Chapter 1747 - 126 - 134

Chapter 126: Nothing Can Remain a Secret Forever

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

"Yes, doing things like this would make it so much easier," Black Eleven said.

The clothes shop had a moderately-sized backyard. After they crossed through the door, Black Eleven stopped and turned to the stable to the right. A burly man was already waiting there. Three horses were in the stable. under the railing was a black hole.

"Sir, you're here." Two men in black were already standing in the basement.

"Is it inside?" Black Eleven asked.

"Yes, sir."

Anfey walked over, and the two men bowed in unison. "My lord," they said.

"When did I become your lord?" Anfey asked, amused.

"Anfey, now is not the time for jokes," Black Eleven said. He walked into the basement. It was a poorly furnished room with only a bed and a table. Two candles were on the table, lighting the room dimly. There was a man on the bed. He was breathing heavily.

Black Eleven lifted the cover sheet. The wound was not dressed, and his body was covered with blood. Some blood was dry and crusted, some was fresh. The worst wound was on his abdomen. His stomach was slashed through, and through the wound his organs were visible.

Anfey frowned. Injuries like this may be treatable in a modern hospital, but in a place like this, the man was as good as dead.

"Is the news accurate?" Black Eleven asked softly.

"Yes, sir."

"Did you report to the lord general?"

"Yes."

Black Eleven sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. Anfey stood there quietly, lost for words. In a situation like this, he should ask what had happened, and have Black Eleven recount the event for him. Then he needed to emphasize how urgent the situation was and how they needed more men. Then he would volunteer to sacrifice himself for the empire. The actual events may differ, but the bulk of the story would remain the same.

The problem was Anfey was not stupid, nor was he someone who treated Maho Empire as his home. He wanted to assassinate the princess because he wanted to remind his companions that they could help their nation without returning home.

In this strange world, Anfey placed his own safety above all else. He didn't mind taking risks, but he needed a good reason to do so. He had caused the chaos in Blackwater City, and it seemed like he was working for Maho Empire. However, he had his own ideas and plans. Of course, he was going to fight for Maho Empire anyways. He couldn't risk angering Saul.

When he first met Saul, he was only a normal kid to Saul. The care and friendship Saul offered him was unconditional. He could forsake benefits offered to him by the empire, but he could not forget the kindness Saul offered him.

Anfey made a clear standard for himself. He would work for Maho Empire, but would do nothing that could potentially endanger himself. Black Eleven must have a reason for bringing him here. He would help, but he couldn't let himself agree to anything too dangerous.

"I didn't realize how much Shansa Empire had put into this war," Black Eleven said.

Anfey stood there calmly, staring.

"Yes, sir. Blackania City is under siege."

"What should we do? Watch Blackania fall?" Black Eleven asked, shaking his head.

"We must do something, sir!" one of the men said.

Anfey wanted to sigh, but doing so would put himself in an awkward situation. He remained quiet and stood there without moving a finger.

"Anfey, I am in a very difficult situation right now. Do you have any ideas?" Seeing that he was completely silent, Black Eleven wanted Anfey's input on the matter.

"Yes, Blackania City is very dangerous right now," Anfey said, nodding. In fact, he didn't know where Blackania was. He was merely repeating what he had just heard.

"You know?"

"You just told me," Anfey admitted.

Blackania City was one of the ten great cities of the world, and one of the most important cities for Maho Empire. Shansa did not try to attack the city with its armies this time. Instead, they made an alliance with Tiger of Tawau mercenary group. The mercenaries crossed the Transverse Mountains and entered the empire from where the defense was the weakest. They were able cut off Blackania City from the rest of the empire.

Even though Shansa Empire seemed to have the advantage right now, as long as Blackania City held out against the siege, they could not advance further into the empire. This was a long siege, and the army needed supplies. The mercenary group's support could not deliver supplies for a prolonged period of time, and Shansa Empire would not allow something like that to happen. They could ally themselves with mercenaries, and so could Maho Empire. If someone cut off the supply line for the Tiger of Tawau mercenaries, and Blackania City could hold against the siege, Shansa Empire would not win the war.

Whether they wanted to advance further or hold on to their current interests, Shansa Empire would need to focus all of its military power on Blackania City. It was their only option.

Black Eleven shook his head. "Shansa Empire sent out their Griffin Aerial Unit."

"Griffin?" Anfey asked. By asking a question, he switched his role with Black Eleven.

"Yes," Black Eleven said.

"What should we do then?"

"We…" Black Eleven stopped mid-sentence and sighed.

Anfey sighed with him. He had no idea what griffins were, and was surprised. He only sighed because he had to play along with Black Eleven.

"Let's talk about it more when we get back," Black Eleven said slowly. He had watched the events in Blackwater City unfold, and was impressed by how carefully and quickly Anfey had worked. After learning what had happened, Anfey was the first person he wanted to consult. However, Anfey's attitude made him anxious. He wanted to change the target and have someone else pressure Anfey. Convincing Niya was much easier than convincing Anfey, but would achieve the same goal. If Niya decided to do something, Anfey would not stand by without intervening.

After a few minutes, Anfey appeared in Tuna Hotel. There was a lot of activity in the hotel lobby. It was still early, and there were a lot of women and girls gathered there, chatting. Some were smiling, some were laughing, some were even singing. When Anfey walked into the hotel, the women fell silent and all bowed to Anfey.

Anfey smiled and nodded. He walked upstairs to his room and was shocked by what he saw. The two girls that had been cleaning it were already finished. They were sitting on his bed with their skirts lifted up, showing their pale legs. They were touching each other's legs and mumbling something.

When they saw him, the girls blushed and jumped off of his bed. "You're back, my lord," they said timidly.

"The floor is very clean, I am impressed," Anfey said.

"Thank you," the girls said. Their faces were even redder now.

"I'm a bit tired now. You should rest as well," Anfey told them and yawned.

The girls seemed disappointed, then began walking out slowly.

"Oh, by the way. See if Christian is back yet. And tell Suzanna to come here."

"Yes, sir."

"You're looking for me?" Suzanna was passing by and heard Anfey. She walked into the room and said, "I've been looking for you as well."

"Ah, Suzanna. You get more beautiful every time I see you," Anfey said, holding up his arms. He placed an emphasis on the word beautiful.

Suzanna frowned, but she didn't say anything to contradict him, and let him hug her. She saw the two cleaning girls and lifted a brow. She turned and rolled her eyes at Anfey.

Seeing that the two girls had closed the door behind them, Anfey released Suzanna and coughed, "What is it?"

"The girl you saved. There's something wrong with her."

"Something wrong?"

"Something wrong with her head," Suzanna sighed and shook her head. "She wouldn't talk or answer any questions. She wouldn't tell us where she was from either. I've never heard her talk. She just sits there and stares at the wall. She won't eat anything. I'm afraid she'll starve to death."

"Did she have any other strange behaviors?"

"Strange behaviors? Like what?"

"Is she observing her surroundings? Like she was going to escape?"

"You're afraid that she'll run?" Suzanna asked, smiling. "I thought you were a good man after you let all the slaves go. Didn't know you were just saving the best."

"Nonsense," Anfey said, smiling.

"I'm not kidding, though. Feller told me he saw the girl putting her clothes on while getting out of your carriage the day of the battle. Tell me, what did you do?"

Chapter 127: Old Memories

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

"We did not do anything." Anfey shook his head and gave Suzanna a weird look. "You seem to really care about what we did."

"Don't change the subject. Did you really do nothing?" Suzanna could not look into Anfey's eyes, but she still could keep a serious tone.

"At that time, Ahab's people were ready to attack us. I did not have time to think about anything else. You know what, even if I had done something with her, I would not have to deny it." Anfey gave her a spicy smile. "Why are you in interested in me and her? Suzanna, are you…? Hahaha."

"You wish." Suzanna rolled her eyes at Anfey. "It was not just me. Everyone is interested in you and her. We have talked about it behind your back many times." Suzanna seemed to answer with a sense of justice, but for some reason, she suddenly felt relaxed.

"Don't you guys have anything better to do?" Anfey felt helpless, since he thought he really had done nothing inappropriate with the girls. Back in his world, he had sex with women, but never had any serious relationships. In this magic world, he never had sex with any woman. He thought to himself, "How could people gossip about me when I am already so strict with myself? Is it because gold will shine no matter where it is."

Suzanna suddenly had a smile on her face. "Oh, right, what are you looking for me for?"

"What do you know about griffins?" Anfey asked.

"Griffins? Why are you suddenly asking about griffins?" Suzanna asked.

"Black Eleven will ask me a difficult question soon. I have to get more information about what kind of magic beasts the griffins are, so I can decide whether I can help him," Anfey answered.

