On the other side, Lin Gui took Theia.
Taking advantage of the opportunity while Caran City was besieged by the demon army and their attention was completely diverted, they quietly left that precarious giant city.
During the month he spent hiding in Caran City observing the situation, Lin Gui had keenly noticed an opportunity.
Since the Legendary demon Moragus had moved out in full force to lead the demons in the siege of Caran City, the interior of the Black Demon Forest must currently be in a relatively "empty" state.
With his current Mana Reserve, attempting a long-duration, long-distance trek deep into the forest would still be taxing.
However, simply slipping through the gaps in the outer demon encirclement was not difficult.
Relying on the powerful concealment effect of the Shroud of the Gloomy Night and the mobility of Levitation, Lin Gui and Theia moved like two breezes blending into the shadows.
They crossed through the closing demon army without a hitch and set off on the road back to New Covenant City.
After an absence of over a month, when Lin Gui’s figure finally reappeared beneath the gates of New Covenant City, the guards on duty first froze in surprise, and then their faces exploded with unbelievable ecstasy.
“Mage! It’s Master Mage Lin Gui! You’re back!!”
A scar-faced guard captain rushed forward in excitement, his voice actually cracking slightly.
“We all thought you... you had already... I don’t know what happened, but the Black Demon Forest has been rioting frequently lately, it was just too dangerous! I didn’t expect you to return alive!!”
Safely returning from two consecutive demon riots was in itself the best proof of strength.
Lin Gui smiled and didn’t offer much explanation, simply pulling a letter from his backpack with a practiced motion and stuffing it into the captain’s hand.
“Here, the reply for you; your parents are perfectly fine, they told you not to worry.”
The captain took the heavy family letter, his eyes turning red instantly.
He gripped the letter tightly, too moved to speak.
Lin Gui patted his shoulder and candidly walked through the city gate with the exceptionally beautiful and eye-catching elf girl by his side.
None of the guards stepped forward to block them.
They even skipped the routine interrogation, their gazes filled with respect and gratitude.
The story of Lin Gui risking his life to deliver letters for commoners had long since spread through New Covenant City.
As people learned more about how he had also come from a background as a beggar and become a mage through his own efforts while still remaining willing to work hard for those at the bottom, this respect transformed into widespread goodwill.
Theia curiously looked over the small city where Lin Gui lived.
New Covenant City’s scale was far inferior to Caran City’s.
While called a city, it was more like a large town.
With fewer than ten thousand households and buildings that were mostly low and old, it was far from being prosperous.
However, the atmosphere of ordinary commoner life and the genuinely friendly gazes of the people when they looked at Lin Gui gave her a feeling completely different from that of Caran City.
At Lin Gui’s request, her unique blood-red pupils were temporarily masked with magic to appear as the emerald green most common among elves.
Initially, Theia was reluctant, feeling it was a form of compromise or betrayal.
But Lin Gui convinced her.
“This isn't submission; it’s just to avoid unnecessary trouble.”
“Once we reach that legendary City of Equality, you can show your true self without any reservations.”
“You don't want to fall on the road before we even reach Avalon, do you? Especially while taking me with you.”
Only then did Theia reluctantly cast the spell to change her eye color.
The news of Lin Gui’s return spread quickly, as if it had grown wings.
Soon, those who had entrusted him with letters excitedly put down their work and surged toward the Adventurer's Guild from all directions.
When Lin Gui led Theia to the guild entrance, a familiar scene played out once more.
He was instantly surrounded by an excited crowd.
“Master Mage! You really came back!”
“Thank you so much! You are our family’s great benefactor!”
“I knew you would succeed! You really are incredible!”
“Sob... we thought something had happened to you before, we’re so sorry...”
The crowd was filled with gratitude, admiration, and self-reproach for having previously assumed he had met with disaster.
Lin Gui looked around at these familiar and unfamiliar faces, but he sighed softly in his heart.
Those over one hundred replies that couldn't be delivered would inevitably cause some people’s hopes to fall through and deal them a heavy blow.
He raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.
Once the noisy crowd gradually calmed down, Lin Gui took a deep breath and told them the truth.
“This time, I took a total of 679 letters with me.”
“I am very sorry... but in the end, only 512 letters were successfully delivered to their recipients.”
An uneasy commotion and whispering immediately broke out among the crowd as feelings of disappointment and worry began to spread.
Lin Gui sighed, his voice slowing down as he comforted them.
“There were many reasons why the letters couldn't be delivered... I might not have found the person, or perhaps they moved to other distant city-states. So...”
He didn’t say any more; some facts were cruel yet unavoidable.
He stopped talking and began to call out the names of the clients whose letters had been successfully delivered, one by one.
Every time he called a name, a cheer erupted from the crowd.
The person whose name was called would jump up joyfully and step forward with great excitement, taking the reply from afar with both hands as if receiving a holy relic.
Lin Gui’s announcement was like a Registry of Fate that decided joy and sorrow.
Those whose names were called felt as if they had been given new life and wept for joy, while the anxiety and despair of those who had yet to hear their own or their relatives’ names gradually intensified.
Finally, the last reply was collected.
A few dozen dazed and sobbing figures remained in the hall.
They turned and left in silence, their backs filled with endless sorrow and loss.
Looking at them, Lin Gui felt a pang of sharp pain in his own heart.
His gaze fell upon the small boy in the corner who had never left—Loken.
Lin Gui walked over, knelt down, and looked at this unusually mature and calm boy, speaking softly.
“Loken, I found your mother, Corona Wilke. She is still alive. However... she doesn't want to, or rather, she cannot send you a reply.”
Thinking of that woman who just took a silver coin and tossed the letter away, Lin Gui didn't know how to speak the rest of the truth.
The people receiving the letters were a diverse bunch; most were moved to tears, but there were also those who were dismissive and did not cherish the longings sent to them.
Loken’s body trembled slightly, and then he showed a smile that was relieved but also carried a hint of bitterness.
“Thank you, Master Mage. I... I understand now.”
This answer had perhaps been within his expectations all along.
Nearby, Theia looked at the boy curiously and whispered to Lin Gui.
“Who is he?”
Lin Gui stood up and watched Loken’s small back as he silently walked away, whispering back.
“A child... who was personally pushed off a carriage and abandoned by his mother.”
After delivering all the letters he could, Lin Gui felt a deep wave of exhaustion.
He turned to Theia and said, “Don't think about too much today. Go to my home and rest for the night.”
Theia’s face turned slightly red as she nodded softly. “Okay.”
In his mind, the system prompt for completing the daily commission had already sounded.
However, Lin Gui was in no rush to check and draw the rewards; he needed to settle Theia in first.
He brought Theia back to his home in the slums.
The house was very small and even a bit crude, but it was kept clean and tidy, with everything one could need.
Theia curiously looked over the place where Lin Gui had grown up, finding nothing special about it, except for his tiny magic study room.
The study room was piled high with draft papers covered in all sorts of strange symbols, diagrams, and numerical formulas.
Theia had also studied some magic and could understand common spells and runes, but the content on these papers left her completely confused and at a loss.
After settling Theia into the only bedroom to rest, Lin Gui sat alone on a small stool in the living room.
He finally calmed his mind, preparing to claim the rewards for this long delivery journey.
‘System, draw the rewards.’
Rate on N.U.
