Chapter Sixty-One: Youth Shall Never Return

Outside the Astrological Hall, the night elves stood guard at the doors, their expressions tense, allowing no one to enter.

“How strange, there’s no sound coming from inside.”

“Do you think the boss is in trouble?”

They waited for several minutes, growing uneasy at the utter silence within.

“Fools! When masters face off, the opening is all about posturing—no one dares make the first move!” said the captain of the night elf guards, now clad in black, his tone seasoned with experience. “Both the Boss and the Chief Astromancer are the best of the best. Once they begin, the commotion will be immense…”

He hadn’t finished speaking when a thunderous crash erupted from the Astrological Hall, making the whole ground tremble.

“Heavens!”

“What a powerful shock!”

“They’ve started fighting!”

The night elves nearly lost their footing from the force of the tremor. Such a disturbance could only mean a fierce battle inside.

The crashes and shaking lasted for ten minutes, during which the night elves anxiously sweated for their boss. At last, Linley, inside the hall, finished prying up the final flagstone and stopped his work.

“You really weren’t lying. There’s not a single treasure in here,” he said, wiping sweat from his brow and tossing his shovel back into his earring.

“I told you, Your Highness, why would I have any treasures?” Hera replied, relief flooding her heart. Linley’s treasure hunt had left the Astrological Hall pockmarked and ruined, its former grandeur reduced to rubble. Thank goodness she’d hidden her treasures at her private residence, or everything would have fallen into Linley’s hands.

“Forget it,” Linley relented. “No more searching. Let’s go.”

He took a few steps toward the door, then paused.

“No, this isn’t cautious enough—you’d better take off your black robes first.” Linley turned to Hera. “If I say I killed you, they might not believe me. It’s safer to pretend I’ve captured you.”

Hera nodded. When a powerful mage dies, their magical energy returns to the world, causing a magical resonance—a new king would not be fooled. But if Linley claimed to have captured her, the new king wouldn’t suspect her of betrayal.

Linley bound Hera with anti-magic chains and led her out the door.

“I’ve defeated the Chief Astromancer. Zero, you take charge of her now!”

As soon as they stepped outside, Linley handed Hera over to Eve.

The other night elves were stunned by the sight.

Heavens! Their boss was so strong—the Chief Astromancer had lost! She could incinerate five hundred demons with a single fireball, and yet the boss had subdued her alone. Did this mean he could cut down five hundred demons with a single stroke?

“Boss, your sword!”

Suddenly, one of the black-clad elves noticed Linley’s broken sword and gasped.

They remembered the boss saying this was his ancestral divine sword, five hundred years old, seized by his forebear from a demon general on an ancient battlefield. It had survived countless wars and could slice through iron as if it were mud—yet today, it had been broken.

What an intense battle that must have been! What sort of terrifying magic could shatter the boss’s divine sword?

“The boss sacrificed so much!” the night elves thought, moved by the sight.

Linley caressed his sword and sighed mournfully. “Before my father passed, he entrusted this blade to me. It has accompanied me for decades, and I’ve always regarded it as a brother. But now it is broken—that was its fate. To win, we must be prepared to sacrifice.”

“Boss!!” The night elves looked at him, their faces full of emotion.

Eve, holding Hera captive, couldn’t help her lips twitch. If your father knew you were cursing him dead, who knows how he’d feel.

“Boss, let’s help you find a new sword!”

“Yes, a better one!”

“Thank you for your kindness, but divine weapons are rare. Don’t trouble yourselves. If you come across a legendary weapon, that will suffice,” Linley replied, waving his hand nonchalantly, impressing the night elves even more.

Look at the boss’s noble character—such sacrifice for justice, without the slightest hesitation.

“By the way, what’s that noise outside? It sounds lively…” Linley heard great cheers from beyond and stepped forward to take a look. “Could it be the new king’s army already…?”

He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Before the Astromancer’s Hall surged a black sea of people—countless night elves armed and assembled, most dressed in black, the few without black garb had covered their faces with whatever they could find.

“Boss! Your speech and courage have won everyone over!”

“Boss! Our comrades fill the square!”

“The organization’s numbers have surpassed nine thousand!”

The night elves reported to Linley in excitement, and a thought flashed through his mind—maybe he’d gone a bit too far.

Still, with so many comrades, Linley was deeply moved. How could he not play along?

He raised his broken sword and shouted, “Comrades, rejoice! I have captured the Chief Astromancer—we have won an unprecedented victory! The new king has no power of prophecy; he is a paper tiger. We will defeat him and seize ultimate victory!”

A thunderous cheer erupted from the assembled elves.

Amidst such adulation, Linley left the Astromancer’s Hall.

“Long live justice!”

“We’re so moved!”

“You’re the hero who will save the night elves!”

All along the way, crowds shouted to him in excitement, their fervor overwhelming. For Linley’s safety, the elves found a carriage, had a turncoat guard clear the road, and Eve herself drove Linley out of the city.

Standing atop the carriage, Linley waved continuously.

“Comrades, thank you for your hard work!”

“We stand for justice!”

“That’s right—down with the wicked new king!”

He shouted until his throat was dry, then ducked into the carriage for a drink.

“What exactly did you feed them to make them so bewitched?” Hera finally asked, unable to contain her amazement. The outside world seemed mad with worship for him.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Linley replied, drinking his water. “By the way, Hera, I heard you once served the Queen. What did the new king offer to win your loyalty?”

“Nothing. I rather liked the Queen, actually,” Hera replied unexpectedly. “If I could choose, I’d still serve her—life was much freer under her reign.”

“Then how did you become the new king’s confidante?” Linley was surprised; the Chief Astromancer was clearly held in high regard by the new king.

“I’ve loved a man since childhood—two hundred years now,” Hera admitted, her cheeks reddening. “His elder brother was our previous king. The Queen killed him. When the new king rebelled, he joined the cause, and I wanted to help him.”

Helping the man she loved was understandable. For someone as old as the Chief Astromancer, Linley hadn’t expected such devotion.

“That man can’t possibly betray the new king, can he?”

Hera nodded. “He’s the new king’s right hand. He’s now in charge of imprisoning the Queen’s princes. If you want to rescue her, you’ll have to face him. He’s not like me—his will is unshakable. You won’t persuade him.”

Linley thought that made sense. With his brother slain, there was no way he would defect.

This would be a good opponent—if he couldn’t be talked down, there’d be a glorious fight. Linley’s fighting spirit kindled.

“I see. Still, I’m amazed. You’re so clever and so adept at timing—what kind of man could escape your grasp for two centuries?”

“Oh, chasing men is easy for me,” Hera said with some pride. “But he’s different—he surpasses me in every way. I can do nothing with him.”

Linley felt a bit sorry for her. “I understand. I’ll try to go easy on him.”

“No, don’t—just beat him half to death, tie him up, and deliver him to me!” the Chief Astromancer said quickly. “I’ve wanted him for so long.”

Youth does not return; this rare opportunity would not be wasted—Hera had resolved to seize him, no matter what!