Bai Shi teleported back to the Academy Gate Town, planning to head toward the Academy Crystal Cave from there. A short detour to the northwest from here would get him there quickly. After walking a short distance out of town, Bai Shi unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance he hadn't seen in a long while. Down the steps from the Academy Gate Town, several Cuckoo soldiers had gathered, surrounding a single person. And the person currently encircled by the Cuckoo soldiers was none other than Kalé, who had left Limgrave to search for the Great Caravan. Despite being surrounded, Kalé didn't seem particularly frightened. As a nomadic merchant who wandered the Lands Between, he was all too familiar with being extorted for tolls. Even if he hadn't experienced it himself, similar stories circulated among his people, warning them to be cautious. And the Cuckoos were often the protagonists in these tales. At least these Cuckoos hadn't resorted to violence yet. The times they resorted to murder and robbery far outnumbered the times they merely collected a toll. Kalé gripped the reins in one hand, while his other rested on something tucked inside his coat. If things went south and the Cuckoos decided to attack, he would toss an item to distract them and make a run for it. He might just get away. Kalé cursed his own carelessness for letting the Cuckoos find an opportunity to corner him. Bai Shi watched the Cuckoo soldiers, his brow furrowed. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥 It was clear the Cuckoos were extorting him. To think they would dare to do something so brazenly, even while under the Academy's purview. It seemed the only reason the construction crew hadn't been obstructed was because he was backing them. These Cuckoos wouldn't dare touch the subordinates of their nominal new master, but when it came to others with no one to protect them, their true nature was hard to change. They were two-faced. He had people spread the word about the Academy reopening precisely to attract more people. If the Cuckoos kept this up, how was he supposed to draw anyone in? Who gave them the nerve? Did they think Bai Shi, like the Academy of old, would grant them free rein to plunder as they pleased? The Cuckoos wouldn't behave, so Bai Shi couldn't let them run wild. They needed to be taught a lesson. Disobedient scum might as well be eliminated. Bai Shi strode over and pushed the Cuckoo soldiers aside. Bai Shi looked at the Cuckoo soldiers before him and said coldly: “What are you doing?” Kalé was thrilled to see Bai Shi. He wouldn't have to worry now. The Cuckoo soldiers were annoyed that their business had been interrupted. These grunts didn't recognize their new commander-in-chief, Bai Shi, and still thought they were free to act as they once had. In their eyes, it didn't matter if their partners had changed. The Cuckoo legion was the Cuckoo legion, and no one could meddle in their internal affairs. ...That being said, Bai Shi looked like someone not to be trifled with. Even though he was alone, they didn't dare make a move. Bully the weak and fear the strong—that was the Cuckoo way. In their minds, this was a praiseworthy display of good judgment. So, without a word, the Cuckoo soldiers turned to leave. But just as they turned, a cold sensation shot through their left wrists, followed by excruciating pain. In that instant, every Cuckoo soldier's left hand was cleanly severed. Blood spurted from the unnaturally smooth cuts. This was Bai Shi's punishment for them, and a warning to all other Cuckoos. Before he was transported to this world, Bai Shi had belonged to a country with extremely strict military discipline, so he knew its importance all too well. The Cuckoos had better not think he was the same as the old Academy. The Academy had a partnership with the Cuckoos. What Bai Shi demanded was absolute dominion. If the Cuckoos couldn't clean up their act, there would be no place for them under his rule. The Cuckoo soldiers on the ground shrieked in agony. At the same time, they realized they had provoked someone they couldn't afford to offend. And so, between their screams, they all dropped to their knees and began to beg for mercy. They pressed their foreheads to the ground, spouting every word of praise they could rack their brains for. Bai Shi stabbed the Lordsworn's Straight Sword he'd taken from a soldier into the ground, silently observing the Cuckoos' abrupt change in attitude. He had to admit, the Cuckoos were a strange breed. When normal soldiers were attacked, even if outmatched, they would still think, *Damn it, I'll take you down with me!* At worst, they would just beg for mercy. But these Cuckoo soldiers were now fawning over him as if he had bestowed some great favor upon them by cutting off their hands. It was nauseating. Arrogant one moment and obsequious the next. The thought was laughable. It was hard to believe such spineless soldiers could exist in the world, especially in a land of epic heroes like the Lands Between. The commotion attracted the attention of other Cuckoos. Soon, two Cuckoo Knights arrived, leading a large contingent of soldiers and a Flame Chariot to the scene. Seeing their men kneeling on the ground, the two knights flew into a rage. Someone dared to cause trouble in Cuckoo territory? Did they have a death wish?! But when they saw the face of the perpetrator, their hearts began to pound violently. Wrong, wrong. This wasn't Cuckoo territory. It was *his* territory. The knights, at least, were required to know what Bai Shi