Chapter 126: Decapitation (5000)

Watching the creature in the cage, with its constant demands to be addressed as "Master," Qin Le began to wonder if his understanding of the world was fundamentally flawed. The spirits and fairies of this new world were nothing like the legendary beings he had read about—not long-lived, artistic, noble, elegant, or beautiful, nor did they reside in forests or possess a penchant for peace. The two he had encountered were the exact opposite: one was a kleptomaniac who spent every waking moment stealing, shamelessly claiming it was merely "borrowing."

And the other...

"Are you deaf?! Did you not hear me? Repent for your foolish words at once!" The fairy, with the appearance of a small puppy, bounced around the cage, looking fierce and brimming with combat spirit. "Are you ignoring me? What is that look in your eyes?!"

Foul-mouthed, insufferable, and even more of a degenerate than the elf by his side.

Qin Le’s mouth twitched. Ignoring the creature, he turned to Aimoia and asked, "Tell me, what exactly is this thing?"

"Who are you calling a 'thing'?! I am a fairy, a darling of nature!" the small creature in the cage protested.

Aimoia cleared her throat, shielding her mouth with a clenched fist. "As this little one says, he is a fairy. To be precise, he is an earth-elemental fairy."

"An earth-elemental fairy? Like an earth-attribute spirit?" Qin Le guessed.

Based on the knowledge Aimoia had shared, all supernatural power stemmed from five fundamental attributes: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. These formed the underlying logic of all supernatural phenomena and the foundation of most spell corridors. According to the Arcane Society’s theories, these five elements were the building blocks of the world; any imbalance would lead to unimaginable consequences.

"You could put it that way, though according to the Arcane Society, it is more accurate to say he belongs to the earth-spirit category." Aimoia tapped the barrier with a slender finger, pointing at the creature. "A fairy can be understood as a life form born when inanimate matter is imbued with enough spirituality. Theoretically, anything can become a fairy if the spiritual concentration is high enough. In reality, however, only extremely rare materials have even the slightest chance of manifesting as fairies—like mithril or red gold. You can’t expect a common rock to hold that much spirit."

"But this little fellow is strange," Aimoia noted, leaning closer to the cage to observe him. "Most fairies retain the form of their origin—stones, wood, saplings, grass... all sorts of bizarre shapes. Humanoid forms are incredibly rare. Even the Arcane Society’s library has very few records of them."

"Wait, what exactly is this Arcane Society you keep mentioning?"

Ever since arriving in this world, Xuanlü had been gathering intelligence relentlessly. The major powers known to the world were the "Five Nations and Five Churches." The nations included the Luofu Human Empire, the Victoria Elf Empire, the Giant Alliance, the Steel-Fire Dwarf Kingdom, and the Dragon’s Nest. The churches were the Church of Night, the Church of Holy Light, the Church of Wisdom, the Church of the Earth Mother, and the Church of War. The Arcane Society was nowhere on that list.

Aimoia replied without hesitation, "A secret organization—not exactly an evil cult, just a place for rogue mages to huddle together for warmth. I spent some time there. To be honest, it was boring; just a bunch of old men and women."

Qin Le raised an eyebrow. "Is that another 'part-time job'?"

She had claimed to be with the Church of the Earth Mother, then pulled out a weapon from the Church of Holy Light when facing a ghoul, and in the capital, she had suddenly become a chosen one of the Church of Night. Now, she claimed to have been with the Arcane Society. This elf’s resume was truly extensive.

"Heh heh, a poor child learns to fend for herself early; one has to eat," Aimoia said, rubbing her head with a guilty smile. "Let’s focus on what to do with this fairy. He’s worth a fortune—selling just one would keep us living in luxury for centuries."

"What’s so special about him?" Qin Le inspected the fairy, who was still clawing at the bars in his direction.

"He’s a gold mine. Most fairies can materialize spirit into matter, and their own bodies are made of precious materials." Aimoia pointed at the fairy’s limbs and wings, her eyes gleaming with the light of greed. "Simply put, we can harvest his non-vital parts, and they’ll grow back eventually. Being humanoid is a bit tricky, though—we’ll probably have to stick to his wings and hair; anything else might cause permanent damage."

Noticing her gaze, the fairy finally grew fearful. He backed into the corner of the cage, trembling. "You flat-chested elf! I’m not afraid of you!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the barrier shattered, and a hand clamped onto the fairy’s body. Aimoia pressed her face against the cage, her expression chilling. "What did you say?"

The fairy felt a surge of triumph—the humans were as stupid as he expected. He lifted his chin, looking at her defiantly. "I said, you flat-chested elf! With a chest that barren, you’re an insult to female elves. How do you even manage to exist in this world?"

A vein pulsed on Aimoia’s forehead. Her smile grew wider and more terrifying. "Very well. Very well. You’ve got guts."

There were three things she hated most: Fate, people stealing her money, and being called flat-chested.

Qin Le glanced down and silently disagreed with the fairy’s assessment. She was indeed quite flat, but not entirely so—the leather armor provided at least a little padding.

