Chapter 251: The Feeling of Home

Chapter 251: The Feeling of Home

Two days later, I returned to the Mage Guild and was led by a Mage to the Underground Teleportation Room.

Taren was the first to greet me, his sweat-soaked face faintly pale.

"Elder, you've arrived just in time. The Long-distance Teleportation is ready."

"You've all worked hard."

Seeing the tired expressions of Suoren and the other four old Mages, I sincerely gave them a Mage's Salute. Long-distance Teleportation consumes a massive amount of energy; I estimated only an old monster like Fara could complete it without changing expression.

"However..." Amidst my gratitude, my tone paused as I pointed around the hall.

"These people... what's going on?"

In the Teleportation Hall, which was about the size of four basketball courts, besides the five Mages necessary for the Long-distance Teleportation and the Teleportation Magic Circle that occupied a third of the hall's area, the surroundings were also packed with Mages of varying heights. I estimated there were at least a hundred of them, all uniformly clad in black Mage Robes with large hoods. Under the cold wall lamps, their shadows flickered like ghosts, adding a dark and eerie atmosphere.

Could they be holding some Secret Ritual? If the atmosphere hadn't been inappropriate, I would have turned back to ask Taren: Had the Mage Guild been taken over by some evil Wizards organization? They weren't planning on using me, an Elder, as a Sacrifice, were they?

Noticing my gaze, Taren's pale old face couldn't help but flush slightly, and his voice became hesitant.

"You see... Elder... *cough cough*... I'm sure you understand, Elder, during the time you were away from the Rogue Encampment... *cough*... What I mean is... actually, most of these people are from the Rogue Encampment. Some haven't been back in over a decade, so..."

"Just say what you need to say."

"*Cough*. Alright, I'll be direct. Just the day before yesterday, someone somehow leaked the news that the Elder was returning. So everyone thought, *cough*... they wanted the Elder to help bring some things back to the Rogue Encampment."

Taren coughed as he spoke, his eyes flustered. This poor old man. I didn't know how that cunning old fox Fara had taught him; he couldn't even lie properly. Wasn't this just telling me that he himself was the one who leaked the news?

After figuring out the reason, I suddenly felt like laughing and crying at the same time—so they wanted me to play courier, huh? Should I salute them and say, "FedEx, Mission Accomplished"?

"There's no problem with that, but doesn't Warriv come and go frequently? Why not ask him?"

"That's true, but Elder, you probably know a little about us Mages; we all have a few... quirks. Once we start an experiment, we forget everything else in the outside world. Sometimes we stay in the Laboratory for months on end. Warriv's Caravan is truly a rare sight."

"I understand, I understand." Seeing the pale faces characteristic of shut-ins on each Mage, I instantly realized.

Next, over a hundred Mages successively handed me the items they wanted to send. Some were just simple letters, others were packages. Along with the items came overwhelming gratitude, longing, anticipation, and excitement. Seeing their simple and sincere eyes, my nose couldn't help but feel a little sore. These were all lovely people who had sacrificed themselves for the Dark Continent.

The dry, awkward Incantation slowly echoed through the hall. As the Mages inserted their staves into the five points of the five-pointed star, the entire Magic Circle seemed like a lit fuse, slowly brightening. Once the whole Magic Circle was illuminated, the hall was instantly enveloped in a milky white glow. Under the expectant gaze of countless burning eyes, my body standing in the center of the hall gradually floated up, faded, until it became transparent and disappeared.

At the same time, the Magic Circle in the Mage Guild's Underground Teleportation Room at the camp lit up with a pure white light.

"Welcome back, dear Wu!" As soon as I opened my eyes, familiar smiling faces greeted me.

"Oh, everyone looks like they're in good spirits." I looked at Akara, Cain, Kashya, and the Mages. All four Elders were there. This lineup truly made me feel a bit overwhelmed.

"Dear Wu, we've finally waited for you to come back." Unexpectedly, the first to greet me wasn't Kashya, but Fara. With a physique that looked like a gust of wind could blow him over, he actually ran faster than a rabbit, darting over in a few steps to grab my hand, looking like two old friends meeting again, tears welling up in their eyes.

"I say, Old Man Fara, what act are you putting on?" I quickly shook his hand off with force, glaring at him warily.

"Your... wife, alas, anyway, it's good you're back, it's good you're back. Finally, I can return to the guild and not suffer at that old bookworm's house..." Fara muttered, wiping his nose, as if he had just finished venting.

