the point of me going after her?"

  "Oh... young people can actually understand the art of letting go, it's truly rare and precious." Sedros nodded.

  "I don't know what to let go of, but an old man once told me, 'The world doesn't revolve around your feelings.' I think that makes sense. She has her own choices." Asa's mind was muddled, yet he heard himself uttering such seemingly profound and worldly wisdom.

  "Hahaha." Sedros burst out laughing, seemingly very satisfied with the answer. He nodded and said, "Right, only those who are not bound by personal relationships have the qualifications to achieve great things." He pointed at the street like an artist introducing his masterpiece and asked, "First, I'll ask you, what do you think of this city?"

  "Alright." Asa nodded.

  "But you know, two years ago this was just a barren land. And the army of the Einfast Empire was about to wipe out the beastmen on this high ground. This species, which is almost as human as we are, would have disappeared from this continent forever. You see, their history is actually as long as ours, but with completely different cultural forms. They were stuck in their primitive way of life and ancient beliefs, refusing to communicate, refusing to progress. As humans grew stronger, they became weak and barbaric tribes. But look at it now."

  His expression was no longer showing off his work, but like a father showing off his son.

  "Look at this scene of vitality. Every beastman is working hard to build their own home. Have you ever seen such a vibrant city? Their original beliefs and way of life have completely disappeared with the destruction of their past tribes. The young survivors of human slaughter grew up in positive self-struggle, opening up to humans and losing their hatred. They no longer believed in non-existent gods and ancestors, but in freedom, legal systems, effort, and struggle. In just two years, they built this city, which will become even stronger in the future, possibly even the most powerful nation on this continent. I led them, but I am not the ruler here. This place does not need a ruler. In the early stages, I guided them, and later we will further perfect the laws and systems, letting the residents govern themselves. A country with such beliefs, freedom, equality, effort, and vitality is the greatest nation. Creating this city from scratch, building this nation, what could be more interesting or meaningful than that?"

  He waved his hand casually, his gray hair and wrinkles not diminishing his energy and grandeur.

  "What about personal relationships, love? Those fleeting things compared to these great undertakings that can change history, change the course of civilization, are nothing."

  Cedros looked at Asa, and the young man's eyes were full of determination and hope. "I can tell you're a very capable person, how about it? Are you interested in helping me build this nation with General Gru? Believe me, the joy of pioneering and progress is unparalleled, and you're still young, who knows, maybe one day you'll take over and lead this country." The words that came out of his mouth made every young man's heart surge. "At that time, the development of the entire continent will be changed by your hands."

  "Whatever." Asa shook his head listlessly. "I'm really not interested in all that big stuff. Now I just want to travel and have adventures freely."

  "I was wrong about you." Sedros stared at him for a moment before suddenly smiling.

  "What?"

  "You're not just tied down by personal relationships, you don't even know how to be tied down. You fundamentally don't know how to face your emotions. You're afraid." The old man smiled slyly. "You're still too naive, too kind-hearted. But those old guys' logic is something you've learned a bit too much of. Hehe, sometimes it's better to know less about that sort of thing, even if it is correct."

  Asa didn't say a word. He was now annoyed in his mind and didn't even have the interest to delve into the meaning of this sentence.

  "But I advise you to return to the imperial capital for a trip." Sedros handed over a scroll to Asa. "This is the transmission scroll left by Bishop Ronis, asking you to go back after waking up."

  The capital, the duke's manor, the wedding. These associations flashed through Asa's mind immediately, and he shook his head saying: "I really don't want to go back to that place again. It's not bad starting a journey like this."

  "You'd best not be running around everywhere. The Elves are looking for you all over the place." Sedelos suddenly remembered something and said, "That's right, if you're going back to the Imperial Capital, be careful of Duke Mlarak."

  "Aren't you in cahoots with him?" Asa was taken aback by the reminder. "Has he been helping you block the news of Eufor's establishment all along?"

  Cedros looked at him meaningfully and said, "Anyway, be careful. I've heard from Xiao Yi about the story of you two in the swamp. It seems that you're probably the soldier who ran away from General Gulu's command?"

  A Sa nodded.

