Night slowly descended.
The last trace of dark red sunset dyed the sky before gradually being swallowed by a deep ink-blue color, like a vast piece of silk slowly spreading across the heavens.
A bright full moon quietly rose, hanging in the sky like a silver plate and casting down soft moonlight.
One by one, the stars also began to shine, like countless grains of glowing silver sand sewn into the silk of the night sky.
Under the old oak tree, in the open space at the center of the village, more than a dozen logs had been stacked together to form a huge bonfire.
The flames danced and crackled, sending countless sparks into the night sky like tiny fireflies.
Two long wooden tables were covered with wooden bowls filled with bright red fruit wine.
An entire wild wolf, more than a meter long, had been placed on a wooden rack beside the bonfire to roast.
Fat dripped into the flames with a sizzling sound.
“Come on, Berg! Have another bowl of red fruit wine! If I can’t beat you in a fight, then I’ll definitely drink you under the table!”
“Beautiful ladies! Who is willing to dance with me?”
“Maria, I love you! Please become my wife. I’ll love you for the rest of my life!”
“Wolf meat! Delicious!”
...
The villagers danced wildly around the bonfire.
Some dragged Berg into drinking contests, refusing to give up even after becoming so drunk that they could barely see straight.
Some shouted loudly for a dance partner, but even after looking around several times, no one answered them.
Others held flower crowns woven from wildflowers, knelt on one knee before the girls they loved, and confessed their feelings.
In the end, they embraced tightly while everyone around them cheered and blessed them.
And some people cared about nothing at all.
They simply buried their heads in the wolf meat and kept eating until their stomachs were round and their mouths were covered in grease.
The entire place was filled with warmth and excitement.
Almost everyone had a bright smile on their face.
Almost.
Not far from the bonfire, Xia Mingyu sat alone on the ground with his back against the old oak tree.
His head was lowered, and his brows were tightly furrowed.
He was still thinking about the profession he had just obtained.
Innocent Foolishness... Absent-Minded Wandering...
No matter how he looked at those two abilities, neither seemed like something meant for combat!
And more importantly...
How exactly was the profession of University Student supposed to advance?
Surely he wasn’t expected to travel back to his original world and get a master’s degree or doctorate!
Xia Mingyu let out a heavy sigh.
He was genuinely worried that he might remain stuck at a Mortal-Rank profession for the rest of his life.
If that happened, then no matter how noble his identity blessing was, he could only become some kind of decorative figurehead or strategist.
And worse still...
His identity blessing was fake.
“The lord of Black Wolf Territory will probably come looking for me very soon. How should I face him?”
“Should I act proud? Calm? Or stay quiet and mysterious?”
“But if he asks where I came from, what am I supposed to say?”
Xia Mingyu rubbed his temples.
His head was starting to hurt badly.
“Your Highness, are you all right?”
At that moment, a slightly worried voice, clear like flowing spring water, pulled him out of his thoughts.
Xia Mingyu raised his head slightly.
Anliya was walking toward him.
The girl had changed back into her blue dress.
Her exposed snow-white shoulders were slightly red, and the hem of her dress swayed with her light footsteps, making her look like a bluebell gently moving in the night breeze.
Her brilliant golden hair reflected the warm orange light of the bonfire with a soft glow.
Her beautiful blue eyes were filled with concern.
Xia Mingyu gave a slight nod, showing that he was fine.
The girl thought for a moment.
Then she lifted the hem of her dress and copied him, sitting down on the ground with her back against the old oak tree.
She did not seem worried at all about dirtying her only dress.
“Your Highness, you don’t seem very happy. Is it because of your profession?”
Anliya asked carefully.
At the same time, she quietly moved a little closer to him.
She had noticed that ever since Xia Mingyu obtained his profession, he had seemed somewhat gloomy.
“A little.”
Xia Mingyu shrugged.
“To be honest, I also had a dream of becoming someone who could defeat a thousand cavalrymen alone, someone with enough strength to shake mountains and dominate the battlefield.”
“But now... that dream seems a little difficult to achieve.”
“Pfft...”
Anliya covered her mouth and laughed softly.
“Most men seem to think like that.”
