Chapter 39: Lin Wei, the Adventurer Worth Watching
Chapter 39: Lin Wei, the Adventurer Worth Watching
"Alright, Operation: Escort Miss Iresha to Safety—complete!"
"Let’s take a breather before heading out again. I really do recommend this place."
Lotai, in a cozy café.
Lin Wei lounged comfortably in a plush armchair, savoring a cup of black tea. Sunlight spilled through the windows, and a gentle breeze rustled the branches outside, casting shimmering patterns across the tabletop like ripples on the sea.
Across from him, Iresha propped her chin in her hand, wearing an expression tinged with pride.
She couldn’t help but ask, curiosity piqued by Lin Wei’s eager anticipation as he examined the letter of recommendation. "So, you’re planning to go to the Imperial Capital?"
"Hmm? Didn’t I mention it back in the labyrinth?"
Iresha remembered how he’d pulled some strings to handle his residency papers, but this goal—heading to the capital—she was certain he’d never brought up before.
"No, you didn’t. Why are you going there, anyway? Are you really planning to work in the capital?" It wasn’t exactly a secret worth hiding. Lin Wei waved off her curiosity, answering offhandedly.
"Yeah. Like I told Bishop Alec: It’s already been a year since I joined the Empire, but because my resident status was under review, I’ve been stuck here in Lotai. Now that I’ve finally done something noteworthy and have a chance to negotiate, of course I want to leave and see somewhere busier for a change."
"After all, even ordinary people in other cities probably dream of going to the Imperial Capital, right?"
Not to mention, he’d already promised Veya he’d work there.
Especially after today—there was no way that guy Oshu would let things go quietly. No matter how you looked at it, heading to the capital was the best option.
After all… it was a bit too brazen to bury someone right after a conflict, even if you couldn’t stand them. No matter how irritating that guy was, it wasn’t worth risking exposure over him.
"But now I’m more curious—what do you plan to do next?"
Lin Wei glanced over at her, unable to keep the question to himself.
"After all, your argument with the Hero today was pretty intense."
"According to him, your group is heading north past the Border Wall soon. If you don’t resolve this, things could get dangerous on the battlefield, right?"
He wasn’t trying to stir up trouble—just offering some friendly advice, considering how much he owed this woman.
From the battle reports, it seemed the demon forces in the Fallen Lands were already in retreat, and even the northern fortress was at risk of being retaken.
But back when the demons were on the rise, he’d personally promoted many of their officers—tactics, strategies, all manner of cunning plans.
Even if he didn’t know who commanded the demon army now, the way their forces were collapsing felt… off.
There was no way the Fallen Lands were as safe as they seemed right now.
"This problem…"
Truthfully, she’d been thinking about it for a while now.
Iresha tapped her fingers lightly on the table, falling silent at Lin Wei’s question.
She realized that her perception of Oshu had changed—unexpectedly and profoundly.
After more than a decade apart, it had seemed only natural when The Holy Church sought her out, inviting her to join the Hero’s party against the Demon Lord. When she learned Oshu had become the Hero and would be on the team—everything just seemed to fall into place.
She’d agreed without hesitation, prepared to defeat the Demon Lord and return home, ready to honor her father’s memory with news of her vengeance fulfilled.
But in these past few days, everything she’d hoped for had been shaken to the core. She was forced to realize that Oshu was no longer the boy she remembered.
He could be unreasonable, lose his temper, and play favorites on a whim.
The constant friction between him and Eileen had become a powder keg.
No matter how nostalgia tried to color her view, she couldn’t ignore the truth anymore.
Especially after hearing Lin Wei explain those fundamental concepts in the labyrinth—notions she’d never even heard of: stacking magic to enhance its quality, combining dual-layered spells to amplify effects… Each term shattered her old understanding of magic.
It made Iresha realize that, for all her supposed genius, there was still so much she didn’t know.
Up until now, everything had gone too smoothly. It wasn’t until the goblin disaster struck that she was forced to confront reality: the world was far less safe than she’d imagined.
Could their current party really defeat the Demon Lord as they were? Was there nothing any of them needed to improve?
Cracks had begun to form in their team—splintering, threatening to break them apart.
Oshu wasn’t as reliable as she’d remembered, and she herself still had a long way to go.
"I’ll give it some serious thought."
She could be indifferent about most things, letting her teammates pick up the slack if she wanted. But this—this was different. When it came to defeating the Demon Lord, to utterly destroying that wretched monster—
The memory of roaring flames and her father’s resolute figure in his final moments would never fade.
Iresha clenched her fists, her usually proud face now uncharacteristically earnest.
"I’m going to stay here in Lotai for a while. I’ll talk things through with the others before I decide whether to head for the Border Wall."
"After all, there’s no do-over when it comes to fighting the Demon Lord. For me, there’s only one shot at taking him down."
To lay the Demon Lord’s severed head upon the soil of her homeland—only then could she bring peace to her father and the souls of all who had fallen.
"Mm… Well, good luck then." Lin Wei smiled. "Hey, do you want me to stick around and help later?"
"I mean, you did give me something pretty valuable. I’d feel a little guilty if I didn’t at least do something in return."
He scratched his head, half amused by the rare pang of conscience. What a kind and benevolent Demon Lord I am—Hakivi, who would’ve thought you actually had a heart?
"It’s just a talk, not a breakup. Besides, Rayne and Kokoxi get along with me really well. Even if I do end up arguing with Eileen, I won’t come out the worse for it."
If your relationships were really that great, you probably wouldn’t have invited me to the Adventurers’ Guild alone today, Lin Wei thought to himself, unable to resist a silent jab.
But since she’d made her stance clear, there was no reason to press the point.
"In that case, good luck, city dweller. It’s about time I head back to Aurens Town and pack up—so I’ll be off."
"Mm, goodbye, Lin Wei!"
Chances were, they wouldn’t see each other again anytime soon.
His tall, steady figure waved as he walked away, sunlight pouring over him in golden splendor.
"He really is pretty handsome," Iresha muttered under her breath, quickly looking away, embarrassed to linger.
"I should go talk to the others too!"
Taking a deep breath, she downed the rest of her coffee in one go.
With Lin Wei already vanished beyond the window, she rubbed her face, steeling her resolve, and strode outside.
◇
[To the Esteemed Acting &*? Lord,]
[The plan to engineer the goblin disaster has officially failed. Although we successfully obtained firsthand, reliable experimental data—ensuring we can fully utilize it for our future counterattacks—failing to take Lotai was certainly a miscalculation. I will conduct a thorough review of my actions.]
[On another note, just as we predicted, the Hero’s party is fracturing and will be unable to pose any threat to us in the near term.]
[When the day comes that our counterattack succeeds, I imagine that so-called victorious Pope Selena will have nothing left but to pray desperately to her god… unable to do much else, hmm? (laughs)]
[I will continue to carry out the next phase of support as planned. Please look forward to the day our glory is fully restored.]
[P.S.: During the suppression of the goblin disaster, an adventurer named Lin Wei displayed some rather unusual behavior… Perhaps it would be worth investigating any connection between him and the mysterious figure who appeared near Lotai not long ago? He warrants attention.]
[—May your beauty remain undiminished.]