Chapter 283: Justice and Favors
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Suzanna, hurry up, I will take you there soon. Huh!" Niya suddenly let out an ear-piercing scream.
Suzanna's body trembled a bit and the blush spread all over her face and neck. She kept her eyes closed because she was afraid of facing Niya at this moment.
"Stop, stop!" Anfey looked up and said impatiently.
"You!" Niya pointed her finger right at Anfey with her eyes wide open. Niya felt like she caught him right on spot. She thought he should feel terrible. A rogue was not scary, but a shameless rogue who thought he had all the rights made others feel helpless.
"It is really rude to interrupt others' sleep. Don't you know that. Get out now!" Anfey yelled.
"You!" Niya felt so helpless. She paused for a second before she stomped on the floor and rushed out, blushing.
Suzanna did not open her eyes until she heard the sound of the door. After making sure that there was no one else besides Anfey, she turned around and pushed him hard. "It's all your fault."
"Why are you blaming me? It was you telling such a beautiful story last night." Anfey sat up smiling. "I fell asleep to your story. Why did you not wake me up?" Anfey asked.
"Are you giving me compliments now?" Suzanna did not know if she should laugh or cry. "How could I wake you up? You were sleeping so soundly."
"You're right. I have not slept so well for a long time." Anfey was reassuring Suzanna that she had treated him well. What he implied was obvious. If there was a next time, she should not wake him up then either.
"But, what should I do now?" Suzanna said sadly in a quiet voice. Her face got redder. She had held hands and hugged Anfey, but had never slept with him before. Now she had been caught sleeping with Anfey. If this news spread everywhere, she would be too embarrassed to see anyone. Even though nothing really happened, no one else would believe it. Neither could she explain it to others.
"Do what you have to do." Anfey jumped off the bed. He shook his gown to try to get rid of some wrinkles. "You should get ready for breakfast."
"I am not going out!" Suzanna firmly shook her head.
"Hurry up. Don't let the professor wait for us. It is rude." Anfey held his hand out to pull Suzanna up.
"No, I am not going." Suzanna retreated back to the end of the bed. "Anfey, what should I do? They will make fun of me."
"So what if they find out we slept together? Everybody knows you are my fianc. They all know us as well. They would not make fun of you," Anfey said gently. "Be good, sweetie. Hurry up. Do you want the professor to come to see us?"
Anfey's final sentence was pretty effective. When Suzanna heard Saul might come, she stopped resisting. She stared at Anfey and suddenly asked, "Anfey, do you really want to marry me?" Suzanna was trying to find an excuse to accept what happened the previous night. Anfey had treated her as his fianc and was never shy of letting anyone know about it. However, he had never officially proposed to her. She had been waiting for Anfey to propose to her someday. Now that everybody knew they had "slept together," she had to find a definite answer to give her courage to walk out the door.
"Why are you saying this?" Anfey put on a serious face and asked in a slightly mad tone.
Suzanna felt like she had been struck and her heart dropped. She felt as cold as if she was in an ice cave. She did not understand why a man would want to do everything for her but harshly refused to marry her. Was everything a lie?
"I should ask you that." Anfey had a big smile on his face. He asked gently, "Suzanna, will you marry me? From this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. We will love each other and cherish each other from today."
"You are so bad!" Going from extreme sadness to extreme happiness, Suzanna threw herself into Anfey's arms in joyful tears. She put her face against Anfey's warm chest as she playfully punched Anfey on his chest. "You are so bad, so bad!"
"You have not answered me yet," Anfey said, smiling.
Suzanna stopped punching and looked Anfey in the eye.
"Will you marry me?" Anfey asked.
"Ye…s," Suzanna answered in a such quiet voice that it sounded like mosquitoes flying.
"I did not hear you. Can you say it louder?" Anfey sounded like a trainer in a military camp, which really did not fit the situation.
"You are so bad!" Suzanna playfully complained.
"I will ask the professor to host our wedding." Anfey stopped joking around. He gently rubbed Suzanna's back. "On our wedding day, you will become the most shining star. Think about it, who will be attending our wedding? Uncle Ernest, Miorich, Bruzuryano, Dean Steger, all top powers!" After thinking about it, Anfey felt like he was doing well in this world. He had connected with so many top powers.
"I do not care about them," Suzanna said.
"Who do you care about then?" Anfey asked.
Suzanna shyly rubbed against Anfey's chest. She had courage to face dangers and challenges, but had no courage to tell Anfey, "It's you." Sometimes a word could mean so much.
"I will find a time to talk to the professor about our wedding soon," Anfey said. "You'd better get ready and not let them wait too long." Anfey let go of Suzanna's hand and left the room.
"Anfey!" Suzanna sounded very worried. "What if the professor does not like me?"
"You are so cute. How could anyone not like you?" Anfey winked
When Anfey walked into the dining room, Saul was sitting in his seat. He smiled at Anfey and signaled Anfey to take a seat next to him, which he had saved for Anfey. After a while, Suzanna slowly walked appropriately dressed under the guise of a servant. She did not have many clothes. She had bought this blue pleated dress at Violet City. Unlike Niya, Suzanna liked simple and casual styles. She looked adorable with her long hair. Her smooth and light colored neck looked delicate under the blue dress. She looked nervous and walked with her head down.
She took a seat next Anfey. Suzanna finally plucked her courage and decided to look up to greet everyone, but she noticed she had already gotten everyone's attention. She was shocked and put her head down even further. All of her courage was gone.
"I think Anfey has better eyes than me," Saul said with a smile.
"Thank you. You taught me well," Anfey said.
Even Ernest could not help smiling. Saul expressed his affection towards Suzanna by giving Anfey compliments. Anfey's responses were surprising.
Suzanna understood what Saul implied and felt lucky. Her experience and her suffering had made her a person who was not good at socializing. Suzanna's past was all about being away from people and focusing on training. Her social skills were not like those of stubborn and spoiled Niya. When she heard Saul's compliments, she still had her head down and said nothing.
"In fact, you have good eyes too," Bruzuryano said jealously as he laid his eyes on Anfey. Except for the secrets Anfey had, his social ability and fighting ability were tops among young people. Saul should be really happy to have found a student like Anfey.
Saul smiled and gently picked up a spoon as he asked casually, "Anfey, are you going to the palace with me later?"
"Me?" Anfey was a little shocked.
"Yes, it is a big deal to be bestowed a royal title. What you achieved was made public. There are many officials who were against giving you such a high-ranking title. They probably will ask you many questions. You'd better be prepared for it," Saul said quietly.
"Should I not go?"Anfey had a bitter face. "I have nothing to say to those people."
"Hmm, ok." Saul hesitated for a second before he nodded. "I was worried that you would leave some traces they could use later against you if you could not give good answers. Avoiding them is one possibility. After Miorich's official document arrives, it will be easy to grant you a royal title. Even they wanted to protest, with an official document, they just could not."
"I am sorry for these troubles," Anfey said. "In fact, I do not care about the royal title. If those people are fighting hard…"
"They could argue whatever they want to, we will still be ourselves. I do not have favorites. I only want justice. If anyone is against you, I would suggest the king send them to the front line in the east and see how much courage they would have in front of Griffin Aerial Unit," Saul said slowly.
"Are you still saying you are not favoring anyone?" Bruzuryano could not help rolling his eyes. If things really happened as Saul said, it would be a mess. If anyone was against war, should that person be sent to the war? If anyone wanted to abolish slavery, should the person be sent to be a slave?
"As I said, I just want justice," Saul said firmly. He looked at Anfey. "Anfey, what are you planning to do for the next couple of days?"
"I plan to go to Sacred City magic academy. Professor, after getting trained for a long time, I noticed the foundation of my magic is not good. Without systematic study, I will be slow to develop my magic in the future," Anfey said.
"Good, good." Saul kept nodding. He hoped Anfey could practice magic hard. He was an archmagi. If his student became the top swordsman, it would be embarrassing for him. "Anfey, I will take you somewhere after breakfast."
"Professor, I said I do not want to go to the palace." Anfey was shocked.
"I did not say I would take you to the palace," Saul said, looking a little weird.
Chapter 284: Wheel
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Countless robes, magic wands, and magic books were returned to their original places. The flowing air, like thousands of unseen hands, held the magic scrolls and set them down in their places gently. Saul dispersed the wind elements after all the scrolls had returned to their places. He looked around the chamber, his eyes filled with joy.
He did not care for the armor and the weapons and he could always make more scrolls. The magic books, on the other hand, were the result of decades of effort. They recorded all of Saul's research and findings. For Saul, the books were priceless.
"Seems like something's missing," Saul said, frowning.
"Ah, it must be this," Anfey said, retrieving the Vacuum Confinement Scroll from his dimensional ring.
Saul smiled and accepted the scroll. "I don't have much use for this anymore," Saul said, looking at the scroll. "Neither can it do much for you. If you become magister one day, you may get one for yourself."
"I can? Can I choose?"
"What do you want now?"
Anfey looked at the magic books. He agreed with Saul. He could find robes, wands, and scrolls by himself, but knowledge and experience left behind by an archmage was invaluable.
"Can you understand any of these?" Saul asked, smiling.
"No," Anfey admitted. "That's why I want to go to magic school to study and catch up." When he was on the run, Anfey had often flipped through the books. However, he was only a beginner and could hardly understand them. It was like a person who had never drawn anything trying to draw a complex picture the first time he drew.
