Chapter 27: The Heart of Freedom

By the time Neo entered Xavier’s tent, it was completely dark. To keep out the cold, the tent had two layers—an outer tent serving as an entrance, adorned with a horseshoe lantern, and inside, Hunter Light sat on a wooden stool, guarding the area with a small brazier beside him. He was sharpening an arrow shaft using a sharp tool, with over a hundred finished arrows already laid out on the ground.

Seeing Neo enter, Light smiled and continued his work. Neo merely nodded at him. Light’s excellence had never lied in words, as had been proven time and again.

The inner tent was cleaner and more comfortable than the sick camp. Wooden planks were laid down to insulate against the cold from the ground, covered with woolen blankets, but these did little to help Xavier’s condition. His illness was severe; compared to how he used to be, Neo thought he looked at least 10 years older and on the verge of death.

Dave and Priest Norland were both there—Dave with a solemn expression, Norland with a grave face. Dave’s eyes were red, likely because he already believed his father would not survive the coming snow night.

“Good to see you, Lord Dave, Priest Norland,” Neo said, bowing slightly.

Dave and Norland nodded in return. Neo wasn’t a follower of the deity, so there was nothing wrong with this order of greeting.

Seeing Neo in good health, Dave let out a silent sigh of relief. He had gone to check on him after hearing he had fainted. Though Valentina and Norland said he was fine, Dave still felt anxious and troubled. He knew Neo carried too much responsibility, but with so few key members, it was impossible to find more help.

After exchanging a glance with Neo, Dave turned to Norland and said, “Priest Norland, could you step aside for a moment?”

Norland nodded. “I’ll go check the sick camp to see if I can help.” He thought Dave wanted to discuss Xavier’s affairs with Neo. Before leaving, he patted Neo’s shoulder. Everyone in Tures believed the bond between Xavier and Neo as master and servant was worthy of being told as a beautiful story.

In truth, Dave didn’t know Neo’s true purpose either. It was only the mutual understanding developed over these days that made him realize Neo likely wanted to talk to him privately.

Once Norland was far away, Dave scanned Neo carefully before lowering his voice. “Are you alright?” His concern was evident.

Neo shook his head. “It’s nothing serious. Just symptoms from gaining power too rapidly.”

“Power?” Dave began to grasp some clues about Neo’s purpose.

Neo said solemnly, “In the werewolf clan, there’s an ancient method of using power—related to faith and nature.”

Dave stood up abruptly. “Voodoo?” He realized too late that his urgency had made his voice too loud. He tried to lower it but couldn’t hide his excitement. “Can you use magic?”

Witchcraft is a general term used by humans to refer to all techniques and forms of magic that are not divine spells, carrying a derogatory connotation. Generations ago, humans already became the dominant species on the Aemera continent. Like most humans, Dif viewed intelligent races other than humans with a somewhat ignorant and barbaric perspective, never intending nor willing to delve deeply into their civilizations. Yet he at least understood that witchcraft was also a skill for wielding power, though its effectiveness was unpredictable. Now, he was eager to seize this lifeline for Xavier.

Nio inwardly sneered. “Between what it is and what it can do, people clearly choose the latter… Well, since no explanation is needed, let’s be straightforward.”

“That’s true,” Nio replied directly to Dif’s question.

“You’re willing to save my father, right?” Dif really didn’t care about anything else; he was only concerned with this question. His eyes were filled with hope. Of course, amid his excitement, he was well aware that it wasn’t easy for Nio to make such a decision.

Nio didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he took a deep, slow breath. He had already made up his mind. He wasn’t hesitating now but deciding whether to briefly explain the situation to Dif—something akin to explaining the risks of surgery to the patient’s family before performing it.

Dif didn’t realize Nio was pondering this. He thought Nio was still struggling with whether to help or not. This made Nio feel the agony of indecision as well. He wanted to promise Dif that he would give everything he had, but reason stopped him from doing so. He knew that the greatest harm he and his father had caused Nio in the past was emotional, and now whether his father could be saved also depended on emotion. If Nio cared only about material things, things wouldn’t have progressed this far.

“Dif, wait outside the tent. No one is allowed to disturb you, not even your sister.” After thinking for a while, Nio decided to skip the detailed explanation. He was confident in the new techniques he possessed. Moreover, he decided to speak directly with Xavier rather than having Dif pass messages. Xavier was one of the chains restraining his freedom, and today, he intended to break free from it openly.