looked like. Bai Shi had waited for them on purpose. He wanted them to see exactly who was in charge now. He was genuinely angry, for the first time in a long while. The handless Cuckoos on the ground saw their massive reinforcements arrive, and their expressions immediately changed. They were just about to start running their mouths. But before they could utter a word, the two lead knights kicked them, silencing them. The kicks sent them tumbling down the steps and into the frigid waters of the Liurnia lake below. Bai Shi stood with his arms crossed, his face an icy mask as he watched the Cuckoos. Kalé had already dismounted his skinny donkey and was standing behind Bai Shi, a little bewildered. Watching the two Cuckoo Knights, who were now bowing so low they looked like ostriches with their heads in the sand, Bai Shi finally spoke. “I saw them looting today.” “Perhaps you’re used to doing things this way, but I won’t tolerate it. This is not allowed.” Bai Shi grasped the Lordsworn's Straight Sword he had embedded in the ground. Gravity sorcery coated the blade and the earth around it in stone, sealing it firmly in place. It was a warning for the Cuckoos. Hopefully, they would remember this lesson. “From now on, if anything happens again, I will slaughter every Cuckoo in the Gate Town and replace you. If it happens again, I will kill them too.” “The same goes for every other location.” One of the Cuckoo Knights nodded so vigorously his helmet nearly flew off. The other knight, trembling, finally mustered the courage to speak. “L-Lord, we guarantee it won't happen again in the Gate Town, but we have no control over other areas...” Bai Shi thought for a moment, then spoke again. “You’re right. So, you will relay a message to the Cuckoos above you.” “Tell them this: Remember what kind of bird you are.” “You are just cuckoos. And I am an eagle.” After the numerous Cuckoos had departed, Kalé let out a sigh of relief and looked at Bai Shi. “Phew, the Cuckoos are as detestable as ever.” “Thank you. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably still be tied up with them.” Bai Shi waved his hand dismissively. “It’s nothing. I needed to teach them a lesson anyway.” Although he had directly stepped in to help Kalé, Bai Shi had also used the opportunity to put the Cuckoos in their place. It wasn't entirely for Kalé's sake. When it came to a mercenary band like the Cuckoos, Bai Shi couldn't afford to be as tolerant as he was with his own men. Of course, his own troops would never commit such atrocious, undisciplined acts. That's why conditioning them now was so important. But setting the Cuckoos aside for the moment, Bai Shi turned his attention to Kalé. Kalé's clothes were even more tattered than before, and he seemed a bit thinner. However, he seemed more energetic, a strange light shining in his eyes. Bai Shi scanned him over and asked, “What are you doing here?” Kalé scratched his messy hair, speaking with some embarrassment. “What else? I’m looking for news of the Great Caravan.” “I’ve gathered some clues along the way, enough to basically confirm its existence.” “Actually, I was trying to get to the Altus Plateau via the Grand Lift of Dectus.” “I found a small path that led me behind the north gate of the Academy.” “But when I tried to go further, there were too many Cuckoo soldiers on guard. I didn't dare proceed, so I came back this way.” “Then I remembered the Academy had reopened, so I came to see if I could find any information. Maybe do a little business on the side to save up for the journey.” “And you saw what happened after that.” Bai Shi nodded. So that was it. Kalé had found some leads in his search for the Great Caravan; no wonder he seemed more driven. Just as Bai Shi was considering whether to give Kalé the letter, Kalé spoke up first. “By the way... there's something I found a bit strange.” “You... you haven’t ordered the Cuckoos to mobilize toward the Grand Lift of Dectus, have you?” Bai Shi shook his head and asked in return, “No, why do you ask?” Kalé thought for a moment before recounting what he had witnessed. “I knew something was off. A large number of Cuckoos are massing there. From a distance, it was obvious the size of the army didn't match the size of their camp.” “And there seemed to be the sound of machinery operating. I assumed it was the Grand Lift.” “At first, I thought you’d subdued the Cuckoos and were preparing to invade the Altus Plateau, so I didn't think much of it.” “But after seeing what happened just now, it doesn't seem like they were acting on your orders.” Hearing this, Bai Shi fell into silent contemplation. So, aside from their petty thievery, the Cuckoos were making bigger moves. In areas where the Academy could monitor them, the Cuckoos had acted normal. But beyond that surveillance, they had already mobilized. The Cuckoos were likely trying to secretly move their main force to the Altus Plateau. It seemed the Cuckoos and Leyndell, Royal Capital were more connected than he thought. Thinking back, the Night's Cavalry he'd encountered earlier had probably come down from the Grand Lift of Dectus as well. And the Cuckoos' camp in front of the lift wasn’t set up to defend against an attack from Leyndell at all. All their defensive armaments were pointed at the Bellum Highway, which led from the Academy's north gate. He hadn't noticed it at the time. If that was the case, Bai Shi could no longer treat them as subordinates. Now that he knew the Cuckoos had their own agenda, he wouldn't hold back. For now, he would play along with them