Velas? What happened to my gentle and kind Velas? What could have possibly happened to you, a dignified level 82 Mage? Look at how pathetic you are, I severely scorned Fara with a glance.

"What, do you have an opinion?" Cain, who was nearby, heard this and was displeased. Not only did this old man freeload at his house, but he even dared to complain. He was furious. Ignoring the difference in Strength between them, he instantly transformed from a polite scholar into a rogue. Cain's eyes turned red as he rolled up his sleeves and swung the staff in his hand...

"Good kid, Laien told me all about it. You really stirred things up in Lut Gholein."

Ignoring the two old men wrestling nearby, red-haired Kashya was the second to greet me, slapping my shoulder hard. The force almost knocked me to the ground. Damn it, no matter how much my level and Strength increased, she always managed to make me suffer just right. She must be doing it on purpose, you old drunkard.

"Of course, I completed the mission and then some." Taking a sharp breath, I countered with a hand chop, but Kashya easily dodged it. Just you wait, sooner or later I'll show you why the waves ahead die on the beach.

"Then the mission reward..." Turning my head, I looked at Akara, the leader, with hopeful eyes. I kept looking at her, just looking at her.

"*Cough cough*... Wu just got back, he must be tired. Go rest first. Everyone, don't disturb his rest. We can talk about anything tomorrow."

Akara avoided my gaze, casually sidestepping the issue. I said I wasn't tired at all, let's discuss it properly right now.

Seeing Akara turn and leave, my gaze fell on Kashya: "That... reward... money... experience... and equipment..."

"Ah, ah, damn it, I drank too much, I'm a bit drunk. I'll go back and catch up on sleep first."

Kashya, who had been full of energy just a moment ago, suddenly turned flushed, and her steps became wobbly. She even genuinely emitted a smell of alcohol. Waving behind her back, she staggered away with a small wine bottle in her hand, leaving me dumbfounded.

"That... Attribute Points... Skill Points..." I placed my last hope on Cain and Fara.

"Right, about that last question!" The two old men, who had just been wrestling, were now arm-in-arm at some point, their tone as affectionate as long-lost brothers.

"Yes, yes, that last question. There seemed to be a small error."

Soon, the two left in a hurry under the guise of research, ignoring my speechless gaze. Their slow steps actually hid a profound mystery, like immortal strides, and they vanished in a flash.

In the empty Teleportation Room, only I and the other four Mages responsible for casting the spell remained. My gaze swept over them, met by four innocent pairs of eyes.

"Screw you guys." I fiercely gave them the middle finger in the direction they left.

"Ha—"

Stepping out of the tent, I took a deep breath. Although I had only been away for three months, it felt like a long time. The refreshing cool breeze of the grassland spread through every pore of my body along with my lungs, as if to expel all the dryness left behind by the desert. Looking out, there was green grassland, a clear blue sky, fresh air, and gentle sunlight. It felt just like returning to the countryside from a smoggy big city. My body felt alive again.

Indeed, only the Rogue Encampment is the most ideal home, I stretched lazily and sighed from the bottom of my heart. That thick longing became even clearer at this moment. My steps began to move, slowly, then gradually accelerating. At some point, I was already sprinting.

Velas, my little darling, are you doing well?

When I stopped involuntarily, the small white tent in a corner of the Mage Guild was clearly reflected in my vision. In the world before my eyes, there was only that small figure, skillfully bending down, taking wet clothes from a large basket, wringing them out, giving them a vigorous shake, and then hanging them on a makeshift wooden pole. Every movement was so pleasing to the eye. With the blue sky and green grass as the background, the clothes fluttering in the wind and the girl's graceful silhouette formed an inexpressible painting. My heart was instantly filled to the brim, as if just by watching, I could stand there contentedly until the end of time.

My nose twitching slightly, I quietly walked forward and hugged her from behind, holding her small back tightly in my arms.

"I'm sorry, you've been working hard all by yourself."

Her body trembled violently, then relaxed, slowly leaning into my embrace, obediently letting me kiss her earlobe and rub her temples.

"My Lord..." Her voice was a soft murmur. Her slender hands, dripping with water, reached back and wrapped around my waist.

"Why say 'I'm sorry'? Compared to my Lord's hardships, what is this?"

"My Lord, look." Velas spoke as if murmuring to herself. She pointed to a small fence next to the tent, where two cute Little Sheep were playing.

