Swiji asked a question, Eagle gave his answer, and then, in an incredibly carefree gesture, the current Lord of Frostleaf Territory tossed him the emblem that represented the authority of the lord.
The emblem bore the design of frost and maple leaves—the symbol of Frostleaf Territory.
“I’ll be taking that statue with me. I suppose you won’t be too eager to see it around either,” Swiji said with a smile.
He had already prepared a grave for himself and the Lady of Red Maple, very pettily burying her far from the Marquess of Red Maple, and erecting his own tombstone side by side with hers, so they would lie close together.
The Red Maple family had protested many times over this, even attempting to secretly dig up the Lady’s grave and take her remains. This deeply angered Swiji.
He feared that if he handed Frostleaf Territory back to the Red Maple family, they might separate him from her again. Although he knew the Lady wouldn’t have wanted the territory handed to Eagle either, Swiji felt that, at the very least, this way he could rest beside her in peace.
Then, without looking back, Swiji left with a few loyal knights, taking the statue from the fountain with him.
Apart from that, he took nothing else. The entire Red Maple Castle, he left to Eagle—including the members of the Red Maple family present—who stood there dumbfounded. He left so cleanly and urgently, it seemed like he wasn’t heading to the grave, but to a long-awaited rendezvous.
“Is this even allowed? There was no inheritance ceremony…”
Night Hawk shook his head. “As long as Swiji dies, even without a ceremony, this young Earl of Lanno—his nephew and bearer of the Frostleaf seal—is now the new lord of Frostleaf.”
Especially with so many of Red Maple City’s commoners forced to witness the event today, and Swiji clearly not blaming them, they had now naturally become witnesses to this succession.
The Red Maple family had no more hope.
Eagle looked at the seal in his hand, then turned to the Red Maple family. “I’m giving you all one day. You must leave Frostleaf Territory immediately.”
A red-haired youth next to Night Hawk protested angrily, “Why? Our family has lived here for over a hundred years. What gives you the right to kick us out?”
Even the captured Frostleaf couldn’t help but sigh—this cousin of his was truly too stupid. And yet, he had the closest bloodline to the Marquess of Red Maple, meaning that if Eagle hadn’t arrived, the whole territory would have been his.
Among everyone present, this man was the most resentful of the current situation.
“Why?” Eagle seemed surprised by the question, then after a pause replied, “If you don’t leave, I’ll kill you and bury you in the Marquess’s cemetery. Does that answer satisfy you?”
The red-haired youth froze. He hadn’t expected Eagle to say something so polite yet so deadly.
The boy looked young but was tall and strikingly beautiful—utterly unforgettable. And yet the words he spoke were sharp and merciless.
Night Hawk quickly restrained the furious young man, covering his mouth. “Thank you, my lord. We will leave Frostleaf Territory as quickly as possible.”
His eyes landed on the captured Frostleaf and a few Red Maple knights. He said tactfully, “If you’re willing, we’d like to offer something in exchange for their release.”
Eagle had no goodwill toward those who had tried to ambush him. His one-day deadline wasn’t an empty threat. The only reason he was being this lenient was out of a distant courtesy to the former Marquess—without whom Eagle wouldn’t have gained such a large domain.
In fact, Eagle felt he was being generous only because he happened to be in a good mood.
“In exchange? That depends on what you can offer.”
Unlike the assassins sent by Fray—whom Eagle wouldn’t allow to be ransomed—the Red Maple family hadn’t quite sunk that low. Maybe because they were simply… too incompetent?
Pei Sen understood how Eagle felt. Their situation with the Red Maple family was more like victor vs. vanquished. Though unpleasant, it wasn’t the same as the assassination attempts.
If Fray had the chance, he’d still try to kill Eagle. But the Red Maple family, having done nothing all these years, were already on a path to decline.
That day, Eagle and his people temporarily stayed in Red Maple Castle. The servants, unsure of the new lord’s temperament, were nervous and careful.
The castle was massive. Its grand halls were once used for hosting nobles and large balls, but ever since the Lady of Red Maple focused all her attention on war, such events stopped.
Now, thanks to the hard work of the maids, everything had been cleaned up.
Ding!
Event quest rewards are now being calculated.
“Ownership of Frostleaf Territory” has triggered a large-scale multiplayer instance. Players may enter via illusion crystals located in: Outside Casey City, Frostcloud Hills, Red Maple City. Instance limit: 30 players. Entry level: 40+.