and see what they were planning. Next, he would have the Dragonblood Knights and his other newly trained forces prepare to move out once the great bridge connecting Limgrave and Liurnia was repaired. He would have them come down, wipe out the Cuckoos, and take full control of Liurnia. Having silently decided on a strategy to deal with the Cuckoos, Bai Shi took out the letter given to him by the nomadic merchant in the Academy. Kalé had brought him important news, so Bai Shi would return the favor. Kalé stared in disbelief at the letter Bai Shi handed him. “Is this... a secret missive from our people?” “Yes. I met one of your kinsmen earlier, and he gave this to me.” “I would have introduced you two if I had the chance. He’s much older than you and knows a lot about the old days.” “But I'm not sure if he's left, and I don't have time to take you to him right now, so just take this.” “I think you’ll be interested in what it says.” “It contains some information related to the Great Caravan, so it should be helpful. But don’t get your hopes up too high.” “Whether you meet that kinsman inside the Academy will depend on your fate.” Kalé accepted the letter but didn't rush to open it. He clutched it tightly, his head bowed as he stared at it, murmuring, “Thank you... Since ancient times, we nomads have never been blessed by the grace of gold.” “Thus, we were forced to wander, living a life of hardship and travel.” “But to meet someone as kind as you on this journey... it's truly a blessing.” Kalé looked up at Bai Shi, his voice filled with emotion. “‘The Great Caravan’... I only mentioned it to you once, but you actually remembered.” “I can’t just accept this for free.” “As it happens, I’ve saved up quite a few runes from my trading.” “Let’s make a deal, my best customer. The nomadic way.” Bai Shi smiled. As a hardcore Elden Ring player, he would remember something like the Great Caravan, a cut questline, even without Kalé's introduction. “No need for runes. What are friends for?” “But I still remember how you overcharged me for things back then. You’d better give me a discount in the future.” Kalé chuckled at Bai Shi’s words. “Haha, of course I’ll give you a discount.” “From now on, whatever you want, you’ll get the lowest price.” Back when Bai Shi first arrived in the Lands Between, Kalé had only sold him a few crafting recipes, a toolbelt, and some other odds and ends. He admitted he had been a little greedy back then, taking two thousand runes from Bai Shi in their very first transaction. But Bai Shi was only joking now. He had been willing to spend that amount then, and he certainly didn't care about it now. Kalé let out a long breath and looked again at the letter in his hand. “I never explained it to you properly before, but we nomads once had something akin to a homeland.” “It was the ‘Great Caravan.’” “...But somewhere along the way, the Great Caravan disappeared. No one has seen it since.” “Many of my people believe it’s just a legend.” “But I've always believed it was real, so I've been searching for it.” “Haha, with a grand name like that, I bet it holds countless rare treasures.” Kalé gave a wry smile. That wasn’t the real reason he was searching for it. He sighed and continued. “...Perhaps pain makes the mind wander. I wonder if that’s a kind of philosophy.” “In any case, at some point, I started thinking about things unrelated to survival.” Hearing this, Bai Shi felt a strange sense of empathy. Perhaps people really did develop unique philosophies amidst suffering. Like a certain large, populous country next door, whose philosophical traditions were quite prosperous. “Actually, I am content with being alone.” “And at this point, I don’t have much to say to my ancestors...” “I just want to know—where are my roots?” “Who am I, where do I come from, and where am I going?” Bai Shi listened in silence, offering no opinion. Kalé’s search was doomed to fail. At the very least, he would not find the answers he was looking for. Bai Shi could only urge him to read the letter. “You should read what the letter says first.” “Don’t set your expectations too high, or you might be even more disappointed.” Kalé nodded, unfolded the letter in his hands, and began to read. The letter was written entirely in the nomads' secret code, which would normally take a long time to decipher. But the previous merchant had been so bored that he had already translated it into the common tongue of the Lands Between. Kalé finished reading the letter in one go, his eyes shining with excitement. “So that's how it is! The Great Caravan was real, and it was in Leyndell!” “Hahahaha! Even if it left after the Shattering, there must be some trace of it left.” “Wonderful. Now I finally have a destination.” Kalé carefully put the letter away. It had now become an anchor for his hopes, and he would cherish it. Seeing Kalé so overjoyed, Bai Shi felt a pang of pity. Kalé had the right to know the truth and the right to seek revenge against the Golden Dynasty. But a truth so cruel... it might just shatter him. “What do you plan to do next?” Kalé thought for a moment, looking troubled. “Hmm—I'll probably rest at the Academy for a bit.” “After a while, I plan to leave Liurnia and search for a way to the Altus Plateau.” “I have no idea how to get there right now, and no leads.” “But there's no rush. I'll take my time and investigate.” “After all, a nomad is supposed to wander.” The weather is so hot _(:з"∠)_. The nomads' despair summoned the Frenzied Flame. I wonder, will the freshmen's despair summon an even bigger sun?