Chapter 135: Weighed Down by the Responsibilities
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
At dawn, as soon as the patrol had opened the gate of White Mountain City, Anfey and his legion walked out in mighty formation. It was not an exaggeration to call it a mighty formation. Black Eleven was pretty influential, because he was able to get over thirty wagons. Alibaba mercenaries were in the front of the wagon route, girls in the middle, while a variety of items were carried in the back. Black Eleven said he would be in charge of getting everything ready for this trip. He did not just say it, he in fact brought everything. In addition to necessities like rice, flour, tables and other furniture, cabins, cloth and other materials, and alcohol, he even brought nails, sewing thread, rope and needles. He brought everything imageable. Black Eleven even had cosmetics for the girls. Anfey wondered if he carried the whole grocery store with him.
There were many attendants for the caravan. Anfey had mentioned to Black Eleven that they needed to figure out how to attack the Griffin Aerial Unit in the shutter ridge. Therefore, Black Eleven brought all the people he could think of and asked them to disguise themselves as the bodyguards of the merchant caravan. They walked on both sides of the caravan to protect them.
They had been travelling south the whole time. They had not run into any trouble yet. They did meet two small bandit groups. When those bandits saw their caravan from a distance stretched so far like a snake, they had backed off. Black Eleven brought over sixty people with him, and all of them were good. He also hired more than a hundred bodyguards. Those two bandit groups were not able to counter the strength of a caravan with such a large number people. Even the larger bandit group with about hundred bandits in it had to think twice before taking any action.
As it was getting dark, the caravan stopped and started to set up their camp. There were so many people working on it that Anfey did not have to do a thing on his own. He leaned back on a rock, zoning out looking at the sky. Suzanna walked to him from the other end of the camp. She took a seat opposite of Anfey. She waited for a while and snorted when she saw that Anfey kept looking at the sky.
"What are you snorting for?" People could not say whatever was on their minds. If Anfey said the same thing when Suzanna had just joined the legion, they might have already started to fight. Of course, Suzanna did not have the same attitude towards Anfey any more. Everybody had already become familiar with each other and been through difficult times together. They were more like brothers and sisters. No one would make a big deal out of jokes.
"I admire you." Suzanna said.
"What do you mean?" Anfey asked.
"Do you know how long I have known Hagan?" Suzanna asked.
"Less than thirty years?" Anfey joked.
"You…" Suzanna did not know whether she should be angry or laugh at his answer. Everyone knew Suzanna was not even twenty years old yet. How could she know someone around thirty years? Suzanna did not want to fight with Anfey. She said, "I have known him for three years. You just met him two months ago, but it seems that you are more important to him than me."
"Why are you saying that?" Anfey asked.
"I was asking him what he was making. He just would not tell me," Suzanna said.
"He just followed the directive. It is nothing to do with whom he is closer to." Anfey smiled. "It looks like Hagan is more mature than I thought."
"Are you proud of it?" Suzanna snorted again. Suzanna typically changed her mind really fast. Since Suzanna met Anfey, her attitude towards Anfey had changed a lot. She was alert from the beginning, then felt relaxed in front of Anfey, then trusted him, now she could even go into a fit of rage in front of him.
"No, no. You do not have to ask him. You can just ask me." Anfey smiled.
"I hate people who pretend to be mysterious in front me." Suzanna's mouth curled down. She had asked Anfey before, but he had always told her that she would understand later. She really hated how Anfey treated her.
"But I just like to act mysterious in front of people." Anfey heaved a sigh. "What a paradox!"
Suzanna felt helpless dealing with someone like Anfey. She should have snorted and left, but she did not. She still sat across from Anfey.
"Feller, can you get me some wine?" Anfey shouted at Feller.
"Sure," Feller answered him from distance. A moment later, Feller walked over with a bottle of wine and two wine glasses. What good service.
Black Eleven was talking with Hagan. One looked sincere, while the other kept shaking his head. After a while, Black Eleven had to stand up. He slowly walked towards Anfey. It was obvious that Suzanna was the first one lost in the conversation; and, well, Black Eleven was the second one.
As Black Eleven passed by Christian, he drew back. He saw Blavi, Riska and Zubin talking about something together, but they kept looking at Anfey. Each of them had a grin on his face. Black Eleven was shocked for a second and realized something. He did not notice it until he saw Christian and others' grins. There was definitely something between Anfey and Suzanna when he looked at them again. Alibaba mercenaries had been trying to leave them alone. They seemed to agree not to bother them, no matter whether Anfey was looking for Suzanna or Suzanna was looking for Anfey.
It is easy to tell from Niya's face because she kept grinning at Anfey and Suzanna in a way that seemed like she had been given hundreds and thousands of gold coins. She held Shally's hand with one hand and the little unicorn with the other hand. If she had let Shally and the little unicorn go, they would have gone to bother Anfey and Suzanna without any doubt. She would have no show to watch if that happened.
Anfey lifted up the glass and poured the wine into it. He took out something Hagan made and carefully dropped one drop in the wine. He passed the glass to Suzanna.
Suzanna looked at Anfey in curiosity, but did not say anything. She took over the glass and raised her head. It looked like she was going to drink to the bottom.
"Hey, hey, hey…" Suzanna did not care, but Anfey could not sit there still. He grabbed Suzanna's arm and took the glass away from her.
"What are you doing?" Suzanna frowned.
"Did you really want to finish it?" Anfey smiled bitterly. No one would eat anything without knowing what it is. It was common sense. Anfey thought Suzanna first would ask what it was so he could bring the topic up. Who would know Suzanna would chug it without even asking.
"Didn't you ask me to have it?" Suzanna felt Anfey was weird.
"Are you going to drink just because I asked you to?" Anfey sighed. "You fool. Would you die if I ask you to?"
Suzanna went quiet for a second. It looked like she actually gave serious thought to his question. She smiled, but without giving him the answer.
Anfey took a close look at the wine in the glass. Luckily he had taken the glass away from her quickly. She only had taken a sip out of it. He heaved a sigh of relief.
"We haven't practiced sword skills for a long time. Anfey, do you want to fight with me?" Suzanna smiled.
"You want to beat my ass, right?" Anfey leered at Suzanna.
Suzanna burst into laughter. "We are just practicing sword skills. Don't tell me you do not dare?"
"I do not dare," Anfey answered firmly.
"You are not a man," Suzanna said.
"Crazy! So I am a man if I allow you beat me?" Anfey said.
"Boring." Suzanna shook her head. If any man had refused to fight with her in the past, Suzanna would look down upon him. She thought a real man could move forward even knowing it was going to be hard, and bravely face the failure. She did not disdain Anfey even when she saw Anfey shamelessly refuse to fight with her or tried really hard but still lost the match when they practiced sword skills together. After having been through so much together, Suzanna had to admit sometimes the power someone possessed was not decisive. The two senior swordsmen in Glory mercenary group were among the best on Pan Continent. They were tricked and killed by Anfey. If it had been her, she would not have thought she could escape it either.
"Boring? You have many ways to be entertained. You do not have to find me every time you are bored." Anfey smiled.
"Who always finds you?" Suzanna blushed a little. Women were usually sensitive. They could easily make things more complicated than they were. " I am going to look for Niya. I am not going to stay bored here with you."
Anfey watched Suzanna running away with a smile. When he looked down, the smile had already gone. He looked a little anxious and sort of touched. He raised the glass and drank the whole glass of special wine. He heaved a slight sigh. "Suzanna, do you trust me to the point that you could do anything I ask you to do?"
Anfey's heart was heavy. He shook his head and forced himself to stop thinking about it. He looked up at the sky again.
Suzanna went to find Niya. Shally and the little unicorn finally had their freedom back. They ran behind each other to Anfey. Shally was a little slow, while the little unicorn already rushed to Anfey with hurricane speed. He whined, with his head pushed onto Anfey's leg. The little guy noticed the wine glass in Anfey's hand. He moved his nose closer to the glass to sniff, and stuck his tongue into the glass to taste it.
Frankly, Anfey did not love animals that much. Neither could he be called "nurturing". He grinned and held a glass of wine to the little unicorn.
The little unicorn stirred the wine with its tongue and then bit the glass to pour the wine into his mouth. The little unicorn put the glass down on the ground with happy barks. If it was other alcohol, the little unicorn might not have liked it. Feller brought wine. This little guy got used to drink fruit juice, and the wine was similar in smell and taste, so he was very tempted to have it.
"Haha, you really can drink." Anfey smiled and poured another glass.
The little unicorn was still an infant, but it seemed that the little guy really liked the wine. Every time Anfey poured a glass of wine, he could finish it without any trouble. The little unicorn made some happy sounds.
"Anfey." Shally came up to Anfey. Shally had been a happy kid, but she seemed different today. She looked at Anfey with worry and anxiety.
Chapter 136: Potential
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Shally, what is it?" Anfey asked, smiling.
"Anfey, I want to as you something. Promise me you won't get mad?" Shally bit her lip and ask timidly.
