Chapter 384: Seventh Legion
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The sky was already dark by the time Anfey and Christian left Fernando's tent. Fernando wasn't certain what Shadow Empire meant, either, but he knew that he must report immediately. The necromancers had the ability to cause more chaos earlier, but they chose not to. Clearly, the necromancers were distracted by something else.
However, Anfey knew that this was not something he could take care of. Even Fernando must report this issue. Even though Anfey had more power than before, he was still not important enough to be involved in significant decisions.
Christian and Anfey walked back to Christian's house. The house was very well organized and had a few servants. Fernando had insisted on giving the houses to others, and instead of staying in a proper home, he chose to stay in tents with his soldiers.
However, the generals completely misunderstood his intentions. They knew that Fernando must go, and thought that he was only acting like a good person. The generals were biased, of course. Fernando's actions were very admirable and rare. Very few generals were willing to give up proper homes for tents.
After Christian and Anfey settled down, Orsie appeared with a stranger. The stranger was tall and exceptionally thin, his sunken cheeks and eye sockets made him look more like a dying man than a healthy mercenary.
Orsie bowed to Anfey and Christian and said, "This is the man I was talking about earlier."
The stranger took a few steps forward and bowed. "I'm Thompson, my lord," the man said. "Leader of Thorn mercenary group."
Anfey glanced at Orsie, who stepped forward and said, "Thompson told me he wanted to join our alliance, my lord."
Anfey nodded. He turned to Thompson and said, "I see. You will become the head of the Seventh Legion. This is Christian and Riska, my trusted assistants. This is Blavi, our head mage. This is Elizabeth, the deputy leader of our mage group. This is Ozzic, head of the First Legion, and Shinbella, head of the Sixth Legion."
Thompson grinned and nodded at everyone in the room. Ozzic waved his hand and said, "Come, sit down. You don't have to keep standing, you know."
Thompson hesitated for a second, then nodded and sat down next to Orsie. He was worried that he might cause the others to dislike him if he act too comfortable.
"I'm glad you came to us," Anfey said. "In crucial times like this, we need every man and woman we can get. You alone are in charge of your legion. I won't tell you what to do with it."
Anfey knew that although his speech to Thompson wasn't bad, it was not the most ideal. If Alice was here, she would have made a much better speech. However, his words had achieved the intended effect. He wanted Thompson to feel welcomed, but at the same time he want to set boundaries for Thompson.
"I understand, sir," Thompson said. He turned, grinned at Orsie, and said, "Orsie convinced me to come. I know that the other nations already have this situation under control; only Country of Mercenaries is still in a state of chaos. We bicker too much, but we can't go on like this anymore. An alliance is a perfect way to solve the problem. I think you are qualified to create a unified Country of Mercenaries, my lord."
Anfey glanced at Orsie. He did not expect Orsie to be so persuasive. Thompson's words had two layers of meanings as well. He showed that Orsie played a vital part in his recruitment. If Orsie was promoted, Thompson would be more likely to be promoted as well. If Thompson was in trouble, Orsie would extend a helping hand. He said that he wanted to see a unified Country of Mercenaries, which was something Anfey could achieve. He did not propose an impossible goal. If Thompson supported Anfey in becoming the ruler of the Country of Mercenaries, he would probably support Anfey on other things, as well.
The other mercenaries all fell silent after hearing Thompson's words. Ozzic sat silently, thinking about what Thompson had said. He joined this alliance because he wanted more power. He did not even dream of a unified Country of Mercenaries, but Thompson's words gave him an idea. If Anfey became the leader of a unified country, Ozzic would surely receive a position of power as a reward for his loyalty and his contributions to the cause.
Orsie narrowed his eyes. A unified country was well within reach at this point. Tiger of Tawau mercenary group was already in decline, and with Christian and the Shield of Light Legion and the alliance, Orsie was sure that unifying the country would not be as difficult as it might sound. Glory mercenary group had already been weakened by the civil war and the War against the Dead. Storm mercenary group may be harder to deal with, but with Brothers mercenary group and the alliance, it shouldn't be difficult. Even though it would still be a difficult thing to achieve, it was not impossible.
Anfey shook his head. "We will speak of this later. How many men do you have left?"
"Around eight hundred," Thompson said. "I've already spoken with them. Most of them are all willing to join the alliance. Some are hesitant."
"What are you planning to do?" Anfey asked. He did not want to tell Thompson what to do with his own men.
"I will speak with them again," Thompson said. "Those that are not willing to join will have to leave. They can take their weapons but nothing else."
"They will die."
"That will be out of my jurisdiction," Thompson said with a sigh. "Reddenburg's food supply is already depleted. We can't spare anything. We can barely feed ourselves."
"We brought supplies," Blavi said. "We can spare a bit."
"They are not part of the alliance, why should we spare any food for them?"
"Don't back them into a corner," Christian warned. "If you do, they may join our enemy."
Anfey nodded. "If they join Fernando's side, they won't have to worry about food or supplies."
Thompson paused and shook his head. "They won't get that chance."
Anfey nodded and frowned.
"We have to take a stance, my lord," Thompson said slowly. "There are still dozens of towns out there, waiting for support. If we just let those fighters who do not want to join the alliance go, word will spread. People will think that joining the alliance means nothing. We cannot let that happen."
"He's right," Orsie agreed. "We are mercenaries and mercenaries prefer freedom. If we let those men go, it may create unwanted side effects."
"I support Thompson," Shinbella said. Ozzic nodded in agreement.
Anfey glanced around. The mercenaries had already decided to support Thompson, but Christian, Blavi, and Riska did not say anything. They were not mercenaries and did not support a leader killing his own people.
"This is the only way," Thompson said. "We have to be strong."
"You sure nothing will go wrong?" Anfey asked.
"I'm certain," Thompson promised, getting up.
Anfey sighed and waved his hand. Seeing that no one else was getting up, Thompson sat down again. "So are we supposed to go save those towns by ourselves?"
"Fernando will send some priests and knights with us," Christian said. "He will send some cavalry as well."
"How many?"
Christian shook his head. "He hasn't decided yet," he said. "I think the best option would be one of us." Christian sighed and said, "Fernando is a very smart man. He knows how to plan his future."
"It's a shame," Anfey said. "I would hate it for a good talent to go to waste."
"If we are splitting up, Ozzic and Shinbella should come with me. Blavi, you should go with Orsie and Thompson. Keep your eyes open. Don't let those priests fool you into doing anything you don't want to."
Blavi nodded. "Don't worry," he said. "I won't let you guys down."
Anfey smiled. "Orsie, Thompson, you two should keep an eye out as well. Blavi can't take care of everything by himself."
"I understand," Orsie said.
"I agree with you, Thompson," Anfey said with a sigh. "Do as you wish." He turned to Christian and asked, "Did you receive any letters from Alice?"
"No," Christian said, shaking his head. "Don't worry. I'm sure Suzanna is fine."
Chapter 385: Real Cooperation
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Where there is sunlight, there must be shadows. Sacred City, as the political and economic center, was one of the most prosperous cities in Maho Empire. However, usually it was hard for people to see shade in the dark corners.
There was a small no-name bar in the far end of the northwest part of Sacred City. Most customers here were have-nots living in the surrounding impoverished neighborhoods. The bar was neither too busy nor empty. Business was mediocre because slumdogs could not be too picky. Usually crooked businessmen mix water into the drinks, but the owner of this bar just added some alcohol to water. Drinks were cheap, but the bar owner still could make some money because the cost was so low.
Of course, any capable person with some status would not come here to drink. The owner of this bar was smart. He was good at targeting his customers. The most expensive drink only cost a silver coin. The flirty waitresses in the bar either had a lot of wrinkles on their faces or were not pretty. Their figures were nothing to look at. To be honest, in other areas, this kind of woman would not be able to get in to apply for a job in the bar. The owners of the bar would have asked them to leave. However, the waitresses seemed to be liked by customers here. They got good tips, and some of them even went to rooms upstairs with the customers after coming on to them.
This particular day, a special guest came to the bar. He was not large, but the clothes on him proved he was very different than those have-nots. He also wore shiny jewelry from head to toe. The three rings on his left hand were the most eye-catching. The middle one was a Dimensional ring. The people who grew up in poverty did not even know such a magical ring could exist. The owner of the bar definitely knew about it, so he was careful when he served him.
As it got darker, there were fewer guests. The owner of the bar looked a little nervous. He hesitated for a long time before he sent the waitresses home. He pushed the wooden door open and walked out of the bar. Soon after, three big guys walked into the bar one after another. They took a look at the old man first and walked to the few remaining customers one by one. After a short conversation, they slapped or kicked each one and asked them to leave. Very soon, the customers hurried out of the bar.
That old man continued gulping down cheap drinks and did not seem to know what had happened. The three large men looked at each other before slowly walking over to that old man. The owner of the bar walked in and carefully closed the door and locked it.
"Hey!" A big guy suddenly slammed the table
That old man still did not look up. The owner of the bar smiled. "This old guy almost drank half bucket of liquor. He probably does not even know who he is now."
"Hey, isn't it our master's ring?" A big guy suddenly stepped up and yelled. "Who do you think you are! Thief!" The big guy tried to grab the old man's left hand to take the three rings off.
The old man looked annoyed. He waved his hands and the big guy flew back fast. He looked like a little bird. Maybe this was his first time to feel the sensation of flying. He looked like he could not control the direction of his flight. In the blink of an eye, he smashed against the wall. The wall of the bar was made of wood. He flew right through it and was stuck halfway through the wall. His legs jerked and went limp. Nobody could see what happened to his upper body since it was on the other side of the wall.
