Chapter 125: Hero

“Excuse me, who are you looking for?” A few mercenaries dressed as swordsmen stopped Anfey. Two mages nervously stared at Anfey behind the mercenaries. The air seemed tensed.

“I am here for Hotchbini. Could you let her know I am here?” Anfey asked, smiling.

“I am sorry. Ms. Hotchbini, is not in White Mountain City right now. Can you come by some other time?” a swordsman answered politely.

“Sorry.” Anfey hesitated for a second. “Can you take a message for me? I am the commander of Alibaba mercenary group. Something happened on my way to White Mountain City, and I saved a group of female slaves. I personally have so much sympathy towards them. I hope I can find them a safe place.”

Those swordsmen looked at each other and felt Anfey was ridiculous. If this had happened in previous times, they would immediately have accepted this group of female slaves and sold them for money after Anfey left. They would make a profit by doing so. However, this was not a good time, since Glory mercenary group had suffered a big loss. Anthony still had not shown up. After receiving the order to withdraw, Tiger of Tawau mercenaries had been worried all day long. They did not dare to sleep, not to mention accepting female slaves.

“I am sorry. We cannot help you,” a swordsman said slowly.

“I have found a place for the female slaves. Only there are a few elves, and I do not know where I can send them to. I heard Ms. Hotchbini had saved a lot of elves. I am bringing them here in hopes that Ms. Hotchbini could take care of them.” Anfey waved.

Christian lifted up the wagon curtain, and a few elves ducked out of the wagon. Looking at the sign for Tiger of Tawau mercenary group, they looked excited. Ms. Hotchbini had claimed that Tiger of Tawau mercenary group would be a home for homeless elves. Once elves stepped through the gate of the Tiger of Tawau mercenary group, they would receive the protection of Tiger of Tawau. Anyone hurting elves would be seen as picking a fight with Tiger of Tawau mercenary group.

The swordsmen were shocked for a second, bowed to Anfey, and said, “Thank you so much.”

“You are welcome. It’s our honor.” Without knowing when it had happened, Anfey had become a hero. He even talked like a hero.

“Please take this.” A intermediate swordsman passed something to Anfey. “No matter when you need help, you can take it to Tiger of Tawau mercenary group. We would never turn you down after this.”

“This is…” Anfey took that item. It was a small badge. It was green in the front with a flying elf with wings open. In the back it was white silver with the name of Tiger of Tawau mercenary group.

“Sir, right now is not a good time, so we are not going to invite you to come in, in case anything happens to you,” the intermediate swordsman said, smiling. “It is our honor to have you visit us at this sensitive time. You know, we have not had guests for a while.”

“I am from Blackwater City. I know what has happened,” Anfey said. “I am just sending these poor elves home. I think Master Anthony would not blame me for sending just a few elves home.”

The intermediate swordsman saw Anfey was neither arrogant nor too humble about himself. He was sentimental. He smiled and said, “Is your mercenary group called Alibaba mercenary group? Under your leadership, I believe you will make a good name for the Alibaba mercenary group in the not-too-distant future.”

“Thank you for your compliments. I am not going to forget you. Goodbye.” Anfey smiled.

“Bye.” The intermediate swordsman gave Anfey a long look before he waved at the mercenaries to close the gate.

Before Anfey got back to his own wagon, the door of Tiger of Tawau of mercenary group had already closed. Compared with other places, White Mountain City looked like a ghost town. The stores on the streets were closed. There were no pedestrians on the street either. Obviously, they were afraid they would get dragged into bad situations.

“No wonder you are a student of Master Saul. You have money. If it were me, I would sell those elves.” Black Eleven gave a fake smile.

“They would not sell for much.” Anfey looked at the little badge in his hand with a smile. “We broke the ice in the relationship with Tiger of Tawau mercenary group. If anything happens later, we can look to them for help.”

Black Eleven was so speechless that he could only heave a sigh. Glory and Tiger of Tawau mercenary groups had become enemies, with Anfey planning everything behind the scenes. Now he tried to get connected with Tiger of Tawau mercenary group. It just felt weird. Black Eleven’s memory was not bad. He still remembered that Anfey had planned to use the secret of Yolanthe’s fake death to get connected with Anthony after the war started and the secrets about the war had lost their value. He was setting them up one moment and wanting to be friends with them the next. Black Eleven saw the grey shadow on Anfey. They were so much alike.

“Do you have any safe places?” Anfey asked with a smile.

“Yes, we can go to my hotel,” Black Eleven said.

“A hotel again? Can we find somewhere else?” Anfey asked.

“Is there any other place would not send out an alarm when a group of people came in? The hotel is the only safe place. It fits your identity the best,” Black Eleven said.

“Don’t tell me all of your hotels are the same,” Anfey said.

“They are similar. Not only are my hotels all similar, all the mid-level hotels in Blackwater City and White Mountain City are all similar,” Black Eleven said.

“Boring.” Anfey shook his head. Anfey had been nervous since he had stirred things up in Blackwater City. After being so stressed, he needed to relax a little bit. Alternating his status of being stressed and relaxed was a way to keep him going.

“It is a boring world anyway. If you are a travelling poet looking for inspiration, I could find you a nice place, but you are just a mercenary,” Black Eleven said.

“Never mind, never mind. I can stay anywhere,” Anfey said bitterly.

Maybe Black Eleven was against Anfey on purpose, because the Tuna Hotel they stayed in was even smaller than the one in Blackwater City. Tuna Hotel was a two-story building. Anfey and his mercenary group took the whole upper floor, while seven or eight female slaves stayed in one room downstairs. The female slaves did not complain about their room being too small. They were happy enough, since they were no longer treated as sex slaves. In addition, Anfey had promised them they could go back to their hometowns. They had no position to complain. The hotel was small but those women were happy to clean up their room. They not only cleaned the first floor, but did an even better job cleaning the upper floor. The outside of the hotel still looked like before, but inside was super tidy and clean.

