Chapter 361: Secret Meeting

The moon hung in the trees. Tonight was quite different than usual in Moramatch. It was super quiet, especially the mercenaries near Anfey’s room. They dared not talk. They even tiptoed in case they made any noise as they walked.

In fact, Anfey and Suzanna had a lot in common in their personality. Neither of them were good at expressing themselves. After they got the secret order from Yolanthe, they did not have any good communication until they had to say goodbye to each other, even though everybody tried to give them some time alone. If this happened to a couple who had experience ups and downs, they probably would have cried. Suzanna was a tough girl. She never used tears to show her sorrow or attachment. She chose to be quiet. Anfey was even tougher than Suzanna. Sometimes, it was not a good thing to be too tough, because they could not vent their emotions. It would cause trouble for them sooner or later. Luckily, Anfey and Suzanna could take more than regular people. Suzanna had cruel training when she was little, while Anfey was an assassin who used to work on his own and learned to live with loneliness. Being apart was not bad enough to cause them to lose their manner in front of others.

Upon parting, Anfey forced a word out: “Come back soon.” Suzanna said quietly, “Take good care of yourself.”

This conversation was neither passionate nor romantic, no matter how one looked at it. The conversation did not show their deep relationship, nor their unwillingness to part. However, mercenaries had noticed the difference in Anfey. After watching Suzanna disappear from sight, Anfey started to look gloomy. The anger showed between his eyebrows. He turned around and saw two followers of Knights of the Light in an argument with mercenaries over tents. Anfey scolded the knights without even bothering to asked what was going on. The poor knights sulked away to report to their supervisors what Anfey had done.

Even carefree Blavi noticed Alice was not emotionally stable. Smart Alice hid herself in the underground city after she dealt with the confrontation with Knights of the Light. No one else dared bother Anfey, so Moramatch was super quiet that evening.

Anfey sat on the bed with his legs crossed. He kept wiping the sword for a long time. This sword was made by dwarves, so the quality was exceptional. Every country had their own large amount of dwarf craftsmen, but they suffered disdain from others. The dwarves in Moramatch enjoyed a lot of freedom, so they had a much better work ethic. They put more effort into the sword-making when they knew the swords were for Anfey, Suzanna and a few others. These swords were the product of their hard work and would not have any quality issues.

Anfey locked his eyes on the sword but was lost in thought. A couple always developed their own habits. After receiving others’ blessing for their relationship, Suzanna had been taking care of his daily life. His clothes were always clean. Suzanna would clean his room in the hotel, find clean and comfy dry straws if they staying in the wild, bring him food at dinner time, and even cut meat and bread into smaller pieces for Anfey’s convenience if Anfey did not have time to eat. She was careful with cutting and not making any noise in case she interrupted Anfey. Anfey liked to have a late night snack, so Suzanna always prepared it for him, even in the wild. Suzanna could always pick some tasty wild fruits for Anfey’s late night snack.

Suzanna’s departure disrupted their routine, which made Anfey feel uneasy and lonely.

Someone knocked on Anfey’s door. Anfey could not help frowning and asked coldly, “Who is it?”

“It is me.” Black Eleven’s voice rose outside of the door.

“What’s wrong?” If this had happened in the past, Anfey would have already opened the door and let Black Eleven in. He was never pretentious nor posed as important person, but right now he really did not want to be bothered.

“Master, someone wants to see you,” Black Eleven said with a helpless tone. He knew this was not a good time to talk with Anfey, but he had no other options.

Anfey was quiet for a second before he said slowly, “Come in.”

The door swung open. Black Eleven escorted a person covered from head to toe with a cloak. As Black Eleven closed the door, the person took off his cloak and showed who he was. He kneeled at Anfey, “Master.”

“It is you!” Anfey could not help looking surprised. The person in front of Anfey was the same arrogant Knight of the Light, Martin. Anfey looked at Black Eleven, “Armin, what is going on?”

“Should I tell Anfey, or should you?” Black Eleven shrugged.

“I think it’s better you tell Master Anfey.” Anfey did not respond to him, nor asked him to stand up, but the guy looked easier and more relaxed with a smile. He looked like he did not care much. To be honest, Martin looked a lot more pleasant now. During the day, many mercenaries wanted to swing their fists at his stinky face.

“Martin works for the king,” Black Eleven said quietly.

Anfey was smart and had a quick response. This one simple explanation was good enough for him to connect all the suspicious dots in his head. Within a short time, Anfey had already figured out what had happened.

Yolanthe had an agreement with Pope William, but that was only for the time being. He would never let Church of Light expand on this territory. The most effective way was to pick fights between mercenaries and Church of Light and create antagonism. Martin would not be the only spy.

Yolanthe could think of controlling his military and not having any conflict with mercenaries. So could Pope William. If Pope William could not think in a sophisticated manner and only use force, William would not have become pope. Yolanthe was more strategic, so he not only predicted what William would do, he also planned ahead to ruin William’s plan.

With Martin in Knights of the Light, Church of Light would make more people dislike them. Anyone who had contact with Shield of Light legion would likely prefer Maho Empire’s military and hate those arrogant Knights of the Light. The antagonism would turned to fighting sooner or later. Even though Fernando tried to appease to Maho Empire, he could not simple accomplish that. If the situation continued, Knight Fernando could only use force to protect Church of Light’s benefits. Martin and his fellows picked bloody fights to make the antagonism even worse, which meant Fernando would lose more battles. It would be inevitable for Fernando to be fired.

Anfey could not remember how many times he felt he admired Yolanthe so much. After he went quiet for a while, Anfey said slowly, “You are Martin. How long have you been working for the king?”

“I am an orphan. Without the king, I could have starved to death,” Martin said. “When I was a teenager, the king sent me to the church and helped me become an apprentice knight. It has been about ten years from that time.”

Anfey had a bitter smile on his face. Ten years ago? Yolanthe might not need people like Martin until they died because there was no opportunity to fight with Church of Light. However, Yolanthe planned cautiously for every step, not afraid of spending money on people, or wasting his own time just for one possibility.

A top power could have the control of his own life, but that was it. Anfey tried to be a top power so he could control of his own life. Yolanthe actually controlled many other people’s lives, like Martin. His youth, even his life had been dedicated to Yolanthe. How many people were like Martin and how many people’s lives were dedicated to Yolanthe?

“Did the king ask you to see me?” Anfey asked slowly.

“The king has told me to show my real identity when it is needed,” Martin said.

“Is it the time you are talking about?” Anfey asked.

“Master, I have not completed my job yet, but I am worried about what you would do to me.” Martin hesitated for a second and looked like he was trying to find an appropriate way to say it. “I am afraid I would be killed by you some day. It would be a sad joke.” Martin smiled bitterly. He was obedient. Anfey did not ask him to stand up, so Martin had been kneeling as he talked. Compared with his arrogance during the day, Anfey had such a strange feeling towards him.

“Hehehe, to be honest, I did want to kill you,” Anfey said.

“The subordinates of Hilde have died.” Martin felt Anfey did not understand, and reminded him. “The two guys you kicked. Hilde tried to fight you. Hehehe, but he was convinced by Captain Stephens.”

“Ok.” Anfey paused. “How many people do you have? Can you give me a list?”

“Well…” Martin was shocked. Anfey was asking a little too much. That was not just a list of names, which represented past decades of hard work of Maho Empire and Yolanthe.

“First of all, I am worried about more misunderstandings. Secondly, I could work with you. There were some mature people in Knights of the Light. I could help you kill them and you will have the total control of the situation,” Anfey said calmly.

Martin’s eyes brightened. He said hesitantly, “I have to get permission first.”

“Up to you.” Anfey nodded. “Please get up. Do you have anything else?”

“No. That is all.” Martin stood up and smiled. “Master, I will continue to mess around in the town tomorrow. I hope you will not get angry.”

“I got it. I will ask those mercenaries not get involved and let you guys mess around for a few days, but do not over do it. If you let those mercenaries get wild, you will be in trouble,” Anfey said.

“I understand, Master.” Martin bowed.

Chapter 362: Barrier

Anfey rarely dreamed when he slept. For him, sleep was necessary to keep himself energized. As long as he could get adequate sleep, he could make sure that he could stay fully aware of his surroundings and the dangers that may lurk within. Dreams were rare, and he almost never remembered them. This night, however, he had a vivid dream. He became a large giant. He moved his hand and saw himself destroying the world, turning it into puffs of elements. Soon, everything around him became elements and even he himself was no more than groups of loose elements.

Sudden, rapid knocks on his door woke him up and put an end to his strange dream. “Who is it?” he asked.

“It’s me,” Alice’s voice said.

“What is it?” Anfey asked.

“I need to talk to you,” Alice said.

Anfey sighed and pushed himself up. “Come in,” he said. Alice walked into the room and he saw her eyes narrow when she saw him. He looked down and realized that his blanket had slipped off of his shoulder and he was half naked.

“This room is cold,” Alice said. She glanced at the hearth and the dying fire and sighed, walking over to reignite it.