The other two big guys looked terrified and immediately stepped back. The owner of the bar was shocked for a second before he yelled, "Help! Help! Someone is drunk. He is killing people."
Coincidentally, patrolmen were nearby. They were attracted to the bar owner's yelling. They knocked the wood door as they told the people inside that they were police officers. The bar owner rushed to the wood door as swift as a monkey. He tried to unlock the door he had just locked a few moments ago. He was so panicked that he did not seem to have control of his fingers. He was not able to unlock the door immediately, so the officer outside got impatient and broke down the door. The bar owner was knocked back to the floor.
"What's going on here?" the officer yelled. He looked from the hole in the wall to the two big guys. He seemed to think the two were the criminals.
"Ah…" The bar owner got up from the floor, moaning. He pointed to the old man, who was still drinking. "Sir, it is that old man. I asked him to pay for his bill, but he refused to pay and hit my customers. Oh, my god, poor Jimmy." The bar owner stumbled over and held his peer's limp legs hanging from the wall and wailed.
The officer turned to look at the old man. He checked the old guy's clothes first and slowly walked over. He said politely, "Master!"
"Don't disturb him." A gentle voice arose from outside.
The officer was shocked for a second before he turned to look out. The patrolmen immediately made way for him. That officer could not help looking shocked when he saw two armed soldiers walked in. They were all soldiers in charge of the security of Sacred City. An old man walked in after them. The officer's hair stood up on end when he saw the face of the old man. He bowed respectfully. "Master Saul."
Saul waved his hand and walked slowly to the drunk old man. He was quiet for a while, then took off his gown and hung it on the back of a chair. He took a seat across from the man and asked in a low voice, "Don't you want to buy me a drink?"
The bar owner had stopped crying after Saul walked in. His face had immediately turned pale when he figured out that the old man was the famous Saul. Now he saw Saul asking that no-name old man for a drink, which just made him faint. They had not known their target was a friend of Archmage Saul. They definitely were not able to take such a consequence.
"Master Saul, here…," the officer said timidly.
"Can you guys step out for a second? We do not want to be disturbed," Saul said.
"Yes, sir!" the officer said immediately. He gave his fellow officers a look. The unconscious bar owner and two trembling big guys had given him enough clues to know what actually happened.
A few officers rushed over and took the two big guys and the bar owner out. The bar became quiet, but the old man never moved his eyes away from his glass. He slowly looked up. "Did King Yolanthe decide to kill me?"
"Bruzuryano, I do not understand what you are saying," Saul said with a smile.
Bruzuryano heaved a long sigh and looked pained. "Manstuly has left. Haven't you heard?"
"Yes, I know. Manstuly is Manstuly, while you are you. Two different issues. How could Manstuly think King Yolanthe would not know what he did?" Saul said calmly, with a chuckle. "You are such an honest person and knew about what he did, how could the king not know about it?"
"Druids have been working very well for hundreds of years. I did not think we would have stupid ass Manstuly. I am sorry you had to see that." Bruzuryano paused and continued, "Saul, we have been friends for many years. I am not asking you to do anything that would put you in awkward situations. I only want you to tell me the truth if the king really thinks I am not related to Manstuly."
"Sure. You know me. We are friends, but if the king has made any decision, I would not sacrifice the empire because of our friendship," Saul said.
"I still could not believe." Bruzuryano smiled bitterly. "Saul, our following has grown to over 800,000 people in the past few years. Does the king really allow us to keep growing? Doesn't he worry the followers of God of Nature would post threats to his authority?"
Saul chuckled. "Bruzuryano, don't you worry about it. Is that why you are still in Sacred City?"
"No, you are wrong. I believe it is inevitable," Bruzuryano said slowly. "With Yolanthe's personality, he definitely will constrain our development, or even hinder development. I only sincerely hope to get the king's forgiveness and keep our losses to a minimum."
"You do not really know King Yolanthe," Saul said with a serious tone. "The king believes that people need beliefs in addition to the necessities of life. He believes that an appropriate amount of beliefs are beneficial for social stability. Of course, the power of religion can be terrible. The key is who has the control of it. The king would feel good if it is you."
"What happens after me?" Bruzuryano asked.
"That is too far in the future. I don't think there is any point in talking about it now," Saul said.
Bruzuryano sighed and leaned back in the chair. He looked relaxed now.
"My old friend, you are not hiding here, drinking cheap drinks because you are worried the king would do anything to you, are you?" Saul said.
"It would be a lie if I tell you I did not worry about it. In addition, what Manstuly did is really disappointing." Bruzuryano sighed. "Saul, do you know why Manstuly wanted to kill Anfey?"
"Kind of." Saul nodded. "Is it because of the Heart of Nature?"
"Yes," Bruzuryano said quietly. "The Heart of Nature used to be kept in the Central Temple. Manstuly wanted it and sent his people to attack the temple by surprise and tried to take the Heart of Nature. They were not able to do so because I coincidentally had just gone to the Central Temple and encountered them. I tried to take my people to see and confront Manstuly. Mauso tried to mediate between us. He forced Manstuly to apologize. After considering everything, I forgave him in the end."
"Unbelievable. How come I didn't know about it at all?" Saul said in surprise.
"It was shameful for druids, so we kept it a secret. No one talked about it to others. It made sense that you did not know about it," Bruzuryano said slowly. "To be honest, it was my fault. I did not dare keep the Heart of Nature in the Central Temple anymore. I take it with me no matter where I went. I met Slanbrea in the Country of Mercenaries. He told me he was tracing Morgan and asked my help. Saul, you know what kind of necromancer Morgan is. I was ready to sacrifice my life for the fight against Morgan."
"Did you really find Morgan? What happened?" Saul asked.
"Later? We did not find Morgan. Instead, we found his student, Annunciata. You know the rest of it." Bruzuryano smiled. "I have many friends, but only a few I really trust. You are one of them. Because of the threats from Morgan, I felt I should give the Heart of Nature to someone I trusted so necromancers would not be able to get it. When I met Anfey, I gave him the Heart of Nature, hoping he would give it to you later. You are the most appropriate one to keep it among my friends.
"But you did not expect Anfey would bond with the Heart of Nature, right?" Saul smiled.
"No, I did not expect that. It was unbelievable that Anfey bonded with it." Bruzuryano sighed. "Last time the Heart of Nature bonded with the supreme power, Dante, it was a thousand years ago."
"It must be fate. If you did not give the Heart of Nature to Anfey, it would not have happened," Saul said.
"You are right. That way, Anfey might be able to have a more peaceful life. Manstuly would not go after him either," Bruzuryano said.
"Anfey does not like a peaceful life anyway. I know him." Saul smiled.
"You not only know him, but also think he is good. So does King Yolanthe," Bruzuryano said.
"Don't you think the same?" Saul said calmly. "Dante was just a wandering beggar. After bonding with the Heart of Nature, he became a supreme power in ten years. If Anfey is given some time, he could be better than all of us. He had a supreme power as a teacher when he was a kid. What does it mean for him to be related to two supreme powers? Everybody thinks he is good."
"Good?" Bruzuryano smiled. "King Yolanthe probably thinks even more highly of him."
"What do you mean?" Saul asked.
"Granden has volunteered a few times to be the overseer of the Shield of Light legion, but King Yolanthe did not agree. Instead, he asked Christian to be the overseer. I think Anfey played a role in his decision," Bruzuryano said.
"That is the personal issue of the king. Let's switch topics," Saul said quietly.
"Saul, you have not taken sides yet?" Bruzuryano said with a chuckle.
"Me?" Saul raised his eyebrow.
"Without others' help, Manstuly will not be able to stop Suzanna in time. Saul, are you disappointed at your future son-in-law," Bruzuryano said slowly.
"Bruzuryano, Bruzuryano, I have been treating you nicely, as my brother," Saul said with a bitter smile.
"You are right," Bruzuryano said jokingly, but there was hatred in his eyes. "If I was not so nice, I would have destroyed Manstuly when he had just become the Wolf King. If I had done that, we would not have trouble now."
"It is not too late. The key is that you are determined to destroy him," Saul said quietly.
"Manstuly kept me out of it, so he has been playing a game with me. Whether he survives or not, he could use Yolanthe to destroy the power of my temple. Do you think I would let him go this time?" Bruzuryano said slowly.
"It's better you think this way," Saul said. "I have been wondering why you would stick with Manstuly. Mauso and you could definitely have killed him. Anfey has bonded with the Heart of Nature and became a messenger of God for druids. It is so crazy that Manstuly wants to kill Anfey. Even Mauso is enraged about it. He pretended that he agreed to help, but passed his plan to us right away. We are lucky that he helped us, otherwise we would be short staffed."
"Manstuly has a good wife," Bruzuryano said bitterly. "Do not underestimate elves. Manstuly's wife is an elf pharaoh and has powers among elves. With her help, Manstuly could be successful."
"I did not get a chance to ask you whose idea was it to give Anfey a few elf maids. I know it would not have been your idea," Saul said.
"Well…it was to help Anfey master the Nature magic faster," Bruzuryano said.
"Really?" Saul asked.
"Of course," Bruzuryano said.
Saul nodded and smiled. He did not continue on that topic.
"Saul, don't you want to remind your future son in-law and just watch him to make mistakes?" Bruzuryano knew Saul must have noticed something and tried to switch the topic to avoid issues Saul did not want to talk about.