"I see," Saul said, nodding. "Steger's not back yet, but that's fine. I'm sure you can qualify to enter the academy now. How do you want to study? Do you want private lessons? Or do you want to go to classes like normal students?" Studying with private tutors was something normal students could never imagine. For Saul, it was as easy as saying a few words.
"Wouldn't going to classes like normal students be too slow?"
"Don't worry about time. Are you worried about Violet City?" Saul paused and sighed. "I knew what happened with the marquis there. But the situation here is a little complicated. You'd better lay low for a bit. It's not wise for you to return to Violet City, either."
"Are you talking about Prince Wester, Master Saul?" Anfey didn't have to pretend to be an innocent youth anymore. Saul already knew what he was capable of, so there was no need to hide.
Saul nodded, concerned. He was a good friend of Yolanthe's, but there were things outside his jurisdiction. He did not want to give the impression that he was trying to influence Yolanthe's decisions.
"I see," Anfey said, frowning.
Saul sighed. He knew that no matter how healthy Yolanthe was, he had to step aside and let the younger generation take center stage after this crisis. It was the natural flow of things, and even kings could not stop it. The younger generation was always eager to join the political stage even if the older generations were still on the stage. If the older generations were too reluctant to step aside, it would often create a divide between the young and the old. The wheel turns, and the older generations would slowly be replaced by the young. Yolanthe, Saul, even Miorich were all part of this wheel. The younger generation would become stronger and stronger until they completely replaced their predecessors. Determining the heir to the throne was only the first step. Conflicts were sure to follow. Saul sighed and couldn't help but long for his younger days.
"Master Saul, the gold…"
Saul shook his head. He did not want to talk about the gold. He never cared for it, anyway.
—
Ever since Doris showed him the quiet place in the woods, Anfey had fallen in love with it. The noises of the school and the students were blocked by the trees. Combined with shrubs and the small ponds, the small grove was a small world of its own.
Right now, the grove was not empty. Three girls sat under a tree and were talking and laughing. Judging from their clothing, they were students from the school.
Anfey ignored them and sat down under a nearby tree. He found the book he was reading earlier and resumed his reading. Perhaps it was because Saul had talked to the school already, Anfey was welcomed warmly by the teachers when he arrived with Christian. However, since Anfey did not want to waste time on small talk, he only spoke a few words with the teachers. After learning that the intermediate classes were cancelled for the day, he went directly to the library. If the classes were cancelled, he was content to learn by himself. He was confident in his learning ability.
Anfey's presence clearly interrupted the girls' conversation. The girls glanced at each other, then one of them walked over and stood in front of him.
Anfey ignored her and kept reading. He was reading very fast, since he was only picking out the important points. If he read every single line, it would take him months to finish the book.
"Didn't your mother tell you that it's rude to ignore people?" the young girl asked.
"This is so creepy," another girl said. "Trying to get to know us this way."
Anfey did not lift his head. He raised a hand and flicked his wrist. His meaning was clear: go away, leave me alone. There were women that were too beautiful to be real, like Suzanna. There were also men who could keep their hearts locked for one woman, like Anfey. The three girls were beautiful, but they were nothing compared to Suzanna. Even if they could compete with Suzanna, Anfey still did not care. He just wanted to read in peace.
"You…" The girl was growing angry.
A slim figure appeared through the trees and stood next to Anfey.
"What are you doing here?" Anfey asked, looking up.
"Christian said you are here," Suzanna said with a smile.
"Did something happen?"
"Nothing."
"You miss me, then?"
Suzanna looked away from Anfey. Anfey liked teasing her, but she did not mind. Nor did his remarks embarrass her as much as they had in the beginning.
The girls saw Suzanna's senior swordsmaster badge and fell quiet. Top level powers were rare, but so were senior level swordsmasters. Even among the teachers, there were only a few that achieved the senior rank. They thought the badge must be fake.
The mage and the swordsmaster made a peculiar combination.
Another girl frowned and walked up to join the first.
"What is it?" Suzanna look up and asked. Even though the girls were not friendly, Suzanna's voice was very gentle. She was not a bloodthirsty warrior, and the only reason she fought was because she had to. If the girls had weapons, Suzanna would not hesitate to draw her sword. She could not justify attacking three unarmed young girls.
"Who are you? This is a magic academy. What are you doing in here?"
"I'm a student in the academy. Why can't I come here?"
"You are? I have never seen you before."
"I have never seen you, either. What is your point?"
Suzanna poked Anfey's arm. Be quiet, she mouthed. Then she turned to the girls and said, "He is new. Just joined today, in fact. That is why you have never seen him."
"I see," the girl said. "In the junior class, I presume?"
"Yes," Suzanna said before Anfey could make another remark. "Are the three of you students as well? I'm Suzanna. Nice to meet you."
If the girls were just talking to Anfey, his attitude might have provoked them into an argument. However, Suzanna's attitude made it hard for them to lash out against her. The girl glared at Anfey and said, "Never mind. We'll go. This isn't worth our time." She shook Suzanna's hand and said, "Betty. Nice to meet you."
Anfey flipped a page and looked up from the book. Seeing that the girls had already left, he moved over to let Suzanna sit down next to him. "I thought you didn't like smiles."
Suzanna rolled her eyes. "Did you already forget what Master Saul said? You're not just here to learn magic. You need to make friends, develop a network. You will never make friends like this."
Chapter 285: Little Devil
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Anfey's life suddenly had become very simple since he started school. The only two places he would go were the academy and Saul's home. However, his workload had increased. He began reading through books on the basics of magic. He had found so many books that, should he stack them up in a pile, they would tower over him. Even though he was far from memorizing everything in the books, he was already familiar with a few major points. He was trying to accumulate as much knowledge as possible in preparation for his future classes.
After Steger returned to Sacred City, he changed the policies at the academy. He picked out the best students and created three elite classes. Anfey was put in the intermediate elite class.
After two classes, Anfey realized that his thought process was often faster than the professor's in class. However, he knew he had to stay in classes because the teachers would often talk about their own experiences with practicing a certain spell. These experiences were not recorded in books, and Anfey had no way of knowing them unless he sat through the class.
Since he was often bored in class, he began bringing books to the class. If he liked the professor, he would listen while he read. The professors did not care much about what he did, and his classmates were all too attentive to notice that he wasn't.
A lot of students soon noticed that Anfey was always accompanied by a young woman. When he was in class, the young woman would sit outside and meditate. When he was in between classes, she would always be by his side. When the day was over, they would leave together, chatting and laughing. Everyone could tell that they were very much in love. Some people were envious, but everyone chose to remain silent after learning who Anfey was. Not only was he someone who had outstanding accomplishments during the recent war, he was a student of the archmage Saul. Of course, the main reason most people chose to stay away was Suzanna's senior swordsmaster badge. Most students were still too inexperienced and knew better than try to flirt with a girl with a senior swordsmaster badge.
On this particular day, Anfey knew that he did not need to go to his two morning classes. Both professors tended to teach exactly what was in the books and rarely talked about their own experiences. Instead of going, he chose to stay home and take notes. He finished around noon, and left with Suzanna. However, they both stopped dead in their tracks when they saw a line of carriages in front of the mansion.
Blavi, Riska, Sante, and the other students were all standing next to the carriages, staring at the mansion with gaping mouths. Like Niya, their faces were filled with excitement and delight.
"Sister!" Shally jumped out of the carriage and dashed towards Suzanna.
Another creature jumped out after Shally and dashed towards Anfey. The unicorn ran into Anfey, sending him stumbling backwards so he needed to regain his balance. The unicorn fell over onto the ground. However, a collision like this was more like a game to the unicorn and could not harm it. It jumped up and bounced towards Anfey again.
Anfey jumped aside to avoid a second collision, then grabbed the unicorn's mane and pulled it towards him. "Calm down," he said, patting the unicorn's head. "Thank god you don't have your horn yet." He shuddered at the memory of the fight between the unicorn and the manticore.
"I missed you so, sister!" Shally cried, hugging Suzanna.
"I missed you as well," Suzanna said with tears in her eyes. Even though Saul had told her that the carriages had not encountered any danger, she could only relax when she saw with her own eyes that her sister was safe.
"Anfey," Riska greeted him with a smile.
"Is everyone here?"
"Yes."
"That's good," Anfey said, smiling. "Where's Lord Miorich?"
"He went to the palace."
"Who's back? Who's back?" Niya hurried out of the mansion and asked.
"Everyone," Anfey said with a smile. "Come on, let's go inside."
Everyone was excited to finally return home. Their experience had completely changed them. Normally, people who leave home to expand their experience would begin with easier tasks. No one would start with difficult responsibilities the way they had. They were constantly straddling the line between life and death, and were therefore much more experienced than their peers.
The butler ordered the servants to bring food so they could catch up while snacking. Riska talked about what happened after Anfey, Suzanna, Niya, and Christian left, and Anfey talked about the encounter with the necromancers. However, he hid the truth about how Slanbrea died. He trusted his friends, but he knew that it was better if they did not know the truth.
Shally swallowed a piece of cake and wiped her hands on a piece of towel. She sat up straight and tugged on Riska's shirt.
"Oh, yes. We had some trouble on the way, but we solved it thanks to Shally."
"What happened?"