The little unicorn yelped. Anfey still hadn't given it alcohol, and it was getting impatient.
"Why would I get angry at you?" Anfey replied gently. He poured the unicorn some wine, wondering how a unicorn would act when it was drunk.
"Will you love and cherish and take care of my sister forever?"
"What?" Anfey looked at Shally and could not process what she just said. "Why would you ask something like that?" Since he was distracted, the wine overflowed the cup.
The unicorn jumped up and snatched the bottle from his hands. However, Anfey was focused on Shally and did not bother to stop the unicorn. He soon turned up the bottle and allowed the unicorn to take gulps from it.
"Niya said that you're in love with my sister. That you will marry her." Shally stared at Anfey with her bright, clear eyes. "Anfey, will take care of her forever?"
Anfey smiled, unsure of how to answer the question. If it was another man answering, it might not have been so difficult. He could think about the question from different aspects, like their futures and lives and hopes, and answer properly without hurting anyone's feelings. However, Shally was too young and could not understand anything too deep. All she needed from him was a simply yes or no.
No? He couldn't just say that. That would hurt Suzanna's feelings. Suzanna was one of the best members of his team, and was a great help to him. Without Suzanna, the entire team's strength would decrease. Back in Blackwater City, the situation would have been a lot more difficult if Suzanna was not there. Women tend to be proud, and if he made her feel as if he had hurt her dignity, he might lose a great assistant.
Yes? This answer may be a little…Anfey's mind flashed back to a few moments ago. He remembered seeing Suzanna grinning and accepting the goblet and draining the wine. He felt his heart skipping a beat, and before he could think he said, "Of course."
"Really?" Shally widened her eyes in joy. "Anfey, do you swear on it?"
"Of course I do," Anfey said. He held out his hand and high-fived Shally three times.
"Yes!" Shally jumped up and cheered. She jumped up and ran over to Suzanna, screaming, "Sister! Anfey said he would take care of you and love you for the rest of his life!"
Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and looked over at Anfey. Everyone's expression was a blend of confusion and surprise. Romance wasn't a surprise, it was the people involved that surprised everyone. Anfey was a logical person who did not normally care for other's feelings. It was hard for everyone to understand why a person like that would do something remotely romantic.
Anfey stared at Shally, too stunned to say anything. He was unsure of what he should do. He thought he was just making Shally feel better, but he never imagined Shally would do something like this. He had been through a lot of strange things in his life, but none of them involved women and love. This did not involve love, either, but how would he explain that to the others? Should he explain himself?
Suzanna blushed. "What are you talking about?" she asked.
"Really!" Shally was grinning widely. "He promised me. He would he would take care of you and cherish you."
Suzanna glanced at Anfey, and Anfey glanced at her. Their eyes touched, and then darted away. Suzanna had never been in a relationship before, and it wasn't a surprise for her to do something like that. Anfey, however, had experience with women. This made him look like an inexperienced little boy. Clearly he was having difficulty processing this situation.
"Sister…" Shally clearly did not realize how much of an impact she had just made, and wanted to say something more.
Suzanna, however, felt that she could not stay in the room anymore. She turned and dashed away, disappearing into her carriage.
"What happened to her?" Shally stared after Suzanna's figure, confused. She thought her sister would be happy after hearing about Anfey's vow.
"Good job, Shally." Niya walked over and patted Shally on her shoulder.
"But…"
"Don't worry. She's just shy," Niya said, smirking.
Anfey picked up a broken twig and began drawing on the ground. It looked as if he was trying to figure something out, but in fact he did not know what he was doing and was trying to avoid everyone's eyes.
"Christian, come here," Anfey looked up and called out.
Christian moved over, smiling. He sat down next to Anfey and said, "Didn't know you were this brave."
"You…" Anfey shook his head. "Don't talk about it. It's not what you think."
"You're not saying Shally's lying, are you?" Christian asked, enjoying Anfey's unusual awkwardness.
"There's some serious business we need to attend to. Don't distract me."
"Alright," Christian said, controlling his expression. "What do you want to talk about?" He was grinning widely and was even more annoying to watch than before.
Anfey shook his head and said, "Christian, use Eye of the Sky and take a look at the camp."
Christian nodded. He whispered a spell and summoned Eye of the Sky.
Anfey, however, did not look at the Eye. He glanced at the sky and closed his eyes, as if he was trying to feel something.
"Close it," he said. Christian dropped his hand and all magical surges disappeared.
After a few moments, Anfey opened his eyes slowly and said, "Do that again."
Christian hesitated and looked at Anfey.
"Don't worry, just do as I say."
"Alright." Christian nodded and released the magic again.
After five times, Christian felt a seed of doubt. Could Anfey be tricking him for what he just said?
"Alright." Anfey nodded. "Christian, let's go somewhere else and do that again later."
"What are you trying to do?"
"I'm studying the Eye," Anfey said slowly. "Technically speaking, when the Eye of the Sky is watching a certain area, people in that area could feel its magic surges."
"You can feel it?" Christian asked, surprised.
"Not exactly." Anfey paused before continuing. "It's just a feeling. It's strange. There is a very faint surge, but when I try to feel it, it's gone."
"Are you being serious?" Christian asked nervously.
"I don't have a reason to lie, do I?"
"Anfey, do you know why a strong army tends to need a powerful man to lead it?"
"Because a powerful general can make his men believe in his invincibility. When two armies clash and one side has a powerful general, its soldiers are often fiercer."
"That is part of the reason, but not all of it," Christian said slowly. "Take Ellisen Empire's Dark Moon Magic Legion as an example. Its general is the famous Newyoheim. He is magically superior to most people. However, he is only mediocre when it comes to strategizing. He knows very well, and that is why he hands most of his commanding power off to his deputy general Serigue, who is an excellent general. This is why their legion can win time after time."
"Why is that?"
"What is the most important thing before a battle breaks out? Espionage and counterintelligence." It was a question anyone who had read a book or two could answer.
Christian, however, only looked at him.
"Am I wrong?" Anfey asked.
"No, you're right." Christian nodded. "Eye of the Sky is a very simple magic. Almost every senior mage can use it. It's magical surge is very weak, so normal people cannot detect it. The most powerful men, however, can. People like Newyoheim cannot only detect it, he can find where the mage who is using the magic is located."
"I see what you're talking about," Anfey nodded and replied. "I'm not a powerful person, but I can feel something. Let's go somewhere else and experiment later."
"This i very good news," Christian said with a smile. "Anfey has the potential to be powerful. You may be the first person to learn both magic and Wu. You may be one of the most powerful men ever alive."
"I'm not that ambitious," Anfey said with a grin. "All I want to do is to survive."
Before Christian could say anything, Niya's scream sliced the air. "Anfey, what did you do?!"
Chapter 137: Treating Each Other with Respect
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Anfey turned around to look. He saw the little unicorn walked around with an empty bottle in his mouth. The little unicorn walked sideways, diagonally, backwards, hopping and many other ways, but just not forward. This little guy did have very strong kinetic skills. He wobbled all around, but did not fall.
Niya had already rushed over and held the little guy in her arms. She felt so bad for the little unicorn. She reached out her hand to take the empty bottle away from the little unicorn. She was a senior swordswoman, but she could not even pull the empty bottle out of the unicorn's mouth after two tries. The little unicorn bit the empty bottle so hard that Anfey could even hear some cracking sounds.
Niya suddenly turned around, screaming again in anger and sadness. "Look at you." Niya's temper had gotten a lot better now. Six months ago if someone had fooled around with her pet, she would have pulled out her sword at that person without thinking whether she could beat the person or not.
"Anfey did not do it on purpose. The little unicorn wanted the wine himself," Christian tried to mediate between them. He smiled.
The little unicorn burped loudly from drinking too much. It seemed that the unicorn tried to prove Christian was right. Everybody burst into laughter. What a scene! Many people could not see a real unicorn their whole lives, but they had raised one as a pet and could watch the little unicorn burping from drinking. They definitely could brag about it.
The little unicorn looked around with eyes half closed. Drunk people easily made fools of themselves, and so did the little unicorn. The little guy was looking for Anfey, but it spun around a couple of times in a weird pace, failing to locate Anfey. Anfey actually was only 70 feet away from the little unicorn.
"You deserve it." Niya gave the little unicorn a love tap on its butt. Her anger came and went fast. She had already switched her attention quickly from being angry at it to how to take care of this drunk little guy.
Anfey slowly stood up. "Christian, I will come to see you later."
"Sure," Christian said.
If someone had closely watched Anfey, he would have notice something weird. Compared with the little drunk unicorn, Anfey walked more steadily, but without any directional sense. He first walked towards his wagon, then changed direction on the way. It looked like he was trying to see Feller. He changed direction again before he walked along. This time it looked like he wanted to see Hagan. Half way there, he turned around and walked toward Hui Wei. If there were a spy watching him, he would be so confused by the way he walked. In fact, Anfey himself did not have a clear destination in mind either. He just walked by following his heart. When he finally stopped, he realized he was standing in front of Suzanna's wagon.