“Wait,” Anfey said, shaking his head. “Leave it. I can handle this.” He grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head.

Alice turned and smiled. She sat down primly on a chair near the hearth and folded her hands over her lap. She did not say anything and only stared at Anfey. Her large eyes were emotionless. Anfey frowned under her gaze. It still bothered him that he could not read her emotions.

“What is it you want to talk about?”

“Nothing,” Alice said softly. “Just wondering why you’re still in bed.” She stood up and walked to Anfey, who was putting on his leather armor. “Let me,” she said softly, helping Anfey lacing up his armor.

“I was tired last night,” Anfey said. He did not push Alice away.

“It’s a shame that you do not have anyone to take care of you when Lady Suzanna is gone,” Alice said. “Why don’t you let Shinbella take care of you?”

“No,” Anfey said, shaking his head. “Shinbella is too important to take care of someone like me. Plus, I don’t need any maids.”

“You’re a count, my lord. It is only natural that you have maids,” Alice said. She paused then smiled as if she had stumbled across a secret. “Are you worried about what Lady Suzanna would think?”

“I have maids,” Anfey said with a sigh. “I don’t need them, like I’ve just said. It’s dangerous for them to be here anyway. I can take care of myself.”

“I can see it with my own eyes,” Alice said. “Lady Suzanna took care of you when she was here.”

“That’s different,” Anfey said.

“Of course,” Alice said. “Of course.” She smiled and took a few steps back, inspecting her work.

Anfey did not say anything and watched Alice helping him dress. When he saw Alice grab the comb on the table, he hesitated. “Wait,” he said, reaching over. “I’ll do it myself.”

It was customary that a married man’s hair should only be taken care of by his wife. The implication of Alice combing his hair was very dangerous to his reputation.

“It’s not something you should do by yourself,” Alice said. She looked at the ground but did not put the comb down. When Anfey saved her from the slave runners, she had tried to seduce him. After she learned of his relationship with Suzanna, she tried to stay away from him lest her emotions cause a rift in their relationship. She thought that Suzanna’s absence would be a good opportunity for her.

Anfey did not expect Alice to be so insistent. He sighed and sat down on the chair, beckoning her over. He was not one to respect customs, because he knew that, in the end, customs did not matter. He didn’t know what would happen in the future and knew that he and Christian must rely on Alice. He didn’t want their relationship to be too tense.

Alice smiled and began combing his hair. There were a lot of ways for her to find someone to depend on, but there were very few people that made her feel safe. She was a princess, and she knew Anfey and his friends would never truly accept her. Anfey could allow his friends to practice magic and grow their power, but he wouldn’t let her. She felt uneasy even keeping Kumaraghosha close, let along grow her power.

Alice wanted to develop their relationship because she knew that if they became closer, Anfey would be more likely to help her with her revenge. She believed that she could convince him.

“Have you ever combed anyone’s hair before?” Anfey asked.

“Not hair,” Alice said. “Beards, yes. I was very close with my father.”

Anfey sighed. “Be more gentle,” he said. “Hair is very different than beards.”

“I see.”

“Make sure no one comes in,” Anfey said. Alice froze and tossed the comb on the table. Anfey, confused by her sudden change in attitude, turned and looked at her.

“Is that who you think I am?” Alice asked, frowning. “A sly, calculating woman?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Anfey said with a shrug. “In fact, I applaud you for that.”

Alice shook her head. “Kumaraghosha’s outside.”

Anfey nodded and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, he heard Ozzic’s voice ask, “Where’s Lord Anfey?”

Alice started, jumping up from her chair. She didn’t expect Ozzic to come at that moment and was frustrated that he foiled her plan.

“Wait,” Kumaraghosha said. “You can’t go in.”

“Why not?” Ozzic asked. “I need to see him. I have urgent business.” Ozzic sounded very angry.

Alice frowned. “What could he be doing?” she whispered.

“Who knows?” Anfey said with a smile. “Let’s see.”

Ozzic pushed open the door and marched into the room, panting. When he saw Alice in the room, however, he froze. Then he turned and quickly walked out of the room.

“Wait!” Anfey called.

“You called me, my lord?” Ozzic poked his head into the room and asked. Clearly, he knew that he had seen something he shouldn’t have.

“What do you want to talk to me about?” Anfey asked.

“It’s those knights, my lord!” Ozzic said, frustrated.

“Wait a few days,” Anfey said. “Be patient. Everything will resolve itself. Don’t cause any conflicts.”

Ozzic sighed, then nodded.

Suddenly, they heard another voice outside. “I need to talk to Lord Anfey immediately!”

“What’s Orsie doing here?” Anfey asked.

Ozzic stood and opened the door, muttering something to Orsie. Anfey frowned.

“They’re too impatient,” Alice said.

“You’re right. Which means I have to give him a small nudge.”

“You mean…”

Anfey smiled. “Just wait and watch.”

Chapter 363: Request and Demand

One education was to help students mature with different strategies, even with the hope that students could end up better than their teachers. Another type of education tried to fool students so they would listen to the teachers blindly and forget about fighting back. The students were more like penned sheep.

The two approaches to education had their own strengths and weaknesses. The former could speed up the development of society and strengthen the social dynamic in general, but it also made someone aspiring to climb the ladder work very hard to get what they wanted, because someone was always better and they could be easily surpassed and forgotten. The latter type of education could cause society to move backwards, but the upper classes were in much better shape. They only had to manage a group of sheep. There was nothing to make them nervous. It was not easy to turn sheep into wolves, because they had given up too much just struggling for enough food and shelter.

When 4,000,000 were under the leadership of 100,000 knights, no one could know whether this was planned or accidental.

The education in Mage Union and Church of Light were quite different. Church of Light cared more about beliefs. There were many contradictions among different theologies. For example, other races believed God created the world, while Church of Light did not mention the god who created the world, rather contributing all the glories to God of Light. Religious believers did not need learn about the truth behind a religion, only about its beliefs. Of course, there would always be some talented people who were hard to deceive. The church would recruit them, assimilate them and have them become part of the administrative team. This method was smart. A person could refuse to work for others but would definitely work for their own interests.

Mage Union seemed to have more freedom. They did not require students to believe in anything. They only instructed them to feel the element surges and learn to control them. They did not require students to owe them anything, nor did they interfere with students’ freedom. When the students were qualified to train outside the academy, they could go anywhere they wanted, even becoming a priest in Church of Light.

Because students had differing talents and abilities, many gave up half way through the academy. They had to make a living, so they became businesspeople, tried to practice combat power, or even went home to become farmers. Such were their options when they gave up the academy. Some people were just average students when they practiced magic, but could become famous priests in a short time. Slanbrea was a good example.

No could Priests or Knights of the Light be apart from the constraints of the church and do something else other than being Priests or Knights of the Light. Otherwise they would face serious punishment, or even endless pursuit until being killed.

Anfey had heard stories about the historical situation from Ozzic and Ossie during their travels. He was worried about Martin at the beginning, but felt relieved when he saw how he provoked Knights of the Light. It was undeniable there were some drawbacks to bondage education. Bondage education did not ask believers to differentiate right from wrong and only asked them to believe in the religion and follow the instructions of the church, so it stopped the believers from developing their talents. They were indeed unified. That was also why Martin could stir up the Knights of the Light as he wished, even though he was not a mature spy yet. Anfey had no idea what decisions Captain Stephens would make, but the Knights of the Light whom Martin brought over all looked naïve and ignorant.

“Who is the guy looking more provoked than Martin?” Anfey asked quietly.

“Maybe Hilde.” Ozzic was not sure who he was.

Anfey nodded and slowly walked toward them. He yelled, “What is going on here?”

The mercenaries who were in conflict with Knights of the Light suddenly made way for Anfey. Tiger stood at the front of the mercenaries. When he saw Anfey, he gave a dirty look to the Knights of the Light facing him. He stuck his ax in his belt and got close to Anfey. He said quietly, “Master, they want to enter the underground.”

No wonder Ozzic and others were mad. The underground city held the most important secrets in Moramatch. Even Ozzic had very few opportunities to enter the underground city: how could they let others get in?

“We have to ensure the safety of all arms and supplies, on orders from Fernando,” the Knight of the Light named Hilde yelled. “Here is the order. You can read it yourself, but move first!” Hilde took out a sealed envelope and shook it in the air.

Elizabeth hesitated for a second because she did not know whether she should take it. After seeing Anfey nod, she went over and took the envelope. She turned around and passed it to Anfey.

Anfey casually opened the envelope. There was no order inside. It was just a letter to Anfey from Fernando. The letter showed a lot of respect to Anfey. The main point of the letter was to ask to if he could leave the arms and supplies in the underground city for the sake of safety. Only talented and smart people could be recruited to the church administration. Slanbrea was one of the them, as was Fernando. In terms of management, those Knights of the Light were not comparable to Fernando. He used a friendly and compassionate tone in the letter, which made the reader feel good.