“Okay, thank you!” Dif was genuinely grateful. From admiring certain abilities to respecting his character, Nio’s actions made Dif think of the virtues of a knight, the virtues of a true noble, gradually making him believe that this was a being with a noble soul. Now, Nio’s image grew even greater in his eyes.

Dif walked to the tent entrance, glanced back once more, and said, “Thank you!” Then he left the tent. After thinking for a moment, he sent Light to fetch Melian. If Xavier could wake up, he didn’t want his sister to miss the chance to see his father right away. If not, it would be time to say goodbye…

Xavier’s main injury appeared to be a gash between his chest and abdomen, but in reality, it was his internal organs that had been severely damaged by dark forces. Norlinde’s treatment to heal minor wounds and boost resistance, along with the gift spell (which provided temporary life), could only delay Xavier’s death. After all, healing is a two-way process; without the ability to wake up, Xavier’s will to survive could not function fully, his bodily functions continued to decline, and supplying nutrients became increasingly difficult, so naturally, his condition worsened.

After assessing Xavier’s injuries,Neo decided to first use Life’s Touch to stimulate and guide healing, followed by Life’s Wave, to avoid the latter’s force being too intense for Xavier’s weakened body. After all, this technique was quite different from divine healing spells.

He still pressed his middle two fingers together, gathering power at their tips. This was merely a matter of habit—shamans didn’t need spells or sigils to cast spells, so their methods often appeared strange, somewhat similar to those of mages, at least on the surface.

The new green light of Life’s Touch gently swept over Xavier’s pale, lifeless wounds, with surprisingly good results. Soon, centered around the wounds, the texture and luster of the flesh began to recover. The green light gradually faded away, and the deathly aura surrounding Xavier slowly receded…

FromNeo’s perspective, thanks to his heightened sensitivity to the power of his own spells, he could clearly sense that Life’s Touch was encountering resistance and being severely depleted. The core of this resistance was the organs centered around the wounds. Eventually, the functions of those organs were stimulated and regulated, and the remaining power continued to spread, showing a clear decline in effectiveness.

So far, the treatment had gone very smoothly.Neo’s fifth and first thoughts worked together, quickly restoring his calmness. He sat down on a wooden stool beside the bed, breathing steadily and closing his eyes to rest.

About ten minutes later,Neo heard footsteps coming from the outer tent—it was Milien.

Earlier, persuaded byNeo, Milien had gone to rest in her clothes, but she felt uneasy, especially worried about Xavier’s condition. She woke up from a nightmare after less than an hour of sleep. Not seeingNeo when she woke, she knew he must have gone back to his duties. Though she understood, she couldn’t help but sigh.

In some ways, Milien thought,Neo was the person whose personality most resembled her father’s. He loved his family but couldn’t give up on his work, and he had his own stubborn persistences and pursuits. Such a man was trustworthy and worthy of reliance, but he also had to endure loneliness and mild worries, and one couldn’t expect romance from him. For a girl with dreams of being a princess, this was a significant disappointment…

Sometimes, Milien would blame herself secretly. God had already given her so much—why wasn’t she satisfied and still wanted more? But desire is truly an uncontrollable force, especially in times of adversity and chaos like these. The longing for a peaceful, comfortable, and warm life grew like ivy after rain, spreading and enveloping the heart, making one involuntarily compare, yearn, and hope.

“Will this arduous journey end in Asia? Or should we seek Aurora’s help, after all, she is the daughter of the Knight of Heaven, Maxi A. Rodricks…” With mixed thoughts, Milien headed toward Xavier’s tent and happened to meet Light, so the two of them returned together.
Seeing Dave inside the outer tent, Milien asked in confusion, “Why is he here? Who is with Father? Priest Norlund?”
Dave first said to Light, “Notify Ebute to come here in half an hour with a report on the camp’s construction progress.”
Light nodded and went to deliver the message.
After sending Light away, Dave said to Milien, “Nio is inside.”
“Just Nio?” Milien blurted out without thinking.
Dave’s gaze toward her was instantly filled with surprise. He had always thought that Milien trusted Nio far more than herself, but he had overlooked an important point: men tend to view things and people rationally and from a broader perspective, while women often focus more on emotions. For Milien, the virtues of a knight and the demeanor of a noble were far less sacred than he thought; instead, the idea that “both Father and Nio seem humble and know how to restrain themselves, but are actually stubborn and unyielding” was deeply rooted in her mind.
Milien immediately realized her mistake but didn’t know how to explain it to Dave.
Dave didn’t want to dwell on the issue either. “Nio is concentrating on healing Father and needs a completely quiet environment.”
“He…”
“Don’t worry. Nio has never disappointed us.” Dave almost interrupted her. He stepped forward, pulled her out of the tent, and after walking a distance, he frowned and asked softly, “Did you argue with Nio?”
Milien shook her head.
“You should know how good Nio’s hearing is. Sister, after a difficult decision, Nio chose to save Father at all costs. Do you know his doubts will hurt him?”
“I know. It’s my fault. I’m worried about him and Father. You know, they’re both very stubborn!” Milien said with a sad expression.
“Rule four, clause one: Love him, then trust him. Didn’t I just say that Nio has never disappointed us?”
“Mm, I get it.” Milien nodded before suddenly realizing that the one giving her this lesson wasn’t her father or Nio, but her brother! “Dave, you’ve grown up!” she said, feeling both relieved and emotional.
“But you haven’t!” Dave thought to himself. He knew his sister was rather indecisive in nature. He was worried that when too much hardship dulled the sweetness of love, how would Milien be able to uphold her convictions, especially since their strong-willed father was about to wake up…
Nio, on the other hand, was quite resolute. His nature indeed carried a near-obsessive persistence—he would think things through thoroughly, make up his mind, and never regret it or hesitate. Seeing that enough time had passed, Nio stood up, took a deep breath, and began another round of casting spells.

