After returning to the inn to pack up their belongings, Allen and the others hurried toward the harbor.
He had already split the pouch of gemstones he got from Bertholdt among Morgan and the others. After all, he had promised to take Stella along to make a fortune, and he also needed to help relocate Morgan's wife and daughter to Stormwind.
Morgan didn't show much reaction, but Stella, seeing such fine gemstones for the first time, had her eyes light up as she murmured about passing them down to her descendants.
Last night, when he returned to that small house again, Hobert—who had previously been tied up like a dumpling—was already gone. The ropes had been cut, the bedding was scattered across the floor, and the window was wide open.
There was nothing that could be done about it. If he hadn't rushed to the docks in time back then, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Allen had already reported the matter to Admiral West. Wanted notices had been plastered all over Menethil Harbor, including for the man who had poisoned the military rations.
As they walked briskly, a question suddenly came to Allen's mind.
Why was it that ever since parting ways with Vereesa, they hadn't had a carriage to ride even once?
Looking up at the busy civilians and soldiers along the road, he was still thinking when a group of townspeople spotted them and began waving gratefully. A large crowd quickly gathered around them.
"Great hero!"
"Dragon slayer!"
Seeing this, Allen nodded in satisfaction. But in the next second—
A young girl rushed toward Morgan with a bouquet of flowers in her hands. "Hero! Thank you! Thank you for protecting us! The Holy Light will surely bless you!"
Morgan froze for a moment, then refused in a righteous tone. "Thank you for your support, but I already have a wife. I can't accept your flowers."
The girl stood there in a daze, her hands holding the bouquet stiffening slightly.
Another even younger child squeezed in from the side, looking up with bright, sparkling eyes.
"Big brother knight! When I grow up, I want to become a paladin too! Do you think I can do it?"
Morgan crouched down to meet the child at eye level, his voice gentle yet firm. "Child, the Holy Light shines upon everyone who holds kindness in their heart. As long as you carry justice within and walk your path forward, you will surely become what you aspire to be."
Allen raised an eyebrow. Well, although it was a bit awkward, he didn't really care about such empty fame.
Stella's big eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. She poked Morgan's armor and whispered, "Uncle Morgan, what a pity. You won't be able to keep adventuring with us in the future."
Morgan looked confused. "What do you mean?"
Allen expressionlessly flicked Stella on the forehead.
"Ow!" Stella clutched her head, tears welling up as she shrank back.
At that moment, Allen's sharp senses picked up the chatter within the crowd.
"Have you heard? Last night, a great mage named Allen from Stormwind held the harbor by himself!"
"More than that! My sister's husband's younger brother's uncle is the deputy of Admiral West—I heard that this Archmage Allen's power is unfathomable, his mana deeper than the ocean!"
"What do you know? My house is right by the docks—I saw it myself last night! Master Allen held off three dragons alone! Those black lizards saw him and all tucked their tails and fled!"
The corners of Allen's mouth lifted slightly.
He really didn't like this kind of thing. Good thing they didn't recognize him—otherwise it would be too embarrassing to be praised like this to his face.
"But—but—I heard from my second uncle's younger sister's daughter, who works as a maid in a count's household, that this dragon slayer uses dark magic. He's actually a dark wizard."
Allen's face remained expressionless as he urged the two beside him, "Let's go, let's go. Time waits for no one."
At that moment, a hand waved at him.
It was the tavern owner from before.
Allen instinctively reached for his coin pouch. Right—he hadn't paid for the drinks yet. Just as he was about to apologize, he heard the tavern owner shout with a smile: "Young man! Young man! Thank you! I misunderstood you! Thank you for protecting my tavern! If you ever come back to Menethil Harbor, my place will always be open to you—drinks on the house!"
The corners of Allen's mouth lifted again. Fine. Although he didn't really care about that Lord Bertholdt's life, he did care, at least a little, about these ordinary people.
...
The flagship set sail once more.
Captain Dylan and the others were nothing like the stingy nobles of Menethil Harbor. To thank Allen and his group for their help, they awarded them 24 gold coins.
Having just learned that the Kul Tiras navy actually gave out rewards, Allen felt a bit regretful that he had split Bertholdt's gemstone pouch too early. Turns out, there had been money to take here all along.
In addition, to thank Allen for saving the Daughter of the Sea of Kul Tiras twice, Kul Tiras would also present him with a precious treasure.
After they returned to Kul Tiras, someone would be specially dispatched to deliver it to Allen.