They might have to fight together soon, so Anfey felt they needed to talk about the misunderstanding between them. He did not want to see them not being able to team up well because of any misunderstanding.
Anfey found a good excuse to see Suzanna. He lifted the curtain and ducked into the wagon.
Suzanna was surprised to see Anfey, and then she blushed again. It was interesting to see Suzanna blushing again when her previous blush had not disappeared yet.
"Hey, here you are," Suzanna said in low pitch.
"Yeah," Anfey said.
"Would you like some tea?" Suzanna asked.
"No, thanks," Anfey said.
"I heard Niya yelling. What happened?" Suzanna found a topic they could talk about.
"The little unicorn drank too much. She thinks it is my fault," Anfey said.
"You must have given the unicorn the drinks. Am I right?" Suzanna said.
"I only wanted that little guy to taste it, but it finished the whole bottle before I even noticed," Anfey said.
"I cannot believe you are so naughty." Suzanna gave Anfey a smile.
"You are not being fair to me." Anfey smiled bitterly. "We have known each other for a long time. Don't you understand me? I take things seriously."
"Don't be mad at Niya. She's got a temper. She will be fine," Suzanna said.
"I know. I was never mad at her," Anfey said.
Their conversation was stuck. Both of them seemed to have nothing else to talk about, but their brains were racing. They seemed to be stuck in this tense thinking at the same time.
Anfey was thinking how he could explain to Suzanna in a way he was not going to hurt her feelings. His instinct did not allow him to have any connection with women. No matter how others saw Suzanna and him, he would not admit there was anything between them.
Suzanna was trying to read in between Anfey's lines. She thought to herself, "Anfey just emphasized that he takes things seriously. Did he worry that I do not take what Shally said seriously?" Suzanna nervously bit her lip.
No one would know whether Anfey meant it or not. If Suzanna thought so, just let her believe so for now.
"Would you like some tea?" Suzanna asked again. She did not know what else to say. She just could not stand the silence. The quieter it got, the more nervous she felt.
"Ok." Anfey changed his mind to have some.
Suzanna lifted the tea pot up and tested the temperature of the water with her finger. "The water is already cold. I will have Feller warm it up."
"No, it's fine, I will have some water," Anfey said.
Maybe Suzanna unconsciously did not want to ruin the moment. She treasured this moment even though they were both awkward. She did not insist on making the tea. She gently poured a glass of water and passed it to Anfey.
Anfey took the glass and sipped on it. His eyes stared at something for a second. When Suzanna was pouring the water, her skirt rolled up and her long and beautiful lower legs showed. Suzanna was ready to go to bed and had already taken off her boots before Anfey walked in. The silky and milky-white feet showed in front of Anfey. It was common in psychology that old memories were triggered by seeing things that had been seen in the past. Anfey could not help recalling the battle with Suzanna in the water that night.
Suzanna was very sensitive right now. She noticed Anfey was looking at something. She followed his eyes and saw her lower legs showed. She blushed and hurried to pull her skirt down to cover her legs. She even tucked her feet under her skirt.
Anfey felt awkward and moved back a little. He looked around but was just not able to look at Suzanna.
"Anfey pays attention to details and does not show his emotions when he does things. It must have taken him a lot of courage to show his love to me," Suzanna thought to herself. Suzanna was recalling every moment with Anfey. What happened at the pond was a nightmare from the past, but it also made her realize the good sides of Anfey. When Anfey caught her that night, she was taking a bath without any clothes on. Suzanna was confident about her looks and body, but Anfey did not take advantage of her that night. Anfey quietly left the pond when he found out it was just a misunderstanding. If Anfey were bad, she would not be a virgin now.
Since joining Anfey's legion, Suzanna had been under Anfey's supervision. She had developed a habit of listening to and counting on Anfey. Before a woman decided to accept a man as her man, her top criteria would be whether that man was reliable. Suzanna was going far in terms of counting on Anfey. What she did not like about Anfey in the past had changed into things she liked about him. The awkward moments between them seemed to be sweet in their memories.
Suzanna nervously coughed. She thought what she did was too obvious, which probably seemed like a rejection signal to Anfey. Suzanna twisted her body a little bit to allow her lower legs to be shown again. This move was nothing to most girls, but it was all Suzanna could handle. Her heart beat fast. The red color on her cheeks made her more beautiful. Her head leaned on the wagon's wall. She did not dare even to look at Anfey.
In this magic world, there was no saying to describe girls accidentally showing their skin, nor was there a book to teach them how to keep perverts away. Suzanna moved in panic. As a result, she showed more than just her lower legs. From Anfey's angle, he could even see her underwear.
Anfey noticed Suzanna's moves. He understood Suzanna showed her body on purpose. After noticing it, Anfey started to feel nervous, but did show the nervousness on his face. He immediately realized his emotional change. He closed his eyes right away and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, he could see clearly again.
"Anfey, why are you here?" Suzanna asked in a very low pitch.
"Well…" Anfey did not know how to put it. Before he walked to Suzanna's wagon, he did not realize there was anything special between Suzanna and him. He thought Suzanna was a good friend. He thought Suzanna was thinking the same way about him. That was the reason he felt it was necessary to explain to Suzanna about their misunderstanding. However, seeing how Suzanna acted, no matter how stupid Anfey was, he could tell Suzanna liked him.
Suzanna suddenly felt she was a fool. She did not even know how to talk. "If there was nothing related to the legion, was Anfey not supposed to come here to hang out? It was no different than rejecting him," Suzanna thought to herself.
"Actually you can come and talk to me anytime you want. I would like to hang out with you. Seriously," Suzanna said in a low pitch. Shally's little kid's talk had put Suzanna in this awkward position. She felt things moved too fast, and she was not too comfortable with it. However, she never wanted to hurt Anfey's feelings and pride.
"I am glad to hear that too." Anfey smiled. The air was filled with chemistry sparkling between them. They treated each other with respect and courtesy. Anfey never said "thank you" to Suzanna, but he did today. They were so polite to each other.
"Suzanna, can I meditate here for a while? Don't let anyone interrupt me," Anfey suddenly said. He had to meditate right now, otherwise he felt something bad was going to happen. He noticed himself getting panicky.
"Sure." Suzanna was shocked for a second, then she nodded at him.
Chapter 138: Prey in the Trap
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Everyone in the caravan woke up before dawn. Usually, the caravan would wait until daytime before departing. However, on this day, they appeared to be busy in the dark about something. What was even more peculiar was that the caravan did not leave until it was almost noon.
Other people were not uninformed, but those employed by the caravan knew very well what they were doing. The two dozen guards dug a hole in the middle of the camp ground, and buried a heavy chest in it. Then they did their best to return the patch of ground to normal. Then Christian used magic to move a large boulder to cover the place where the chest was buried as a marker.
The carriages left. The bugs resumed their business. If anyone else passed this area, they would not be able to tell there was a secret under the boulder.
There was a saying. In the beginning, there was no road. Roads were created because so many people chose the same path. Another saying says that there were roads, but the roads all disappeared because too many people had used them.
However, the two sayings were not referring to the same road. After the carriages left, another team appeared. This team was significantly smaller, consisting of only a dozen members. As they approached the campsite of the previous team, they left the road and headed straight for the boulder.
A thin mage jumped off of his horse and circled the boulder a few times. He whispered a spell and the boulder floated into the air and landed nearby.
"This is the place," the mage said.
"What were they doing?" The leader was a swordmaster around fifty. He frowned and stared at the spot, thinking. "Check their location again," he ordered.
"Yes, my lord." The mage whispered a few spells, and a ball of mist appeared in his hands. The ball slowly cleared up, and a long line of carriages appeared in the ball.
"My lord, we should dig here first and find out what they were hiding." Another mage walked up to the swordsmaster and said.
"I don't want to disturb them. Wait until people from our leader arrives," the swordmaster said.
"My lord, they won't discover us," the mage informed him. "They only have a junior magister. They cannot reach back this far with Eye of the Sky."
"He is right, my lord," another mage said.
"Alright," the swordsmaster agreed. "Go and dig this thing up."
Although this was a small team, everyone on the team was very obedient. As soon as the leader issued an order, a few swordsmen jumped off their horses and began digging.
After a few moments, a chest appeared. A mage walked into the hole slowly, and everyone jumped off their hoses. Everyone was curious what this chest contained.
The mage closed his eyes and probed the chest. When he found nothing to raise alarm, he reached over and opened the chest carefully. The others peered over the edge of the hole to catch a glimpse of what was in the chest.
As the mage opened the chest, he felt a sudden surge of chaotic element. His eyes widened and he screamed, "Run! It's a magic array of chaos…"
A flash of white light appeared from the chest, and the subsequent explosion shook the entire forest. The explosion caused thick debris and threw those that stood too close to the chest through the air. The ground shook violently under the impact.
After a few moments, the world returned to a more peaceful state. The swordsman spat out a mouthful of blood and pushed himself up from the ground. Even though the explosion was unexpected, he was able to protect himself with his combat power. However, that was not enough. He was pushed away from the campsite and was wounded.