Anfey had asked Christian to take the captives to report to the mercenary union about being attacked. Christian also needed to handle some paperwork. Anfey just spread himself on the bed, enjoying his free time. Two girls kneeled on the floor to clean it. They looked up to peek at Anfey once in awhile and then looked down with a shy smile. They would not understand Anfey with the knowledge they had. They only knew Anfey saved them and killed all the bad guys in justice. Anfey had been very nice to them for the past few days. He never asked them to do anything. They did cleaning on their own.

In their view, Anfey was a hero. He possessed the qualities of humility, honesty, sympathy, bravery, justice, honor and many other positive traits. Anfey never used his authority to order them to do anything. It showed he was humble. Anfey did not bully them or sell them for money. He gave them freedom. It was honesty and sympathy. They heard that Anfey was a paladin. When his legion was attacked by the gang, he was on the frontier. It was heroic and self-sacrificing. Anfey was not greedy about elves’ beauty and sent them back to Tiger of Tawau mercenary group. They could prove Anfey was a man with many good qualities with the many helpful and courageous things Anfey did. In general, those girls thought Anfey was a perfect guy. More important, he was still single.

It was fortunate those female slaves did not connect with Suzanna and Niya well, otherwise Niya and Suzanna would faint if they told Suzanna and Niya what they thought about Anfey.

This nice atmosphere in Anfey’s room was ruined the moment Black Eleven stepped in. He called out, “Anfey.”

Anfey spang up from the bed. Seeing Black Eleven’s serious face, Anfey realized something had happened. He stood up and walked out of his room. When he passed the two girls on the way, Anfey said in low voice, “Everyone must be tired after walking the whole day. You girls can go to rest. You can continue your cleaning tomorrow.”

“Yes, master.” The two girls answer quietly, but they scrubbed the floor even harder. They looked like they were in competition to see who could make the floor cleaner. They felt happy inside after they heard what Anfey said to them.

This Tuna Hotel had a large backyard. Through the backyard was an access to a blacksmith shop. The blacksmiths were engaged in their work. No one even looked up to notice Anfey and Black Eleven. When they walked out of the store, there was a street and a fabric store on the other side of the street. Black Eleven walked in front of Anfey into the fabric store.

“Are they all your people?” Anfey asked in surprise.

Chapter 126: Nothing Can Remain a Secret Forever

“Yes, doing things like this would make it so much easier,” Black Eleven said.

The clothes shop had a moderately-sized backyard. After they crossed through the door, Black Eleven stopped and turned to the stable to the right. A burly man was already waiting there. Three horses were in the stable. under the railing was a black hole.

“Sir, you’re here.” Two men in black were already standing in the basement.

“Is it inside?” Black Eleven asked.

“Yes, sir.”

Anfey walked over, and the two men bowed in unison. “My lord,” they said.

“When did I become your lord?” Anfey asked, amused.

“Anfey, now is not the time for jokes,” Black Eleven said. He walked into the basement. It was a poorly furnished room with only a bed and a table. Two candles were on the table, lighting the room dimly. There was a man on the bed. He was breathing heavily.

Black Eleven lifted the cover sheet. The wound was not dressed, and his body was covered with blood. Some blood was dry and crusted, some was fresh. The worst wound was on his abdomen. His stomach was slashed through, and through the wound his organs were visible.

Anfey frowned. Injuries like this may be treatable in a modern hospital, but in a place like this, the man was as good as dead.

“Is the news accurate?” Black Eleven asked softly.

“Yes, sir.”

“Did you report to the lord general?”

“Yes.”

Black Eleven sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. Anfey stood there quietly, lost for words. In a situation like this, he should ask what had happened, and have Black Eleven recount the event for him. Then he needed to emphasize how urgent the situation was and how they needed more men. Then he would volunteer to sacrifice himself for the empire. The actual events may differ, but the bulk of the story would remain the same.

The problem was Anfey was not stupid, nor was he someone who treated Maho Empire as his home. He wanted to assassinate the princess because he wanted to remind his companions that they could help their nation without returning home.

In this strange world, Anfey placed his own safety above all else. He didn’t mind taking risks, but he needed a good reason to do so. He had caused the chaos in Blackwater City, and it seemed like he was working for Maho Empire. However, he had his own ideas and plans. Of course, he was going to fight for Maho Empire anyways. He couldn’t risk angering Saul.

When he first met Saul, he was only a normal kid to Saul. The care and friendship Saul offered him was unconditional. He could forsake benefits offered to him by the empire, but he could not forget the kindness Saul offered him.

Anfey made a clear standard for himself. He would work for Maho Empire, but would do nothing that could potentially endanger himself. Black Eleven must have a reason for bringing him here. He would help, but he couldn’t let himself agree to anything too dangerous.

“I didn’t realize how much Shansa Empire had put into this war,” Black Eleven said.

Anfey stood there calmly, staring.

“Yes, sir. Blackania City is under siege.”

“What should we do? Watch Blackania fall?” Black Eleven asked, shaking his head.

“We must do something, sir!” one of the men said.

Anfey wanted to sigh, but doing so would put himself in an awkward situation. He remained quiet and stood there without moving a finger.

“Anfey, I am in a very difficult situation right now. Do you have any ideas?” Seeing that he was completely silent, Black Eleven wanted Anfey’s input on the matter.

“Yes, Blackania City is very dangerous right now,” Anfey said, nodding. In fact, he didn’t know where Blackania was. He was merely repeating what he had just heard.

“You know?”

“You just told me,” Anfey admitted.

Blackania City was one of the ten great cities of the world, and one of the most important cities for Maho Empire. Shansa did not try to attack the city with its armies this time. Instead, they made an alliance with Tiger of Tawau mercenary group. The mercenaries crossed the Transverse Mountains and entered the empire from where the defense was the weakest. They were able cut off Blackania City from the rest of the empire.