"I’m brave, alright! Goodbye, I don’t want to talk to you anymore!" The fairy closed his eyes, intending to make a dramatic exit.

A few seconds later, his smug expression froze. He opened his eyes to see a dark, glowing bead hovering before him.

Aimoia held the Pearl of Serenity. "Do you know what this is? A holy relic from a powerhouse in the Church of Night. It can crush evil cultists and keep one calm and collected."

She slammed the fairy onto the floor and began to stomp on him. "Trying to play tricks on me? This area is completely sealed—let’s see you run now!"

The fairy shrieked in agony as Aimoia ignored his small, fragile frame, trampling him relentlessly. "I’m dying! I’m dying! I was wrong, I was wrong!"

Seeing the creature’s wretched state, Qin Le stepped forward to stop her. "Don't break him; he’s a valuable research specimen for the Republic."

"He won't break! Fairy bodies are incredibly sturdy; even a cannon wouldn't necessarily finish him. Don't stop me, Qin Le! If I don't give him a proper beating today, I'll take his last name!"

"No," Qin Le shook his head firmly. He couldn't let Aimoia’s fleeting anger ruin such a rare material.

The fairy saw a glimmer of hope. "You stupid, dark-haired human, save me! I forgive you!"

Qin Le silently stepped back.

The vault filled with shrill screams as Aimoia continued her "frenzied output." The fairy, facing feet as large as his entire body, could only endure the assault, stripped of his dignity and his small scrap of clothing. His skin was pale, and he lacked any genitalia—clearly, he was asexual.

Finally, Aimoia tossed the battered and traumatized creature back into the cage and restored the spell corridor.

The vault’s contents were quickly inventoried: ten chests of gold coins, dozens of scrolls of arcane knowledge, and several enchanted weapons. Most of the arcane knowledge was redundant, repeating what Xuanlü had already collected, likely due to the limited history of Count Lev’s territory.

All items, including the fairy, were loaded into armored transport vehicles and escorted back to the base. Qin Le and Aimoia stayed behind to explore the castle, which was built into the mountainside. The hanging gardens, in particular, were more beautiful than those of the royal palace.

Walking among the exotic flowers, Aimoia crouched down to look at a bright red bloom. "Qin Le, where is Olina? I haven’t seen her for two days."

"That girl is busy absorbing the remnants of the knight class to build her own foundation," Qin Le replied. The knights were the tools of noble oppression, but they were also a source of talent. If Olina wanted to be a queen and reform the nation, she needed her own staff. Xuanlü had no interest in managing such a massive country; they had their own affairs to attend to.

Aimoia went silent, her expression downcast. "Olina seems to have changed. She feels like a stranger."

They used to be inseparable. Now, they barely met. Aimoia felt Olina drifting away, running toward a goal while she herself remained stagnant. Ironically, it was her employment contract that kept her by Qin Le’s side.

"There is no banquet that doesn't end," Qin Le said, trying to comfort her. "People eventually part ways—due to distance, death, hatred, or the simple passage of time. You’re a long-lived race; you should be used to goodbyes by now."

Aimoia gripped her hands tightly. "Olina is my only friend. I hate this distance."

Qin Le felt a headache coming on. He was terrible at comfort. But she had helped him too much to ignore it. If she fell into a depression and it affected her work efficiency, where would he find such a good "cultivation machine"?

He pulled out a gold coin and held it out. "We’ve known each other for a year now. Doesn't that make us friends?"

Aimoia froze. She looked at his stern face for a long moment, then her exquisite features bloomed into a smile that outshone the surrounding flowers.

"Not a chance. You’re just my 'big fish'—a money-making tool." She snatched the coin from his hand. "However, since you look so pathetic, I’ll be merciful and barely consider you a friend. You can thank me now, Qin Le."

Though her words were sharp, the wide grin and the flash of her fangs betrayed her. Qin Le smiled with relief. The "cultivation machine" was stable; she could continue to work.

...

At the city gates, the majority of the population—commoners, merchants, hunters, but no nobles—had gathered in the cleared ruins. On a makeshift wooden platform, the surviving nobles of Lev City knelt, their faces pale and eyes vacant.

Olina, covered in dust and blood, stood on the platform with an iron sword in hand. She recited their names and crimes with a solemn expression.

"I, in the name of Olina Dawn, find you guilty."

The nobles trembled.

"Sentence: execution by beheading. Carry it out immediately."

The iron sword swung, and heads rolled. A cheer erupted from the crowd, swelling into a roar: "Princess Olina! Princess Olina!"

"From today on," Olina declared, "Lev territory shall be governed jointly by me and the Grand Duke of the Eastern Border."

The commoners didn't know who Xuanlü was, but they knew Olina. Their logic was simple: since it was this princess ruling, life had to be better.

In a residential area of the city, the walls had been torn down. The old order was gone, and the knight class had been outlawed. For the Harvey family, like many others, their status had crumbled overnight.

"My dear," a woman whispered, looking at her husband’s severed arm. "What are we going to do now?"