Chapter 605: One Year Later

Returning to the village, returning home, pushing open the door, the familiar environment, the familiar scent, yet missing a youthful, beautiful figure.

Life continued as usual.

At first, it felt a bit unusual. The first thing he did after waking up was to prepare breakfast for Ke Lan, but then he remembered she had gone to the royal capital to study and wasn't at home.

For him, life alone was monotonous.

So monotonous that he spent every day blacksmithing to pass the time.

Through years of effort, his blacksmithing skills had reached a very high level. Exactly how high was unknown, but it was very high, perhaps as high as the sky.

Time flew by, and a year passed.

Lin Fan pushed open the door as usual, and was slightly startled by the scene before him. Snow was falling from the sky, blanketing the ground in a layer of white.

"So beautiful!"

He sighed in admiration.

Then, as usual, he began to work the forge.

In the afternoon, crisp sounds drifted through the air.

Villagers exclaimed in surprise, as if something exciting was happening.

Suddenly, a voice Lin Fan longed to hear reached his ears.

"Dad!"

Lin Fan, who was blacksmithing, trembled all over, raised his head, and saw a young girl leading a horse-drawn carriage towards him.

He smiled, a radiant smile.

Ke Lan ran over and threw herself into Lin Fan's arms, burying her head in his chest. "Dad, I missed you so much!"

Having been away from the village for a year, Ke Lan had missed her father deeply.

Every day, she diligently cultivated, hoping to show her father how hard she had worked upon her return and that she hadn't let him down.

Lin Fan raised his hand and gently brushed the snowflakes off Ke Lan's hair. "It's good that you're back."

The surrounding villagers gradually gathered around.

Lin Fan's daughter had returned from the royal capital, and they all wanted to see how Ke Lan had changed in the past year.

They found the changes truly remarkable. She used to be so shy, but now she seemed much more mature.

"Dad, wait a moment."

Ke Lan went to the carriage and said cheerfully, "I brought some gifts back from the royal capital for everyone. Thank you all for taking care of me."

Hearing that there were gifts, the villagers' faces lit up with smiles, showering Ke Lan with praise.

In the past, Ke Lan would have lowered her head shyly when hearing such compliments, feeling they were excessive. But now, her smile became even brighter. She wanted all the villagers to know that her father had her, that he was happy, and that his future life would be better. She would repay her father's kindness.

After distributing the gifts, the satisfied villagers dispersed. With his daughter just having returned, it was naturally a time for father and daughter to reconnect, and they didn't want to intrude.

Inside the house, "Dad, this is a gift I bought for you in the royal capital. Try it on later." Ke Lan unwrapped the package, revealing a brand new set of clothes, finely crafted. It seemed somewhat out of place for someone living in the village.

Lin Fan smiled. "Mm, very nice. It should look good."

"Try it on first. I searched for a long time to find this one, it's the best looking." Ke Lan said.

"Okay."

He hadn't bought new clothes for himself in a long time, always wearing old, simple clothing. He didn't have much demand for attire, but since these were bought by Ke Lan, he would certainly try them on for her.

Soon after, "It really looks good!" Ke Lan said happily.

Her biggest dream was for her father to be happy, nothing more.

Therefore, she constantly strived towards this dream.

Lin Fan said, "Clothes bought by my daughter will certainly look good. It feels very nice and comfortable."

Seeing her father happy, Ke Lan felt good too. Even though the royal capital was far from home, she still wanted to come back and visit her father. After a year of not seeing him, she noticed he seemed to have aged more.

Lin Fan hadn't maintained his youthful appearance, allowing his body to age naturally, just like the other villagers.

Afterwards, Lin Fan went to prepare food, wanting to make a sumptuous dinner for Ke Lan.

At night, father and daughter sat at the dining table, listening to Ke Lan recount her experiences at the academy.

"Dad, I made three very good friends at the academy. They all come from influential families. At first, I thought they would look down on me, but they are really good people and didn't. We became best friends."

"I'm a magic swordsman now, a very powerful one. My three friends and I formed a four-person adventure team. We often go out on expeditions to improve our combat skills. Although we can't compare to other adventure teams, we are always working hard."

Lin Fan listened with a smile. "That's wonderful, but be careful and don't force yourself to do things beyond your capabilities."

He was very confident in Ke Lan's safety. The jewelry he had crafted would protect her from danger. However, these pieces were designed to activate only when Ke Lan faced an insurmountable crisis.

He would be heartbroken if Ke Lan were injured, but after defeating the God of Darkness, he would leave. To allow Ke Lan to grow, sometimes, certain hardships would become her motivation.