"It's the unicorn," Riska said, shaking his head. "We can't control it. Don't ever leave that thing with us again."
Anfey looked down at the unicorn. High tier magic beasts were smarter than normal ones, but not smart enough to immediately understand humans. It put two of its front legs on a small table and was reaching for the cakes. However, Anfey kept it tightly by his side and the unicorn could not reach the food.
"Without Shally, we would never have been able to tame that thing without harming it," Blavi said, grinning at Shally.
Shally was grinning as well, even though she was clearly trying to conceal her emotions.
"What did it do?" Anfey asked, surprised.
"What didn't it do?" Riska asked, shaking his head. "It disturbed the order, harmed others, attacked other animals, harassed women…and that is just the tip of the iceberg!"
"It harassed people?"
"You know what Mambo territory is famous for? Hot springs. The night we got to Mambo, it escaped somehow. We didn't realize it until the guards came to fetch us. It made a scene at a hot spring and injured one of the ladies there," Riska said, shaking his head.
"It even stole one of the ladies' clothes," Blavi said, frowning. "It was so embarrassing."
"You did all this?" Anfey asked the unicorn.
The unicorn, who could not understand him, nodded happily.
"How embarrassing," Anfey said with a frown and whacked the unicorn on the head gently.
"Not for you," Riska said, rolling his eyes. "We were the ones that had to apologize when it was your fault."
The door was suddenly pushed open and Saul and Christian appeared. Everyone hurriedly stood up and called in unison, "Master Saul." A lot of the young ones even began tearing up. Most of them had left home when they were too young to study with Saul, and Saul was like a father to them. Just the sight of him was enough to make them excited and happy.
"Sit, sit, you all must be tired," Saul said with a smile. "How was the trip?"
"It was good, Master. Lord Miorich took good care of us."
"Good, good. Now I can finally relax," Saul said, sitting down on the chair Christian pulled out for him. He was tearing up as well. "It's been a long time. It wasn't right sitting here by myself. It's good to have you all back."
"I apologize, Master Saul," Riska said, lowering his head. "We made you worry."
"Worry…" Saul repeated, then smiled. "It's alright. You all did well. You made me proud. I will always be proud of you."
Everyone fell silent, unsure of what to say.
"Are you Archmage Saul?" Shally suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
"Yes," Saul said. "You must be Shally."
"You know my name?" Shally asked, surprised. "I want to study with you, my lord. Can I study with you?"
Suzanna frowned. She did not know who taught Shally to say that. Plus, her question was too blunt.
Chapter 286: Wishes
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Shally!" Suzanna scolded. When picking a student, an archmage was always extremely careful. The decision was made without any distraction. One bad student would bring shame to the teacher and cause others to doubt the teacher's ability. Of course, archmages taking students as a favor was not unheard of, but neither Suzanna nor Anfey was important enough to make an archmage bend to their will.
"You want to learn magic? That should not be a problem," Saul said with a smile.
"Really?" Shally asked incredulously. She wasn't sure if she could trust such a quick answer. "Can I really study magic? With you? But I'm even worse than Anfey." Shally was still a child and she didn't realize Saul said only that she could learn magic, not that she could learn with him.
Saul's other students looked at the young girl, then they all burst into laughter. Anfey sighed and shook his head. It was no secret that he was the weakest out of all of Saul's students, but Shally didn't have to say it out loud.
"Trust me, he was even worse than you when he first came to me," Saul said, smiling.
"So I'm better than him?" Shally asked hopefully.
"Yes," Saul said, nodding. "You are better than him." He looked up and saw Suzanna's anxious expression. He looked at Shally, then smiled. "It seems like you will have a new sister from now on," Saul said, turning to Christian. At first, Saul did not want to take a new student, but he changed his mind.
"She already is, Master," Christian said with a grin on his face.
"They are all very good to me, my lord," Shally said happily.
"Shally," Anfey said quietly, "it's not my lord anymore. He is your teacher now."
"Really?" Shally asked, her eyes wide.
"If you still want to," Saul said gently.
"Shally, quick, say thank you," Suzanna said, nudging Shally forward. She did not expect Saul to agree to take Shally as a student, but she was very grateful.
"Thank you, Master Saul," Shally chirped happily. She turned and grabbed Suzanna's arm and said, "I can protect you now too, sister!"
Suzanna smiled, stroking Shally's hair. She did not say anything. Becoming the student of a powerful mage was only the first step in a long journey to become a senior mage. She had already spent so many years practicing. She knew the hardship on the road to become powerful.
Ernest walked into the room. He glanced around the room as the students stood to greet him.
Ernest nodded at them and turned to Suzanna. "Suzanna, where have you been lately?"
"Me?" Suzanna asked, confused. "I was with Anfey," she said after a few seconds.
"You're a swordsmaster. What are you doing at the magic academy?" Ernest asked, frowning. "Starting today, stay here and practice with me."
"Yes, sir," Suzanna said.
"You have it all figured out, don't you?" Saul asked, smiling.
"You could say that," Ernest said.
Ernest was not hard to understand. At first glance, he may have seemed arrogant and driven by his emotions, but that was the furthest possible thing from the truth. Ernest did not like speaking, and he always tried to say what he wanted using as few words as possible.
"Well, congratulations, then," Saul said.
"It's a little early for that."
"What will happen with her?"
"I don't know," Ernest said, frowning. "That's why I'm worried."
"Suzanna," Saul said, turning to Suzanna. "Listen to Ernest. You should stop going to the academy. I know you may worry about Anfey, but you see, trust is very important. Don't worry about that."
"That's not…" Suzanna explained quickly, blushing.
"Are you worried that he will get hurt? Don't worry about that, either. As long as he is in Sacred City, I can assure his safety," Saul said, standing up. "Anfey, come with me. I have to talk to you." Saul's eyes fell onto the unicorn next to Anfey. "So this is the unicorn I've been hearing about."
Ernest turned around as well. Unicorns were rare. Ernest had encountered a few in the past, but he knew that he wasn't strong enough to defeat one, so he had left the animals alone. Unicorns were too fast, and if a unicorn wanted to run, Ernest could never catch up to it. If a unicorn was willing to fight, the consequences would be too great. The Forest of Death was a dangerous place, and even if Ernest could defeat the unicorn, he would be injured and could be easily killed by other enemies.
The unicorn watched Saul nervously, its body shaking. Magic beasts were not as smart as humans, but could sense things humans could not. For the unicorn, Saul was not an amiable man, but a being with terrible powers.
Anfey patted the unicorn. "It seems like it's scared of you, Master," he said.
Saul wanted to further observe the unicorn, but he stopped and took a few steps back. "Another day, I suppose. I don't want to scare it." He looked around the room and his eyes fell on Hui Wei and Hagan. They were the only two strangers. "By the way, which one of you is Hagan?"
"Me, my lord," Hagan said, scrambling up.
"Ah, yes, Master," Riska hurried over and said. "Forgot to introduce you. This is Hagan, and this is Hui Wei. They're both people we encountered along the way."
"My lord," Hui Wei stood up and bowed.
"Sit, sit," Saul said, nodding. "Hagan, you are an alchemist, aren't you?" Hagan nodded. "Do you have any interest in the manuscripts of Jacob?"
"Jacob? You mean, the Great Alchemist Jacob?" Hagan said, jumping out of his seat. "His last manuscripts?"
"Last?" Saul frowned and asked. "As far as I know, no one knew what happened to him."
"But he hadn't appeared in twenty years, my lord."
"It seems like I have to give those manuscripts to you as soon as possible," Saul said. "He would be livid if he heard that, and would probably take those gifts back?"
"Gifts?" Hagan asked, blinking.
Saul smiled. "Anfey, come with me." Anfey nodded and followed Saul out of the room, leaving Hagan and his joy. The two of them went to another room. Saul sat down on a chair and sighed.
"Anfey, how much do you know about Suzanna?" Saul asked.
"She never told me much."
"Have you asked?"
"No. I am in love with her, but her past is her own," Anfey answered. He knew Saul's intention wasn't just to ask him about Suzanna, and he need to stand firm.
"Do you want to know about it?" Saul asked, picking up a stack of documents from the nearby table.
"Is it important?" Anfey asked.
Saul smiled and shook his head. "Do not blame His Majesty, Anfey. His Majesty is the king, after all, and he needs to be well-rounded."
Anfey frowned. The unicorn whined and nudged his hand.
"It's not what you think," Saul comforted him. "Suzanna and Shally are daughters of the ruler of Gruce Principality, Darius. Suzanna underwent brutal training from the time she was a child. Darius needed a loyal guard, and there was no better choice than his eldest daughter. Suzanna did not rebel against this."
"Like I've said, Master, Suzanna's past is her own," Anfey said with a shrug. "But why must we return Shally to Gruce?"
"We cannot fight two wars at once. If we really want to fight with Ellisen Empire, we have to gain the support of Gruce. Only then will we have a chance."
"I see," Anfey said. "But isn't the Church advocating for unity among the nations? Why are we considering war?"
"Not now, of course. If you ever become a ruler, you will learn to think three steps ahead. This war with Ellisen Empire will not happen for years, maybe even decades. Plus, Shally is still too young. I doubt she can take the responsibility of an entire kingdom at this age." Saul paused and sighed. "Maybe they will both be used to peace after a decade, and they would not want to be a part of this. But it doesn't matter what they want, because their wills are nothing compared to the movement of the world's current."
