When Lu Yuan opened his eyes, it was already bright outside.
Sunlight squeezed through the cracks of the wooden window frame, casting several warm yellow bands of light across the stone-tiled floor. He lay there for a few breaths without moving.
The grogginess in his mind had completely vanished, and in the corner of his vision, the line of grey-white text floated quietly.
【Sanity: 140/140】
His Sanity had completely restored to its maximum, and his long-damaged Sanity barrier could finally begin to repair itself automatically...
Lu Yuan stared at the numbers for a couple of breaths, then threw off the blanket and sat up.
His quarters in Oakwood City were more comfortable than he had expected—a two-story cottage with stone walls and a wooden frame. On the windowsill sat two pots of unnamed green plants, their leaves thick and emerald green, glistening with a fine layer of dew.
Such things were practically nonexistent in Bronze City, where the entire city reeked of bronze rust and was covered in inscription patterns, preventing even roadside weeds from growing. It was different here. Pushing open the window and looking out, everything within sight was lush and green. Creeping grass grew along the base of the walls, some kind of vine climbed across the roof ridges, and in the distance, continuous stretches of paddy fields shimmered with a glossy green in the morning light.
He withdrew his gaze and got dressed.
The matter of losing contact last night still weighed heavily on his mind. The communication crystal had clearly been interfered with, but since he was in Oakwood City, he was out of reach, and worrying would do no good.
The tasks before him took priority: first, go to the Oakwood City Nightwatchers branch to complete the handover. Once the people were delivered, the documents archived, and the coordination with the local branch cleared up, he would hurry back.
When he went downstairs, Bo Er was already waiting in the courtyard.
“Sleep well?” Bo Er leaned against the doorframe, a blade of grass dangling from the corner of his mouth. Seeing Lu Yuan come out, he spat it out.
“Good.”
“That's more like it. Since we left the city, your complexion has been getting worse by the day. Today, you finally look like a living person again.”
Lu Yuan didn't reply and walked toward the courtyard gate. Bo Er caught up, and the two made their way along the stone-paved path toward the branch.
Oakwood City by day was completely different from what they had seen in the twilight of the previous evening.
The entire city was built atop a broad, gently sloping hill. The terrain rose gradually, with the city laid out across the flat summit. Looking in all directions, the view stretched incredibly far. Outside the city walls, terraced fields unfolded layer by layer, extending all the way to the distant horizon.
With no mountain forests nearby, the surroundings were entirely flat paddy fields and herb gardens, interspersed with irrigation canals that shimmered under the sunlight.
In this kind of terrain, it was virtually impossible for anything eerie to hide. With nearly ten thousand acres of fertile fields spread out in all directions, there wasn't even a corner to seek shelter in. No wonder this place was so peaceful, starkly contrasting with Bronze City, which was covered in wall-to-wall inscriptions and filled with an air that permanently reeked of oppressive bronze rust.
The branch was in the east of the city. The Nightwatchers emblem hanging over the lintel could be seen from two streets away.
Though not as large as the one in Bronze City, it was fully equipped. The moment one stepped inside, it was clearly a proper branch setup, complete with a duty room, archives, and an armory. Several Nightwatchers in the same dark grey uniforms as those back in Bronze City were coming and going.
Lu Yuan scanned the area as he entered and got a sense of the place.
The branch's roster wasn't small, with at least thirty to forty brothers stationed here. Although it was a far cry from Bronze City, the highest-ranking officer in charge was only a Grand Captain, with no Vice Director present.
A man came out from the back to greet them.
He was quite advanced in years, with graying hair and deep, ravine-like wrinkles carved into his face. He wore a dusty old grey coat with sleeves rolled up past his elbows, revealing sun-bronzed forearms.
At first glance, he didn't look like the person in charge of the branch, but rather like an old man who had just returned from harvesting herbs by the fields.
Yet as soon as Lu Yuan drew near, he felt it. The transcendent fluctuations on this man were terrifyingly deep, carrying a steady and heavy aura that was on the exact same level as Kraus's.