"Don't worry, I know all this." Ke Lan nodded, not mentioning the dangerous situations she had encountered during her adventures, which she had cleverly resolved.

Then, Ke Lan said mysteriously, "Dad, I'll show you something. Watch carefully."

"Okay."

Ke Lan chanted a spell, then raised her palm. A water ball floated above it, changing shape under her control, transforming into a sharp arrow, then an ice spike.

"Amazing, right? I'm a three-star mage now. My teacher says I have great talent, and I won't have to fetch water for baths anymore."

Lin Fan exclaimed in surprise, "So amazing! Is this magic? I've never seen it before. My daughter is truly amazing, worthy of being my good daughter, so impressive."

Receiving her father's praise, Ke Lan was overjoyed. She just wanted the smile on her father's face to never fade.

That was the scene she most desired.

"Dad, I'm still learning. I heard at the academy that powerful mages can cast forbidden spells, like super-tier magic and even divine-tier magic. I wonder when I'll be able to reach that level." Ke Lan said.

Lin Fan said, "I believe my smartest daughter will definitely reach that level."

"Yes, I will work hard." Ke Lan nodded firmly.

Lin Fan said, "But don't work too hard. Take it slow, there's no rush. Learning requires a balance of work and rest. It wouldn't be good if you overwork yourself."

Ke Lan said with a smile, "Dad, I'm very healthy now. Don't just see me as a mage, I'm also a warrior. Combined, I'm a magic warrior. Not only is my magic powerful, but my body is also very strong. My teacher says I have exceptional strength. If it's just based on strength, even a six-star warrior can't match me."

"You probably don't know what six-star represents, right? Warrior strength is ranked from one-star to nine-star, then Great Warrior, and finally Saint Warrior."

"Great Warriors are extremely powerful, and Saint Warriors are even more terrifying, capable of splitting a mountain."

As she spoke, Ke Lan's eyes sparkled with longing.

She was like a primary school student who had scored 100% on a test, eager to show off to her parents and receive their praise, enjoying their shocked expressions.

Because this would make the student feel proud, becoming the pride of their parents.

Lin Fan exclaimed in surprise, "So powerful! In the future, my Ke Lan will definitely be as powerful as them, no... even more powerful than them."

Ke Lan said with a smile, "Definitely! I will work hard and make you proud of me, Dad."

Thinking about Ke Lan's expenses at the academy, Lin Fan asked, "Do you have enough money at the academy?"

"Yes, enough," Ke Lan said while eating.

However, Ke Lan didn't reveal the truth. It wasn't actually enough. After entering the academy, she realized that the resources needed for cultivation were substantial, especially for a magic swordsman.

Good weapons, good armor, and so on, all required a lot of money.

Fortunately, she and her three friends had formed an adventure team, earning gold coins together through expeditions, and were now self-sufficient.

Moreover, she knew that making money in the village was not easy for her father.

Having grown up, she only wanted her father to enjoy life, not to ask him for money.

Lin Fan smiled. "Eat your meal. The food has gotten cold from all this talking."

"Mm."

"By the way, how long will you be staying home?"

"Dad, I can't stay long. I have to leave in ten days."

"It's alright, your studies are most important. There's still a long road ahead."

Hearing her father's words, Ke Lan lowered her head. She really wanted her father to be with her, but she knew his character. She knew in her heart that her father watched her continuous efforts, becoming his pride.

But her father would definitely think that he couldn't go to the royal capital with her.

Otherwise, he would become a burden to her.

She knew her father always appeared happy and cheerful in front of her, but only she knew that behind her back, he worked tirelessly, contributing to her education.

Unlike those in the royal capital, who had good families, no lack of money, no lack of anything, her father was just a farmer, relying on blacksmithing and farming to support her.

Eating her meal, Ke Lan secretly vowed: I must cultivate diligently. When I can stand on my own and achieve a certain status, I will bring my father to the royal capital to enjoy life.

Night!

Back in his room, Lin Fan thought to himself, Ke Lan must have spent a lot of money buying so many things. In a place like the royal capital, with such high expenses, it definitely wouldn't be enough.

Thinking of this, he stepped into the void.

In a moment, he appeared at the Church of Light.

The Pope, ready for bed, was already in his pajamas, preparing to get under the covers.

At this moment, the Pope felt a chill down his spine.

As if something terrifying was behind him.

"Bock, are you asleep?"

The Pope shuddered violently, nearly screaming in fright.