The three prepared people walked towards the village entrance. When they saw the girl standing at the village entrance, two of them had already walked quickly and avoided on their own.
"You're leaving."
"The teacher kicked me out, even if I don't leave, I can't."
"Here you are." Kikushi moved her hand hidden behind her back to her chest, and then stuffed the things in her hand into Mei.
"This is..." Mei looked at the thing in her hand. That is a very common amulet on the mainland, usually praying for adventurers to travel safely.
"That's an unfortunate talisman."
"Unfortunately?"
"Yes! There's my curse inside."
"Curse?"
"That's right! If you don't come back... it will curse you for a lifetime." The more she spoke, the quieter the chrysanthemum, and immediately ran towards the village without looking back.
"Boss! After speaking, don't leave yet." "Let's go! Captain." Sakura and Matsu waved at Mei from a distance on the road and shouted.
Mei tightly grasped the amulet in her hand and whispered, "I will definitely come back."
On the journey, Mei and his group took on bodyguard work to increase their experience points and enrich their wallets, while advancing towards Garden City under the leadership of former Scorpio Mercenary Regiment Commander - Xia Zina. There were not many difficulties along the way except for some lower level animals harassing them. Sakura and Matsuki walked this section of the road with the mood of an outing.
The destination of Garden City is different from the Garden City that Mei brought in earlier. Travelers shuttle between the streets, and vendors selling various goods are ubiquitous.
Although many members of the Fire Lizard tribe appear on the streets and alleys, due to the restrictions of non tax and entry taxes, as well as the fact that Locke Stone's products, whether processed or unprocessed, are often displayed in shops in Garden City. So many travelers on the mainland come to Garden City to find what they need.
Occasionally on the street, there are knights holding shields engraved with the design of the Scorpio Mercenary Corps, walking in groups of five through the street. The Knights of the Garden City Scorpion Mercenary Order, composed of KK and Iva, has a considerable reputation among nearby city states. Although there are only a small number of twenty people, each one has good qualities and it is said that they all have a strength of Lv15 or above.
The main reason is that since the battle two years ago, the thieves near Garden City have disappeared without a trace. Perhaps after watching the angel duel, no one thought the Scorpio mercenary group, backed by seven warriors, would win the battle. So Xia Zina is happy to reduce the number of knights and focus on training.
Upon hearing shouts coming from the martial arts school established by Monk and seeing a constant stream of people coming and going at the entrance of the medical school set up by Dart, Mei and his group knew that the Duke's Mansion was nearby.
Explaining his purpose to the knight standing guard at the door, Mei and his group smoothly entered the Duke's mansion and arrived at a pavilion in the courtyard of the mansion. Xia Zina was wearing a light blue low cut off shoulder dress, sitting in the pavilion, drinking afternoon tea. Sitting next to them were KK and J, while Charlotte leaned against the pillars of the pavilion, rarely hiding herself.
"Mei, long time no see. Is Teacher Bolin okay?" Xia Zina waved her hand and asked Mei, Sakura, and Matsu to sit down. The attendant on the side also prepared a cup of tea for the three of them.
"Teacher, it's okay, Xia... Hmm. Miss White Lieming..."
"How come! You're also so outspoken. It's easier to call me Xia Zina! Is there anything wrong?" Xia Zina's expression was no longer the same as before, making people feel the deep and alluring charm. Now it seems like showing a pure feeling on a beautiful face, which should be the true Xia Zina.
Mei said, "There is nothing serious. On the contrary, you seem to be very free. Are you doing nothing?"
When Xia Zina heard the words, her mouth immediately popped up: "Not only is it too idle, but also very boring. Most of the things are dealt with by KK and J. I just nod or shake my head. When I talk to the residents of Garden City at three or five o'clock, there is nothing else. No wonder when I invited Jack to stay, he made a face and said to me, 'Take this hard job yourself! Don't drag me into the water. Being an ordinary traveler is more free.' I can't disagree with Jack's words now. I really want to go back to my previous life."
KK and J on the side just awkwardly laughed and listened to Xia Zina's series of complaints. And J timely changed the topic and asked Mei, "Mei, you haven't mentioned this trip yet. What's up?"
Mei hasn't answered yet, but Sakura and Matsuki explained their words clearly with just one word from you and one sentence from me.
"I see." Xia Zina asked J after listening to Sakura and Matsu's narration, "Is there a foundry in the city?"
J respectfully replied, "Yes. Do you need to call them over?"
Xia Zina stood up and said, "No need, let's take a walk. It's also easier to confirm whether they can remake it in their place. If possible, it's also convenient to hand it over directly to them."
KK and J bowed and retreated, and KK said, "Let's go down and prepare first."
Xia Zina called to stop KK and said, "KK, don't find too many guards. Two are enough. We're just in the city, let alone you."
