One of them handed over a spare gray wizard robe, asking him to change out of the elf uniform that was no longer fitting and covered in dust.

"Thanks a lot." Duke took the robe and put it on, offering a brief thanks.

His gaze finally swept over this ambush site, reeking of blood and burning, over the remaining deep resentment in the eyes of elf captives or corpses. His heart remained calm; a mission was just a mission.

Moran’s injuries were severe, with a deep wound on his left arm revealing bone, and his chest seemed damaged too, with each breath accompanied by bloody froth.

But those eyes belonging to a seasoned warrior fiercely fixed on Duke, filled with raging anger, deep resentment, and a kind of bone-chilling betrayal after being thoroughly deceived and fooled, mixed with a trace of...an incredibly complex disbelief.

Two mages responsible for escorting Duke back came over, and one of them said to Duke, "Duke, leave this place to them. Viper has commanded us to escort you back to Darkmoon Town to report."

Duke nodded slightly, indicating understanding.

He took one last look at this ambush site he personally guided to its end, turned, and prepared to leave with the two mages.

For him, the core task of placing beacons and guiding the ambush was accomplished perfectly.

The subsequent pursuit of Lilanddra was Viper’s responsibility, and he himself needed to return to settle merits, fulfill the contract, and plan for the next steps.

Yet, just as he turned and took two steps, Moran’s hoarse, broken but exceptionally clear voice came from behind, filled with the taste of blood and flames, speaking in elven.

"Why... disguise as us?"

Duke’s steps faltered slightly.

The two mages beside him also paused, looked back with interest, but did not intervene.

This seemed like the defeated one’s final bitter question, harmless.

Duke slowly turned around, facing Moran. He did not reply in elven, instead speaking calmly in common magic language, as information conveyed through spiritual power could be directly understood, his voice not high, yet clear enough for Moran to hear:

"For the needs of war, for the acquisition of resources. The Moon Well is the lifeline of your homeland, for us, it is a strategic resource."

His answer was cold and direct, without any false embellishments.

Moran stared into his human deep brown eyes, as if trying to find even a trace of guilt or wavering, but all he saw was a rational deep pool.

"...Your name." Moran’s voice was even hoarser, carrying a hate intending to brand this name into his soul, "Tell me your true name."

Moran evidently didn’t understand the wizard’s language, so he didn’t comprehend the meaning of the word ’Duke’ just mentioned.

Looking at this old elf who had once trained Ying Ye and was now on the brink of death yet still holding his spine straight, Duke slightly altered his wording:

"Duke, a wizard."

Duke wasn’t worried about being cursed. Casting curses isn’t that easy.

A curse relying on just a name is extremely limited; it might work a bit on ordinary people, but for someone about to advance to a Level 2 Mage, such curses can be ignored.

Moran wasn’t trying to leverage this name to curse Duke either; he simply wanted to know the true name of the warrior he had trained for so long.

"Duke... wizard..." Moran chewed over this name and identity, the fire in his eyes seemed to burn to the extreme, transforming into a cold, curse-like remembrance. "The blood of Moon Scar... will not be shed in vain... Suren and Eilistraee... will bear witness..."

Duke did not respond further.

The hatred of war continues to stretch endlessly, curses and oaths often end the defeated one’s voice.

He had completed his mission, given the opponent a clear answer and a name, that was enough.

He nodded slightly towards Moran.

Not an apology, more like a courteous indication to a tenacious opponent.

Then, without lingering, he decisively turned around and walked towards the mages waiting for him.

The dark golden sand beneath his feet silently flowed, lifting his body into the air, quickly transforming into a stream of light along with the two mages casting flying spells, speeding towards Darkmoon Town, leaving the blood-soaked and despair-laden Iron Ridge Mountains far behind.

On the ground, Moran gazed towards the direction they disappeared into until no trace was visible.

He suddenly coughed, spitting more bloody froth, yet the light in his eyes hadn’t extinguished, filled with burning hatred and complex emotions.

...

The return journey to Darkmoon Town went smoothly.

The town was far busier and more grim than months ago, the air filled with the atmosphere of war.

Under the guidance of the two mages, Duke arrived directly at the command headquarters co-jointly with the Star Dome Commerce Association, and was led into a quiet reception room.

Soon after, a senior representative of the Star Dome Commerce Association entered with a beaming smile, followed by an Imperial Army Level 2 Mage official.

Kaius had been busy with war affairs on the frontline recently, so such matters were left to others in the Star Dome Commerce Association to handle.

"Mr. Duke! Magnificent, simply magnificent!" The commerce representative enthusiastically approached him, "The beacon activated perfectly, the Moon Scar clan shattered with one strike, acquiring the Level 3 Moon Well Moon Scar’s Eye is inevitable! Your contribution in this operation is irreplaceable!"

The imperial official also nodded affirmatively, albeit formally: "Lord Duke’s lurking intelligence is a pivotal node, merit assessment is ongoing, and resource allocation related to the contract will be calculated concurrently."

Duke donned a clean wizard robe, bearing a moderate relaxation post-mission completion, inclined slightly, "It’s my duty to aid the Empire’s expansion and fulfill the Contract with the Commerce Association; it’s my honor."

His words were apt, binding personal merit with the interests of the Empire and the Commerce Association.

The commerce representative smiled even more broadly, lowering his voice a bit, "Rest assured, the agreed Level 1 Moon Well will be secured for you by the Commerce Association at the fastest speed. Besides, we’ll also strive to maximize extra benefits for your exceptional contribution in this mission..."

What followed was relatively tedious but otherwise pleasant details checking, contract terms confirmation, and general discussion of subsequent resource conveyance processes.

When Duke eventually left the reception room, walking down the slightly cold metallic streets of Darkmoon Town, three moons hovered simultaneously in the sky of eternal night, showering cold eerie radiance on this plane changed by war.

Duke glanced up, his heart calm and unperturbed.

He then rested in Darkmoon Town for several days.

He accessed limited privileges opened by the Star Dome Commerce Association and the Imperial military, further reviewing encrypted materials concerning other regions of the night elf plane, and the energy characteristics and utilization ways of the Moon Well, constantly optimizing future utilization plans through mental nuclei. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

On the morning of the fourth day, Duke was meditating in his temporary room, sorting through some thoughts about advancement plans when a knock came at the door.

The visitor was not the prior senior representative but a new-faced deacon of the Star Dome Commerce Association, courteous in manner, accompanied by four steady-spirited guards, carrying two sealed metal boxes similar to those previously used for storing elemental energy wells, covered in dust-proof velvet cloth and engraved with runes.

Yet, looking closely, the rune patterns on the boxes were more intricate and profound, flowing with a cold luster similar to the three moons’ light.

"Good morning, Mr. Duke. By the mandate of Lord Kaius and the front-line directors of the Commerce Association, I’d presented you the agreed compensation for your exemplary mission achievement." The deacon meticulously saluted, then signaled the guards to carefully place the boxes.

He first indicated the slightly smaller metal box: "This box contains rewards nuclei rated jointly by the Imperial Army Merit Department and the Commerce Association, including ten million Level 1 Magic Stones, Magic Potion Materials worth eight hundred thousand, Casting Materials, and other resources unique to the night elf plane, along with a voucher to select any equivalent item within the Star Dome Commerce Association."