I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

Anna took out a roll of parchment from her bosom and gently unfolded it. It depicted a crown with simple, archaic lines, and several lines of esoteric church text were written in gold foil along the edges.

"This is a relic of Hermes, the third great sage of the Church. Pure-blooded humans who wear it can see a fragment of the future."

Anna paused, and seeing that no one seemed puzzled, continued, "The Patriarch said that using it to predict the outcome of a war can help us decide when to attack."

The room fell silent.

Mason leaped backward, landing on the sofa, her ample bosom swaying as she whistled, "A hat that can predict the future? Does that mean you know whether you can win or lose just by wearing it?"

Anna gently corrected, "It's not about predicting the future, it's about 'seeing' a certain possibility of the future. The [Sage's Crown] doesn't represent a fixed destiny, but rather one of countless timelines, and different people may see different futures."

Alex was silent for a moment, his gaze falling on the drawing.

"What else did the Patriarch say?"

"He said—" Anna paused, "'May the Holy Light guide you, and may you guide the Holy Light.'"

Bruno scratched his head: "That sounds weird."

"What he means is that relics can help us see the way, but we are still the ones who walk it."

Alex stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the torches on the distant city wall. "When will the crown arrive?"

"Tomorrow evening, that sacred object can only be used at dusk; at other times it needs to be sealed."

Alex nodded without turning around.

The night wind blew in through the window, making the candlelight flicker.

He wondered, if the [Crown of the Sage] could truly see the future, how should he change things if he saw an unsatisfactory outcome?

Could the act of making changes itself lead to the opposite outcome?

He turned to his teammates, his voice gentle, and said with a smile, "It's getting late, you should all go and get some rest. We'll make further plans tomorrow after Legolas brings back the intelligence."

Everyone agreed.

……

The next morning, the morning light of Kolde shines through the stained glass windows, casting a colorful play of light and shadow on the hall of the Adventurers' Guild.

When Ji Tian pushed open the door, the hall was already bustling with activity.

Several adventurers were discussing a quest in front of the notice board, a short queue stood in front of the counter, and someone was eating breakfast in a corner, the smell of bread and coffee mingling together to create a cozy, drowsy atmosphere.

Lilith followed behind him, her hood pulled low, revealing only a small section of her nose and a few strands of silver-white hair.

She slept very well last night—so well that she almost couldn't get up this morning. In the end, Ji Tian pulled her out of bed with the words, "If you don't get up now, there won't be any more cakes."

She was rubbing her eyes as she walked, muttering, "Master, why are we up so early? The Adventurers' Guild isn't going to run away."

"Hand over the magic crystal to gain their trust."

"A letter?" Lilith's eyes widened instantly. "Whose letter? Master, you have pen pals? Are they male or female? Are they good-looking?"

Ji Tian did not answer.

Lilith, undeterred, tiptoed closer to his ear and whispered, "Master, you don't have a mistress outside, do you?"

"no."

"Then why did you come to pick up the mail so early in the morning? And why did you make a special trip? You're usually too lazy to even eat, oh wait, you don't need to eat at all."

Ji Tian walked to the counter, where the receptionist with a ponytail was sorting through a stack of task sheets.

She looked up and saw Ji Tian. She was taken aback at first, then immediately put on a professional smile—she had a deep impression of this strange man who was "F-rank but could conjure white flames".

"Turn in the mission." Ji Tian took out a small cloth bag from his pocket and placed it on the counter.

The bag contained magic crystals collected yesterday while hunting monsters in the Xiling Mountains, which were specifically used to exchange for points and gold coins.

After all, supporting a sect requires money, and supporting disciples also requires money.

The receptionist opened the bag and poured out more than a dozen magic crystals of varying sizes. She glanced up at Ji Tian. "A C-grade Rock Spider magic crystal? And... is this a B-grade one?"

It's illogical for an F-rank adventurer to produce a B-rank magic crystal.