"It's hard for Suzanna to forget people she hates," Anfey admitted. "Maybe they are even more eager than His Majesty." Anfey could feel that Suzanna would return to Gruce Principality sooner or later, because no one could convince her to give up on her revenge. He was her lover, and he should support her.
"I hope you're telling the truth."
"I know her, Master. We've never talked about it, but I know it is the truth."
Chapter 287: Pressure
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Here," Anfey said, tossing the scroll to Hagan.
Hagan reached over and snatched it out of the air. He looked at the scroll, then jumped up and dashed towards his room with a wide grin.
"Wait!" Anfey called. "Come back!"
"What is it?" Hagan turned and asked.
"Master Saul said you should go check out the magic lab. He was considering making an alchemy lab in there and needs your opinions. You can tell the butler about anything you need and he will fetch it for you."
"Really?" Hagan asked, stunned. He was already happy enough to receive the manuscript of the famous alchemist Jacob, now he was overjoyed. He had always wanted an alchemy lab, but he never had the chance to get one. Now this was a dream come true.
"Really," Anfey said, smiling.
"I see," Hagan said. He took a deep breath then hurried out of the dining room.
Anfey looked around and asked, "Where's Suzanna?"
"She's with Ernest," Christian replied. "It should be her honor to receive instructions from Ernest."
"Not for Anfey, though," Blavi said with a grin.
"What do you mean?"
"Suzanna is already a senior swordsmaster," Blavi said. "If she ever became more powerful, then Anfey…"
"You're right," Sante said, smirking. "Anfey should be under pressure."
Anfey smiled and shook his head. His friends were right. He did felt pressured when facing Suzanna. He always thought he should be the one protecting Suzanna, but time after time he was proven wrong. He disliked being protected by others, since it made him feel weak and useless.
Riska suddenly stood up and hurried toward the door.
His sudden movements spooked Blavi, who turned and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Meditating," Riska said without turning back. "Not only Anfey. Think about it. We were all hiding behind Suzanna."
Blavi frowned, then smiled and shook his head. Riska was right. Whenever they were in danger, it was always Suzanna who put herself between them and danger. The only thing they did was hide in a safe place and assist her when she needed it.
"Let's go," Zubin said, standing up. "We're home now, but that doesn't mean we should relax. We are lucky this time, we have Suzanna, but we won't always be lucky. We should start preparing for the next time we are in danger."
"Zubin's right," Sante nodded in agreement.
Soon there were only a few people left in the dining hall. Shally didn't care about being protected by her sister, and Doris stayed because she did not have a room.
"What have you been doing lately?" Anfey asked. "Haven't seen you in forever."
"You'll find out in a few days," Christian replied.
"Fine," Anfey said with a sigh. He sat down next to the table and released the unicorn. The unicorn was clearly more relaxed now that both Saul and Ernest were out of the room. The unicorn jumped onto the table. It stomped on the table a few times then dashed towards the other end. It wanted to stop at the end, but the table was waxed and its momentum was too great. It couldn't stop in time and slipped off the table, bringing a dozen plates with it, and crashed into the wall.
Anfey frowned. He couldn't grasp just how playful the unicorn was getting, but now he knew it was true that the unicorn was getting harder to handle. He had only let it go for a few seconds and it was already in trouble. At least it was only in the dining room. What if it got into the magic lab one day?
"Come here!" Anfey bellowed and slammed the table.
The unicorn stood up, shook its head, and looked at Anfey, confused.
"Come here, now!" Anfey ordered again. He wanted to go and grab the unicorn, but he remembered how fast it was and gave up on his unrealistic hope.
The unicorn whinnied excitedly but did not move any closer to Anfey.
"That's useless," Doris said, giggling. "The louder you are the more excited it is. It probably thinks that you're playing with it."
"Should I let run wild, then?" Anfey asked with a frown. "I'm going to fetch Suzanna." He had just been thinking about getting stronger seconds ago, and he was already looking for Suzanna's help.
"Don't worry," Doris said, raising her hand. "I have a solution." She retrieved something from her dimensional ring and smiled. "This is Shally's idea," she said with a wink. Shally giggled, proud of herself.
Doris held two crystal balls in her hand. She clinked the two crystal balls together and made a crisp, high-pitched sound.
After hearing the sound, the unicorn suddenly dashed towards the table and leapt onto it. It looked at the crystal balls curiously.
"Get ready," Doris said. She suddenly tossed the ball in her left hand into the air and rolled the other one down the table towards Anfey.
The unicorn jumped into the air and snatched the crystal ball out of the air with its mouth. When it landed on the table again, it turned to chase after the other ball.
Anfey realized the plan and was already ready. When the unicorn tried to clink the ball in its mouth with the ball on the table, Anfey jumped over and grabbed the unicorn. He wrapped his arms around the unicorn tightly. "Stop, stop!" he called.
The unicorn whinnied and kicked around, but it was too small and too weak compared to a grown man.
Hui Wei coughed. "This is not a permanent solution, either," he said. "It is growing too fast and a magic beast like this one should be smarter than normal ones. You can fool it once, twice, but not more than that. It will learn that this is a trap sooner or later."
"We will have to settle for this plan for now," Anfey said. He grabbed the unicorn's mane and lifted it into the air. The unicorn stopped struggling and stared at Anfey with bright blue eyes. It snickered as if it was trying to please Anfey and convince him to lessen its punishment. Anfey felt bad and only smacked its head softly once.
"Not for long," Hui Wei said, shaking his head. "Christian said its mother was a top tier unicorn, which means this thing may become one, as well."
"Who knows," Anfey said with a sigh. "None of us knew how to raise an unicorn. We don't know what this thing needs. It's good enough that it hasn't gotten sick yet. I'm not that hopeful." Anfey was worried that the unicorn would not get enough nutrition to grow up healthily.
"Just because you don't have the experience, doesn't mean no one has it," Hui Wei said.
"Who are you thinking?"
"Bruzuryano, of course. He is the obvious choice. The unicorn is a holy animal in his religion. We have libraries, so do elves and druids. If anyone knows anything, it would be him."
Anfey nodded. "You're right," he said. "By the way, what do you want to do now?"
"Me?" Hui Wei asked. "I don't know. What can I do? I'll just relax and enjoy myself, I guess."
"You have to do something," Anfey said. "Why don't you come study with me at the academy?"
"Have you forgotten? I'm a two-discipliner. I don't even know if I will pass the test. Plus, I have no interest in that library."
"You don't need any tests," Anfey said. "I have connections."
"Fine," Hui Wei said with a chuckle. "I guess I'll try it."
"Let's go, then," Anfey said, pushing himself up. Then he stopped and frowned. "What should we do with the unicorn? We can't take it to the academy. Should I make a leash for it?"
"No!" Hui Wei said, shaking his head. "Unicorns are very loyal, but you can't restrain it. It will die of unhappiness if it loses its freedom."
"I'll talk to Master Saul, I suppose," Anfey said, shaking his head. "Hopefully he is still here."
Chapter 288: Sword of the Pioneers
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When the professor walked into the classroom, Anfey and Hui Wei were already sitting quietly in the corner. The professor frowned when he saw the strangers, then he remembered Steger's order and flipped open the textbook as if nothing was wrong.
Anfey was staring straight ahead, but Hui Wei looked uncomfortable. He felt strange sitting there. He poked Anfey and said, "Don't you think it's a little weird for me to sit here with all these kids?" Hui Wei sounds like he was trying to act old, but it was not without truth. He had only arrived a day ago and did not have the proper time to groom himself before coming to school. He barely had time to wash his face, let alone shave. The students were all clean-shaven and looked young compared to him.
"Shhh," Anfey whispered.
Hui Wei sighed and shook his head. He suddenly heard the hushed conversation of two students behind him. Hui Wei wasn't interested in the class, or else he would have missed the conversation.
"You know Prince Rodhart?" a girl asked.
"Who doesn't? Isn't he still in Swordbury Principality?" a more masculine voice replied.
"Let me tell you: Rodhart was never in Swordbury. It's all a big illusion."
"Really? Then where is the prince?"
"Here, in Sacred City."
"No way," the boy said.
"I don't care if you believe me," the girl said. "Rodhart is studying under Lord Saul."
"What? Where did you hear that?"
"I overheard my grandfather talking yesterday," the girl said confidently. "You know him. He would never make up such a big lie."
The boy didn't say anything for a few seconds, then he said in an even quieter voice, "Shhh. That guy in front of us is one of Saul's students…"
Hui Wei couldn't catch the rest of the conversation. He frowned and turned to Anfey. "Did you hear that?"
"What did you hear?" Anfey asked.
"Could it be Christian?" Hui Wei asked, curious. Of everyone, Christian was the most refined and educated. Everyone had talked about their families and past; only two had avoided the topic completely. One was Hui Wei himself, the other was Christian.
A ball of light was flung towards Hui Wei. The intensity of light increased dramatically as it approached Hui Wei, and the light filled the entire classroom. Hui Wei was extremely alert, perhaps even more than Anfey. Before he could process what was happening, a black pentagon-shaped object appeared in his hand. A voice followed the light. "If you don't want to listen to the class, I suggest you leave so you stop distracting your classmates."
Hui Wei opened his eyes and saw everyone's eyes on him.
