PFC Chapter 41 Study Hard
Chapter 41 Study Hard
Night completely enveloped the town of Ambermill.
The room was unusually quiet, with only the occasional soft rustling of the night wind through the streets outside the window.
William lay on his side in bed, wide awake.
The light emanating from the white lady and blue boy in the night sky streamed in through the open window, casting a cold, desolate glow on the bedside and floor. He lay awake, his mind replaying the events of the past few days.
His experiences in the Thieves' Guild shattered the stereotypes he had developed while in the military. Vikara's pragmatism and rationality made him realize that even waving the kingdom's banner wasn't necessarily effective against those with extraordinary abilities.
Then there was the group from the Church of the Holy Light in Stormwind that I encountered during the day.
This was his first close encounter with church personnel from outside Lordaeron, and their gentleness, kindness, and noble character left an indelible mark on his heart.
This noble quality made him realize the gap between the Church of the Holy Light in Lordaeron and Stormwind.
Almost all the followers of the Holy Light in Lordaeron were consumed by hatred over the destruction of their homeland and the tragic deaths of their loved ones. Their emotions were dominated by revenge, their minds were distorted, and their actions became increasingly extreme. They had strayed far from the original doctrines of the Holy Light.
He understood the root of the problem. He understood the tragic fate of the Kingdom of Lordaeron in the timeline the stranger had told him about.
Why was Barnazar able to so easily corrupt the Scarlet Crusade warriors? Why did the once righteous Scarlet Crusade gradually degenerate into its current fanatical and insane state?
Even without that demon, the influence of such hatred would inevitably lead to unforeseen events. As long as the Scourge issue remains unresolved, corruption is only a matter of time.
But he also had to admit that the Holy Light was indeed the most solid shield to stabilize the kingdom.
Even when faced with dire circumstances, and the overwhelming terrors of natural disasters, undead, and black magic that could crush a person's will, the believers were still able to suppress their fear and charge forward with their swords.
This is also why the Holy Light has been able to take root in Azeroth for thousands of years, with believers all over the continent.
My thoughts drifted back to the conversation we had during the day.
Even the ordinary paladins of Stormwind could see clearly that the Alliance had no intention of waging war for Lordaeron. The various kingdoms were preoccupied with their own problems and had already tacitly abandoned this fallen northern land.
The so-called support is merely a facade to maintain the unity of the alliance.
Finally, he remembered the group of adventurers in the tavern.
A group of outsiders, willing to risk their lives to hunt down the sons of Arugal in the perilous Silverpine Forest for gold coins.
Everyone is struggling to survive; no one is an exception.
With a jumble of thoughts churning in his mind, William found himself increasingly unable to fall asleep.
Just then, a faint, fresh scent of grass wafted towards my nose—a very unique fragrance, the scent of Elena.
At the same time, I felt a slight squeezing sensation from behind.
The hotel's double bed wasn't small, and he was already sleeping on the very edge of the bed, with almost half of his body hanging off the edge.
But the people behind him kept pushing their way in. William finally couldn't help but mutter a complaint under his breath.
"I'm already sleeping on the very edge, do you really have to push your boss off the bed?"
These words seemed to instantly unlock the floodgates of conversation from the half-elf behind him.
A series of muffled complaints immediately rose in the darkness, as the girl's coquettishness and grievances poured out.
"Boss, could you give me some money? I need to rent a private room myself."
"I'm really not used to sleeping in the same bed with other people, it's too awkward."
"And with you right next to me, I don't even dare to take off my clothes. I sleep in my outer clothes every day. How can this be?"
William listened helplessly and asked in a muffled voice.
"You've been homeless for so many years. How did you sleep before? Now that you have a bed, why are you being so picky?"
Elena's confident voice immediately followed.
"That's different! I used to sleep on the guild ground, on the street, in the bushes, but there were no men around me."
"Who knows what you might do to me while I'm asleep, right? I have to be careful."
William was instantly amused and speechless.
At such a young age, what kind of nonsense is going on in your head?
He instinctively wanted to argue, thinking that if he were that kind of person, she wouldn't have behaved herself from the very first day she started clinging to him.
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back down.
He said coldly, "Either shut up and go to sleep, or go sleep on the floor now. I'll sleep in the bed by myself."
That really worked.
The complaints behind him vanished instantly, and the room finally fell silent.
But the quiet is only temporary.
The scent of fresh grass lingered in the air, refusing to dissipate. Behind her, the bedding rustled incessantly; Elena seemed to be tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep peacefully.
