Celestia gazed at Chen Fan, her expression filled with complexity. After hearing his explanation and realizing his true intentions, a wave of shame washed over her—she hadn't thought things through as deeply as he had. When her eyes met his, she quickly averted her gaze, unable to bear looking at him. Embarrassment burned in her chest.
Chen Fan chuckled, easily guessing what was going through her mind. He held no resentment toward her—after all, he was the one who had deliberately created this situation in the first place. His attention shifted toward Kazuki, who now seemed noticeably calmer. As he approached, he observed the two women standing protectively near Kazuki. Though they no longer appeared as wary as before, their expressions still carried a hint of distrust. However, Chen Fan merely shrugged it off with a lighthearted smile, unbothered by their lingering reservations.
There will definitely be suspicions about me from now on, he thought. But that's easy enough to handle. All I have to do is prove my worth to the point where taking the risk of trusting me is far more beneficial than making an enemy out of me.
As a first step, he raised his hand and activated his Healing Qi. A soft glow enveloped both Kazuki and Sakura, and in an instant, their wounds and pain vanished completely. The two of them blinked in astonishment, examining their bodies in disbelief before turning their puzzled gazes toward Chen Fan.
"Well… my bad. Looks like I was a bit too rough, huh?" he said with a sheepish smile.
Hearing his words, all three of them—Kazuki, Sakura, and Aiko—showed complicated expressions. It was clear they needed a moment to process everything that had just happened.
After a brief silence, Kazuki took a deep breath before bowing his head slightly. "No, I should be the one apologizing. I jumped to conclusions without waiting for a proper explanation." He then lifted his head, his eyes filled with renewed determination. "And… if it's possible, could I ask you to spar with me again sometime in the future?"
Chen Fan raised an eyebrow at the unexpected request, momentarily surprised.
"Heh. That's fine by me," he replied with an amused smirk. "But you do realize you might end up more beaten than this, right?"
"That's fine. No… in fact, that's even better," Kazuki said firmly, his resolve shining through. He was clearly determined to grow stronger, but Chen Fan gave him a peculiar look.
"You… have quite the unusual taste, huh?" he remarked with an amused expression.
"Ah—no! That's not what I meant!" Kazuki immediately panicked upon realizing the strange implication in Chen Fan's words. His flustered attempt at explaining only worsened the situation, especially when he noticed Aiko and Sakura glancing at him with slightly flushed faces.
"It's fine, it's fine," Chen Fan reassured him, patting him on the shoulder. His tone was lighthearted, but the teasing glint in his eyes didn't go unnoticed. "It's okay to be different."
Kazuki opened his mouth, then closed it again, at a complete loss for words.
Chen Fan, still chuckling, turned to the knight commander. "Well then, I'm sure you have something to say, right?"
The knight commander nodded. "Yes. Do you have time now?"
"Of course. Lead the way," Chen Fan replied casually.
"Wait."
A soft yet firm voice interrupted them. Both Chen Fan and the knight commander turned to see Celestia, who looked somewhat hesitant.
"Can I… talk to you later?" she asked, her gaze flickering between nervousness and determination.
Chen Fan tilted his head slightly before a knowing smile spread across his lips. "Oh? Is this about the promise from yesterday?"
At his words, Celestia's face turned slightly red. She fidgeted under his gaze, feeling embarrassed. He definitely understood the deeper meaning behind what she had said the day before.
"Th-that… Yes, it's about the promise from yesterday," she admitted, her voice slightly flustered.
"Alright then," Chen Fan said with an easygoing smile. "I'll be waiting later."
With that, he turned and followed the knight commander.
Celestia watched him go, still feeling the lingering embarrassment from their exchange. As she sighed, she noticed Wang Yue standing beside her, giving her a knowing look. Remembering what she had said earlier, Celestia let out a small, awkward laugh, her cheeks still tinged with a faint blush.
---
As they arrived at the office, the knight commander wasted no time and got straight to the point.