Suzanna thought for a while and said, "Griffins are vicious intermediate magic beasts. They live in groups. They can fly freely in the sky for a long time. They rarely fight among their own species. The male griffins are very protective of female griffins, and not just if they are a couple. Strong loyalty and pride have made griffins better companions than war horses and other flying mounts. Griffins are born for battle. They are very brave."

"Flying a long time in the sky? I think I know what kind of army it is." Anfey nodded. "Continue."

"Compared with war horses, griffins are not easily startled by wild rabbits, birds and shadows. They would not hunt rabbit, wild deer or other horses when they are hungry. They would not eat their riders out of anger, even when their riders beat them. Griffins are brave but vicious. They are loyal but stubborn." Suzanna slowly said, "You can ignore a griffin, but the fighting ability of a group of griffins is tremendous. Even a senior magic beast would have to flee in front of a group of griffins."

"Do you know about the Griffin Aerial Unit in Shansa Empire? How is their fighting ability?" Anfey asked.

"You do not even know about Griffin Aerial Unit?" Suzanna looked at Anfey in surprise. "It was a well-known military on Pan Continent. The comprehensive fighting power of Griffin Aerial Unit was just below the Dark Moon Magic Legion in Ellisen Empire. However, they have incomparable advantages over Dark Moon Magic Legion. They are very flexible. Griffin Aerial Unit was composed of about a thousand griffins and four hundred Silver Knights. It would only take a day for them to show up and attack their opponents in surprise from a thousand miles away. Even if the powerful Dark Moon Legion were attacked in surprise by Griffin Aerial Unit, they could end up with many casualties."

"What do you think if we attack Griffin Aerial Unit?" Anfey asked.

"Are you crazy? We would be so dead," Suzanna yelled. "Do you know how people describe Griffin Aerial Unit? A never-annihilated military. They could escape dangerous areas at any time. Even top powerful people do not want to have conflicts with Griffin Aerial Unit. Five griffin riders with the cooperation of griffins could easily kill us."

Anfey was frustrated. He thought Black Eleven was ridiculous to ask him to fight with Griffin Aerial Unit. Suzanna usually did not make comments or judgement. Her comments on any matter were usually fair. If Anfey and Suzanna together would be no match for five griffin riders, there was no way Anfey's legion could fight the whole unit. They would be asking to be killed.

"Anfey, don't gamble everyone's life on it," Suzanna said seriously.

"I know," Anfey nodded.

After Suzanna left, Anfey sat on the bed and thought for a quite while. He got up from the bed and walked out of the room to the hallway. Blavi was on watch. Anfey called him over and asked him a few questions. After talking to Blavi, Anfey walked to a room. He hesitated for a while before he pushed the door open and walked in.

The princess of Shansa Empire was sitting on the bed with her feet against the bed footboard. Her knees were bent and her arms crossed and tucked under her legs. She put her upper body against her thighs. She rested her head on her knees while her eyes were fixed on the ceiling. It seemed as if there was something interesting on the ceiling. She looked somber sometimes and confused other times.

She had not cried after learning that Isis had committed suicide. She became unusually quiet. No matter whether they were in transit or in the station, or even after they arrived at White Mountain City, her facial expression was dull and rarely changed.

Anfey coughed quietly and took a seat on the edge of the bed. He smiled and said, "I still do not know your name. Can you tell me your name?"

The princess of Shansa Empire slowed turned her head to Anfey. She glanced at Anfey and then looked up at the ceiling again. It gave Anfey an illusion that he was far less interesting than that light red ceiling.

"Where are you from? Where do you want to go? If you want to leave, I can send my people to take you home." Anfey sounded very gentle. "What happened was history. Don't worry about it. No one can hurt you anymore."

Anfey waited for a while but still did not get any response from the princess. Anfey frowned. "No matter what is bothering you, you need to eat regularly. You have to learn to take care of yourself."

There was still no response. Anfey smiled as he shook his head. He stood up. He could not spend too much time on this princess. He rather needed to go back to his own room to meditate. A somber and healthy princess would be helpful for his plan, but this was all he could do.

Anfey turned around and walked out. As his hand touched the doorknob, the princess said slowly, "If I say I am a princess, do you believe me?"

"Of course, why not?" Anfey smiled. He calmly turned around and stared at the princess.

The princess was shocked for a second and returned Anfey's smile. "I've been thinking for the past few days."

"If you want to, you can tell me what you've been thinking about. Don't worry. I will keep your secrets." Anfey slowly walked back.

"When I was little, I knew I wanted to help my father and my country." There was a smile on the princess's face, but coldness showed in her eyes. "I did help. One year, plague broke out in the eastern part of my country. It spread super fast. Many people died and many fled away from their hometowns. The later ones brought the plague to other places. To control it, my father ordered the epidemic area to be cordoned off, but the people inside the epidemic area did not want to stay in that hell. They organized to try to break through the cordon. After a few big confrontations, many soldiers were infected as well. My father coldly ordered first to have them quarantined, and later even sent those infected soldiers into the epidemic area that had been cordoned off.

Things were getting worse and worse, since the soldiers organized those rebels, which posed a tremendous threat to the country. My father found out those rebels were planning something big. He needed someone to totally represent him in the cordon-off epidemic area to comfort those rebels. None of my siblings wanted to go, and many officials went on "sick" leave. Finally, I took that challenge. That year, I lost my best friend. She was also Isis's sister."

Anfey could not help giving a closer look at the princess. He knew what the plague meant at that time. A girl who dared to enter the cordoned-off epidemic area deserved others' respect. Anfey knew he would not have wanted to go into the cordoned-off epidemic area himself. "There was another time that the western part of my country had a gang. Maybe it was because the chief and mayor were too vicious and greedy and people lost faith in them. The gang expanded very fast as a result. A few chiefs united to try to convince the gang to dissolve and work for them. When the leader of the gang, named Ahmed, went to negotiate with them, the chiefs attacked Ahmed in surprise. They not only wanted to get rid off the threat posed by the gang, but also wanted to earn their meritorious military service, with the head of Ahmed chopped off. They failed and Ahmed escaped.

After their dirty tricks became known by people, more people felt bad for Ahmed. Ahmed got stronger and stronger. My father was worried that sending troops to suppress him would be very costly. He sent officials to convince Ahmed to work for him, but Ahmed did not trust any government people. He asked to directly speak with the people from the royal family.

My siblings pushed me out again. In fact, Ahmed already had become ambitious by then. He only wanted to have the conversation to buy himself time. I became the lamb jumping into his trap. Do you know I almost got raped by him. Other leaders in the gang did not like Ahmed's tyranny. They never wanted to be the enemy of the empire. The reason they joined the gang was because that was the only way to survive. With the help of other leaders, I killed Ahmed and successfully convinced the gang to work for my father.

Oh, right. I forget to tell you what happened to those leaders. After they became government officials in the empire, my father sentenced them to death with all kinds of accusations."

Chapter 128: What Happened in the Hotel

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

"It seems like you have been through a lot," Anfey said. "So I'm curious. How did you end up with the likes of Ahab?"

"I thought they were a normal merchant's caravan," the princess said, sighing.

"In deserted places like that, a normal caravan can easily turn into bandits, as long as there is a good enough motive."

"I know now."

"How did you end up in the Country of Mercenaries?" Anfey asked, switching the topic.

"I thought I would at least deserve a satisfying marriage, after everything I've done." A smile bloomed on the princess's face, but her eyes were cold. "I objected, but it was to no avail. So there I was."

"After you were captured by Ahab?"

"I couldn't tell them who I was. Isis was afraid they would hurt me, so she told them who I was. Thank god Ahab wasn't there, or else he would have either killed me or sent me to the Tiger of Tawau mercenaries."

Anfey nodded. He knew how these things go. If Ahab had truly believed she was a princess, he would have given her to the Tiger of Tawau mercenaries as a gift. After Ahab had tortured and humiliated her companions, he might have killed her to avoid her rage. Then he would have covered up what he did, and the missing princess would remain a mystery forever.

"Why did you believe me?" The princess asked, staring at Anfey.

"You didn't have a reason to lie, did you?" Anfey asked. Of course, he couldn't tell her the real reason.

"You're a strange one."

"Why do you say that?"

"Normal people would react to what I just told you. They would be angry at the merchants, or pity me and Isis. You, though, you're calm. You don't look like a young man."

"Maybe it's because I can understand you," Anfey said quietly.

"You know my secret now. What are you going to do? Can you tell me?"

"If I take you to the Tiger of Tawau mercenary group, I would make some good friends with powerful people," Anfey said.

"Of course. No wonder you can understand. You're like my father. You value your interests more than anything else." The princess smiled, but the light in her eyes dimmed.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're beautiful when you curse?" Anfey said, unmoved by her words.