However, it's not uncommon for powerful and eccentric mages to start as adventurers from scratch.

The receptionist, who was paid three silver coins a month, decided not to ask any more questions.

"The points are calculated, and the gold coins are exchanged for cash," Ji Tian said.

The receptionist nodded and began to calculate.

Lilith stood behind Ji Tian, ​​looking around listlessly.

Her gaze swept over the colorful task lists on the notice board, over the solemn portraits on the wall of honor, over the two dwarves arm wrestling in the corner—and then stopped on a shelf.

Several rows of exquisite envelopes were displayed on the shelf, some sealed with wax, some tied with ribbons, and some even exuding a faint perfume scent.

"Master, is that where we collect the letter?"

Ji Tian followed her gaze and glanced at her, then said, "Mm."

"When do we pick it up?"

"wait."

"What are you waiting for?"

"Wait until they find the letter."

Lilith said "Oh," and started looking around again. Her gaze shifted from the shelf to an adventurer eating breakfast—a large plate of sausages, fried eggs, toast, and a large glass of milk sat in front of him, and he was eating with his mouth full of oil.

Her stomach growled.

Ji Tian took out a small paper packet from his pocket and handed it to the back.

Lilith took it, opened it, and found two croissants that were still warm, golden and crispy, and smelled of butter and flour.

"Wow, Master! When did you buy this?!"

"When leaving the house."

Lilith took a bite and almost cried. The pastry crumbled in her mouth, the buttery aroma melted on her tongue, and the wheat scent lingered in her nasal cavity.

She felt that the best food she had ever eaten in her life was all related to her master, and it was even more delicious than the delicacies in the Demon King's Palace.

She chewed and mumbled, "Master, it doesn't matter if you can't find a Daoist partner in the future, I can take care of you in your old age."

"Need not."

Why?

"You can't even support yourself."

Lilith choked for a moment, but quickly took another bite of the croissant and decided not to hold it against her master.

Behind the counter, the receptionist finally finished calculating the points and handed Ji Tian a small bag of gold coins from an iron box.

Then she pulled out an envelope sealed with wax from under the counter. The envelope had a note on it that read: "West Frontier, Kold City, Li Feiyu."

"Thank you." Ji Tian took the letter, turned around, and sat down on an empty chair nearby.

Lilith followed him over and squatted down next to him, still holding half a croissant in her hand.

"Master, who wrote this?"

"Elena".

Who is Elena?

"Elena is..." Ji Tian paused, seemingly considering his words, "...the first person to teach me to read."

Lilith blinked. "So it's the Grand Master?"

"Not my master."

"That is..."

"He is an important person, perhaps the deputy sect leader."

Lilith said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions. But her purple eyes were fixed on the envelope in Ji Tian's hand, like a cat staring at a fish tank.

Ji Tian broke the wax seal and took out the letter.

The letter paper was light blue with delicate floral patterns along the edges. It was folded neatly, and there were two bookmarks made of dried flowers inside the envelope.

It was written in neat handwriting—

"Seeing these words is like seeing the person in person:"

It's windy in the western region, remember to wear warm clothes.

You didn't take many warm clothes with you when you left, so I asked Gregor to send you a few cloaks. They should arrive in the next couple of days.

Everything is fine at home, so don't worry.

Gregor has already exchanged the magic crystals you asked someone to bring back for you for the last time for gold coins and stored them away, saying he'll give them to you when you come back.

It rained twice recently, and the wildflowers behind the manor are blooming even better than last year. I picked some and made them into bookmarks, and sent you two.

The crooked tree you used to sit on to look at the stars got a gash from being struck by lightning, but it hasn't fallen yet. The old gardener says it can hold on for a few more years.

I've recently been reading a book about the geography of the Westerlands and discovered that near the place you visited, there's a potentially dangerous mountain range, said to be inhabited by dragons.

Stay away from there, and don't do anything reckless like you did with the mushrooms last time.

Have a safe journey.

—Elena