“You must be Lu Yuan?” The old man extended his hand. “I am Otto. I run this place.”
Lu Yuan shook it. The old man's hand was rough, and the strength in his palm was heavy and steady.
“You brought the escort documents, right? Come, sit down, let's get the paperwork done.”
Otto led them into an inner room. The branch was neat and tidy. Unlike the tense atmosphere that constantly loomed over Bronze City, the Nightwatchers here simply nodded to Lu Yuan and went about their business, their faces relaxed.
The documents were spread out on the table. Lu Yuan handed over the handover letter prepared by Kraus. Otto flipped through a couple of pages, verified the seal and the headcount, then picked up a pen and signed the archiving page.
“Over two hundred people, escorted all this way. Not easy.” Otto set his pen down, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Lu Yuan with a measuring gaze. “How is that old fellow Kraus doing lately?”
“Still the same,” Lu Yuan replied briefly.
“Still the same means not good.” Otto chuckled and shook his head. “That man... carrying an entire city on his own shoulders without showing a hint of it on the surface. No one can see how exhausted he is behind closed doors.”
He spoke in a casual tone, but his words carried an understanding that could only come from years of working together.
Lu Yuan didn't reply, only nodding.
He knew about Kraus's situation far better than most.
The old man was plagued by old injuries, with ghouls suppressed beneath him, The Man on the Wall locked away at the top of the tower, and several factions in the city tangled together. Yet, not a single word of these matters could be spoken aloud.
Otto didn't press further. He archived the documents and stood up.
“Alright, the paperwork is complete. Your mission is officially over.”
He paused, then added another line.
“Isabella will probably want to see you again.”
His tone was flat, but when he said “probably,” the hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth couldn't be hidden.
Lu Yuan glanced at him.
This old man was overly polite. From the moment Lu Yuan stepped through the door, his attitude and the level of hospitality didn't seem like they were meant for an ordinary escort captain. Rather, it felt like he was receiving someone whose background had already been shared in advance.
He had a rough idea of what Kraus and Isabella had discussed beforehand.
As they walked out of the branch, Bo Er muttered from behind.
“That senior is not simple.”
Lu Yuan hummed in agreement, saying no more.
With the handover finished and the paperwork done, all he wanted now was to return to Bronze City.
In the corner of his vision, the progress bar for the 【Bronze City Status】 information was already nearing its limit. Once he returned and maxed it out, it might yield something new.
But before leaving, there was still one thing to take care of.
He had to meet with Isabella. He was the one who had escorted those two hundred-plus people here, so he had to clarify their future arrangements before departing.
Before Lu Yuan could take the initiative to seek her out, Isabella had already sent someone to invite him.
It was the same administrator from yesterday. Still a man of few words, he led Lu Yuan out of the branch, through most of the city, and to a manor near the herb fields in the south.
The manor wasn't large, with stone walls and a wooden gate. A batch of freshly harvested herbs was drying in the courtyard, filling the air with a bittersweet fragrance.
Isabella sat by a stone table in the courtyard, two cups of tea placed before her.
She had changed her attire today. Unlike the dark green dress from last night, she wore a greyish short jacket with sleeves rolled up, and there were a few traces of soil on her arms, suggesting she had just returned from the fields.
Lu Yuan sat down across from her.
As he took his seat, he noticed something.
There was a faint transcendent aura around Isabella.
Unlike Otto's terrifyingly heavy fluctuations, her aura was gentle, thin, and continuous, carrying a sense of “being protected.” It did not seem like a combat-oriented style.
He focused his gaze, and the grey-white text emerged in the corner of his vision.
【Target detected: Isabella (Oakwood City Lord) (Count) (believer transcendent)】
【A human whose faith holds absolutely no deterrent power, though she may possess quite a talent in other aspects.】
Lu Yuan was slightly stunned by the prompt. Faith with no deterrent power? It seemed the empire harbored quite a few hidden secrets.