"The princess of Shansa Empire, trying to escape a marriage. A princess turned into a slave. It would be a great scandal once it gets out. Have you thought about the fact that you may not make any friends?"

"Really?" Anfey asked, lifting a brow.

"If my father was in charge, he would kill you, all of you. And you have to realize my father alone would dictate to the mercenaries."

Anfey looked at the princess, and the smile fell from his face. He was concerned for this very reason, and wasn't planning on giving the princess to the mercenaries. It wasn't a surprise that he had realized this, but the princess did too. She had already impressed him.

"The first time I saw you, you were so calm. It is very hard to remain calm in a situation like that. I just thought you were good at enduring that kind of thing. I did not know you were this brilliant. Why didn't you try to escape? Ahab was about as smart as rock compared to you."

"For a defenseless woman, a woman who was treated like a toy and not a person, what would you have wanted me to do? Beg? Cry? Struggle? Curse? Submit?" The princess looked at Anfey, shaking her head. "Do you think any of those would work?"

"Makes sense. But sometimes violence is the only answer."

"You just said I was brilliant?" The princess's eyes suddenly lit up. "You aren't sending me to the mercenaries? Because you know it's likely they wouldn't treat you well."

"Where do you want to go?" Anfey asked. He shifted the topic, and did not confirm or deny her words.

"I want to stay here."

"Here?"

"With your mercenary group."

"I don't understand. If you choose to go to the Tiger of Tawau mercenary group, at least you can enjoy a life of luxury. You don't have to worry about your next meal or your health. What's the point of staying with us? I'm going to be honest with you. My mercenary group is brand new. There are less than twenty people in it."

"I've always lived for other people. From now on I want to live for myself. I decided that when I ran away."

"You think you can get what you want with us?"

"I can try. You saved me. I trust you."

"Adventurous," Anfey said as he stood up. "It doesn't matter what you want to do. You have to eat. Destroying your own body does nothing."

"Can't you answer me now?" the princess asked calmly. Anfey's tactic of shifting the topic did not work.

"I need time to think about it," Anfey said. "Go eat and rest."

"Alright," the princess replied quietly.

"By the way, I do not know your name," Anfey turned around and said.

"Don't worry about the old one. Give me a new name."

"Let me think about that as well."

"You need time to think about a name?" the princess asked and she smiled.

"Of course," Anfey said. He stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him. Blavi was standing at the end of the hall, grinning at him. Anfey glared at him, and Blavi reassumed his post.

Anfey sighed. He had taken quite some time speaking with the princess. Who knew what kind of rumors would circulate in the group tomorrow?

----------

As usual, the magical surges from Anfey's room could be felt throughout the hotel. What surprised those who felt them was that they were no longer just fire elements. There were surges for every element. Plus, an apprentice's surges would not be this strong. Anfey's magic had grown, but it was still somewhere between an apprentice and a junior mage. This was impossible. However, no one wanted to ask him, so everyone decided to just observe in secret.

Anfey woke up at dawn. The two girls who were already waiting outside and observing him through the crack pushed open the door and walked inside. They were commoners and did not have money or power. They weren't beautiful either, which made them self-conscious. This was the only way they could repay his kindness.

Anfey hesitated but did not turn them away. He finished dressing and cleaning himself with their help. Christian and Suzanna walked into the room together.

"Christian, just on time. Tell me about yesterday."

"It's done. Our group was lauded by the Mercenaries Union."

"Good."

Christian nodded. He turned to the two girls and said, "Pardon me, can you leave us for a moment? We have some important things to discuss."

"Yes, Lord Christian," the girls said. They bowed and left the room.

"What happened?"

"Anfey, we have to crack down on our policies," Christian said. "You know. We're all young, and sometimes young people are hard to control. The girls were grateful that we saved them, then…"

"They hooked up?" Anfey asked. "Something like that is hard to control. As long as the girls are willing, I mean."

"It is hard. We need the leader to set an example for everyone else," Suzanna said quietly.

"Set an example? Suzanna, you're acting strange. If you like me and don't want to see me do things like that, you can just tell me. You don't need to say something like that." Anfey looked at Suzanna, amused.

"Shut up," Suzanna said, blushing. "What were you doing last night?"

"You said the woman wasn't speaking or eating, so I went and talked to her," Anfey said, feeling as if he was telling his wife about his day in detail.

"Our leader is so charming that she has returned to normal. Congrats, Anfey, you don't have to worry anymore."

"Keep an eye on her, though," Anfey reminded them.

"Why?"

"She really is the Shansa princess."

Christian and Suzanna widened their eyes. One of them knew about the plan, and the other was actively involved in it. They both knew the details. Learning that the target was among them came as a huge surprise.

"Anfey, what are we going to do? Kill her?"

"No, there's no need for that," Anfey said slowly. "We can wait until after the wedding to reveal her and cause a scandal. But it seems like she wants to forget about her past. She may not cooperate."

"When have you ever thought about other people's feelings when you decide to do something?" Suzanna asked. "I don't think this would be an exception."

"Give me some time and let me think about it," Anfey said and smiled bitterly.

Chapter 129: Rewards and Punishments

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

"This is a patrol." Black Eleven pointed at the highly-guarded yard. "White Mountain City has over seven hundred patrolmen in six teams. They take turns to patrol. They are not that great, but usually people do not want to cause trouble with them because they might end up on the wanted list of the mercenary union."

"Do Band of Brother and Storm mercenary groups have any connection with the patrol?" Anfey asked casually.

"I am not sure. We have run business here for decades, but still have no access to their top secrets." Black Eleven smiled. "Let's hurry up. Staying here too long would look suspicious."

A middle-aged man rushed into the patrol station, crying and screaming. A few patrolmen at the door stopped him and violently threw him back out on the street.

"God…" the man screamed at the top of his lungs, sitting on the street. "Why can't anyone carry out justice for me? Why? Bastards, you are all bastards."

"What happened?" Anfey asked.

"A dispute. Are you interested in it?" Black Eleven asked.

"We have nothing to do right now anyway." Anfey shrugged.

"Anfey, if you do not have anything to do right now, why don't you…" Black Eleven suggested.

"I do not want to repeat it again." Anfey's expression hardened. "Suzanna told me that both of us would not be a match for even five griffin riders. I don't want to die for nothing."

"Anfey, maybe we can use some tactics. With your intelligence…" Black Eleven said.

"When we have a huge difference in abilities, tactics would only make it look ridiculous. No matter how smart the chicken is, it could not kill a manticore. I think you understand it as well," Anfey said.

Black Eleven was quiet for a while and heaved a sigh. He lifted the curtain and said something to the wagon driver. The wagon driver stopped the wagon and ran into the crowd, which was watching the guy screaming on the street.

After a while, the wagon driver came back. What happened to that guy was not complicated. His son was with a merchant caravan on the way back to the White Mountain City. He went to pee in the wild. Suddenly, a startled three-eyed magic cow ran towards him. To dodge the three-eyed magic cow, he rolled away. He accidentally rolled into a 7-foot deep crack, where he found a black box made of Magic Concealing Crystals. There were five top magic crystals in the black box.

He was super lucky to find that black box. With his salary, even if he had worked over five hundred years without paying for food and shelter, he would not be able to afford those five top magic crystals. One day, he was drunk and told people the secret about the black box.

Since then his luck had turned into misfortune. A rather popular guy in the Cloud Chamber of Commerce overheard him tell about his secrets and reported back to Arlanga, the chairman of the Cloud Chamber of Commerce. The next morning, the son of that man was taken away by the people from Cloud Chamber of Commerce. They also searched for the black box and took it as well.

That man came to the patrol station several times to appeal, but Arlanga had already come to report that he had lost five top magic crystals in a black box made of Magic Concealing Crystals. The key was that Arlanga could name all the design details about the black box, even some flaws in it, while the man and his son were not so sure about the design details, sometimes even describing them incorrectly when the patrol asked them questions about the black box. In the end, the patrol decided that the magic crystals and black box belonged to Arlanga and sent the man and his son to the jail.

After hearing this, Black Eleven sneered, "Arlanga is setting people up again."

"Why are you saying that? Maybe that guy just pulled it off," Anfey said.

"You do not know about Arlanga. If that man and his son had not been pushed to the corner, regular people might dare to have any dispute with Arlanga," Black Eleven said.

"What about him?" Anfey asked.

"Arlanga has two good daughters. They each married an important person in Storm mercenary group. It's said that Cloud Chamber of Commerce received a lot of support from Strom mercenary group." Black Eleven showed disdain on his face. "If this had happened in a peaceful time, the patrol might take some time to look into it, but it is such a sensitive time now. The rules in the Country of Mercenaries had been changed by Mourtta. No one knows which direction things will go, but they know it is never smart to cause trouble for powerful Storm mercenary group. Therefore, the patrol made a judgement without looking into it," Black Eleven answered.

