Many people like to drink when they're happy. Because once they're numb, all the other trivial emotions and rationality are gone, leaving only happiness, and then they feel even happier, ridiculously happy.

  Rodhart is now very happy. At first glance, he doesn't seem to be a good drinker, his face turns red after one cup of wine, and his eyes are slightly scattered, showing some drunkenness. However, no matter how much he drinks later, he only maintains that tipsy feeling without getting drunk further, so he always stays in a state of slight intoxication, his rationality is not lost but he can also freely express his emotions. This is undoubtedly a very welcome and useful talent at the wine table.

  More than a month ago, he escorted Chris back to the Duke's mansion. The Duke and he had some contact, talked for a while, and immediately saw with a very professional eye that this was a rare talent. It is known that talents are hard to come by, but it is even harder to find someone who can be loyal and devoted. A young man with good qualifications, no family background, and no political stance. This kind of talent cultivated based on emotions is the real confidant who can be entrusted with important tasks. So the Duke let him stay, and also signed him up for the upcoming competition to recruit members for the Holy Knights.

  "In this life, if I had to say who I'm grateful for and respect, there are only two people. One is my deceased grandfather, and the other is you. If it weren't for you, I would have died long ago, and I wouldn't have had the opportunities I have now. My growth and progress are all because of your influence. You're not just someone I respect and am grateful for, but also a friend. Ah, to have a friend like you is truly my good fortune." Rodhart's handsome face turned red as he spoke his heart out, fueled by the wine.

  Many people like to drink when they are heartbroken, thinking that if they get drunk enough, they won't know anything. However, such people usually find it hard to get drunk because they keep worrying about why they're not getting drunk yet, and as a result, they often can't get drunk at all.

  This is how Ah Sa is now. His head has started to spin, and his limbs have begun to feel numb, but his mind seems to be getting clearer, even able to distinguish between four parts sadness, three parts worry, two parts anger, and one part regret.

  To be honest, he hadn't thought much about this friend before. Compared to the other person's attitude of always keeping him in mind as an idol, he felt a bit guilty. With this distraction, his sadness and worries seemed to weaken a little.

  Rodhart asked him in a tone that was almost thirsty, whether he planned to settle down in the imperial capital and explore the world together. His original ambition, which had been extinguished by cruel reality, reignited fiercely as he opened his eyes to new possibilities. "What things in this world don't require power? What things can't be solved with power? I used to think that justice, light, and love could transcend it all. But even if those things exist, they still need strength to be realized." He looked at Asa, his half-drunk eyes full of respect. "This is the truth you've taught me."

  A Sa gulped down a cup of whiskey like drinking plain water, and looked at him with a drunken gaze, shaking his head and saying: "You're wrong. I only know that when I'm hungry, I eat; when I'm tired, I sleep; and when I think of something, I do it. Where can you understand such profound principles?"

  "No, it's just that you made me realize the importance of strength." The half-drunk young knight was very certain that he was his own idol. "And after coming here, I finally realized that in this society, the most important power is status, it's authority."

  At least half of his intellectual progress is due to the credit of Duke Mraak. The duke was a saint when it came to dealing with such passionate young people. A slight movement, a small language, can make them spontaneously filled with the fighting spirit that the duke needs, and use them for their own purposes.

  "Let's do it together. As long as we two are of one mind, this world..."

  "Not interested." Asa finally felt a bit dizzy and satisfied.

  "You're too high-minded." Rodhart shook his head and sighed, even this refusal he thought was a manifestation of moral integrity. "You know, this world is like a kitchen, no matter how exquisite the dish is, it must be greasy and dirty to make it. Can't you stand high above those mediocre fools and look down on them? Instead, are you willing to let those bastards who think they're superior just because of their birth do whatever they want in this world?" Rodhart's face was flushed with a vibrant glow, the alcohol had brought out the vitality he had been suppressing deep within him.

  Christie suddenly appeared at the door of the tavern, running in with a bang and hitting Rodhart on the head, scolding: "Actually dare to drink here in broad daylight."