He glanced at the campsite and saw that the chest was gone and the site had become a small crater. All over the crater were broken limbs and a few bodies. The swordmaster was enraged by his companion's pointless deaths. They thought the chest would hide a secret, but never imagined it would contain a trap.
Three other men pushed themselves off the ground, staring at their surroundings blankly. The explosion happened too fast for their brains to process what had just happened.
"It was a magic array of chaos," the swordmaster said with shaking voice. The magic array was actually a very useless form of magic array, but it could use up magic crystals very fast. Other kinds of magic array used power of the magic crystals slowly, and would not run out of power unless either the crystals were depleted or the array was destroyed. The magic array of chaos could use up a crystal's power in an instant. Of course, it wasn't the biggest flaw of this form of array. Elements were natural and balanced, but chaos array disrupts this balance. This was against the nature of elements. After the magic array was formed, the elements would try to return to their natural state. Judging by the power of this array, if they opened it after noontime, the explosion would be nothing but a gust of breeze.
The existence of this array meant that Anfey and his companions knew people were on their trail, and knew that whoever was following them would try to dig the chest up as soon as possible.
The swordmaster felt frustrated and defeated. He did not know where they had made the mistake of exposing themselves. This was too great a loss for the organization to let him off the hook easily.
"My lord!" One of the swordsman called, pointed to the body of a mage.
The swordmaster glanced at the body and found an arrow sticking out of the mage's throat, and the mage had his hands wrapped tightly around the shaft. Clearly what happened to him wasn't the explosion but the arrow.
The swordmaster realized that there were enemies present. He drew his longsword. A flash of bright light spliced a bush fifty feet to his left. It was the proof that there was a magical wall there. Then, a figure coated in bright white combat power appeared and dashed in his direction.
The swordmaster waved his hand, and his three remaining men gathered around him. He estimated his opponent's power, and felt slightly more reassured. He stared ahead coldly.
Suzanna was used to being the first to attack. However, this time she did not strike. She stopped in front of her opponent and stared at them with cold eyes. Every time she used her combat power, her gentleness disappeared. Instead, she would be as cold as her sword. This was an understandable change, not everyone was like this. People like Ernest could still smile after using his combat power, but Suzanna would turn into someone who did not know what smiling was.
Anfey and Black Eleven were much slower than Suzanna. They walked over and stood by her, observing their enemies.
"You're Anfey?" The swordmaster smiled and asked. "You should reveal yourselves quicker. Thank you for giving me a chance."
He didn't want to hide anymore. Anfey had planted a magic array of chaos, meaning he knew what their intentions were. He needed to capture the man alive to redeem himself. It was the only way he could make it out of this situation alive.
"There was never a chance for you," Anfey said slowly. "I didn't kill you because I need you to answer some questions."
"Don't ask me." The swordmaster said and waved his longsword. The light of his combat power suddenly became blinding. It was almost as bright as Suzanna's, if not more. He was indeed a powerful man, and that was why he sought a battle first.
"You're too hasty," Anfey said. "Are you not interested in us? How about we make a deal? We each ask one question. If you can work with us, then we can answer more questions. How about you go first?"
The swordmaster hesitated. Then he asked slowly, "Who are you? Where did you come from?" These two things were something his organization could never answer. No matter how much they researched, Anfey's past was a mystery to them. The first time he appeared in the world was with Saul, but the organization had no need for that part of his past. They needed to know where he came from, and where he learned his strange but powerful fighting skills.
"That's two questions."
"Who was your teacher before Saul?" Both Black Eleven and Suzanna turned and looked at Anfey. They were curious about it, as well.
"Archmage Yagor."
"You lie," the swordmaster said coldly. "He was an archmage. He wouldn't teach you how to fight."
"I never said he taught me how to fight," Anfey said. "An old man in my village taught me those skills. Now, my turn. Who are you?"
"We're from the Evil Mist," the swordmaster said. He already had it all planned out. If he could capture Anfey, then the secret would not get out. If Anfey killed him, the organization couldn't punish a dead man, and so he was very honest. "How did you know we were following you?"
"Sorry. I only need an answer from you."
Chapter 139: A Tough Opponent
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Before Anfey finished talking, Suzanna had already shot herself out to lead the swordsmen. The radiance of Suzanna's sword was threatening.
The other senior swordsmaster did not move at all. The two swordsmen to his sides went forward to counter Suzanna. One of them looked like he did not see the sword radiance from Suzanna's sword. He thrust his sword at Suzanna like he did not care whether he would die from this attack. The other swordsman thrashed at Suzanna's midsection from the side.
Suzanna had a higher level than these two swordsmen, but not much higher. No matter whether it was with the sword broadside or blade, they both could hurt her. Suzanna pulled her sword back to block the sword thrusting at her. That intermediate swordsman almost dropped the sword. He tried really hard to hold the sword shaft steady with his arm raised high, which is a good angle to attack from.
Suzanna had no time to take advantage of this opportunity to attack the intermediate swordsman. She thrust her sword at the other intermediate swordsman's neck as she moved one step sideways to avoid his attack.
The sword had a radius of more than 3 feet. Even if she had not moved sideways, her sword radiance could have killed him anyway. Suzanna was young but she was very experienced in fighting. It was a correct move to pull away from him. By doing so, she gave herself plenty of time to make another attack, no matter how the swordsman attacked her next.
That intermediate swordsman suddenly sped up. He looked like he was running onto Suzanna's sword radiance. His sword had sword radiance as well. He thrust at Suzanna's midsection again.
The third intermediate swordsman was running towards Black Eleven. They had very similar fighting abilities, even though Black Eleven was slightly better. This intermediate swordsman was just as the other two. Every attacking move looked suicidal, which forced Black Eleven into a disadvantageous position.
The senior swordsmaster yelled and jumped into the air. His body left an arc trace in the air because of his fast speed as he threw himself at Anfey. It looked like he did not even want to survive this attack. In general, only when two parties' abilities were vastly different or they fought for life would they use the strategy of attacking opponents from the air. If his ability was not as good as the other one, this attack would have been suicide. If a swordsman jumped in the air, he would lose the dodging ability and could barely defend himself. He was allowing others to trample him. Of course, if his ability was far better than his opponent or he did not even think of dodging or defending, that suicidal attack could win him the advantage and allow him to continue his offensive attacks.
Anfey moved back as fast as he could, as coldness showed in his eyes. Today he was quite different than usual. He chose to counter the attack just to see how good that swordsman was.
Although they had just met and talked very little before they started their fight, Anfey had sufficient information to know this swordsman was a tough opponent.
Anfey took advantage of Magic Array of Chaos and killed most of the enemies. Most people would become crazy or depressed after suffering such a defeat. However, the four people left in the battle were very calm. They did not do anything extra. They were neither scared nor panicking.
By exchanging secrets, Anfey wanted to double check who they were, on the one hand, and provide them an opportunity to see if they could grab it, on the other. The explosion from the Magic Array of Chaos was very intense. Those four people were too close to the explosion. They were all hurt to some degree. Wounded people needed some time to allow themselves to adjust before they could get back to the fight again. They did grab the opportunity. They wanted to talk to Anfey even as their colleagues' bodies were everywhere, which proved they were capable of adjusting their emotions.
The fight at the end was well organized. There was a story about horse racing Anfey heard when he was little. The person in the story won the horse race by strategically matching the worst horse with the best one of the opponent, the intermediate one with the worst one of the opponent, and the best one with the intermediate one. This was the strategy they applied as well. They have two intermediate swordsmen attacking Suzanna, the other intermediate swordsman fighting with Black Eleven, while the main force attacked Anfey. They definitely thought Anfey was their break through. This was the only correct strategy they used.
Anfey felt upset after seeing how these four guys fought. He could tell how powerful Evil Mist was. One guy moved back fast and another rushed forward. The knees were bent forward, so moving forward was a lot faster than moving back. When the senior swordsmaster landed on the ground, he was less than 17 feet away from Anfey. The sword in his hand pointed diagonally downwards. A crescent shaped sword radiance swept at Anfey's shoulders.
Anfey suddenly switched direction as fast as a ghost. After barely dodging the sword radiance, Anfey moved back again.
The senior swordsmaster went after Anfey after getting the upper hand. He thrust the sword at Anfey's forehead with a step forward. Before the sword blade got close to Anfey, the sword radiance had already reached him.
Countless fireballs appeared around Anfey at the same time. They were side by side and layer by layer. Anfey was submerged in fireballs in the blink of an eye. The senior swordsmaster paused for a second. On Anfey's profile, it never showed Anfey was a Magic-Combat discipliner. The fireballs were not big, but there were many. Intelligent life had been cautious when they saw any unknowns. Without testing, the swordsman was not sure whether those fireballs would be able to hurt him.