“Damn, a level 40 thirty-man instance?”
“Isn’t it a bit early to trigger this? Aren’t most of us not even level 40 yet?”
“Not for long. Some players from the first test are already in their 30s. They’ll hit 40 soon.”
“But even if we just hit 40, how are we supposed to beat a dungeon like this? Did you forget the slave cave?”
Players were now strong enough not to be humiliated like in the early game. They’d learned tactics to stop NPCs from using “Grand Summoning”—like interrupting spells or silencing them.
With their levels and the skills they’d picked up from Pei Sen, they had decent efficiency in killing mobs. They even cleared the first two bosses—but were stuck at the third, Palta, whose power baffled them.
They knew this guy. Wasn’t he that loser son of a mayor from Arzi Town? How was he such a beast in the instance?
Bix Magic Cube instances were sometimes frustratingly hard. Looking at this 40+ limited instance, they figured they might need to be level 50 to stand a chance.
“And what about Red Maple City’s dungeon mode? We just herded some commoners. That doesn’t match the difficulty—it’ll definitely be reworked.”
“Don’t let it be another Palta. He was a joke before, and now he’s a monster.”
The chances of that? Pretty high…
While players were allowed to rest in the hall, most chose to log off.
The people of Lanno Territory had grown used to the Bix tribe’s mysterious comings and goings and didn’t find their sudden disappearances surprising.
What did surprise the maids was that half the people in the hall vanished suddenly—startling them greatly.
Castles were always filled with rumors, and this new string of bizarre disappearances only added to the whispers. Pei Sen didn’t care. What bothered him was his pampered young master—unable to sleep in a new place.
Now Pei Sen realized Eagle’s sleep was unusually light. He woke at the slightest noise. For someone his age, that wasn’t normal. Whatever he’d experienced in the past had left him with poor sleep quality.
In a new place, he’d sleep even worse.
Pei Sen, who had to sleep beside him, was exhausted. Honestly, he was so sleepy—but Eagle hadn’t slept yet…
The room Eagle now slept in was originally empty. Years ago, the Lady of Red Maple had been pregnant with Swiji’s child. Swiji had prepared the room with great excitement. But the child died, and the room was left unused.
Eagle certainly wasn’t going to sleep in the former bedroom of Swiji and the Lady. He planned to remodel this room into his master bedroom.
Red Maple Castle was far grander than Golden Rose Manor. Even this unused room was spacious, and the bed was bigger than the one Eagle was used to.
They had traveled all day, and it was now nearly dawn. Yet Eagle still couldn’t sleep, while Pei Sen was already nodding off beside him.
“Pei Sen.” Eagle, in his pajamas, scooted over. “Sleep here.”
Pei Sen shook his head. “No, young master. I’ll find somewhere else once you fall asleep.”
“The castle’s in chaos. Where would you even go? And if I wake up in a strange place and don’t see a familiar face, I’ll feel uneasy.”
The calm and commanding lord was gone. Once again, Eagle was the fragile boy who needed protection.
Pei Sen thought he had a point. He got up, quickly took a cold shower, changed into fresh clothes, and carefully lay down beside Eagle.
Knowing Eagle’s obsession with cleanliness, he wanted to ensure the boy slept well.
Thinking about his own sleeping habits, Pei Sen felt a bit nervous. “Should be fine. I’m not a messy sleeper.”
Truthfully, neither of them was used to sharing a bed—especially Pei Sen, who had slept alone his whole life.
He lay there planning to wait until Eagle fell asleep… but the bed was so soft, he was out cold in minutes.
When he opened his eyes again, sunlight streamed through the windows.
They had forgotten to draw the heavy curtains, and the room was filled with light. On the semicircular windowsill bloomed pale yellow, multi-layered flowers—gorgeous and unfamiliar.
Pei Sen’s neck was stiff. He turned his head and saw Eagle curled up beside him, clutching his arm—not in his usual noble sleeping posture, but like a vulnerable child.
He looked pure, peaceful, and utterly innocent. His long lashes fluttered in his sleep. At last, he seemed like a normal boy his age.
Pei Sen smiled. He really was just a kid.
A stunningly beautiful kid.
Carefully, Pei Sen sat up, trying not to wake the light-sleeping boy. To his surprise, Eagle stayed asleep.
Barefoot on the soft carpet, Pei Sen went to change. But then he heard something outside.
He glanced at his pocket watch and quickly went to the door, intending to shoo away whoever it was. Eagle had slept so poorly—he deserved to rest.