KK turned around and saluted, then turned around and continued to leave.
Xia Zina looked at the three people with puzzled faces and shrugged, saying, "There's no way, who made me get a duke now."
The group arrived at the largest foundry in Garden City. Mei handed the sword fragments to the forge, and the forge saw the lord accompanying the young knight. Of course, he was also very spirited and brought the fragments to the furnace. First, find the two pieces that are connected, throw them into the furnace at the same time, and then walk to the side of the wind drum to start blowing air into the furnace.
The stove is getting hotter and hotter, and the temperature around it is also getting higher and higher, but the two fragments inside the stove are silent. Not to mention burning it red, even the fragments can be immediately touched by hand after being clamped out with pliers. The temperature of the visible fragments has not increased at all, let alone melted and joined them.
I went to several casting companies in a row, and it was the same situation. It was not until all the people in the city had set foot that the group returned to the Duke's Mansion in disappointment.
Xia Zina sat helplessly on the throne, leaning her hand on the armrest of the chair, propping her chin up and saying, "How could this be like this?"
"Is there anything wrong?" The voice came from a knight named Iva who walked into the hall. "Ah~! Just come to me if you need anything."
"Iva, long time no see." Mei greeted Iva happily when she saw her.
Iva shook his hand and said, "The insincere guy, as soon as he enters the city, he talks to our lord and doesn't come to find this former comrade. He definitely has a special intention."
"Hey! It's you who didn't see anyone on your own, blame me! But it's true that you have an intention," Mei joked.
"I'll tell you! I'll tell you! You're the kind of person who goes to the Three Treasures Hall for everything. Go ahead! If you have any intentions, I might be able to help. If you're planning to use something strong, I can't do it." Iva found a chair and sat down on her own.
Xia Zina said coldly on the side, "Iva, don't say anything about yourself from the bottom of your heart."
Iva put on an innocent expression and shook her head, saying, "Miss! I didn't say anything. Don't wrongly accuse a good person like this."
Xia Zina revealed her expression from her previous time in the Scorpio Mercenary Corps and said, "Don't think I don't understand, just let everyone know. Don't expose the wolf's tail hidden under the armor, I will treat it as if I don't know."
Iva still looked at Mei with that innocent expression and asked, "I'm almost being pushed to the corner by the young lady until I reveal your intentions."
Mei replied, "I plan to wait until you finish your performance and talk about me." Then she briefly explained the situation.
After hearing this, Iva said, "Aren't even the craftsmen in the city capable?"
Sakura nodded on the side and said, "Hmm! We've all tried it. Miss Xia Zina has also seen it, and none of them are good."
Iva touched his chin and said, "The casting skills of the city's craftsmen are almost better than the city I used to stay in. They are all not good, so... probably no one can do it anymore."
"No one can do it! Then there's no hope," said Song in disappointment
Iva didn't show a low expression and continued with a smile, "If no one can do it, then don't look for anyone!"
Not many people present could understand Iva's words, only J made a sound as if he had a sudden realization, which caught everyone's attention.
A puzzled look from everyone is enough to replace asking questions. And J just looked at Iva and gave a knowing smile.
Iva said at this moment, "I think J also noticed."
J nodded, but his expression turned dim and he said, "But... there's still one key point."
Iva nodded silently after listening. The question marks on the faces of the others on the side became increasingly clear.
Sakura finally couldn't bear it anymore and asked loudly, "You two, stop flirting. Who knows what you're talking about? Is there a way for everyone to think about it?"
J spoke up and said, "I think Iva's solution in his heart is to seek help from the legendary dwarves. In ancient records, the dwarves have craftsmanship that is not inferior to humans, and even surpasses humans."
Iva nodded and said, "That's right! Although the dwarves no longer have contact with humans, we can seek help through the Fire Lizard's Kuta Elder as an intermediary."
J continued, "But this raises another question."
Sakura listened to J and Iva sentence after sentence, and as soon as she heard something was wrong, she naturally leaned out and asked, "What's the problem?"
Iva also cooperated with Sakura as she leaned out and extended a finger to Sakura, saying, "Don't forget, the dwarves will disappear from the continent and hide because they are persecuted by humans."
J nodded in agreement and said, "Hmm! So even with the introduction of Kuta elder, whether the dwarves are willing to help is still a question."
Song excitedly said, "That's not easy. Let's start the war directly and capture them for help!"
Sakura tapped the excited pine and said, "Stupid! We're going to beg someone, and you still need to fight. Do you have common sense?"
Mei lifted her head from her thoughts and said, "Even so, it's still worth seeking. After all, it's still a method."
After listening to everyone's analysis, Xia Zina nodded and said to Mei, "That's right! It's better to have a way than not to sit here. J, could you please invite Mr. 'Longta' over?"