The countless fire balls suddenly disappeared, just as bizarre as they suddenly showed up. Suddenly a flaming sword appeared in Anfey's right hand, a gigantic flaming shield on his left arm. As the swordsman was startled for a second, Anfey swung the sword upwards to block the sword from the senior swordsmaster, and then he moved back a step. The flaming sword created a flaming wall in the sky as it moved toward the senior swordsmaster's neck. It appeared that, Anfey had better momentum than the senior swordsmaster.
The pupils of the senior swordsmaster contracted. Anfey did not fit the profile he had. Anfey should not have such powerful combat power. If he knew about this, he would never have thought Anfey was his break through. He would rather have attacked the guy who wore a facial mask even during the day. As things had already proceeded in this way, he was not able to change anything. That swordsman suddenly screamed in anger, and pulled back the sword a little bit before he thrust the sword forward with full speed. The sword radiance was so bright that people could not directly look at it.
The sword was the key of this attack. He knew he could not fight with Anfey for long. His two companions were no match for that girl, so he had to beat Anfey before the two intermediate swordsmen finished their fight with Suzanna. He attacked with full strength without caring about his wound. He almost reached the limit his body could handle.
As the sword hit the flaming sword, the senior swordsmaster's body only moved a bit, while Anfey felt unbearable pain in his arm. Anfey lost control of the flaming sword. It moved to the right, and a lot of its flame went away as well. However, the elements did not disappear totally. They still kept the shape of a sword.
The senior swordsmaster would not let any opportunity go, so he took the opportunity and kicked at Anfey's chest. In this magic world, there was no leg technique for fighting. As the name suggested, leg techniques were a system of fighting skills using leg movements. The ones without leg techniques could still kick others, but with strong body and combat power, a kick could be more lethal.
The senior swordsmaster attacked quickly. Anfey's speed was not slow either, and did not seem to be affected by his wounds. At the very moment, the gigantic flaming shield on his left arm shielded his front. With a huge explosion, the senior swordsmaster had to move back 18 feet and stopped. Anfey was no better than him. Anfey was moved back almost twice as far as the swordsman. He accidentally fell into a big puddle created by the explosion from the magic array.
The senior swordsmaster was so happy to see Anfey fall. He immediately ran to the big puddle in one big stride. He looked down at the puddle, but he was shocked by what he saw.
The fire elements Anfey used in the fight disappeared in the blink of eye. They turned into intense surges of gas elements. Countless wind blades were floating above Anfey. They looked like groups of swimming fish. They were close, and swam in all directions with a strange pace. Between the wind blades, the senior swordsmaster could see Anfey's eyes shine with coldness.
The senior swordsmaster could not help taking a deep breath. Anfey's hands and feet did not move a bit, but he was able to stand up and then rose in the air. Countless wind blades were moving around him, protecting and holding him. It was not levitation magic. The magic Anfy performed was self-created.
The senior swordsmaster did not understand how Anfey could rise in the air. Worried, he secretly glanced back. That girl obviously had started to get familiar with the pace of their suicidal attacks. It would not be long before she would end the fight with the two intermediate swordsmen. He took another deep breath and decided to attack Anfey with the sword radiance, but Anfey had already landed on the other side of that big puddle.
"You are a lot stronger than me," Anfey said slowly.
The senior swordsmaster snorted. If Anfey wanted to bulls*%t before the fight had started, he would have loved to bulls*%t with him, but he did not dare to waste any time now. He swung his sword hard and a shining sword radiance showed up. He jumped into the air and threw himself from the air towards Anfey.
The crescent-shaped sword radiance left a series of mirror-like traces in the sky. The sword radiance swept 40 feet through the sky in the blink of an eye and reached Anfey. The senior swordsmaster jumped into the sky and left a trace of an arc. He rushed to Anfey from the sky. He had already used up his strength. He had been hurt, and used all of his remaining strength to try to beat Anfey as fast as he could. His body had already gotten really weak. If he continued to fight like this, even if his companions could get even in the fight with the girl, it would not help because he had lost all his fighting ability.
Being tough on himself was crueler than being tough on others. The senior swordsmaster grinned as he swung his sword. Two crossed sword radiances came together in the sky, but his combat power seemed to get weaker.
Chapter 140: Worries
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Anfey remained still, and the wind blades rearranged themselves together. The blades wove together tightly and formed a large, circular formation, then began to spin. It was very fast. The edge of the formation was blurred and it made a high pitched screech.
The swordsmaster saw that Anfey had disappeared and a strange swirl appeared. He was shocked. However, he knew that he did not have another choice, because he heard his companions dying. He had to keeping going because it was his last chance.
Three sword radiances hit the swirl, but all three were swallowed by the blades. The swordsmaster couldn't tell how many of the blades he actually destroyed. It didn't matter. Compared to how many blades were there, the amount he destroyed was still too little. The swirl was not at all affected.
Anfey smiled and waved his right hand. The swirl, as if controlled by an unseen force, gathered and flew to his hand. It became a long spear. Anfey couldn't use intermediate magic, but he was very good at controlling the elements. The formation of the elements were very tight, the spear shone as if it was a real weapon, especially the tip. It shone coldly, and the swordsmaster felt cold just looking at it.
Anfey held the spear in one hand and thrust it forward, aiming at the swordsmaster's head.
The swordsmaster shouted angrily and summoned all of his combat power. He waved his sword and hit the spear's shaft. He was confident that his blow could shatter the weapon made out of elements. Even though he had never seen the strange weapon, he was sure it would be as vulnerable as the others he had seen before.
Something strange happened. The swordsmaster used all of his might, but Anfey had used a lot of strength as well. As the two weapons clashed, the swordsmaster felt his arm going numb. His sword bounced away from the spear as if it had hit a spring. The spear bounced the other way, and the spear bent under the impact. The elements were still woven together after the blow. The strength of this weapon and the person who summoned it was evident. This was important news for the organization, but first he needed to survive this fight. A dead man cannot relay information.
Anfey's eyes flashed. He kicked on the spear, which caused the spear to travel upwards. At the same time, his right hand reached forward. When the spear straightened itself, the tip was only a foot away from the swordsmaster's face.
The swordsmaster had never seen anyone fight like this. At the last minute, he raised his sword and blocked the attack. However, this time his defense was significantly weaker. The spear made a curve and hit the swordsmaster's chest.
The swordsmaster's chest rippled. It was the reaction from his combat power. The spear left a visible wound on his chest. The man flew back.
Anfey jumped up into the air and chased after the man. The spear in his hand flashed and struck the swordsmaster. The man had just taken a hit, and had not recovered enough to block this next hit. The only thing he could do was to summon his combat power. All three blows landed where Anfey wanted them to land. The man was falling faster, and the light of his combat power dimmed.
The swordsmaster rolled on the ground. Anfey had already landed when he jumped up. Anfey held the spear in both hands and thrust out towards the swordsmaster's head. Spears were originally his weapon of choice, but here in this world he had not found a place to use it. Until today.
The swordsmaster was like prey in a trap. He tried to block the spear, but Anfey changed his way of attack. The spear changed its direction and struck down instead of up. The tip of the spear struck the swordsmaster's calf. Even someone like Ernest could not defeat Anfey with a spear, let alone a swordsmaster.
The swordsmaster screamed in agony and tried to grab the spear. The way of the spear was to strike continuously. As soon as the enemy was wounded, every strike could be a lethal blow. Trying to grab the spear was human instinct, but it was a mistake.
Anfey pushed with his left hand and pulled with his right, and the spear was jerked to the right. The tip was still in the swordsmaster's calf. The man screamed again as his leg was pulled away from under him. A chunk of skin was ripped off by the spear.
Anfey then pulled right with his left hand and pushed left with his right hand. The spear returned and hit the swordsmaster again.
The swordsmaster was wounded, but he could still react. He lowered his head to duck from this lethal blow.
Anfey did not wait for him to recover. His left hand flew back and the spear flew back like a snake. Then he step forward with his right foot, and the spear flew forward. It struck the swordsmaster's chest.
The swordsmaster tried to block the spear with his sword. He was wounded and his combat power was almost gone. Now he was very slow. When his sword was a hair away from hitting the spear, the spear glided past the sword and hit his chest.
The swordsmaster reached over and grabbed the spear. He stared at Anfey with bloodshot eyes.
Anfey smiled. He pressed down with his left hand and threw the swordsmaster into the air.
The swordsmaster couldn't hold onto the spear no longer. He began tumbling through the air, his blood spraying down. Before he hit the ground, he felt cold and then pain in his back. The spear had pierced his back.
Anfey had no mercy. When the spear entered the man's body, his hands were relaxed. He didn't fight against the gravity and let the spear glide forward. Then he took a step back and brought his hands back. When the man was almost on the ground, he stepped and thrusted forward.
The spear pierced the swordsmaster's body and killed him.
The swordsmaster fell to the ground. Anfey let go of the spear. The wind elements dispersed quickly. If anyone found this body, it would be very hard to identify the murder weapon.
Anfey turned around. Suzanna was almost done with her fight. She had already taken care of one of the men. The other blocked a few of her blows but couldn't hold against her. The swordsmaster fighting with Black Eleven wanted to run, but his route was cut off by Suzanna and Black Eleven.