Even though Shansa Empire seemed to have the advantage right now, as long as Blackania City held out against the siege, they could not advance further into the empire. This was a long siege, and the army needed supplies. The mercenary group’s support could not deliver supplies for a prolonged period of time, and Shansa Empire would not allow something like that to happen. They could ally themselves with mercenaries, and so could Maho Empire. If someone cut off the supply line for the Tiger of Tawau mercenaries, and Blackania City could hold against the siege, Shansa Empire would not win the war.

Whether they wanted to advance further or hold on to their current interests, Shansa Empire would need to focus all of its military power on Blackania City. It was their only option.

Black Eleven shook his head. “Shansa Empire sent out their Griffin Aerial Unit.”

“Griffin?” Anfey asked. By asking a question, he switched his role with Black Eleven.

“Yes,” Black Eleven said.

“What should we do then?”

“We…” Black Eleven stopped mid-sentence and sighed.

Anfey sighed with him. He had no idea what griffins were, and was surprised. He only sighed because he had to play along with Black Eleven.

“Let’s talk about it more when we get back,” Black Eleven said slowly. He had watched the events in Blackwater City unfold, and was impressed by how carefully and quickly Anfey had worked. After learning what had happened, Anfey was the first person he wanted to consult. However, Anfey’s attitude made him anxious. He wanted to change the target and have someone else pressure Anfey. Convincing Niya was much easier than convincing Anfey, but would achieve the same goal. If Niya decided to do something, Anfey would not stand by without intervening.

After a few minutes, Anfey appeared in Tuna Hotel. There was a lot of activity in the hotel lobby. It was still early, and there were a lot of women and girls gathered there, chatting. Some were smiling, some were laughing, some were even singing. When Anfey walked into the hotel, the women fell silent and all bowed to Anfey.

Anfey smiled and nodded. He walked upstairs to his room and was shocked by what he saw. The two girls that had been cleaning it were already finished. They were sitting on his bed with their skirts lifted up, showing their pale legs. They were touching each other’s legs and mumbling something.

When they saw him, the girls blushed and jumped off of his bed. “You’re back, my lord,” they said timidly.

“The floor is very clean, I am impressed,” Anfey said.

“Thank you,” the girls said. Their faces were even redder now.

“I’m a bit tired now. You should rest as well,” Anfey told them and yawned.

The girls seemed disappointed, then began walking out slowly.

“Oh, by the way. See if Christian is back yet. And tell Suzanna to come here.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You’re looking for me?” Suzanna was passing by and heard Anfey. She walked into the room and said, “I’ve been looking for you as well.”

“Ah, Suzanna. You get more beautiful every time I see you,” Anfey said, holding up his arms. He placed an emphasis on the word beautiful.

Suzanna frowned, but she didn’t say anything to contradict him, and let him hug her. She saw the two cleaning girls and lifted a brow. She turned and rolled her eyes at Anfey.

Seeing that the two girls had closed the door behind them, Anfey released Suzanna and coughed, “What is it?”

“The girl you saved. There’s something wrong with her.”

“Something wrong?”

“Something wrong with her head,” Suzanna sighed and shook her head. “She wouldn’t talk or answer any questions. She wouldn’t tell us where she was from either. I’ve never heard her talk. She just sits there and stares at the wall. She won’t eat anything. I’m afraid she’ll starve to death.”

“Did she have any other strange behaviors?”

“Strange behaviors? Like what?”

“Is she observing her surroundings? Like she was going to escape?”

“You’re afraid that she’ll run?” Suzanna asked, smiling. “I thought you were a good man after you let all the slaves go. Didn’t know you were just saving the best.”

“Nonsense,” Anfey said, smiling.

“I’m not kidding, though. Feller told me he saw the girl putting her clothes on while getting out of your carriage the day of the battle. Tell me, what did you do?”

Chapter 127: Old Memories

“We did not do anything.” Anfey shook his head and gave Suzanna a weird look. “You seem to really care about what we did.”

“Don’t change the subject. Did you really do nothing?” Suzanna could not look into Anfey’s eyes, but she still could keep a serious tone.

“At that time, Ahab’s people were ready to attack us. I did not have time to think about anything else. You know what, even if I had done something with her, I would not have to deny it.” Anfey gave her a spicy smile. “Why are you in interested in me and her? Suzanna, are you…? Hahaha.”

“You wish.” Suzanna rolled her eyes at Anfey. “It was not just me. Everyone is interested in you and her. We have talked about it behind your back many times.” Suzanna seemed to answer with a sense of justice, but for some reason, she suddenly felt relaxed.

“Don’t you guys have anything better to do?” Anfey felt helpless, since he thought he really had done nothing inappropriate with the girls. Back in his world, he had sex with women, but never had any serious relationships. In this magic world, he never had sex with any woman. He thought to himself, “How could people gossip about me when I am already so strict with myself? Is it because gold will shine no matter where it is.”

Suzanna suddenly had a smile on her face. “Oh, right, what are you looking for me for?”

“What do you know about griffins?” Anfey asked.

“Griffins? Why are you suddenly asking about griffins?” Suzanna asked.

“Black Eleven will ask me a difficult question soon. I have to get more information about what kind of magic beasts the griffins are, so I can decide whether I can help him,” Anfey answered.

Suzanna thought for a while and said, “Griffins are vicious intermediate magic beasts. They live in groups. They can fly freely in the sky for a long time. They rarely fight among their own species. The male griffins are very protective of female griffins, and not just if they are a couple. Strong loyalty and pride have made griffins better companions than war horses and other flying mounts. Griffins are born for battle. They are very brave.”

“Flying a long time in the sky? I think I know what kind of army it is.” Anfey nodded. “Continue.”

“Compared with war horses, griffins are not easily startled by wild rabbits, birds and shadows. They would not hunt rabbit, wild deer or other horses when they are hungry. They would not eat their riders out of anger, even when their riders beat them. Griffins are brave but vicious. They are loyal but stubborn.” Suzanna slowly said, “You can ignore a griffin, but the fighting ability of a group of griffins is tremendous. Even a senior magic beast would have to flee in front of a group of griffins.”

