Renith’s hood was suddenly yanked off, and her headscarf was sent flying by an invisible force, revealing hair as brilliant as molten gold and a pair of deep blue eyes that seemed capable of seeing straight into one’s soul.
“The scent of holy light?”
There was a hint of surprise in Balubalen’s deep, low voice. He sensed the pure magical fluctuation that Renith had released for just a moment, and couldn’t help but drop to one knee.
“I greet the heaven—”
Balubalen’s words were cut off before he could finish.
Renith quickly picked up the fallen silk scarf, put her hood back on, and reached out to support the half-kneeling Balubalen.
“I am not an angel, nor a goddess.”
“Holy light is one of a kind, but its scent does not lie. You can only be—”
Balubalen was somewhat stubborn, his gaze firm, as if he had his own judgment about Renith’s identity.
Seeing this, Renith knew she could not easily persuade this obstinate old general, so she had no choice but to fabricate another lie.
“My name is Renith. I am Anlude’s… disciple’s disciple. My teacher passed on to me the holy light magic after it was analyzed. I also know of the great military achievements you earned during the Demon War.”
As she spoke, Renith observed Balubalen’s reaction.
As she talked, she remembered that for convenience’s sake, she had once had Alegya and the others announce that she had perished together with the Demon King during the campaign against him. So Balubalen had no idea she was still alive, and would naturally assume that Anlude had no daughter. She immediately corrected herself.
When Balubalen heard this, a flicker of delight passed through his eyes. He finally remembered where that sense of familiarity came from.
“So it was that kid!”
He murmured to himself, then shook his head, a look of reminiscence appearing on his face.
“Though now that I think about it, your magic just now did carry traces of that fellow. No wonder I subconsciously took you for a boy. But he barely ever spoke, and I didn’t interact with him much… That’s why I didn’t think of it right away.”
“But how are you going to prove you belong to Anlude’s circle? From what I remember, Anlude had no disciples back then.”
Though Balubalen was old, his eyes were still sharp. His gaze swept up and down Renith as if he meant to see right through her.
“Sorry, this is necessary. You understand, I’m sure.”
Balubalen added.
Renith understood as well. In this era of chaos, where even the Mage Tower had fallen into the hands of the “Chosen Ones,” one naturally had to verify the identity of a stranger who was a mage.
“Back then, Anlude… my grand-teacher, and Mr. Hettis… gave you a great deal of supplies. They forced them on you, and you couldn’t possibly use them all.”
Since she needed to prove herself, she should mention something only the two of them would know. But Renith and Balubalen were not close, and all she knew was that he was terrifyingly strong in a fight.
“Hmm… that is true. That is indeed something only we would know.”
Balubalen nodded, and the wariness in his eyes relaxed a little.
To be honest, Balubalen could have ended the identity verification right then, but he was curious to hear what else Renith had to say.
“Actually, those resources were prepared in advance by Mr. Hettis…. You refused quite a lot, which is why they still haven’t been used up even now.”
Renith continued, and as she spoke, she pulled out a considerable amount of resources from her codex. These were the very resources Balubalen had not taken back then, and now they served perfectly as proof.
At the time, Balubalen had taken about seventy percent, enough for ten thousand soldiers to use for several days. The remaining thirty percent seemed impossible to ever use up.
That was why Hettis later went on his spree of throwing money around.
By the time they reached the Demon King’s castle, there were still quite a lot of resources left.
Balubalen stared at the bottles and jars Renith pulled out, a trace of nostalgia flickering in his eyes.
“To think they’ve been preserved so well. Truly remarkable.”
He murmured to himself, as if he had returned two hundred and eighty years into the past. Back then, he had felt he had enough resources and did not need Hettis’s, but now the troops under his command were still struggling to get by.
Perhaps this was fate’s mockery?
Seeing these familiar bottles and jars, Balubalen finally believed Renith’s words completely. The person before him had deep ties to Anlude, Hettis, and Alegya.
“Since you are the disciple’s disciple of my brother Anlude, then I naturally ought to look after you…”
As Balubalen spoke, a kindly smile appeared on his face.
“Unfortunately, I am already old. I am no longer the great general of Ongler City that I once was. My abilities are gradually fading, and my troops are constantly on the run for resources. Otherwise, for a friend’s disciple, I would surely do everything in my power to look after you.”
Renith detected a different meaning in his words. She probed tentatively:
“Are you connected to the resistance in Ongler City?”
Balubalen had not expected Renith’s mind to work so well. He had not said anything yet, and she had already guessed it.
“Such impudence! You should call me Grandpa!”
Balubalen said in mock anger.
Renith stiffened. She knew Anlude was probably not younger than Balubalen, right? Calling him Grandpa would throw the generational order into complete disarray.
But seeing Balubalen’s suspicious look, she had no choice but to comply.
“Very well, Balubalen… Grandpa.”
