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Ye Chuan clutched his head and rested for a good while before the sharp, piercing pain finally began to fade.

He looked up, meeting Bess's worried gaze, and forced a smile. "I'm really fine, just a sudden headache."

Bess handed over a waterskin. "Drink some water... The environment in the Black Pine Forest is harsh as it is. It's too dangerous to be out here alone."

"Thanks." Ye Chuan took the waterskin and took a sip, but his mind was still dwelling on what had just happened.

He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Miss Bess, could you tell me more about Princess Irena? I... I just feel like that name is very familiar."

"Of course." Bess smiled, her tone turning gentle.

"Her Royal Highness just turned one month old last month, and the entire Hill Empire has been celebrating her birth."

"His Majesty dotes on her immensely and gave her the name 'Irena', which means 'Gift of Light'."

As she spoke, she pulled a delicate parchment scroll from her coat and handed it to Ye Chuan.

"I have a portrait of Her Highness from her one-month celebration right here. It was painted by the royal artist. On this patrol, we are required to display the portrait in every region to pray for the Princess's blessings."

Ye Chuan took the scroll and carefully unrolled it.

The painting depicted an exquisite, rosy-cheeked infant wrapped in white velvet swaddling clothes, eyes closed in deep, peaceful sleep.

And right in the center of the swaddling clothes hung a pendant.

The moment he saw the pendant, Ye Chuan frowned. He felt a bizarre sense of familiarity.

"This pendant..." Ye Chuan looked at Bess.

"Is it very special?"

"Of course it is," Bess nodded and explained. "This is a birth gift personally presented to the Princess by the Elven race. It's polished from the core crystal of the Elven Sacred Tree. It can grant immunity to all negative effects and bless the wearer with peace and health. It is the only one of its kind on the entire continent."

"Is that so..." Ye Chuan muttered.

"Mr. Ye Chuan? What's wrong?" Seeing his face turn pale and his eyes lose focus, Bess couldn't help but grow even more worried.

Ye Chuan took a deep breath and finally confessed, "Actually... I have amnesia. About three months ago, I woke up outside the town of Yisu with no memories at all. I don't know who I am, where I come from, or where I'm supposed to go."

"When I heard Princess Irena's name just now, I suddenly got a terrible headache. And seeing this pendant, it feels incredibly familiar, as if... I've seen these things before."

"Amnesia?" Bess and the merchant Toby were both stunned.

The merchant Toby pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose and suddenly spoke up, "Mr. Ye Chuan, I actually know a bit of restoration magic."

"Though it might not work on amnesia caused by severe soul trauma, we can give it a try. It might just awaken some fragmented memories."

"Really?!" Ye Chuan's eyes lit up, and he stood up abruptly. "Please do! Mr. Toby! You must help me try it!"

He desperately wanted to know his past. Those blank memories were like a thorn, constantly piercing his heart.

"No problem." Merchant Toby nodded, took a crystal wand out of his leather suitcase, and stood in front of Ye Chuan.

"Just relax and don't resist the magic's power. I will guide your soul and see if we can find the lost memory fragments."

Ye Chuan took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and tried his best to relax.

Merchant Toby raised his wand and began chanting an ancient incantation.

A soft white light shot forth from the tip of the wand, slowly enveloping Ye Chuan's body.

But the moment the white light touched Ye Chuan's skin, a sudden change occurred.

A faint, nearly transparent black halo suddenly surfaced over Ye Chuan's body.

The moment the white magical light touched the dark halo, it was like snow meeting the blazing sun—it instantly melted and vanished without a trace.

"Ugh—"

Merchant Toby let out a muffled groan, forced back several steps by the rebounding magical energy. The crystal wand in his hand nearly fell to the ground.

"What happened?!" Merchant Toby stared at Ye Chuan in sheer disbelief. "My magic... it was devoured!"

"I have never encountered anything like this! Your soul is encased in an incredibly powerful force that completely repels any external magic! Forget about restoring your memories, my magic cannot even penetrate your body!"

Ye Chuan opened his eyes and looked at his own palms, his heart filled with bewilderment.

It was like this again.

Whether it was the slashes of swords and axes from before, or the magic just now, nothing could inflict any effect on him.

What exactly was hiding inside his body?

Bess stood up as well, looking at Ye Chuan with eyes full of shock and curiosity.

She had originally thought Ye Chuan was just an ordinary adventurer with a bit more strength than usual. Now, it seemed his true identity was far from simple.

"I'm sorry..."

"Oh, it's fine. You tried so hard to help me, and I'm very grateful to you," Ye Chuan said immediately. However, even he hadn't expected that his amnesia would be impossible to fix.

"Um... before your amnesia, Mr. Ye Chuan, was your name really Ye Chuan?" Bess asked from the side.

"Well... I also remember the name Huang Haotian," Ye Chuan replied.

Bess shook her head; it was clear she had no knowledge of either Huang Haotian or Ye Chuan.

Ye Chuan remained silent for a moment before another name suddenly surfaced in his mind. "What about Luo Xi?"

"I'm sorry, I haven't heard any of those names. Plus... these names don't sound like common ones in the Hill Empire."

"I see..." Ye Chuan could only murmur in response.

...

The rest of the night passed in silence.

Early the next morning, the heavy rain finally stopped.

Golden sunlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves and shone into the cave. The air was filled with the fresh scent of wet soil and grass after the rain.

Ye Chuan packed up his cloth bag, strapped his longsword to his back, and bowed to Bess and the merchant Toby.

"Thank you both for your help last night. And Mr. Toby, thank you for being willing to help me. I should set off now to find the Demon Wolf."

"Wait!"

Bess suddenly spoke up, picking up her own longsword and shield. "I'm going with you."

Ye Chuan was taken aback. "There's no need, Miss Bess. It's too dangerous. This is my own business, and I can't drag you into it."

"You're not dragging me into anything." Bess shook her head, her eyes resolute.

"Clearing out monsters and protecting civilians is the duty of a knight of the Hill Empire."

"Besides, the Demon Wolf has already killed so many people. I was planning to go deal with it anyway. Not to mention, it's too dangerous for you to go alone. I have experience dealing with Tier 3 monsters. If we go together, our chances of winning are much higher."

She looked at Ye Chuan and said earnestly, "I can't just stand by and watch you go to your death."

Seeing the determination in her eyes, Ye Chuan felt a wave of warmth in his heart. He hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright. I'll be counting on you then, Miss Bess."

Bess joined the party.