If Fernando had been a newbie without consideration of others, Yolanthe would not have wasted time on him. There would be no point for Yolanthe to plan anything. Yolanthe could fire him at any time. Pope William recruited Fernando. Logically, Pope William should be allied with Yolanthe, yet it was not clear Fernando was acting in the king’s best interests.

Anfey put the letter back into the envelope with a smile, passed it to Elizabeth and signaled her to give it back to Hilde. Anfey said calmly, “You guys perhaps misunderstood.” No wonder it was said to be easier to talk to the big boss than his assistants. Most of the time, a big plan was ruined as it was carried out by these lower-level people. If Anfey had never dealt with Church of the Light, he would have agreed with Fernando when he read the letter. However, the attitudes of these Knights of the Light would definitely have changed his mind.

“Anfey, what do you say? Don’t forget this is the order from Knight Fernando. Do you dare to act against him?” Martin stood up and yelled.

Anfey stepped up. Without anyone seeing how he did it, he had already moved more than a dozen yards. He raised his hand and slapped Martin really hard. Martin rolled on the floor like a ball.

“I told you yesterday. You should add “Master” before my name. If you have such a bad memory, I do not mind reminding you a few more times.” Anfey stood in front of dozens of Knights of the Light, but looked calm and not threatened by them. “You made a mistake. Moramatch is my territory. Do you understand?”

Martin looked at Anfey as he covered his cheek with a hand. He did not understand why Anfey slapped him. He was shocked and could not make a sound. Instead, Hilde yelled loudly, “Master Anfey, you are not only acting against Archknight Fernando’s orders, but also attacking a Knight of the Light in public. What do you want?” He was smart enough to add Master in front of Anfey’s name. He was just a paper tiger. Did he want this confrontation to reach the point where there would be a fight in Moramatch? They could only wish, since the border guards of Blackania would not listen to them. If they fought with thousands of mercenaries, it was obvious which side would lose the battle.

“Don’t panic over it. I was just teaching him some manners,” Anfey said calmly. “In terms of Fernando’s orders, Alice, bring the contract to me,” he said with a chuckle.

Alice, who just arrived, smiled and took a piece of paper from her Dimensional ring. Anfey was shocked for a second. He wondered when Alice got a Dimensional ring. He had never noticed it before, but it was not a good time to talk about it. Anfey held the contract out and shook it in front of Hilde. He said casually, “Can you read? I have had absolute authority in Moramatch for two years.”

“Master Anfey, this is a special time. We are at war now,” Hilde said.

“So what if we are having a war now? Should not my rights be protected during wartime?” Anfey said coldly. “If you go to Sacred City in Maho Empire now and tell them we are at war, would Sacred City be yours?”

Hilde did not immediately think of a response. Mercenaries laughed at him.

“You could be either guests or enemies in Moramatch, but would never be a host.” Anfey gave the contract back to Alice. “Do you understand?”

“Master Anfey, if anything happens to the arms and supplies, who is going to take responsibility?” Hilde asked.

“It is funny. I am not your general. Why are you asking me that. I know one thing: you have to listen to me in Moramatch. Otherwise, get out of here,” Anfey said.

Hilde was embarrassed, mad and upset. The color of his face changed frequently, but he dared not talk back to Anfey. This time they had come with an excuse: with Martin’s words, they wanted to vent their anger with the help of Fernando’s letter. If Anfey did not agree with their request, they would cause trouble for Anfey.

“What are you standing there for? Do you need me escort you out?” Anfey showed disdain in his tone.

“Master Anfey, I will report what happened today to Archknight Fernando as it is,” Hilde said, taking a long breath.

“Not only Fernando, but even if Pope William were here, he would have no right to take my rights away,” Anfey said coldly.

“Good.” Hilde forced that word out. He turned around and helped Martin up. They walked out together.

Anfey quietly watched the Knights of the Light walking away. He slowly called out, “Armin.”

Black Eleven hurried over, “Master?”

“Find a way to tell Martin that he should not have acted so actively. People could find something suspicious about him,” Anfey said very quietly.

“I got it,” Black Eleven said.

Chapter 364: Old Acquaintance

A few days after the arrival of the initial group of Knights of Light, another group of Shield of Light legion’s forces arrived at Moramatch. In addition to the Knights of Light, there were around four hundred priests.

For most people, knowledge and patience would grow with age. Apparently, Marquis Djoser was not in the majority. He had changed drastically since the last time Anfey saw him. This was caused by the murder of his son and Yolanthe’s unjust treatment. He was driven by anger and hatred. As soon as he arrived, he immediately took his people and went into Moramatch to look for Anfey. He did not know what he would do or how he would react when he saw Anfey, but he knew that he had to find and confront him.

Anfey, meanwhile, was hanging out with the mercenaries. He was originally planning on welcoming the new arrivals with Alice after he received the news of the new soldiers’ approach, but changed his mind at the last minute. The conflict between the mercenaries and the knights had not disappeared. Instead, the tension only grew. He could welcome the new arrivals with a smile, but he knew they might not greet him in a similar fashion. He didn’t want things to spiral out of his control again. He saw Ozzic and his men arm wrestling and thought it’d be fun to join them.

Combat power was not allowed in arm wrestling matches. The mercenaries wanted to see who was the strongest with the assistance of other powers. Tiger was the champion and the others were challenging him.

Alice appeared around the corner. She hurried over when she saw Anfey, looking at their game curiously.

“Let me join,” Anfey said, as the last match came to an end. The mercenaries all laughed and moved aside to let Anfey sit down across from Tiger.

As they were getting ready, the mercenaries began betting on the match. Unfortunately, the only person betting in favor of Anfey was Alice. His reputation could only carry him so far.

“Really?” Anfey asked, hurt. He only had one gold coin from Alice, a meager amount compared to the coins on Tiger.

Next to him, Ozzic chuckled but did not say anything.

“Don’t blame us, my lord,” Orsie said. “Prove us wrong.”

Khufu turned to Alice and said, “Why don’t you bet more, my lady?”

“Fine,” Alice said, smiling. She found a handful of gold and put it down next to Anfey. The mercenaries laughed and clapped at her generosity. She glanced at Tiger and squeezed her eyes. She wanted Tiger to let Anfey win so he wouldn’t be embarrassed in front of his men.

“Let’s do it,” Anfey said, holding out his hand. Tiger gripped his hand with a smirk.

Anfey’s hand appeared very small in Tiger’s large one, but when the match began, he did not immediately lose. Tiger had gotten Alice’s signal and wasn’t using all of his power. He also did not want to embarrass Anfey. After almost a minute, Tiger gave a low growl and began fighting back. He began slowly pushing Anfey’s hand towards the stump of the tree. Before they could finish the game, they were interrupted by a newcomer.

“Why, if it isn’t Count Anfey?” Marquis Djoser said. His voice was quiet but carried far.

Anfey and Tiger jumped up, turning to the marquis. The old marquis stopped in front of Anfey with a grin on his face. He had brought only a few guards. Next to him was a wizened man with a small smile on his face. Anfey recognized Jacob, who looked very different from the last time he saw the old alchemist.

Anfey rolled his wrist and held out his hand. It seems like he made the right choice not to join the welcome party. The marquis shook his hand stiffly.

“How have you been, Count Anfey?” Djoser asked.

“Good, good,” Anfey said, narrowing his eyes. “I didn’t expect to see you here, marquis. This is a place for soldiers. A very dangerous place. What business does an old marquis have here?”

“The necromancers threaten us all,” Djoser said with a smile. “I am obligated to contribute to the cause.” Djoser chuckled and continued, “You should be more worried, shouldn’t you, my lord? You so young. Surely your young wife will be sad should anything happen to you.”

“Like you’ve said, my lord, it is my responsibility to fight the necromancers,” Anfey said. “Plus, I am proud to die for my country and His Majesty Yolanthe. I owe him almost everything.”

Marquis Djoser narrowed his eyes at the mention of Yolanthe. In any other country, the murder of a nobleman was punishable by death. Yolanthe had not punished Anfey and instead rewarded him. Djoser was very angry about Yolanthe’s decision and knew that it had angered quite a few nobles.

Djoser smiled and took a few steps back. His smile was very fake, but he had to maintain it to avoid outright conflicts. He turned to whisper something to Jacob, who nodded and muttered something back. Then Jacob turned and marched over to Anfey and the mercenaries. Djoser watched without any emotion on his face.

Anfey sighed. He had just given Martin a wake-up call a few days ago. It seems like he had become Martin in this situation.

The mercenaries, uncertain about what was about to happen, jumped from where they sat and drew their weapons. Even though Jacob’s steps were confident and relaxed, they were not sure what this strange old man was capable of. Clearly, Jacob was with Marquis Djoser. The mercenaries did not know the history between Anfey and Djoser, but they could deduce that it must be unpleasant from their short exchange.

