Chapter 23: The Soldier Covered in Lash Marks

Lori slept quietly and elegantly, looking like a cherished little sister next door. Her appearance greatly contrasted with the ‘proud little sparrow’ who enjoyed provoking Sun Fei during the day. Her thin body stood trembling in bitter, cold wind, evoking deep pity.

Sun Fei shook his head and walked over, pinching her smooth cheek firmly. “Hey, little one, wake up… What are you doing out here? It’s freezing, get back inside to sleep.”

But Lori remained highly alert.

The slightest sound startled her awake. Still groggy, she threw a punch blindly. Completely unprepared, Sun Fei caught her small fist square in his eye socket.

Thud!

A genuine dark panda eye appeared instantly.

“Ah? Alexander, is that you?”

Only after hitting him did she see clearly. Lori looked a little guilty. She lowered her head, sneaked a glance at his bruising eye, then couldn’t help covering her mouth with a giggle. “Hehe, I thought an enemy had climbed up… But you look okay, right? Hehe?”

Sun Fei felt wounded.

But seeing Lori shivering pitifully in the cold wind, his anger melted away. Gently patting her head, he detached his cloak from his armor and wrapped it around her delicate frame. “Alright, go inside and sleep. Once it’s light, go back to the palace with Angela. The river winds here are brutal; this is no place for fragile girls like you.”

The golden-haired Lori froze.

She stared blankly at Sun Fei. Her eyes suddenly reddened. Lowering her head quickly, she surprisingly didn’t argue. She simply turned and obediently headed towards the broken stone rooms inside the watchtower.

“Alexander, you’ll be kind to Angela, won’t you?”

At the doorway, Lori spun around suddenly. Her eyes locked intensely onto Sun Fei, her expression completely serious.

Huh?

Sun Fei paused, at a loss for words.

Before he could respond, the little girl continued firmly on her own. “Anyway, I don’t care! Now that you’re normal, you MUST treat Angela better! Alexander, you simply have no idea how much Angela sacrificed for you these past three years. I promise you, no one else in this whole world could ever be as good to you as Angela…”

Rubbing her reddened eyes, she then shook her small fist fiercely. “Now you’re normal, you need to protect her like she protected you all this time, understand? Otherwise… Otherwise… I’ll hit your other eye black and blue! Hmph!”

After delivering her threat, she waved her fist, eyes still red, and disappeared inside.

Sun Fei stood dumbfounded for a moment, then smiled bitterly.

Throughout the day, Gemma had held a faint hostility toward him. Sun Fei wasn’t stupid; he understood why. Probably because that fool King Alexander had caused Angela much suffering. Though nominally a servant, Gemma treated Angela like a beloved sister. Seeing everything Angela had endured over those three years, it was perfectly natural for Gemma to be hostile towards Alexander.

Precisely because he understood this, Sun Fei had chosen never to argue with the little girl.

Ultimately, the fact that she could maintain such a sisterly bond with Angela and had diligently cared for the idiot Alexander alongside Angela for three years like a sister, proved this Lori was essentially just a kind soul underneath all that toughness. She was a little like a spicy pepper–sharp-tongued, but with a core soft as velvet.

Lori’s words, however, struck Sun Fei deeply.

She was absolutely right. Having learned what had happened in the past, Sun Fei felt an intense need to protect that kind and beautiful girl. Whatever his personal feelings, he needed to guard her with all his strength–just as Gemma had declared: just as Angela had protected Alexander, Sun Fei must now protect Angela.

…

Over an hour remained until dawn, the darkest segment of the long night.

Late autumn had firmly arrived. A damp, cold wind blew across the river over the city walls. Lost in thought, Sun Fei felt adrift. Though he’d been in this unfamiliar world for barely a day, he found himself slowly becoming part of it.

Stars filled the sky; moonlight cast a cold glow.

“Could my arrival here truly be the will of the gods?” Sun Fei murmured atop the wall. He recalled the words spoken by the Nun Auntie Acarra back in the World of Diablo. Initially, he’d dismissed her talk as nonsense, just another way to swindle his Gold Coins and gear. But reflecting quietly now, he couldn’t shake the feeling that her cryptic rambling held a deeper meaning.

Lost in these thoughts, two broad-shouldered figures approached from the distance.

It was Brook, accompanied by Pierce, the white-haired warrior who had healed from his wounds.

