How can you become stronger if you don't build up bonds?

"Uncle, I have removed all the bad luck from them."

In order to focus on preparing for tomorrow's big gamble, Hauge listened to all of Lin Wei's advice and decided to close the shop now and open the doors to let in fresh air and dispel all the "bad luck".

The other gamblers dared not speak out in anger and could only leave in frustration.

There was nothing they could do. Although this wealthy man named Alberta had lost all his cash, he could still easily pull out jewelry worth thousands of gold coins. The ordinary gamblers had no say at all.

What these people didn't know was that while the arrogant Alberta was showing off his wealth to everyone, his niece had already "purified" everyone in the casino as he had instructed.

"Good girl." Lin Wei praised Lillian sincerely in his arms.

After seeing Lillian's previous actions, Lin Wei realized that there was more than one way to share the luck of "Lucky Star". Physical contact is the simplest and basically consumes no energy. There is also a way similar to the expansion of a domain, which is what Lillian just used.

The advantage is that it covers a large area without physical contact, but the disadvantage is that it cannot select a target and consumes mental energy.

While the gamblers certainly don't deserve sympathy, it was Haug who lured them in first, and it was also a dereliction of duty on the part of the rulers to unjustly bring them misfortune upon them. Lin Weili should be held responsible for this.

After praising Lillian, Lin Wei walked out of the casino. Next, he had to face Doss, who had helped him a lot and had always supported him.

Lin Wei knew that Duo Si was in a hurry. When he placed the bet earlier, he was even able to accurately distinguish Duo Si's voice from the noise.

She was indeed a trustworthy friend; seeing her son so engrossed in gambling, she was frantic, as if the sky had fallen.

Doss was standing with Luya Tina under a big tree outside the casino. Luya was still holding her arm, but she didn't try to pull away and kept her head down without saying a word.

After temporarily entrusting Lillian to Luya's care, the other women tactfully dispersed, and Lin Wei and Doss chatted alone:

"Has Doss thought about what she wants to do in the future? It's good that she doesn't want to leave her hometown, but she can't keep working odd jobs in bars forever."

"I don't want to talk about this right now," Doss said, her head still down, her tone full of dissatisfaction.

"So Doss is angry with me?"

Upon hearing this, Dos finally couldn't hold back anymore and abruptly raised her head:

"What else can I do?! I've tried to persuade him so many times, and Lin seems to have listened to everything I said, but why does he still gamble deeper and deeper with Baron Hauge?!"

I know you're rich, Lin, but throughout history, how many families have been ruined and people have died because of gambling? How many rich people have been ruined?

Baron Hauge received a pension of 1000 large gold coins from His Majesty the King, but he squandered it all in just six months!

Unless you're a noble prince or princess, what makes you think your fortune can withstand the ravages of gambling addiction? Do you even understand these things?!

Hey...

Seeing that Duosi's face was flushed and she looked like she was about to cry, Lin Wei suppressed his urge to make sarcastic remarks.

Although she is rather casual about life and tends to follow her feelings too much, Doss is never ambiguous when it comes to important matters.

What a good girl...

Lin Wei felt increasingly apologetic for judging people by their appearance at the beginning.

Therefore, he couldn't let his friend get into trouble.

"Doss, you must not reveal what I'm about to say. Actually, I come from Fengdu, and I've come to Scar Town on the Duke's orders..."

As she listened to Lin Wei's quiet narration, Duo Si's emotions gradually shifted from anger to surprise, and finally settled on a state of bewilderment.

"Ah... Lin... Lin was specially sent by His Majesty the Duke to conduct a covert investigation..."

Is it about the stripping of his title... and also, about the Land of Misfortune...?

Doss's mind raced, and she soon realized something more important—she was actually obstructing official business by forcing Lin Wei to reveal the details of a mission that should have been kept secret to an outsider.

"Lin, I... I didn't do it on purpose..."

Lin Wei gently placed his right hand on the top of her head and made a shushing gesture with his left hand.

Dos quickly covered her mouth.

"Doss is no longer an outsider. In my heart, you are not only a friend, but also an outstanding intelligence officer." Lin Wei smiled and ruffled her hair.

