Walnut used me to boost her sales performance.

Walnut placed the stone sculpture on the windowsill. The lifelike sculpture looked as if a real Lanaka was standing on the windowsill.

"I wonder if this will attract other Lanaros..."

Jiang Bai suddenly felt a sense of anticipation.

Chapter 762 The Orphan from the Hearth House

Trofin Schneitzevich is an orphan from the House of Hearths, a land of ice and snow.

He received orders several years ago to come to Sumeru and capture the legendary creature, Lanaluo.

After confirming that a Lannaruo lived near Vimo Village, he settled there.

He stayed behind under the pretense of being injured and suffering from amnesia, and gave himself the name Alfonso.

As time went by, he gradually integrated into the place, grew to like the environment, and unknowingly fell in love with the resolute and brave forest ranger, Lana.

However, his mission objective remained unfulfilled.

Over the years he has gathered far too much intelligence about Lannarro.

If it weren't for this information, he would probably think that Lannaro was just a legendary creature, only active in children's fairy tales.

But his years of exploration have told him that Lannarro is real.

However, he couldn't see that creature.

These forest spirits seemed to be able to sense malice, and he tried to capture them several times, but all to no avail.

As the mission dragged on, the measures from above became increasingly stringent. If he didn't produce some results soon, he would be replaced and abandoned.

He was a child without blood ties, a lowly servant in a place where even a speck of light could not reach.

With his left hand he holds a shield to protect his homeland, and with his right hand he raises a sword to represent the will of the Winter Star.

This is his belief: to fulfill the will of the Ice Queen, even at the cost of nine deaths, he would not regret it!

Between his beliefs and the children he had grown attached to, he chose the former.

He lured the children of Vimo Village into the forest in an attempt to capture Lannaro.

The first, the second, the third...

He sent the children to a heavily guarded camp, but Lanaro always managed to rescue them without anyone noticing, and some of the children who returned shortly after disappearing didn't even remember this period of their lives.

He doesn't remember luring them into the forest.

Alfonso was tormented by guilt and remorse, while also feeling anxious about the mission.

Recently, he has not received any letters urging him to hurry up, as if he has been abandoned.

He didn't know what to do anymore...

At night, he wandered aimlessly through Vimo Village when he suddenly caught sight of something familiar on a windowsill.

That face was so familiar; he had seen it countless times in the documents.

Lanaro!

It's Lanaro!

The streetlights weren't very bright, but they illuminated the clear outline of Lannaro.

This sudden appearance of Lannarro is probably his last chance.

Alfonso's heart was pounding as he carefully hid in the shadows to avoid being spotted by the Lannaroh.

He must capture the Lannarro without fail.

He took out the net bag he always carried, carefully reached under the windowsill, and swiftly covered it with the net.

The net was heavy, and the Lannaro inside was motionless. When Alfonso picked it up, he realized it wasn't a Lannaro at all, but just a stone sculpture made to resemble one.

The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. He angrily wanted to throw the Lannaroo stone sculpture away, but then the window above him suddenly opened with a snap.

A white-haired head peeked out.

"What are you doing?"

Jiang Bai frowned as he looked at the furtive person carrying the net. It seemed the person was mistaking the Lannaruo stone sculpture he had placed on the windowsill for a real one.

Caught red-handed, Alfonso broke out in a cold sweat, but his training kept him calm.

He scratched his head sheepishly and put the stone sculpture back.

"Ah, I thought there was a strange creature on the windowsill, but it's just a stone sculpture..."

Warm yellow light shone through the window, and Jiang Bai could see the person's face clearly.

With a high nose bridge and deep-set eyes, although dressed in the attire of a Sumeru person, he didn't quite resemble a Sumeru person, but rather a person who had lived in a cold environment for a long time.

Jiang Bai glanced at his net. "Have you ever seen this kind of creature?"

"No." Alphonso's eyes flashed, and he shook his head decisively.

Jiang Bai smiled and said, "But I've seen it before."

"Ok!"

Alfonso looked at him instantly.

Did I really see Lanaro?

But if you haven't actually seen it, how did this stone carving come about?

Would you like to come in and have a seat?

Jiang Bai opened the door.

After hesitating for a long time, Alfonso finally went inside.

This is probably his last hope for completing the mission.

Inside the room, Walnut lay on a recliner, covered with a blanket, with tea and snacks beside her.

She held a book in her hands, and as she read, she couldn't help but want to close her eyes.

