Death Notice Book 8: Chapter 15: Butterfly Effect

Release Date: 2026-05-29 18:22:58

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The crisp, melodious call of birds woke Qin Lun from his sleep. The young man opened his eyes, stretched, and got out of bed. The Elf castle, sheltered by the World Tree, was filled with fresh, fragrant air, making him feel refreshed and clear-headed.

Yesterday, entering the Magic Cup Court and having the audience with the Elf King and the talk with Iristin had taken up so much time that it became very late. Qin Lun did not go out to gather more news, choosing to rest the night in a guest room of the castle.

This room was simply decorated. The walls were adorned with Elf crafts and carved stone reliefs. At the center of the room was a large bed covered with silk bedding. The outer chamber held a few finely made rattan chairs for guests. Under the window facing the World Tree sat an ancient and elegant desk, upon which rested a quill pen stand and sheets of pure white silk paper.

In truth, by Elf standards, this was considered quite splendid interior decoration. This race revered nature; typically, a simple Elf treehouse had only one rattan hammock and a few tree stumps serving as tables and chairs. Pots of flowers and plants scattered indoors were the most common sights in an Elf dwelling.

Knock! Knock! Knock! Qin Lun had just finished washing when the sound of knocking reached his ears.

“Firal, did you rest well yesterday?” The Elf prince wore his usual smile, but Qin Lun keenly noticed the heavy worry hidden within the slight furrow of his brows.

“Haha, please come in, Your Highness!” Qin Lun bowed slightly and stepped aside from the doorway, replying with a smile. “We mercenaries wander everywhere. Having a warm place to stay and a hot meal at night is already the greatest comfort for us.”

“At least you have the freedom of life, the ability to pursue your love and ideals!” Coris pursed his lips, muttering something almost inaudibly under his breath.

“What?”

“Nothing!” Coris waved off the two Elf guards behind him and followed Qin Lun inside.

“Your Highness, coming to find me so early… there’s something important, isn’t there?” After exchanging a few polite words, Qin Lun actively steered the conversation.

“Hm, first, some good news. Outside scouts have reported. Emma was rescued back by the mercenary escort. However… their losses were heavy. Only eight remain. They should likely return to the Court tomorrow night,” Coris said with a smile.

“Really? That’s wonderful!” Qin Lun rubbed his hands together happily, though inwardly, he felt completely indifferent.

The Plot mercenary group was already wiped out. Besides him and Longer, the Fortress Team itself only had eight members left. As for their return time being a day or two earlier than he predicted, that was largely thanks to him. Without his unexpected decapitation plan, the Fortress Team wouldn’t have rescued Nicole and the others so quickly.

While feigning joy, Qin Lun’s mind raced. If the Fortress Team arrived at the Magic Cup Court tomorrow night, then he only had two days left to find the major plotlines within the Court. Otherwise, he’d have to relinquish task selection back to the team.

“As well… although your task this time wasn’t successful, His Majesty and the Council of Elders don’t blame you. The Court also bears responsibility. We hadn’t imagined the human lords of Qiongdus Kingdom would be so mad as to dispatch an official knight order to attack the caravan.”

Coris spoke with remorse, “The heavy casualties suffered by the mercenary corps are truly heartbreaking. The Elven Court will take responsibility for all compensation. The previously agreed-upon payment will also be delivered in full.”

An awkward silence fell upon the room following the prince’s words. In truth, after such an event, anyone perceptive could see the original purpose behind the Elven Court hiring this mercenary group: to test the waters of the Kingdom of Qiongdus, not genuinely entrusting them with the crucial envoy mission.

The mixed mercenary unit wiped out near the forest edge had become nothing but sacrificial pawns for the elves of Qiongda’er, helping them probe the hostile intentions of the human lords and the armed forces potentially available for attack.

Watching Coris’s evasive gaze, Qin Lun couldn’t help but shake his head with a light chuckle.

