Chapter Forty-Three: I Shall Appoint You as My Adjutant

In the early morning, sunlight pierced the thin, lingering mist, illuminating the lake’s pale surface. On the mech’s shoulder, a boy and a girl sat side by side, quietly admiring the sunlight, though their presence stirred a commotion among those on the ground.

“My god, they reserved the whole place just to watch the sunrise!”

“I really envy that girl—her boyfriend is rich, handsome, and so romantic!”

“Oh please, if I had such a beautiful girlfriend, I’d rent out the whole place too!”

The tourists gazed up in envy at the pair atop the mech. One wore a mask, the other a veil, but no one doubted their looks; never had anyone seen a couple with such elegance and poise.

“They’re not a couple!” protested a girl destined to become a princess, clutching her clothes in frustration, though her eyes brimmed with envy as she looked to the girl above. Yet her gaze quickly shifted to the boy. He had grown up—nourished by the magic-net node, the young prince appeared not fourteen, but more like a sixteen-year-old youth. Sitting high atop the mech, with skin as pale as snow and long, flowing hair, he was impossible to look away from.

“He’s inherited all the best features of His Majesty and Winnie…” From a distance, Lady Bai watched with concern. She had never seen an elf more graceful or striking than the young prince, though his outstanding beauty gave her pause—would Linley, like his mother, use his looks to his advantage?

Winnie had made full use of her charm in her youth; in Snow City, eight out of ten had been beguiled by her sweet smile, and even now, many elves in the kingdom still pined for her.

“I don’t think so…” Lady Bai reassured herself that Linley was not that kind of person.

Linley, keeping his promise, accompanied Eve until the sun had fully risen, then cheerfully made his way toward the headmaster’s office at the Paladin Academy—he’d spent a fortune reserving the venue, and now he needed his allowance. Of course, both Eve and the fourteen-year-old princess went with him.

“Your Highness, what kind of magic is this?” Eve asked, eyeing Linley’s blond hair and blue eyes. She sensed no trace of magic.

“It isn’t magic. My body is just… unusual,” Linley replied. News of his awakening had yet to be announced, so all he could do was change his hair and eye color. Once Winnie returned, she adamantly refused to end their game—Sleeping Prince was her golden goose, and she had no intention of giving it up. She’d struck a deal with Linley: the game would continue, but he no longer needed to slumber in the castle.

Winnie would, however, make the challenges more difficult and bar challengers from entering his room.

Thus, Linley gained his freedom, but to maintain the ruse for Winnie’s sake, he could not reveal his true identity outside. Linley didn’t mind. He decided that, once he got his allowance, he would travel to the Night Elf Kingdom.

“You’re going to the Night Elf Kingdom?” Lady Bai paused in surprise as she handed Linley the money. “Why?”

Linley tucked the coins into his earring. “I promised a big sister from the Night Elves that I’d visit her, but I completely forgot. She doesn’t have the best temper—if I don’t go soon, she’ll be mad!”

Lady Bai recalled the rumor. “Is her name Anqi?”

“That’s right.”

Linley’s answer startled the two girls who’d come along, especially Eve, fresh from the front lines.

“When did Your Highness promise to visit Anqi?”

“Hmm, four years ago…”

“…Four years ago.” The Night Elves had declared war on the Forest Elves three and a half years ago—could it be that the war began because the young prince failed to visit?

Such a thought flashed through Eve’s mind, but she immediately dismissed it. “Impossible!”

Lady Bai frowned, deep in thought, before finally saying, “Young prince, there was a coup in the Night Elf Kingdom a few days ago. The queen is imprisoned.”

This was the latest intelligence Eve had brought back, known only to a handful. But it was significant enough that Lady Bai decided Linley needed to hear it.

“That queen—the one who’s been imprisoned—her name is Anqi.”

Linley was stunned. “The queen has the same name as her attendant?”

“No…” Lady Bai sighed. “The big sister you know is the Queen of the Night Elves.”

“Ah!”

Linley was dumbfounded as Lady Bai continued her explanation.

The Night Elves, like the Forest Elves, were once primitive elves five hundred years ago. Unlike the rebels, they remained loyal to the Elven Queen. After her death, their people fractured, and one group evolved into the Night Elves.

They were called Night Elves because of a sacred artifact known as the Twin Moons Wheel.

“The Twin Moons Wheel was the Elven Queen’s defensive weapon. During the day it’s invisible, but at night it emits a faint glow, constantly absorbing the power of both moons,” Lady Bai explained. This weapon granted the Night Elves unparalleled regenerative abilities—they could survive grievous injuries, even regrow lost limbs.

With this weapon, the Night Elves survived their darkest years and built a new nation, but not without cost—now, none among them could leave the Twin Moons Wheel.

“The light of the Twin Moons Wheel gave them new life, but it feeds on the faith of the Night Elves. It grows ever stronger, and any who leave its presence are cursed—at best, they lose their sanity; at worst, their lives,” Lady Bai said, her voice tinged with sympathy. Primordial elves, too, were bound by the World Tree; the Forest Elves were the only ones free of such bondage. The last Elven King had destroyed all powerful artifacts to prevent such tragedy.

The Forest Elves suffered greatly for this, enduring years of hardship, and even now, their strength was far less than in the days before the exodus five hundred years ago.

Yet, seeing the fate of the Night Elves, Lady Bai was convinced their ancestors had chosen wisely: the Forest Elves had learned to survive by their own strength, relying on nothing else.

“In Night Elf society, whoever possesses the Twin Moons Wheel is king,” she said, turning to Linley. “Do you understand what that means?”

Linley nodded. Lady Bai meant that succession among the Night Elves had nothing to do with morals—if Anqi lost the Twin Moons Wheel, she was no longer queen.

“At present, their society is in chaos. The new king has yet to ascend the throne. This is a heaven-sent opportunity for us,” Lady Bai’s eyes flashed coldly. “We can eliminate the threat of the Night Elves in one stroke. Young prince, you now have the right to go there—go to the battlefield!”

“You have grand ambitions, but ideals must be pursued step by step,” she added, making her decision. “I hereby appoint you as my adjutant and place the entire campaign against the Night Elf Kingdom under your command!”

The room fell silent.

Eve was the first to react, her expression turning pale. “My lady, this decision is far too hasty!” Linley may have been a prince, but he had no experience in war. There were over a hundred thousand elves fighting in the Dark Forest—how could their lives be entrusted to a novice?