"I was not the one who did not want to remind him. The king wants to see the true colors of each one of them," Saul said calmly. "I think I can understand him. Philip has claimed his loyalty to Wester, so Granden felt the pressure and rushed into believing in Manstuly."
"To see the true colors of them? What could he see when they are pushed to the corners?" Bruzuryano sneered. He saw Saul looking annoyed and knew Saul did not like anyone to talk about Yolanthe with a sarcastic tone. He heaved a sigh and switched the topic. "I feel blessed to have the king's forgivingness. I think we should talk about how we might work together."
"Next step for cooperation?" Saul asked.
"Queen of the Elves is in charge of Spring of Life," Bruzuryano said.
Saul was shocked for a second and said, "Don't tell me Queen of Elves is on your side?"
"She is," Bruzuryano said, smiling. "Queen of Elves did not like Manstuly so she will support me."
"I think Queen of Elves disliked Manstuly's wife even more," Saul said.
"You are right again." Bruzuryano nodded and felt helpless with the situation.
Chapter 386: Desperate
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"No!" the druid screamed, quickening his pace. However, he was too slow and could not stop Suzanna from murdering his friend. He watched as the other druid fell still. Suzanna waved her sword, sending droplets of blood splattering all over the forest floor.
Suzanna turned towards the druid, her eyes narrowing dangerously. The druid slowed his pace under her scrutiny. Normally, she would only fight to kill. This time, however, her sword only caught the man's arm.
The druid tried to move aside, but he was not fast enough, and the chase earlier had drained him of his energy. The druid cried in pain and fell to the ground as Suzanna's sword slashed his arm.
Suzanna returned her sword to its sheath and walked up to him. For her, the fight was already over. She did not worry about an injured druid doing anything to her. She kept him alive because she needed news from outside. Suzanna knew very well that she was not their target. Their target was Moramatch, and she needed to know what was happening there.
Suzanna coughed a few times as she approached the druid. The druid pushed himself to the ground and looked at her fearfully. "If you kill me," he said quietly, "Moramatch is done."
"Will they let Moramatch alone if I let you live?" Suzanna asked.
The druid froze. He frowned, searching for words. He had already lost all of his companions, and his mission had failed. He wanted revenge, but he needed to live in order to get revenge.
"No, but I can give you a chance to save them."
"I'm listening," Suzanna said.
"Here's the thing…" the druid began. Before he could say anything else, he became distracted by something behind Suzanna. He stared at the forest behind her with wide eyes, shocked and scared at the same time.
An eagle dove through the trees. It was much larger than normal eagles, its wings spanning over ten feet. The eagle seemed to be made from not organic materials but from metal, its feathers gleaming even in the dimness of the forest. The eagle was traveling very fast, even faster than Suzanna.
The eagle extended his claws and grabbed the druid, then dropped the man back onto the forest floor. The druid jerked a few times and became still. The eagle's wings sliced through the trunk of a nearby tree, sending the tree crashing to the ground.
Suzanna drew her sword, watching the eagle. The unicorn whinnied loudly, warning Suzanna that the eagle was not someone she would be able to defeat.
The eagle burst into flame and a figure emerged. The figure lunged at Suzanna at an incredible speed. Suzanna reacted very quickly, raising her sword and slashing at the figure's neck.
Suzanna and the figure were originally traveling at a similar speed, but the figure's speed suddenly increased. Clearly, he had not been using his full strength before. He raised his arm and deflected Suzanna's attack. Suzanna widened her eyes in awe. She had only met a few people who could block her attack with just an arm. Before she could recover from the shock, the figure slammed his fist into her shoulder.
The punch almost shattered her combat power and threw her back. Suzanna slammed into a nearby tree and crashed to the ground.
She pushed herself up, panting in pain. She glanced at the unicorn, who was frozen in shock. It wanted to run away, but it did not want to abandon Suzanna. However, it also knew that whoever just threw Suzanna back with a single punch was not an enemy it could take on by itself.
The unicorn took a few steps back, then dashed forward. It wanted to protect Suzanna and it decided that it would rather die than abandon her.
The figure raised his hand and grabbed the unicorn as it approached. The unicorn was lifted off of the ground, and all of its struggling became meaningless.
Suzanna pushed herself off the ground. She picked up her sword, gripping the hilt tight. Like the unicorn, she was facing the choice of whether she should flee. However, she knew that an opponent this powerful would never let her get away. With the unicorn in the figure's clutches, Suzanna knew she had nothing to lose.
She summoned her combat power again and raised her sword. She summoned as much combat power as she could. The combat power seemed to have turned into solid gold, as more and more power amassed around her. The brightness of her combat power lit up the dim forest floor. The unicorn stopped struggling and stared at her in awe.
Suzanna took a deep breath and began dashing towards the figure. She was even faster than she had been before, aided by the combat power.
The figure tossed the unicorn aside and jumped into the air, ready to face Suzanna. He raised his arms and transformed into an eagle again, then he flew towards Suzanna. Even though Suzanna was faster than she had been, the eagle clearly had no problem matching her speed. He flew around Suzanna and turned into a person again, striking her. Then he transformed back into an eagle and flew away from her. He changed forms fluidly. Clearly, he was very skilled and had been practicing for many years.
The eagle flew around Suzanna again, ready to strike once more. This time, however, Suzanna was able to turn in time. She slashed at him with her sword, aiming at his neck.
The figure raised his arms and clashed with her sword. Both the figure and Suzanna were thrown back by the clash and crashed into the forest floor.
A few minutes later, the dust dissipated and revealed a large trench in the ground, made by Suzanna's sword. Suzanna and the figure both stood, staring at each other.
"You must be Mauso," Suzanna said under her breath. There were very few people that could take a hit like that with no armor and still stand with no problem. The man did not say anything. Instead, he simply stared at her.
Suzanna raised her sword again, ready for more attacks. Mauso was one of the most powerful druids, much more powerful than Suzanna. However, she knew that he was not good at close combat. If she could get close enough to him, she may have a chance.
She was backed into a corner. She knew the only way she might have a chance was if she abandoned all other thoughts. The only thing she could think about was the fight.
Mauso, sensing her enmity, narrowed his eyes. He raised his head and howled. A wave of wind sent all the rocks around him flying outwards.
Suzanna stood quietly, watching. She did not waver, as she was protected by her combat power. Mauso looked at her and sighed.
"I hope that I am not making a mistake," he said. "Do not disappoint me."
"I cannot afford to fail," Suzanna replied calmly.
"Good," Mauso said. He glanced at the sky again.
Suzanna lunged at Mauso, her sword held out in front of her. She was slower than before, however, because she knew that she would never beat Mauso with speed. She needed to conserve her energy.
The unicorn poked his head out from a nearby bush and fearfully watched Suzanna and Mauso's clash.
Chapter 387: Sneaking
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Reddenburg, as the headquarters of Shield of Light legion, was highly secured. Patrols composed of Knights of Light, priests and soldiers were patrolling the city. Countless torches lit up Reddenburg to make it a city that never slept. Even a top power could not easily sneak in without being noticed.
However, a person in a black suit was moving around Reddenburg like it was no big deal. He seemed to be able to predict when a patrol would come and would hide in the shadows. No one was able to sense his existence. When one patrol left, he jumped on a roof and ran as swiftly and quietly as a cat at night.
Finally, he jumped off the roof into a yard. He carefully opened a window, climbed in and disappeared. The window slowly shut behind him.
Ozzic was sound asleep in his bed and snorted a little. A sword lay on Ozzic's chest, and he held it in his right hand. This was a habit of mercenaries. No matter where and when, he could be ready for a fight. A few days previous, they had gone to attack elves. The elves had gathered their weapons in a pile so they could sleep better without holding weapons. In fact, Ozzic also could have chosen a more comfortable way to sleep, but he did not. Survival skills had stayed with him.
The person in black suit sneaked to Ozzic's bed and flicked on Ozzic's forehead. Ozzic's snoring paused for a second and continued to snore again. However, his eyes opened a crack and spurred his sword at the person in black backhanded. His mouth opened at the same time, trying to yell for help.
The person in the black suit slid to the side. The sword barely touched him. He covered Ozzic's mouth with his right hand and said in a low voice, "It is me."
Ozzic was shocked for a second and recognized Anfey's voice. "Master, why are you here?"
The mercenaries on watch outside Ozzic's room yelled, "Master, are you ok?" They sensed the combat surges from Ozzic's room.
"I am fine," Ozzic responded loudly. "I just had a nightmare. Shit! I dreamed that I was surrounded by a group of zombies."
The mercenaries laughed outside his room. One of them joked, "Master, are those zombies male or female?"
"Are you stupid? Of course, they are male," another mercenary joked. "If they were female, Master would have fought them differently. Master would not have used his combat power for that."
"Fuck! You bastards. Next time we encounter zombies, I will peel all the females' clothes off and leave them to you," Ozzic joked back. "Shut up. I need to go back to sleep."
The mercenaries laughed a little bit and went away. When it was quiet again, Ozzic slowly sat up on the bed and said, "Master, what's up?"
Ozzic looked excited. He got serious quickly. If Anfey came to see him this way, it meant Anfey would give him something important to do, which made him feel important and unique.
"I need to go back to Moramatch right away," Anfey said quietly.
"Master, aren't we going to be divided into two groups to help Shuklan City and Madrid Town, respectively? Don't leave now," Ozzic said in surprise.