"Look at that," a nearby student whispered to his friend. "What is he going to do, fight the teacher?"
Hui Wei coughed and avoided the angry gaze of the teacher. He wanted to put the pentagon-shaped object to his dimensional ring, but Anfey reached over and took it from him.
Hui Wei rolled his eyes and controlled his urge to take it back. Instead, he turned his head away.
"Professor, I don't think my companion is feeling well," Anfey said, pushing himself out of his seat. "Can I take him back?"
"Sure," the professor said with a sigh.
Anfey looked at Hui Wei then walked towards the door. Hui Wei shook his head and followed closely behind.
Once they were in the hallway, Anfey tossed the object he took from Hui Wei back to him. "He was just trying to scare you," he said. "Isn't that a little extreme?"
"I prefer to be alerted," Hui Wei said. The object disappeared back into his dimensional ring.
Anfey stared at Hui Wei's ring and suddenly sighed. "There are no unsolvable problems, only unsuitable methods. I see that this is true."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you remember what happened when we first met?" Anfey asked. "I'm curious about all those weird little things in your ring, but I know that I can't force the answer out of you. If I knew you would react so badly to threats…"
Hui Wei snorted and fell in step with Anfey.
"I wonder who can play the role of the assassin," Anfey said slowly.
"As if you can find one," Hui Wei said with a smile.
"I'm still curious," Anfey said. "What else is in that ring of yours?"
"Nothing," Hui Wei said, hiding his hand behind his back. "Didn't you hear? Christian may be the third prince of this empire."
"I know," Anfey said with a smile.
"You knew?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell us?"
"I didn't know for sure," Anfey said with a shrug. "It was more of an educated guess. I figured he would tell us when he was ready."
"I'm curious, then. Why would Yolanthe allow his son to travel with us? Why did he risk his son's life?"
"You should ask Christian that, because I don't have the answer," Anfey said. "No wonder Yolanthe and Saul are good friends."
"What do you mean?"
"Yolanthe is the king."
"So what?"
"Who is the queen? Where is she?"
Hui Wei frowned. "I think I know her name, but I cannot remember it at the moment."
"Who is the queen of Shansa Empire, then?"
"Cherylina," Hui Wei said without a moment of hesitation.
"The queen of Maho Empire is a queen as well, but why does she remain anonymous? Why is the queen of Shansa Empire so well known, while the queen of Maho Empire is largely unknown?" Anfey paused for a few seconds before continuing. "Christian never talked about the queen. Niya never talked about her mother, either. Normally, these two women would be two of the most powerful women in the nation."
Hui Wei nodded, still frowning.
"Of course, we cannot just ask around when it comes to questions like this."
"We will find out one day," Hui Wei said quietly. "When the time is right. Let's talk about Christian for now. Who would have thought he is the ruler of Swordbury!"
"Tell me what you know about that place."
"And you further prove your ignorance of this world," Hui Wei said, amused. He was a two-discipliner, but he was more knowledgeable than he was powerful. There were very few things he did not know about, including the ancient ruins. Whenever he talked about those ruins, Hui Wei would turn into another person. He would be more confident. "Swordbury Principality is where the famous grandmaster swordsman Dimas retired after the Great War. There are two mysterious places in Maho Empire. One is Mambo territory; the other is Swordbury Principality.
"After Dimas retired, the Sword of Pioneers was buried on Mount Swordbury. Dimas left some other things as well, but no one knew exactly what he left behind. He said it could be found when the time is right. If we have access to Mount Swordbury, maybe we can find that sword…"
"I don't think we can," Anfey said, shaking his head.
"Why not?"
"Don't forget who controls Swordbury. If there really is a sword there, it would have already been found," Anfey said, shaking his head. Compared to the Sword of Pioneers, the labyrinth under the mansion in Violet City was mostly unknown. No one had ever explored those passages, and whatever was hidden in there should still be there.
"Maybe we can find something else," Hui Wei said.
"Do you really believe that?"
Hui Wei sighed. There were a few ancient sites even he would not visit. No one had ever survived those ruins because of the different people who secretly controlled them. A commoner like him would never have a chance to explore sites like that. He thought perhaps this was his opportunity to explore one of those forbidden sites, but he knew his dream was unrealistic.
Chapter 289: Unpopular
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Hui Wei tended to let his emotions dictate his actions. Normally, he was a quiet and reserved man. However, he could become very talkative if he found someone or something that interested him. When he was fully engaged in a conversation, he would talk about everything from legendary weapons and powerful, ancient warriors to ancient civilizations and deities.
Hui Wei thought maybe he was talking too much and wanted to end the conversation, but he was too excited to do that. Normally he never talked as much as this for fear of reprimand and trouble, but he found Anfey to be a very engaged listener. It was rare to find someone who would listen to him talk about all his thoughts.
After Hui Wei finished, the two returned to Saul's place. The meditating mages showed up as well and were chatting in the living room.
"Christian!" Hui Wei called, walking over to the young man.
"How was it?" Christian asked. "What did you think of the academy?"
"I've never been there. Are there pretty girls?" Blavi asked, grinning.
"I didn't notice, but I did hear some interesting news."
Anfey sat down on an empty chair and glanced around, looking for Suzanna. He didn't stop Hui Wei because he knew that Yolanthe must be ready for Christian to reveal himself if the students in the academy knew the rumor.
"What is it?" Sante asked. Out of everyone, he and Blavi enjoy gossip the most.
"Christian," Hui Wei said, staring at Christian. "Should I keep calling you Christian, or should I call you Rodhart?" Hui Wei raised his voice purposely so everyone could hear him.
Everyone in the room hushed and turned around to look at Hui Wei and Christian. Niya and Suzanna walked into the room just in time to hear what Hui Wei had said and froze in their tracks.
Christian looked at Hui Wei and sighed. Then he smiled and said slowly, "Rodhart is only my baptismal name. Christian is my real name and I would prefer if you still call me Christian."
"Wait," Blavi asked, "you are Rodhart? The Rodhart? As in, the third prince Rodhart?"
"There's already two princes. I am the unnecessary addition. I hope you can still treat me like one of you," Christian said, lowering his gaze.
"You're really the prince?" Feller asked, his eyes wide.
"Alright, alright," Anfey said, standing up. He grabbed two apples from a nearby plate and sat down next to Christian, tossing one of the apples to Christian. He took a bite of the apple and said, "What? Are you scared now that you know who he really is?"
"No," Feller said, shaking his head.
"Feller."
"Yea?"
"If you were a prince, would you want us to salute do you?"
"Of course not."
"Why not?"
"Because you are my friends."
"Christian sees us as his friends as well. How do you think he would feel if we all act careful around him?"
"But…" Blavi opened his mouth but did not finish his sentence.
The atmosphere suddenly became very awkward. Even though Anfey's words made sense, Christian's real identity came as too big of a surprise. It was hard to imagine being friends with a prince.
"So you're Rodhart, huh?" Niya said. She ignored the awkwardness and did not change her way of speech. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"There are a lot of reasons," Christian said. "It's a long story."
"Who would have thought?" Entos said as he appeared in the living room. No one noticed him before and no one knew how much he had heard. He glanced at Christian and smirked. "I'm impressed. You fooled even me."
"I didn't want to fool you," Christian said.
"If I remember correctly, you've been here since you were six. How did a six-year-old learn how to lie?"
"Like I've just said, I didn't want to lie to you. I've never been to Swordbury Principality and I've been living here ever since I can remember."
"Christian, didn't you say Rodhart is your baptismal name?" Anfey asked, rubbing his chin.
"Yes. I was baptized. You have all met the man who performed the baptism."
"Slanbrea?" Anfey asked, surprised.
"Yes. But of course he had forgotten me."
"Of course," Entos said, smiling. "You were only a child then." He paused for a moment then said, "I remember that, though. His Majesty had allowed the Church of Light to build a church in Swordbury Principality. It is said that the prince has good relations with the church. Who would have thought the real prince was suffering elsewhere."
"I've never suffered," Christian objected. "I'm very satisfied with my life right now."
"That other Rodhart is brilliant, though. He fooled almost everyone, including the church. He must be good to fool those missionaries for so long."
"It's actually not that hard," Christian said with a shrug. "He's been taught for his entire life that he is the real prince. He needn't actually fool anyone."
Anfey lifted an eyebrow, then nodded. This was indeed a successful lie. Christian's stand-in didn't know he was not the real prince and had no chance of making mistakes.
"I don't care if that Rodhart knew or not," Entos said. He took a few steps forward and smirked. "You, though, you're different. I've always treated you like a little brother, and that won't change. You may be a prince, but you are still my little brother. You've fooled me for over a decade. I'm hurt by your lie. What are you going to do to make it up to me?"
"My birthday is in three days," Christian said slowly. "I can make it up to you then."
"Even your identity was fake. How am I supposed to know whether your birthday is real?" Entos asked, shaking his head. "If I had known this, I wouldn't have spent all that time finding your gifts."
"The birthday's real," Christian said earnestly. "Don't you remember my baptism?"
"It's so long ago," Entos complained. He frowned as he tried to recall the event, then turned his gaze to Christian again. "Fine. You have to make it up to me though."
"I swear!"
"There will be consequences if you don't satisfy me," Entos said, glaring at Christian.
"Of course, of course," Christian said, smiling.