  Rodehart, who was full of grand ambitions and seemed to have the world in his grasp just a moment ago, was taken aback by this and rubbed his head with a somewhat embarrassed expression, looking at Asa with a smile and making a silly face.

  This smile made Asa feel that this friend was much more likable and lovable. Even if he said he wanted to pursue power at all costs, in essence, he was still a simple and lovely young man after all.

  Kris stared at Asa with her beautiful, single-lidded eyes as if he were the strangest creature in the world. Then she suddenly clapped her hands: "So it's really you! I was wondering why you looked so familiar. You've changed into such casual clothes that I almost didn't recognize you."

  It wasn't until then that she finally recognized Asa. Apparently, in a woman's eyes, a man's attire is usually more distinguishable than his facial features.

  She sat down beside Rodhart without ceremony, picked up her glass and drained it with a flourish. She first expressed lively interest in Asa's new clothes and his intention to go to the duke's mansion, leaning forward with sparkling eyes: "Hey, what have you been doing with my sister these days? I think she looks strange..."

  "It's just a trip, and by the way, help Archbishop with some things..." Asa felt that these two wine friends were one more unpleasant than the other. The more they shouldn't mention it, the more they wanted to bring it up.

  "Come on, don't try to hide it from me, I've already figured out what's going on. I've known my sister for 18 years and have never seen her act so strangely as she did today. She used to be able to walk through crowds of people infected with the plague like nothing was wrong, carry corpses... even when Dad told her he had arranged a marriage for her, there wasn't even a flicker of emotion on her face. And yet yesterday, when she saw you, she shook all over. After you left, she looked like she'd lost her soul..." She sighed and smiled wryly, revealing two dimples that were quite intoxicating. "This is just like the stories in books. A noble lady and a young man from a lower class fall in love and secretly get engaged, but then she has to marry someone else because of her parents or some other ridiculous reason... it's just fate playing tricks on us."

  "So that's what you've been worried about..." Rodhart finally realized. The two had met, but Asa hadn't said a word, and even after being dragged to the tavern, he just kept drinking silently.

  Asa didn't intend to deliberately hide it. In fact, he would have liked to find someone to pour out the bitterness and sorrow in his heart and let friends share it with him. However, there were many secrets mixed in the story of him and Xiao Yi, such as the Duke's plan, the leaves of the World Tree, and the Death Spirit Association. The fewer people who knew about these things, the better. Especially now that Rodhart's relationship with the Duke was very subtle.

  Rodhart looked at Chris beside him, also the Duke's daughter. He let out a long sigh and patted Asa on the shoulder, saying: "Forget it, let go. A man should prioritize his career after all. Emotions are beautiful, but there's no need to be stubborn about them. If you get something, consider yourself lucky; if not, then that's fate... When it's time to let go, just do so."

  Ah Sa let out a long sigh. Many things in life can't be put down just by saying so. The more beautiful something is, the harder it is to part with, and the more painful it becomes.

  "What the hell are you talking about? They're not even broken up." Chris slapped Rodhart again. She turned around and looked at Asa seriously. "I followed you out here on purpose because I want to ask you something: do you really like my sister?"

  A Sa closed her eyes and looked at the ceiling, raised the empty cup to take a sip, and surprisingly didn't realize that nothing had entered her mouth. She murmured vaguely: "What's the use of liking?"

  "As long as you like each other, that's all that matters. This is the most important reason why two people can be together. I'm sure my sister likes you too." She seemed to have finally solved a major problem and her tone became more relaxed. "As for the current difficulties, they are just minor external factors, which can be said to be a necessary test of your feelings. Don't worry, it's all up to you."

  "What's the point?" Both Asa and Rodhart were stunned. They really didn't understand how this could be made any worse, if such an external factor had to be described as "a little", then it would be hard to find a bigger "point" in this world.

  "Where are you living now?" Chris asked.

  "That big house on the west edge of town. That's where the Magic Academy stores dead bodies." Asa replied obediently.

  "You go gather your things and wait there. I'll have my sister come find you at midnight." Chris's voice was soft, but every word ripped through Asa's nerves like a razor. "Elope."

  "Run away?" The words startled both Asa and Rodhart out of their drinks.