"I feel you are a little cynical. Being cynical will not do you any good," Anfey said casually.

Black Elven smiled bitterly. "You have no idea what he has done. I own five hotels, two fabric stores, two blacksmith shops, and some other businesses. I have been blackmailed by him several times. I really do not like him. In fact, Cloud Chamber of Commerce are doing great, plus Storm mercenary group referred a few capable people to them to take care of their management. Arlanga did not have to do much to make a decent amount of money. He could just sit at home, counting how much money he makes everyday, but he rather set others up for little things. It was hard to understand what he was thinking."

"Money would not bite your hands no matter how much you make." Anfey lifted up the curtain and glanced at the crying man. "Let's change the topic. It has nothing to do with you and me."

"What should we talk about? How about Honna?" Black Eleven took a deep breath. He did notice himself being a little overexcited about it, but it was not all his fault. He hated Arlanga so much that he would have used all his resources to take revenge on him. However, he did not want to cause any unnecessary trouble because he had so much responsibility on his shoulders.

"Honna?" Anfey asked.

"The woman you asked me to investigate." Black Eleven smiled. "She is a social butterfly in White Mountain City, and also a bright flower in bed. Many people have been in her bed, and she also has slept in many others' beds."

"Have you been to bed with her?" Anfey asked.

"No." Black Eleven could not help staring at Anfey. "What are you thinking about?"

"You sounded like you know her well. I thought maybe you have been her temporary husband," Anfey said.

"I am not interested in her." Black Eleven's mouth twitched. "How about you?"

"What about me?" Anfey asked.

"You asked me to conduct a secret investigation on her. It seems that you are interested in her," Black Eleven said.

"What if I am interested in her? Are you jealous of me?" Anfey asked.

"How did I get to know someone like you?" Black Eleven had nothing more to comment on with Anfey.

"Let's keep walking and see how long the people behind us will follow us," Anfey said slowly.

Black Eleven tapped lightly on the wagon as the wagon rocked a little bit. He hesitated a bit before he whispered to Anfey, "Anfey, we need have a heart-to-heart talk."

"Go ahead. I am listening." Anfey nodded.

"Do you still remember Black Ghost? Did you kill him?" Black Eleven asked.

Anfey was startled for a second, smiled and said, "Yes, why are you suddenly asking me about it?"

"Thank you for your honesty." Black Eleven heaved a sigh of relief. "In fact, the king has suspected it was you for a long time."

"Oh?" Anfey said.

"It was pretty simple in fact. Saul and Ernest did not kill him. We have sent out secret agents to investigate everyone in the Rose Home Hotel that day, including the owner and staff. None of them could pose any threat to Black Ghost. After giving it a lot of thought, we noticed we had missed one person in the hotel. It was you," Black Eleven said.

Anfey did not respond. He just quietly listened to Black Eleven.

"Evil Mist was investigating you as we did the investigation on you. I do not know why they are so interested in you," Black Eleven said.

"Evil Mist?" Anfey frowned.

"Evil Mist is a very mysterious and powerful organization. Black Ghost was their assassin," Black Eleven said.

"Did the king ask you to tell me this?" Anfey asked.

"Yes, the king asked you to be careful of Evil Mist," Black Eleven said, nodding. "The king said he would keep your secrets and would not let anyone know. However, you cannot keep doing this. The king hoped you could communicate with Master Saul to avoid any misunderstanding later on."

"I know." Anfey smiled. He knew what he had done in Blackwater City had gained the trust of Yolanthe, and that was why the king sent Black Eleven to tell Anfey these things.

First of all, Yolanthe had hinted to Anfey that he was not a king that Anfey should fool around with. Yolanthe had suspected him before Anfey noticed it. Second, he warned Anfey to be careful of Evil Mist because he received some information that Anfey would potentially have a confrontation at the Evil Mist station in White Mountain City. He warned Anfey to show his concern for Anfey.

Anfey had not run away on his own when things happened. Instead, he brought Saul's family along. Yolanthe may not know everything that had happened on the way, but he must know everything that happened in Blackwater City. Anfey and Suzanna had taken on all the dangerous missions and kept everyone else in safe places. Smart people could understand Anfey's concerns and his bonds with Saul and everyone in his legion.

Anfey knew the relationship with Saul had not been long, but they had definitely connected. When Yolanthe talked about the issues with Saul, Anfey could analyze what he said in two ways. One was that Yolanthe hoped to continue to have a good relationship with Saul and avoid any possible misunderstanding. The other one was that Yolanthe was trying to control Anfey with this invisible bond with Saul. This bond was a way to have both parties build their trust. Actually it was a way for Anfey to gain Yolanthe's trust, since there was a huge difference in their positions. Yolanthe could decide Anfey's fate with the blink of an eye.

"The people behind us are still following us. Where are we heading to?" Black Eleven suddenly asked.

"Is there any joyhouse?" Anfey smiled. He did not look stressed and nervous at all.

"There are many hookers. But what is a joyhouse? A place with hookers?" Black Eleven asked a weird question.

"Yes, don't you have joyhouses?" Anfey asked.

"It is interesting where you are from. Let's go to a bar. No, let's go to a hotel. Most of the waitresses are hookers there."

Chapter 130: Terror of the Griffins

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

Shinon raised the bottle to his lips with shaking hands and took a swig of the ale. He began walking into the room. Inside, a grey rope hung limply from the ceiling like a dying snake. This was the end Shinon chose for himself.

There was nothing worse than a heart yearning for death. For someone suicidal, nothing in the world could hold them back. Ale was something bland and amusing, but Shinon had to drink. He did not have the courage to face death.

The bottle fell to the ground. Shinon did not care to pick it up. He stumbled forward towards the rope. He climbed onto the table and tied a loop. He placed the loop around his neck, and kicked the table. His body began swinging in the air. The rope was pulled taut, the beam began creaking.

Something flashed through the air and cut through the rope. Shinon fell to the ground with a dull thud. The lack of air did not last long, and Shinon was still conscious. His hands searched the ground and found the ale bottle. He drained the bottle and tossed it against the wall. It shattered like a flower.

The moon peeked out from behind the grey clouds and lit the room. Shinon saw the broken rope next to the fallen table and sighed, cursing the gods. Couldn't they just let him die? When he saw where the rope broke and its smooth surface, he realized that the rope did not break on its own. Someone had cut him down.

"Do you have money?" a hoarse voice asked.

Shinon jumped. He turned around and his eyes grew wide, staring at the man who had suddenly appeared behind him. The moon was bright, and from his angle the moonlight was all blocked out by the shadow. All he could see was darkness.

"Do you have money?" the person asked again.

Shinon smiled. He was about to die, and did not have a care in the world. Whatever the person wanted, he would give. Even if the person wanted to kill him, he would accept it gladly.

"Money?" Shinon repeated as he searched his pockets. He found a half empty wallet.

Law suits required money. He was already poor, and he had already sold everything he could. The wallet was everything he had.

"Here, have it." Shinon tossed the wallet at the figure, then pointed at the room. "It's all yours."

The figure opened the wallet, and found three copper coins inside. The figure's hand glowed, and picked up one of the coins. Then he threw the wallet and the two remaining coins onto the ground. "Deal," he said.

"Deal?" Shinon looked at the figure, confused. This person clearly wasn't a robber or a murderer. He was an idiot. Who would want to make a deal with someone like him?

"Don't die so soon. Wait a few days. You'll get a good news." The figure turned and walked outside.

"Wait!" Shinon called. "Who are you?"

"You could say I am a judge," the person said. Then he began to levitate and disappeared.

Shinon dashed outside and glanced around, but he was already alone. Could it be the Bringer of Justice? Shinon's hands flew up to his mouth. He had a feeling. It had something to do with the injustice he had suffered.

----------

Anfey pushed open door and walked into the room. He stopped in his tracks in shock. The girls responsible for cleaning his room weren't there. Instead, it was the princess of Shansa that was sitting on his bed, staring at the candle.

"What are you doing here? Where are the girls?"

"I sent them away," the princess said. She stood up and walked over. "I just wanted to know my name."

Anfey thought about it for a moment then said, "When I was younger, I once heard a song from a minstrel. It was called Für Alice. It was a beautiful and happy song, and I still remember it to this day. I want to give you that name. Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful," the princess said. "Do you want me to be happy?"

Anfey did not reply. Agreeing could lead her on, disagreeing would be inappropriate.

"Did something happen?" the princess asked.

"No, why did you ask?"

"You seemed more approachable when you left, now you feel strange," the princess said. She looked at him. "You seem…austere."