After hearing this, J bowed like Xia Zina and left the hall. Everyone was chatting in the hall without a word. In no time, J led a Fire Lizard tribe member with a purple appearance in.
"Miss Xia Zina, are you looking for me?" The purple fire lizard bowed and asked.
Xia Zina gave a rough overview of the situation and then said, "So I hope Mr. Longta can lead the three of them to see the Elder of Kuta and see if he has any good methods."
The purple fire lizard, known as the 'Longta', readily agreed, "That's no problem! I just don't know when to set off?"
Xia Zina looked at Mei and asked, "Will it be very urgent?"
Mei shook her head and Xia Zina said happily, "Then stay a few days before leaving!"
Seeing Sakura and Matsudaira's bright eyes, it seemed that Mei couldn't allow her to say, "No!"
Early that morning, Sakura and Matsu took some copper coins with Mei. After the usual three chapter rule against causing trouble, the two disappeared from the Duke's Mansion and ran to explore the unfinished Garden City. Mei carried her hands behind her back and continued to stroll around the Duke's Mansion with a relaxed mood.
Recalling the scene of entering the Duke's Mansion two years ago, compare it with the present. Although divided into four teams to operate, and the team I stayed in did not have the Seven Samurai, it can be said to be the strongest team on average. Along with captains such as Gui, KK, Iva, Monk, Tankaga, and Zao Nv, when encountering sporadic enemies, they were immediately forced to shout surrender. Although the area it passes through may not be covered in blood, destruction is inevitable. Not like now, with a peaceful appearance.
"Ha! Ha!" The shout of practicing martial arts came over.
Mei walked towards the hall where the sound came and saw twenty heavily armored knights practicing their swords. On the side, there was a battle between Iva and KK wielding the Golden Hammer of the Broken Star.
When everyone saw Mei walking in, they all stopped and stood up straight, holding their swords in front of them and bowing. And Iva and KK also stopped practicing and walked over.
Iva withdrew his sword from the sheath around his waist and waved his hand, saying, "Keep practicing." The knights also bowed and continued their practice.
KK tied the golden hammer to his waist and asked, "Why didn't you go out for a stroll?"
Mei waved her hand and said, "My curiosity is not as big as those two kids. On the contrary, your practice is heavily equipped and even uses real swords. Aren't you afraid of getting injured or damaging armor?"
Iva laughed and said, "Haha! In actual combat, the enemy won't wait for you to take off your armor or use the wrapped sword to practice. It's already good not to ask them to practice wearing a cloak."
KK nodded and said, "That's right! And because we don't have many people, Miss Xia Zina is quite generous with the cost of equipment, so we all have two or three sets of armor. And we have also signed a contract with the craftsmen in the city to regularly repair damaged armor and weapons."
Mei said, "That's really good. By the way! KK, have you transferred to become a 'Broken Star Warrior'?"
KK shook his head and said, "Not yet, because the professional union still doesn't recognize it."
Mei asked in confusion, "Do you still not admit it?"
KK nodded and said, "Yes. Because they said that when the 'Broken Star' officially recognizes me as its owner and I hold it, it will emit a faint light. And the professional union's transfer crystal will also recognize my eligibility to become a 'Broken Star Warrior'. Now I can only be considered as the custodian user of the 'Broken Star'."
Iva said, "That's right! So he's just an ordinary armored warrior now, don't look down on him too much."
KK laughed and cursed, "Ha! You really gave me the power of 'Broken Star'. You can't even hold a shield, let alone defend. Do you still have the qualifications to practice with me?"
Iva gave a contemptuous look and said, "Really?"
KK said, "The legendary 'barbarian king Awand', but no one has ever lived under his hands to attack more than a hammer."
Iva shook his head and said, "Unfortunately, you're not King Awand."
When KK wanted to continue this verbal battle, Iva stopped him and said to Mei, "Mei, take a look at the children's skills!"
Mei scratched her head and said, "Not very good, right?"
Iva said, "How could that be? KK, as the commander of the new Scorpio Mercenary Regiment, was only useful when the organization was a bit larger. The current organization only has twenty Knight subordinates, and my Knight Captain is about the same age as him. And the training of the knights is all I do, so I want you to take a look at them. As a purebred Knight, the teaching method is of course the way I am used to. That's how I want you, a Knight from Brave Village, to take a look and see if there are any shortcomings or other issues."
Under the gaze of Iva and KK, Mei could only shift her gaze to the knights practicing with real swords in the field.
The knights formed a team of two, exchanging swords and fighting each other, while others defended themselves with shields. You come and go, it's hard to believe that this is just practice. The sword crossed the shield and even directly struck the armor. Although there was no blood, their combat prowess had already been cultivated.