  Rodhart looked at the bold proposer, carefully and solemnly saying: "Chris, this is not a joke. Do you know how important your sister's wedding is and how significant the relationship involved is?" Of course, he wouldn't really know what was hidden behind this marriage, but even if it were just a political alliance between the Duke and the Ernie family, that alone would be enough to make all personal feelings take a back seat.

  "Nothing else matters, only my sister's happiness. I have only one sister and I hope she will be happy for her whole life. For a woman, the greatest happiness is to be with the one she loves. Women never need grand or heroic things, just gentle warmth and happiness together."

  "But this thing is really......" Rodhart scratched his head, it was really hard to accept.

  "Listen, I'm warning you seriously. If you dare to leak this thing to my dad, just wait and see how I'll deal with you..."

  "Alright alright alright..." Rodhart nodded hastily. "I'll behave myself..."

  "Have you... already told your sister about it?" Asa's throat was dry, his voice shaking slightly. "Was it your sister who asked you to come..."

  "No. She still doesn't know. I came to find you myself. I'll tell her about the plan after I get back."

  "She won't agree to it. You don't know... Since she chose to come back by herself, she has chosen responsibility and commitment to others..."

  "She'll agree to it. You don't know, probably not even she herself knows. In fact, she's far from being as strong and rational as she thinks she is. I understood that when I saw her expression just now. That's why I came to find you." Chris smiled slightly. "You go back and wait for now."

  A Sa quickly returned to the big house.

  "You're back just in time, you bastard. Come help out." Sandru was busy dissecting and loading the organs of corpses, as if the Magical Academy was going to conduct experiments again.

  Asa followed closely behind, helping Sandru arrange the corpses. His mind was now in a mess, feeling annoyed. Even more so than when he left the Duke's mansion.

  He had actually given up, abandoned all hope. He even had a perfect speech prepared in his heart: wasn't this carefree situation what he had always yearned for? During the time when he was being pursued and tormented by guilt, hadn't he been striving to achieve just this? He no longer needed to be hunted down because of that secret, nor did he need to feel guilty about her injuries. The book had also helped Sandru get back on track, everything had been resolved, and he was finally free. Now he had returned to the starting point where he had first escaped from Carrendo, and his dream of a life of free travel was about to unfold. This was his life, this was truly his own thing. As for what plans the Duke wanted to implement, or what marriage she wanted to have in Eufo City, these were all things that had been predetermined long ago. No matter how he thought about it, it was useless - this wasn't his life to begin with. Now that he had withdrawn from those conflicts he had inadvertently become entangled in and returned to the starting point of his own life, wasn't this a good result?

  But now, there's a glimmer of hope again, and the emotions that had been dormant suddenly erupted, colliding fiercely with his abandoned rationality. The most painful thing is that he can only wait here for the unknown outcome, one moment excited in the beautiful light of hope, the next plunged into the fear of disappointment. He felt this way for the first time, feeling like he was going crazy.

  "Cut off that hand for me." Shandru handed over a saw. Asa took the saw, his mind continued to churn with emotions, holding down the wrist and sawing downwards.

  Bang! Xander slapped him so hard his eyes saw stars. The old man clutched at his ear, hopping around and yelling: "Damn it, you crazy bastard!"

  "Ah? Oh. Sorry." Asher only then realized he was pressing down on Sandru's hand with the saw. Luckily, he pulled his hand back quickly.

  "Are you thinking of women?" Shandru frowned at him.

  "En." Asa nodded. He had no intention of hiding anything from this old man, and he would tell him everything if he asked. Of course, Sandru wasn't interested in hearing his story, nor was he a good listener for pouring out emotions and troubles.

  "Women, oh women. Troublesome waters. Troubles." Sandru suddenly became sentimental. His half-dead voice seemed to be filled with emotion, but it sounded like a dying moan instead. "The most troublesome thing about them is that you know they're troubles, yet you can't help but go looking for trouble." He patted Asa on the back. "The best way to deal with troubles is to stop thinking about them and just focus on your own business. If she's meant to come, she'll come naturally. If not, it's better that way. Just let go of the troubles and move on."