Perhaps because he did not do well today and was troubled by someone who was less powerful, Black Eleven seemed defeated. He checked the swordsmaster's body and walked over to join Anfey.
"You took a huge risk today," Black Eleven said.
"Well, at least now I know how dangerous Evil Mist really is," Anfey shrugged and replied.
"I've told you before…"
"Listening and experiencing are two very different things," Anfey interrupted. Why were they following him? Was it because he had killed Black Ghost? Anfey felt that there was something not quite right. There should be another reason for this.
"Thank god we took care of their mages first," Black Eleven said. "If there had been a necromancer, then we would be the ones on the ground now." He was in fact very troubled. His sense of order told him to tell Anfey to be cautious and tell him everything. He did not realize Evil Mist would be so interested in Anfey and send out their best men. A senior swordsmaster was rare even in White Mountain City.
"I'm curious. They are indeed very powerful. If they had just fought us, we would definitely have lost. Why are they following us? If it wasn't for the faint surges I felt, no one would have realized they were there." Anfey frowned. If there were a necromancer among the mages, combined with the other mages, why would they follow him in secret?
"You're saying they have backup?" Black Eleven's face paled. Normally he wasn't afraid of Evil Mist. If he couldn't fight them, he could run and hide. However, now he needed to destroy Shansa Empire's aerial squad. He didn't have time to be dealing with Evil Mist right now.
"Do they know we are going to Moramatch?" Anfey asked.
"How am I supposed know?" Black Eleven replied.
Chapter 141: Irreversible Changes
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Anfey, Suzanna and Black Eleven stood side by side with a lush valley in front of them. They watched the camp in the distance and lost themselves in thought. In the past few days, they had not gone back to the wagon route. Instead, they stayed behind to look for the trace of their enemies. It had been five days, but they had not found anything yet.
Time did not allow them to look for enemies anymore. Black Eleven received new information. Maybe it was because the commander of Roaring Dead Legion did not know Yolanthe had not died yet. He acted very cautiously. He was different than those war maniacs. He did not attack the Shansa Empire military. Instead, he led the Roaring Dead Legion in a quiet retreat to the Maho Empire. Even though he tried to keep his moves secret, they were noticed. After this message was spread, Maho Empire was shocked. The upper classes in Ellisen Empire and Shansa Empire got into a long and intense disagreement over it.
When things had already gone so far, everyone knew the intention of Baery. Yolanthe had died so Roaring Dead Legion became Baery's legion. He could use Roaring Dead Legion as a bargaining chip. No matter which prince he would support, he would play an important role. The three princesses of Maho Empire who hid themselves in their own fiefdoms should be counted out. The eldest prince, Webster, only had Miorich on his side. Compared with Granden, who had control over the North Line military, Miorich seemed to be a lot weaker. If Webster could get Baery's support, he could be on par with Granden. On the other hand, if Granden had Baery's support, Webster had better choose to give up his power and leave Sacred City, or flee to another county, or hide in remote areas to survive.
The upper classes in Ellisen Empire and Shansa Empre were quite happy. They understood Baery's situation. It was all because Yolanthe died at a wrong time.
Royalty had absolute control over militaries, whether or not Yolanthe had died. If there were anyone who could legally succeed to the throne after Yolanhe in Maho Empire, Baery would not be able to have total control over Roaring Dead Legion. In other words, the upper classes in Ellisen Empire and Shansa Empre had predicted they were going to have a perfect opportunity to attack Maho Empire: not only because of the death of Yolanthe, but also because the situation in Maho Empire was turbulent and showed many conflicts inside.
In this situation, Newyoheim and Jerrofick in Ellisen Empire finally became allies. They lead Dark Moon Magic Legion and Storm Legion and launched a fierce attack. They had fought with all kinds of temptation before because they did not know what Roaring Dead Legion would do to them. For exactly the same reason, Yolanthe had been cautious of making moves on Dark Moon Magic Legion. The upper class in Ellisen Empire was also careful about Roaring Dead Legion. Maho Empire had played their last card. Therefore, there was nothing to hold them back. They would not wait to attack, in case Maho Empire got stronger.
Shansa Empire stopped worrying and reduced the number of their soldiers at other areas to allow their main force to attack Blackania City. Blackania City had already been in danger. Webster was in charge of the Sacred City military for the time being. When he saw this situation, he had to put aside what was between the brothers and ask Miorich to lead Sacred City Palace bodyguards to the aid of Blackania City.
Maho Empire still had a very strong military power, but the upper classes in Ellisen Empire and Shansa Empire both felt relieved. Roaring Dead Legion was the last card that Maho Empire could play. When they had to use Sacred City Palace bodyguards as military, it only proved that Maho Empire had come to a point that they had nothing else left to defend themselves. It also proved Baery's indecisive attitude. If he had put the country as his priority, he would not just stand and see Webster using Sacred City Palace bodyguards as military.
The eldest prince, Webster used Sacred City Palace bodyguards as a signal to tell other countries that he was ready for the fight more than he was fighting for his country. It was harsh to make this judgement, but the fact was obviously showing though.
The situation was clear to everyone. If Webster wanted to help Blackania City, he had to cut off the supplies from Shansa Empire. First, though, he had to wipe out Griffin Aerial Unit to cut off the supplies from Shansa Empire. Black Eleven was worried. Anfey, Suzanna and Black Eleven decided to stop looking for Evil Mist out of concern for time.
Hengduan Mountain Range appeared straight ahead them. The Hengduan Valley was nestled in the hills. To the left, towards the southeast, was the Town of Moramatch. To the right, towards the southwest, was the Forest of Death. The wagon route had reached this crossing, which led to three different areas.
Anfey understood why Black Eleven looked so weird after he heard the name of Moramatch. Moramatch was not a deserted area. It was said that there were many intelligent beings living there. The reason to call them intelligent beings was there were all kinds of tribes, but no human beings.
Suzanna had foreseen that Christian would lose a lot of money on the deal. She predicted that they would not be able to collect more than one hundred gold coins in taxes. The reality was Suzanna was even too optimistic about it. They would not even collect one gold coin. The intelligent beings did not want to follow human beings' lead. The Band of Brothers mercenary groups had sent mercenaries to put down the uprising several times, but the dwarves and gnomes had allied and worked together, overcoming their race problem. They dug underground tunnels in Moramatch. There were many connected tunnels, which looked like a spider web. When mercenaries came, they would hide in the underground tunnels and looked for opportunity to attack human beings in surprise. When mercenaries left, they would come out from the underground tunnel to enjoy their peaceful life. They simply played guerrilla.
Of course, human beings were still dominant on Pan Continent. The reason those intelligent lives were safe in Moramatch was they were useless. If they were protecting a treasure left by a gigantic dragon, the mercenaries would rush to Moramatch and crush them like bugs. Even if they could dig ten or a hundred times more underground tunnels, they could not escape from human beings' hunting.
If Chuang Tzu were here, he would brag about his philosophy and stress the universal truth about "the use of useless".
"Anfey, are we going to the Hengduan Mountain Range or Town of Moramatch?" Black Eleven asked in a low voice.
"Let's go to Moramatch first. We will decide after your people bring us more updates," Anfey said.
"Ok." Black Eleven nodded. "But we'd better get ready for battles, since it was not that easy to enter the town of Moramatch."
"It gives me a headache." Anfey heaved a slight sigh. "It's better not have any blood in any battle."
"No blood? It does not sound like you." Black Eleven smiled.
"If there is any way we could have them gather in the town to welcome us, I do not mind even using a Flash Series Scroll." Anfey gave a weak smile. "I am just concerned they would cause trouble for us after any bloody fight."
"Flash Series Scroll is very precious." Black Eleven smiled bitterly. He found he had lived like a kid compared with Anfey. "Don't waste it. Are the scrolls you have collected by Master Saul? You are so…"
"Do we have any other ways to avoid the bloody fights?" Anfey asked slowly. "They could not feed themselves, could they? They need to purchase many of life's necessities outside of Moramatch. Can we do any business with them?" Anfey asked.
"They are hostile towards human beings, so they are very cautious when they deal with humans. They were slaves or entertainment for humans before. They risked their lives to flee here." Black Eleven shook his head. "They only do business with certain merchant caravans and merchants."
"We can give them a lower price. It should be attempting to them," Anfey said.
"It was not tempting enough." Black Eleven smiled. "If they rob us, they would not need to pay even a bronze coin."
"F*ck!" Anfey could not help cursing. "Do they dare?"
"They have done it many times to others," Black Eleven answered.
"What if we use Earthquake Magic? Could we destruct their underground tunnels?" Anfey started to look for alternatives to fight these intellectual beings.
"No, the tunnels dwarves dug were several miles or even more than ten miles deep underground. Unless it was Earth Series Magic, others would not be too helpful," Black Eleven said.
"What if we use Water Series Magic? If we flood their tunnel, would they drown?" Anfey asked.
"Underground tunnels are like cities for dwarves and gnomes. They connect the tunnels with the rivers. It is not possible to drown them. In addition, we do not have enough mages to gather that many water elements."