"Do you think I am in the mood to help others?" Anfey said calmly.
Ozzic did not understand at first. He had never been married. He had different ideas about women. He had sex with a number of women, but he never thought of marrying any of them. If he had to marry, he wanted to marry someone like Shinbella. He had no interested in weak women. Unfortunately, Shinbella was not interested in him.
Seeing Anfey's worried look, Ozzic was shocked before he realized the reason. He smiled to try to cheer Anfey up. "Master, I understand. Right now your wife's safety is your priority."
"I am glad that you can understand," Anfey said. "Can you be in charge of Shuklan City? Do you know what to do?"
"Yes. They can live if they listen to us, otherwise we will kill them," Ozzic said with a fierce look. Yesterday he heard Anfey saying the same thing, and felt it sounded powerful, so he had remembered very well.
"Don't overdo it." Anfey said. "But do not show too much mercy if you have to kill them either."
"I understand." Ozzic paused. "Master, why did you not go yesterday?"
"I could not leave yesterday," Anfey said, shaking his head. "There are so many people watching me. I cannot let anyone know I am leaving Reddenburg." Anfey knew Suzanna got into trouble because of him. Manstuly's real target was him. If anyone knew Anfey left Reddenburg, it would give Manstuly a warning. Besides, druids were not stupid. If he made any moves, Manstuly would know what he was trying to do. What else could he do but look for Suzanna? That would put Suzanna in even more danger.
"Who dares to tell your plans to others?" Ozzic said, wide-eyed.
"Too many actually." Anfey smiled. "For example, Marquis Djoser. If he knows that someone is trying to kill me and Suzanna, he definitely would take advantage of it."
"That old ass!" Ozzic looked like he was ready to kill Djoser. "Master, why don't we just kill him. I know you cannot kill him yourself, but I can do it. It wouldn't be the worst scenario to have some mercenaries be scapegoats."
"It helps us to keep him alive," Anfey said.
"Helps us? I do not see him helping us at all. I only see him messing with us!" Ozzic said.
"You will know later." Anfey chuckled then thought for a bit. "Ozzic, if something happens, talk with Shinbela and make decisions together. Don't act too much on impulse. Talk to Ye too. He is very smart and thinks clearly. It will help you if you can ask him for advice."
"Got it, Master," Ozzic said.
"After you guys leave Reddenburg, you tell them I am sick. Don't let those Knights of Light and priests know I am not with you. The longer you can keep it secret, the safer I will be," Anfey said.
"Master, do you think there are spies among Knights of Light and priests?" Ozzic asked.
"Nothing is impossible," Anfey said calmly. "Besides, the ones who want me dead do not have to be spies. You know we do not get along with Church of Light. If there is any opportunity, do you think they would miss it?"
"Too complicated," Ozzic said bitterly. "I am just wondering if those Knights of Light and priest are schemers by nature." In fact, Ozzic was not that great himself. Making a League of Mercenaries was his idea. He even tried to take advantage of Anfey. However, it still gave him a headache when he had to deal with complicated situations. In other words, he realized he was not as good as other schemers.
"Do not mind others' business. Just do what you have to do. Your mission will be successful if the Knights of Light and priests do not suspect I left until you guys reach Shuklan City," Anfey said slowly.
"Master, you don't want to go back by yourself, do you?" Ozzic asked.
"I wish I could take an army with me, but it would take too long. I'd rather go back by myself," Anfey said.
"Master, that would be too dangerous. How about asking Shinbella to go with you?" Ozzic suggested.
Anfey liked that idea, but he shook his head after giving it some thought. "No, you guys need her help too."
"Master, I have so many people with me. I do not have to have Shinbela, but you need a good helper." Ozzic looked worried.
"No, I do not need help." Anfey sounded very firm. If he used illness as an excuse, Ozzic could cover for him for a while. If Shinbella was missing as well, it would be hard for others to believe it. Anfey had to search for Suzanna. In the gigantic Transverse Mountains, he could sense everything around him for dozens of miles with the help of the Heart of Nature. Shinbella would not be able to help much anyway.
"You are…" Ozzic smiled bitterly. "Master, does Master Blavi know you are leaving?"
"He does not know," Anfey said. "He is in charge of the group in Madrid Town. We are not in the same group. We do not need to bother him about this."
Ozzic went quiet for a while. "How about Shinbella? If she asks me about you, should I tell her the truth?"
"Yes, I trust Shinbela," Anfey said.
"Ok," Anfey said with a serious voice and slowly walked to the window.
Ozzic was ambitious, but he knew the limits of what he could do, which was significant. He decided to work for Anfey in the end. Ozzic's concerns about Anfey were real. Anfey and he were clearly supervisor and employee. The better Anfey did, the better situation Ozzic would be in. If anything happened to Anfey, his future would become a mess as well.
Anfey chuckled. "If the mercenaries in Shuklan City wanted to join the League of Mercenaries, make them the eighth unit. Try not to interfere too much, and give them the highest authority. We will deal with the results later."
"Yes, master," Ozzic said.
Chapter 388: Beginning
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Anfey kept running at an incredible speed. In his previous world, he would never dream of reaching such a speed because of physically limitations. Here, however, he was aided by his newly-developed magical power.
Because of the Heart of Nature, he was able to see everything before him and find a path very easily. The Heart of Nature allowed him to concentrate much better and helped him see the elements that made up everything. Because of this ability granted to him by the Heart of Nature, he found it very easy to avoid any obstacles that might have been in his way.
Ahead was a wide river. Anfey did not stop or slow down. Instead, he waved his hand and concentrated on the river. A small piece of ice appeared in the middle of the river. He jumped and landed on the ice. He jumped again and landed on the opposite bank. The piece of ice bobbed in the river a few times, then slowly sank into the water, disappearing as the element dispersed.
A few minutes after Anfey crossed the river, he came upon a very large group of at least a few hundred zombies. The group was moving very slowly, but the sheer number of zombies was very terrifying. However, Anfey did not waver or change his path. As he approached the group of zombies, he jumped up into the air. He waved his hand and summoned an earth spike. The spike burst out of the earth. The zombies moved around the spike as if they did not even see it. Anfey landed on the spike and pushed off of it. He summoned another one, landed on it, then jumped off, landing beyond the group of zombies. He didn't know where the zombies were headed and did not want to just leave the zombies alone, but he knew that he did not have time to take care of them. He could find them again after he finished taking care of what he needed to do.
He kept pressing on, passing the zombies before most could react to him.
After he passed the zombies, he kept on moving for a few minutes and came upon a group of soldiers.
The group of soldiers was bigger than the group of zombies and were in uniform. They marched in formation, surrounding a few dozen carriages. Clearly, this was a group of soldiers that was protecting supplies. The general sensed the surge of magic and saw Anfey moving towards them. He was sure that whoever was coming towards them wasn't a necromancer, but he still wanted to keep up his guard.
He waved his hand at his men and drew his sword. The archers readied their bows and the soldiers drew their weapons. Before the general could bark another order, Anfey had already dashed past them.
The general narrowed his eyes as he watched Anfey disappear into the distance. Clearly, the person that had just brushed past them was very powerful, but he wasn't interested in the things they were protecting.
Anfey did not stop until almost noon. He was running very fast, but his expression did not change and his breathing was still very smooth. Normally, he would be careful not to use all of his strength, but he was alone and did not worry about any enemies.
Soon, he was spotted by an elf standing in the crown of a tree. He was already approaching Transverse Mountains, but he was still too far for anyone to make out who he was. "Is that an Earth Dragon?" the elf asked curiously.
"There are no Earth Dragons living in the area," a nearby druid said, frowning. A few other people joined the elf in the tree, trying to figure out what was heading towards them. They were a search party and were searching for their missing friends and enemies. They did not find who they were looking for, but instead they found a strange creature.
The trees suddenly began shaking, and a figure appeared through the trees.
"Is that a person?" one of the druids asked, confused.
"Do you know who he is?" another druid asked. The others all shook their heads.
A few moments later, Anfey landed on a branch not far from their tree. He glanced at the elves and the druids and asked, "Who are you working for?"
"Pardon?"
"Who are you working for?" Anfey asked again. "Bruzuryano? Mauso? Or Manstuly?"
"We are with Lord Manstuly," one of the druids said. They were surprised by Anfey's young age and were even more shocked by the fact that he was referring to Bruzuryano by his name. If he could refer to Burzuryano, Mauso, and Manstuly by their names only, this man might be very powerful as well.
"Manstuly?" Anfey repeated, frowning. He sighed and jumped towards the druid, kicking the man in the stomach.
The druid, caught off guard, was thrown from the tall tree. He landed on the ground with a thud and did not move again. The nearby elf cried out in surprised. She spun around and tried to kick him, but Anfey caught her leg in his hand and threw her away. She crashed into a nearby tree and fell to the ground.
Another elf jumped away from the tree, a longbow appearing in her hand. She nocked an arrow, but before she could release the arrow, Anfey jumped in front of her and kicked her in the stomach. The elf dropped the bow and doubled over. Then he kicked her off of the tree, sending her crashing to the ground like her companions.
The remaining druid turned and tried to flee, but he reacted too late. Anfey jumped toward him, punching him hard in the back. The druid gasped in pain and his body dropped to the ground.
The only one that successfully landed on the ground was an elf. She did not try to do anything and only turned to flee. Anfey summoned a longbow and nocked it, aiming at the fleeing elf.