Jacob was not hindered by the sight of the swords and axes. He kept walking towards Anfey confidently, his expression very calm and betraying nothing of his thoughts. The line between overconfidence and self-assurance was very blurry. Judging from Jacob’s age, the mercenaries thought it wouldn’t be the former. Obviously, Jacob was very powerful: more powerful than a few mercenaries could take on. Ozzic waved his hand and his men took a few steps back. They looked at Anfey, waiting for his instructions.

Anfey sighed. He wasn’t sure if he should be immediately defeated or if he should try and hold out for a few minutes. Luckily, Suzanna wasn’t present, or else she would surely be very embarrassed that her husband was easily humiliated by a man she respected.

Jacob stopped. He looked past the mercenaries and down the street. Ernest and Entos appeared around the corner and were heading toward them. Jacob lifted a brow and glanced at Anfey with a small grin. Djoser appeared very confused. He wasn’t sure why Jacob stopped. Jacob turned and walked back to Djoser, whispering something to the marquis. Djoser’s eyes widened.

“Really?” he asked quietly. Jacob nodded. Djoser sighed and shook his head.

“Long time no see, Lord Ernest,” Jacob said, walking over to greet the two newcomers.

“Lord Jacob,” Ernest said, surprised. “What are you doing here?” He saw Djoser behind Jacob and narrowed his eyes. The marquis shuffled uncomfortably. He knew that he could command Jacob to humiliate Anfey, but he was not foolish enough to pit Jacob against Ernest.

“Well, my lord,” Djoser said, choosing a strategical retreat. “I will be going back to my place now. I hope to see you there sometime?”

“Of course,” Anfey said coolly. “You must be exhausted from your travels, Marquis Djoser. My men will take you there.” He waved his hand at Ozzic.

“No need,” Djoser said, shaking his head. He waved at Jacob and left without looking back.

Chapter 365: The Agent of Elves

“Master, I did not know you had offended so many people,” Alice sighed.

“Not that many,” said Anfey, shaking his head. “To be specific, I only have two enemies, Philip and Marquis Djoser. I have been keeping a low profile.”

Everybody felt awkward. The Anfey they knew was very aggressive. He didn’t do anything with a low profile.

Alice smiled. “Philip and Marquis Djoser are not any two people. Strictly speaking, you have offended two groups and two powers.”

“Master, let Ye and me handle it. We can find an opportunity to assassinate Marquis Djoser,” Orsie suddenly said with hatred in his voice. He continued, “Don’t forget Archalchemist Jacob. It would be really hard to kill Marquis Djoser in front of him.”

“Master, you can ask Master Ernest to lure Jacob out,” Ozzic said. It would not be a problem if there were some faults in the plan. As long as they could discuss and improve it, like what they were doing now, it would be fine.

“How about those Knights of Light and the Priest group? Can we distract them as well?” Blavi said. He was intrigued by this plan. Anfey’s enemies were his enemies. If they could assassinate Marquis Djoser, it would a good thing for everybody.

“It does not have to be so complicated. I can do it myself,” Ye said quietly. “They have never seen me before, and even if they had, they would not remember someone like me.”

“The problem is not whether they remember you or not. Are you sure you can kill him by yourself?” Orsie asked.

“Even if I fail, they would not know who I am and could not give master a hard time,” Ye said.

“You make it sound too simple. Other than us, there would only be their people in Moramatch. If there were an assassination, everyone would know we did it,” Christian said, shaking his head.

“The key would be whether they have any evidence. I can promise you that I would not be caught alive,” Ye said with a smile.

“Even if you killed him, you would not be able to come back safely” Christian said.

Ye was quiet for a moment. “This is not important. I know how to do it,” Ye said.

Everyone was quiet. Obviously, Ye was the first one to be willing to risk his life for this mission. They could neither simply support him nor restrain him. They waited for Anfey’s final decision.

“You do not have to worry much about Marquis Djoser. As an old dog, his bark is much worse than his bite,” Anfey said casually.

“We are not worried about him, but he has an archalchemist with him. If Marquis Djoser asked Jacob to do something, we could not predict the outcome, neither could Master Ernest protect us all time,” Orsie said with a concerned look.

“Don’t worry. Master Jacob would not give us such a hard time,” Blavi smiled.

“Why?” Ozzic and others all looked shocked.

Anfey had been glancing at Blavi when no one paid attention to him. He said in a low voice, “Because our professor is Saul and Uncle Ernest is on our side. In addition, Christian’s uncle is Baery. Do you think Jacob would help Marquis Djoser without considering who is on our side?”

Blavi realized he said something he should not have. He had an awkward smile and looked down. Ozzic and others looked like they understood what Anfey said. No matter what relationship Jacob and Marquis Djoser had, and no matter how confident Jacob was, he had to be crazy to be the enemy of three other top powers.

“We do not have to worry about Marquis Djoser. We’d better think about which direction we should attack from when Shield of Light legion gathers. Christian will be the supervisor of the Shield of Light legion. Fernando is an outsider and not familiar with the Country of Mercenaries. He would ask our opinion for sure. We cannot make any mistakes,” Anfey said slowly.

“We are all stuck here and do not know the situation outside of Moramtach. What should we do if we make mistakes?” Ozzic said.

“Actually, it is quite simple. Between Blackwater City and White Mountain City, which one would be easier for the necromancers to defeat?” Anfey asked.

Ozzic and others looked at each other and said in unison, “White Mountain City.”
“White Mountain City?” Anfey was shocked. This answer was different than he expected. “As far as I know, Master Swordsman Anthony has been staying in White Mountain City. Even though Glory mercenary group suffered huge losses in the civil war, their fighting ability cannot be neglected. In addition, the Archmage Mike of Ellisen Empire is in White Mountain City as well. With the help of the mercenaries of Storm mercenary group, couldn’t they counter the necromancers? Blackwater City only has Tiger of Tawau mercenary group: could their fighting ability be better than White Mountain City’s?”

“Master, Blackwater City has reinforcements,” Ozzic said.

“Oh? Tell me more,” Anfey said.

“Even though Tiger of Tawau mercenary group won the civil war in Blackwater City, the commander of Glory mercenary group is still a famous top power,” Ossic said. “Hotchbini is afraid that Anthony would take revenge on her and has asked help from elves. I heard a large group of elves travelled to Blackwater City, including over three hundred powerful druids.”

“Anthony has kept quiet since the civil war,” Orsie said. “Because the elves’ fighting ability is way better than he thought, he and Mike could wipe out the entire Blackwater City. Luckily, they did not really fight, otherwise both parties would have suffered huge losses. With this Death War, the Country of Mercenaries would be in huge troubles.”

“How could druids help Hotchbini? Hotchbini has that much influence?” Anfey asked, confused. He knew a little bit about the relationship between elves and druids. As far as he knew, both parties were allies in wars, but elves had no right to order druids to do anything. It was a big deal to have over 300 druids join them. Elves definitely could not ask so many druids to help. They usually would get support only from some druids.

“Hotchbini’s influence is not big, but her brother in-law is very famous,” Ozzic said.

“Who is her brother in-law?” Anfey asked.

“Wolf King Manstuly-the Reaper.” Ozzic thought for a second. “Hotchbini’s sister seems to be an elf pharaoh with huge power.”

“Even an elf pharaoh should not help Tiger of Tawau mercenary group.” Alice looked like she was deep in thought. “Elves could use Mourtta to assimilate rather than be rejected by human society. In other words, Mourtta could be an agent they could use and help him get stronger.”

Anfey paused before slowly leaning back in the chair. Alice’s guess was not exactly right, but pretty accurate. He understood why they did not think Manstuly was friendly, even though he had not been hostile when Anfey saw him the first time in Sacred City. Now Anfey seemed to understand it must have something to do with Hotchbini. Bruzuryano had been very nice to Anfey. He did not mean to simply pay attention to the younger generation. He was similarly kind to elves. In other words, Bruzuryano thought Anfey was a good choice, since he had a complicated background, good relations with top powers and kings, and unpredictable potential. Mourtta did not compare to Anfey.

Of course, there was another possibility: groups looking for another agent to help and support thought Mourtta could be a good candidate, and they started to reject other groups. Bruzuryano had given Anfey a few elves, so he must have something going with the elves. It was not clear which side druids and elves would take.

Everyone felt strange when they saw Anfey lost in thought. “Anfey? Christian called quietly.

“Yes.” Anfey perked up. “That means we should go help White Mountain City first?”

“Yes.” Ozzic nodded.

“I think their situation is like ours. They united to fight against death spirits. It is the job of Shield of Light legion to help White Mountain City. Our job is to find those mercenaries and recruit them,” Alice said.

“Let’s take small steps,” Anfey said. If they could think of this, Marino would probably think of it too. Marino’s timing had not been good when the Death War broke out because he had still been in Sacred City in Maho Empire. He could not lose a second chance. Everybody wanted to increase their power, including Marino. It was not easy to find an ally they could trust and work together with, so they had to avoid conflicts as much as possible. What Marino did would affect how Yolanthe made plans. He could not interfere with Yolanthe’s plans.