"Christian," Anfey said, tapping him on the shoulder. "I haven't spent as much time with you, but I trusted you. Shouldn't I also get whatever you are preparing for Entos?"
"He's right," Niya said, walking over. "You lied to me too. I'm hurt. You should make it up to me, too."
Christian looked at the two of them and shook his head. "Fine," he said. "I won't forget you two."
"Did you forget about me?" Suzanna asked. She patted her sword and said, "I put my life in your hands."
"It's my birthday," Christian sighed. "Shouldn't you guys be giving me presents?"
"Are you dishonoring me?" Suzanna asked, frowning. "What are the rules for duels here?"
"You should ask Riska that."
"Fine, fine," Christian said before Riska could answer the question. "Alright. Everyone gets a gift, alright? Stop tormenting me."
"You're saying we all get a gift?" Riska asked, grinning. Everyone relaxed after seeing Christian act so embarrassed and the recent revelation began to fade from their memories.
"When Entos was gone, you were the elder brother," Blavi said, shaking his head. "We all trusted you."
"I feel like you are all teaming up against me," Christian said, looking down at the ground. "And I thought I was popular." He snuck a glance at Entos and smiled gratefully. Christian knew that Entos was trying to ease the tension, and he was thankful for it.
"You won't be until you earn our forgiveness," Blavi said with a wide grin. Then he suddenly turned to Anfey and said, "By the way, Master said he wanted to see you in the labs."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Anfey asked.
"I didn't know Hui Wei would tell us such a big secret the moment he walked through the door," Blavi said with a shrug. "You should probably go there right now."
Chapter 290: Blessed
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Behind the back garden was a long walkway. Saul's magic lab was at the end of the walkway. Anfey had been to the lab once, but only once. It wasn't because Saul did not trust him but because Anfey was useless in labs.
A lone red brick building loomed ahead. The area around the building was paved with stone, and a dozen armed swordsmasters were patrolling around the building. The red building wasn't the lab, which was hidden underground. The actual lab was much larger than the building. The lab was built underground to minimize damage. Under the pavement stones was a large magic array set up by Saul himself. It protected the lab and the people outside in case something went wrong.
The swordsmaster opened the door when he saw Anfey approaching. Anfey smiled at the man and was walking into the building when a figure lunged at him. Anfey reflexively wanted to punch the figure, then he realized it was Hagan. He held back his punch in time.
"What are you doing?" Anfey asked as he helped Hagan up.
"I'll tell you later," Hagan said hurriedly, then dashed out to the walkway that led to the building.
Anfey smiled and shook his head. He had an idea what Hagan was doing. After all, he was the one who told Hagan about the possibility of having an alchemist's lab in a magic lab.
"Lord Saul is not in the lab right now," the swordsmaster that opened the door said. "Please come with me."
"Where is he?"
"The practice field."
Anfey nodded quietly and followed the swordsmaster. The man led Anfey down a long, winding stairway and turned down a hallway. At the end of the hall was a heavy black gate.
"What is Master Saul doing in there?" Anfey asked.
The swordsmaster smiled. "I am not in the position to know that," he said. "I cannot go in there." Then the man turned around and walked away.
Anfey walked up to the door and pushed on it. There was another door inside of the same size and material. Unlike the door on the outside, there were dozens of magical runes carved on the sides of the gate.
Anfey closed the outer door. He tapped the runes on the side of the door, and the door glided open.
Anfey saw that the young unicorn was walking around in a circle of purple light. It was walking very slowly, as if it was hurt or tired. Saul was standing next to the light with Bruzuryano next to him.
"Lord Saul," Anfey called. "You were looking for me?"
"Yes," Saul said. He pointed at the unicorn. "It needs you."
"What happened to it?" Anfey asked. Before he could finish, the unicorn suddenly smashed into the light and caused it to buzz quietly. The unicorn was thrown back and crashed into the ground. Its eyes were full of uneasiness and fear, and its blue eyes appeared as if filled with tears.
"It's growing fast," Bruzuryano commented. "It already knows that it will be throw back by the shield."
"What is this?" Anfey asked. He felt uncomfortable seeing the unicorn so sad. Anfey knew that this was because of Tear of Stars, but he did not mind. The unicorn had been his child since the first time he picked up it.
"Just some experiments," Saul said. "Don't worry, it's good for it." Saul turned to Bruzuryano and said, "As far as I know, unicorns take twenty years to mature. This thing is growing so fast. Almost too fast."
"So this is what you're curious about," Bruzuryano said.
"Yes."
"Then you should stop here. Don't forget," Bruzuryano said. "He is chosen by the Heart of Nature."
"You're saying…"
"It will soon become a matured unicorn, I am certain," Bruzuryano said. "Its rate of maturity would decrease significantly. Maybe Anfey could become a paladin in thirty years."
"Thirty years?"
"Are you unsatisfied with that?" Bruzuryano asked with chuckle. "The Heart of Nature is limited, and the unicorn's bloodline affects the rate of maturity as well. The fastest it can reach maturity is thirty years."
"The mother is an evolved unicorn," Anfey said suddenly.
"What?" Bruzuryano frowned and asked.
"Its mother," Anfey said. "She was already evolved. There is no doubt about its bloodline."
Bruzuryano frowned at Anfey. "I'm not saying you're a liar, Anfey, but what you're saying is almost unreal. Even we would not go near an evolved unicorn."
Anfey shrugged.
"How did you come by this thing, anyway? Even the mother herself is enough to kill you a dozen times over," Bruzuryano said, staring at Anfey. He knew about the unicorn, but not its origins. He needed to know.
Anfey looked at Saul, who nodded. "We came by it by accident," he said. "Its mother was fighting a manticore and lost."
"Impossible," Bruzuryano said. "An evolved unicorn is more than enough to kill a manticore."
"It had just been born then," Anfey said.
"I see," Bruzuryano said with a sigh. "Tragic. I wonder why a manticore would challenge an unicorn."
"I don't know," Anfey lied. "They were already fighting when we saw them." Of course he couldn't tell the truth. He knew the unicorns were holy creatures to the followers of the Goddess of Nature, and telling the truth would possibly turn Bruzuryano against him.
"Then you saw it?"
Anfey nodded.
"I don't know what to say," Bruzuryano sighed. "Really, you should have been a follower of the Goddess. You must be blessed by the Goddess herself."
"I know why the Heart chose him," Saul said.
"What is it?"
"He ingested Tear of Stars."
Bruzuryano sighed and shook his head. "How did you get that now?"
"Its mother was dying but so was the manticore," Anfey said. "I wanted to help the unicorn so I killed the manticore. Then we found the Tear of Stars and Christian told me to eat it."
Bruzuryano opened and closed his mouth a few times, and finally only sighed. "Like I've said, you must be blessed by the Goddess herself. It is a shame that you choose not to follow her."
"Don't forget that he's my student," Saul said with a smile. "You are becoming more and more like Slanbrea."
"No one said otherwise," Bruzuryano said. "Are you saying that you will reject him if he chooses to follow the Goddess? Tell me, Saul, how often do you come across someone as lucky as he?"
"He's my student. He's special."
"He's not special," Bruzuryano snapped. "Just tell me yes or no."
"This is Anfey's choice," Saul said. "You should ask him."
Anfey frowned. He had expect Saul to handle the situation. "I just want to study magic right now," he said hesitantly. "Religion is not my concern yet. I can promise, though. As long as the followers of Goddess of Nature do not harm me and my friends, I will not harm them."
"To hell to that," Bruzuryano said. "My people have never harmed Saul's students, and never will. Or else I would turn into Slanbrea."
"Slanbrea? What did he do?" Anfey asked, surprised.
Chapter 291: Seeds of Light
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Slanbrea left a seed of light within you," Saul said quietly.
"What does that mean?" Anfey asked. He knew that it could not be very serious, and Saul must have already spoke with Bruzuryano about it, or else he would not be so calm.
Saul paused for a second and said, "It can help you harness the power of light quicker. But if you ever start practicing real light magic, you will find yourself uncontrollably drawn to it."
"Does that mean I will start practicing light magic?"
"Some may even spend their entire lives studying it."
"But I don't want to," Anfey complained. "What should I do? Should I avoid every missionary and every book about light magic?"
"It's not as serious as you think," Bruzuryano said with a frown. "The Heart of Nature should effectively repress the power of the seed."
"Can't you make it disappear?" Anfey asked. He thought that the Heart of Nature was not a permanent solution, and the only way that he wouldn't be affected was to remove the seed.
"You can talk to the pope."
"Never mind then," Anfey said, shaking his head.
"Think about this," Bruzuryano said. "Don't you remember what happened in the temple? You can't use magic, but you can control the druids' magic because of the Heart of Nature. With that, you can be very powerful."
Anfey hesitated. He didn't want to study nature magic, but if he rejected Bruzuryano, it would make their relationship tense. He still had to ask Bruzuryano for favors and he didn't want to alienate the man. But he could not agree to the offer either because of his relationship to Saul. If he studied with Bruzuryano, he would make both Saul and Yolanthe distrust him. He would get nothing if he made a king his enemy.
"Bruzuryano," Saul interrupted. "Didn't Anfey just say that he wanted to study with me? We can talk about other things in the future. Nothing good ever comes from forcing someone into a decision."
Bruzuryano sighed but did not say anything more.
"The unicorn," Anfey suddenly said. "Its mother was an evolved unicorn. Will it reach maturity faster?"
