Recruiting

After learning about Lina's background, Ye Wei'an's expression turned serious, and his tone became more earnest than ever before: "Sister Lina, please reconsider what I just said. Do you want to come to my side? I plan to leave Firefall Valley completely after my father... that day arrives."

For the first time, he revealed his ambition to others: "I am ready to answer the kingdom's call to expand and become a powerful lord on the border. On my way back, I have gathered enough supplies and gold through various means. I have powerful magic and elite troops; I will definitely protect you and prevent you from suffering the injustices of these disgusting people again."

Lina was stunned. "So, all those things Eileen bragged about to me before were true? Our young master, who's never even killed a chicken, really killed bandits on the street, led a light cavalry unit to capture the entire Gray Raven Group overnight, and even 'collected' a large sum of stolen money?"

Ye Wei'an nodded frankly: "Although there may be some discrepancies in the details, the result is correct."

"My goddess Serene..." Lina exclaimed softly, looking at Ye Weian with some disbelief. "I thought it was just a heroic story that Eileen made up. Susar has really changed you a lot."

"I wasn't bragging! Sister Lina, you don't believe me?!" Ellen tugged at Lina's sleeve, refusing to let it go.

Ignoring their playful banter, Ye Wei'an pressed on, "Now that you know all this, what's your answer, Sister Lina?"

"I do, young master," she answered with unusual decisiveness.

He thought Lina would hesitate, after all, her father and her family were here.

Unexpectedly, Lina hesitated for almost a second.

"So quick?" Ye Wei'an was somewhat surprised. "Don't you need to discuss it with Knight Morey?"

"There's no particular reason." Lina looked into Ye Wei'an's eyes as if she were looking at a sapling that had finally grown into a towering tree. "Although I've never seen your decisive side before, based on what Ellen said—that you distributed the gold coins to the townspeople who were victimized—it shows that even if you've learned magic and your heart has hardened, you're still that upright and good child at heart."

She blinked and teased, "Following a lord who is both capable and kind-hearted is much better than staying here waiting for that wicked woman to just hand me over to some drunkard, isn't it?"

Hearing the words "good boy," Ye Wei'an felt a little helpless.

He didn't consider himself a good person at all; all those previous actions were just tactics to win people over. He never expected to get a "good guy" card this way.

This also demonstrates how inhuman most rulers of this era were.

But looking at Lina's trusting smile, he felt that such a misunderstanding wasn't so bad after all.

Upon hearing Lina's agreement, Eileen cheered and grabbed Lina's arm, shaking it vigorously. "That's wonderful! Now I can stay with Lina forever, and I won't have to worry about having no one to talk to when Master is busy!"

"You're celebrating too soon, Ellen." Ye Wei'an crossed his arms and gave her a cold glance. "I haven't even bothered you yet."

Eileen's smile froze instantly. She blinked, looking completely innocent. "Young Master, what...what did I do wrong again?"

"I was planning to have a good chat with Lina about all the things I saw and heard along the way. But you, without waiting for me, spilled everything. Now that you've told me everything, what am I supposed to say?"

Aileen shrank back a little guiltily and whispered in her defense, "Oh, young master... I just couldn't help it! Besides, Sister Lina isn't an outsider. I just wanted her to know about your heroic deeds as soon as possible."

"But you can't tell the whole story..."

Lina sat to the side, resting her chin on her hand and watching the two bicker with doting eyes.

She had initially worried that Susar's studies would turn the innocent boy into a cold and ruthless one, but now it seems that her young master is still the same person he always was.

After arguing with Eileen for a bit, and seeing that Lina remained silent, Ye Wei'an took the initiative to say to her, "Sister Lina, look at her like this, she has no sense of caution at all. If someone were to dump her in Susar or Firefall Town, she would be sold off sooner or later and would even be helping the seller count the money. I think you should keep an eye on her, so she doesn't reveal all our family's wealth to the wandering bards on the roadside."

"I won't!" Ellen muttered defiantly.

"On that point, I can't entirely agree with you, young master." Lina shook her head with a half-smile. "I think... Ellen is quite tight-lipped; at least she's kept some secrets very well."

Ye Wei'an was surprised by her words, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

Eileen waved her hand: "No! Sister Lina, I've never kept anything from you!"

"Really not?" Lina teased, her gray eyes seeming to see right through people.

"Absolutely not!" Eileen insisted, but her eyes kept glancing towards Ye Weian.

Lina then turned her gaze to Ye Weian and said with a smug smile, "Young Master, look, isn't she quite good at keeping secrets? As long as she doesn't get your permission, she won't utter a single word, even in front of me."

Ye Wei'an realized that Lina was testing him in a roundabout way, and he was so embarrassed that he didn't know what to say.

Since we've already come this far, pretending to be clueless would only make us seem distant.

"I couldn't hide it from you after all." Ye Wei'an rubbed his nose, then asked curiously, "How did you find out?"

"It's very simple. I watched Eileen grow up. Even if we haven't seen each other for four years, I can still tell what changes have happened to her."

She stretched out her hand and pointed at Ellen, who was quietly shrinking back: "Ellen used to complain about being tired even climbing stairs, but just now when she pulled me up the stairs, she didn't even pant."

"And just now..." Lina casually pointed to the kettle on the table, "There was something else going on when she poured you tea. The kettle was clearly very heavy, but she was able to lift it with one hand without spilling a single drop of water. That strength, balance, dexterity... Heh, if the old Ellen had even half of that ability, she wouldn't have cried after being pushed over."

She turned around and stared intently at Ye Wei'an: "Young Master, does Susar's school teach people how to turn a little maid into an elite warrior?"

Ye Wei'an smiled helplessly. Since Lina was already planning to go with him, there was indeed no need to hide some things.

So he offered the same explanation he had given Ellen: "When I was learning magic in Susar, I discovered some unconventional methods that allowed me to cast [enhancement magic] on my companions using arcane magic."

Speaking of this, his expression turned solemn. "It can fundamentally reshape a person's physique. Ellen is my first achievement. She is not only agile now, but her strength and reaction speed are no less than those of a trained warrior. Moreover, this enhancement is permanent."

"Permanent enhancement?" Lina gasped, her mouth slightly agape.

As a descendant of Leatherman, she grew up listening to her ancestors tell the legendary stories of the Leatherman witches.

In those stories, only the most powerful witches could cast this magic that strengthened mortal bodies, and usually at a great cost.

But the way the young master is acting doesn't seem like he's paid a price at all.

She quickly recovered from her shock, her expression becoming extremely serious: "Young Master, you were right not to tell anyone outside. If this power were to spread, even those greedy lords and mages would probably go mad."

"That's why I'm only telling you this." Ye Wei'an patted her hand reassuringly and promised, "Don't worry, Sister Lina, when the time is right, I will definitely make you stronger too."

"Then I'll be waiting for you."