  Sedelos said: "In the past two years, nearly a thousand people have been silenced by us, and you are the only one who can escape from General Gru's hands. Because of the war prevention during this period, General Gru is very busy, but he asked me to tell you that last time was a misunderstanding, but it was really an interesting battle, hoping to have the opportunity to fight with you again."

  "However, I don't find it interesting at all, and I also don't hope to have such an opportunity again."

  Cedros patted Asa on the shoulder and said, "Alright, you go back. I have things to attend to as well."

  "I said I wouldn't go back..." Asa muttered.

  He was determined not to go back. He wanted to make up his mind, but found that he had no energy in his heart at all.

  A few days later, a blue light flashed in the teleportation magic array of the Imperial Capital Magic Academy.

  The blue and white magical aura surrounding him dissipated, Asa found that in the blink of an eye he had come from the wilderness to the magic array of the Magic Academy.

  Finally back.

  Asa stepped out of the Magic Academy, gazing at the unfamiliar streets of the royal capital with a sense of bewilderment. He had been feeling this way for some time now - lost and uncertain. It was as if there was an empty space within him, making him feel unwell, yet at the same time, something seemed to be stuck in his throat. Although he had long decided to go on a journey, he had no idea which direction to take. After walking alone in the wilderness for several days, he suddenly and inexplicably pulled out a teleportation scroll from his sleep in a solitary thicket and activated it.

  "I'm back again." Asa walked back into Sandru's large house, pushing open the door. This was his home in the capital.

  Sander old man is still messing with corpses, as if he will only do this kind of thing forever. Seeing Asa come back is still the same, not surprised or astonished, looked at him a few times and said: "This time why do you feel so listless?"

  Asa walked closer and took a look at Sandru's bearded face with hair that was hard to distinguish, shook his head and said: "Because I still have to work here, so I'm not in the mood."

  It's still hard to bear the emptiness inside, maybe living here for a while will make it better. Asa misses the simple life he had with Shandru in this place before.

  "Oh?" Sandro was a bit surprised. "It's rare to see such a credible young person these days, I had almost forgotten about it. I heard you were beaten half to death in the west for stealing that book? Fortunately, I've already retrieved the book, considering your professionalism and credibility, the work you owed me before is waived. You're free now, do whatever you want."

  What's wrong? What do I want to do? Ah Sa stared blankly into space.

  "By the way, return that work uniform to me." Shandru waved his hand and glanced at him. "It seems a bit dangerous for you to wear this thing now."

  Asa took off the long gown and handed it to him. Shandru spread out the legendary top-notch defensive equipment on the table, and casually placed a few hands and feet on it.

  In the shops on Wangdu Avenue, Asa spent money for the first time to buy a set of clothes. He didn't know how to choose and didn't need to say anything, just took out a shiny gold coin and naturally had the boss and apprentices come over to serve him. After putting on the clothes, he also combed his hair and shaved his face under the strong request of the boss. When he looked in the mirror, he was quite surprised and didn't know that he actually looked like this. It seemed that he wasn't much different from those young knights of noble families.

  Asa suddenly remembered that the Archbishop and the Duke's appointment documents were still given to him by Sedlos, and it seemed that he should return these to them. Unconsciously, he slowly walked to the front of the Duke's mansion.

  After the servant had announced him, Duke Moraq himself came to the door to greet him with a friendly and benevolent smile on his face. His deputy, Knight Klauvis, was not seen, as the duke naturally knew what kind of person should be present in what situation due to his worldly experience.

  "I've been waiting for you, I must thank you properly for rescuing my little girl from those kidnappers' clutches." The duke led Asa into the ducal mansion. Although he was still smiling so brightly, he was secretly in a state of turmoil.

  The daughter returned home before the wedding, which made him feel at ease. Although his daughter didn't mention much about what happened outside, the duke still roughly estimated from her occasional words that the young man had arrived in Oufu City and might have discovered that he was the one blocking the news of building Oufu Castle. What if this gets out? He had already deceived him once before, and it would be difficult to deceive him again. Should he just kill him to silence him? No, provoking the bishop's wrath would be even more unbearable. Where should he start... This opponent was indeed a tough nut to crack. He wasn't interested in power or money, and his previous misunderstanding that the young man was infatuated with his younger daughter seemed to be clearly incorrect. As for his older daughter who returned after chasing after him, she seemed to have had some sort of encounter, but she would be getting married soon, and one pawn couldn't be used in two places...

