Chapter Twenty-One: I Hope You Know When to Accept Good Fortune

In the square beside the castle, the place had been transformed into a makeshift shooting range, dedicated to testing various weapons and spells.

Qin Yue held an ordinary longbow in his hand, his fingers hooked around the bowstring. He drew a deep breath and gently pulled the string back.

Whoosh!

A ring of azure energy coiled around his arm, and a spectral arrow slowly took shape.

Swish!

The arrow shot forth, the wind howling in its wake. Three hundred meters away, the target shattered with a resounding crack. Fragments scattered through the air, finally leaving fist-sized marks on the distant concrete.

Impressive.

It was merely a first-tier wind arrow, yet it had delivered the destructive force of an anti-tank weapon.

Since arriving in this new world, Qin Yue had not yet encountered any truly formidable enemies, nor had he seen magic used offensively. He had assumed that the potency of the world’s magic would be on par with that of the Harry Potter universe.

Yet reality had defied his expectations. An attack of this caliber would spell certain doom for any human target. It was clear he would have to be especially wary of archers among the extraordinary classes. Knights were formidable too—Orina, for instance, reminded him of a master in a martial arts novel, able to fell a tree over ten meters tall with a single punch—but they were limited by their reach.

A first-tier knight, relying on a basic defense shield, could withstand at most ten bullets—barely two seconds against a rifle. A second-tier knight might survive a full magazine and a bit more; a third-tier, three magazines or so.

In actual combat, knights of the second tier and above could dodge bullets with their speed of seven or eight meters per second, prolonging their survival. However, the true strength of knights lay in their collective formations, linked together in battle arrays—making evasion nearly impossible.

Against other professions in this world, and especially against knights acting in concert, few could hope to stand their ground. Even a third-tier extraordinary would think twice before challenging a knight’s battle array head-on.

But in the face of modern military firepower, the situation was grim. A barrage of artillery could annihilate even the mightiest order of knights in an instant.

Thus, knights had been relegated by Xuanlü to the lowest threat category. No matter how powerful or audacious, could they surpass artillery? Could they outmatch a tank?

The greatest knightly charge was pitifully outclassed by the steel onslaught of modern tanks—the so-called kings of land warfare. It was little more than a suicide mission.

“Magic really is formidable,” Qin Yue set down the wooden bow, offering a heartfelt sigh.

Beside him, Emilia’s mouth twitched uncontrollably, her jaw clenched as she struggled to maintain composure.

This monster—she had never, in all her years, seen anyone achieve the effect of a third-tier spell with a first-tier incantation. And he had advanced from the threshold of the extraordinary to a first-tier hunter in just ten days.

Qin Yue turned and asked, “Emilia, what do you think of this spell?”

“It’s... so-so, barely passable,” Emilia forced herself to appear nonchalant.

“Orina’s back. Let’s practice more later.”

Orina approached from the distance, followed by a procession of carts laden with goods. At her side walked three men and two women. Qin Yue recognized one of them—the Earl of Daina.

“Your Highness, please look at this. I bought this gemstone especially for you from the dwarves.” Eli held a box containing a sapphire, his handsome face lit by a warm smile.

“Though this sapphire pales in comparison to your beauty, I still hope you will accept it.”

His honeyed words, paired with his striking looks, would have left most women utterly spellbound—like Martha, nearby. The count’s daughter all but had flowers blooming in her eyes as she gazed at the gallant knight.

The countess was less starstruck, observing Eli with an air of appreciation rather than infatuation.

Earl Daina’s son, Eng Daina, regarded the gifted knight as a dire threat, glancing at his father for help. The earl, however, chose to ignore him.

At the center of it all, Orina never once spared Eli a direct glance, treating him as if he were invisible.

She knew perfectly well what he was after—her inheritance. He wasn’t the first, nor would he be the last.

Although Emilia often called her a fool, Orina knew she could be shrewd when it mattered.

‘How annoying. I wonder if I could just punch him and be done with it.’

When it came to men like him, refusal was pointless; only beating them until they resembled a pig would make them behave—much like those useless nobles in the royal capital.

At that moment, Orina caught sight of the two figures at the shooting range and, for the first time, a hint of a smile appeared on her otherwise impassive face. She waved and called loudly, “Qin Yue, your things have arrived!”

