Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Looking at the bustling crowd in front, Wood nervously tidied his handsome mustache again.

  He knew that this action was superfluous. He was originally a little noticeable, and it would make him more compelling. However, he couldn’t help but be nervous.

  Why? They are just recruiting refugee pioneers. Why is a dragon actually sitting there? Why does the dragon go to a human town to work? Shouldn’t they burn everything and kill everyone? Could it be that I am still asleep, so I am still in my dream?

  He wanted to pinch himself, but he resisted the impulse. It was too strange to pinch himself for no reason. He wanted to keep a low profile, a low profile!

  After lowering his head and taking a few deep breaths, Wood finally pressed down all sorts of weird thoughts and impulses in his heart, and his face returned to a calm expression.

  He deliberately refused to look at the dragon that was covered with thick round scales and was lying on the ground, lazy and half asleep. He only paid attention to the recruitment and registration of those refugees in front of him.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Tree, my lord.”

  “Tree? Tree again?”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  “God! Already the third Tree. Why couldn’t you have some other different name?”

  “I’m sorry, my lord.”

  “No need to say sorry. You were named by your parents, not yourself. Forget it. Tree it is. I will mark you as Tree No. 3. It sounds like a monster statue in the school. Well, forget it. I suggest you should change your name when you get famous in the future.”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  “Stop saying ‘my lord,’ ‘my lord.’ All right, whatever. Everyone behaves like this, and I am used to it. Tree, where are you from?”

  “Black Stone Stockaded Village, my lord.”

  “Where is Black Stone Stockaded Village?”

  “In the south, a really far-away place, my lord.”

  “In which part of the Federation of Gold Coins?”

  “I don’t understand what you are talking about, my lord.”

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  “What city is nearby?”

  “Grey Bear City, my lord.”

  “Oh! I see. It is the territory of Earl Bell of the Federation of Gold Coins. The local lord is a distant relative of Earl Bell. Good, I’ve written it down. So what specialty do you have?”

  “I can farm, and I can herd sheep, my lord.”

  “Although my sense tells me that I shouldn’t have expectations, I still have to ask: how do you usually farm?”

  “Farm? I sow seeds in the spring and naturally harvest in the fall.”

  “As expected! Then you have no professional skills. Do you have any specialty?”

  “What is a ‘specialty,’ my lord?”

  “It means that you have some better abilities than others. For example, you have a specialty of great power, or you run especially fast, or something like that.”

  “I’m sorry, my lord. I don’t have any specialty.”

  “I have also guessed that according to your appearance. People with a specialty should not be poor like you. Do you have a family?”

  “I had a wife, but she died of illness last year. My child starved to death this winter. I am the only one in my family, my lord.”

  “Sorry, I should not have asked about this…… Okay, your information is registered, and now, put your palm prints here. Miss Graupel, don’t lie here, pretending to be dead. Work, you should work!”

  The dragon opened her eyes lazily. With a glow on her body, the paper on which the young mage just recorded information revealed a soft white light. At the request of the mage, the refugee called Tree pressed his hands on the illuminating paper. After a few seconds, the light of the paper disappeared, and there was a faint copy of two palm prints.

  The mage put the paper which had turned light gray in the box next to him with satisfaction. He pierced it on three previously prepared metal tubes, stacking it with many similar pieces of paper.

  Then, he took a silver-white card and pressed it on the piece of paper. After a few seconds, the palm prints appeared on the card.

  The mage handed the card to Tree. “Here, this is your ID card. Don’t lose it because you need to use it for both subsidies and job hunting. Now go to the big house north of the town. See, the one there. Look for Haman to get a bowl of porridge and then Reif to get buns. The number of buns is different for each person. According to your figure, he will probably give you two buns. Don’t eat too much, or it will hurt your body. Although I know that they will also tell you all this, it is important to repeat these important words several times. Well, go. Eat, drink, and rest.”

  Tree went way suspiciously while holding the card. The young mage sighed tiredly and then raised his head. “Next!” he said loudly.

  Just one after another, and after a while, it was finally Wood’s turn.

  When Wood walked to him, the mage was impressed.

  Wood’s dressing was not much different from the general refugees. However, because of good long-term nutrition, Wood had a healthy complexion and clear eyes that were different from those of ordinary refugees. The self-confidence that was naturally revealed from his body was also impossible for ordinary refugees to own. What was more impressive was that he had a simple wooden box in his right hand. An axe pattern was painted on the wooden box, and that showed that there were useful tools in it.

  Of course, the most important thing was that he was very handsome.

  Yes, very handsome!

  So very handsome. This was repeated three times because it was important.