Upon seeing that a guest had arrived, she immediately put down the hypnosis book, her sleepiness completely gone.

Jiang Bai invited him to sit down and poured him a cup of tea.

"Sir, would you mind introducing yourself?"

Hu Tao, wrapped in a blanket, came over and sat on the sofa to the side.

She was naturally aware of the commotion by the window, but since Jiang Bai had gone to check, she didn't need to go to check again.

She wants to watch the excitement now.

Alfonso pursed his lips and did not drink the tea.

"My name is Alfonso, and I usually do some small business in the village."

"that's it?"

“Hmm…” Alfonso lowered his head, but then he suddenly raised his head and stared intently at Jiang Bai.

Have you really seen Lanaro?

"Yes, I've seen it. That stone sculpture is based on Lannaro's design."

Jiang Bai picked up the teacup, blew on the steam, and took a small sip.

“Mr. Alfonso, if I’m not mistaken, you must be one of the Winters. More precisely, one of the Fools, right?”

Jiang Bai, holding a teacup, casually broke his facade, completely unconcerned about the other man's instantly tense muscles.

Who are you people?!

Alfonso jumped up from the chair, even pulling out a weapon.

Judging from his agile movements, he was definitely not an ordinary person.

"Don't be so nervous. I'm a friend of your sixth seat, the [Scattered Soldiers]."

"A friend of the Sanbing Lord?"

Alfonso wasn't quite sure.

Legend has it that the sixth-ranked skirmisher is unpredictable and volatile, and working under him is no easy task.

Whether you believe it or not is irrelevant. But with that attitude, do you think you can beat both of us by yourself?

Jiang Bai clasped his hands together, a gesture that, despite not being dangerous in itself, instilled in Alfonso an indescribable sense of crisis.

Alfonso glanced at the Eye of God on the two of them, but ultimately put away his weapons and sat down again.

He was quite capable; otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent to Sumeru alone to carry out this mission.

But he didn't think he could defeat two holders of the Eye of God, and even with the Evil Eye, he didn't have much of a chance.

Chapter 763 The Mission Above All Else

Walnut pulled out a bag of shrimp chips, and the crisp cracking sound was particularly noticeable.

Jiang Bai glanced at the hall master who was ruining the atmosphere, and opened his mouth.

"what--"

He stuffed a shrimp chip into his mouth.

The tense atmosphere vanished instantly amidst the crunching sounds of their chewing.

Jiang Bai accepted Hu Tao's feeding while asking questions.

"Tell me your true identity and purpose."

Alfonso felt conflicted; the scene was too strange, but she didn't have many other options.

These two are probably his only hope of completing his mission.

“My name is Trofin Schneitzvich, and I am an orphan from the House of Hearths.”

"What is a fireplace house?" Walnut asked curiously.

"You don't know?"

"We're just adventurers, how would we know these secrets of the Fatui? Even if I'm on good terms with the skirmisher, he wouldn't tell me these things for no reason."

"Moreover, at a time when the Fools are causing trouble everywhere, you are already very lucky to have met us who are not hostile to them."

Jiang Bai actually knew about the House of Hearths, but only that it was a force under the command of the Fools' Executor [Servant].

I didn't tell him much more about the other hats.

"The Hearth House is an orphanage established by the [Servant] Master. The children living in the Hearth House have no blood relatives, but we have more important brothers and sisters."

“Once they reach a certain age, qualified children will be trained to become spies, infiltrating various places and awaiting orders.”

This isn't exactly classified information; anyone with even a slight understanding of the Fools' inner workings would know this.

"What about children who don't have the qualifications?"

"...they will live the lives of ordinary people."

What is your mission?

"I have received orders from the Doctor to capture Lanaro."

Why capture Lannaroh?

"His research focuses on the connection between Lannaro and dreams, and the Dead Zone. Weaponizing dreams and the Dead Zone seems to be his mission. Of course, we are also his research resources."

Alfonso's answer was very detailed, so detailed that Jiang Bai was somewhat surprised.

This information is actually classified, so how could it be leaked so easily?

"Speaking of which, I guess his research project won't continue, since the World Tree problem has been solved and no new dead zones will be created..."

In return for Alfonso's generosity in revealing information, Jiang Bai also shared some information with him.

I don't know if Alfonso knows about this, but the fact that the World Tree problem has been solved is nothing to hide.

"I have not received orders to end the mission, so I will continue this mission."