"I'm raising two Little Sheep, you know. I didn't get my Lord's permission, you won't blame me, will you? When I first bought them, they were very, very small, completely bare with no fur at all. Now they've grown so big. When I feed them, I often think, when my Lord comes back, we'll name them together. Thinking like that makes me feel happy."

"And also..." She pointed to the small fence on the other side.

"My Lord, look, I planted some Vegetables. I also planted Moroluo, which my Lord likes to eat. I was thinking, if they could ripen by the time my Lord returns, I could eat Moroluo bread that I planted and ground myself. Look, they've just ripened. Isn't this something to be happy about?"

"And, and Shala sister also comes over often. These wooden fences, the Vegetable patch, and the clothesline, we built them together. So even when I'm alone, I'm not lonely, not at all..."

Continuously talking, Velas lowered her head. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks, along her hair, and dripped onto my palm.

"But... but that's not it. Actually, I've been waiting for my Lord to come back all along. I couldn't wait for a moment longer. Why is it like this? It wasn't like this before. I was away for longer periods before, so why was my heart so anxious this time? I know my Lord is fighting for everyone, but I always selfishly think, 'My Lord, come back quickly. Don't worry about anything else, just come back and hold me.' I... *wu en*~~"

In Velas's surprised, tear-filled eyes, I forcefully turned her body around and sealed her jade lips, sealing all her words and tears. I greedily took from her until she was almost breathless, then roughly lifted her up horizontally in a perfect princess carry, and walked towards the tent.

"My... My Lord..." Velas murmured unconsciously in a dreamlike state, her eyes hazy as she gazed intently at my face.

"The... the clothes aren't finished hanging yet." A weak struggle came from my arms, contrasted by a pair of jade arms tightly wrapped around my neck.

I don't know how long passed. Satisfied moans sounded. Velas, like a puppy, showed the happiness and contentment after the rain and dew on her face.

"Are you cold? My little Ailulu."

Velas's nickname is Ailulu, but I'm usually used to calling her Velas. Only on certain "special" occasions do I occasionally murmur her nickname. Whenever I do, she always becomes uncontrollably shy, and her flushed face makes her even more irresistible.

"*Wuwu*~~" As expected, Velas's cheeks, which were already like begonias after rain, were now even redder up to her ears. No matter how many times I called her that, she could never get used to it and would blush involuntarily. This simple and shy personality is exactly the Velas I love.

"Oh, right." While playing with the Small Metal Ring Hair Accessory that hung down with her long hair onto my chest, the one only her man was qualified to touch, I suddenly recalled Fara's genuinely miserable appearance.

"My little Ailulu, what did you do that made Fara afraid to return to the Mage Guild?"

"Huh? Me?" Velas, her face rosy, tilted her head slightly and leaned against my chest, tapping her lip with her index finger in thought.

"Did... did I do anything bad? No!?" After thinking, her face was filled with confusion.

"It's just that when I had free time, I wanted to see if my Lord had returned, so I stood by the guild entrance and waited. I would go back before dark. Did I cause them trouble?!" Velas said with a puzzled expression, apparently not understanding what bad thing she might have done.

"Of course not, you little silly goose."

I couldn't help but pull her tightly into my embrace, while also mourning for Fara and the others. Imagine a girl standing at the entrance all day long, craning her neck in expectation, her face full of anticipation followed by disappointed eyes staring at the Mages passing by, her plaintive gaze seemingly constantly asking, "Why aren't you the one I'm waiting for?! Why, why, why..." Anyone would find that unbearable, especially a girl as gentle and pure as Velas. Her emotional lethality is often even more astonishing. Even if Fara's skin were thicker than steel, he probably couldn't withstand it. Truly, every object has its conqueror. That poor old man...

However, I can't let Velas understand the truth; she would be very sad. Fara, just bear with it. Amen.

"Oh, right, how is that little girl Shala doing? How's the progress at the Training Camp?" To prevent the simple Velas from figuring it out, I quickly changed the subject.

"Mm, it's quite good. Her progress is surprisingly fast. The teacher said if she continues at this speed, she won't need two years to advance class to Mercenary. But..." Velas blinked her big eyes, showing a rare mischievous expression.

"But what? Tell me quickly." I immediately put on the air of the head of the household, my large hand covering those moderately sized jade breasts.

"My Lord... you... just love to be naughty. I won't tell you, I just won't. You'll understand when you see it." Accompanied by faint moans, Velas shook her head, her face completely red.

"Alright, you dare to resist. It seems I need to administer House Rules..." I flipped over and pressed her beneath me...

(end of chapter)