Bruzuryano shrugged. "Unlikely," he said, "but the Heart of Nature may quicken it by a few years."
Anfey sighed, "As long as I don't have to wait thirty years."
"This unicorn is behind in its development, you know," Bruzuryano said.
"What? Really?" Anfey asked, frowning. The unicorn certainly did not look it.
"Human infants need their mothers," Bruzuryano said. "Unicorn do too. What did you feed it?"
"Wild berries, mostly. We couldn't find anything else in the forest."
"Well, that's why."
"Is there a way to fix it?"
"No."
Anfey frowned and searched his mind for everything related to the unicorn. "What about unicorn blood?"
"Unicorn blood?" Bruzuryano asked with a frown. "You're not saying that you want to bleed this unicorn, are you?"
"No, of course not," Anfey said, shaking his head. "It's the older unicorn's."
"How cruel," Bruzuryano said, shocked. "The unicorn already gave you the Tear of Stars, and you dared take its blood!" If it was any other magic beast, Bruzuryano would not have reacted so sharply. However, for a druid, unicorns were holy and pets of the Goddess of Nature. Bleeding a unicorn was unthinkable.
"There's a reason to it, my lord," Anfey said earnestly.
"Spill it, then."
"We had to protect it. If we hadn't become stronger, we wouldn't have been able to even protect ourselves, let alone the unicorn. We were all mages, and the blood was a great boost to our power. We shouldn't let it just rot away!"
"That does not justify your actions," Bruzuryano said coldly. "Unicorn blood is of no use to unicorns. If you really cared about it, your own blood would have sufficed."
"Maybe that is a way," Anfey murmured.
Bruzuryano frowned and shook his head. He didn't expect Anfey to agree to his statement. "You don't have to do that," Bruzuryano said. "You could bleed yourself dry and increase the unicorn's maturity rate by a day."
"But it will help?"
"No, not really," Bruzuryano said, "unless you want to die." He knew that if Anfey really did try to bleed himself and feed the unicorn, Saul would blame him, even though Anfey would be doing it on his own volition.
"Don't worry," Anfey said with a smile. "I won't bleed myself dry. I don't have a death wish." Unlike people in this world, Anfey had common knowledge from another world and knew that loss of a small amount of blood would not affect him. People who donated blood regularly were often even healthier than people did not. Anfey didn't mind feeding the unicorn his blood once a month.
Bruzuryano shook his head. He paced around the room, sighing and muttering to himself. He was much more experienced than Anfey and could read people better than Anfey had anticipated. "There may be a way to quicken its growth," he said finally.
"What is it?"
"You have to find a person before that," Bruzuryano said. He did not want to tell Anfey, but he felt obligated to. Anfey was too stubborn and hot-headed. What if he let out too much blood by accident? For followers of the Goddess of Nature, people chosen by the Heart of Nature were seen as messengers sent by the Goddess herself. They were responsible for educating the followers in the right way and bringing hope. Bruzuryano could not let Anfey die no matter how much he disliked the idea that Anfey held the Heart of Nature.
"Who?"
"Jacob."
"Jacob? Why?" Saul asked.
"Have you already forgotten what Jacob's life goal is?"
"You mean… the sacred spirit potion?"
"Of course. We have unicorn blood, which is the hardest ingredient to find."
"Where are we supposed to find Spring of Life? All those ingredients are way too hard to find. And way too expensive."
"Have you forgotten? I am an arch druid. If I were to ask the elf queen, she would let me have some of those things. Spring of Life shouldn't be a problem."
"They have a new queen?" Saul asked, shocked.
Bruzuryano grunted out of frustration. He was trying to propose a solution and got too distracted. Normally he would never make such a great mistake. "You know, I'm starting to think you're purposely trying to pry."
"No, of course not," Saul said, shaking his head. "I'll pretend I never heard anything about the elves. You should know how expensive the other ingredients are. Spring of Life isn't the only problem."
"I have some of it," Bruzuryano said, "I'll try to take care of the rest. I need you two to swear that you will tell no one about the elves." Saul said he would pretend he hadn't heard anything, but Bruzuryano couldn't let it go so easily. The new queen was still young, but in another century or so, the first elven supreme power would be born.
"Of course," Saul said, nodding. "Although it should be three people."
"Two," Bruzuryano said firmly. He knew that Saul counted Yolanthe as well. "The queen is still young and poses no threat to your precious little kingdom. Everyone alive now will be long dead by the time she achieves her full strength. More likely than not, Maho Empire itself will be gone by then. What are you worried about?" Bruzuryano needed to calm Saul, and the only thing he lied about was how long it would take for the new queen to come into her own.
"Fine," Saul said. "Alright. I swear to the gods that if I tell anyone about your secret, my soul will toil in hell for all eternity."
"Anfey."
"I swear to the gods that if I tell anyone about your secret, my soul will toil in hell for all eternity," Anfey repeated Saul's oath.
Chapter 292: Angry Unicorn
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Bruzuryano sighed after he heard the oath, then smiled. "I will leave here tomorrow," he said, turning to Saul. "Your place is more dangerous than a dragon's nest." Then Bruzuryano turned and slowly walked towards the door.
"Lord Bruzuryano seems to know how to get himself out of trouble," Anfey said with a smile, staring at Bruzuryano's back. "We can't let him spill the secret. This is good, though, I think. Hopefully he feels better now."
Saul frowned. "Anfey, we have a problem now."
"What problem?"
"Jacob learned how to make the Sacred Spirit potion from his teacher, but he never told me what the potion could do. But if the unicorn can grow faster with the potion, the Elf Queen can as well." Saul sighed, "That would be troublesome."
"Master, are you saying that we should take the potion for ourselves and break our agreement?" Anfey asked. He knew that Saul was willing to speak of this in front of him because Saul trusted him. He was glad for Saul's trust, and at the same time he was trying very hard to find a good resolution.
"We aren't cheating anyone," Saul said, patting Anfey on the shoulder. "But this is a very difficult situation." Saul was troubled. He suspected that Bruzuryano's true intention was not to help the unicorn grow, but was instead to help the Elf Queen. If there was a five hundred year buffer period, he could accept it, which was why he swore the oath. Ernest was becoming stronger, and Saul had a new discovery. Anfey's fiancee had the blessing of an angel, and the old man who had taught Anfey must be a Supreme power. If Anfey was there, the old man might be willing to come forth and reveal himself. After four or five hundred years, humans should be able to find the secret to unlock Supreme Inheritance Discontinuity. The Elf Queen would not change that. However, if the Elf Queen had Sacred Spirit potion, she would become an unpredictable factor. Both Saul and Yolanthe were confident in their ability to groom supreme powers. After the Age of Chaos, unlocking the secret of supreme inheritance became the top priority of every nation. Countless resources were spent on this topic. This was why Anfey's presence caught so many important people's attention. He was the key to finding a supreme power. After thousands of years, every nation had information about the secret, and Maho Empire was perhaps the most knowledgeable out of all the nations. Saul was able to defeat Newyoheim not because he was stronger, but because of this new discovery.
"Master, what is the relationship like between Bruzuryano and Jacob?"
"They are friendly, why?"
"If we really want to cheat, we should ask someone other than Jacob to make the potion."
"Who should we go to, then?"
"I don't know anything about alchemy, but is Hagan qualified to make this potion?"
Saul frowned.
"If we needed a magic tool, Hagan might not be able to make it. But if it is just a potion, maybe Hagan can do it."
"From what little I know about alchemy, as long as we have the recipe, we can have Hagan try."
"That should temporarily solve our dilemma. Let Hagan look through Jacob's manuscripts first and see if there is anything useful. If we can't find the recipe, we can always go find Jacob and get it from him. After we make the potion, we can always lie and say we failed. Bruzuryano can't do anything."
Saul did not say anything. Truthfully, Saul did not agree with Anfey's plan. Bruzuryano was a good friend of Saul's, and even though they were working for different sides, they still managed to maintain their friendship. Anfey's status was too low and his view was too restricted. He only thought about Bruzuryano. Anfey knew that Bruzuryano was concerned about Yolanthe and wanted to maintain a good relationship with the king, but he did not know that Yolanthe was worried the followers of Goddess of Nature and the followers of the Church of Light might be united.
The two religions might not be able to assemble an army the way a nation could, but both religions had their own defense teams. The Church of Light had Knights of the Light, Fanatical Crusaders, and Arbitrators' Guild; among the followers of Goddess of Nature were Jungle Guard, Green Expeditionary, and small squads made up of druids. These were forces to be reckoned with.
Slanbrea was easy to kill because he was only a minstrel who practiced magic before joining the Church. He was used to being alone even after he rose to positions of power. If he had even a few of his guards with him, even Saul and Ernest could not kill him.
"Master…" Anfey said quietly.
"We will talk about it later," Saul said, shaking his head. Saul was a brilliant man, but he did not have the determination to go through with the plan. He did not need that determination, either, because usually Yolanthe was the one to make the final decision. Now, he could not talk to Yolanthe because of his oath, and he found it hard to make a decision. He knew that the oath had been the only way to go so that they did not anger Bruzuryano, but he still regretted it. If he angered Bruzuryano and the man left, it would be troublesome for Yolanthe.
Anfey shrugged but did not say anything. He did not know Saul's stance and did not know that his status had changed. Saul's oath meant he was the only one Saul could talk to about Bruzuryano.