“Do you know about the Griffin Aerial Unit in Shansa Empire? How is their fighting ability?” Anfey asked.

“You do not even know about Griffin Aerial Unit?” Suzanna looked at Anfey in surprise. “It was a well-known military on Pan Continent. The comprehensive fighting power of Griffin Aerial Unit was just below the Dark Moon Magic Legion in Ellisen Empire. However, they have incomparable advantages over Dark Moon Magic Legion. They are very flexible. Griffin Aerial Unit was composed of about a thousand griffins and four hundred Silver Knights. It would only take a day for them to show up and attack their opponents in surprise from a thousand miles away. Even if the powerful Dark Moon Legion were attacked in surprise by Griffin Aerial Unit, they could end up with many casualties.”

“What do you think if we attack Griffin Aerial Unit?” Anfey asked.

“Are you crazy? We would be so dead,” Suzanna yelled. “Do you know how people describe Griffin Aerial Unit? A never-annihilated military. They could escape dangerous areas at any time. Even top powerful people do not want to have conflicts with Griffin Aerial Unit. Five griffin riders with the cooperation of griffins could easily kill us.”

Anfey was frustrated. He thought Black Eleven was ridiculous to ask him to fight with Griffin Aerial Unit. Suzanna usually did not make comments or judgement. Her comments on any matter were usually fair. If Anfey and Suzanna together would be no match for five griffin riders, there was no way Anfey’s legion could fight the whole unit. They would be asking to be killed.

“Anfey, don’t gamble everyone’s life on it,” Suzanna said seriously.

“I know,” Anfey nodded.

After Suzanna left, Anfey sat on the bed and thought for a quite while. He got up from the bed and walked out of the room to the hallway. Blavi was on watch. Anfey called him over and asked him a few questions. After talking to Blavi, Anfey walked to a room. He hesitated for a while before he pushed the door open and walked in.

The princess of Shansa Empire was sitting on the bed with her feet against the bed footboard. Her knees were bent and her arms crossed and tucked under her legs. She put her upper body against her thighs. She rested her head on her knees while her eyes were fixed on the ceiling. It seemed as if there was something interesting on the ceiling. She looked somber sometimes and confused other times.

She had not cried after learning that Isis had committed suicide. She became unusually quiet. No matter whether they were in transit or in the station, or even after they arrived at White Mountain City, her facial expression was dull and rarely changed.

Anfey coughed quietly and took a seat on the edge of the bed. He smiled and said, “I still do not know your name. Can you tell me your name?”

The princess of Shansa Empire slowed turned her head to Anfey. She glanced at Anfey and then looked up at the ceiling again. It gave Anfey an illusion that he was far less interesting than that light red ceiling.

“Where are you from? Where do you want to go? If you want to leave, I can send my people to take you home.” Anfey sounded very gentle. “What happened was history. Don’t worry about it. No one can hurt you anymore.”

Anfey waited for a while but still did not get any response from the princess. Anfey frowned. “No matter what is bothering you, you need to eat regularly. You have to learn to take care of yourself.”

There was still no response. Anfey smiled as he shook his head. He stood up. He could not spend too much time on this princess. He rather needed to go back to his own room to meditate. A somber and healthy princess would be helpful for his plan, but this was all he could do.

Anfey turned around and walked out. As his hand touched the doorknob, the princess said slowly, “If I say I am a princess, do you believe me?”

“Of course, why not?” Anfey smiled. He calmly turned around and stared at the princess.

The princess was shocked for a second and returned Anfey’s smile. “I’ve been thinking for the past few days.”

“If you want to, you can tell me what you’ve been thinking about. Don’t worry. I will keep your secrets.” Anfey slowly walked back.

“When I was little, I knew I wanted to help my father and my country.” There was a smile on the princess’s face, but coldness showed in her eyes. “I did help. One year, plague broke out in the eastern part of my country. It spread super fast. Many people died and many fled away from their hometowns. The later ones brought the plague to other places. To control it, my father ordered the epidemic area to be cordoned off, but the people inside the epidemic area did not want to stay in that hell. They organized to try to break through the cordon. After a few big confrontations, many soldiers were infected as well. My father coldly ordered first to have them quarantined, and later even sent those infected soldiers into the epidemic area that had been cordoned off.

Things were getting worse and worse, since the soldiers organized those rebels, which posed a tremendous threat to the country. My father found out those rebels were planning something big. He needed someone to totally represent him in the cordon-off epidemic area to comfort those rebels. None of my siblings wanted to go, and many officials went on “sick” leave. Finally, I took that challenge. That year, I lost my best friend. She was also Isis’s sister.”

Anfey could not help giving a closer look at the princess. He knew what the plague meant at that time. A girl who dared to enter the cordoned-off epidemic area deserved others’ respect. Anfey knew he would not have wanted to go into the cordoned-off epidemic area himself. “There was another time that the western part of my country had a gang. Maybe it was because the chief and mayor were too vicious and greedy and people lost faith in them. The gang expanded very fast as a result. A few chiefs united to try to convince the gang to dissolve and work for them. When the leader of the gang, named Ahmed, went to negotiate with them, the chiefs attacked Ahmed in surprise. They not only wanted to get rid off the threat posed by the gang, but also wanted to earn their meritorious military service, with the head of Ahmed chopped off. They failed and Ahmed escaped.

After their dirty tricks became known by people, more people felt bad for Ahmed. Ahmed got stronger and stronger. My father was worried that sending troops to suppress him would be very costly. He sent officials to convince Ahmed to work for him, but Ahmed did not trust any government people. He asked to directly speak with the people from the royal family.

My siblings pushed me out again. In fact, Ahmed already had become ambitious by then. He only wanted to have the conversation to buy himself time. I became the lamb jumping into his trap. Do you know I almost got raped by him. Other leaders in the gang did not like Ahmed’s tyranny. They never wanted to be the enemy of the empire. The reason they joined the gang was because that was the only way to survive. With the help of other leaders, I killed Ahmed and successfully convinced the gang to work for my father.