  Asa looked up and thought for a moment, then sighed. "Yes, what's meant to come will come."

  It was late at night and Duke Mraak felt tired.

  It's extremely rare for him to do so. He once had an astonishing record of working continuously for three days and three nights without sleep or rest. Even now that he has reached middle age, his abundant physical strength and energy are still undiminished, as is his fighting spirit and ambition.

  He feels tired now because he had too many emotional ups and downs today.

  Today, his sincere advice failed, leaving him feeling somewhat frustrated. This is completely different from the 'sincerity' he can show at any time in his daily life. He hasn't expressed his true feelings like this for decades, whether in public or private.

  And another reason is his daughter's upcoming wedding.

  This was part of his grand plan, and the successful operation up to this point had made him feel quite accomplished. However, at the same time, it was also a death sentence for his daughter's happiness. He could sense that his daughter was heartbroken when she saw the young man. For a father to personally carry out this death sentence would not be easy.

  No one knows the groom's character and temperament better than he does. He absolutely won't make a good husband. He won't even consider this as a marriage, but just a purely ceremonial performance. The duke is even certain that he won't even touch Xiaoyi's finger.

  Alas, it's all come to this. The duke sighed and prepared for rest.

  A servant rushed in and reported: "Duke, something's wrong. The second young lady has gotten into trouble. She caused a disturbance at the casino, even injured someone, and is now surrounded by people from the casino."

  "This dead girl." The duke stood up in anger. Behind the casinos of the capital, there are big backers, and many are even royal relatives. Although it is said that nothing should happen, he still has to go through the motions.

  Not long after the duke left the mansion, a figure climbed over the wall and quietly headed west.

  Xiao Yi was dressed in a completely unremarkable outfit, and she also wore a hat that was pressed very low. Unless someone made a point to look, no one would have recognized her as the duke's daughter who was about to get married.

  She walked quickly on the street, her heart beating fast. She never thought that she would be moved by her sister, whom she had always taught. The decision she had made with great determination and firmness seemed to crumble easily. In a daze, she accepted her sister's plan, and in a daze, she really escaped. Generally, even the most determined rationality is no match for emotions.

  She dared to guarantee that this was the most absurd and daring decision she had made in her life.

  But it was also the happiest decision. Gradually walking out of the bustling central streets, the surroundings became darker and darker. However, with every step she took towards the dark west, she felt that the world had become more lovable.

  "It seems we're traveling the same road." A hoarse voice suddenly emerged from the darkness not far from him. "But I never expected to have a bride accompany me on this night journey."

  Xiao Yi was startled and jumped back. She didn't notice anyone there at all, let alone think that the other person would recognize her in an instant.

  "Don't be afraid. Maybe we're going to find the same person after all." A soft, gentle glow lit up on this person's hand, illuminating his figure. It was an old man clad entirely in black robes; even with a smile, his gaunt face looked majestic.

  "Archbishop Ronis." Little Ybi was even more surprised to discover his presence. The dignified archbishop was actually disguised in a black robe, and like her, sneaking through the night road. This kind of thing would be unbelievable if told to others.

  Bishop Ronis smiled faintly, shook his head and sighed: "Since we've met here, it seems best if none of us go. I also have something to say to you, come with me."

  It's daytime now.

  A Sa struggled to get up. He had slept on the stone threshold at the entrance of the big house for a whole night. Amazingly, he was still able to fall asleep. He was surprised at himself. Although in the middle of the night, he was awakened by the footsteps of wild cats outside several times.

  He still didn't come. Asa looked up at the sunlight that had just climbed over the horizon, feeling a bit dazzling, let out a yawn, and shed two lines of tears.

  Forget it, forget it, just forget it. Is she still sticking to her choice? I'll just mind my own business then. Asa decided to head to the adventurer's guild to buy some stuff and prepare for his journey.

  Four white horses were pulling a white carriage towards here. Asa recognized that it was the carriage of Bishop Ronis, but didn't know what he came here for so early in the morning.

  "Bishop Ronis requests your presence." The chauffeur said respectfully to Asa.