"You must have had a reason for openly disclosing your abilities, am I right?" he began, his sharp gaze fixed on Chen Fan. "And considering that the hero already possesses mana within his body, I can tell that the world you came from isn't as simple as I initially thought."
Chen Fan leaned back slightly, his expression relaxed. "Well, my world does have martial artists, but the strongest of them barely reach the peak of the one-star level," he replied casually.
The knight commander, now seated on the sofa, observed him carefully. "But you are far beyond that, aren't you?"
With a small smirk, Chen Fan took the seat across from him. "I'm currently at the two-star level," he said, releasing a portion of his aura. Of course, he deliberately concealed the true extent of his power—his actual cultivation had already reached the twentieth stage, but there was no need to reveal that just yet.
Alex, the knight commander, raised an eyebrow. "I see… You're already at the peak of the two-star realm, almost reaching three-star," he remarked, though he couldn't help but wonder how Chen Fan had managed to suppress his aura and remain undetectable earlier. Still, he chose not to pry—everyone had their own secrets.
"Now then, back to the topic at hand." Alex folded his arms, his tone turning inquisitive. "You must have something you want in return, correct?"
Chen Fan met his gaze evenly. "I only need three things: full access to information about this world, including details on your strategy against the Demon King, and complete freedom to go wherever I please."
"Hm." Alex mulled over his request. "Access to the library and unrestricted movement won't be a problem. But why are you interested in our plans against the Demon King?" He narrowed his eyes slightly, attempting to gauge Chen Fan's intentions.
Chen Fan simply shrugged, his tone light. "Just an old habit of mine," he replied nonchalantly. Then, as if it were a mere afterthought, he added, "Oh, and about my job's abilities—I can see Qi. Or, in this world's terms, mana. This allows me to detect any flaws in a person's energy circulation and assist in improving their overall strength. In other words, I can help enhance the combat power of your army."
Alex's eyes widened slightly at this revelation. "You can see mana?" he muttered, deep in thought. If what Chen Fan said was true, then his abilities could be invaluable for training soldiers and refining their combat techniques in a short period of time.
"This... is definitely an ability worth considering," Alex murmured, contemplating the offer. After a brief moment of silence, he finally spoke. "I'll need to discuss this with the others first. Expect my answer by tomorrow at the latest."
"That's fine," Chen Fan replied with a nod. "Anything else?"
Alex shook his head. "For now, that's all I needed to ask. What about you? Do you have any plans for tomorrow? We're heading into a dungeon—would you like to join us?"
Chen Fan arched an eyebrow. "A dungeon?" he repeated, intrigued.
Alex nodded. "Yes. It's a mysterious underground labyrinth filled with monsters. Some of these creatures have magic cores within their bodies, which can help strengthen us when harvested. These cores can also be used to craft weapons. So far, we've only explored up to the sixty-seventh floor. The dungeon supposedly extends to the hundredth floor, but only those at the Archmage level or higher can enter beyond a certain point. It is said that an incredibly powerful artifact lies hidden at the very bottom."
Chen Fan stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That sounds interesting," he mused. Then, turning his gaze inward, he asked, "Ao Xue, have you ever heard of a place like this?"
Ao Xue's voice echoed in his mind, filled with curiosity. "No, this is my first time encountering something like this."
Chen Fan nodded slightly before addressing Alex again. "Do you intend to bring the other three as well?"
"Yes. After evaluating their skills, I believe they are capable of handling a low-level dungeon. It should be a good experience for them," Alex replied.
"Alright then, I'll tag along. I'm curious to see this dungeon for myself," Chen Fan agreed. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "By the way, do you have any relevant information on elementalists?" Though he already had a fair understanding, he maintained the act of gathering knowledge.
"It should have already been delivered to Miss Yue," Alex informed him.
"I see. Thanks for that," Chen Fan said with a nod of appreciation.
"It's the least we could do, considering the trouble you've had to go through," Alex admitted.
With that, their conversation came to an end, and Chen Fan rose from his seat, making his way toward his room. However, as he stepped into the corridor, he noticed a familiar figure waiting for him.
"Ah… Sir Chen," Celestia called out as she approached him.