“Anfey, are we just letting Marquis Djoser go?” Ozzic asked.

“Not letting him go. We are just letting him mess around for a few more days,” Anfey said.

“I agree with Anfey. We should not make the relationship with him worse than it needs to be,” Alice said. “Fernando should be here soon. I hope he is not a nasty person, otherwise we will have too much trouble.”

“Master Alice, what kind of trouble are you talking about?” Orsie asked in surprise.

“I am not sure. I think we should get ready for any situation. At least, we have to be able to retreat back to underground city at any time,” Alice said.

“Alice, would the dwarves cause us any trouble?” Anfey suddenly asked.

“No, Master. Why are you asking this?” Alice asked.

“Transfer some weapons to them. It think crossbows are good for them,” Anfey said in a low voice. “They might be able to help when it is needed.”

“Ok,” Alice said.

“Let’s call it a day,” Anfey said, rubbing is forehead. “You guys get to bed early. Remember, you have to control yourselves a little bit. Don’t cause any conflict. We will discuss further after I see Fernando.”

Chapter 366: Dedication

“Entos! How did you make this?” Anfey asked, shocked by the power of the magic arrow in his hand. He was still only a beginner, but even he could feel the elemental surges from the arrow. He knew that this arrow must be very powerful. It must have been Entos’s creation. He was the only one among them that could make something like this.

Entos grinned but did not say anything.

Anfey lifted a brow and turned to Alice, who dismissed all the dwarves. She waited until the dwarves were out of earshot and rejoined the two.

Before Anfey could make a decision about whether or not he should ask Alice to leave as well, Entos sighed. “Jacob came to find me last night,” he said.

Next to him, Alice frowned at the implications. Anfey leaned closer, intrigued by Jacob’s visit to Entos.

“Why? How did he get past the dwarves?” Anfey asked, suddenly concerned. If Jacob could get past the dwarves guarding the underground tunnels, so could others. He must update the entire security system to prevent security breaches.

“No,” Entos said, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about that. I took him down there.”

Anfey nodded, relieved. “Why does he want to go to the tunnels?”

“He saw those soldiers carrying magic arrows and thought Hagan was here,” Entos said. “He wanted to check on Hagan. I told him that the arrows are made by the dwarves. He wanted to see it for himself.” Entos paused as if waiting for Anfey and Alice to take in what he was saying. “Dwarves were the original alchemists. Unfortunately, their knowledge is mostly lost. What they have right now is a meager portion of what we have, and what we have is still a small portion what they had.”

“Did he give any tips to the dwarves?”

“No,” Entos said with a laugh. “He’s too busy for that. Hagan would have given them plenty of advice, though. He only made this arrow because he was bored.”

“Is he going again tonight?”

“You really think he would work for you for free?” Entos asked with a grin. “Maybe, who knows? I asked for a favor last night. He agreed.”

“What’s the favor?”

“Secret,” Entos said, smirking.

Anfey sighed and shook his head. “Of course,” he said.

“I have some other business to attend to,” Entos said, standing up. “See you later.” He waved and disappeared.

Anfey sighed again. “He won’t even walk anymore,” he said jokingly. He knew that this was because Entos had incorporated magic into his daily routine. There were many senior magisters, but very few could achieve what Entos achieved. Even an archmage like Saul could not use the same spell twice in a short period of time.

“Anfey,” Alice suddenly said, “can you tell me how you know Jacob?”

Anfey shrugged. “He was a friend of my teacher’s.”

“This is important,” Alice said gravely.

“My teacher has his own circle of associates,” Anfey said. “Politicians aside, he has other friends as well. Like Baery, Miorich, Steger, Bruzuryano. Jacob is one of them.”

“Is that why you told us he wouldn’t hurt us?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Why didn’t you tell us, then?” Alice demanded. “You had us all worry for no reason. Let me guess: Blavi knows, doesn’t he?”

“The fewer people who know, the better,” Anfey said with a shrug.

“Secrets, I see,” Alice said, shaking her head. “So much for trusting us.”

“There are things I must keep to myself,” Anfey said. “Maybe one day you will learn them.”

Alice pursed her lips and did not say anything.

“Let’s go check on the men,” Anfey said. “I know we warned them yesterday, but who knows what they will do when left unattended.” Alice nodded and trailed after him.

As they rounded the corner, Anfey saw a group of dwarves in front of a house. The house was filled with people, and he could hear them reciting something.

“What are they doing?” Anfey asked, curious.

Alice frowned and clapped. Two dwarves heard her and turned. “What is it, my lady?” one of the dwarves asked quietly, not wanting to disrupt the reciting.

“What are they doing in there?”

“Oh,” the dwarf said, glancing at the house. “It’s Lord Warner, my lady. He is preaching.”

“Warner?” Anfey asked, surprised. “Interesting. I want to talk to him.”

The dwarf glanced at Alice, who nodded, and turned and ran into the house. After a few moments, the reciting stopped and Warner appeared. He walked confidently, as if the terrified man in the cage was a different man. “My lord,” Warner said, nodding. “My lady.”

“You’re dedicated,” Anfey said.

“I have nothing better to do, my lord.”

“How are you liking the town?”

Warner glanced around and shrugged. “There is plenty of light, but for some reason, it is always cold.” Warner shuddered and shook his head.

“Wait for a bit longer,” Anfey said.

“When can I leave this place, my lord? Boredom is driving me mad.”

“I would let you out but there are a lot of priests and Knights of Light here. I don’t want to risk anything. Of course, if you insist, I’m sure I could accommodate you.”

“Who’s here?” Warner asked nervously.

“Those knights are mostly under command of Fernando,” Anfey said. “Do you know him?”

Warner gasped. “Sweet god,” he said.

“What is it?”

“Do I know Fernando!” Warner said mockingly, shaking his head. “Do I know him! He sides with Salmado. If he sees me, I’m as good as dead.”

“So you’re saying Fernando is on Salmado’s side?” Anfey asked. Warner nodded. “When you were attacked, how did Bergkamp die?” Anfey asked. “Did they want to kill him or capture him?”

“They wanted to capture Lord Bergkamp, but they made a mistake,” Warner said with a sigh. “They forgot that he could still use forbidden spells. Lord Bergkamp sacrificed himself so we could have a chance.”

“That means they don’t know how to activate the Book of Life,” Anfey said. “Right? That’s why they had to capture him.”

Warner nodded. “We were attacked near the transportation portal. Thankfully they didn’t bribe the guards, or else I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

“Does Fernando know you?”

“I’m not sure,” Warner said. “But I’d rather be safe than sorry. I can’t let Salmado get away with his deceit.”

“Why didn’t Bergkamp tell you more, then?” Alice asked.

“He was going to, once we reached our destination,” Warner said. “But we never did.”

“Now is not the time, but in a few days I need you to appear before Fernando,” Anfey said. “I want to see his reaction. In the meantime you should study the Book of Life more. Spend more time learning about the book instead of preaching, understand?” Anfey asked, glancing at the house full of dwarves.

Warner nodded, then walked back into the room to dismiss the dwarves.

Chapter 367: Dalit

What was supposed to happen would happen anyway. Five days later, Archknight Fernando finally led his Shield of Light legion’s main force to Moramatch. At the same time, Suzanna had quietly left Sacred City.

For the past few days, Suzanna had experienced ups and downs. It was hard to describe in words what she had experienced, from shock at the very beginning to denial, recognition, caring, and depending on each other. Suzanna experienced so much alternating confusion, surprise, pain, sadness and other emotions that she almost went crazy. She had to protect her mother as much as possible and force her smiles to try to cheer her mother. Suzanna never cried. If Anfey were with her, she probably would have thrown herself in Anfey’s arms and cried as much as possible to vent her pain. Unfortunately, she had to experience the darkest days in her life by herself.

Maybe, being a daughter, Suzanna had to return the favor and love her mother the way she had brought Suzanna into the world. Suzanna did not recognize her mother at first, but that old woman recognized Suzanna right away and stared at her. She only had a breath left in her, but suddenly showed strength when she saw Suzanna.

Suzanna’ mother actually had been sleeping a lot the past few days. Even Suzanna’s appearance did not change that. Every time when she woke up, she would talk to Suzanna a lot. She repeated some stories many times, while other times she just talked as she remembered something. When she felt tired, she would fall asleep and talk again when she woke up.

In the depths of night, Suzanna was bragging about how well Anfey treated her, which made her mother so happy. Her mother fell asleep with a smile on her face. Suzanna fell asleep alongside her for a while. As she opened her eyes, she found her mother had passed away.

Saul organized the funeral for her. Suzanna was like a log throughout the funeral. She was placed here and there by others. She neither talked, nor cried. Even when Yolanthe showed up at the funeral, she did not interact with him.

As Suzanna left Sacred City, a regular wagon quietly travelled to the north for about twenty miles and then turned into a small alley to the east. It drove fast as it went into a forest. The driver suddenly fell away and hit on a tree in the valley. Blood burst from his mouth as he fell to the ground. People with good vision could see that he was bleeding internally. It did not seem he could survive.

