The forestry development contract with Clausure Company was signed three years ago…
Before that, the villagers had almost all lived according to the ancient traditions of the elves, rarely setting foot outside of Jingye Village.
But the name and image of Iyue Nelf had already been brought to every town and village in the Sea of Trees through ballads, statues, and paintings since the end of the Great War…
Even those elderly elves who hadn’t left the forest for nearly a thousand years knew that their race had produced an unprecedented, peerless great hero.
“Chief… it might be my imagination… but don’t you think this portrait looks a bit like Ilya?”
“That Ilya who lives outside the village and ran off with a human man? Tsk… just like her mother. How could someone like that possibly look like our great hero? It’s your imagination.”
The village chief remembered when his son, who was still in the village back then, had once held that portrait distributed by the Ranger Corps and asked him that very question… and that was how he had answered.
A murmur rose from the villagers.
‘Ilya… Iyue… The timing does match up.’
“How could it be… Then that human man who took her away back then… was the Hero?”
The villagers began to panic. The looks they now cast at Iyue no longer held the previous concealment and hesitation… but a desperate urge to shift blame and the fawning that arises when facing an insurmountable power.
“Miss… Miss Ilya… no, Lady Iyue…!”
Ya Ke, the porter who had greeted Iyue at the village entrance earlier, stepped forward, his pleading voice trembling noticeably.
“We… we, humble folk, didn’t know… truly didn’t know you were from the Nelf family… and our great Hero!”
“If we had known your identity, we would never have dared to—!”
“Please, for the sake of old times, forgive us!”
Led by Ya Ke’s voice, more voices rose one after another.
Apologies. Excuses based on ignorance.
Pleading and begging for mercy for the sake of old times.
“Hey now… you people have some nerve, don’t you?”
Lian glared at the villagers with an angry face… However, Iyue just stood motionless in place. She listened to these words, but her expression didn’t change at all.
Only when these voices gradually died down did she slowly speak.
“During the years I was gone, who regularly cleaned my house?”
The villagers froze. For a moment, several people wanted to open their mouths, but the cold look Iyue swept over them made it impossible for them to utter a false word.
Forest Ranger Leiji sensed the strangeness in the atmosphere and slightly furrowed her brow… but in the end, she did not intervene.
Iyue waited a little longer… She withdrew her oppressive gaze, but still, no one responded.
She let out a soft sigh.
“…I see.”
She wasn’t disappointed at all… because when she ran from the chief’s house into the woodland, she had already been deeply disappointed. What she was doing now was merely confirming.
But in truth… she still held a tiny sliver of hope in her heart.
She wanted someone to step forward, stand tall, and tell her that they were the one who had cleaned her house in the years she was gone.
“This place is no longer my hometown.”
It was just a pity that no one did. Her gaze quickly swept over these faces that were familiar, yet felt utterly strange to her now.
“As for the Nelf family—I do not hold any titles or inheritance rights within the family, nor will I pursue any responsibility from you using that surname.”
Upon hearing this, the villagers seemed to grasp a lifeline, a glimmer of hope appearing on their faces.
Iyue paid no mind to their changing expressions and simply continued:
“I have only one demand.”
Only with this sentence did her voice become extremely grave.
“From now on, do not go near that woodland. Do not go near that house.”
After saying this, she no longer looked at them and turned away.
Perhaps they were right… The moment she left with the Hero, Ilya died. What remained was only Iyue Nelf… just Iyue Nelf.
“…Instructor. Although I don’t know the specifics of what happened, I feel you probably don’t want to stay here now.”
Leiji stepped forward and extended an invitation to her in a solemn tone.
“Since there is no longer any business for the Ranger Corps to handle here, we should be leaving. Our squad needs to rendezvous with the Quiet Wind Patrol General Headquarters and return to Fenglin City for a meeting… You want to go to Fenglin City, right? If you are willing to travel with us…”
“I do indeed have important business that requires a trip to Fenglin City…”
Iyue turned her head to look at Lian.
“Alright. Traveling with the Ranger Corps would be very convenient, I suppose.”
“Fine. I’ll go get my horse first.”
“Good…! Then we’ll wait for you at the village entrance!”
Leiji immediately turned to arrange the team. After the Ranger Corps withdrew, Iyue walked into the middle of the crowd and found Harold.
“What is your command, Lady Iyue?”
“What about the worker whose hand I injured?”
“The c-company will compensate him according to the contract…”
“Where is he?”
Harold hurriedly led Iyue to the worker… The worker was being supported by a colleague, and his hand with the broken finger had already been bandaged.
“You… you are the Ranger…”
Seeing the Hero who had shot and broken his finger standing before him, the worker shrank his shoulders.
“I’m sorry.” Iyue took off her hat and bowed deeply to him in apology.
“Ranger… I am not worthy…! Please, don’t do that…”
“If you trust me, please raise your hand.”
In his shock, the worker hurriedly extended his hand… and Iyue drew “Silver Moon,” loading into it a peculiarly shaped bullet that shimmered with a purple glow.
“What are you doing?!”
Harold ran over in a panic, trying to stop her… but Iyue had already raised the gun and aimed it at the worker’s palm.
“Huh?”
The worker froze… he didn’t react in time.
“Please believe me.”
Under the horrified gazes of everyone, Iyue fired at that palm… but the expected scene of blood and gore did not appear.
“Ah…! I… I’ve been shot! I’m going to die!”
Cold sweat drenched the worker’s body… He shouted with a pale face and began searching his body for a bullet hole… but couldn’t find one anywhere.
Then he felt an intense itch at his wound… something seemed to be growing there. Trembling, he unwrapped the bandage and discovered that a brand new finger had grown out.
He moved the tender, white finger in disbelief… but Iyue stopped him.
“That just grew out. Don’t move it too forcefully. Let it adjust for a few days first.”
“Stop gawking! Hurry up and thank Lady Iyue…!”
Harold slapped him on the head.
“No need for thanks. This is what I should have done.”
“Iyue.”
“That thing was a ‘Magic Bullet,’ right? You used a ‘Magic Bullet’?”
Lian, who had witnessed everything, asked her.
“Yeah. Counting the four used before… there are only two left now.”
Iyue sheathed “Silver Moon” back into the holster at her waist… then pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat pouring down her forehead.
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