Once they were far away from the casino and in a secluded place, Doss slowly removed her hand from her mouth.

"Forest……"

Doss wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't.

Because she suddenly remembered Lin Wei's initial question.

"I hope that Duosi can contribute to her hometown and the motherland in the future," Lin Wei said before she could speak.

"But I... have no talent, my body is not strong enough to become a warrior to protect my country, and my aptitude for natural magic will always be just a little bit lacking, so I can never become the great natural mage who leads everyone in farming and labor..."

I've always been... just an ordinary person who knows how to use a few clever tricks.

In front of Lin Wei, Duo Si finally opened up her heart.

"Doss," Lin Wei called out to her.

"I'm listening..." Doss looked at Lin Wei with a sense of frustration.

"In my heart, having a positive and dedicated spirit is more important than so-called talent."

Doss is a person with a heart full of dedication.

In contrast, Haug, despite possessing the outstanding talent passed down through generations of the Koro family, did things that harmed his fellow villagers.

What use is such a talented person to us?

If you don't have talent, then keep trying.

Whatever you choose to do from now on, I will stand behind you and support you.

Lin Wei conveyed his encouragement to Duo Si word by word.

"Forest……"

The next second, Doss threw herself into Lin Wei's arms.

The tears that had been building up when she nearly broke down in tears at the casino finally fell at this moment.

Lin Wei paused for a moment, then gently embraced her.

……

It's not that Doss didn't try; it's just that all her efforts were futile.

For those who have the aptitude for martial arts and physical training, even without a formal assessment, their abilities will be evident in their daily lives.

Therefore, people from the lower classes often achieve success and upward mobility through spiritual practice and self-cultivation.

However, for those who possess the aptitude of spellcasters, the only way to discover their potential is to go to the Holy Church and pay exorbitant fees.

If a family is too poor and has never had a lineage of spellcasters, they are unlikely to spend the money to pursue a slim hope.

Doss is an example of this.

During her childhood, she and her family were constantly threatened by demonic disasters, and her family was unable to send her to the Holy Church for aptitude testing.

But in Wallis, there is a unique path to take.

That is to study the natural magic books that exist in every town.

If a child around 12 years old can comprehend and cast novice-level nature magic on his own, he will receive preferential treatment from the state and will most likely become a formal nature mage.

The status and treatment of formal natural mages in Wallis need no further explanation; they were blessed with the king's favor and lived independently outside the regular order.

For those below the commoner level, this was practically a path to heaven.

But there is no doubt that there is no such thing as a free lunch in the world.

Natural magic is far more difficult to learn than conventional magic, like an insurmountable barrier blocking the path of most people.

Doss was just a little bit short back then; she could understand those obscure natural magic theories, but she just couldn't cast them completely.

Sometimes what breaks your spirits is not failure, but the near miss of success.

By the time Doss could afford the high cost of the assessment, she had long passed the golden age for solidifying her magical foundation, and thus, she could only become a mediocre person without talent.

There is no doubt that Doss's tragedy stemmed from multiple levels.

The demonic calamity prevented her and her family from living a peaceful life.

The Holy Church has also monopolized the conventional means of assessment, to the point that talented people are forced to become mediocre.

Thinking of this, Lin Wei glanced at his hands.

How many hidden gems like Doss are there in the vast lower classes?

……

After seeing Doss off, Lin Wei returned to his own team.

Lillian was already dozing off, but Lin Wei had a very important engagement tonight.

"Uncle... let's go to sleep, okay... Sister Shuliya's thatched house is so, so comfortable. We can sleep underground or in a tree, and be neighbors with the birds..."

No wonder they couldn't be found in Scar Town. Lin Wei only realized after hearing Lillian's words that she and Shuliya had been "living in the open" all this time.

However, high-level nature mages never talk about "wandering." They are guests of nature and can build their own bases anywhere there is natural life.

You can have nearby animals deliver whatever you want to eat, or you can force nearby fruit trees to ripen and produce fruit that suits your taste.

When you want to rest, you can build your dream thatched house, treehouse, or cave with a wave of your hand.

Lillian's journey was not only free of hardship, but also felt like a journey through a fairy tale.

"Tomorrow, after your uncle finishes dealing with the bad guys here, he can play with you."