A grey shadow appeared in the driver’s seat. The sun was bright, but did not seem to light the person’s face. The wagon automatically stopped, since there was no one controlling the horse.

Philip was stunned in the wagon and looked angry, but then terrified as a frog looking at a snake. As terror overtook him, Philip said with a coarse voice, “Here you are.”

“Master Philip, where are you going?” the grey shadow said quietly. He sounded gloomy. In his gloom, he tried to sound nice but still made others feel threatened and terrified.

“I am going to see a friend.” Maybe Philip did not like the way he asked, so he raised his voice. “Do I have to get your permission when I leave Sacred City?”

“As far as I know, Ms. Suzanna is not your friend.” The grey shadow ignored Philip’s question. In other words, he did not care to answer the question. “Master Philip, I think you need go back.”

Philip went quiet, but he looked even firmer. They say that a baby cow is not afraid of tigers to describe ignorant people who are not afraid of difficulties. When people are young, they are not afraid of death. When they grew older, they started to fear death. However, this did not apply to Philip. He was not scared of death, but afraid of dying for nothing. Today he thought he had found himself a good opportunity to risk his life.

“For decades, I never left the king. I think you know that. If the king asked me to stop you, you know what it means. The king is already very angry at you, very, very angry.” The grey shadow did not seem to notice Philip had perk up and was ready to fight. He still said calmly, “The king not only wants a good beginning, but also a good ending. This is the attitude of the king towards all the officials who have contributed so much for the country, including you, Master Philip. I hope you would not waste the king’s good intention and would not test his patience either.”

“Yolanthe’s good intention? Hahaha…” Philip suddenly laughed loud. “I have worked for Yolanthe for many years. I know what kind of a person Yolanthe is. Prince Deswright and Prince Dionysos both contributed so much for the empire. What happened to them? Hahaha, they were blamed for leading the troops in a couop. You could lie to everyone else, but not to me. You have killed them and used puppets to act like they were taking the troops to the palace to overthrow the king, so Yolanthe had reason to kill them along with many other government officials he did not like!”

That grey shadow did not respond to him, but just took a casual look at Philip.

“If Yolanthe could kill his brothers, he would not show any mercy to anyone else. Now he sent you to fight me only because I am old and not useful for him anymore. I am telling you that you will one day be like me,” Philip yelled fiercely.

The grey shadow looked at Philip sympathetically, “Do you know why the king never gave you any real power? Because you are too simple. You are good as a swordsman, but if you are asked to be in charge of anything, you would cause trouble. If the king had to punish you for your mistakes, you would not understand it and even hate him for that.”

“Bullsh*t!” Philip yelled.

“After the king made reforms, many royals were against it, including Prince Deswright and Prince Dionysos. They were the leaders of nobility and controlled half of the entire military. What did that mean to the king? He would have had to stop his reforms unless they died.” The grey shadow shook his head. “I know what I told you means nothing to you because you were one of those against the reforms. I support every decision of the king. If Prince Deswright and Prince Dionysos had not died, how could Maho Empire get as strong as it has become?”

“You are the victors. People will believe whatever you say,” Philip said with a sarcastic tone.

“I also know you are still bothered that the king did not allow you to take revenge on Anfey,” the grey shadow snorted. “You and I both know what kind of a person Zeda was. If you do an investigation, you will know Zeda was behind more than a dozen murders.”

“There are so many dalits in the world. It is not a big deal for some of them to die,” Philip said.

“It seems that whatever I told you did not go through your brain. You think Anfey killed Zeda. In fact, you killed him. If you had not spoiled him, how could Zeda have grown into what he became?” the grey shadow said helplessly. “This is another reason the king did not want to give you a high title. How to put it? Maybe you have different values than the king. He thinks nobles should enjoy their lives, but he hopes they know who provided them food, shelter and entertainment at the same time. They need to learn to appreciate, respect others. If they cannot do that, at least they need to learn to treat others with respects.”

“Appreciate? Don’t you think it is ridiculous to ask us to appreciate those dalits? Hahaha…” Philip laughed out again.

“Dalits? Right, you liked to call them dalits to show your nobility when you were young. You probably think I am a dalit as well.” The grey shadow looked up at the sky to check the time. The temperature had suddenly dropped. “It’s getting late. I have talked too much with you. I think I have done what I am supposed to do. Philip, are you going back?”

The smile on Philip’s face got bigger and brighter, and he looked so arrogant. “Do you think you stopped me so you can save that bitch? Do you think Wester and Granden would do nothing about it? Do you think Wolf King Manstuly would just stay in Sacred City?”

“The king thinks you are simple, and so do I. It seems like I am wrong. You are more stupid than I thought,” the grey shadow said calmly. “If you know about it, don’t you think the king also knows. Besides, you should have not told me about these. With your reminder, the king could quickly make up his mistakes.”

Philip’s face got frigid. The crazy look on his face suddenly withered. He knew the grey shadow’s fighting ability well. He was thinking of a suicidal fight with him to bring some loss to Yolanth,e and then Yolanthe would not be able to protect Suzanna. Saul and Steger would go to the northern border soon, while Miorich had to say in Tumen Commercial Union. Philip wanted to take advantage and kill Anfey’ wife, since Anfey killed his grandson.

“Philip, I do not want to waste my time talking to you anymore. You either go back or draw your sword,” the grey shadow said slowly.

“I…” Phillip grit his teeth and forced an embarrassing answer out. “Ok, I am going back to see king.”

“Please,” the grey shadow said casually.

Philip broke out of the wagon and ran toward Sacred City as fast as a meteor. Perhaps because he could not bear the embarrassment, he did not look back at all.

“Dalit? What a nobleman, that Philip!” the grey shadow murmured. The wagon he stood on suddenly shattered into pieces as he was covered with white light combat power. The four horses of the wagon were knocked far away, neighing loudly, as the grey shadow disappeared. His disappearance was as sudden as his appearance. If Yolanthe were there, he would have known how mad his old friend, Philip was now. The consequence of making Philip mad would be really, really bad.

Chapter 368: Unjust

The atmosphere in Moramatch was strangely peaceful. Fernando was an amicable and talkative man. Anfey knew that Fernando wouldn’t try to make the mercenaries his enemies. This was the first time he came into contact with mercenaries, and if the relationship between them was bad, it could affect the pope’s plan in Country of Mercenaries.

When they were sitting down for the meeting, Fernando purposely stated several times that Anfey was the head of the town and that he should not sit on the seat prepared for the most important guest, since Christian was more important than he was. The two spent a good five minutes trying to get each other to sit, before Fernando finally compromised and sat down.

After he sat down, Fernando glanced around the room and his eyes landed to Alice. Most of the important people had already introduced themselves, but Alice was a stranger to him. Fernando needed to understand the situation at all time, and he could not allow anyone to slip by without knowing her name.

“Who is this?” Fernando leaned over and asked Anfey quietly.

“This is Lady Alice,” Anfey told him. “She runs this town. She is the one that expanded and stabilized Moramatch.”

Fernando nodded and smiled in admiration. “You are as capable as you are beautiful, my lady,” he said. “It is rare to find someone with both beauty and brilliance. You are very special, my lady.”

“Thank you,” Alice said with a prim smile.

Fernando grinned. “I’ve always known that God is unjust. Some people are born into money and nobility, and others into poverty and destitution. Some people, like Lady Alice, are born with grace and virtue. Some others, though…” Fernando sighed and waved his hand.

A few of Fernando’s men left the room and quickly returned with two men. Fernando looked at them and shook his head. “Some others barely have any redeeming qualities. It still escapes me how these two became Knights of Light.”

The two men stood in the middle of the room, uncertain of what to do. One of them peered at Fernando fearfully.

“What is the meaning of this?” Anfey asked, surprised.

“I know that weapons supplies are a major problem for you, my lord,” Fernando said. “But I believe that as long as we have honest conversations, we can come to an understanding. These two, however, attempted to disrupt peace and abused their power. Not only did they cause unnecessary conflicts, they also created a rift in our relationship. I cannot allow that, especially during such a crucial time.” Fernando paused and glanced at Martin and Hilde, who were staring at the ground. “I will hand them over to you. What you do with them is your business.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Anfey said, smiling. “Let them go. I think they’ve learned their lesson. To be fair, the mercenaries weren’t exactly acting properly, either. They are mercenaries, after all, and did not care for formalities. If there’s any misunderstanding, it’s likely because of them. It’s partly my fault, too. I’ve never managed this many people at a time and I didn’t establish any rules. If you want to punish them, you must punish my men as well.”

“You are kind, my lord,” Fernando said. He turned to the two knights and asked, “Do you want to say anything?”

“Thank you, my lord,” Martin said hurriedly.

“Yes, thank you, my lord,” Hilde whispered.

“Take them away,” Fernando said, waving his hand. He turned back to Anfey and said, “My lord, eliminating those zombies and necromancers is our utmost responsibility. I don’t want any disagreements from the past to affect our future relationship.”