Oh, right. I forget to tell you what happened to those leaders. After they became government officials in the empire, my father sentenced them to death with all kinds of accusations.”

Chapter 128: What Happened in the Hotel

“It seems like you have been through a lot,” Anfey said. “So I’m curious. How did you end up with the likes of Ahab?”

“I thought they were a normal merchant’s caravan,” the princess said, sighing.

“In deserted places like that, a normal caravan can easily turn into bandits, as long as there is a good enough motive.”

“I know now.”

“How did you end up in the Country of Mercenaries?” Anfey asked, switching the topic.

“I thought I would at least deserve a satisfying marriage, after everything I’ve done.” A smile bloomed on the princess’s face, but her eyes were cold. “I objected, but it was to no avail. So there I was.”

“After you were captured by Ahab?”

“I couldn’t tell them who I was. Isis was afraid they would hurt me, so she told them who I was. Thank god Ahab wasn’t there, or else he would have either killed me or sent me to the Tiger of Tawau mercenaries.”

Anfey nodded. He knew how these things go. If Ahab had truly believed she was a princess, he would have given her to the Tiger of Tawau mercenaries as a gift. After Ahab had tortured and humiliated her companions, he might have killed her to avoid her rage. Then he would have covered up what he did, and the missing princess would remain a mystery forever.

“Why did you believe me?” The princess asked, staring at Anfey.

“You didn’t have a reason to lie, did you?” Anfey asked. Of course, he couldn’t tell her the real reason.

“You’re a strange one.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Normal people would react to what I just told you. They would be angry at the merchants, or pity me and Isis. You, though, you’re calm. You don’t look like a young man.”

“Maybe it’s because I can understand you,” Anfey said quietly.

“You know my secret now. What are you going to do? Can you tell me?”

“If I take you to the Tiger of Tawau mercenary group, I would make some good friends with powerful people,” Anfey said.

“Of course. No wonder you can understand. You’re like my father. You value your interests more than anything else.” The princess smiled, but the light in her eyes dimmed.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re beautiful when you curse?” Anfey said, unmoved by her words.

“The princess of Shansa Empire, trying to escape a marriage. A princess turned into a slave. It would be a great scandal once it gets out. Have you thought about the fact that you may not make any friends?”

“Really?” Anfey asked, lifting a brow.

“If my father was in charge, he would kill you, all of you. And you have to realize my father alone would dictate to the mercenaries.”

Anfey looked at the princess, and the smile fell from his face. He was concerned for this very reason, and wasn’t planning on giving the princess to the mercenaries. It wasn’t a surprise that he had realized this, but the princess did too. She had already impressed him.

“The first time I saw you, you were so calm. It is very hard to remain calm in a situation like that. I just thought you were good at enduring that kind of thing. I did not know you were this brilliant. Why didn’t you try to escape? Ahab was about as smart as rock compared to you.”

“For a defenseless woman, a woman who was treated like a toy and not a person, what would you have wanted me to do? Beg? Cry? Struggle? Curse? Submit?” The princess looked at Anfey, shaking her head. “Do you think any of those would work?”

“Makes sense. But sometimes violence is the only answer.”

“You just said I was brilliant?” The princess’s eyes suddenly lit up. “You aren’t sending me to the mercenaries? Because you know it’s likely they wouldn’t treat you well.”

“Where do you want to go?” Anfey asked. He shifted the topic, and did not confirm or deny her words.

“I want to stay here.”

“Here?”

“With your mercenary group.”

“I don’t understand. If you choose to go to the Tiger of Tawau mercenary group, at least you can enjoy a life of luxury. You don’t have to worry about your next meal or your health. What’s the point of staying with us? I’m going to be honest with you. My mercenary group is brand new. There are less than twenty people in it.”

“I’ve always lived for other people. From now on I want to live for myself. I decided that when I ran away.”

“You think you can get what you want with us?”

“I can try. You saved me. I trust you.”

“Adventurous,” Anfey said as he stood up. “It doesn’t matter what you want to do. You have to eat. Destroying your own body does nothing.”

“Can’t you answer me now?” the princess asked calmly. Anfey’s tactic of shifting the topic did not work.

“I need time to think about it,” Anfey said. “Go eat and rest.”

“Alright,” the princess replied quietly.

“By the way, I do not know your name,” Anfey turned around and said.

“Don’t worry about the old one. Give me a new name.”

“Let me think about that as well.”

“You need time to think about a name?” the princess asked and she smiled.

“Of course,” Anfey said. He stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him. Blavi was standing at the end of the hall, grinning at him. Anfey glared at him, and Blavi reassumed his post.

Anfey sighed. He had taken quite some time speaking with the princess. Who knew what kind of rumors would circulate in the group tomorrow?

As usual, the magical surges from Anfey’s room could be felt throughout the hotel. What surprised those who felt them was that they were no longer just fire elements. There were surges for every element. Plus, an apprentice’s surges would not be this strong. Anfey’s magic had grown, but it was still somewhere between an apprentice and a junior mage. This was impossible. However, no one wanted to ask him, so everyone decided to just observe in secret.

Anfey woke up at dawn. The two girls who were already waiting outside and observing him through the crack pushed open the door and walked inside. They were commoners and did not have money or power. They weren’t beautiful either, which made them self-conscious. This was the only way they could repay his kindness.

Anfey hesitated but did not turn them away. He finished dressing and cleaning himself with their help. Christian and Suzanna walked into the room together.

“Christian, just on time. Tell me about yesterday.”

“It’s done. Our group was lauded by the Mercenaries Union.”

“Good.”

Christian nodded. He turned to the two girls and said, “Pardon me, can you leave us for a moment? We have some important things to discuss.”

“Yes, Lord Christian,” the girls said. They bowed and left the room.

“What happened?”

“Anfey, we have to crack down on our policies,” Christian said. “You know. We’re all young, and sometimes young people are hard to control. The girls were grateful that we saved them, then…”

“They hooked up?” Anfey asked. “Something like that is hard to control. As long as the girls are willing, I mean.”

