Two long rows of imposing knights rode out in an orderly formation.
Next came an elderly man with white hair.
Beside him was a female elf with her face concealed by a veil.
And then, a young officer—
Prince Norton!
The moment they saw Shen Ye, their expressions turned strange.
“It’s you?”
Prince Norton’s face was ice-cold.
What was this? Had he just awarded a medal to a traitor?
“I greet Your Highness.” Shen Ye performed a respectful bow.
“Explain this—don’t even think about lying. Any falsehood will be exposed immediately, and I will personally kill you!” Prince Norton commanded.
Shen Ye smiled slightly and glanced at the large skeleton once more.
“?” The large skeleton.
Seeing no response, Shen Ye had no choice but to speak for himself. “This is my informant, Fei Lun, battlefield logistics officer of the Fifth Undead Army Corps. We’ve been making deals, and we have a contract.”
“A contract? Impossible! A human making a contract with an undead?” Prince Norton repeated in disbelief.
“I obtain intelligence about the undead from him,” Shen Ye stated.
Prince Norton turned to the white-haired elder beside him.
The elder nodded. “He’s not lying. I am using continuous arcane detection on his words and soul.”
The crowd collectively sucked in a breath.
This boy—who had narrowly escaped death—actually had such means?
“You truly obtained intelligence from it?” Court Grand Mage Yudria asked.
“Yes, I’ve already handed it to the Shadow Hand,” Shen Ye shrugged.
“He speaks the truth,” the white-haired elder affirmed.
Yudria nodded and stepped forward to explain to Prince Norton:
“I believe him. I specialize in soul magic and am highly attuned to corrupt souls—his soul is pure, filled with anger and unwavering determination. It is impossible for him to be an undead puppet.”
Prince Norton’s expression softened considerably.
Even so, this matter had to be thoroughly investigated. His honor and reputation were at stake—he could not afford to be careless.
“Why would the undead agree to trade with you?” Prince Norton asked.
Shen Ye glanced at the large skeleton again.
“?” The large skeleton.
Feeling exasperated, Shen Ye sighed and cleared his throat. “It suffered some unjust treatment among the undead and was struggling to survive…”
“Because of 996!” the large skeleton suddenly blurted out.
Everyone turned to stare at it.
“996?” Prince Norton looked at his attendants, only to find them equally puzzled.
A sudden flash of inspiration struck the large skeleton, and it quickly elaborated:
“I have endured far too many injustices. You humans may not be aware, but there are capitalists among the undead.”
“Capitalists? A new type of undead?” the white-haired elder asked gravely.
“Precisely. Let me put it this way—I was a poor undead with no means of production or wealth. I was forced to sell my labor to the owners of production resources, the capitalists, and could barely survive after having my labor’s value completely exploited by them.”
The crowd fell into deep thought.
The white-haired elder nodded. “The undead neither die nor tire. As a workforce, they are indeed the perfect target for exploitation.”
“Indeed,” Yudria joined the discussion. “They don’t even need food, allowing capitalists to significantly cut down on labor costs.”
“And what is 996?” Prince Norton asked.
“Work from 9 AM to 9 PM, with barely an hour of break in between, totaling over ten hours a day, six days a week,” the large skeleton recited fluently.
“That’s brutal…” Prince Norton murmured.
“I even experienced 007,” the large skeleton added.
“And that is?” the white-haired elder inquired.
“From midnight to midnight, working nonstop seven days a week—commonly known as 007.”
The humans collectively gasped, now looking at the skeleton with a hint of sympathy.
This poor thing had been worked down to just a skull.
“I think I’m beginning to understand you… but how did you survive until now?” Prince Norton’s voice carried an unexpected warmth.
The large skeleton looked at Shen Ye, let out a few choked sobs, and finally said:
“I remember that day… snow was falling from the sky. When I escaped, I saw him—he was cold and starving… with only a box of matches…”
Shen Ye quickly cut in, “Everyone, please ignore the part about matches—”
“No,” the large skeleton interrupted, “it was him who struck a match, lit a pile of firewood, and warmed me. That was the first time I felt the kindness and warmth of humanity.”
“So I chose to rebel!”
Everyone turned their gaze toward Shen Ye.
A faint line of glowing text appeared in Shen Ye’s vision:
“Congratulations, you and your companion have voiced a indictment of capitalists, strengthening the new entry ‘The Little Match Boy,’ which now stands alongside ‘The Boy Who Cheats Death’!”
Congratulations, my foot!
Was there no serious entry at all?
Shen Ye looked at the large skeleton with a complicated expression.
Still—
This skeleton was impressive.
It knew how to play along!
“This… undead friend, how can you prove your identity? Do you have any credentials?” Prince Norton asked.
“There is a bone medal atop my head,” the large skeleton replied.
The white-haired elder pointed at the bone medal and chanted an incantation.