Renith called out helplessly.
“Good, good, good!”
Balubalen’s brow smoothed and he beamed with delight.
Renith suspected the old man was happy because he had gotten the better of her. But since he was pleased, she would just go along with it.
“Indeed, it was I who organized the resistance in Ongler City. But the people’s hearts are not with me. They would rather live without pain, so I could only recruit outsiders.”
As Balubalen spoke, a hint of helplessness showed in his eyes.
“But how can outsiders shed blood for a city that does not belong to them? And how many truly possess perseverance and resolve?”
He let out a long breath from the depths of his heart, as if setting down a burden weighing a thousand pounds.
“I once stood at the front of the ranks, commanding an army of ten thousand, weaving through the battlefield. Now I probably cannot even command a force of a few hundred. I truly have grown old.”
Balubalen laughed at himself.
“So… what Grandpa means is, you want me to help the resistance?”
Renith asked tentatively.
Balubalen shook his head.
“My advice is not to go. There is nothing worth helping. My troops are already on their last legs. Though I did have that idea earlier, you are a friend’s disciple, and I will not let you take the risk.”
He paused, then continued:
“The choice is yours. You can also just walk away now, and I will not blame you.”
“You have seen it too. Those ‘Chosen Ones’ are all monsters. Take the one you met today, for instance. He calls himself Morist of ‘Perseverance.'”
That fellow was indeed a monster. He possessed Hettis’s swordsmanship, the favor of heaven, and the “blessing” of that unknown deity. Ordinary means could not kill him at all, and he seemed able to rapidly learn and grow stronger in battle.
The traps Renith had originally laid out, he had walked straight into. But after a few times, he could perfectly avoid every formation and trap.
“Everyone who has crossed blades with him has been killed… I suspect that fellow can learn others’ abilities. Back then, someone challenged him—a former colleague of mine. I hid in the shadows and watched.”
Balubalen continued:
“That person was also a genius. His swordsmanship was outstanding, and he originally had the upper hand over Morist. But suddenly Morist’s moves gradually became identical to his. In the end, the two were evenly matched, and the genius, his stamina exhausted, had his head cut off.”
It was exactly the same as today’s situation, except Morist seemed unable to learn magic, only Renith’s way of moving.
“I will go.”
Renith agreed at once, a trace of resolve in her eyes.
Even if Balubalen had not been here, she would have done so anyway. This was her mission, and her responsibility.
“Not going…? Then… wait, what? That is very dangerous! Even if your strength is decent, those fellows are even more terrifying.”
Balubalen had spent quite a bit of breath, waiting for Renith to refuse so he could send her out of Ongler City and far away from this place of trouble.
But unexpectedly, Renith agreed.
He could have slapped himself. Why did he have to open his mouth so much?
“Balubalen… Grandpa, you worry too much. Even if you had not told me all this, I would still help the resistance in this city.”
Now it was Balubalen’s turn to be stunned.
“Because of this…”
Renith rummaged through her codex for quite a while before she found that wanted notice for five hundred thousand.
“This is… the wanted notice that was plastered all over the streets a few months ago.”
Balubalen looked at the notice.
“That’s right.”
Renith nodded.
“This is me.”
“So this was you… huh? This is you!”
Balubalen clutched his heaving chest. His heart really could not take this kind of shock right now.
“Yes.”
Renith confirmed again.
“So you are the one—the ‘Chosen One Slayer’ who killed a large number of transmigrators?”
There was a hint of astonishment in Balubalen’s voice, and he could not help but sigh:
“The new generation truly replaces the old…”
Even though Renith had lived so long, she always felt a little embarrassed when others brought up that title.
“It is precisely to kill these ‘Chosen Ones’ that I have been wandering the roads. There are still many ‘Chosen Ones’ doing evil on the roads, and I must eliminate them. This is my mission.”
“Mission, is it?”
Balubalen repeated the word, tasting it. The more he looked at the little one before him, the more he liked her.
“So I will confirm one more time. Do you truly intend to help the resistance in Ongler City and drive out the ‘Chosen Ones’?”
Balubalen confirmed once more.
“Of course.”
Renith nodded without hesitation.
Seeing Renith nod, Balubalen could no longer sit still. He ran to the small statue of the Goddess and knelt down like a knight.
“Goddess above, thank you.”
He prayed devoutly.
The moment Renith entered, she had seen the small statue of the Goddess placed on the table. Clearly, Balubalen and Alegya were people of the same era. There was no need for him to devoutly worship her—he should be able to communicate directly with Alegya… just like she could.
Renith stepped forward. She had long wanted to ask about Alegya’s situation, but there were no statues nearby, so she could not communicate with Alegya.
And now there was just such a statue placed right before Renith. There were still many things she did not understand, and Renith intended to ask clearly. Here was an opportunity.
“Alegya.”
Renith called softly, attempting to use the statue to communicate with the heavens.