Most people joined the Scorpio Mercenary Corps two years ago after the siege, when Xia Zina became the city lord and reorganized the organization. The biggest reason, of course, is that no one wants to be hostile to people like Jess. The best way is to become their partner. Of course, Xia Zina is very strict with their screening and training.
Just the thieves near Garden City have gone elsewhere to make a living. This group of well-trained knights also lacks practical experience and opportunities. So with Xia Zina's approval, Iva improved the training method to its current state to replace their lack of formal participation.
Meanwhile, Mei listened to Iva's explanation while watching the knights in the field engage in combat. Suddenly, he seemed to have noticed something, his eyes shining brightly. After asking Iva to stop practicing, Mei picked up the long spear on the side and invited one of them to do battle practice.
After Iva nodded and gestured to one of the knights, the rest of the group sat aside, ready to watch their battle practice.
The heavily armed knight held a sword, while the lightly armed Mei held a spear. After the two of them bowed slightly and made preparations, Mei immediately took action. A single shot pierced the knight's chest, a straight, simple, and effortless move.
Apart from flashing, there is only a hard gear method left. As a member of the Scorpio Mercenary Knights, the opponent seems unwilling to retreat on the first strike. Moreover, as soon as they step back, the battle situation will be controlled by Mei. Only by wielding a sword and sweeping horizontally, can we sweep the incoming momentum of the spear to the side.
The part scanned by the sword seems to have no focal point, and the incoming force of the spear has not decreased. Before making the next reaction, the gun had already stopped in front of the chest armor.
Mei withdrew the gun and turned her head towards Iva, saying, "This is your weakness."
Iva and KK seem to be only on the edge, but they are still a bit unclear about where the problem lies. They asked, "Speak more clearly! Don't play riddles."
The knight returned to the team and sat down. Mei also put the gun back in place and said, "Because you have been practicing with real swords and heavy equipment for a long time, you will subconsciously avoid too much damage, whether it is to the opponent or yourself. This also leads to the appearance of ineffective attacks."
The knight who had just been practicing with Mei spoke up, "But we're just practicing. There's no need to really kill the opponent, right?"
Mei nodded and said, "That's right! It's just practice. But do you know why you couldn't swing my gun just now?"
The knight shook his head. Mei continued, "The just sweep didn't cause any damage to me, but before I could swing my gun, it showed your fatal injury. Due to the prolonged subconscious holding of hands, your basic posture was slightly changed to avoid direct attacks on your companions. It was precisely because of poor basic posture that the attack's power was greatly reduced and it was unable to attack effectively and correctly. Even regular attacks have problems."
KK scratched his head and asked, "What should we do? We can't have them chop each other until we see blood."
Mei smiled and said, "That's not necessary. As long as we allocate more time to practice basic movements, such as swinging and chopping, we should be able to improve our shortcomings."
KK crossed his hands and said, "Hmm! Since the problem lies in the basic posture, everything else is fine. That's really good as long as we make improvements in this aspect."
Iva nodded in agreement and said, "Hmm! It's really a good method. So from now on, you should spend two-thirds of your time practicing basic movements. You can do regular exercises in the rest of your time! After all, basic movements only have benefits and won't have any drawbacks."
"Yes! Captain!" The knights stood up, bowing with swords.
Iva asked at this moment, "However, Mei, how did you see this?"
Mei smiled and said, "Actually, Sally taught me this."
KK showed a puzzled expression and asked, "Sally?"
Mei nodded and said, "Sally told me that all attack techniques are extensions of basic techniques, so that's why they are called basic techniques. Instead of spending time practicing some fancy attacks, it's better to practice basic techniques and mental skills."
Iva asked, "What is practicing the mind for?"
Mei replied, "If one's heart can remain calm anytime and anywhere, it can reflect what is happening around them without missing anything. Furthermore, it can also control the opponent's heart and put them under attack that benefits oneself. At this point, as long as one has a solid basic skill, they can kill the opponent."
Iva asked again, "Isn't it necessary for someone else to stand and fight for you? How could that be possible?"
Mei shook her head and said, "Do you still remember the experiment Jack did with Gui? Are you confident in your reaction to Jack? If it were me, in that situation, I would really be scared to stand still and let Jack chop!"
KK and Iva recalled that it could be said to be the only time they saw the true strength of the Seven Warriors, so they could no longer refute May's statement. Because in that situation, it would be too difficult to receive the third move like Gui before falling to the ground. No wonder Jack didn't deny that Gui was his descendant. For the Seven Samurai, it's better to teach you a way to truly survive than to teach you a bunch of minor skills.
At this moment, a maid walked in and said, "Everyone, it's time for dinner. Captain KK, Captain Iva, and Mr. May Starr, the Duchess invites you to have dinner together."