Suddenly, the unicorn, which was still trapped in the magic array, whined loudly. The fear and confusion in the unicorn's eyes were already gone. Magic beasts' intelligence was limited and the beasts were much more direct when it came to expressing their emotions. The unicorn arched its back and, with a sudden movement of its head, released an arc of lightning. Then it threw its body against the wall of light.
The magic array was too powerful, and the unicorn was thrown back. However, it already knew that and landed on the ground on its four legs. Anfey could tell from its eyes that it was really angry.
"Master!" Anfey called, worried about the unicorn.
Saul waved his hands and the light around the unicorn disappeared. A ball of water appeared in front of the unicorn. The unicorn jumped into the water and turned the ball into thousands of droplets. The unicorn landed and looked around angrily, searching for its enemy.
The anger in the unicorn's eyes disappeared when it saw Anfey, and it was replaced by sadness. It whinnied quietly and dashed towards Anfey. It ran into him, wanting to rub itself against him. However, the unicorn did not know how heavy it was. Its body slammed into Anfey, who stumbled backwards under the weight. He grunted as he steadied himself.
The unicorn turned and saw Saul, its body becoming tense. It cocked its head and looked at the old man, then an arc of lightning shot out of its horn towards Saul. For a child, a parent was the strongest ally. Maybe the unicorn thought as long as Anfey was there, it could do whatever it wanted.
Saul did not move and let the lightning strike him. An attack like this could not do any harm to him. He looked at the unicorn and marvelled. "It can already release a lightning arc?" he asked, shocked.
"It can't really do any harm, though," Anfey said, his voice raspy. His body still hurt where the unicorn rammed into him.
"It is still young. It shouldn't be able to do that."
The unicorn's body was still tense, and it was glaring at Saul. Anfey patted its head and whispered, "It's alright. Relax. Master, it seems like it is scared of you. What should we do now? I don't want it to get scared when it's in your care."
"I don't have time to care for it," Saul said, shaking his head. "Bruzuryano gave me these Silkvanilla. You can give it to Suzanna so the unicorn could stay with her."
"Silkvanilla? I think I have some of it as well."
"Where did you find it?" Saul asked.
"In its cave."
"Do you know how hard it was for me to convince Bruzuryano to give me some of this?" Saul asked, smiling. "Just take it. Let's go find Suzanna."
Chapter 293: Christian's Mission
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Anfey, don't you think it's getting a bit late?" Suzanna asked.
Anfey jumped off the bed and walked over to the window. He opened the shutters and peered out. "You're right," he said, nodding. "It is late." Then he walked back and sat down next to Suzanna again.
Suzanna sighed and shook her head. She didn't just want to ask Anfey to look at the time. She was implying that he should leave her room now because it was getting late.
Suzanna rolled her eyes and pushed him away from her. "Quit being annoying," she said.
"Annoying?" Anfey asked, sitting up straighter. "Are you annoyed by me already?"
"You know what I mean."
Anfey smiled. He lied down on the bed. There was no indication that he would leave her alone. He turned to stare at Suzanna and suddenly spotted suspicious movements behind her. "Stay where you are!" he bellowed as he sat up.
The unicorn jumped. Then it whimpered and ducked behind the bed.
"What are you doing?" Suzanna scolded. "Don't scare it."
Anfey did not say anything to Suzanna. Instead, he pointed at the unicorn and said, "Don't come any nearer." Whenever he was with Suzanna, he would completely let his guard down. It was in those moments that he was the most playful.
"So what?" Suzanna asked, frowning. "Come here. Don't be afraid."
The unicorn looked at Suzanna then back to Anfey, its eyes filled with fear and doubt.
"I don't care if that thing's closer to you, but I won't let anyone touch you," Anfey said seriously.
Suzanna blushed. "You idiot," she blurted out, punching Anfey on the shoulder. Normally, she would just roll her eyes when Anfey made a joke. This showed how truly embarrassed she was.
"It's not me, it's Bruzuryano," Anfey muttered. Suzanna's clothes were washed with silkvanilla infused water. The scent of the plant had made the unicorn mad, and so it was constantly trying to cuddle with Suzanna. This made Anfey jealous, even though he knew that he had no reason to be and that the emotion was irrational and stupid.
Of course, Anfey wouldn't let jealousy cloud his judgement. He was afraid that the unicorn would be lured away by a stranger using silkvanilla and so had done some experiments. He discovered that unicorn would only follow a few people even if they had the plant. It would not follow men. It would follow women, but only women it knew. He had a maid wear a dress washed with silkvanilla water, but it would not go with her. It would not let Doris hold it either, even though it had known Doris for a while. In the end, the only people the unicorn would approach were Niya, Shally, and Suzanna.
Suzanna kept her eyes on the floor and did not want to look at Anfey. She was a very traditional person, and she did not like Anfey making lewd jokes about her. She did not like initiating any intimate gestures, either.
The unicorn didn't know what Anfey and Suzanna were arguing about, but it could tell who was winning. It saw Suzanna rolling her eyes and turning away, and knew that Anfey had won the argument.
Anfey felt bad and needed to distract Suzanna. He sighed and waved his hand at the unicorn. "Come here," he said.
The unicorn sprang up and bounced over to Suzanna, then plopped itself down between Suzanna and Anfey. It turned and kicked Anfey a few times on the leg, as if it was angry that Anfey had scolded it earlier. Yesterday the unicorn had rammed into him and left him with a large bruise. Anfey knew that the unicorn's strength would only grow over time. If he kept allowing the unicorn to kick him, who knew what would happen. Anfey decided that he would start training the unicorn so it would know how to deal with other people.
Suddenly, the two heard a soft tapping.
"Who is it?"
"It's me," Christian said.
"Christian?" Anfey asked, frowning. He got up and opened the window. "I see you're ready to be a thief," he joked.
"I know," Christian said as he came into the room. "I need both your help."
Anfey nodded. He turned to Suzanna and said, "Can you take the unicorn to Shally's room?"
Suzanna nodded. She could tell Christian had ran into trouble and he could not solve it by himself.
After Suzanna took the unicorn to Shally's room, she met Anfey and Christian in the garden. Christian glanced around nervously to make sure they were alone, then released a soundproof magic spell that covered the three of them.
"What happened?" Anfey asked. "Why are you so nervous?"
"I have a mission," Christian said with a sigh. "I need to complete it today."
"What mission?"
"I need to kill someone," Christian said briskly.
"Who?"
"Rodhart. The fake one, at least."
"So that's the mission His Majesty gave you?" Anfey asked, shocked.
Christian nodded, his eyes downcast.
Anfey could not understand what Yolanthe was thinking. He did not know whether the fake Rodhart had to die, but he knew that if Yolanthe wanted him dead, he did not need to ask Christian to do it.
"Father told me that he had done too much for me already," Christian said, shaking his head. "He told me that I should be responsible for planning my future from now on. The first thing I have to do is to kill the fake Rodhart." Christian paused for a second, as if waiting for his words to sink in. "I understand Father's intentions. If I become a murderer, I have to accept the consequences."
"His Majesty is mad," Suzanna said incredulously. "He told you to kill, yet he wants you to take responsibility for it?"
"He has to kill the fake Rodhart, but he doesn't have to be a murderer," Anfey said quietly with a frown.
"He's right," Christian said. "Father told me that I can hire people to do it. He wouldn't care if I bring the entirety of Sacred City with me, as long as it gets done. The point is, I cannot be accused of the murders."
"He's testing your abilities, then?"
"Yes."
"Wait," Anfey said. "Hold up. You know how Hui Wei found out you're the prince? We overheard a conversation between two students at the academy. If they know, the rest of the city will soon know, as well. It's not hard to put two and two together, you know. The fake Rodhart had to go. I think His Majesty orchestrated this entire thing."
Christian frowned. "You may be right," he said. "He spread the rumor so I would have to kill the fake Rodhart."
Anfey frowned and began formulating a plan. Due to the difference in status, he knew far less than Christian did. It was hard to create a big picture with the limited resources he had. After a few minutes, he realized he was not getting anywhere and gave up.
"How long does it take to get to Swordbury from here?" Anfey asked.
"The fake Rodhart is in a palace near the city. He is coming here tomorrow."
"His Majesty summoned him?"
"Yes."
"So our only target is Rodhart, right?"
"The palace is guarded by the palace guards, but they will not try to stop us. Everyone else must be killed," Christian said. "It's mostly his servants and personal guards. There is a priest of light with him as well."
Anfey frowned. If the palace guards were cooperating with Christian, they didn't need to hide.
"What do you think?" Christian asked.
"You're saying this is a plan laid out by His Majesty?"
"Not exactly," Christian said. "I took a guess. It's hard talking with my father, you know. Everything he says sounds like it's implying something else."
"Pity," Suzanna said. "The life of a prince sounds no better than that of a peasant."
"A prince with a mission forced upon him is even more pitiful," Anfey said. "Christian, tell me everything about the conversation you had with His Majesty."
"It's too long for that," Christian said, shaking his head. "It involves some secrets about the court that I cannot tell you. But the last thing he said to me was perhaps the reason he gave me this mission."
"What did he say?"
"He said there is not a single ruler with a clean history. Every monarch must bloody their hands. If I wanted peace of mind, I might as well give up my claim."