Chapter 12: The Long Goodbye

After hearing Xiahou Yan’s final decision, Master Laurie and the Guards looked at each other, speechless for a moment.

Choosing to live and die alongside the people of his territory was, of course, a decision that perfectly aligned with the moral code of the noble Lords. Five hundred years ago, during the massive Demon Race invasion, a large number of frontier Lords refused to retreat. They ultimately died in battle on their own lands and among their own people, forging a wall of flesh and blood for the Empire!

The most famous among this group of nobles was the legendary "Light of the Empire," Count Olaf!

But then again, the massive Demon Race invasion during the "Battle of the Apocalypse" was ancient history from five hundred years ago!

In today’s Imperial aristocratic circles, although they still nominally promoted the old set of ethics and morals like "noble obligations," behind closed doors, which of these noble Lords wasn’t a cowardly, penny-pinching miser who only cared about self-preservation and avoiding trouble?

An "old-school" Lord who truly adhered to the noble creed and stood with his people in times of crisis, like the "Light of the Empire," would be impossible to find in today’s increasingly corrupt Imperial aristocratic circles, even if you sifted through their ranks three times over!

This was exactly what puzzled Master Laurie and the others.

Although Lord Eliot Igor held a high noble title, at the end of the day, he was just a nineteen-year-old kid who had spent the vast majority of his life at the Mage Academy! According to rumors from Academy City, Eliot’s behavior at the academy was entirely that of an idle, useless playboy!

Why did the Lord act like a completely different person today, suddenly brimming with righteous awe, and actually deciding without hesitation to sacrifice his life and go down with his five hundred subjects?

As a result of the Lord’s actions, it made Master Laurie and his faction of escapees look even more like they treated the people’s lives like worthless trash—it was simply morally depraved and appalling! For a moment, both the Master and Alice lowered their heads in shame, wanting the ground to swallow them whole!

Master Laurie was on the verge of tears. Did Lord Eliot take the wrong medicine, or was he possessed by a ghost?

How did a kid his age seize the moral high ground so quickly, only to unzip his pants and piss all over everyone below—drenching Master Laurie, who usually prided himself on his kind and gentle nature, in a chilling reality check!

Before Master Laurie could wrap his head around it, Captain Alice beside him had already had an epiphany. The female Swordsman raised her head proudly, gave the Lord a crisp military salute, and declared with resounding force:

"Lord Eliot, I, Alice Comstock, am your Captain of the Guard, and I unconditionally obey all your decisions! If you don’t leave, I won’t leave. Wherever you are, I will be. If you choose death, then I will certainly die by your side!"

The Guards behind Alice exchanged glances, then followed their captain’s lead and saluted the Lord.

The Guard known for his humor and dry jokes laughed heartily at the Lord:

"Lord, I, Tom Lawrence, was already a dead man. Coming back to life was your reward to me. Since you gave me these extra few days of life, I will accompany you to the very end of it!"

With Alice and the Guard Team members voicing their support for the Lord one after another, everyone’s gaze in the tent focused on the awkward-looking Master Laurie.

The Master gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. Then, under everyone’s astonished gazes, he flipped the Lord off and roared in reckless abandon, "You better fucking promise me that when I accompany you to hell in this zombie tide, I’ll be able to find my erotic novel!"

"It’s called a ’Yellow Book’..." the Guard, Lawrence, muttered.

"Piss off!" Master Laurie cursed. He then flicked his robe and stormed out of the tent in a huff, following the Lord.

Standing to the side, Alice noticed a smile playing on the Lord’s lips, and tears glistening in the corners of Master Laurie’s eyes.

By the time Xiahou Yan and Master Laurie parted ways in the middle of the camp, both of their emotions had settled down.

"Master, I’m sorry for not listening to your advice," Xiahou Yan said softly as he looked at his Chief Mage. "I know you were looking out for me, and your advice was the most rational choice at the moment, but... sometimes a person just has to make irrational decisions."

Master Laurie silently shook his head and offered a bitter smile. "I am your Chief Mage. Naturally, I must respect your decision."

Xiahou Yan sighed softly, while Master Laurie licked his lips and suddenly whispered, "Eliot, I watched you grow up."

Xiahou Yan’s heart warmed, and he smiled and nodded.

"It’s getting late. You should hurry back to your tent and rest." The Master looked as if he had laid down a heavy burden. His deeply wrinkled face showed a mix of exhaustion and relief. "I’m going to take a walk by myself for a while."

"Aren’t you going to sleep?" Xiahou Yan asked.

The Master turned around and gazed at the mountains in the north. He let out a long, wistful sigh. "Since eternal slumber awaits me tomorrow, why bother going to bed so early today?"

The north... Beiwang County. Xiahou Yan suddenly realized that this octogenarian was looking in the direction of his hometown.

A hometown he would likely never return to.

After the two exchanged their goodbyes, Xiahou Yan walked slowly toward his tent, carrying the Lion Lantern by himself. The commotion surrounding the Resurrection Technique had lasted all night; it was now around three or four in the morning. The camp was dark and silent, with the occasional hoot of an owl echoing from somewhere unknown.

Lifting the tent flap, Xiahou Yan found that an oil lamp was still lit inside. His maid, Anjie Rendall, sat cross-legged next to it, her head bowed as she mended a piece of clothing. Seeing the Lord return, the young maid immediately looked up and said with a hint of reproach:

"Lord, where did you go so late at night?"

Xiahou Yan bent down to set the Lion Lantern aside and smiled helplessly. "Anjie, you would never believe how many things happened tonight..."

"What happened?" The maid’s small face was full of curiosity.

Xiahou Yan thought for a moment, then picked the most representative event to share: "Master Laurie lost a Yellow Book."

The young maid blushed and gave a soft huff of disapproval. She stood up and helped Xiahou Yan change into his sleepwear. Watching the Lord crawl into his sleeping bag, she suddenly asked, "So... are you leaving the infected zone tomorrow?"

"No, I rejected Master Laurie’s proposal." Xiahou Yan lay in his sleeping bag, his back to Anjie. "I will stay with all of you."

Anjie froze for a moment. "So, you’re going to die with us. Is that right?"

Xiahou Yan was silent for a moment before replying with a soft, "Mhm."

Anjie swayed unsteadily and slumped down next to the Lord. Gripping the newly mended clothes tightly in her hands, the personal maid—who was a few years younger than the Lord—could no longer hold back her tears.

"Lord, we’re all going to die... I... I miss Eagle’s Rest Castle so much. I miss Madam Anna. There are still so many things I want to do that I haven’t done yet... Lord Eliot, I... I’m only seventeen. I haven’t even gotten married..."

The maid Anjie’s pretty face flushed slightly. She turned her head to look at Xiahou Yan, only to find that thunderous snoring was already echoing from the Lord’s sleeping bag.