The arrow pierced the elf and she stumbled, falling to the ground. She struggled for a few seconds, then fell still.
Anfey landed on the ground and found a dagger. He walked over to a nearby tree and carved, "This is only the beginning."
He knew that Manstuly was hell-bent on killing him and his friends. He could not let that happen, and he wanted to send a message that he was ready for whatever Manstuly would throw at him. He may not be as powerful as Manstuly, but he was working very hard to change that fact.
Chapter 389: Running into Suzanna
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When Anfey saw an enormous eagle and a cloud of flashing gold lightning with the help of the Heart of Nature, he opened his eyes suddenly. It was neither the speed of the eagle nor the flying sword radiance in rainbow colors that shocked Anfey, but rather a familiar figure.
Anfey had seen Ernest fighting with full force. At that time, the combat power hovering over Ernest had made it hard to see his face. This cloud of gold lightning seemed very similar to Ernest's combat power. Although difficult to see, Anfey could make out that the person inside the gold flash was small, with long hair. The sword radiance the person released was so strong that it could easily shoot out dozens of yard into the air. Every sword radiance posed a threat to the enormous eagle. Obviously, this was a fight between two top powers.
What made Anfey suspect the person was Suzanna was the armor she wore. It was similar to the Ocean Blue Armor. It was not just the color of the armor but also the bright gold color. Anfey's heart pumped really fast.
Anfey had strong self-control, so he did not rush over to check whether the person was really Suzanna. Instead, he held his breath and quietly walked forward. He only walked a few steps before he stumbled and almost fell into an ancient tree, because he saw a little unicorn in the range of the Heart of Nature.
Anfey felt so happy because the swordsman fighting with the gigantic eagle had to be Suzanna: there was no other possibility. Suzanna had moved one level up and become a real master swordswoman. Ernest had told Anfey that it was really hard to break the bottleneck to become a master swordsman from being a senior swordsman. The process varied for each individual. Some broke through after long-time experience, others did it after surviving risky situations, while others got inspiration from some agent, even though they only muddled along the life without any purpose. Anfey had no idea Suzanna had already broken through to the top.
Anfey felt happy for her but a little regretful at the same time. He was not jealous of Suzanna's achievement. He had been thinking that he would be able to be there and witness this special moment with Suzanna. Unfortunately, life had taken them in different directions. He had missed this special moment for all kinds of reasons.
Anfey quietly floated up and flew forward quickly. He was in a hurry to see Suzanna, but he needed to kill that other guy first.
As he sensed the direction where the fight was moving, he was searching for the best place for him to attack the guy in surprise. When that enormous eagle was less than a thousand yards away from Suzanna, Anfey found a tall ancient three. He quietly climbed up the tree as swiftly as a snake and hid himself in the thick branches.
The eagle was Eagle King Mauso. Anfey wasn't sure at first, since he did not understand why Mauso would rather stay in a disadvantaged position in this fight instead of fleeing, since Mauso could transform himself into an enormous eagle. It did not take long for Anfey to figure out the answer. Mauso apparently wanted to exhaust Suzanna's combat power and give her a fatal attack. He figured Mauso could wait any longer for that chance.
Anfey's judgement was right. The eagle was Mauso, but he had forgotten about the strong sensing ability Mauso had and the reason Mauso was called "The Observer". Mauso's sensing ability was not as good Anfey's after he bonded with the Heart of Nature. Mauso could distinguish all the disdguises and release Eagle Eye magic all the time. As a top power, Mauso could not only sense disguises, but also the emotional changes of all kinds of living organisms within a thousand yards, which was exactly the range of Eagle Eye magic. As Anfey sneaked up into the tree, Mauso had already noticed Anfey.
The eagle's eyes were as big as fists. The eagle had a playful look and suddenly flapped his wings, flying towards Anfey. As he was less than 50 yards away from the tree where Anfey was hiding, a tiny magic surge caught his eye. Mauso flapped his wings and instinctively went into a dive. He just sensed that he should do that.
Anfey suddenly appeared behind the enormous eagle with a Fire Sword in his hand. He swung the Fire Sword and created an area of light in the sky. Mauso increased his speed, flying so fast that Anfey did not even touch a feather, even though he thought he could definitely hit him.
The enormous eagle flew straight up with a series of screeches. It sounded like he was cursing something.
Anfey dropped straight down as a pile of debris sprang up from the ground. Anfey put his feet on it. After holding up Anfey, the pile turned into moving earth elements and disappeared. Another pile showed up and held Anfey in the air again. They looked like stairs to send Anfey to the ground. In fact, he had already released Levitation magic. Facing Mauso's threats, it was too dangerous to control his body with just wind elements, so he liked the feeling of stepping on the piles better.
This time, it was Suzanna's turn to get shocked. She stared at the back of Anfey as the thick golden lightning gradually faded away and showed her feminine figure. Since Suzanna left Sacred City, she had been missing her husband. Besides Shally, Anfey was her only family. When she was attacked and in danger, the feeling of missing Anfey seemed to be stronger. She had so much she wanted to talk about with Anfey, but she felt dizzy, with a lump in her throat, and no words came out when she actually saw Anfey.
After giving Suzanna a loving and caring look, Anfey turned back to Mauso and chased after him in the sky. Unlike Anfey, Suzanna had lost her sharpness. It seemed that she could see only Anfey and nothing more. Maybe this was the difference between being emotional and being reasonable.
Suzanna finally ran at Anfey and held him from behind. She seemed to hold tremendous pain as she grabbed his gown and held him tightly. She put her face on Anfey's broad shoulder.
Anfey did not move. He did not put away his Fire Sword until Mauso had flown far away and did not pose any threat to them. He heaved a sigh because he knew why Suzanna had gone back to Sacred City and understood the pain of losing her mother. Anfey had experienced the same kind of pain in his previous world.
Anfey felt the coldness on his shoulder and heard the muffled crying. He patted Suzanna's hand and slowly took her hands away from him so he could turn her around and hold her in his arms. Suzanna had been aggressive in the fight a second ago, but now she was just a helpless kid. She felt weak and let Anfey caress her. She had her eyes closed but tears ran down her cheeks and wet Anfey's chest.
This was the first time Anfey had ever seen Suzanna crying. Suzanna was tough and strong. If she were not in extreme pain, she would not show her weakness in front of others. Even if she showed it, she would only show it in front of Anfey.
Anfey did not say anything. He only held Suzanna tighter. There had been too many times in his life when Anfey had missed romantic moments because he had been involved in some dangerous situation. He looked cold and could not come up with any sweet and comforting words, even though he loved Suzanna very much. Anfey had never been good at expressing himself. Instead of forcing himself to say sweet words, he would rather show his love in action to let Suzanna know he cared about her, just as he had killed on the previous day to show his hatred and resentment.
It was undeniable that most women wanted to hear sweet words, even though they knew their men loved them. A man like Anfey might be attractive at the beginning, but they could run into trouble once the couple was living together. Luckily, given her experiences in life, Suzanna did not have too many desires, including at this moment. She was happy to be able to feel cared by Anfey, and she gradually stopped sobbing.
They held each other in the forest. If it were not for the breeze, it seemed that time had stopped.
The little unicorn slowly walked over. He looked up to watch in curiosity and then ran to Anfey. He excitedly rubbed himself on Anfey's leg, but Anfey could not spare himself to attend to him. The little unicorn noticed that no one was paying attention to him and made some screeches after rubbing a few times.
Anfey held his upper body still as he kicked the little unicorn with the tip of his foot. He liked this little guy, but it was not comparable to the love he had for Suzanna. He did not want anyone or anything to disrupt him and Suzanna right now.
The little unicorn jumped back in shock and ran away. He laid on the ground and felt wronged by Anfey.
As time went by, and without knowing how long they had been standing there holding each other, Anfey whispered to Suzanna, "Master swordswoman, my master swordswoman."
"Yes," Suzanna murmured. It was unbelievable that she had fallen asleep. For the past few days, she had been attacked by surprise, fled, fought back, chased after and fought with Mauso, and she was not able to eat, sleep, or rest well, which had made her exhausted. After she was able to cry out her sadness and felt Anfey's firm chest, it seemed that she could not find another place warmer and safer than being next to Anfey. She finally had a moment to take a breath.
Anfey did not expect she would fall asleep. He was definitely shocked. He thought Suzanna would tell him her pain and sorrow after seeing him. After she calmed down, they could talk about how much they missed each other and snuggle together. They might even find a a quiet spot to make love to each other. Being apart from each other made their hearts grow fonder.
At that moment, Suzanna put her whole weight on Anfey, and felt she might fall if he did not hold tight to her waist. After hesitating for a while, Anfey sighed again. He decided to continue to stand like this because he did not want to wake Suzanna up. He could tell she was very, very tired.
Chapter 390: No Regrets
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After moving up a level, Suzanna felt a significant change in her body. Even though she was exhausted, she only slept for a short while. She opened her eyes and stretched her body. She glanced around, her eyes finding Anfey, who was leaning against a nearby tree. He knew that the cold will not threaten Suzanna's health, but he still set up a magic shield that blocked the cold wind. He turned and saw Suzanna staring at him and grinned.
"Did you miss me?" Anfey asked as Suzanna sat up.
Suzanna smiled. She moved closer to Anfey and rested her head on his shoulder. She did not say anything, but her actions showed that she had missed him very much.
"You must be exhausted," Anfey said softly.