The constant noise disturbed William's peace of mind, making it even harder for him to sleep.
After a moment of silence, he took the initiative to speak, diverting attention and also settling the subsequent arrangements in advance.
"Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you how to use weapons."
"Have you ever received any basic training in combat or weapon handling?"
There was silence behind me for about ten seconds.
In the quiet moment, William clearly heard a faint rustling sound of fabric.
He instantly understood, but on the surface he pretended to be completely unaware and remained motionless.
Soon, Elena's voice rang out softly, with a hint of probing.
"Yes, boss."
After a few more seconds of silence, she suddenly asked in a low voice.
"Boss, you've spent so much money having me learn black magic, potion-making, and combat skills from Sister Vicara. What are you after?"
William couldn't be bothered with her and didn't want to argue with her late at night.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Elena became even more interested and continued to guess on her own.
"Boss, are you trying to hit on me?"
"If that were really the case, you wouldn't need to go through all this trouble."
"Just give me the money, I won't mind, really."
Upon hearing this, William let out a long breath, feeling a throbbing sensation in his temples.
He was patient, his tone full of helplessness.
"I like it when you sleep with your clothes on, I like it when you sleep with your body on, okay?"
"Stop talking nonsense and go to sleep."
He finally understood the little elf's personality completely.
She can be bold or timid, has a lot on her mind, is a chatterbox, and is always overthinking things.
He couldn't help but wonder if all half-elves were like this, or if it was just Elena who took advantage of her good temper to bully others.
Elena, still restless, continued to tease him in a low voice.
"Boss, why don't you dare turn around?"
"Why don't you dare turn around and watch me sleep?"
William gave up on communication altogether, simply raised his hand to cover his ears, closed his eyes, and forced himself to fall asleep.
Arguing with this girl in the middle of the night is just asking for trouble.
The rest of the night passed in silence.
Perhaps he was too tired from traveling during the day, or perhaps he was exhausted from being verbally attacked by this little girl at night, William slept soundly for once, which was rare for him.
When I opened my eyes again, it was already broad daylight.
The morning sunlight streamed through the wooden windows, filling the room and illuminating the floating dust everywhere.
William stretched, his bones cracking softly, and the fatigue from yesterday vanished instantly.
He sat up and dressed, his gaze sweeping across the room, where he saw the view from the window.
Elena was sitting at the table by the window, her head down, writing and drawing intently, very focused.
William got up, took two steps closer, and looked down.
On the table lay the book, "Learn Alchemy from Scratch in Ten Days".
The little girl took a quill pen from the table, dipped it in ink, and meticulously copied down the contents of the book, recording the appearance, effects, growing locations, and suitable medicinal preparations of various herbs.
Her previous carefree and cunning demeanor had vanished; now she was exceptionally serious.
A prepared breakfast was laid out on one corner of the table.
The freshly baked dark bread contained several fried eggs, along with a cup of warm milk, and a thin book was placed on top to keep it from getting dusty.
William pulled out a chair and sat down, eating his breakfast as he spoke.
"Are you being so serious today?"
Elena didn't look up, her pen still moving, her tone very serious.
"Boss, you're so willing to invest money in me, I can't let your gold coins go to waste."
"And Sister Vicara is really strict. If I don't study well, she really will punish me."
"I don't want to end up like Karen, being punished every day by copying that book that's as thick as a brick. It's too tiring."
William looked at her meticulous appearance and nodded slightly in approval.
Although half-elves are usually lazy, prone to lying, and good at talking, they can still prioritize tasks when it matters and are willing to work hard.
I guess I didn't misjudge him, right?
Although I was indeed scammed at first...
After breakfast, William tidied up a bit.
"I'm going out for a while, so you can study hard."
I wandered around Ambermill several times and asked at several blacksmith shops.
Wooden weapons are fine for beginners.
There's nothing more suitable than a wooden weapon for building a foundation, practicing posture, and figuring out how to generate power.
He directly spent money to purchase a complete set of wooden one-handed weapons, including daggers, short swords, and one-handed swords, covering all the basic weapon types commonly used by stalkers.
The entire weapon set is weighted according to the actual weapon, and the feel is at least similar to a real iron weapon, specifically designed for training beginners.
Carrying a large bag, she took a set of wooden weapons back to her inn room. Elena was still sitting by the window, engrossed in her studies, and at least she didn't seem to be slacking off.
William placed his weapon on the ground and interrupted her.
"Would you like to take a break?"
"Want to go out and do some activities with me?"