"You're sensitive to changes," Anfey said, smiling. "We ran into a bit of a trouble. Someone was following us."

"Who?"

"We'll find out tomorrow." Anfey looked at the princess. "Alice, I can call you this, right?"

"I like this name."

"Do you know anything about the Griffins Aerial Unit?"

Alice blinked in shock, her expression unreadable. After a few moments she said quietly, "What do you want to know? I'll tell you everything."

"I heard that Shansa Empire had sent out the Griffins Aerial Unit. I have a mission and my employer wants to know about them. If you know, you would save us a trip to the Transverse Mountains."

"They must be working for Maho Empire! Anfey, don't work for them!" Alice said hurriedly.

"Alice, I must take the group's reputation into consideration," Anfey said slowly. "I know you're Shansa Empire's princess, but you need to know that everyone here, except for Suzanna and Shally, are people of Maho Empire. This is the reason I took the job. If you want to forget about your past, you need to leave it behind completely. Or else I cannot trust you."

"Anfey, you are putting me in a very difficult situation," Alice said. There were tears in her eyes.

"You can tell us, or you cannot tell us. This choice lies in your hands," Anfey said calmly. "Also, I believe you're not a woman who likes tears. You should have a better way of convincing me."

However, his words did not wipe away her tears. Alice lowered her gaze and tears started rolling down her cheeks.

Anfey sighed. He looked at Alice coldly, then walked over and sat down on his bed. He wanted to changed his original plan, but he had a condition, and that was he needed to trust Alice. Alice said she wanted to forget her past, but it seemed like some things were too hard to ignore. He could tell that Alice did not want to do anything that might harm Shansa Empire. He could understand her sentiments, but he could not accept it. If she could not change, he must go through with his original plan.

Alice walked over carefully. She lifted her skirt and sat down next to Anfey. Her hand caressed Anfey's arm and his chest. Her breathing was short and nervous. Her gentle scent and timid teases were more than enough to arouse any normal men.

Anfey, however, was as relaxed as ice. He lay there quietly, as if Alice did not exist.

"If you really need to know, I'll tell you," Alice said with a sigh. "My father…Shansa Empire would not send out the entire unit. It's too much of a gamble, its consequences too much to handle. Edward VIII may seem ambitious by expanding his army, but in fact he is a very cowardly men. His dream was to hand off the empire to his successor, not leaving a name for himself. Even if the chances are good, he will not risk everything."

"That's it?"

"Maho Empire's most powerful legion, the Roaring Dead Legion, is on the eastern front. Its leader, Baery, is famous for his hunger for battle. He had long been a thorn in his enemies' side. In order to protect his army from major loss, Edward VIII would surely make a more conservative move, hoping Maho Empire would pit all of its might against Ellisen Empire. Then Shansa Empire could fight what was left of Maho's army."

"Do you know anything more specific?" Anfey asked. He memorized everything Alice told him in order to tell Black Eleven about it. News like this would make the higher-ups very happy.

"I know Edward VIII would send a squadron of Griffin Aerial Unit. The plan was already made before I left the imperial city. I don't know if they made any changes to it," Alice said softly. "The squadron has two missions. One is to find chances to kill any powerful man and woman in the service of Maho Empire. The other is to find the exact location of the Roaring Dead Legion in order to prevent it from ambushing Shansa's army. Baery is very skilled at ambushes and battles. Plus, he is a very powerful man himself. He is the kind of men you need to look out for during a war."

"How many people are in a squadron?"

"Fifty Griffin Knights."

"What are griffins' weaknesses? Fire? Cold? Lightening?"

"Griffins are practically immune to magic. The only kind of magic that can harm them is high level magic. The worst thing that can happen is that they do not have enough food supplies. In a past war, the supply line was disrupted, and the riders lost control of the griffins. The griffins ate all the horses in the cavalry unit and caused major commotion. Since then, the army has been very careful to make sure the griffins are fed properly."

Chapter 131: Seeing Honna Again

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

Maybe it was because the nature of civilization in this magic world involved many bloody fights, or because everyone was eager to prove how strong they were when a person's fate was purely decided by their abilities. Almost every city seemed to have boxing facilities in addition to entertainment complexes. Anfey thought the boxing here was even more bloody than the underground boxing in his world.

The last match had just finished. Four human slaves were torn up into pieces. Blood and their organs were everywhere on the boxing stage. The audience had both men and women. They got excited, cheering for bloody scenes. If Black Eleven and Christian had not sat next to Anfey, Anfey would have thought he was in a party thrown by vampires.

Anfey never thought killing was enjoyable. It was only a way to protect himself. Anfey did not like the idea that the crowds loved to watch the bloody scenes, but he did understand these crazy people. The people who watched the boxing should be no less excited than the people who went to an arena to watch fights when it was newly built.

Walking in others' shoes was Anfey's strongpoint. In most cases, he could find a specific reason for any unusual behavior. He was never surprised by unusual behavior. His strongpoint allowed him to be able to think psychologically, including studying his enemies' psychology.

"Do you have other places to go that are not so bloody?" Anfey asked, frowning. He was a ferocious assassin who killed many people, but he did it with reason and purpose. He had never been able to appreciate death in an entertaining way, so he did not like the crowds in the boxing arena. He liked neither the boxing stage nor the Angel Love Hotel.

"Do you want to go to the theater?" Black Eleven grinned.

"Is there any theater? What is it for?" Anfey was shocked for a second.

"It has bard shows," Black Eleven said.

"Not bad." Anfey smiled. "If I do not have a job, I know where I should go to help make ends meet."

"Do you want to be a bard?" Black Eleven seemed to pick up on what Anfey implied and asked in surprise. Anyone who knew a little about Anfey should know he would never make it as a bard.

"I have the potential to be a bard because I have so many great stories." Anfey pointed at his head with a smile. "Camille, Faust, Madama Butterfly, Carmen, Romeo and Juliet. I promise you every one of them will be a classic."

"I think you have the potential to be bragger." Black Eleven did not believe a word Anfey said.

The crowd suddenly cheered and went wild. Many men and women started to stand up. Some of them threw beer bottles on the floor, some flipped their tables, some even stood on the tables. There were even some waitresses who stopped serving and just jumped and screamed. Gradually, all kinds of sounds merged into one: "Katuru, Katuru, Katuru!"

"What is Katuru?" Anfey asked.

"It is a scary monster." Black Eleven smiled bitterly. "You will know in a second."

A gigantic magic altar light lit up on the boxing stage, which signaled the most important annual matches at Angel Love Hotel were about to start. There were only three matches like this each year. The curtain on both sides of the stage opened. The boxers in this match were about to come out.

From Anfey's angle, he saw an 8-foot-tall wolfman with blond fur walk out from the left side of the stage. Compared with the wolfmen Anfey had seen before, this one was bigger and had different fur. Regular wolfmen were 6 feet tall with grey, brown or black fur. The appearance did not make a huge difference, but his ferocious personality did. When the wolfman walked on the stage, his eagerness to fight showed on his face. He even tried to attack the bodyguards who escorted him out. The wolfmen Anfey had seen before were a lot calmer. That wolfman did not even have to make any aggressive moves, he showed his ferociousness in his eyes. His pupils were contracted to the size of peas.

The three boxers who came out from the other side of the stage were female. An elf wearing a gold crown walked in between, and two human swordswomen walked on the sides. They all were scantily dressed. Only a few layers of gauze were wrapped around their breasts. Small and thin panties barely covered their private parts. They all looked desperate. Anfey could clearly tell that they were trembling as they walked. Obviously they had been forced to dress the way they were dressed. They had been forced to fight on the stage as well.

The bodyguards escorting them were quite different. Although the boxers all wore antimagic bracelets, a senior magister and two intermediate magisters followed the wolfman, while only two junior swordsmen followed the three girls.

Before they even started their fight, Anfey knew these three girls were no match for the wolfman. Anfey did not understand the point of this fight.

Boxers all walked onto the stage. A senior magister and his assistants started to set up the magic array. A moment later, a swordsman walked onto the stage to check the antimagic bracelet on the wolfman, and then he turned around to take the antimagic bracelets off the girls. He walked back to the wolfman to take the apron off him. The wolfman stood on the stage naked.

Audience screamed, "F*^king kill them, F*^king kill them!"

The elf had already loaded her bow and pointed it at the wolfman standing opposite her. The other two girls pulled their swords out and positioned themselves to fight. The wolfman wore the antimagic bracelet. The girls were ready to fight with their full force, but the girls did not seem to have the confidence to win and looked even more desperate.

"Is this the upper class you talked about? Is this the show you said regular people were not qualified to come in to watch?" Anfey said with an ironic tone.

"Anfey, let's go back." Christian was anxious to leave.