This Elf prince wasn’t mature enough yet, lacking King Testiel’s shrewdness and political acumen. The Elf King, though seemingly approachable, possessed the true bearing and cold judgment of a monarch inside. Sentimentality didn’t suit rulers. Letting a mercenary group shoulder losses that were originally theirs was a clever decision for the Qiongda’er Elves.

“Your Highness, such news alone wouldn’t bring you here personally. King Testiel must have other instructions for you to relay, correct?” Qin Lun asked meaningfully, looking at the prince who opened his mouth several times only to close it without speaking.

“Yes! Father wishes the mercenary corps to continue the previous commission, accompanying another envoy to Ank Forest!” Qin Lun’s gaze made Coris feel acutely uncomfortable, his face slowly reddening. But thinking of King Testiel’s orders, he pressed on. “This time, however, the mercenary corps only needs to provide intelligence support. The escort duty will be handled by the Elf guards. After all, we Qiongda’er Elves haven’t taken a single step beyond this forest for a very long time and have little experience in dealing with humans…”

Seeing the icy, furious expression in the young man’s eyes before him, Coris’s voice grew softer and softer. Finally, he lowered his noble head. If Qin Lun were truly a member of that original mixed Elf-and-human mercenary unit, he would indeed have every reason to feel anger.

Used by their employer as bait to test the enemy’s reaction, resulting in the unit being reduced to only ten members… Then, upon return, before even getting time to rest and recover, the employer demanded they head out again? King Testiel’s demand was undeniably excessive.

Naturally, the mercenary corps could choose to refuse. But on the surface, their previous mission hadn’t truly been completed. Refusing the employer’s request to continue the task now would irrevocably tarnish their reputation, effectively ending their careers as mercenaries.

The Elf prince’s face fluctuated between green and white. He suddenly gritted his teeth in the silence, stood up abruptly from his chair, and a flicker of resolve appeared in his eyes. “Firal, I am deeply sorry. Forget what I just said. I will persuade Father to abandon this request. The sacrifice you’ve already made for Qiongda’er is enough. There is no reason for you to accept this task.”

“Your Highness, please wait!” Qin Lun finally broke the silence, stopping Coris as he turned to leave. After a moment’s thought, he spoke. “The life of a mercenary is working in a bloody trade. We don’t refuse work because it’s dangerous. But… we also refuse to be treated as dispensable cannon fodder by employers.”

“My companions must arrive at the Court before we can give King Testiel an answer regarding this assignment. However, I’d like to understand the details of this mission in advance. Why Ank Forest? Previously, wasn’t the destination Mir Forest?”

The Elf prince hesitated, then turned back and sat down. Following the mercenary customs on Faerûn, one typically didn’t need to know the mission’s background, only the objective. However, since the Elven Court had used the mercenary corps as probes before, causing significant losses, perhaps explaining things clearly this time was warranted.

“Circumstances have changed. Father has decided to accept the conditions of the Anke Elf Court, allowing the Qundar Moon Elves to decide independently whether to stay or migrate to Ank Forest.” Prince Coris’s tone carried a hint of melancholy. “This way, there’s no need to seek help from Mir Forest, over 1500 kilometers away. Ank Forest is much closer, and the risks along the journey should be considerably lower.”

…

Watching Coris Greenleaf leave his room, Qin Lun couldn’t help but frown slightly, immersing his consciousness into the Death Notice.

Apostle 70053, due to your Butterfly Effect, part of the main plotline of the Magic Cup Court has changed. You have gained 0.204% World Exploration Degree. Your current personal World Exploration Degree is 0.207%. Additional rewards will be distributed upon your return.

Apostle 70053, you have triggered the main plotline task of the Magic Cup Court — Magic Cup Crisis!

[Magic Cup Crisis: (Lieutenant Colonel Rank). The Magic Cup Court is now in a perilous moment of external threats and internal turmoil. The Qundar Moon Elves have decided to leave the Qiongda’er Forest and migrate to Ank Forest. Meanwhile, the World Tree, the cornerstone of the Elven Court, is in the final century of its decline. The Magic Cup Court urgently needs to nurture the third generation World Tree capable of sustaining the Elf legacy.