  “You are so handsome, how did you become a refugee? It’s a pity that you are not a bard……” the mage whispered. He always thought that he himself was kind of a handsome young man. However, compared to this refugee in front of him, he was a clown in memes, and this guy was Neo from the Matrix. Just in the aspect of appearance, the mage was totally defeated.

  If appearances were converted into grade points, the young mage might have 70 points, but Wood could gain at least 90 points. If Wood was dressed up, he might get more than 95 points, reaching the level of handsome idols.

  After sighing, the mage started to do his work, asking Wood about his information.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Can I answer a few questions together?”

  “Of course, saves some trouble.”

  “My name is Wood, coming from Gold Crown City, the capital of the Federation of Gold Coins in the South. I have the abilities of a carpenter, so I can do everything from cutting trees to making all kinds of common wood furniture. In addition, I also have some carving techniques. I used to sell wood carvings. As for my specialty, as you can see, I sometimes rely on this face. Talking about my family, you can tell from my appearance, so ignore it. I used to have a good relationship with a knight of the Temple of the Groundbreaking Knight (the God of Knights). I also learned swordsmanship from him for a few days. Unfortunately, he died in a battle. The entire Church of the Groundbreaking Knight is almost screwed. I heard that someone wanted to make me do some special work for serving rich ladies, so I came here all the way to the North……” Wood told the story he had made up at an earlier time at ease and finally said, “This is roughly the case. What else do you need me to say?”

  The mage looked at the crystal on the table, and the crystal gave off a faint blue light. This magic item could detect lies. If there was a lie, it would glow red. Otherwise, it would be a blue light.

  “Well, no problem. Put your palm prints here and take the ID card. I think you probably have the money for meals. If you are interested, go for Haman and Reif to get a free meal. If you want to eat better food, of course, go to the restaurant.” The mage talked a lot and then made Wood finish the procedure, take the card which had his palm prints on it and leave. After that, he shouted loudly, “Next!”

  Wood turned away as if nothing had happened. After he went away, he smiled slightly, showing a relieved look.

  This high-level mage, who claims to be able to deceive even the devils of hell, really has an ability. It is said that he has found the legendary road! These set of words can really fool the lie-detecting spells!

  Although he had tried it before, a simulation had always been completely different from actual combat. In particular, there had been a dragon near him; it was not too big but had great strength. That had made Wood eel more nervous.

  But still, he managed to say the prepared words without any mistakes, deceiving the lie-detecting items. He even admired himself!

  In order to treat himself, he decided to go to the bar for a drink.

  This was also for shaping his image. After all, as a craftsman who had some money, far stronger abilities and a better origin than ordinary refugees, he would be too eye-catching if he ran to eat a free meal.

  He couldn’t help but smile when he thought that.

  Looking at his handsome appearance and the pleasant smile from the bottom of his heart at the moment, a few young women on the roadside were suddenly in a daze. They stood there stupidly while thinking about his handsomeness.

  Of course, Wood wouldn’t bother to hook up with them. He just randomly found an old man who was cleaning up the street with a big broom, asked him for the direction, and went straight to the bar.

  In his heart, the evaluation of this town got one more point.

  The clothes that the old man was wearing were somewhat worn out, which showed that he was very poor. He was old and thin and obviously had no working ability. In another place, such a poor old man could only wait alone to die or become the drag of his children and grandchildren. As a result, they would frown all day. But he noticed clearly that the expression on the old man’s face was mild and calm, without any sign of malnutrition on his body. It could be implied that he had a stable income source that could help him guarantee his life.

  When he had asked for the direction, the old man had shown his kind smile before he had opened his mouth. For a time, Wood even had had the illusion that the old man had actually been a rich man.

  Pyroxene Town had been dying; it had nearly been destroyed two years ago. Now it was so developed that even a poor old man who was cleaning up the streets had such good manners. Indeed, it was right for him to have this trip!

  Looking at this place, there was no rubbish or feces on the flat roadside. The residents walking on the streets were neatly dressed, and no one had hungry or poor expressions on their faces. Many of the buildings on the roadside had traces of being repaired, but they were all so strong that he couldn’t find a dangerous house at all.

  He also noticed that he could not feel the slight negative energy in the air in the range of at least three or five miles away from the town. When he went closer, he saw grass and flowers. When he walked around the town, he even saw farmland and vegetable fields.

  Normally, Ashes Woods was full of negative energy. Except for the unique Polluted Ebony and Golden Vine, no plants could grow there. However, there was such a paradise with fertile fields, birds’ twitters and a fragrance of flowers in the Ashes Woods. This was incredible!

  What is the way to make a remote and desolate town develop into such a condition in a short time? Even if I lose my life, I will find out the secret and send it back to my country!