"Never mind then. We will know when the time comes." Anfey shook his head. "I will give them an olive branch and have them choose their own fate."
"What is an olive branch?" Suzanna asked in low pitch.
"It's a symbol for peace." Anfey smiled. "Ok. Let's go."
In the camp, Christian was instructing others how to build tents. Seeing Anfey finally show up, he looked happy. Everyone else seemed to feel relieved as well. They knew they were being stalked. Christian did not try to hide it from them. Seeing Anfey, Suzanna and Black Eleven back, it meant the enemies were taken care of.
Girls were stilling chatting and singing. Some were fooling around, some were helping with chores. The saying "ignorance is bliss" made some sense. Even if the sky had fallen, the bigger and stronger men had to hold it for others. The girls had been care free.
"Christian, you must have been really busy when I was not here," Anfey looked around the camp as he commented.
Christian was shocked for a second before he heaved a long sigh. "Come on, Anfey, You never took care of these things even when you were in the camp. I have been doing it no matter whether you are here or not. There is no difference with or without you."
"You are too honest." Anfey gave Christian a smile. It was generally hard for people to notice any changes in themselves, and Anfey was no different. He did not realize he was getting more outgoing.
"You are so boring." Christian rolled his eyes at Anfey and then he looked concerned. "Did you get hurt? Is everything ok?"
"Yes, Anfey killed a senior swordsman by himself." Suzanna was bragging about Anfey's success. She looked happier than if she could kill a senior swordsman herself.
"Really?" Christian was startled.
Chapter 142: Instincts
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"I actually had a lot of advantages. I'm really not as powerful as he," Anfey said.
"But you already know levitation," Suzanna countered.
"That's good news." Christian grinned. "I don't have to carry you anymore. Truth be told, Anfey, you're quite heavy."
Anfey turned and looked at Suzanna. It was evident from her expression that she was very happy for his growth. Even though it had been a few days already, Suzanna couldn't help but smile whenever she recalled it.
Women were much more sensitive than men, especially when it came to love. Suzanna knew very well what her heart desired. After the incident with Shally, Suzanna felt she didn't need to hide anymore. After the initial awkwardness, she chose to be more open about her feelings. This was why she had been talking about Anfey a lot lately.
Sensing his gaze, Suzanna turned to look at Anfey. When their eyes met, she quickly turned her gaze away.
"Where's Hui Wei?" Anfey asked.
"Over there." Christian pointed the young man out for Anfey. "Do you need to talk to him?"
"He had dealings with some of the weaker species before. I need to ask him something."
"Is it about Moramatch?" Christian asked.
"It is," Anfey said.
"It's really my fault," Christian said. He shook his head. "I should have been smart and rented that Zambia village."
Zambia was a jungle town in the middle of Transverse Mountains. It was the last large supply town on the way to Shansa Empire. It was a large town with mostly humans. It covered a lot of territory and was fairly prosperous. Plus, it was in the middle of the Transverse Mountains, which would make it easier for them to execute their plans.
"Thank god you didn't rent that town," Black Eleven said. "It's under the control of Shansa Empire. It is a major city in Transverse Mountains. They would never ignore it."
"Do you have anything from Band of Brother mercenary?"
"Not yet."
"Shouldn't we be trying to create some chaos?" Christian asked, frowning.
"Definitely. We cannot disrupt Shansa Empire's supply lines all by ourselves. We need other mercenaries to help us." Anfey smiled. "I'm going to look for Hui Wei. Suzanna, why don't you get some rest?"
After the few days away from his friends, Anfey had some new understanding of magic. He would try to meditate as often as he could, so keeping nightly vigils became Suzanna's and Black Eleven's job. During the day they had travel. The two of them were often extremely tired because of this lack of sleep. Anfey still hadn't expressed anything, or promised anything to Suzanna. He wasn't even sure of their relationship himself. However, he saw everything and remembered everything. Silence was just the way he was. He would still care for her when the time was right.
"I'm not tired," Suzanna said. She didn't want to act clingy. She was worried that some people wouldn't just let her rest. Like Niya, who would always be asking her strange questions.
Anfey glanced at Suzanna. He misunderstood her intentions, for once. All men, more or less, had big egos. When a girl like Suzanna falls in love with a man, he would try to stay with her to prove to her his masculinity.
Hui Wei was talking with Vonmerge. Seeing Anfey, the two of them stood up to greet him. Hui Wei was calm, but Vonmerge's expression was hard to read. He glanced at Suzanna, and his eyes dropped to the ground silently. He wanted to keep himself away from the spotlight. He didn't need sympathy or jabs. Both would hurt his pride.
However, Vonmerge was a happy person who liked talking to people. He was well traveled, so the job of dealing with strangers fell to Vonmerge. A talkative person suddenly keeping to himself was a sign that something was wrong.
Suzanna hadn't realized Vonmerge was there. She stopped and looked worried. One was her old friend, her companion, who had pursued her relentlessly. The other was her lover, her leader. She was worried that there would be conflicts over the matter. She would be upset no matter what happened.
Anfey felt that Suzanna and Vonmerge were acting strange. He frowned, then remembered Vonmerge once was pursuing Suzanna. It was common for hatred to replace love. If Vonmerge were to overthink the situation, he could potentially do things that were harmful to the team. However, Anfey couldn't do anything. He needed to wait for Vonmerge to make his own decision. For a victor, anything he did could be mistaken as showing off.
Killing him? The idea entered his mind. It wasn't his fault for having such an idea. For an assassin, his first reaction to any potential danger was whether the situation could be resolved with violence or not. The other choice would be to distance himself. Only fools and warriors danced with the devil. Never assassins.
"Vonmerge," Anfey said. "I didn't know you were here. I need to ask you something." He tried to keep his tone as natural as possible.
"What is it?" Hui Wei asked slowly.
"Do you know where we're going?"
Hui Wei and Vonmerge glanced at each other and both shook their heads.
"We're going to Moramatch," Anfey said. "Christian rented the place, and that will be our base from now on."
"Moramatch? Why are we going there?" The two asked at the same time.
"I know how chaotic the place is, but that is a good thing. If we can settle down there, no one could challenge our leadership for a long time." Anfey wasn't joking. Every sentient race had its own skills to protect itself. If they could be recognized by the residents of Moramatch, they could use their defense system against outside threats.
"Wishful thinking." Hui Wei shook his head. "Those creatures are filled with hatred. There is no easy way to stabilizing the place."
"I know it's hard, so I need to learn more," Anfey told him. "Have you dealt with dwarves and gnomes?"
"I've dealt with them, sure."
"Tell me more about it."
Hui Wei thought about it for a moment. "Dwarves are short tempered. Both the men and the women are quick to anger. I've seen one angry dwarf before. His beard was so long you couldn't see his mouth. His eyes were huge and he was jumping around, screaming at me. But he was half of my height. It was honestly quite annoying, and I wanted to smash him with a rock. Dealing with dwarves is hard work. They wouldn't bend to violence. They can and will sacrifice themselves, even if just to prove a point. They're very stubborn and very determined. You cannot dissuade a dwarf."
"You're saying neither words nor violence can force the dwarves into doing anything?"
"Yes." Hui Wei nodded.
"What about the gnomes?"
"They are a very selfish race. The only thing they really care about is themselves. Because of their selfishness, their civilization is dying very fast; or else they would still be the dominant race." Hui Wei stopped for a moment before continuing, "Years ago, the rise of the savage clans marked the fall of the gnome civilization. A team of a hundred savages could defeat an army of ten thousand gnomes. Because of the individual differences, the gnome soldiers did not even have the guts to go to war. They would scatter before the savages. Because of their selfishness, they did not unite against their common enemies and gave up very easily. If it wasn't for that, the savages wouldn't have had their gold age, and humans wouldn't have came around."
"Wait, I have a question," Anfey said. "Humans are made by gods. What does that have anything to do with the gnomes?" He had read about the development of human civilization in the library when he was researching magic.
"Of course, you're right." Hui Wei smiled and stopped talking.
"Did the gods create the gnomes?" Anfey asked tentatively.
"When the gnomes controlled the world, the gods weren't even born," Hui Wei said quietly. "Let's move on. You won't believe me even if I tell you."
"You haven't told me anything yet."
"Let's just say the God of Destruction worshipped by the dark mages is a battle monster created by the gnomes."
"What?" Vonmerge asked. He was really shocked.
Suzanna stared at Hui Wei with wide eyes. His theory was too strange for them to accept easily. Most people would take him for a madman. Anfey, however, was thinking about what Hui Wei just told him.
"If gnomes could control gods, then why were the savages able to destroy them?" Anfey asked slowly.
"Like I've said, the gnomes are very selfish. They declared war on each other over the right to control this battle monster. I am not sure what happened in the end. All I know is that the gnomes lost control of the monster."
Chapter 143: The Victory from the Girl
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Bulls*^t! Totally bulls*^t!" Vonmerge shook his head non-stop. They were friends, but he could not stand Hui Wei's nonsense.