Allen was quite looking forward to it—would a precious treasure from Kul Tiras be some kind of powerful piece of equipment?
What he didn't know, however, was that Captain Dylan had originally only planned to give out 10 gold coins. The rest of the money and the treasure were all personally funded by Jaina out of her own pocket.
Unexpectedly, this time the journey passed without incident, and the fleet quickly arrived at Southshore.
The coastline around Southshore was all shallow waters. Large ships couldn't dock directly and could only anchor in the middle of the bay. Standing on the deck, Captain Dylan directed the sailors to lower several small boats.
Over the past few days, Jaina hadn't managed to see Allen even once.
Afraid he might overthink things, Jaina had specifically asked Captain Dylan not to reveal her support behind the scenes. She hadn't expected him to be this obedient—he really hadn't said a single word about it.
Allen had been holed up in his room these past few days, not coming to see her even once.
And she had been busy stabilizing the morale of the entire ship—this wasn't a time for sightseeing or fooling around.
At that moment, she stood by the railing, clutching that small pouch. Her gaze drifted from time to time toward the other end of the deck, where that person was talking with Morgan, completely unaware of her.
She lowered her head and looked at the pouch in her hands.
Soon, she would be traveling overland with him. Alone. On land. There would be plenty of time to talk. Plenty.
When the time came, she would definitely thank him properly. And she would ask him why he gave her that pouch.
Yes, just thanking him. A very ordinary thank-you. Nothing more.
However, just as Jaina finally mustered the courage to speak—
"Hey, the boats are ready! Let's get down quickly!"
Allen grabbed Stella. Without even using the ladder, a Dimension Door opened, and he appeared directly on one of the small boats.
A flash of white light later, he returned to the deck, grabbed Morgan, and disappeared again.
Jaina's words caught in her throat, and she lowered her head slightly in disappointment.
At that moment, a flash of white light appeared, and Allen suddenly showed up in front of her.
"Can a noble lady like you get down by yourself? Do you know how to Blink?"
Jaina's breath stopped for a moment.
"I can…" she paused, "I can't."
Allen raised an eyebrow. "So can you or not?"
Paval quickly jumped in to answer for her, "She can't! Miss Jaina still can't! She really can't! Absolutely can't!"
"Oh, then I'll take you down."
Jaina's small hand, clutching the pouch, pressed tightly against her chest. She felt like her heart was about to leap out.
She gently reached out her hand.
But Allen only placed a hand on her shoulder.
A flash of white light.
...
After going ashore, the rest of the journey went smoothly.
Jaina rented a carriage in Southshore, and everyone once again enjoyed the luxury of riding in one.
But along the way, Jaina was unusually quiet—at times cold and distant, at times flustered and uneasy.
No one knew what was going on with her.
Just then, Stella, who was leaning against the carriage window, suddenly pointed into the distance in surprise.
"Look—is that it?"
Everyone crowded over.
The legendary City of Magic slowly unfolded before their eyes.
Dalaran—this magnificent city woven from countless arcane spires—was like a giant amethyst embedded in the earth, refracting dazzling, mesmerizing light beneath the sun.
Morgan tilted his head back, gazing at the city shrouded in magical radiance, and murmured, "By the Holy Light…"
Jaina's eyes lit up. It was as if she could feel the magic flowing through the air.
The City of Magic slightly dispelled the sorrow in her heart.
Allen looked at that city.
Dalaran.
He had visited it countless times in the game, but only now, standing before it, did he truly understand what "City of Magic" meant.
Those data files, textures, and models could never recreate even one ten-thousandth of this moment.
Dalaran's gates were a bit shorter than Stormwind's, but far more exquisite.
Two towers stood on either side, their surfaces engraved with dense, intricate runes. At the top of each tower floated a massive Arcane Eye, slowly rotating as it watched every person entering and leaving the gates.
"Please proceed in order. Do not linger."
As they passed through the gate, everyone got off the carriage and followed the instructions, entering one by one under the sweeping gaze of the enormous Arcane Eyes.
Until—
The moment Allen stepped through the gate, he suddenly felt a flicker of unease.
The two Arcane Eyes abruptly turned toward him, locking onto him completely.
Shadow… Void… dangerous individual.
The Arcane Eyes moved up and down, flickering rapidly. Then suddenly, they stopped.
In the next instant, a piercing alarm tore through the quiet of Dalaran.
Everyone at the gate froze and turned their heads in unison.
The Kirin Tor battle mages guarding the gate raised their staffs.
Allen stood there, taking a deep breath.
"Fuck."
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