Chapter 126: Farewell, Never to Meet Again

After consuming the honey, Zhuoma felt his strength and stamina rapidly returning. Recalling how the werewolf Wolf would consume a bottle of honey after every defeat, he would have been a fool not to realize the truth. "So that’s how it is..."

"Haha!" Seeing that he had caught on, Keane thought to himself that the man’s intelligence wasn't entirely negative. He walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "If Wolf didn't eat that honey, I doubt he would be a match for you in a fight."

"My thanks, Lord Keane!" Zhuoma sighed, speaking from the heart.

"Why thank me?" Keane asked, feeling puzzled.

"Lord Keane, you were merely providing an excuse to intentionally let the city guards go!" Zhuoma said. "If you hadn't wanted to release them, you could have just ordered me to challenge the dragon or challenged me yourself, and I would have been defeated instantly!"

Hearing this, Keane thought to himself that he was overthinking things. However, he didn't let it show on his face, instead smiling warmly. "There’s no need to speak of that!"

"Yes!" Zhuoma gave him a grateful look, feeling that he had made the right choice. In this world where might makes right, it was rare to encounter such a benevolent leader.

Christina shared Zhuoma's sentiment. In her eyes, Lord Keane was both powerful and kind—he had intentionally let a weak subordinate accept a challenge, and after Zhuoma's defeat, he had voluntarily granted all the city guards their freedom. Comparing him to Alex, the difference in character was stark.

Recalling Alex's shameless face, then looking at Lord Keane’s consistent, gentle smile and the broad-mindedness he showed in releasing the guards, she suddenly felt a strange sensation in her chest. She had first experienced this feeling with the version of Alex she had initially met, but now, looking at the handsome and gentle Lord Keane, the feeling was even more intense.

Once Zhuoma’s stamina had recovered, Keane took the giant axe out of his virtual backpack. "Here! This is your weapon, returned to its rightful owner!"

Zhuoma took the axe, gave it a few swings to test it, and looked at Keane with gratitude. "My thanks, Lord Keane!"

"Hmm! It’s a pity I don't have the blueprints right now, otherwise, I would craft you a better weapon," Keane sighed. "The best axe I can forge currently is a steel axe meant for chopping wood. Compared to your giant axe, it’s not even in the same league. Once I get my hands on the blueprints for a giant axe, I’ll be sure to make you one of higher quality!"

Zhuoma blinked, confused by the terminology, but he understood one thing: Lord Keane would likely craft him a superior axe in the future. "Thank you, Lord Keane!"

"The armor you city guards wear, with those pathetic little iron scraps, offers terrible protection!" Keane took a set of common-quality iron armor from his backpack. "I am now capable of crafting common-quality equipment. You should switch to this iron armor for now. Once my skills improve, I will provide you with higher quality gear—perhaps even epic-grade equipment! For now, just make do with this!"

"Epic-grade?" Zhuoma was skeptical, but the set of iron armor before him was undeniably real. He took the gear with trembling hands, still finding it hard to believe. "This set of armor, crafted from pure iron... is it really for me?"

"Of course!" Keane laughed. "Stay with me, and there will be even better things to come!"

"Better things..." Zhuoma’s rough hands caressed the iron armor, treating it as if it were a lover.

The Xiongfeng Empire was not a country rich in mineral resources. Aside from the Beast Forest and a few dangerous regions, the country consisted mostly of plains with very few mountain ranges. Finding underground veins was no easy task, and in the past few hundred years, very few mines had been discovered within the country.

Consequently, metal ores were exorbitantly expensive in the Xiongfeng Empire. Only the King’s Royal Guard could afford full sets of high-protection iron armor; for the city guards, even armor featuring a few scattered iron plates was a rare luxury.

"Wolf, take Zhuoma into the city and find a spot for the kobold craftsmen to build him a house!" Keane said, pulling the werewolf aside.

"Yes!" Wolf immediately led Zhuoma into the city.

"Alright! Everyone, disperse!" Keane clapped his hands. "Christina, come with me. I have something to ask you."

"Could you give me a moment?" Christina asked.

"What is it?" Keane looked at her in confusion.

"Let me have a few words with Alex," Christina lowered her head, pleading.

"As you wish!" Keane gestured with his hands; he didn't care.

Christina clutched the skirt of her purple cleric's robe, curtsied elegantly, and walked into the spacious prison, where Alex was the sole occupant.

She arrived at the solitary cell where Alex was kept, looking at him with sorrow as he curled up in a miserable state.

"Christina! Christina!" Seeing her appear, Alex hurriedly cried out, "Are you alright? Did that Keane do anything to you?"

"Alex, what right do you have to ask that?" Christina’s voice deepened. "Yesterday, to save your own life, you actually used me to shield yourself from Pelin’s sword energy!"

"I'm sorry! Christina, I was just muddled for a moment. Please forgive me! You know you are in my heart, and I swear it will never happen again!" Alex begged. "Please forgive me!"

"Next time?" Christina shook her head. "It’s not even certain how Lord Keane will deal with you. Will you even have a next time? Besides, I won't believe your words anymore! You’ve been lying to me all along."

"Christina, I just didn't tell the truth in front of Pelin, but that was because I..."

"You said Lord Keane massacred every villager in your village," Christina said. "Then I want to ask you: are the villagers here the same ones you claimed were slaughtered?"

"They are indeed villagers from my village, but I was only guessing; I wasn't lying!" Alex said urgently. "Perhaps they were kidnapped by that Keane and forced to stay..."

"Alex, I am not a fool!" Christina felt a deeper pain. "In the eyes of those villagers, there isn't a shred of fear or resentment toward Lord Keane—only worship and respect. If Lord Keane were truly as you described, how could they show such expressions?"

"Christina, listen to me..."

"You listen to me!" Christina interrupted him. "I will use my own ears and eyes to discern the truth. I will find out their true feelings and the reality of the situation from the villagers themselves. So, do not try to deceive me again!"

Hearing this, Alex smiled bitterly and closed his eyes.

"I came here primarily to tell you this," Christina sighed softly. "Thank you for the half a month where I experienced the feeling of a heartbeat. I’m not sure if this counts as love, but I was truly happy during that short time. At least, that’s what I thought before I knew the truth. At the same time, I’m saying goodbye—a final goodbye."

"Christina..."

After she finished speaking, she ignored Alex’s cries and turned to leave without looking back.