After seeing Akina's movement, the knights' expressions froze and they stopped advancing, even their leader was surprised and had a grim expression: "Are you magicians?!".
"Yeah, and now get ready to regret it," Akina said, as she gestured with her hand. But before she could complete her technique, the Knight Commander shouted again: "Stop, please stop, we will withdraw so there is no need to fight."
Akina did not like to fight a helpless person so she quickly stopped and dispelled her incomplete movement, watching the knights retreat and return from where they came.
Kotaro was also surprised by the situation: "What happened, didn't they shout a while ago that they're going to kill us?", and Ryota had some thoughts: "Maybe because they knew we were mages, they realized they were weaker than us."
"Hmm, this is a possibility, but I don't think so, I may be delusional and not focus well but only for a moment I felt that the cavalry captain smiled when he was withdrawing." Akina guessed and worried: "This is really suspicious."
"Let's forget about it and continue on our way, if there is a problem we will deal with it in time, there is no need to think about something that has not happened yet" Kotaro regained his stability and encouraged his two friends, as they continued walking towards their destination.
after two hours,
"Hey Ryota, how long is it until we arrive?" Akina grumbled and asked.
"If we keep at this pace, we'll be there in three days," Ryota replied.
"That's too much," Akina sighed, and she was tired of the road.
In front of the two of them, Kotaro was prepared and vigilant against any sudden danger, at the same time he was thinking about the knights they had met earlier.
They were sure that they were followers of the Yamikara, and the symbol on their shields was proof of that. For the past two years, Cesar had told everyone most of what he knew about this organization, including the logo it adopted.
Although they knew this, they let them leave and did not chase after them. Kotaro did not want to waste his time on these petty soldiers unless necessary.
His target was after all the four major leaders, they were all at the top of the rank S much stronger than Caesar.
Now, away from Kotaro's location, another conversation was going on between two people, the first was the leader of the group that cut off the road to Kotaro and his friends formerly, the person called Jess, who was sitting with his left knee bent on the ground and leaning on the other leg, with his right hand fixed on the The left side of his chest, with his head bowed, showed an attitude of respect and submission to the second person in front of him.
This person didn't show any expression despite his handsome face, but that was why his enemies feared him, he had a short red hair, and he wore strong armor that covered his whole body, and adorned with flames on the sides emitting a strong dominance.
At this time he asked Jess: "Speak, tell me today's report."
Jess was ready in his position and quickly said, "The results were as follows: First, the mission of hunting the fog deer is over. Second, the mission of collecting taxes from the neighboring villages. There is only one village left which is The Wind Village, we backed out because of a group of three people, they were mages so I decided to go back and consult your lordship about the matter. Next the task of collecting medicinal nettles is over. The next task was…." Jess completed the day's report: "That's it, Mister Kane."
"Good, that's the better. The mages that don't belong to our organization will be an important component of the future plan, and the more of them the more efficient, so we can only fight them if it's dangerous," Kane explained without a change in his features.
"Yes, Mister Kane, but what about The Wind Village, shall we return to it tomorrow?" Jess was puzzled and asked.
Kane replied, "No, the kraken has destroyed their village, and now they are like homeless dogs and they will soon starve to death, so there is no need to invest in them anymore."
"Yes, sir, I'll do as you wish." Jess got up, bowed respectfully, then turned and left.
After the day's report was over, Kane got up from his chair and walked towards the balcony of the room, he opened the balcony doors and a light breeze hit his face and his hair curled a little because of it, but Kane's expression did not change and he kept staring in a certain direction, the middle.
Returning to Kotaro's location, after three days had passed, the three of them had reached their destination.
It was another village, but it was three or four times bigger than the Wind Village.
And through a medium-sized gate, whose guards were strange, a man with a straight body with long hair that reached just below his waist, and a woman with a beautiful face but a muscular body that disfigured all her femininity.
Seeing the two guards, the three were a little surprised, and Ryota whispered to Kotaro, "They're mages too, aren't they?"
"Yes, but they don't seem dangerous, they just guard their village," replied Akina, who also listened.
Kotaro was silent but now spoke: "For now, hide your energy, we don't know what this place is yet."
Just as Kotaro and his two friends were investigating the two mysterious guards, these last two were also trying to discover the identity of the three young men, but they couldn't sense anything so after making sure that they posed no danger, the two guards nodded to each other, before one of them spoke, the man was:" Welcome, please excuse the strictness of our laws, but to enter the village please pay a copper coin for each one."
Kotaro and the rest didn't grumble: "Yes, no problem."
"Thank you," said the strong woman, and then smiled: "Now that you have become our village guests, please honor us with a taste of the famous fog village tea."
"Thanks, that will be fine after such a long trip." Kotaro smiled on the roof as he sneered inside as he secretly passed on to Akina and Ryota: "Beware of tea, it probably has something in it. But to not arouse suspicion we should drink it in front of them."
"okay".
"Go ahead," the woman offered. It tasted the same as tea but was milky white in color.
After finishing, the three of them smiled at the two guards and entered the lively village atmosphere.
There were small markets all along the village, and liveliness filled the place, the houses were of thatch and bamboo, and there were some tents on the outskirts of the beggars.
The three took the opportunity and bought what they needed, in preparation for the next trip, Akina took care of the food, and Ryota went to buy some books and tools, while Kotaro searched around this village and asked its people, about the two guards, and about the village leader who has not yet appeared.
The strange result was that they all answered with the same words: Sorry, but I do not know what you are talking about.