“I understand,” Anfey said. “I believe that no one wants to see the necromancers win this war.”

Fernando smiled. “You are very sensible, my lord.” He waved his hand and dismissed his men. The priests and knights stood up slowly and left the room. Only one knight remained. He found a map and laid it out on the table.

Fernando had dismissed his people, but did not request the mercenaries to leave. This, combined with his attitude towards the two rogue knights, lessened the mercenaries’ hostility towards him.

“I understand that this may be a difficult topic and it may be better to wait until tomorrow, but this is pressing matter,” Fernando said. “We encountered a few small groups of zombies on our way here. I believe that the necromancers are now aware of our presence in this nation. They haven’t attacked yet, but I don’t think they will wait for much longer. We must strike before they can to achieve maximum damage.” Fernando pointed at a location near Moramatch and said, “I have a plan, but I want to consult with everyone before formalizing it.”

The mercenaries glanced at each other and then turned their attention to the map. Country of Mercenaries was their home. It was where they grew up and the only place they’ve ever known. They did not want to lose it to the necromancers. Now that they had backup, they would try anything in their power to defend their home.

“This red circles are the remaining strongholds,” Fernando said. “Besides Moramatch, Blackwater and White Mountain City, there are thirty-seven of these. But most of these are understaffed due to prolonged conflict. A lot of them have only a few hundred combatants.”

“How did you come to find this map, my lord?” Anfey asked, impressed. Fernando must have conducted a thorough investigation to find everything. It must be difficult to investigate in areas infested with zombies.

“It is thanks to the help of Lord Mauso,” Fernando said.

“The Hawk King?”

Fernando nodded. “I had two plans before coming by this map. One was to go through Transverse Mountains, and another was to take my men through Shansa Empire. The second plan was not as efficient, but it was more secure.”

“Why did you not use the second one?” Anfey asked.

“His Majesty Yolanthe and General Baery did not agree to it,” Fernando said, shaking his head.

Anfey nodded. Most of the Shield of Light legion were men from Maho Empire and Tumen Commercial Union. Yolanthe wanted to secure the major supply providers. He couldn’t allow this coalition to have a third member. It would be too hard for him to control a situation like that.

Fernando was the actual commander of the legion and knew what sort of influence he had over the men. He wanted the legion to expand and include more people from different nations. If he could recruit men from Shansa Empire, he could expand his power.

“What is your plan, my lord?” Anfey asked. He could tell that Fernando was a capable commander and he couldn’t do anything but trust him for now.

“We attack from here,” Fernando said, pointing at the map. “We have to eliminate the mercenaries and save those mercenaries in blockaded strongholds. This is the fastest and most direct route.”

“What do you think?” Anfey turned to the mercenaries and asked.

The mercenaries hesitated, then nodded slowly. They couldn’t understand the map, but they wanted to save the trapped mercenaries and agreed with Fernando.

Chapter 369: The Disappeared Death Spirits

When the moon came out, Fernando finally said what he wanted to say. This was supposed to be his welcome party. No matter how unsettling their conflicts were, they still had to act decently, otherwise he would look like he had no class and become the butt of jokes. No one would expect Fernando to totally change this welcome party into a military conference, since no one in the Moramatch knew about military strategy except Kumaraghosha. However, Kumaraghosha was not in Moramatch. If Fernando talked to them about military strategy, it would be like playing piano to cows.

Fernando not only talked about his plan, but also showed them various strategic objectives. Neither party exchanged information they had about Blackwater City, but Fernando proposed a plan to attack from both the south and north. Obviously, he knew Blackwater City’s current situation, and even knew that Blackwater City had the ability to change from defense to offense. Anfey thought about the Hawk King Mauso, whom Fernando mentioned, and felt relieved.

Fernando even told everyone something that had confused all the countries. Since the beginning, all the countries had used their resources to set up defense lines and stabilize the frontline in order to win themselves some time, but the death spirits’ attacks were not as strong as before. They were much smaller in number than had been expected. Necromancers seemed to disappear at the same time.

Taking the Country of Mercenaries as an example, the population in Transverse Mountain was not big. The further north in Transverse Mountain, the more populated. Villages of different sizes were everywhere. Only a dozen of miles, or sometimes even a few miles, separated two villages. This expansive area had been wiped out by death spirits from the very beginning, and no one survived the attack. By conservative estimates, the number of death spirits should have reached 250,000. This number of death spirits should have been enough to support about one hundred necromancers to move up a level up and allow hundreds of necromancers maintain their energy. In other words, this area should have had a necromancer group.

The reality was quite different. The death spirits numbered between 100,000 and 150,000 at most. They did not see any necromancer. Where did the other 100,000 death spirits go? This area was not the only place experiencing this situation. Almost every country reported the same.

Death spirits had evolved to be intelligent. It was not abnormal to see them fighting and killing each other, but it did not make sense that cannibalism would cause them to lose almost half of the total number. It was even more strange that necromancers did not stop death spirits from killing each other.

Victory belonged to the party who knew themselves and their opponents well. This was common sense. The problem lay with those necromancers who knew Pan Continent very well. Necromancers did not know everything about Pan Continent, but very close to it. Some conquered people on Pan Continent even fed necromancers information as spies. On the other hand, agents in other countries only received superficial information about the structure of necromancers’ forces. They could not get more information because they had no way to return to normal life if they decided to join the necromancers. To gain the trust of necromancers, they first had to become one of them, but if they were already death spirits, how could they come back and work for kings?

Fernando had no time to pay attention to this. He had decided his troops would leave the following day. The vanguard of his troops would travel north along the commercial route. The middle unit would follow the vanguard. Christian would supervise the troops. Fernando had asked Anfey to lead some mercenaries to go with him. One of his goals was to save the mercenaries who were stuck in Blackwater City. He wanted to show his mercy and build the foundation for the church. He had a hard time dealing with mercenaries. He would rather have mercenaries communicate with their peers.

Anfey hesitated for a while before he agreed with Fernando’s request. Anfey’s goal was to recruit more mercenaries. Even if Fernando did not ask, he would figure out a way to go with him. Since Fernando had requested it first, Anfey regarded him with disdain. Fernando seemed to be turning those mercenaries over to Anfey, and Anfey knew they were on two different sides. Maybe he was too young, which led Fernando to underestimate him. No matter who underestimated whom, they would know one day who was better. Anfey was not afraid of it because he had powerful and influential people behind him to crush Fernando.

Fernando did not show much concern for those who stayed in Moramatch and their weapons and supplies. He would take most of the weapons and supplies with him, leaving the rest in Moramatch. Anfey would make the final decision where to keep the weapons and supplies. Fernando would not object. He could even take all the soldiers with him and leave Moramatch in absolute freedom. Alice spoke up against his suggestions before Anfey could even say anything. She asked to Fernando to leave at least 30,000 cavalry and a priest group, and of course they would have access to the underground city.

Fernando told Alice that Shield of Light legion had cleaned up all the death spirits on the way. Moramatch was very safe and had no need for so many soldiers to stay behind. Those soldiers should be allocated to the battle field. But Alice insisted. Fernando was quiet for a while and finally agreed to Alice’s request.

Watching Fernando walk out of the conference room, Tiger jumped up first. He moved his rigid body and said quietly, “Master, I think Fernando is not a bad guy.” Anfey and Alice could talk with Fernando, but Ozzic and others could only partially get what Fernando said. Only Tiger and Khufu had no idea what was implied between the lines when they talked about strategic plans or appointing people to different jobs.

“Tiger, why are you saying he is not bad?” Orsie smiled.

“He is nice and polite. When Master Alice slammed the table in reaction to him, he did even get mad,” Tiger said.

“You are right,” Khufu agreed.

“When you hunt magic crystals in the forest, would you yell on purpose to tell the magic beasts that you are coming to hunt them?” Orsie shook his head and smiled.

“Of course not. I am not stupid, ok?” Tiger yelled.

“We all know you are not stupid. I have no comment on it.” Orsie smiled. “I have to tell you that Fernando would not do that either.”

“Orsie, what do you mean?” Tiger said angrily.

“Ok, Tiger, Orsie did not try to give you a hard time. I also think Fernando is not bad. However, people like him would usually show it on their faces if they wanted to set us up. Do not compare him with those stupid magic beasts. You will know if magic beasts are scared—want to flee or fight with us—when you look at them. You would never know what Fernando is thinking even if you watched him for a whole day,” Ozzic said.

Tiger scratched his head without saying anything.

“Let’s put it this way, Tiger: do you know what Master Anfey and Alice are thinking now?” Orsie asked.

“How could I know?” Tiger said.

“Exactly. You’d better talk less and just listen to Master Anfey and Alice.” Orsie was doing Tiger a favor. Tiger had agreed to work for Anfey. Now Fernando had led Shield of Light legion to Moramatch, and he started to talk about how nice Fernando was, which might give Anfey a feeling that he could change to whichever side was stronger. Orsie knew Tiger was not that kind of person. He just said everything on his mind. His head was bigger than others, but had fewer brains in it.