"In order to bring you here, I had to pull a lot of strings," Black Eleven said, smiling bitterly. "These people looked crazy here, but when they walk out of this hall, they could be gentlemen. They could give money to the homeless and would shed tears for the unfortunate. Anfey, this is just a show. Every city has this kind of show. You cannot stop them and have no right to stop them. Many royal families just love to watch them," Black Eleven said.

"Supply and demand. I understand it." Anfey smiled and stood up. "I have no control over others, but I can control my eyes. There should be no one forcing me to stay, right?"

"I finally find someone who shares the same values as me." A girl's voice rose behind Anfey. "The air here is filled with ugliness and disgrace. Sir? Did we meet somewhere?"

Anfely slowly turned around. He smiled, "Madam, we did meet at White Mountain City. I am sorry that I offended you then. I did not mean to."

"So you still remember me?" The corner of Honna's mouth turned up.

"You are so beautiful. How could I forget you? I may forget where I am from, but I would not forget you," Anfey said.

"You have such a sweet way of talking." Honna looked at Black Eleven and Christian. "Don't you want to introduce me your friends?"

"Hello, Madam. My name is Christian." Christian stood up politely.

Black Eleven followed him, standing up too. "Hello, my name is Armin."

"Nice meeting both of you." Honna nodded. "I am Honna."

The fight had just started on the stage. That elf and the other two swordswomen crowded into the corner of the stage, trying hard to defend themselves. The antimagic bracelet definitely constrained the moves that the wolfman could do. He had received two minor wounds on his body in the short fight. Those three girls were intact, but wolfman had the advantage of making offensive attacks.

"What is your name? Is it a secret?" Honna looked at Anfey with a smile.

"My name is Anfey. Honna? Your name is as beautiful as you." Anfey smiled.

"Thank you." Honna covered her little mouth with her hand. "I have something to do today. I am going to let you guys go, but I hope you guys can come by at my house sometime. Will you?"

"It would be my pleasure," Anfey said.

"Oh, right, where are you staying now?" Honna asked.

"Tuna Hotel," Anfey answered.

"Honna." A man around fifty years old called from the distance.

"I am sorry. I have to go now." Honna had a beautiful smile on her face. She moved back two steps.

"Sure," Anfey said.

Black Eleven waited until Honna walked next to the old man. He frowned and asked, "Anfey, what does that woman want to do?"

"Who knows? It seems that she wanted to get to know us," Anfey said.

"Not us. She wanted to know you." Christian smiled. "Her eyes had been on you the whole time. Couldn't you tell?"

"Idiot!" Black Eleven commented. He had not known Anfey for a long, but he knew Anfey was different than other young guys. He would not fall into the trap of a beautiful girl. Niya and Suzanna were famous for their beauty. Anfey did not make a big deal out of it. Even when he flirted with Suzanna, Black Eleven still could tell Anfey had a natural calmness in his eyes. If Anfey would not fall for Suzanna and Niya, neither would he fall for Honna. In addition, Anfey knew about Honna's messed-up life. It would be a joke if anyone tried to connect with Anfey through beautiful girls.

The situation on the stage suddenly changed. The wolfman took the opportunity and dragged a swordswoman out of their defensive zone. The other two girls understood the importance of fighting together. If any of them died, the other two would end up the same way. Therefore, the other two girls went forward and tried to save that swordswomen from the wolfman.

Anfey looked at the stage and noticed that the wolfman was breathing normally, while the girls were out of breath. He shook his head. "Let's go."

Chapter 132: Killer

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

As night fell, Arlanga entered his room with a girl on each arm and a smile on his face. He was not young anymore, but he was still a romantic man at heart. His younger days were tough, and he wasn't fully established until his middle age. Thankfully, he had two good daughters who married two good men. With the help of his daughters and sons-in-law, he was able to successfully expand his trading company. The need for him to go on business trips dwindled. He often found himself bored out of his mind, and when he was bored he needed to find something to do: things he did not have a chance to do when he was younger.

The two women led him to the bedroom and helped him sit down on the bed. He was groping the women and smirking. "Why don't you dears go grab my things?" he said.

The two women widened their eyes in fear. As he aged, Arlanga found that he had a hard time convincing his body to have sex drive. Sometimes he would spend hours on top of a woman and still could not enter her; or he could, but could not keep himself hard. Arlanga enjoyed seeing women squirming and crying under him, but it brought him only psychological pleasure, not physical pleasure.

As a leader of a trading company, Arlanga still had ways to find pleasure. He found some soft whips and ropes and crystal sticks that could help him. On the other hand, this was torture for the women. They were young and needed warmth, not coldness and pain, and much less so from men that could not keep themselves hard.

However, there was too big of a difference in their socioeconomic class, and none of the women dared offend Arlanga. If they did, who knows what would happen to them later. They would disappear, or be handed off to men who had not seen a woman in years. Or thrown into a pit with werewolves or bear men, and experience warmth with Death holding their hands. So all the women chose to obey the old man and satisfy his needs.

The two women glanced at each other and walked out the room, smiling. Arlanga remained, humming and waiting.

After a few minutes, Arlanga felt someone approaching him. "Give me my things, dearest," he said, cackling, showing his missing teeth.

Hard objects showered Arlanga. He turned angrily, but froze when he saw it was not the women, but a figure in black standing over him. He wanted to call out, but suddenly felt something cold slipping against his neck. He shut his mouth.

His body was getting old. He felt the impact of the shock from the wetness between his legs. The coldness was uncomfortable, but he did not dare to say anything. He grabbed more quilts and piled them on his body to avoid embarrassment. His eyes darted around the room, trying to get himself out of this situation.

Even though he had sought nothing but pleasure in recent years and did not do anything dangerous, he had been a mercenary when he was younger, and did not lack experience. He knew that when faced with danger, screaming and crying would not do him much good. He had to act natural and at peace.

When he was still a mercenary, he and his companion encountered a Seven Tail Magic Fox. His companion, who was screaming and making a fuss, was ripped apart in seconds. Arlanga, on the other hand, had remained calm and was speaking to the fox the entire time. He did not know whether the fox understood him, but he knew that it did not harm hm. He learned that when in danger, he must remain calm in order to save himself.

Arlanga coughed quietly and pointed at his neck. "This is not the way to treat an old man, is it, young man?" he said, smiling. Except for his slightly shaking fingers, he was very calm. His smile was natural and voice was level.

The coldness around his neck disappeared. The figure hid its weapon, but did not speak. His black eyes were cold and calm.

The first step was a success. Arlanga gave himself a mental pat on the shoulder. "Tell me, young man. What are you doing here? Of course, if you don't want to tell me, just pretend I did not ask the question." Arlanga worded his question very carefully. He was afraid his words would anger the assailant.

"Someone paid me to kill you," the figure croaked.

"You're an assassin?" Arlanga asked. He was suddenly hopeful. This man was an assassin, but instead of killing him, he stopped to engage him in conversation. Clearly he wanted something. "You've made a mistake," Arlanga said.

"Did I, now?"

"There are so many thing you could do in the world. With your skills, you could be anything you want. Why choose this path of evil?" Arlanga knew what kind of people were protecting him. This man could stand in front of him because he was very powerful. Powerful men had more choices than normal men, and being an assassin was not the best choice. Arlanga was hoping to find the man's weakness.

"I enjoy it," the figure replied.

"But this is a path of death! It will never end well for you. Trust me, young man. One day you will regret your decision." Arlanga's voice was hoarse and filled with wisdom, as if he was a mentor teaching his student about the way of the world. "Money cannot buy everything,, and violence is not the solution for everything." The last part Arlanga had once heard from a minstrel. He was very impressed by his memory. These were words of pure wisdom. Surely it would make an impact.

"Money cannot buy everything, but it bought me. Violence is not the solution for everything, but it will bring you to your end." The hoarse voice shattered Arlanga's hope.

Arlanga's forehead was dotted in sweat. He wished he could be a minstrel so he could convince the man with just his words. Now he realized how little knowledge he held. "Young man, you're too stubborn. There are a lot of answers to one question. Say, how much did you employer pay you for my death?"

"A hundred gold coins."

Arlanga cackled, "Young man! My life is not as cheap as that! Let me offer you two hundred, no, five…no, let me offer you a thousand gold coins to let me be. What do you say?" It seemed like Arlanga could never be a minstrel. A minstrel would not preach that money cannot buy everything, then turn around and try to bribe his opponent.

"Really?" The figure sounded hesitant, and he moved his eyes away from Arlanga.

"Think about it, young man. If you really kill me, you would make an enemy of Storm mercenary. My daughters and their husbands would try everything in their power to avenge me. I want you to let me be. I do not even want to know who your employer is. I know you have your rules and morals, and so do I. I will not make the situation difficult for you." Arlanga was speaking from the bottom of his heart. He would seek out who employed this assassin, but first he needed to live. He was old, but he was not ready to die.