Suzanna smiled and shook her head. Both of them were trying to avoid confronting the truth, because the truth would remind Suzanna of some unhappy memories. She would rather keep her suffering to herself.
"What happened?" Anfey asked. "Since you left, I mean."
"Wait a bit, won't you?" Suzanna said, frowning. She did not want to say anything because she did not want to ruin the moment.
Anfey smiled. He stroked Suzanna's hair and did not say anything. He wanted to know what had happened to Suzanna, but he did not want to ruin the moment, either. Suzanna had rarely made any requests. She was much better at following orders. He had found Suzanna, and he knew that they would have plenty of time to catch up.
The unicorn was sitting on the ground a few feet away, watching Anfey and Suzanna. It lifted its head and whinnied, as if it felt ignored and wanted to join the two as well. Anfey ignored the unicorn, but Suzanna turned and waved at it. "Come here," she said, pushing herself up.
The unicorn stood up and galloped over. It stopped next to Suzanna and rubbed its head on her shoulder. Anfey frowned and waved his hand, shooing the unicorn away. He just wanted to spend some time alone with Suzanna and did not want anything to intrude.
"Don't do that," Suzanna said. "It saved my life."
"Really?" Anfey asked, confused.
Suzanna nodded. "The druids didn't want to harm it, so they weren't using their full strength."
Anfey nodded. "Of course," he said. "Unicorns are holy to them." He waved his hand at the unicorn, beckoning it to come closer. The unicorn galloped over to him and nudged his arm with its head.
The unicorn rubbed itself against Anfey and Suzanna a few times and settled down against Suzanna, resting its head on her lap.
"So, Lady Master Swordsman," Anfey said with a grin.
Suzanna smiled. "Yes? Are you jealous now?"
"Never," Anfey said. "I'm really happy for you."
"Thanks," Suzanna said with a sigh. "But it's nothing."
"What? It's very important! You're a master swordsman now," Anfey said.
"You don't get it," Suzanna said, shaking her head. "I felt something when I leveled up. I don't know how to explain it. It's like a giant barrier, you know? It's like a cage surrounding our world. We are the birds. The world we know isn't real. We are just seeing an illusion. Whoever set that barrier…we are just seeing what that person wants us to see."
"What else did you sense?" Anfey asked, intrigued.
"I was too distracted by the fight," Suzanna said, shaking her head. "It was fleeing. I don't think I could have caught it if I wanted to."
"Interesting," Anfey said. "I think that's an important discovery. You should talk to Master Saul about it."
Suzanna nodded. "I agree."
"Anyways, how did you break through?" Anfey asked.
"I don't know," Suzanna said, shaking her head. "I knew I had no other choices but to fight. I thought I was going to die, but my combat power just kept coming, and then…"
"Then you broke through?"
Suzanna shrugged. "That's basically it."
"Tell me exactly what happened," Anfey said.
Suzanna nodded. She told Anfey about everything she had encountered so far, including the initial attacks and the realization that the unicorn was following her. She smiled proudly when she told Anfey that she took care of her enemies alone without any aid. Anfey smiled encouragingly. He was very proud of her for being so strong and independent. She told him about the fight with the druids and the encounter with Mauso. Anfey frowned as she finished.
Suzanna did not notice anything strange about her fight with Mauso, but Anfey found a lot of things about the encounter suspicious.
"What happened then?"
"Then I ran into you," Suzanna said. "Did you learn how to teleport? It would be very useful in the future. And are you practicing with your fire sword?"
Anfey retrieved Entos's wand from his dimensional ring and handed it to Suzanna. "Check this out," Anfey said with a smile.
"This is…" Suzanna's eyes widened as she examined the wand.
Anfey nodded. "It is."
"They… they're so good to us," Suzanna said with a sigh. She handed the wand back to Anfey. "How can we ever repay them?"
Anfey nodded in agreement. "We owe them so much."
Clearly, Suzanna was moved by how everyone from Maho Empire treated her. In the past, she only worked for them because she liked the team. Now, she was willing to serve not just the team but also Maho Empire.
Anfey understood her sentiments. Saul and Ernest had taken him off of the island and helped him when he was just a nameless boy. Yolanthe had helped him numerous times as well.
Yolanthe was a very good king and a smart man. Anfey was willing to serve a king like him.
"Is everyone alright?" Suzanna asked. She knew that the druids and the elves were targeting Anfey and her friends.
"Some tried to fool me," Anfey said with a grin.
"You didn't fall for it, did you?"
"Of course not," Anfey said, shaking his head.
"Good," Suzanna said. "I know you're not stupid."
Anfey smiled. "You are very smart as well, Suzanna," he said.
"We have made Manstuly our enemy," Suzanna said softly. "We need to be much more careful now."
"We do need to be more careful," Anfey agreed. "But he was at fault. He attacked us first, did he not?"
"You're right, but we still need to be careful," Suzanna said. She knew that this was only the beginning of a long and difficult fight, but she was willing to follow Anfey. She knew that she would never regret her decision.
Chapter 391: Pain in the Neck
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Long and Ling sat shoulder to shoulder in an ancient tree. Bored, they looked up at the sky and counted the stars. They were both very introverted and did not like to socialize with others. Sometimes they did not even want to greet others courteously, so their Shadow mercenary group was the most mysterious mercenary group. They had joined Anfey's legion, but still did not have too much contact with the others. They did not have anything in common with other mercenaries; unlike the others, they were not interested in power, money, or women. The ambition Long and Ling had seemed distant from other mercenaries.
When they had some free time, Long and Ling liked to spend their time outside. They did not want others to disturb them. They chose to be alone, or even lonely.
After a while, Ling suddenly said quietly, "Has something been bothering you?"
"Yes." Long nodded with a bitter smile on his face.
"Can't you talk to me about it?" Ling complained.
"Master…" Long did not get a chance to complete what he was trying to say. He suddenly shut his mouth and cautiously looked around. He lowered his voice and said, "Ling, you know Master killed hundreds of druids and elves a few days ago. I am worried…"
"What are you worried about? Worried that Master has some prejudice against druids and elves?" Ling asked.
"Yes," Long said quietly. "Do not forget, we are druids too."
"Ahh, you!" Ling shook her head with a smile.
"What about me? I am just thinking for our future," Long said.
"Why did Master kill those druids and elves? They wanted to set Master up. Master's wife, Suzanna, was in trouble as well. I can understand why Master killed those druids and elves," Ling said.
"They did surrender at the end. Why did Master have to kill them?" Long asked.
"Try to put your feet in his shoes. If you caught a group of mercenaries who set me up, killed me, then surrendered to you, would you forgive them?" Ling asked.
"Me…Of course not." This was a matter of principle. No matter how he looked at it, he had to say no to that question. If he did not say no, he would be in trouble, big trouble.
"Would you hate everyone in the world?" Ling asked.
"Well…I am not that irrational." Long smiled bitterly. "Ling, why are you speaking up for Master?" Long understood what Ling was trying to tell him. If he would not hate everyone in the world, then Anfey should not hate all the druids and elves.
"Because I think Master did not do anything wrong. He only killed his enemies," Ling said slowly.
"I am just worried that our history would make Master suspect that we are not loyal to him. In the future…" Long said.
"You think too much." A voice suddenly arose.
Long was shocked and jumped up. What they just had been discussing was very sensitive. If Anfey heard about it, they might be in serious trouble. Long came up with the idea of killing people who heard their conversation. If only one person had heard their conversation, he did not mind killing that person. Unfortunately, when he jumped up and saw the person who spoke to him, his intentions of killing left him. His chest and back were suddenly soaked in sweat. He felt the coldness on his chest and back and started to tremble slightly.
"Master, you are back!" Ling sounded excited, surprised, and a little worried.
"Yes." Anfey flew to them from more than a dozen yards away. He laid his eyes on Long and said in a serious tone, "Manstuly and the druids who are loyal to him were my only enemies."
Long immediately lowered his head, worried.
"Long, you'd better tell me whenever you have any questions or doubts, in case there is any misunderstanding. I am not that bossy. I am willing to hear others' opinions," Anfey said, smiling.
Long felt ashamed and answered Anfey positively. He could tell that Anfey was seriously and honestly explaining to him. But Anfey did not have to explain anything. Anfey was their leader. If Anfey wanted to kill them today, they would not see sunrise in the morning. He appreciated that an absolute power would patiently and politely communicate with those who had little power.
Ling suddenly screamed, scaring Long: "Oh, my god! Ms. Suzanna is back. Ms. Suzanna is back."
As Ling was screaming, Suzanna flew in from the distance. She landed next to Anfey in the blink of an eye. She nodded at Ling and Long with a smile.
Long looked surprised and excited. Suzanna did not like to talk much, but was very popular among mercenaries. They all liked and respected her very much. This had to do with her fighting ability, beautiful looks, and the way she treated others. When Long saw Suzanna was safe, he was sincerely happy for her.
"Ms. Suzanna, you are…" Ling screamed again before Long could get his words out. "Oh, my god, what did I see, what did I see?"
Long did not know whether he should cry or laugh. They had been married for a couple of years, but he did not know Ling could talk in such high pitch until today. He followed Ling's eyes to see, and he looked more stunned than Ling. A little unicorn excitedly approached them. He looked at Ling and Long curiosly and then circled around Suzanna.
"Master, am I dizzy? Sacred beast? You have a sacred beast?" Long's eyes almost fell out. In fact, Anfey's little unicorn was no longer a secret. Some people found out about it a long time ago, but the media on the Pan Continent was not great, so most people did not know about it, including Ling and Long.