Outside were Ichabod and two Red Maple Castle maids. They looked uneasy, unsure whether they should enter.
Everyone knew Eagle hadn’t brought any maids or servants—only guards and Pei Sen. That’s why the castle staff hesitated now.
Pei Sen frowned, gestured for silence, and shut the door to change.
He had no idea what a shock Ichabod had just experienced.
He had just seen Pei Sen—wearing only pajamas, clearly just out of bed, hair tousled, shirt barely buttoned, barefoot.
There was only one explanation: Pei Sen had slept with the young lord.
Even Ichabod, usually so composed, couldn’t hide his astonishment. In the Arly Continent, even couples often didn’t share beds. Swiji and the Lady had separate bedrooms despite their love.
Knowing Eagle’s extreme light-sleeping and cleanliness, Ichabod had never believed the gossip from Golden Rose Manor.
But now?
They slept together? The thought looped in Ichabod’s head.
When Pei Sen finally emerged, Ichabod’s face still showed shock and confusion.
“What’s wrong?” Pei Sen asked.
“The young master—”
“Oh, still asleep. He took a while to settle down in a new place. Let him sleep in today.”
Ichabod stayed silent, following Pei Sen downstairs, barely holding back the questions bursting inside him.
As players logged back in, they started exploring the castle. Realizing how far it was from Casey City, they wondered if they had to run or suicide back for quests.
“To run or to die—that is the question.”
“Running, obviously. I’m not losing half a level’s worth of XP.”
“Maybe we don’t even need to go back. There might be quests here too.”
“True! Our little earl just took over. Maybe we’ll have to conquer Frostleaf like we did with Casey and Arzi!”
“But it’s winter! If we wreck things now, the commoners will die.”
“Ugh, serious games are a pain. I just stepped outside and nearly froze my—well, yeah. Is Frostleaf colder than Lanno?”
“Yep.”
While chatting, the players saw Pei Sen and Ichabod descend the stairs.
Ding!
Sure enough—the young Earl needed their help.
Ding!
Earl Eagle Lanno is now Lord of Frostleaf. Red Maple Castle is now a resurrection and safe zone.
Though Eagle has won, the Red Maple family and other hostile forces still lurk in the territory. Identify and capture those with ill intent and bring them to Red Maple Castle. Earn praise from Pei Sen. Show your loyalty!
Note: This is a long-term quest. Rewards include XP, faction reputation, money, and special chests.
Former Lord Swiji Lanno now rests with the Lady of Red Maple. They are buried in the eastern cemetery. Clean their grave and offer flowers to give them peace.
Note: This is a daily quest, 10-player limit. Rewards include XP, faction points, and money.
Players exploded with excitement. Screenshots of the quest flooded the forums. Strategy guides were already being written.
Ding!
Pei Sen added that last line about “loyalty” just for fun. He knew how players were.
He then asked Ichabod, “So, what did you need this early?”
“Oh, it’s the Red Maple family. They want to offer all their shops and lands in exchange for the captives.”
Pei Sen snorted. “How generous. Trying to trade things they can’t even take with them.”
“They mean to leave all goods and stores behind, as well as their workers—mostly slaves or hired commoners. If they took everything, Frostleaf’s economy would take a big hit.”
Pei Sen nodded. “Let them wait. I’ll tell the young master once he’s awake.”
Ichabod gave him a complicated look but agreed.
Pei Sen blinked. “What’s up with Ichabod today? He’s acting weird.”
As players accepted their quests and rushed out to hunt red names, they heard another chime.
Ding!
Frostleaf enters Commercial Mode. Players may buy shops from Pei Sen using gold and faction points. Shops can sell any item. Players may also sell their own goods. Profit or loss is your own. NPCs may be hired.
Casey City enters Housing Mode. Buy houses from Lady Mary with gold and faction points. Limited availability. Check price list.
Players stared at the announcements. Then at their empty wallets.
“WTF?! Are these just to taunt us?! We’re broke!”
“Profit or loss? Bro, I lose money IRL too!”
“Respect.”
“I wanna buy a house! Decorate it! Why now?! I spent all my gold on gear!”
“Will it be more expensive than a real house?”
“Grind quests!! I need cash!!”
Fueled by desperation and excitement, the players surged into Frostleaf’s cities.
They needed quests.
They needed rewards.
They needed gold.
And so, full-on frenzy mode began.
Little Pink Starfish 
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