  Compared to the Duke's mind which was like a galloping horse, Ah Sa seemed like a wooden stump. He followed the Duke in the Duke's mansion with a wooden expression. The place was still as luxurious and beautiful as before, with servants walking around busily decorating and setting up lanterns, a joyful atmosphere filled the air.

  "Father, sister's wedding dress is ready for fitting, please go and take a look." Chris ran over from the front, looking a bit surprised to see Asa, her astonished gaze lingering on him.

  "You come and take a look too, little girl can have today all thanks to you."

  Upon hearing the Duke of Marlborough's invitation, Asa suddenly had a strange feeling in his heart. It was a sense of finally finding what he had been searching for. He now understood why he had inexplicably returned and why he had unconsciously walked to the duke's mansion - it was all to see her.

  He followed the duke down a short corridor. He felt as if he had never walked such a difficult and thrilling path, every step down could hear his heartbeat squeezing blood up to his head, constantly rushing upwards.

  At last, after turning over a doorway, she appeared before his eyes.

  She was no longer wearing the dirty adventurer's outfit, but a snow-white wedding dress, like a fairy in a myth, her jet-black hair was also neatly styled, no longer casually tied up. Her face was lightly painted with rouge, and her eyebrows were slightly made up, she had never looked so beautiful before.

  Boom. Asa felt that her originally empty chest was filled in an instant. It turned out that the missing place was her.

  She saw Asa. First, she showed unbelievable surprise, then a wave of blush rushed up her cheeks, making the rouge on top look awkward. Although she tried hard to restrain herself, there was a flash in her eyes. Her body trembled slightly.

  It seems that the emptiness of so long is going to be compensated all at once, and the feeling in his chest is not only full, but also turbulent and overwhelming. Countless huge impulses collided with each other, entwining and colliding, about to burst out from his chest cavity immediately. Looking at the sparkle in her eyes, his heart ached. The pain was like a knife stab.

  As long as she makes a single call, takes a step, makes a move, or gives him a glance, he can rush over immediately, and the fury in his chest is about to erupt. No matter if this is a duke's mansion or an imperial palace, even if it's a sea of flames with thousands of soldiers and horses, he will draw his sword and take her with him to fight their way out. To hell with their separate lives and what the world is like.

  However, she finally restrained herself, blinked her eyes, and the sparkle in her eyes disappeared. All the traces of excitement gradually returned to calmness. Moreover, she even bowed to him like an ordinary guest, and smiled slightly.

  Asa could hear the sound of his own internal organs shattering, being ground alive by the tsunami in his chest.

  The duke's slender eyes flickered between the two, and with his keen insight into human emotions, he naturally saw everything clearly.

  "My dear daughter is truly the most beautiful bride in the world." The duke's thoughts were inscrutable, but he was a perfect picture of a doting father on the eve of his daughter's wedding, embracing her warmly and kissing her face. "You take your time getting ready, I still have some business to attend to with Mr. Asa."

  "Come with me." The duke patted Asa on the shoulder.

  Asa's soul was not in her body, and she followed the duke into a room like a walking corpse. The duke personally closed all the doors and windows. It wasn't until then that Asa realized this seemed to be the duke's bedroom.

  The bedroom is a place for sleeping. A person usually only fully relaxes when they are asleep, so the bedroom is the home within a home, a true 'den', a truly private space that belongs to oneself. This most private of places would never be used to casually receive guests. And if it were really used to receive someone, there could only be two possibilities: one is that there was no other place available, which would not happen in a duke's residence where there are always places to discuss matters; the other is that the matter being discussed must be of the most private and secretive nature.

  The duke looked at Asa and said, "Little Yi is getting married the day after tomorrow. To a marquis's son from the Ernie family, Knight Clauvius." It was strange that his face no longer had its signature warm smile, replaced by a cold indifference.

  A Sa's face was expressionless and his voice was devoid of any emotion as he responded with a simple "oh".