In an instant—
Wisps of dark soul fire emerged in the air around the large skeleton, gathering above its head to form an inscription in the undead language:
“Awarded to Fei Lun, Battlefield Logistics Officer of the Fifth Undead Army Corps—by Undead Army General Terrence.”
Only the rightful recipient of the medal could ignite soul fire!
And only an undead could be a recipient!
This system was more fool proof than the medals of humans or elves.
Silence fell over the crowd.
Something like this—
Had never happened before in history.
Was this what it felt like to witness history being made?
Prince Norton pondered for a few moments, then suddenly turned to Shen Ye and said:
“The Boy Who Cheats Death, you were gravely injured in battle and have forgotten your original name.”
“As a prince of the Holy Violet Empire, I have the right to grant you a new name.”
“—Would you accept?”
“I would be honored, Your Highness,” Shen Ye replied tactfully.
The onlookers became solemn.
A prince-bestowed name was an immense honor. As long as Shen Ye remained in human lands and committed no great crimes, his future would be safe and secure.
Perhaps—
If he achieved military merit—
No one dared to think further.
Prince Norton pondered briefly before speaking:
“Then you shall be called Ha—”
Shen Ye suddenly cut him off, “No! Your Highness, please choose another—anything but a name starting with ‘Ha.’ Consider this my most sincere request.”
“…Very well. Then how about Lory?” Prince Norton conceded.
Not Harry.
But Lory?
Loli?
Me?
……Might as well have gone with Harry.
The prince was an expert at reading people. Seeing his hesitation, he smiled and said:
“In human history, there are two legendary children of the gods. It is said that when endless calamities descend, they will appear in the world to save all the devout followers.”
“One is named Raleigh, the other is Paige.”
“Since you refuse to be called Raleigh—”
“Then you shall be Paige.”
Paige.
Shen Ye’s face twitched uncontrollably. His mouth opened several times, but not a single word came out.
If I had known Paige was coming next, I would never have refused Raleigh.
But now it was too late.
This was a prince, after all.
He had already rejected Harry, then Raleigh—that was the limit.
Any more defiance, and he might not make it out alive.
Besides, he still wanted to earn that third “Comrade” entry.
Damn it.
I’ll endure it!
One day, if I return to Blue Star and children call out my name in an instant, that won’t be cool at all.
But no matter!
As long as I don’t use a surname or show my face, no one will know that I’m Paige.
Besides, as a dignified man, I can’t possibly be mistaken for a loli!
While mentally consoling himself, Shen Ye spoke:
“Your Highness, this name is great.”
“Of course, a hero’s name is always great. Now then—” Norton gestured.
The knights immediately stepped forward, forming a circle around Shen Ye and raising their longswords in unison.
This—what kind of ritual is this?
Shen Ye looked bewildered.
He noticed that everyone’s expressions had turned solemn.
With a reverent tone, Prince Norton declared:
“Paige, you must swear that from this day forward, you will never betray humanity.”
“If you break this oath, your soul will be shattered instantly!”
Blazing holy light erupted from every sword, enveloping Shen Ye.
—This was a binding sacred vow!
Only once Shen Ye completed the oath would Prince Norton feel reassured.
Otherwise, if Shen Ye ever betrayed humanity, Norton—who had recommended him and awarded him a medal—would be accused of misjudgment and incompetence.
“Swear it. As long as you uphold this vow, you will be a hero respected by all. If you continue proving yourself in battle, you will be sanctified in the future!”
The Royal Court’s Grand Mage, Yudria, spoke gently.
—This young man had survived a great calamity. The elves owed him a favour. He had even saved his comrades on the battlefield and now persuaded an undead to defect.
If he continued on this path, he was destined to become a legend.
The prince was simply making sure to secure this outcome in advance.
—By elevating this youth, the prince elevated himself.
“Alright.”
Shen Ye understood their intentions.
Sanctified—
That meant right now, he was the saint in his early years.
Not a bad deal.
Shen Ye straightened his posture and solemnly declared:
“I, Paige, swear—no matter what happens, I will never betray humanity!”
The oath was spoken.
The knights let out a unified cry as the sacred light merged into a shimmering short sword that descended upon Shen Ye, leaving a golden symbol of a short sword on his forehead.
The golden sword gleamed briefly before vanishing.
The ceremony was complete!
Everyone smiled in satisfaction.
Only the giant skeleton looked rather uncomfortable under the holy radiance.
“Congratulations, child. From now on, you are no longer Paige.”
The white-haired elder spoke.
“I’m not?!” Shen Ye’s joy soared. “Does completing the ceremony grant me a new name?”
“Exactly,” Yudelia confirmed.
“What is it? Tell me quickly!” Shen Ye asked eagerly.
Everyone exchanged sincere smiles and spoke in unison:
“Saint Paige.”
Leave a Reply