"Why are you so surprised? He has been with me for almost a year," Anfey said.
Long slowly walked over and bent down, trying to touch the little unicorn. The little guy was immediately aware of Long and moved back. Its horn started to blink with Arc Light. Blavi and Riska had been around the little unicorn for almost a year. If they could not even touch him, then surely Long could not either. If Long walked closer to him, the little unicorn definitely would attack him.
Long noticed the hostility from the unicorn and slowly walked back to Anfey. He smiled and said, "Master, you really can surprise us at any time."
Anfey laughed, appreciating Long's flattery. Whenever he felt great, he wanted to show off more. He waved his hand at the little unicron, "Come on, boy."
The unicorn immediately turned to look at Anfey and excitedly ran over to him after he heard Anfey's call. Long and Ling almost fainted when they saw that. Elves and druids saw unicorns as their holy blessing beasts. There was a legend that some heroes riding unicorns into battle treated the unicorns as their friends who could go through thick and thin with them. Anfey treated the little unicorn as his kid, which looked really ridiculous to Long and Ling.
"Anfey, unicorns do not have gender, like babies. Don't assume," Suzanna playfully complained. In fact, she did not care to argue over the gender of the unicorn. She was hinting that Anfey should stop calling the unicorn as his son. If Anfey were the father of the little unicorn, she would be the mother. It felt weird to Suzanna, especially with Long and Ling present. Suzanna felt she had become their joke.
"If I say he is my son, then he is my son," Anfey said.
"Don't be so sure." Suzanna felt embarrassed and a little mad.
"Fine," Anfey easily gave in to Suzanna. He randomly snatched a branch and tossed it, "Come on, girl, get it for me!"
The little unicorn did not read between the lines, but he was happy to get attention from Anfey. He immediately ran to chase the branch. In the blink of an eye, he ran back happily with a branch between his teeth, trying to please Anfey.
Long cleared his throat. He was not very comfortable seeing the holy beast in his religion becoming Anfey's pet. He changed the topic, "Master, you came back at the right time. Ozzic has been troubled by the problems in Shuklan City."
"What's wrong?" Anfey appeared shocked.
"There are still about 1,400 mercenaries left in Shuklan City. Master Ozzic and Shinbella have just over 1,000 in their unit, not even as many as theirs. Even counting Knights of Light and priests, we only have about 1,700, not a big advantage," Long said slowly.
After Long's briefing, Anfey understood the general situation in Shuklan City. The threat from outsiders could lead people to unite or merge into a big group, just as in the case of the League of Mercenaries. The mercenaries in Shuklan City had united and an intermediate magister, Wendorf, was their leader. People's ambitions would change as the situation changed. If a person only led one hundred mercenaries, he would be eager for help from someone with strong power. It would not matter who the powerful person was, as long as that person could ensure their safety. If a person led five hundred mercenaries, he would not rush to look for protection, because five hundred mercenaries could be a good bargaining chip to exchange for something else. 1,400 was not a small number. When Shinbella's Jagged Roses mercenary group was at its peak, it only had about two thousand mercenaries. Everybody knew that popular mercenaries would become the leader. Since Wendorf had the ability to lead 1,400 mercenaries, there was no reason he would want to be someone's subordinate. It proved that Wendorf thought and acted as Anfey did.
On the one hand, Wendorf tried to please Ozzic, but he never agreed to merge troops. On the other hand, he tried to bond with the Knights of Light and priests. Obviously, he noticed the tension between them. Ozzic did not know what to do with Wendorf. He felt Wendorf was a pain in the neck. If Ozzic chose to fight with him, he was not sure he could win, even if they had a senior swordswoman, Shinbella, because Wendorf controlled more mercenaries than he did. If Ozzic chose to negotiate with him, Wendorf would want what Ozzic could not offer. They could not meet each other's needs and had no way to negotiate.
"Master, it is great that you are back!" Long added. In fact, he had no idea what Anfey would do; he just believed Anfey could handle it. To be more specific, not only Long, but Christian, Blavi and others in Alibaba legion believed in him as far back as a year ago. Later, Suzanna, Ozzic, Shinbella, and many others came to believe in him. Everyone who had the chance to work or live with him developed a strong belief in him. They did not know exactly why they trusted Anfey or where the belief came from.
Chapter 392: Appearance
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Wendorf, you have to explain yourself," Ozzic said coldly.
"I will follow your every order, my lord. All you need to do is ask," Wendorf said as he smoothed out his robe. "But I need a few more days, my lord. I have a lot of men. I need to make sure that they are aware of what I want to do."
"I already gave you three days," Ozzic said sternly. Wendorf had been trying to stall every time Ozzic tried to speak with him, and his attitude had not been pleasant. Before they had come together, the two sides had agreed that they would have a pleasant conversation and try to negotiate. This was why Shinbella and Ozzic only brought a handful of mercenaries with them. Wendorf, however, must have brought at least fifty men with him. Wendorf's attitude was not the attitude of a man who wanted to negotiate, either.
"I don't want my men to be divided over this," Wendorf said. "I need a few more days. I am sure I can give you a satisfactory answer by then."
"Wendorf," Ozzic said with a frown, "I have a time limit as well. We need to depart as soon as possible to meet up with our people in Madrid Town and head to Heldair City. We already wasted a day waiting for your answer. I simply cannot do that. You have to give me an answer right now. Truthfully, I'm starting to doubt your sincerity."
"You misunderstand me, my lord," Wendorf said, shaking his head. "I can't get an unanimous answer from my men. I have troubles of my own as well."
"You only brought a thousand people, and you want us to show sincerity?" a nearby mercenary asked with a snort. "You should join us instead. Lord Wendorf surely can…"
"Be quiet," Wendorf turned to the mercenary and ordered furiously. "Nonsense!" Ozzic watched with wide eyes as the even tempered mage grew angry.
"I'm just speaking my mind, my lord!" the mercenary said. "Aren't you the one who encourage us to speak our minds? I've been a mercenary for more than fifteen years and I've never heard of Anfey. Has anyone else heard of him?"
The other mercenaries all laughed and agreed with him.
The mercenary smirked and turned to Ozzic and Shinbella. "If he's so great," the mercenary said, "why doesn't he come in person? Where is your sincerity?"
Ozzic took a deep breath and calmed himself. He knew he had made a mistake trying to negotiate with mercenaries peacefully. Mercenaries believed in survival of the fittest and did not like political maneuvering. The peaceful way Ozzic had chosen made him appear weak to these mercenaries.
Wendorf was very patient, but his mercenaries were not. His men sent a clear signal that they did not want to join their alliance.
"Ozzic, let's go," Shinbella said.
Ozzic glanced at Shinbella. He knew her well enough to know that she planned on coming back. They could not let these mercenaries get away with humiliating Alibaba and not joining the alliance. If word of this got out, he and Shinbella would be labeled weak.
Ozzic nodded and turned away, following Shinbella.
Suddenly, a strong surge of magic drew everyone's attention. A bright light appeared above Shuklan City and descended slowly. The bright light landed on the ground and grew in intensity. The mercenaries around all shaded their eyes and looked away from the light.
Wendorf raised his wand and created a large magic shield, protecting himself and his men.
Ozzic and Shinbella watched in silence but did not move.
The light dimmed, and where the light had been stood a young man. He was wearing robes of a mage and held a large sword made of fire.
Wendorf watched, his eyes narrowed. He did not know who this young man was or his purpose. He did not want to lower his guard.
Before the mercenaries could react, another light appeared over the walls of the city. A young woman appeared over the walls of the city, a longsword in her hand.
Anfey withdrew his sword as Suzanna landed next to him. She had first worn Azure Armor when she was still a senior swordsmaster. Even back then, she felt the superior power of the armor. However, that was just the beginning. The Azure Armor once belonged to the elves and was taken by the humans. After a few centuries, it ended up in the hands of Princess Victoria. It wasn't just a simple suit of armor. The intensity of combat power could affect the defense power of armor.
Suzanna's combat power was very powerful, and the armor was feeding off of her combat power, giving her another layer of protection.
Wendorf took a few steps back, recognizing the young woman as a top level power.
Ozzic's eyes widened. He took a few steps forward and called, "Congratulations, Lady Suzanna!"
Before Ozzic could say anything else, Shinbella poked him in the ribs. Anfey had chosen this way to appear in front of the other mercenaries because he did not yet want to intimidate them. It would be disadvantageous to reveal Suzanna's level.
Wendorf frowned. He now was sure that the young man before him was Anfey and the woman was Suzanna. He did not expect the alliance to have a top level power. Even one top level power was too much for a mercenary group like his. He knew very well what top level powers could do. Glory mercenary group had Anthony and came to rule the Country of Mercenaries.
Wendorf did not want to join the alliance because he had more than a thousand men. He had the power to rewrite the history of the nation. Clearly, Anfey had a similar purpose in mind when he founded the alliance. This was why he had always thought of the alliance as an enemy. Now that he found out there was a top level power in the alliance, Wendorf knew that he could not fight against them. He had left himself no choice.
"Why are you still here, Ozzic?" Anfey asked.
"Lord Wendorf told us that he's having trouble convincing his men," Ozzic siad. "I'm sure that Lord Wendorf can change his mind now that you're here, my lord."
"Really?" Anfey asked. "That simple?"
"Yes, my lord," Ozzic said. He knew that Anfey was asking how much trouble it would cause if they attacked Wendorf and his men then and there. Wendorf only had about four hundred loyal men. Ozzic was confident that he could convince the other mercenaries once those loyal ones have been taken care of.