Unfortunately, Tiger did not understand what Orsie had done for him. He even gave Orsie a look before he plopped into a seat.

“Ozzic and Orsie are right. I have some experience working with Church of Light. We have to be more aware. Wolves are not scary because we know how to deal with them. Wolves disguised as sheep are more scary. They could take a bite at your throat when you are not alert,” Anfey said calmly.

“Master, let’s put Fernando’s issue aside for a while. Recently, he has to rely on us to serve his needs, so he would not give us a hard time. We have six units in total. How many will you take?” Alice said quietly.

“If I take too few people, we would not be able to recruit more mercenaries. Instead, we could be assimilated into their group. If I take too many people with me, Moramatch could be in trouble,” Anfey said, frowning. “I will take Ozzic, Orsie and Khufu, and the rest of you will stay here.”

“Don’t you want to take Shinbella?” Alice asked in surprise.

“No. You would not have strong fighting ability if I take her.” Anfey shook his head. “Let Shinbella be your assistant, which will help you maintain control of the situation.”

“How about Master Ernest?” Alice asked.

“I am not a kid who needs to take Uncle Ernest with me everywhere,” Anfey responded. “Besides, Uncle Ernest likes to practice sword skills and dislikes socialization. It was already asking too much when I asked him to welcome Fernando. I do not want to bother him too much.” Anfey knew well that Ernest had been taking good care of him and protecting him. That was love from a father-like figure, but he could not ask Ernest to go everywhere with him, which would interfere with his freedom and affect his practice. Moreover, he did not want to be caught in a bluff. If he kept doing this to Ernest, Ernest would change his opinion of Anfey. People needed to learn to be more independent instead of relying on others; otherwise they would be looked down upon by others. It would not be good for his own development.

“How about Maser Entos?” Alice asked.

“I will ask him in a little bit,.” Anfey said.

“Master, how about having Khufu stay and you take Shinbella with you. If you do not have powers with you, our mercenaries would behave fine, but the mercenaries you want to recruit would not listen to you. You do not have to worry about Moramatch,” Alice said quietly.

Chapter 370: Runaway

“Don’t worry?” Anfey asked, smiling. “Then why did you make Fernando leave his men?”

“He’s right, my lady,” Ozzic said. “Just send them away. We need some peace around here.”

“Fernando promised to take care of the zombies and the necromancers, but we cannot leave our security in someone else’s hands,” Alice said sternly. “We have to have some priests and Knights of Light here in order for Moramatch to become a stronghold against the necromancers.

“You are a count appointed by Yolanthe himself, but you still rose up in rank too quickly. I am sure that you are not as well loved as you think you are. You will be fine if you never lose a fight, but the moment you do, those who are jealous will rise up against you.”

“Are you threatening me?” Anfey demanded.

Alice smiled, staring at Anfey. “I’m not threatening you, my lord. I am merely stating the truth.”

Anfey sighed. He knew she was right. “Fine,” he said, “I see your point.”

“Good,” Alice said. “As long as Fernando’s men are here, we can ensure that we have decent protection should any zombie or necromancer break through the frontline. If anything goes wrong, we can always blame Fernando.”

“And Fernando can blame someone else,” Orsie said.

“Which is why I requested those priests,” Alice said. “We can easily blame it on them.”

Anfey nodded.

“You heard what Fernando just said,” Alice continued. “The number of zombies is off. Mauso is called the Observer for a reason. He is not only a wise man but also a powerful druid. He could see through disguises, including magical ones. If he couldn’t find the zombies, something must be wrong. Just because we can’t see them, doesn’t mean the necromancers are gone. If Fernando gained an upper hand, they will likely ambush Moramatch. We have to be prepared.”

“You have a good plan, I see,” Anfey said.

Alice shrugged. “I’m not a mage or a swordsman. I cannot even fend for myself. If Moramatch falls, I fall with it. I have to plan for my future.” She paused and glanced around, then lowered her voice and said, “Fernando is too careless. Makes me think maybe he is feigning ignorance.”

Anfey nodded. “I will keep an eye on him. Do you want Shinbella here?”

“No,” Alice said. “Other than Lady Suzanna, Shinbella is your biggest asset. You need her.”

“You’re right,” Anfey agreed. “As long as you have Ernest with you, you will be safe.”

————

“Suzanna!” Shally exclaimed when she saw her sister. She dashed towards Suzanna and threw herself at her sister. Suzanna held Shally close to her, happy to be reunited with her sister. When Suzanna left Sacred City, Saul had advised her to take the long way around and relax, since Moramatch had Shield of Light legion. Suzanna had accepted Saul’s advice and agreed to spend more time traveling. However, this was all part of Yolanthe’s plan. He knew the conflicts in Country of Mercenaries very well and needed to avoid conflicts.

The others gathered around in surprise, Riska and Zubin at their head. Urter appeared as well. Suzanna’s trip to Sacred City was a secret, and the only one who knew was Urter. Not only did he know that she had returned to Sacred City, he also knew that she had just buried her mother.

Suzanna forced a smile, but her acting was too forced and her friends knew her well enough to know that something was bothering her.

“What’s wrong?” Zubin asked, unsettled. “Did something happen in Moramatch?”

Riska frowned. “Don’t curse it,” he said, poking Zubin. Then he turned to Suzanna and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

“What happened to Moramatch?” Niya asked as she pushed through the crowd.

“Nothing,” Suzanna said, shaking her head. “Moramatch is fine. I am on my way there but I wanted to see you guys.”

“On your way there? Where were you?” Zubin asked.

“Sacred City.”

“You were in Sacred City?” Niya asked, surprised.

Suzanna nodded. “I don’t want to talk too much about it,” she said. Zubin opened his mouth and wanted to ask something, but Niya poked him on the shoulder and shook her head. They all knew that there was no use pressuring Suzanna into doing something she did not want to do. All they can do was wait for Suzanna to be ready to explain what had happened.

“Why don’t you come in and rest for a bit?” Riska asked. “You don’t have to rush. The mansion’s construction is almost done. You want to check it out?”

Suzanna shook her head and tightened her arms around Shally. She was very sad, and the only thing she wanted to do was stay with her sister. She did not care about mansions and rooms.

“Suzanna,” Niya asked quietly. “Did you…did you…”

“I did,” Suzanna said. She was very sad, but still smiled when she saw Niya’s hesitance.

“Is he angry?” Niya asked, nervous. She had run away from home and wouldn’t blame Saul if he was furious.

“No,” Suzanna said, shaking her head. “Don’t worry. I think he expected this.”

“Thank god,” Niya said with a long sigh. “I was so worried that he would send people to fetch me.”

Suddenly, something burst through a nearby door. A few moments later, Hagan appeared, panting. “Wait!” Hagan called. “Goddammit, stop!” He froze when he saw Suzanna. “Hey Suzanna,” he said. “When did you arrive?”

“Just now,” Suzanna said. The unicorn galloped over to her and nudged her with its head. It had a vial in its mouth. The vial had some red liquid in it, and some of the liquid was leaking onto the floor.

“What is this?” Suzanna asked, taking the vial from the unicorn.

“It’s my new potion,” Hagan said angrily. “I should have known better than to trust this thing. Why are you all standing here? Let’s go inside.”

“Suzanna’s leaving in a bit,” Zubin said.

“So soon?”

“I’m worried about Moramatch,” Suzanna said. The unicorn pranced around Suzanna and glanced around, whinnying. Suzanna smiled and scratched the unicorn’s neck.

“How is Moramatch?” Riska asked.

“It was good when I left,” Suzanna said, handing the small vial to Niya. “Do you need me to send any messages to Anfey?”

“We’re good,” Riska said. “Just a bit bored. When are we heading over?”

Suzanna shrugged. “Anfey and Alice make the plan. I just execute it. I can ask them for you, though.” She stood up and smiled. “I have to go. I will see you all soon, hopefully.”

Shally grabbed Suzanna’s shirt and said, “Are you leaving already?” She knew that she couldn’t keep Suzanna with her, but she was too sad to think about that.

Suzanna stroked Shally’s hair and left a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll see you again soon, I promise,” Suzanna said. Shally sobbed but did not try to stop her again.

Seeing that Suzanna was about to leave, the unicorn whined and grabbed her shirt with its teeth, trying to stop her. Suzanna gently pulled her shirt out of the unicorn’s mouth and hugged Shally again. Then she turned and mounted her horse.

“Bye, Suzanna!” Shally called. Suzanna turned and waved at her sister, then she rode down the road and disappeared around the corner.

“What do you think happened?” Riska asked. “She’s acting strange.”

“Who knows?” Niya said with a sigh. “But I know she is strong. Whatever happened, she endure it.” She paused and glanced around. “Where’s the unicorn?”

Riska glanced around and said, “Wasn’t it just…”

“It’s not chasing Suzanna, is it?” Sante asked, anxiously.