“It is hard. We need the leader to set an example for everyone else,” Suzanna said quietly.

“Set an example? Suzanna, you’re acting strange. If you like me and don’t want to see me do things like that, you can just tell me. You don’t need to say something like that.” Anfey looked at Suzanna, amused.

“Shut up,” Suzanna said, blushing. “What were you doing last night?”

“You said the woman wasn’t speaking or eating, so I went and talked to her,” Anfey said, feeling as if he was telling his wife about his day in detail.

“Our leader is so charming that she has returned to normal. Congrats, Anfey, you don’t have to worry anymore.”

“Keep an eye on her, though,” Anfey reminded them.

“Why?”

“She really is the Shansa princess.”

Christian and Suzanna widened their eyes. One of them knew about the plan, and the other was actively involved in it. They both knew the details. Learning that the target was among them came as a huge surprise.

“Anfey, what are we going to do? Kill her?”

“No, there’s no need for that,” Anfey said slowly. “We can wait until after the wedding to reveal her and cause a scandal. But it seems like she wants to forget about her past. She may not cooperate.”

“When have you ever thought about other people’s feelings when you decide to do something?” Suzanna asked. “I don’t think this would be an exception.”

“Give me some time and let me think about it,” Anfey said and smiled bitterly.

Chapter 129: Rewards and Punishments

“This is a patrol.” Black Eleven pointed at the highly-guarded yard. “White Mountain City has over seven hundred patrolmen in six teams. They take turns to patrol. They are not that great, but usually people do not want to cause trouble with them because they might end up on the wanted list of the mercenary union.”

“Do Band of Brother and Storm mercenary groups have any connection with the patrol?” Anfey asked casually.

“I am not sure. We have run business here for decades, but still have no access to their top secrets.” Black Eleven smiled. “Let’s hurry up. Staying here too long would look suspicious.”

A middle-aged man rushed into the patrol station, crying and screaming. A few patrolmen at the door stopped him and violently threw him back out on the street.

“God…” the man screamed at the top of his lungs, sitting on the street. “Why can’t anyone carry out justice for me? Why? Bastards, you are all bastards.”

“What happened?” Anfey asked.

“A dispute. Are you interested in it?” Black Eleven asked.

“We have nothing to do right now anyway.” Anfey shrugged.

“Anfey, if you do not have anything to do right now, why don’t you…” Black Eleven suggested.

“I do not want to repeat it again.” Anfey’s expression hardened. “Suzanna told me that both of us would not be a match for even five griffin riders. I don’t want to die for nothing.”

“Anfey, maybe we can use some tactics. With your intelligence…” Black Eleven said.

“When we have a huge difference in abilities, tactics would only make it look ridiculous. No matter how smart the chicken is, it could not kill a manticore. I think you understand it as well,” Anfey said.

Black Eleven was quiet for a while and heaved a sigh. He lifted the curtain and said something to the wagon driver. The wagon driver stopped the wagon and ran into the crowd, which was watching the guy screaming on the street.

After a while, the wagon driver came back. What happened to that guy was not complicated. His son was with a merchant caravan on the way back to the White Mountain City. He went to pee in the wild. Suddenly, a startled three-eyed magic cow ran towards him. To dodge the three-eyed magic cow, he rolled away. He accidentally rolled into a 7-foot deep crack, where he found a black box made of Magic Concealing Crystals. There were five top magic crystals in the black box.

He was super lucky to find that black box. With his salary, even if he had worked over five hundred years without paying for food and shelter, he would not be able to afford those five top magic crystals. One day, he was drunk and told people the secret about the black box.

Since then his luck had turned into misfortune. A rather popular guy in the Cloud Chamber of Commerce overheard him tell about his secrets and reported back to Arlanga, the chairman of the Cloud Chamber of Commerce. The next morning, the son of that man was taken away by the people from Cloud Chamber of Commerce. They also searched for the black box and took it as well.

That man came to the patrol station several times to appeal, but Arlanga had already come to report that he had lost five top magic crystals in a black box made of Magic Concealing Crystals. The key was that Arlanga could name all the design details about the black box, even some flaws in it, while the man and his son were not so sure about the design details, sometimes even describing them incorrectly when the patrol asked them questions about the black box. In the end, the patrol decided that the magic crystals and black box belonged to Arlanga and sent the man and his son to the jail.

After hearing this, Black Eleven sneered, “Arlanga is setting people up again.”

“Why are you saying that? Maybe that guy just pulled it off,” Anfey said.

“You do not know about Arlanga. If that man and his son had not been pushed to the corner, regular people might dare to have any dispute with Arlanga,” Black Eleven said.

“What about him?” Anfey asked.

“Arlanga has two good daughters. They each married an important person in Storm mercenary group. It’s said that Cloud Chamber of Commerce received a lot of support from Strom mercenary group.” Black Eleven showed disdain on his face. “If this had happened in a peaceful time, the patrol might take some time to look into it, but it is such a sensitive time now. The rules in the Country of Mercenaries had been changed by Mourtta. No one knows which direction things will go, but they know it is never smart to cause trouble for powerful Storm mercenary group. Therefore, the patrol made a judgement without looking into it,” Black Eleven answered.

“I feel you are a little cynical. Being cynical will not do you any good,” Anfey said casually.

Black Elven smiled bitterly. “You have no idea what he has done. I own five hotels, two fabric stores, two blacksmith shops, and some other businesses. I have been blackmailed by him several times. I really do not like him. In fact, Cloud Chamber of Commerce are doing great, plus Storm mercenary group referred a few capable people to them to take care of their management. Arlanga did not have to do much to make a decent amount of money. He could just sit at home, counting how much money he makes everyday, but he rather set others up for little things. It was hard to understand what he was thinking.”

“Money would not bite your hands no matter how much you make.” Anfey lifted up the curtain and glanced at the crying man. “Let’s change the topic. It has nothing to do with you and me.”