Anfey nodded and turned to Suzanna. Suzanna narrowed her eyes and dashed forward. She appeared next to Wendorf and slammed her sword into his chest. Wendorf's eyes widened as he fell to the ground. Suzanna pulled her sword out and stepped away. Wendorf collapsed onto the ground.
Once Wendorf was gone, his mercenaries posed no challenge. After witnessing the death of their leader, they did not want to fight and tried to flee. However, they were already surrounded.
Ozzic and Shinbella glanced at each other and drew their swords, beckoning their men to join the fight.
Chapter 393: Ambition
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
No matter whether mercenaries were with Ozzic, Shinbella or Wendorf, they all knew how dangerous the situation was and were prepared for the worst. The riot in the south of Shuklan City could trigger a larger fight in the city, without doubt. The fight happened quickly, but also ended quickly.
Suzanna never even joined the battle. To put it simply, a top power was more like a strategic weapon. She functioned more at a strategic level to scare the opponents. A top power's fighting ability could not only be evaluated by the amount of people she killed, but how many people she could scare.
Suzanna walked just once around Shuklan City. Everywhere she went, the mercenaries in Ozzic and Shinbella's units cheered loudly for her. They were excited and confident they would win the battle, which helped with their fighting ability, while the mercenaries in Shuklan City instead lost their morale fast. When the news that Wendorf was killed reached them, groups of mercenaries put down their weapons and surrendered to the League of Mercenaries.
The Knights of Light and priests who excitedly rushed out to try to pacify the conflict were stunned by what they saw. They had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. If the mercenaries from those two parties started to fight, they could do nothing but benefit from it. On the one hand, it was a great opportunity to reduce the League of Mercenaries' fighting ability. On the other, Knights of Light and priests thought they could ally with mercenaries in danger to give them a good opportunity to make a name for themselves in the Country of Mercenaries. The appearance of Suzanna crushed that unrealistic dream. In Shuklan City, no one could be a match for Suzanna. In other words, the fighting abilities of the two parties was never balanced. They had to choose to keep quiet at the end.
When Suzanna landed next to Anfey, the yelling and screaming gradually quieted down. Anfey saw the Knights of Light quietly leave the battlefield. He turned around to a person in armor behind him and said, "Warner, did anyone notice you?"
"Master, I was like a mouse, hiding from everyone all day long. How could anyone notice me?" Warner said with a sly smile.
"Don't worry," Anfey said quietly. "I will send those Knights of Light and priests away shortly. Then it will be your show time."
"I cannot yet deal with a large-scale fight." Warner hesitated for a second and added, "The more death spirits I can save, the strong the power of the Book of Life will get. If I am given a certain period of time, I …" Before he finished talking, Warner saw Anfey's look and suddenly realized he should not continue.
"Don't worry." Anfey smiled. "I am not jealous of your achievements."
"Master, you are so open-minded," Warner said, smiling at Anfey. He was not sure he really believed what Anfey said.
"I am very generous to my friends," Anfey said calmly. "Pope William is getting older, while some people in the church hold prejudices against me. I could even say they treat me as their enemy. Instead of having them in power, I would rather help my friends be successful."
"But I am only one person," Warner said.
"I remember you told me that St. Robin was by himself when he was born," Anfey said.
Warner slowly nodded. He still looked very serious, but the excitement in his eyes exposed his real thinking. Anfey had reignited his ambition of long ago. He pondered Anfey's idea for a bit just to show he was humble. If this were not the case, he would not have asked Anfey if he could fight on his own.
Anfey looked like he did not understand Warner's intention and casually switched the topic. "Warner, why didn't you find me before?"
"Master, when I had just gotten the Book of Life, I did not know anything else besides the spell," Warner said bitterly. "I had nothing to do for the past few days. You did not allow me to do missionary work, so I studied the Book of Life. The script in the Book of Life was God's language. I did not understand it. I asked Master Ye for help and paid a high price for a dictionary from a priest. I have translated every chapter of the Book of Life and found the secret of it."
"Don't all priests have a Bible and dictionary? Don't you have one?" Anfey asked.
"I lost them when I was attacked last time," Warner said.
"Warner, you have to be more careful in the future," Anfey said quietly. "If you knew the power of the Book of Life, you could have done a lot in Moramatch and would not have needed to wait until now."
"Back then…" Warner tried to explain.
"Back then you were busy preaching to the dwarves," Anfey said, smiling.
Warner cleared his throat and shifted his eyes, and then he suddenly found a very good excuse. "Master, I could not study the Book of Life back then. Master Ye got the dictionary for me later. That was why I did not know the secret of the Book of Life until recently. Maybe it is fate."
Anfey smiled but did not respond. The situation in Shuklan City was stabilizing as they talked. They did not get any further resistance as they recruited the mercenaries in Shuklan City to the League of Mercenaries. It was like a rolling snow ball. Every time they went to help a city, they recruited the mercenaries in that city to the League of Mercenaries to make it stronger. It was a little challenging at the beginning because initially the League of Mercenaries was not that strong. As they recruited thousands of mercenaries, nothing could stop Anfey recruiting more mercenaries into his League of Mercenaries, including the three super mercenary groups. Marino's Band of Brother mercenary was an exception, since they were already allied with Anfey.
Moving forward, it would not be that difficult to conquer the Country of Mercenaries. Anfey felt excited and proud. However, under the circumstances, Anfey was not the only one feeling that way.
At Kulmalashine Fort in Shansha Empire, about 200,000 soldiers neatly stood in formation, quietly waiting for the city door to open. Over 200,000 people gathered together, but no one moved, nor did anyone made any noise, in contrast to the loud yelling and horses neighing inside the fort.
The city door slowly opened and more than one hundred knights rushed through. The soldiers at the suspension bridge pulled up the bridge and then ran to the front of the squad. The knight in the front stopped his horse and yelled, "General Scarlet, what are you doing?"
"General Kuiper, can you open the city door?" Scarlet, at the head of the troops, slowly took off her helmet. Her blond hair fell in waves. She still looked ant talked normal, but she showed a bit of tiredness in her eyes. She gave a feeling that she had been through so much. Oddly, her body and face looked young. It was a very mixed feeling she gave out.
Seeing the face of Scarlet, the knight in front was shocked for a second. Scarlet had been famous for a short period. This was the first time he had seen Scarlet in person. Even though he heard Scarlet was beautiful, he did not expect her to be so young. He could not imagine how this little girl could have over 200,000 mercenaries listening to her.
"General Scarlet, as far as I know, you should be traveling northeast right now with your mercenaries to save the people who are suffering from attacks by death spirits. You should not be here." The knight sounded kind, since he really could not scold a little girl.
"General Kuiper, I am trying to save a country, not just the people in certain areas. Open the door. I am asking you now," Scarlet said slowly.
Kuiper looked like he did not know if he should laugh or cry. How could a little girl say she is going to save a country? Kuiper thought to himself. He felt weird because he felt a strong soldier should protect the country, while a little girl should be whining to her parents or trying to become a social butterfly at dance parties. This was not a place for Scarlet.
Kuiper thought for a second and smiled. "General Scarlet, do you have to order from the king?"
"Not yet," Scarlet said.
"Not yet? Please come back when you have an order from the king," Kuiper said.
"General Kuiper, that would be too late." Scarlet had a helpless smile. She seemed to have more bitterness on her face. "Right now Baery does not know which direction my military will go. When he realizes, it will be pointless then."
"Baery?" Kuiper almost laughed out loud. Why would God-like General Baery care about where this little girl would go? What a joke! Kuiper thought to himself.
"General Kuiper, Prince Chiellick knows what I am doing. Do you think you can open the door for us?" Scarlet could tell the disdain Kuiper had towards her, but she did not get offended by it. She only mentioned her finance to see if that would work.
Kuiper looked very serious now. Chiellick was the first successor according to age. The little girl here could become a queen of the empire. He could not deny her, but the problem was taking in 200,000 of her troops without orders from the king. If anything happened, the king would not kill his daughter-in-law, and Kuiper would take all the blame. Some discussion should have happened in a more private setting. Scarlet was just a little girl. She did not even know to find an appropriate place to talk. There were so many people listening to their conversation. If he gave in just because he heard Chiellick's name, he would lose his authority.
"Still no? I got it." Scarlet heaved a sigh and tossed away her helmet. As Kuiper looked shocked, a cloud of combat power arose on Scarlet. She rode her horse at Kuiper with her knight spear pointing at Kuiper's chest.
"Are you crazy?" Kuiper yelled as he hurriedly took out his spear. Before the two knight spears clashed, they looked at each other. Kuiper felt he was falling into an icy cave. What eyes Scarlet had! There was something burning in her eyes, even the places she looked. The crazy facial expression indicated a strong will that controlled thousands of people. Such a strong will seemed to be able to melt steel, the fort behind Kuiper, or anything else. Kuiper understood that even if the king tried to stop Scarlet, she would rush over his dead body without any hesitation. Nothing could stop Scarlet.
With a loud bang, the knight spear in Kuiper's hand turned to pieces. The next moment, there was a hole in his chest as big as an bowl. When his body was flying in the air, he saw Scarlet's personal bodyguards run towards the door while, the horn arose to signal other mercenaries to start their attack.
As death approached him, Kuiper finally understood how Scarlet could have thousands of mercenaries listening to him, but he could not change anything now.