"You're willing to pay a thousand gold coins?"

"Of course!" Arlanga raised his hands. "I swear on my life."

"Deal."

Arlanga was overjoyed. He struggled out of his bed and said, "follow me."

He had a small vault in his bedroom filled with money. He was the head of his trading company, but his daughters and their husbands were already taking over the finances, since Arlanga did not know how to limit his spending. He had built the vault to prepare for the unexpected.

As he stood in front of the vault, he was worried. He had way more than a thousand gold coins in the vault. He was afraid that the assassin would take everything in there. However, he did not have any other choice. If he did not give the man money, he would die.

There were only about a hundred gold coins in the vault. For someone like him, he did not need to hide his gold in a vault like that. There were two boxes made with black antimagic crystals, one he had had for a long time, the other he had recently acquired. Behind the boxes were some magic scrolls, a dagger, and some small bottles holding the best alchemy potions.

As Arlanga stood there trying to figure out how to make up for the missing gold, he was pushed aside by the figure. The man took everything from the vault and placed it into his dimensional ring.

Arlanga watched as his treasures disappeared into the ring. He felt terrible losing these treasures, but he had to smile. "I'm old now, these mean nothing to me. Take it.

"I should not have given you a chance to talk. I should have just killed you," the figure said slowly.

"Why?"

"I didn't know you would have an intermediate magister here. He saw me when I was on my way in, but he didn't do anything about it," the figure said, smiling. "I thought that was interesting."

Arlanga cursed Ulemon quietly. How dare he abandon his post? He was really old now, old enough to remain completely ignorant of the hidden meaning in the figure's words.

"I don't want to serve as other's executioner, so you better be careful," the figure said. He reached over and hit Arlanga on his neck. Arlanga fell to the ground quietly.

After a few hours, Arlanga's angry voice could be heard from the courtyard. "I curse your entire family…" He had reverted to his mercenary days, but could not finish his sentence.

Chapter 133: A Mysterious Woman

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

"Anfey, I took an assignment at mercenary union," Suzanna said as she pushed the door open.

Anfey and Christian looked at each other and asked in surprise, "What assignment?" With any common sense, Anfey should be the one making decisions on what kind of assignments they would take. Suzanna could give suggestions, but not make decisions for Anfey. In this case, the assignment must be special or she had some special reasons.

"Someone is buying a lot of seven-winged magic flies. He gave a really good price. I took an assignment from him. We need to kill fifty seven-winged magic flies."

Anfey was shocked for a second, since this assignment was nothing special. He could not think of any reason Suzanna had to do it.

Suzanna saw Anfey and Christian give her a weird look. She hesitated a little before she said, "Anfey, we cannot keep doing things like this. Have you seen what everybody is doing every day? Besides practicing magic, they have being fooling around with those girls, or going out in groups. The morale in our legion will be gone if they keep doing it."

Anfey went quiet. What Suzanna said was true. Of course, not everyone lost focus and totally relaxed. Riska, Blavi and a few others still worked very hard. Only some people, who lacked willpower, abandoned their lives to pleasure.

"Anfey, don't blame me for making a decision without you. I have mentioned a couple of times to you. You were busy day and night. You were never in the hotel to see what is happening to our legion. It is getting serious. You can ask Christian about it if you do not believe me," Suzanna said in low pitch.

"Suzanna is not exaggerating," Christian said, smiling bitterly. "But it is a personal preference. We are not in a position to tell them what to do."

"In fact, it is all good. At least it allows us to know who in our legion would be able to further their magic skills. In other words, I could tell who wishes to go further with their magic skills," Anfey said slowly.

Dedication is crucial for being successful. When Anfey had just come to this world, besides sleeping, he had dedicated the rest of his time in physical fitness training and martial arts basic training. After he followed Saul to the Saint City, he spent most of his time learning magic and reading magic books. When they had to flee, Anfey forced himself to only sleep three hours a day. In terms of dedication and hard-work, no one was comparable to Anfey.

Christian, Blavi and several others worked very hard as well, but they would reach different levels of success. There was a story about nine sons of a dragon. Each of the nine had different personalities and reached different levels of success. They all learned magic from Saul. Each one of them had different desires. Some were willing to work hard, and were able to bear the loneliness, while some were strict with themselves. Therefore, some of them became senior mages at 60 or 70 years old, and some became archmages around 50 years old. Talent contributed to their success, but it was not decisive.

"I am glad you are not blaming me for taking the assignment." Suzanna heaved a sigh of relief.

"Actually even if you did not take the assignment, we need leave White Mountain City for a short time." Anfey smiled. "I will have Christian tell you about it."

"Huh?" Christian did not expect it.

"Suzanna, I have visited Band of Brother mercenary group. I wanted to send the girls there, but they did not take them. They said it is not a good time, and they would not be able to take good care of those girls," Anfey said.

"Band of Brother mercenary group has a few thousand mercenaries. How come they couldn't take care of twenty girls?" Suzanna asked a rhetorical question.

"Maybe because those female slaves are from Maho Empire, Band of Brother mercenary group did not want to take a side yet at this sensitive time." Anfey smiled. "Or they may have different ideas on this issue inside their mercenary group. Entos is the student of our professor. He went back to help the professor. It was obvious he was on the side of Maho Empire. However, maybe someone took advantage of Entos not being in the legion to give a totally opposite suggestion that Band of Brother mercenary group needed to cut off any connection with Maho Empire."

"Stupid," Suzanna said with anger.

"But they allowed us to rent a town from them." Christian smiled. "Suzanna, Anfey and I were just discussing what time we should move to that town."

"What is the name of that town? How much is the rent?" Suzanna asked.

"It's called Moramatch. We signed a three-year lease with them. It's one hundred gold coins a year. We have already paid one-year's rent." Christian said.

"Most towns in the Country of Mercenaries are ghost towns. They just provide stops for merchant caravans and mercenaries. There is a small population in each of those towns. How much tax can we collect there?" Suzanna smiled bitterly. "We definitely will lose money on this deal."

"It's ok. I never expected to make money from it anyway," Anfey said.

Suzanna could not help rolling her eyes at Anfey. She knew Anfey had money, but they were the savings of Archmage Saul. Anfey seemed fine to squander Saul's family fortune.

Someone knocked on the door, and Black Eleven walked into the room with big strides.

"Any good news?" Anfey gave a half smile.

"What?" Black Eleven was shocked for a second. He rubbed his face. "How did you know? I usually have a poker face and do not show my feelings."

"You did not show it on your face. You walked faster than usual. Your steps seemed lighter as well. Therefore, I guessed you had something urgent and which also made you feel happy."

"Every time before I come to see you, I tell myself to be cautious and act normal. However, you always can find a way to make me lose my confidence. I wonder if we were enemies before." Black Eleven shook his head helplessly. "Did you hear anything?"

"About what?" Christian asked in surprise.

"A few things. Let me start from the very beginning." Black Eleven took a seat and cleared his throat a little bit. "Arlanga was attacked."

"Don't tell me this little thing even caught your attention," Anfey said.

"I haven't finished yet. Anfey, it's rude to interrupt," Black Eleven complained. He did not have good impressions of Anfey and his legion at the beginning. He thought they were merely kids who had to flee. After being together with them for some time, he was able to appreciate these "little kids" more. What surprised him the most was Anfey's intelligence. He received orders from the king to cooperate with Anfey. In fact, he was asked to assist Anfey. Subconsciously, he did not think he was lower than Anfey in terms of their positions. He had been watching the legion as a leader. He did not talk to Anfey like Anfey was his supervisor. He talked like they were fellows without his callous face.

"Proceed," Anfey said.

"Do you guys know who killed him?" Black Eleven asked.

"It's a woman." Black Eleven glanced at Suzanna. "Suzanna, you'd better not go out anytime soon. Right now, patrols are searching for that mysterious woman everywhere. You are a powerful senior swordswoman and a stranger to them. They would easily suspect you."

"Huh?" Anfey was shocked for a moment before he started to talk. "How did you know it's a woman?"

"Shinon told me." Black Eleven smiled. "Do you know Shinon? He was blackmailed by Arlanga before. He said when he tried to commit suicide one day, a woman with a cosmetic fragrance and girly voice save him. That woman had a mask over her face. She asked for a bronze coin from Shinon to agree to work for him. The second day, Arlanga was attacked. Hahaha…that woman had a famous nick name, Judge."

"I wonder, what did you do before you became a professional investigator." Anfey shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Black Eleven asked.