A new green glow rippled between his hands. The ability to master the Fourth Mode of thought had already manifested. This was only his second spellcasting attempt, yet he executed it with considerable skill. A vibrant mass of light emerged from his hands, drifting gently toward Xavier like a soft breeze over waves. Upon contact, it spread outward, only to vanish as if swallowed by some monster.

Just as Neo was puzzled, a surge of magical energy burst forth from Xavier’s body. A force field formed by the rising spindle-shaped light lifted Xavier off the bed. A hissing sound persisted, akin to wind howling through a mountain pass.

Mielin and Dave, who had returned to the outer tent, not only heard the sound but also sensed the intense light and the overflowing life force emanating from the inner tent through the thin fabric curtains. Mielin wanted to rush in to see what was happening, but Dave pulled her back. Faced with her confused gaze, Dave said in a low voice, “Rule Three, Clause Four: Learn to respect others’ decisions! Neo said we shouldn’t disturb them.”

“But…”

“What do you think we can do by going in now?”

Mielin fell silent. Her lips pursed, and she looked on the verge of tears. There was concern, shame at being of no help, and also a sense of grievance—after all, it was her father inside!

Dave wasn’t upset but rather slightly frustrated. He thought to himself, “Why cry over such a thing? Why would someone as ambitious and decisive as Neo be so obsessed with such a sister? Is it really true that love comes without reason and blinds one? If so, it’s better to keep a distance!”

Inside the inner tent, Neo tried hard to control the surging healing energy using his limited and superficial knowledge. The combination of Life Touch and Life Waves resulted in an explosive effect, completely beyond Neo’s expectations. He could feel that this sudden burst had exhausted all his magical energy. He was worried whether Xavier, already weak, could withstand such a strong effect.

It turned out that describing humans as resilient as cockroaches was accurate. This potent treatment, though unintended, proved incredibly effective. It was as if Xavier’s decaying outer layer had been removed. Though still thin, his skin regained its normal luster, and all vital signs—pulse, breathing—returned to normal. In contrast, Neo’s clumsy attempts at control had no noticeable effect.

Whoosh! With a sound like wind through a whistle, the light dissipated, and Xavier fell back onto the padded fur blanket. After a while, he still showed no signs of waking up.

Neo thought for a moment, then drew a dagger from his waist and flicked it with focused strength.

Ding…

A particularly clear and pleasant sound rang out in the tent.

Just as mages use trivial tricks like magic fireworks, warriors also have their own profession-specific tricks, and the shock sound is one of them. Some use bowstrings, some shields, some armor, some toss coins—Nio used weapons. This shock sound has been misnamed by some as the “Sound of Awakening,” but it is true that it can easily wake someone from deep sleep.

Amid the ringing sound, Xavier’s eyelids trembled a few times before slowly opening to reveal his deep green eyes. As the vision sharpened, Xavier finally made out the face of the person standing across from him. With a smirk, he said weakly, “This place… is clearly not heaven.”

“My lord, you are as wise as ever. None of us are worthy of that place.” Nio had thought a thousand times what emotions would arise when he met Xavier’s eyes again, but at this moment, he found himself surprisingly calm. The sixth sense he had planned to activate to calm himself seemed unnecessary now.

“My lord… hehe.” Nio had always called him master. The title “my lord” sounded harsh to Xavier, but he said nothing more and continued to gaze at the young man before him.

