Chapter 5: Please Accept Me as Your Attendant!

The village chief, who was also the middle-aged man in a sheepskin robe who came every day to deliver meat or fruit.

What does he want with me? Could it be to demand payment for all these days’ meals?

Thinking of this, Xia Mingyu’s face twisted with bitterness—he was truly penniless now; if the man really did that, he’d have to work off the debt as a laborer.

“My Lord Mingyu, if you do not wish to receive him, I shall decline on your behalf.”

Seeing Xia Mingyu remain silent, Anliya outside the door assumed he refused, and spoke again.

“Let him in.”

After a moment’s thought, Xia Mingyu agreed.

To establish himself in this world, he could not remain locked in a small wooden hut—he must interact with more people.

The village chief was undoubtedly a good person to connect with; he could likely glean much information from him.

“Noble Dianxia , your humble servant and my beautiful daughter greet you—may the gods bless you!”

As soon as he entered and set down his full basket of fruit, Luo Bote pulled Anliya to kneel before him in a full prostration, but Xia Mingyu swiftly stopped him.

“Sit.” Xia Mingyu gestured.

“My Lord, you are too kind!”

Luo Bote smiled awkwardly, rubbing his palms, yet dared not sit on the chair, standing stiffly instead.

Xia Mingyu felt helpless—this wooden hut was his own house.

So he, too, had no choice but to stand.

“Chief, what brings you here?” Xia Mingyu asked directly.

“My Lord, I heard from my daughter that you have learned our language, so I came specially—to congratulate you on your extraordinary learning talent, and to ask if you have any needs.”

“For example, is your living environment too humble? Do you need more meat? Are the fruits we deliver satisfactory?”

Luo Bote asked with a beaming smile.

This caught Xia Mingyu off guard—he had expected the man to first ask where he came from and why he didn’t understand the language.

Now it seemed the village chief had no intention of probing his origins—only of flattering him.

“I have no needs, but if I must say something, I wish to meet the person who saved me.”

Xia Mingyu considered and replied.

He remembered vividly the man who shot an arrow straight through the lead wolf’s eye—and the man had saved his life; regardless of any moral code, he owed him gratitude.

“By the Sun God, the person you mean must be little Boge—he’s the most talented youth in our village, achieving the Hunter profession entirely on his own, without any teacher, unlike other youths who remain mere serfs like us.”

“You didn’t know, but all the game delivered these past days was his idea—he personally asked me to bring it to you. What a kind, courteous young man!”

“If he hadn’t always treated Anliya like an older sister since childhood, I’d truly have—”

Luo Bote rambled on until Anliya, unable to bear it, kicked his heel from behind—he finally realized his lapse.

“My Lord, forgive my rudeness—we humble folk have little manners,” Luo Bote scratched his head awkwardly.

“I’ll go call little Boge right away.”

Saying this, as if to escape the embarrassment, Luo Bote hurried out, completely ignoring Anliya’s urgent glances.

“Miss Anliya, do you have something you wish to say to me?”

Xia Mingyu noticed the hesitant expression on the golden-haired girl’s face.

After a moment’s thought, Anliya shook her head.

She knew her foster father had noticed her glances; since he didn’t respond, it meant now was not the time to mention “that matter.”

Not long after, Luo Bote returned with a lean, stern boy carrying a quiver and bow.

Above the boy’s head floated two lines of white text: one read “Commoner,” the other “Hunter.”

“Commoner” was a birth-given status blessing; “Hunter” was a profession blessing—unlike birth status, profession blessings were earned through effort and granted their bearers special abilities.

For example, most villagers held the “Farmer” profession blessing, which slightly increased their crop yields.

“My Lord, this is little Boge.”

Luo Bote introduced him respectfully, then signaled for him to bow.

Boge immediately bent to kneel, but Xia Mingyu stopped him in time.

“You are my savior—there is no rule in this world that a savior must kneel.” Xia Mingyu hurried to say.

“Honored Dianxia , you flatter me. Saving you from the wolves was not my favor to you—it was my honor.”

Boge said calmly.

This was no improvisation—he had rehearsed these words in his mind every night for days.

After all, rescuing a lost heir of a supreme kingdom was the most pivotal, irreplaceable opportunity of his life.

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Xia Mingyu asked hesitantly.

Repaying kindness was his principle.

Though he knew he was utterly destitute in this new world and could offer little in return, his twenty years of social conditioning still compelled him to speak.

“Serving you is my honor—how could I dare make demands?” Boge replied without hesitation.

"But—" the boy shifted tone.

“I do have one request—I humbly beg your mercy to grant it.” A flicker of hope flashed clearly across his weathered face.

Hearing this, Xia Mingyu tensed—no matter how small the request, his empty pockets meant he could not fulfill it.

If all else failed, he’d have to sell the modern clothes he wore.

Under Xia Mingyu’s tense gaze, Boge finally spoke:

“Please take me as your attendant!”

Xia Mingyu: “???”

You saved me—and now want to be my servant?

Xia Mingyu was baffled, but Anliya and Luo Bote both looked unsurprised—as if they’d expected this.

“My Lord, I swear by the Great Sun and the God of Justice—I will never leverage my deed for advantage.”

“I vow to give my life for your safety, obey every command you give, whether reasonable or unreasonable, just or unjust—I will strive to fulfill them all, only asking that your radiance shine upon me, guiding me on the path to strength I long for.”

Boge knelt on one knee, solemnly speaking, his voice clear and strong, his angular face filled with sincerity.

Xia Mingyu fell silent.

To be honest, he was tempted to accept—after all, stranded and powerless in this world, having a man who could kill a lead wolf with one arrow as a follower would at least guarantee his basic safety.

But he remembered the latter half of the oath.

(End of Chapter)