"Allow me to use an example to explain to you. Imagine if someone hurt you and you wanted to take revenge on him, and you were never able to do it for some reason. Finally one day you met someone who could, and that person volunteered to help you. Would you tell others about his looks and identity? Do you want to see him on the wanted list of mercenary union and patrol?"

"Me…No, of course not." Black Eleven smiled bitterly.

"Neither would Shinon. I think if Shinon said she had a girly voice, then the real killer should have a coarse voice. If Shinon said it's a woman, I think it must be a guy." Anfey smirked. "Shinon tried to cover for him."

Black Eleven blushed a little bit. He felt he should not be criticized by Anfey, since after receiving the news that Arlango was killed, he also got a few more important messages. He had to rush to the hotel, so he had no time to give the information any thought, especially on those nobodies. With his experience, it was not difficult to figure something fishy was going on.

"I think what Anfey said makes sense." Suzanna smiled. "What happened to Shinon?"

"He was taken away by patrol, but he changed his story. He said he dreamed of a woman who killed Arlanga but refused to admit hiring her to kill Arlanga. He said it was just a dream. The officer did not want to give Shinon a hard time. They did not have any evidence anyway. The officer could not make a judgement based on his dream. I heard Shinon was released after being interrogated for half a day. It is not a big deal that Arlanga was attacked, but Storm mercenary group finally made a move. They claimed that Arlanga was not killed out of revenge. They said they had been in charge of the security of Arlanga's house and Cloud Chamber of Commerce. I heard the security was so high that even a senior swordsman was not able to hurt Arlanga. Therefore, they think Arlanga was killed with some scheme by other mercenary groups. They should have already sent mercenaries to White Mountain City," Black Eleven said slowly.

"I meant to ask you yesterday. What kind of business does Cloud Chamber of Commerce do?" Anfey asked.

"Arms and magic crystals. Their inventory of magic crystals at Cloud Chamber of Commerce was not the largest, but they have the best sale for arms in the White Mountain City."

"I see. For certain items, it's better to have the control." Anfey's comment was confusing to everyone.

Chapter 134: The Potion's Potency

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

Black Eleven was silent for a few moments, then said, "It wasn't only the Storm mercenary. Band of Brothers mercenary is also sending out their people. What with Anthony still in the game…Anfey, what do you think is going to happen?"

"Chaos," Anfey said, shaking his head.

"I just want to get your input on the matter," Black Eleven said. "I know the situation is too complicated."

"Is there a casino here? Have you been to it?" Anfey asked.

"Of course, why?"

"People like Anthony and Mourtta are the big players. They are the ones at the table. We are the little people standing behind them, watching." Anfey smiled. "But do not underestimate us. When we dislike the person with the advantage, we hit them with a plastic bottle."

"Plastic bottle?" Suzanna asked curiously.

"It's a kind of crystal bottle."

"You're not hitting them," Black Eleven said. "You're stabbing them in the back. By the way, I have another news."

"What is it?"

Black Eleven glanced at Suzanna and Christian and looked hesitant.

"We'll be outside," Suzanna said softly.

"No need for that." Anfey shook his head. "Speak freely. I trust them more than anyone else."

Black Eleven shook his head and said, "According to my sources, Shansa only sent out a squadron of their aerial unit because they knew what had recently happened in Country of Mercenaries. This squad is not involved in the siege of Blackania City. They are in the Transverse Mountains and are responsible for the protection of the supply lines."

"Anfey, you talked to me about griffins the other day because…" Suzanna said with wide eyes.

"How many times have you talked about this?" Anfey asked, shaking his head. "You keep talking about this. What do you want me to do? To attack the griffins with my people?"

"Listen, Anfey. It is vital that we defeat these griffins protecting the supply lines. If we succeed, it will be a huge blow to their army and to their king's confidence. We can give Blackania City's army a chance."

"You speak of success, but what if we lose?" Suzanna asked coldly. She was not from the Maho Empire and did not feel obliged to help it. She cooperated with Anfey in Blackwater City because she respected him as a friend. However, attacking the griffins was practically suicide. They might as well slay a dragon and die as heroes.

"My people will cooperate with you," Black Eleven said.

"How many?"

"If necessary, all of them."

Anfey frowned and thought about his words for a few moments. He then looked up and said, "Suzanna, fetch me Hagan."

"Anfey!" Suzanna said, frowning. She knew he was considering it, and was worried.

"Just go. Don't worry. I know what I am doing."

Suzanna sighed and left the room with Christian.

Seeing that the door was closed, Black Eleven turned back to Anfey and said, "His Majesty said he has two wishes. One is to destroy the Dark Moon Magic Legion, and other is to kill the annoying flies. He is referring to the Griffins Aerial Unit. In order to fight against the griffins, he had been gathering money to purchase griffins. However the only place with griffins is the Shansa Empire, and they control it very carefully. Over the years we've only gathered a dozen griffins. They can be used in espionage activities, but as not fighting forces."

"Of course. Even if the emperor is an idiot, he must have smart men serving him. They should know what to do."

"If we can defeat the squad and capture some griffins, His Majesty would be very happy."

"Frankly, I don't like the way you approach things," Anfey said. "Do you want me to just go and convince those soldiers to surrender? Fifty griffins and their knights. His Majesty will be very happy, don't you think?"

"I'm saying hypothetically," Black Eleven said quietly.

"Don't expect too much, or else there's a higher chance of failure. We cannot handle that," Anfey said. "If you want to destroy that team, I may have a way. If you want to capture the griffins, you're on your own."

"You really have a way?" Black Eleven's eyes lit up.

"Never know if you don't try it."

Suzanna and Christian pushed open the door. Hagan was following them.

"Stop rushing me. I am doing the best I can," Hagan held up his hands and admitted as soon as he was in the room.

"How many have you made?"

"A dozen."

"How is it? Does it work?"

"What am I suppose to do? Use myself as a lab rat?"

"I'll think of a way. Can you make enough in three days?"

"I can try."

"What are you talking about?" Suzanna asked, confused.

"It's a secret. You find out soon," Anfey said, grinning.

"You're not thinking about using potions against griffins, are you?" Suzanna asked, her tone grave. "It's impossible. I've told you, griffins are practically immune to magic. Not only the major elements, even dark and spirit magic can hardly touch them. Not even poison magic can hurt them."

"Poison isn't that easy to defend, is it?" Anfey said softly. "I heard that Gold Line Snakes are very capable of killing griffins."

"Do you know how many snakes it takes to kill a single griffin? You need at least two hundred snakes for the entire squadron. Where are you going to find all those snakes?" Suzanna shook her head. "How you are going to poison them, anyway? Can you command the snakes? The griffins are very smart creatures. They would take off as soon as they detect danger. What are you going to do then? The snakes cannot fly."

"Suzanna's right. You're not making Hagan brew poison, are you?" Black Eleven asked. He was the one that wanted the griffins team destroyed, but he kept his wits about him. He talked to Anfey about it multiple times because he wanted to hear a complete plan from him.

"No."

"Then what is it?"

"You'll find out."

Suzanna and Christian glanced at each other and shook their heads. Black Eleven frowned. He had just told Anfey about the aerial squad, but Anfey already had Hagan preparing the potion. It meant that even though Anfey had not agreed to attack, he was already preparing for it. This made Black Eleven very happy.

"From what we already know, this city is about to become really chaotic," Anfey said. "We should change our plan and leave as soon as possible."

"We're leaving?" Black Eleven asked.

"Yes. Help us prepare a bit," Anfey said. He glanced at Black Eleven, "Are you coming with us?"

"Of course," Black Eleven said. "Where are we going?"

"Christian and the Band of Brothers mercenary signed a deal. We're going to a town called Moramatch."

"Moramatch?" Black Eleven repeated. He shook his head and said, "You fell right into their trap, Christian."

"What, is the town disturbed?"

"No just disturbed. Very disturbed."

"Tell me more," Anfey said.

"It's hard to explain. I'll tell you more on the way," Black Eleven said as he stood up.

"Alright." Anfey thought about the situation for a few moments. "Everyone think about what you need. If this city fall into chaos, we will have to rely only on ourselves for supplies."

"Leave that to me," Black Eleven said. "I'll make sure everything's taken care of."

Seeing that Black Eleven left the room, Suzanna turned to Anfey and said slowly, "Are we really doing it? Attacking the griffins squad? You don't want to think about it?"

"I promised I will keep everyone away from danger," Anfey said. "Making the plan doesn't necessarily mean executing it. We can try. If anything goes wrong, we will abort the mission."

"Do as you wish," Suzanna shook her head and sighed.

"You don't trust me?"

"Nonsense," Suzanna snapped. "If I didn't trust you, I would not stay here."

"Alright," Anfey said, smiling. "Follow the party. Can't be wrong."

"The party?" Suzanna asked, frowning.