The Alliance Mercenary Group reacted swiftly. The elf nocked an arrow and shot it towards the swordsman in front, while the mage pointed his staff, launching a barrage of fireballs at the enemy. The swordsman and the beastmen charged forward quickly. However, I was the fastest to react.
With a quick step, I dodged the swordsman's energy-infused strike and slammed into his chest. He reacted quickly, swinging his sword back at me while retreating, but I was much faster. In an instant, I struck his chest with my elbow, shoulder, and back, sending him flying into the elf's arrow, which pierced his heart. I spun away, deflecting and striking down several attackers, reducing their protective energy to its minimum. The mercenaries then landed heavy blows on them, ensuring their deaths.
Having easily killed the elite thieves, the mercenaries looked at me with astonishment and curiosity. I smiled lightly and introduced myself, "My name is Long Gutian. You can call me Xiaotian."
"Uh, Anthony, greatsword warrior," the swordsman answered succinctly, pointing to the others, "Linnie, elven archer; Alpha, dual-element light and fire mage; and these two, you can call them Bull and Tiger."
"Roar, I'm Tiger Meng of the Tiger Clan, you rude fellow!" The tiger beastman addressed me first, then Anthony.
"Moo, I'm Set the Minotaur. I want to fight you," said the bull beastman, a battle maniac. I wasn't interested in fighting much weaker opponents.
"Thank you for your help. If they had taken the elves hostage, things would have been much more complicated," the mage said. "May I ask about the bird on your shoulder?"
I smiled faintly. "As you guessed, I am fortunate." He had recognized Little Feather. Given his high-level magic, it wasn't surprising he knew about light-element sacred beasts.
Looking at Little Feather with envy, he nodded and fell silent. Linnie approached and asked, "Long Gutian, the swordmaster who appeared on the coast of Karenjia, single-handedly killing a ninth-level magical beast and an eighth-level one, severely injuring two eighth-level beasts, and diverting a sacred beast?"
I was stunned. How did they know about my actions from nearly a thousand miles away? Reluctantly, I replied, "I didn't expect anyone to know about my deeds, but I'm just a swordsman." I didn't realize that my massacre of the thief gang had been discovered by Karenjia scouts and reported to Duke William. The Duke, suspecting me, had kept the information secret, attributing the defeat to the principality's army.
Linnie smiled, "Our mercenary group has the most comprehensive and rapid intelligence system on the continent. Such a sensational event couldn't escape our notice." Before I could respond, she entered the tent with some female elves to tend to the captives.
Anthony led a few others into another tent. I decided to join them, hoping they could care for the rescued girls. If Felia wished, they could even escort her back to Karenjia. With many elves involved, I trusted them. Legends say elves are inherently pure and kind; evil-hearted ones become dark elves, distinguishable by their skin and hair color.
Inside the tent, I was amused to see Felia and Alice surrounded by children, telling stories. Felia's red eyes showed she had cried a lot. Alice, now clean, with golden hair and deep blue eyes still sparkling with tears, looked charming.
When we entered, the children turned, worried. Felia, holding Alice's hand, approached me and cautiously asked, "What about these children? Can we take them with us? I don't want them to be sold as slaves."
I smiled. "Don't worry. The slavers are dead. They are free now."
Anthony added, "Madam Long, rest assured. I am the captain of the Alliance Mercenary Group's swordsman squad. We will ensure their proper care. Those with family will be returned home; those without will live in our territory, cared for by our group."
Felia blushed at being called "Madam Long" but didn't correct him. Surprised, I stared at her as she lowered her head, her face turning redder, making my heart race. Knowing Anthony's affiliation with the Alliance Mercenary Group eased her concerns for the children. Alice, amused by her mother's flushed face, made funny faces at me. I winked back, laughing.
Things became simpler. When the elves appeared, the children were immediately captivated by them. The elves handled everything smoothly, and soon, the mercenaries had cleared the battlefield. They insisted on inviting me to their camp, and I, curious about them, agreed.
During the journey, Felia finally introduced Alice and me. "Alice, this is Uncle Long. He saved Mommy and came to rescue you. You must thank him properly."
"Hello, Uncle Long! Thank you, Uncle Long." Alice bowed politely, then turned to Felia, "But he looks so young, more like my brother. Can I call him Brother Long?"
Felia, slightly angry, replied, "No, an uncle is an uncle. How can you call him brother?"
I smiled and interjected, "Alice can call me whatever she likes. But, Alice, if your mom is so young, would you call her sister?"
Alice argued, "But she's my mom! I can't call her sister. But you look just a bit older than me, so I can't call you uncle."
I looked at myself helplessly. Indeed, I looked around seventeen or eighteen. Since achieving my innate energy, I seemed to age backwards. In my days with the Dragon Group, I looked more mature. Unexpectedly, innate energy had such an effect, which wasn't necessarily good for me. "Alice, tell Brother Long how you've been these past few days."
Recalling her ordeals, Alice cried, "Those bad men didn't let us eat, locked us up, and even threatened us with whips. They were so cruel..."
Felia comforted her, "It's over now. You won't see those bad people again."
While we chatted in the carriage, Anthony and his team discussed me at the front. Linnie spoke first, "What do you think of him?" Anthony shook his head, "He's very strong. I'm not his match." Alpha, after a pause, added, "His strength is unfathomable." The beastmen were indifferent, not commenting. Linnie, silent for a while, then said, "How about inviting him to join our mercenary group?" All four nodded. Anthony said, "Good idea. Let's ask him later."
The Alliance Mercenary Group's camp wasn't far, just beyond a forest, invisible from the slavers' location. The camp was simple, clearly temporary, but it had many carriages, prepared to transport the rescued elves and children.
While the mercenaries were busy settling the children, I brought Felia and the already asleep Alice into their assigned tent. It was time to address some issues. I wanted to know her plans. I had intended to find her daughter and then leave, but her recent expressions showed deep feelings for me, so I needed to reconsider.
Felia seemed to sense something, entering the tent silently. I asked, "Yajie, what are your plans?"
She shook her head, not speaking.
"Do you have any relatives? I can take you to them," I tried again. She shook her head vigorously.
Frustrated, I scratched my head, "Shall I..."
"Can't you take us with you? Why must you send us away? Are we a burden?" Felia asked, aggrieved.
Stunned, I stammered, "Of course not. I just wander around aimlessly. I fear you won't like this lifestyle."
Felia chuckled softly, "We won't." Her firm tone made my heart tremble, rendering me speechless. After a while, I said, "Alright. I'll find a carriage, and we'll leave tomorrow. I need to go to the capital of the Oss Empire, Ostdale. You rest early."
"Tian, you rest early too!" Her change in address and tone showed her affection, making my heart warm.
I gave her a deep look and nodded heavily, stepping out to find Anthony, Linnie, and Alpha waiting outside. Anthony said, "We need to talk."
I nodded and followed them to the largest tent, evidently set up as a conference room. Inside, a round table and chairs were arranged, illuminated brightly by a magic lamp.
I took a seat and said, "Go ahead. What do you want to talk about?"
"We want you to join the Alliance Mercenary Group. What do you think?" Anthony asked directly.
I smiled, "As expected. But you should know, I declined many invitations from other groups. Why should I join yours?"
"Because you're a righteous person. Your actions against the thieves in Duke William's territory show you'd be interested in our missions," Linnie said confidently.
I smiled wryly, realizing my actions were too conspicuous. Within days on the continent, my deeds were well known. This level of attention wasn't ideal for someone with my background as a special agent. "Why do you think I destroyed the thieves?" I wanted to know how I was exposed.