At her words, everyone—including Eli—shifted their attention to the two figures in the distance.

One was a man dressed in strange green attire, with black hair and black eyes. The other was a beautiful elf with emerald-green hair.

Orina jogged over to them. Seizing the moment before the others caught up, she leaned close to Qin Yue and whispered, “Qin Yue, think of a way to get rid of that man with the disgusting smile on his face, or I might not be able to stop myself from hitting him.”

“Get rid of the man with the disgusting smile?” Qin Yue was slightly puzzled by the princess’s request, but decided to consider it.

His gaze swept over the group—three men in total: one strikingly handsome, one rather ordinary, and the Earl of Daina. Two of them were smiling—the handsome one and the earl.

The handsome man’s smile was flawless and warm; the earl’s was formal and proper. Both seemed above reproach.

As the two stood together, Eli’s brow furrowed. Taking two steps forward, he asked, “Princess Orina, and this gentleman is...?”

Qin Yue stepped forward and introduced himself, “Hello, my name is Qin Yue. I am one of the administrators here.”

Under the agreement signed by Xuanlü and Orina, both parties retained authority over the land. While Orina seldom concerned herself with affairs—preferring to spend her days eating—names and titles still had to be properly declared.

One of the administrators?

The visitors’ expressions grew odd. Normally, a territory had only one administrator—the lord, just as there is only one king. However, dual administrators weren’t unheard of; sometimes a female lord ceded control to her husband.

“If I may be so bold, what exactly is Mr. Qin’s relationship with Princess Orina?” Eli’s composure slipped. Had his goddess already been claimed?

“A partnership, and incidentally, a friendship,” Qin Yue immediately saw through the young man’s thoughts. “Not the sort of relationship you’re imagining.”

If he didn’t make things clear, he suspected a scene of jealousy would soon unfold. He had no time for a pointless duel with this young man.

Still, this knight was quite presentable—clearly a highborn noble, possibly with access to a wealth of extraordinary knowledge.

Eli breathed a quiet sigh of relief, his warm smile restored. He placed a hand on his shoulder, bowed slightly, and introduced himself, “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Eli Monroe, from the Kingdom of Kexian, twenty-two years old, a third-tier knight. I happened to be passing through today and came especially to visit Princess Orina.”

As he spoke, Eli produced the sapphire again, shooting Qin Yue a slightly provocative look.

Eli could sense that this man’s aura was only first-tier, and from his appearance, he must be in his thirties. He himself had reached third-tier at just over twenty. What competition was there?

Clearly, Princess Orina had fallen prey to some trick of this fellow, but today Eli would expose him!

“This is a small token of my esteem—a geomantic gem purchased from the dwarves. It contains the breath of the earth’s veins and is greatly beneficial to both spirit and energy when worn.”

A twenty-two-year-old third-tier knight—a prodigy! Surely from a great noble house, with a trove of extraordinary knowledge.

Qin Yue’s eyes flickered with interest, and a broad smile spread across his face as he accepted the gem. “Mr. Eli, you are too gracious. Come, let’s sit inside the castle. I have long heard of your great name and have always admired you.”

He looked at Eli, took the gem, and spoke of a visit—all but declaring the gem was meant for him.

Such generosity! With so much sincerity, how could he refuse?

He placed his right hand on Eli’s shoulder, grinning widely. Anyone watching might have thought the two were fast friends.

“Ah?” Eli was taken aback. How could this man be so shameless? The gem wasn’t meant for him.

Just as Eli was about to push Qin Yue away, the latter leaned in and whispered in his ear, “Mr. Eli, yesterday an elven friend told me a fascinating legend. Long, long ago, there were those who dined on gold and drank from crystal, feasting on all the bounty of the world. I couldn’t help wondering—wasn’t that a bit exaggerated?”

Eli froze, at last noticing his companion’s hair and eyes. His body went rigid.

“A knight as exceptional as you must be very well-informed. I would love to have a good talk with you—if you would do me the honor...”

He hoped Eli would not fail to appreciate his goodwill.

“Of course,” Eli replied stiffly.

The two of them walked off toward the castle, shoulder to shoulder, leaving the rest of the group stunned.

Why did things suddenly seem off? The two who had seemed on the verge of confrontation now appeared to be the best of friends, leaving Princess Orina behind.