“What should we talk about? How about Honna?” Black Eleven took a deep breath. He did notice himself being a little overexcited about it, but it was not all his fault. He hated Arlanga so much that he would have used all his resources to take revenge on him. However, he did not want to cause any unnecessary trouble because he had so much responsibility on his shoulders.

“Honna?” Anfey asked.

“The woman you asked me to investigate.” Black Eleven smiled. “She is a social butterfly in White Mountain City, and also a bright flower in bed. Many people have been in her bed, and she also has slept in many others’ beds.”

“Have you been to bed with her?” Anfey asked.

“No.” Black Eleven could not help staring at Anfey. “What are you thinking about?”

“You sounded like you know her well. I thought maybe you have been her temporary husband,” Anfey said.

“I am not interested in her.” Black Eleven’s mouth twitched. “How about you?”

“What about me?” Anfey asked.

“You asked me to conduct a secret investigation on her. It seems that you are interested in her,” Black Eleven said.

“What if I am interested in her? Are you jealous of me?” Anfey asked.

“How did I get to know someone like you?” Black Eleven had nothing more to comment on with Anfey.

“Let’s keep walking and see how long the people behind us will follow us,” Anfey said slowly.

Black Eleven tapped lightly on the wagon as the wagon rocked a little bit. He hesitated a bit before he whispered to Anfey, “Anfey, we need have a heart-to-heart talk.”

“Go ahead. I am listening.” Anfey nodded.

“Do you still remember Black Ghost? Did you kill him?” Black Eleven asked.

Anfey was startled for a second, smiled and said, “Yes, why are you suddenly asking me about it?”

“Thank you for your honesty.” Black Eleven heaved a sigh of relief. “In fact, the king has suspected it was you for a long time.”

“Oh?” Anfey said.

“It was pretty simple in fact. Saul and Ernest did not kill him. We have sent out secret agents to investigate everyone in the Rose Home Hotel that day, including the owner and staff. None of them could pose any threat to Black Ghost. After giving it a lot of thought, we noticed we had missed one person in the hotel. It was you,” Black Eleven said.

Anfey did not respond. He just quietly listened to Black Eleven.

“Evil Mist was investigating you as we did the investigation on you. I do not know why they are so interested in you,” Black Eleven said.

“Evil Mist?” Anfey frowned.

“Evil Mist is a very mysterious and powerful organization. Black Ghost was their assassin,” Black Eleven said.

“Did the king ask you to tell me this?” Anfey asked.

“Yes, the king asked you to be careful of Evil Mist,” Black Eleven said, nodding. “The king said he would keep your secrets and would not let anyone know. However, you cannot keep doing this. The king hoped you could communicate with Master Saul to avoid any misunderstanding later on.”

“I know.” Anfey smiled. He knew what he had done in Blackwater City had gained the trust of Yolanthe, and that was why the king sent Black Eleven to tell Anfey these things.

First of all, Yolanthe had hinted to Anfey that he was not a king that Anfey should fool around with. Yolanthe had suspected him before Anfey noticed it. Second, he warned Anfey to be careful of Evil Mist because he received some information that Anfey would potentially have a confrontation at the Evil Mist station in White Mountain City. He warned Anfey to show his concern for Anfey.

Anfey had not run away on his own when things happened. Instead, he brought Saul’s family along. Yolanthe may not know everything that had happened on the way, but he must know everything that happened in Blackwater City. Anfey and Suzanna had taken on all the dangerous missions and kept everyone else in safe places. Smart people could understand Anfey’s concerns and his bonds with Saul and everyone in his legion.

Anfey knew the relationship with Saul had not been long, but they had definitely connected. When Yolanthe talked about the issues with Saul, Anfey could analyze what he said in two ways. One was that Yolanthe hoped to continue to have a good relationship with Saul and avoid any possible misunderstanding. The other one was that Yolanthe was trying to control Anfey with this invisible bond with Saul. This bond was a way to have both parties build their trust. Actually it was a way for Anfey to gain Yolanthe’s trust, since there was a huge difference in their positions. Yolanthe could decide Anfey’s fate with the blink of an eye.

“The people behind us are still following us. Where are we heading to?” Black Eleven suddenly asked.

“Is there any joyhouse?” Anfey smiled. He did not look stressed and nervous at all.

“There are many hookers. But what is a joyhouse? A place with hookers?” Black Eleven asked a weird question.

“Yes, don’t you have joyhouses?” Anfey asked.

“It is interesting where you are from. Let’s go to a bar. No, let’s go to a hotel. Most of the waitresses are hookers there.”

Chapter 130: Terror of the Griffins

Shinon raised the bottle to his lips with shaking hands and took a swig of the ale. He began walking into the room. Inside, a grey rope hung limply from the ceiling like a dying snake. This was the end Shinon chose for himself.

There was nothing worse than a heart yearning for death. For someone suicidal, nothing in the world could hold them back. Ale was something bland and amusing, but Shinon had to drink. He did not have the courage to face death.

The bottle fell to the ground. Shinon did not care to pick it up. He stumbled forward towards the rope. He climbed onto the table and tied a loop. He placed the loop around his neck, and kicked the table. His body began swinging in the air. The rope was pulled taut, the beam began creaking.

Something flashed through the air and cut through the rope. Shinon fell to the ground with a dull thud. The lack of air did not last long, and Shinon was still conscious. His hands searched the ground and found the ale bottle. He drained the bottle and tossed it against the wall. It shattered like a flower.

The moon peeked out from behind the grey clouds and lit the room. Shinon saw the broken rope next to the fallen table and sighed, cursing the gods. Couldn’t they just let him die? When he saw where the rope broke and its smooth surface, he realized that the rope did not break on its own. Someone had cut him down.

“Do you have money?” a hoarse voice asked.

Shinon jumped. He turned around and his eyes grew wide, staring at the man who had suddenly appeared behind him. The moon was bright, and from his angle the moonlight was all blocked out by the shadow. All he could see was darkness.

“Do you have money?” the person asked again.