Task Objective: After accepting this task, the Apostle has two paths to choose:

1. Strive to aid King Testiel in retaining part of the Qundar Moon Elves. Success requires persuading over 30% of the population to stay.

2. Join the Qiongda’er envoy group, travel to Ank Forest, retrieve the World Tree Seed, and safely deliver it to the Magic Cup Court.

Task Reward: Issued based on the Apostle’s contribution to the task activity. Residence time remains the original duration; no extension is provided. Completing both major objectives will elevate the final task evaluation by one rank.

Note: Due to the Apostle’s participation in the Butterfly Effect, this main plotline has undergone partial changes. World Exploration Degree increased from 0.212% to 0.216%. Shared plotline information has been distributed to other team members. The Leader can accept this task upon reaching the Magic Cup Court.]

Looking at the notifications within the Death Notice, Qin Lun felt genuinely bewildered for the first time.

He vaguely sensed that this so-called Butterfly Effect probably related to King Testiel deciding to compromise with Ank Forest. But he couldn’t pinpoint exactly where the issue lay, letting him basically stumble upon an additional 0.204% World Exploration Degree – even higher than the branch plot he triggered, “Moon Elf Migration.”

With Qin Lun’s emotional intelligence, he absolutely couldn’t fathom that his conversation with Iristin the previous night had effectively played the part of separating a loving couple. Not only did it tear apart the young Elf lovers, but it also made Iristin, who was originally aligned with the Elven Court, decide to migrate with her people. This turned King Testiel’s careful plotting into a pipe dream, ultimately causing the current shift in the main plotline.

Of course, aside from Qin Lun and Iristin, no one else knew about this matter. Even the shrewd King Testiel couldn’t imagine that an Elven Druid would abandon her love and resolutely decide to live and die with her people based solely on the words of a stranger.

However, the information Qin Lun focused on now wasn’t this unexpected windfall, but the difficulty level of the main plotline “Magic Cup Crisis.”

Judging by the present situation, Path One of this task offered no hope at all. If even Iristin, a royal descendant, couldn’t persuade the Moon Elf Tribe Elders, it was impossible for an Apostle to do so in such a short time. This task could realistically only be completed through Path Two.

Yet, re-escorting the envoy group to Ank Forest was actually a Lieutenant Colonel-rank task… that was the thing Qin Lun truly couldn’t grasp. For a group like the Fortress Team, taking on a Lieutenant Colonel-rank team task wasn’t unusual. The puzzling part was why the branch plot task of escorting the Moon Elf Tribe to Ank Forest was only Major rank.

In terms of strength, the Elf Guard escorting the envoy group certainly shouldn’t be weaker than the diminished forces of the Moon Elf Tribe. In terms of external factors, ignoring the Kingdom of Qiongdus for now, the Moon Elf Tribe joining Ank Forest would inevitably bolster Anker Elf power. The neighboring Kingdom of Saispaits might very well launch attacks as a result. Conversely, the envoy group retrieving the World Tree Seed would have no adverse effect on the Kingdom of Saispaits.

In other words, the Moon Elf Tribe migration force had to fend off harassment from two human kingdoms – Qiongdus and Saispaits – along their way. The envoy group only had to contend with Qiongdus. Logically, the difficulty levels of the two tasks should be reversed.

Qin Lun rubbed his temples wearily. He lacked relevant intelligence and had no way to judge. One thing, however, was clear: this Lieutenant Colonel-rank main plotline definitely held hidden aspects he wasn’t aware of. Perhaps not even Coris, who relayed the task, fully understood them.

Thus, he needed to uncover its secrets and convince Stark and the others before they entered the Magic Cup Court. Otherwise, the Fortress Team would lose control over the mission’s direction, forced to simply go with the flow.

«Volume 8 Chapter 7: Killing Two Birds with One Stone

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Volume 2 Chapter 31: Combat Model »