After the meeting concluded, Laine left the main tent alone. Before he left, Francois gave him a strong pat on the shoulder.

The Duke didn’t say anything; he simply nodded to Laine.

Great kindness needs no thanks.

Laine shook his head nonchalantly, not wanting his newlywed Surya to endure the pain of losing her father.

As the Divine Chosen Champion of the Lake Fairy, Laine naturally received the respect of all the knights in the camp. Many knights privately pointed fingers at him, jealous and envious of his status and glory, but Laine remained indifferent to such things.

He returned to his own army’s camp, which was lively under the moonlight and torchlight. Even though most people had already fallen asleep, many were still sitting together, chatting, comparing their military achievements, and boasting about the number of enemies they had killed.

The Wood Elf Rangers serving Laine had set up a camp under the distant trees. The proud Eslelin hated being around humans. The Wood Elves joined Laine mainly to gather intelligence on the shifting power dynamics of the Old World and to solidify their trade relations with him. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

In their view, defeating Kemler was a cause for celebration, as it meant that the Undead Grand Mage who had once brought destruction and painful memories to the Wood Elves could no longer approach the forest.

This was what the Wood Elves wanted; they only cared about the forest, demanding any unwelcome guests to stay as far away as possible.

"Count! The wounded have been properly settled, and the soldiers have gone to rest," Kingdom Knight Hex said, his face still wrapped in bandages. Thanks to the Wood Elf medicine, he had stopped the bleeding, though he might be left with scars.

"You’ve done well; you should rest too," Laine nodded. "I will arrange the post-war fiefdoms... What about Olivier?"

Laine’s subordinate, Olivier, was more severely injured, struck by a rusty long halberd on his waist and shoulder.

"Olivier has fallen asleep. His injuries are not life-threatening, but he won’t be able to participate in the upcoming war," Hex continued.

"And Veronica? What about the Griffin Empress?"

"Lady Veronica has expended a lot of magic power and went to rest early. The Griffin Empress is seriously injured; I’ve arranged for people to escort it back to Gene for recuperation."

"Alright, I understand," Laine said, taking out a jade cup from his bosom. "Is there a water source nearby?"

"Yes, about two hundred paces from here is a tributary of the Grismore River," Hex replied, feeling a bit curious but not daring to ask further.

"I’ll go out for a while."

Laine walked out of the camp alone. Under the vast night sky, he trudged towards the direction Hex indicated, with the daytime battles weighing heavily on his heart like a stone.

After Egil, Laine faced another extremely formidable opponent. The attack strength of the Undead Warrior was not much more fierce than Egil’s, but Laine had no means to hurt him. The Warhammer had struck the opponent’s chest, shoulders, and arms multiple times, only managing to scrape the armor slightly.

Laine knew that to defeat Kemler, he must defeat that Undead Warrior.

How to deal with such a powerful enemy?

Reaching the vicinity of the tributary, Laine found it was actually a small pond. By now it was late autumn, and near the Gray Mountain Range, the water in the pond was extremely cold. Damp grassy ground and a small grove surrounded the area, with the beautiful moonlight reflected in the pond’s center, and silvery moonbeams rippled through the quiet night.

He recalled his first meeting with the Lake Fairy, which took place near Moon Lake in Nord Mijordenhaven.

Lilith the Lake Fairy was indeed the Moon Goddess of the High Elves.

It was here that Laine, holding the jade cup, remembered Mogiana’s instructions: "When you need me, come to a purified water source and use this jade cup to call me. I will naturally appear."

So, Laine took out the jade cup and placed it in the water, just as Mogiana had instructed him.

When Laine’s hand holding the jade cup touched the water surface, a slender jade hand emerged from the water, grasping Laine’s wrist. Surprised, Laine suppressed his astonishment and immediately extended his other hand into the water.

He felt himself grasping something, and that familiar sensation reassured him.

Aha, so that’s how it is.

With a strong pull, the body of the Lake God Witch Mogiana emerged from beneath the water. She was clad in a loose alabaster satin gown with rain blossom engravings and adorned with a floral crown and jewelry. She let Laine pull her out of the water, relaxed, until she was placed on the ground, her stunning face displaying a gentle smile. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her emerald eyes reflected Laine’s silhouette: "I already know the situation, Laine; I will help you and Francois deal with Kemler and his Undead Warrior servant."

Laine exhaled lightly, relieved that he wouldn’t have to recount the chain of events all over again.

On the way back, Laine briefed Mogiana on the details, including the battle process and outcome.

"The lady has already informed me of the specifics. I came here with a solution in hand," Mogiana floated in the air beside Laine. "That was Guer, the former Champion of the Four Chaos Gods."