Shinon smiled. He was about to die, and did not have a care in the world. Whatever the person wanted, he would give. Even if the person wanted to kill him, he would accept it gladly.

“Money?” Shinon repeated as he searched his pockets. He found a half empty wallet.

Law suits required money. He was already poor, and he had already sold everything he could. The wallet was everything he had.

“Here, have it.” Shinon tossed the wallet at the figure, then pointed at the room. “It’s all yours.”

The figure opened the wallet, and found three copper coins inside. The figure’s hand glowed, and picked up one of the coins. Then he threw the wallet and the two remaining coins onto the ground. “Deal,” he said.

“Deal?” Shinon looked at the figure, confused. This person clearly wasn’t a robber or a murderer. He was an idiot. Who would want to make a deal with someone like him?

“Don’t die so soon. Wait a few days. You’ll get a good news.” The figure turned and walked outside.

“Wait!” Shinon called. “Who are you?”

“You could say I am a judge,” the person said. Then he began to levitate and disappeared.

Shinon dashed outside and glanced around, but he was already alone. Could it be the Bringer of Justice? Shinon’s hands flew up to his mouth. He had a feeling. It had something to do with the injustice he had suffered.

Anfey pushed open door and walked into the room. He stopped in his tracks in shock. The girls responsible for cleaning his room weren’t there. Instead, it was the princess of Shansa that was sitting on his bed, staring at the candle.

“What are you doing here? Where are the girls?”

“I sent them away,” the princess said. She stood up and walked over. “I just wanted to know my name.”

Anfey thought about it for a moment then said, “When I was younger, I once heard a song from a minstrel. It was called Für Alice. It was a beautiful and happy song, and I still remember it to this day. I want to give you that name. Do you like it?”

“It’s beautiful,” the princess said. “Do you want me to be happy?”

Anfey did not reply. Agreeing could lead her on, disagreeing would be inappropriate.

“Did something happen?” the princess asked.

“No, why did you ask?”

“You seemed more approachable when you left, now you feel strange,” the princess said. She looked at him. “You seem…austere.”

“You’re sensitive to changes,” Anfey said, smiling. “We ran into a bit of a trouble. Someone was following us.”

“Who?”

“We’ll find out tomorrow.” Anfey looked at the princess. “Alice, I can call you this, right?”

“I like this name.”

“Do you know anything about the Griffins Aerial Unit?”

Alice blinked in shock, her expression unreadable. After a few moments she said quietly, “What do you want to know? I’ll tell you everything.”

“I heard that Shansa Empire had sent out the Griffins Aerial Unit. I have a mission and my employer wants to know about them. If you know, you would save us a trip to the Transverse Mountains.”

“They must be working for Maho Empire! Anfey, don’t work for them!” Alice said hurriedly.

“Alice, I must take the group’s reputation into consideration,” Anfey said slowly. “I know you’re Shansa Empire’s princess, but you need to know that everyone here, except for Suzanna and Shally, are people of Maho Empire. This is the reason I took the job. If you want to forget about your past, you need to leave it behind completely. Or else I cannot trust you.”

“Anfey, you are putting me in a very difficult situation,” Alice said. There were tears in her eyes.

“You can tell us, or you cannot tell us. This choice lies in your hands,” Anfey said calmly. “Also, I believe you’re not a woman who likes tears. You should have a better way of convincing me.”

However, his words did not wipe away her tears. Alice lowered her gaze and tears started rolling down her cheeks.

Anfey sighed. He looked at Alice coldly, then walked over and sat down on his bed. He wanted to changed his original plan, but he had a condition, and that was he needed to trust Alice. Alice said she wanted to forget her past, but it seemed like some things were too hard to ignore. He could tell that Alice did not want to do anything that might harm Shansa Empire. He could understand her sentiments, but he could not accept it. If she could not change, he must go through with his original plan.

Alice walked over carefully. She lifted her skirt and sat down next to Anfey. Her hand caressed Anfey’s arm and his chest. Her breathing was short and nervous. Her gentle scent and timid teases were more than enough to arouse any normal men.

Anfey, however, was as relaxed as ice. He lay there quietly, as if Alice did not exist.

“If you really need to know, I’ll tell you,” Alice said with a sigh. “My father…Shansa Empire would not send out the entire unit. It’s too much of a gamble, its consequences too much to handle. Edward VIII may seem ambitious by expanding his army, but in fact he is a very cowardly men. His dream was to hand off the empire to his successor, not leaving a name for himself. Even if the chances are good, he will not risk everything.”

“That’s it?”

“Maho Empire’s most powerful legion, the Roaring Dead Legion, is on the eastern front. Its leader, Baery, is famous for his hunger for battle. He had long been a thorn in his enemies’ side. In order to protect his army from major loss, Edward VIII would surely make a more conservative move, hoping Maho Empire would pit all of its might against Ellisen Empire. Then Shansa Empire could fight what was left of Maho’s army.”

“Do you know anything more specific?” Anfey asked. He memorized everything Alice told him in order to tell Black Eleven about it. News like this would make the higher-ups very happy.

“I know Edward VIII would send a squadron of Griffin Aerial Unit. The plan was already made before I left the imperial city. I don’t know if they made any changes to it,” Alice said softly. “The squadron has two missions. One is to find chances to kill any powerful man and woman in the service of Maho Empire. The other is to find the exact location of the Roaring Dead Legion in order to prevent it from ambushing Shansa’s army. Baery is very skilled at ambushes and battles. Plus, he is a very powerful man himself. He is the kind of men you need to look out for during a war.”

“How many people are in a squadron?”

“Fifty Griffin Knights.”

“What are griffins’ weaknesses? Fire? Cold? Lightening?”

“Griffins are practically immune to magic. The only kind of magic that can harm them is high level magic. The worst thing that can happen is that they do not have enough food supplies. In a past war, the supply line was disrupted, and the riders lost control of the griffins. The griffins ate all the horses in the cavalry unit and caused major commotion. Since then, the army has been very careful to make sure the griffins are fed properly.”