“Your Majesty! Pierce offers his apologies!” The white-haired man strode forward and dropped to one knee without preamble, offering a formal warrior’s salute, his face filled with shame. “I knew nothing about what happened yesterday…”

Sun Fei cut him off, smiling as he helped the sturdy man back to his feet.

Frankly, of everyone he’d met over the past day, Pierce had impressed him most deeply. The image of this white-haired man fighting desperately on the wall yesterday showed Sun Fei that this warrior was utterly trustworthy. And to those he trusted, Sun Fei showed kindness – just like his treatment of Brook.

Faced with this crisis, Sun Fei found himself instinctively seeking loyal hearts.

“Are you completely healed?” Sun Fei tapped Pierce’s chest and grinned.

That simple gesture instantly eased the tension.

“Completely! All healed…” Pierce said enthusiastically, flexing his muscles proudly. “Haha! King Alexander, Captain Brook told me everything. Shampoo finally has its true King again! Pierce pledges his loyalty, Your Majesty! I’ll shed blood and cut down enemies for you… until my last breath!”

Sun Fei confirmed Pierce’s wounds were indeed gone; his complexion was vibrant. The Minor Healing Potion from the World of Diablo seemed even more potent here. Mere drops had saved a man on the brink.

“Both of you, come take a look. The enemy encampment across the river seems unnervingly quiet. Was it like this the past few evenings?” Sun Fei turned towards the front battlements, changing the subject. He pointed towards the enemy lines.

Brook studied the scene intensely; a slight frown appeared. “Definitely unusual. Those bastards never let us rest easy these past days. Each night brought a dozen fake attacks just to harass us. Come dawn, the real assault hit hard. Today… the air feels different. I worry what scheme they’re plotting.”

“Schemes? Ha! Let them bloody try! If those sons of bitches dare come again, I’ll pound them into paste!” Pierce roared, glaring at the enemy camp and thumping his own chest with regained vigor.

Brook lowered his head, speechless.

Sun Fei couldn’t help but mentally picture sweatdropping on his own forehead.

This guy remained reliably brutish–muscles so developed perhaps his brain was entirely made of gristle. Dedicated solely to smashing.

Pierce’s worth was undeniable in the thick of battle. But expecting strategic insight from him? That was about as likely as asking a eunuch to carry on the family line.

Brook, however, impressed Sun Fei greatly. His calm, level-headed demeanour painted him as reliable—a man who could both think and act decisively when pressed.

Sun Fei himself didn’t yet realize it, but in that passing thought, he had instinctively defined his strategy for these, his first two loyal comrades. Years later, across the Azeroth Continent, bards would weave endless tales of ‘Peerless Beasthunter’ Pierce and ‘The Plodding Strategist’ Godde Brook – trusted right hands of His Majesty, Alexander the Great.

“Whatever scheme it is, the moment will come…” Sun Fei reasoned silently, his temper sparking. His instinctive stubbornness surfaced. He rhythmically tapped the stone wall. “Pierce is right. Any fool who dares covet our Shampoo will lose teeth. Bloody teeth.”

Pierce beamed proudly at the King’s agreement.

…

Roughly half an hour later, dawn’s first light finally crept onto the distant horizon. The sky paled; a new day approached.

Across the river, the enemy camp broke its unnatural silence.

A sharp military horn split the quiet dawn. From afar, Black-Armored Soldiers could be seen scurrying like ants within the camp. Cooking fires sent plumes of smoke skyward. Breakfast consumed, the new day’s battle would begin.

“Prepare the men, Brook. You command today. Everyone follows your orders – including me!” Despite his growing personal strength thanks to the World of Diablo, Sun Fei knew nothing about the practicalities of siege warfare. He delegated without hesitation, leaving everything to Brook.

“Honored to serve, Your Majesty!” Brook accepted without hesitation.

This straightforward response made Sun Fei respect him even further.

“Speaking of which…” Sun Fei suddenly remembered. “Didn’t I summon the Magic Apprentice Gerger to come fight on the wall? Why haven’t I seen him?”

“Let me check,” Brook responded, also finding it strange. He headed off to investigate.

Moments later, Brook reappeared, escorting two soldiers whose faces were covered in angry, swollen lash marks. Anger tinged his voice. “The soldiers sent to summon Gerger were whipped back by Herald Bazel. He claimed Gerger is injured and unfit for duty.”

Sun Fei looked at the soldiers’ scarred faces. Rage roared viciously within him.