Sometimes Xavier had the illusion that this was his son—in terms of personality, he resembled Xavier in his youth: hardworking, resilient, restrained yet ambitious, always having his own plans and believing he deserved rewards for his efforts, whether it was a small trinket or power and status…

Facing Xavier’s gaze, Nio this time chose to meet it head-on without flinching, something that had never happened before. In this eye contact, Nio felt a sense of self slowly rising within him—straightening his back, lifting his head…

Freedom—true freedom cannot be determined by anyone else’s words; it can only come from oneself. He stood up, no longer a slave, no longer a servant, no longer subservient to anyone. He no longer had to avoid anyone’s gaze or pretend to be humble and obedient…

Xavier saw in Nio’s eyes a blazing flame of confidence and freedom. That gaze was familiar—over 20 years ago, on the eve of embarking on his journey to pursue his dreams, he had stood in front of a particularly expensive glass mirror in his bedroom, staring at himself for a long time. He remembered writing in his diary: “Like a fledgling eagle determined to leap from a cliff, for the sake of flying, I am willing to risk my young life…”

“Over the past year, I’ve thought many times about this moment—you want freedom, you want to fly, you want to build a career to prove your worth so that you don’t even need to bow completely even in front of the pope or the king.” Perhaps seeing Nio further stimulated Xavier’s vitality, and his condition improved. Though still weak, he could now speak complete sentences.

“I was thinking at that time, would you run away secretly and then face me like this after being caught, or would you break into my study one night and shout loudly, ‘My efforts over these years deserve repayment—you owe me my freedom.’” A faint smile appeared on Xavier’s face.

To be honest, he had tried both of those methods back then, causing tremendous harm to the Manmoris family. The small number of members in the family later on was largely his responsibility. So the more he saw similarities between Neo and himself, the more he felt that this man deserved no mercy. Of course, even that was enough to make him act ruthlessly—Neo’s status in the Manmoris family couldn’t compare to his own back then.

Neo chose silence, choosing to listen quietly. He knew Xavier was about to reveal the root of their hatred.

Sure enough…

“But you even wanted to take Milien’s heart with you!” Xavier suddenly became agitated. He tried to rise, but failed, and could only say through a strained shout, “You create an unsurpassable eternity at a moment of deep love—how can Milien seek happiness for the rest of her life?”

After that, there was a minute-long silence. Xavier was gasping for breath, while Neo didn’t want to further provoke him under such circumstances.

Only when Xavier calmed down again did Neo speak, “My lord, I can’t say you’re wrong. I can only say it’s a clash between different cultures and perspectives.”

Neo explained, “In human terms, love means doing everything possible to provide a comfortable environment, good conditions, and as much care as possible for the one you love. But for us werewolves, love means being together, whether enjoying life or suffering through it. So, to be honest, my original plan was that if Milien agreed, I would take her away, even if it meant wandering the world!”

Faced with Neo’s eloquent words, Xavier was so angry he wanted to throw his shoes, but he quickly calmed down. With a laugh, he said, “But everything was abruptly ended. So even here, you still expect an explanation from me?”

Neo was slightly stunned at first, then understood Xavier’s meaning. He shook his head and said, “My lord, setting aside suffering, hardship, and all those problems, I must say we’re lucky to still be alive, here in Winter Green Valley, in the southern part of the Mathuya Knightdom on the Aemera continent.”

To Xavier’s astonishment, Neo raised his voice and said, “Dive, Milien, come in.”

Dive and Milien, who had been waiting outside, rushed into the tent and rushed to the bed, hugging Xavier.

“Father!”

“Father!”

Both cried with joy.

Shock, surprise, confusion, daze, joy… It was the first time Neo had seen such complex emotions on Xavier’s usually composed face. At that moment, Xavier was no longer the lofty lord, but just an ordinary person who had endured many hardships and was fortunate to be reunited with his family.

Next was the turn of the lord’s family.

“My lord, I will carry out the rituals of marrying Milien in the human way. And also, I am free now.” Neo bowed and then walked out with firm steps.

Yes, he is free. Xavier’s confession no longer matters. If freedom requires a ritual to break free from bonds, then just now he completed the final step in breaking those chains. With his own strength, all barriers in his heart were removed. From now on, he is free. Even if he doesn’t return to the wild forests of his homeland, at least his heart can now fly. At this moment, his eyes couldn’t help but fill with tears…
Watching Nio’s straight-backed figure as he left, Xavier slowly closed his eyes and sighed, “Yes, you are free!”…
Volume 4: True and False Heroes