Hui Wei gave a disdaining smile. He glanced at Anfey, finding him lost in thought. He was shocked for a second, since he did not think Anfey would take his bizarre talking without reacting. However he was wrong.
"Hui Wei, you will be on the wanted list if you speak this nonsense to others." Suzanna smiled bitterly. "You are crazier than any defiler in history."
Hui Wei hesitated for a second and said, "I've already been on the wanted list."
"No wonder you would rather stay with orcs." Suzanna gave Hui Wei a weird look.
"Defilers are everywhere in the world. Churches' abilities are limited." Hui Wei looked calm. "For instance, there have been so many archmages in history. They have devoted themselves to improving spells, silent chanting magic, immediate magic and many other techniques. They were doing it more to challenge old rules than to improve their combat powers. Some archmages were able to release antimagic spells in silence in the Sacred Battle. They represented the archmages who hoped to have control of everything with their innovation on spells rather than praying to God for it."
"You are using crazy logic," Vonmerge yelled.
"Your vision is too short," Hui Wei responded.
"It does not make sense to argue about these. Let's get back to gnomes," Anfey said casually. "Hui Wei, are you saying gnomes are strong?"
"No, they are not strong at all." Hui Wei thought for a moment and then said, "Civilization is the backbone of intelligent life. Losing it means losing everything. If human orphans were kept in a cave without being taught anything, they would be more stupid than any barbarian when they were kicked out of the cave as they reach adulthood. The gnomes had already lost their culture. If you have seen any gnome, you would think they are just garbage."
"What else do you know?" Anfey asked.
"No matter whether gnomes are male or female, they are just as selfish as their ancestors. Even when they receive more stress from outside, they still look for opportunities to pick fights inside their group, even over very small things, and they…" Hui Wei said.
"Hold on, when you talked about dwarves, you divided them into men and women. Why are you dividing gnomes into males and females? Isn't it showing disdain?" Anfey asked.
"Hehehe, gnomes are at a disadvantage in the magic world, but they have looked down upon other intelligent races, including human beings. They are still as proud of themselves as they were in ancient times. Therefore, other intelligent beings disdain them. It is not just me; all intelligent beings on Pan Continent divide them into males and females. We are isolating them this way." Hui Wei looked at Anfey, "Don't tell me you do not even know about this? This is common knowledge."
"Anfey has followed Archmage Yagor to learn magic since he was little. He did not have much experience on Pan Continent. Of course, he did not know about it. Did you know everything when you were just born?" Suzanna asked unhappily.
Hui Wei looked at Suzanna with curiosity, "Did you say Anfey is not experienced? Does he lack experience?"
Suzanna was shocked. Anfey paid attention to details, and the strategies he used were phenomenal as well, but he had always made a fool of himself on issues involving common sense. It was hard to explain this contradiction. Not to mention with Suzanna: even Anfey himself could not explain it.
"We are talking about gnomes. Why are you talking about me?" Anfey shook his head helplessly.
"When we enter Moramatch, we have to be careful of gnomes. Hatred and revenge are only part of it. There are some other things that could make gnomes go crazy," Hui Wei said.
"What is it?" Anfey asked.
"Male gnomes love beautiful girls. You can understand them. Besides elves, human beings have the best looks." Hui Wei smiled. "Female gnomes also like men. Besides the looks, compared with short gnomes, male human beings can give them more intense sensual pleasures and orgasms."
Suzanna blushed right away. She was just a virgin without any bedroom experience. She was not able to take it when Hui Wei was talking about sensual pleasure and orgasms.
"Sorry, Miss. Suzanna, it was my bad." Hui Wei noticed Suzanna was comfortable with his talking. He immediately apologized.
"It's alright. It's fine." Suzanna hurriedly waving her hands.
"Did you say gnomes would attack us first if there is any conflict?" Anfey asked.
"Pretty much. They act more on impulse than hot-tempered dwarves. If they get to know we are powerful, they would be the first ones to run away as well," Hui Wei said.
"Any powerful ones among gnomes?" Anfey asked.
"Well…" Hui Wei thought for a while. "Gnomes could practice neither magic nor combat powers. I would say there is no powerful gnome."
"How could they survive till now?" Anfey was fascinated.
"They have fighting puppets." Suzanna answered Anfey's question first. Anfey had asked another stupid question. She did not want Hui Wei to answer it, in case he would mock Anfey for having no common sense. Although others did not think Hui Wei mocked Anfey, Suzanna still felt uncomfortable about his comments.
"Fighting puppets?" Anfey asked.
"Death magic includes puppet magic. Do you know about it?" Suzanna asked.
"No," Anfey answered honestly.
"You know about puppets, right?" Suzanna was a little worried.
"Yes," Anfey answered. "Fighting puppets are the puppets that can fight."
Suzanna heaved a sigh of relief. "Fighting Puppets were empty inside. Gnomes could get into them to control Fighting Puppets so they could know how to fight, but Fighting Puppets are generated by magic crystals," Suzanna said.
Hui Wei added, "A Fighting Puppet with high accuracy has unbelievable fighting power, but this kind of Fighting Puppet has not been seen for a long time. Steel Fighting Puppets are not powerful, at least they could not pose any threat to us. Miss Suzanna could handle more than ten of them by herself."
Anfey got a sense of what Fighting Puppets were. Fighting Puppets were similar to robots. He was shocked for a second and said, "Why did other countries not do any research on Fighting Puppets? Thousands of Fighting Puppets could form a military, and then their military power would be powerful."
"Archmages could burn groups of Fighting Puppets into ore while master swordsmen could cut them into pieces like slicing bread. What do you think of their fighting ability now?" Hui Wei smiled. "Fighting Puppets with high accuracy could pose some threat. However, these rare things could be melted into ore and made into all kinds of weapons once they were found by human beings. Human beings would never allow gnomes to have them."
"It is weird. How could barbarians defeat gnomes when they had so many Fighting Puppets at their peak?" Anfey asked.
"You curiosity is crazy." Hui Wei smiled bitterly. "It happened ten thousand years ago. You ask me. How can I know the answer ?"
"It's better to ask than pretending to know everything." Anfey laughed at himself. "According to what you said, gnomes should be posing no threat to us."
"We still have to be careful. If Fighting Puppets come out of nowhere, it would pose a lot of threats to mages. There was a layer of defense inside the Fighting Puppets. As long as the gnomes are not hurt, their Fighting Puppets would not stop fighting. Junior mages could not hurt gnomes. Intermediate mages were not powerful enough either. Only senior mages could do fatal damage to them. We do have Suzanna, so we do not have to be scared by them. Those gnomes would not have more than two Fighting Puppets. Suzanna could destroy them in a second," Hui Wei said slowly.
"Ok." Anfey nodded. "I know what we should do now. Hui Wei, did you have any contact with gnomes?"
"Yes," Hui Wei answered.
"How about you, Vonmerge?" Anfey asked.
"I did not have any contact with gnomes, but I had contact with dwarves," Vonmerge answered.
"Would you dare to negotiate with gnomes and dwarves if I ask you to?" Anfey asked.
Hui Wei hesitated for a second, but Vonmerge nodded. "Sure, no problem."
"Don't worry. I would not ask you to risk your life without any protection." Anfey smiled. Vonmerge's response made Anfey happy. At least, he could tell what his job was and what his preferences were, otherwise he would have tried to talk Anfey out of it.
"Anfey, negotiation would not do us much good. No matter whether they are dwarves or gnomes, it would be hard to achieve any negotiation with them."
"I understand your concerns." Anfey nodded. "Ok, all of you can go take some rest."
Anfey and Suzanna walked slowly outside together. Suzanna hesitated for a second before she asked, "Anfey, do you really want them to negotiate with gnomes and dwarves? It is too dangerous."
"Are you worried about him?" Anfey smiled.
Anfey could swear he was just joking, but what he said just rubbed Suzanna the wrong way. She was shocked and stared at Anfey. Her face turned a little pale as well.
"Suzanna, I was just joking. Don't be mad at me." Anfey just realized that Suzanna was very sensitive, and his joke was a little overboard. He gave Suzanna a smile right away. This was the first time he had ever tried to please someone with a smile.
Suzanna bit her lip without saying anything. She felt wronged.
"Ok, ok. I apologize," Anfey said gently. He even made a move to hold Suzanna's hand.
Suzanna swung her arm and got away from Anfey's hand.
As Anfey was trying to comfort Suzanna, a woman's voice came from behind. "Anfey, you are here. I am looking for you."
Anfey turned around and saw Shansa Empire's princess standing there, lookikng beautiful.
"Alice, what do you need?" Anfey asked.
"Can I talk to you in private?" the princess asked.
"I…" Anfey hesitated for a second, and then he felt something warm and soft in his hand. Suzanna held his hand. Suzanna stepped forward, standing next to Anfey.
"I am sorry to bother you. We can talk later." Alice stared at Suzanna's hand. She looked sad.
Suzanna snorted quietly. She held Anfey's hand even tighter.