To avoid arousing suspicion from Hauge, Lin Wei had Shuliya take Lillian to the hotel room he had rented during the day to rest.

He then led Luya and Tina to a remote and secluded spot to summon the giant wind eagle Fengliu to the ruins of Lyca Town.

"Sorry, Tina, it's getting a little late."

In the darkness, Tina's fear of heights was greatly relieved. She didn't respond to Lin Wei's words, but turned her head to look in another direction.

Lin Wei thought for a moment and then had Luya take out a scroll containing lighting magic and release a small ball of light inside the wind shield.

The light shone on Tina's face, and even though she tried her best to hide it, Lin Wei still caught a clear trace of sorrow on her doll-like, exquisite face.

"Perhaps we should go over there first," Lin Wei said to himself.

"There's nothing left over there, so just walk around a few times."

Tina looked up at the sky, trying her best not to let her tears fall.

"it is good."

Lin Wei got up and changed his position, turning his back to Tina, thus blocking all the light from the illumination sphere.

The wind hovered over the ruins of Leica for five minutes.

"If the cursed land really is spreading, what do you plan to do?" Tina suddenly asked.

"Eliminate it." Lin Wei's answer was simple and resolute.

"Relying solely on your little niece?"

It seems Tina understood everything that happened at the casino earlier.

"Don't underestimate the most cunning and powerful demon you've ever encountered. If I say I can eliminate it, then I mean I can."

Tina did not respond to Lin Wei's extremely confident words.

"Luya, when I showed this to Hauge earlier, did Tina get angry?"

Lin Wei suddenly turned to Luya and asked, holding the necklace he had taken out to show Hauge his wealth earlier.

This is one of the many pieces of jewelry that Laura gave to Tina, and it is also suspected to be Tina's favorite piece.

Lucia blinked, observed Tina's expression, and finally nodded.

"Pfft." Lin Wei chuckled.

"Goo-hoo—" Upon hearing Lin Wei's laughter, Tina made a sound that was difficult to decipher.

Then Lin Wei heard the sound of her teeth clattering together.

"Actually, I didn't let Hauge touch me."

"Phew..." A very faint sound of relief.

Even Luya couldn't help but chuckle.

"Tina should really like this birthday present."

"Hmph... Don't try to influence me with something like this."

"It won't bother you. Here, keep it for yourself. Happy birthday."

Lin Wei knew Tina wouldn't appreciate it, so he simply said one sentence and then handed her the necklace worth a fortune.

Tina hesitated for several seconds, but finally took the necklace from Lin Wei's hand the moment he blinked.

"I won't touch anything that Laura gave you. If you like, I can give you another one."

"I don't want your stuff!"

"I could force Toreira upon you without you even noticing."

"..."

Despicable! Despicable! Despicable!

You're trying to force me to refuse Madam's gift this way—

I hate you!

…………

Late at night, the three returned to the hotel.

On her way to her hotel room, Tina suddenly realized something.

Lin Wei only booked two rooms in total.

Shulia and Lillian are going to take up one room, so are the remaining rooms going to be occupied by three people?

"Feeding...the room isn't enough..."

Tina, unusually, took the initiative to lean over and tug at Lin Wei's clothes.

"Isn't that enough?"

Lin Wei's question made Tina's eyes widen in surprise.

"Just kidding, go ask the boss now."

Tina gritted her teeth in resentment and rushed downstairs as fast as she could.

Five minutes later, she returned with a pale face.

No, there is no, empty, room.

The same applies to the other hotel.

And the hotel rooms here only have one bed.

When Tina had only booked two rooms, she thought it was shameless of Lin Wei to want to sleep in the same bed as Luya.

However, now...

"That's really a headache. Why don't you go find a tree hole outside to make do?"

"?!"

"Otherwise, Tina wouldn't be sleeping on the floor in the devil's room, would she?"

"I……"

Tina felt something blocking her chest, and she couldn't find any angle to refute it.

Just when she was feeling both distressed and desperate, a green shadow appeared around the corner ahead.

It was Shuliya who came looking for them.

"Your Highness... Uncle, Lillian is waiting for you... Would you like to sleep at our place...?"