  "But Xiao Yi didn't like him and even hated him. He also didn't like Xiao Yi. But they still had to get married, do you know why?"

  "I don't know." Asa replied almost reflexively, still in a daze.

  "Because of power. After I marry into the Erni family, it will be greatly beneficial to both sides' powers, especially mine. My position and actual power in the imperial court will rise sharply because of this. You've been to Oufu and seen that beastman city, you also know why I would take such a great risk to help them come up with a plan to block the news of building the city?"

  Even if Asa was dazed, he shook his head in surprise at the Duke's straightforward and somewhat shocking frankness: "I don't know."

  "It's all about power. After the establishment of Eufu City, it will have a huge impact on the internal affairs of the empire. I'll marry into the Erni family again and ride the wave of political turmoil to rise to the top. I might even become the one above all others." The Duke of Mira's eyes gleamed with an eagle-like light, which was probably something no one had ever seen before. "But you also know why I'm so obsessed with power, don't you?"

  "I don't know." Asa was somewhat shocked, he felt that there was something unusual in the duke's words.

  The duke looked into Asa's eyes and said in a voice that was completely different from his usual gentle tone, like a knife: "Because I once saw the woman I liked being taken away by someone else, just like you. And that person may not even be as good as my little finger."

  "At that time, I was younger than you, as carefree and free-spirited as you are now. I wandered the world alone, fought on battlefields, drank heavily, and sang loudly. I liked a woman very much, and she liked me too. I thought that with just one sword in my hand, I could protect the woman by my side, and I didn't worry about anything else in this world. But unfortunately, this world isn't just for two people. She had to become a noble's concubine to maintain her family's status and interests, and eventually died in war. From then on, I realized that an individual's power is insignificant in a society made up of countless people; only authority is the true power in this society. So I've been striving to climb higher, faster than anyone else, and higher than anyone else."

  Asa stared at him in amazement, for this man who had always been so deep and calm was now more passionate and fanatical than the most frenzied heathen.

  The Duke's expression was overflowing with genuine emotion and vibrant vitality, something that even the most skilled acting could not imitate. A clumsy and inarticulate fool, once he expressed his true emotions and excitement, could convince listeners emotionally, even if he couldn't persuade them with reason. And the Duke was by no means a fool.

  "I can see that Xiao Yi likes you very much, she is my daughter and I understand her. I also see that you like her too. In you, I saw the shadow of my past self. However, this marriage is absolutely unchangeable, it involves political struggles and perhaps even the lives of millions of people. At this point, there is no room for personal feelings anymore."

  The duke's eyes locked onto Asa's, his sorrowful and pitiful expression saving him like a martyr. "Do you feel pain? Do you feel sad? Do you feel helpless? Do you want me to tell you how to overcome such pain?"

  A Sa stupidly stared at the Duke, listening.

  The duke stretched out his hand. "Come with me and make a fortune. You're a capable and promising person, I've already told you all my secrets, and you can ride the wind and waves to reach the top of society with me. Only by getting the greatest power to stand at the pinnacle of this society can we control it instead of being controlled by its forces. At that time, you can let your emotions transcend this society. You can get everything you think of without having such pain again. You're luckier than I am, and you can even regain what you've lost."

  True emotions are the most precious things in everyone's heart, and the more profound and worldly a person is, the less likely they will easily show them to others. However, only those who can use this truly precious thing as a means of communication are the ultimate masters of manipulation.

  No one is unmoved by someone else's genuine emotions, especially when this passion is also the words hidden in their heart.

  The duke saw something burning in the eyes of the young man in front of him.

  No young person is immune to love, and no young person can be isolated from the grand passion that tramples the world underfoot. When these two come together, they are enough to make the young elements in their blood boil, burn, and even*.

  But with a long sigh, the flame in this young man's eyes went out again.

  Duke, I'd rather live a carefree life. And she... wouldn't want me to be like this either. I'm touched that you shared your true feelings with me. Please rest assured, I won't tell anyone anything.

  He escaped, and didn't even dare to glance at the room she was in. He feared that if he looked at her again, he would recklessly agree to the duke's proposal.

  He hastily turned the corner and collided with a person. He was about to let go, but this person exclaimed with joy and hugged him tightly.