Morning light slanted in through the high window.
When Luo Xun opened his eyes, a set of new clothes lay by his bedside, clearly tailored to his frame.
He picked them up and put them on, finding them to be a perfect fit.
The efficiency of a prestigious noble house was evident in even these small details.
Just as he finished changing, three soft knocks sounded at the door.
“Come in.” The door opened, and the young elf from yesterday’s dining room walked in.
His pale blonde hair was tied in a short ponytail, his face delicate, though marked by an obvious stiffness.
“Grandmagister Rommath has put me in charge of your daily needs in the estate,” the young elf said, his eyes fixed on the floor.
“My name is Kaelan.
Please let me know if you need anything.” Luo Xun noticed that the elf used the polite form of “you,” a term rarely used by high elves with outsiders.
Typically, high elves viewed humans with a certain patronizing condescension.
“Is there any breakfast?
I just woke up and I’m a bit hungry.
Also, can I walk around today?” “I will bring breakfast to your room shortly.” Kaelan finally glanced up at Luo Xun before quickly looking away.
“You may only move about the first floor and the garden.
You cannot go upstairs, and you cannot leave the estate walls.” “What about the library?” “No,” Kaelan replied flatly.
“All archives and libraries are off-limits.
If you want to read…
I can find a few basic language tutorials.
It seems you are still learning Thalassian?” The last sentence carried a hint of testing.
“Yes,” Luo Xun admitted calmly.
To get help, it was necessary to display a reasonable need.
Kaelan nodded, his expression relaxing slightly.
A human who couldn’t even speak their language properly was far less threatening.
“I will prepare your breakfast, then.” He bowed slightly and withdrew.
Luo Xun walked over to the window.
From here, he could see a corner of the estate’s front yard: manicured shrubs, a white stone path, and a small fountain.
Further out was the high wall, its top shimmering with the faint, flowing light of protective runes.
Another knock sounded.
This time it was a different servant, carrying a tray.
The servant smiled warmly at him, set the food on the table, and turned to leave.
Luo Xun didn’t mind.
He dug in immediately.
The food was exquisite, clearly prepared with considerable effort.
About half an hour later, Kaelan returned, holding three thin booklets.
“The most basic Thalassian primers,” he said, placing the books on the table.
“They are bilingual guides used for children’s early education.” Luo Xun flipped one open.
The Common tongue and the Elven language were printed side by side.
This was exactly what he needed.
If someone claiming to be from Stratholme couldn’t even speak Common, that would have truly blown his cover.
“Thanks,” he said, offering his sincere gratitude.
“Also,” Kaelan hesitated, “Lady Liadrin is downstairs.
She said she would like to speak with you, if you are willing.” Luo Xun looked up.
Liadrin.
The priest of the Holy Light.
“Where?” “The small parlor on the first floor.
It is quiet there, and Lady Alice often receives guests in that room,” Kaelan added, sounding as if he had prepared the explanation beforehand.
“If it is inconvenient, you can also decline the meeting.
In House Sunfire, no one can force you.” “Lead the way.
I’ve had my fill, and I wanted to walk around anyway.” Luo Xun stood up and followed Kaelan out the door.
The parlor was at the end of the first-floor hallway.
The room was small, with wood-paneled walls.
Two high-backed chairs faced each other, separated by a small round table.
Liadrin was already seated in one of the chairs.
She wasn’t wearing her priest robes today, having changed into a simple light-blue gown, her hair tied back tightly.
Seeing Luo Xun enter, she stood up and offered a slight nod.
“Thank you for agreeing to see me.” Her voice was gentle, but there was an underlying tension.
“Hello,” Luo Xun said, sitting down opposite her.
Kaelan withdrew, leaving the door open.
Light from the hallway slanted inside, ensuring the room remained well-lit.
Liadrin poured two cups of tea.
The liquid was a pale gold, releasing an aroma of mint mixed with herbs.
She pushed one cup toward Luo Xun and picked up the other, though she didn’t drink, simply cradling it in both hands.
“I might not have explained the test during breakfast clearly,” she began.
“Your constitution is very peculiar.
In my twelve years as a priest, I have never seen such an energy structure.” “You mentioned an affinity for Order and Life,” Luo Xun said, recalling her words.
“More than that.” Liadrin looked up, her clear eyes filled with confusion.
“Order, Life, the Holy Light—these forces are fundamentally different, and the methods of cultivating them are distinct.
Usually, a person can only master one in depth.
But your body…
is like a blank canvas, open to all ‘positive’ energies, yet unbound by the rules of any single one.” She paused, lowering her voice.
“This shouldn’t even be possible.” “And yet, here I am,” Luo Xun said with a shrug.
“Yes.” Liadrin gave a bitter smile.
“I have never seen anything like your case.” She set her teacup down, clasped her hands over her knees, and let her shoulders sag slightly, clearly preparing herself for what she was about to say next.
“Do you know,” the future leader of the Blood Knights said softly, “when the Scourge attacked, I was on the front lines.
I used the Holy Light to heal wounds and purify lands corrupted by death energy.
We prayed, firmly believing the Holy Light would shield us.” Luo Xun noticed her fingers tightening, her knuckles turning white.
“Then Arthas came.
He carried that sword—Frostmourne.
The Holy Light shone on him like it was shining on a rock, completely useless.
Our prayers, our healing, our purification…
all of it was ineffective.
He mowed down my people like grass, turned them into undead, and forced them to fight us.” The room became so quiet that the rustling of the leaves outside was clearly audible.
“The day Silvermoon City fell, I stood by the Sunwell,” Liadrin’s voice trembled.
“I watched Arthas corrupt the waters of the well, watched the energy turn from pure gold to a foul, dark purple.
I knelt and prayed with all my strength, begging for the Holy Light to descend and cleanse it all.
But nothing happened.
The Holy Light did not answer.
It abandoned us.” She closed her eyes.
Luo Xun remained silent.
Anything he said right now would sound hollow.
Yet a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: if the Holy Light had truly “abandoned” them, where did the Holy Light energy he sensed within this woman come from?
He recalled the pure, milky-white halo in his energy vision, and the warm current he had felt during his scan.
That power…
was clearly still there.
However, he could hardly ask that.
It would be like rubbing salt in her wounds.
But Liadrin seemed to sense something and opened her eyes.
“Are you wondering,” she asked softly, “if the Holy Light abandoned me, then what is this power I still hold?” Luo Xun said nothing.
How could he answer?
He could only offer a helpless smile.
The corner of Liadrin’s mouth curled into a bitter arc.
“I am wondering the same thing.” Silence settled over the room.
Outside, the wind blew, stirring a soft rustling sound.
Luo Xun suddenly realized that this might be her true purpose in coming today.
It wasn’t to tell a story of the past, but to ask a question to which she herself did not have the answer.