Withdrawing his gaze, he picked up his teacup and took a sip.
“Did you rest well last night?” Isabella asked with a smile.
“Good.”
“That's good.” She nodded. “It wasn't easy for you all to rush here. I originally wanted to let you rest for a couple more days before discussing business. But looking at you, I suppose you plan to leave today.”
Lu Yuan didn't deny it.
Isabella set her teacup down, clasped her hands on the table, and sat up straighter.
“You want to ask about the future arrangements for the craftsmen, correct?”
“Yes,” Lu Yuan said. “I was the one who brought those two hundred-plus people here. I must clarify how they will be settled and where they will go before I leave.”
Isabella observed him for a couple of breaths, pondered for a moment, and ultimately chose to speak plainly.
“Vice Director Kraus laid his cards on the table with me before sending them.”
Her voice grew a bit flatter, losing the light and brisk tone from yesterday.
“These craftsmen's future home is here in Oakwood City. There is no need to take them back in the future.”
Lu Yuan's hand holding the teacup paused.
“This is Kraus's arrangement?”
“His exact words,” Isabella nodded.
“Do the craftsmen know?”
“They do. Kraus spoke to each of them individually before they left. Those who want to stay can stay, and those who wish to return to Bronze City in the future are free to do so. I can arrange for people to escort them back; I won't force anyone.”
Lu Yuan slowly set his teacup back on the table.
He finally understood.
No wonder those craftsmen had been in such low spirits along the way. When they left the city, he had assumed it was merely the anxiety of leaving home—the standard nervousness of being displaced. But thinking about it now, it wasn't just a temporary departure. Kraus had already made it clear to them: they weren't going back.
This group of people had been carefully selected by Kraus. The ones actually put on the carriages and escorted all the way here were those willing to leave and possessed valuable skills—carpenters, blacksmiths, masons. Even during their break at the inn, some had crawled under the carriages to tap the axles, clearly showing they knew their trade.
Kraus had sent them out to preserve the seeds of Bronze City.
If the city was successfully defended, they could be brought back for reconstruction in the future. If the city fell, these craftsmen would still be able to take root in Oakwood City.
Lu Yuan felt a sense of relief for them. Compared to Bronze City, which was currently deteriorating to an unknown degree, staying in Oakwood City was far safer.
“I understand,” he nodded.
Isabella watched his reaction. Once she confirmed that he had truly grasped the situation, she continued, her tone shifting to become more serious.
“Lu Yuan, there is something I would like to say directly.”
She raised her gaze from her teacup, letting it fall on Lu Yuan's face.
“The Oakwood City Nightwatchers branch only has one Grand Captain, Otto. There are plenty of brothers under him, but he is the only one who can truly hold down the fort. If you are willing to stay, you would be the most influential voice here next to Otto.”
She paused.
“I can tilt resources in your favor—medicinal herbs, equipment, manpower. Oakwood City may lack other things, but we certainly do not lack these.”
Lu Yuan could hear it—this was an offer of recruitment.
She spoke subtly, without directly tossing out a title, but her meaning was laid bare on the table. Isabella knew how to handle her boundaries. She was the City Lord and a Count; she wouldn't try to pressure him with phrases like “come be my deputy,” yet the conditions she offered were concrete.
Furthermore, she had specifically emphasized “medicinal herbs.”
Lu Yuan had already witnessed the abundance of medicinal herbs in Oakwood City yesterday.
The dark green herb fields outside the city stretched across thousands of acres. He knew how to refine medicine and was well-versed in pharmacology, and his greatest shortage back in Bronze City was raw materials. Isabella bringing this up was aimed directly at his bottleneck.
It was a clever calculation.
Yet Lu Yuan did not hesitate.
“Thank you for your high regard, Lady Count.” He shook his head. “Bronze City still needs me. My brothers and friends are all there. I cannot simply settle down here in peace.”
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