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Chapter 474: Decisions

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Tell me," Anfey said, looking at everyone in the meeting room.

"The thing you were going to take care of…" Christian began with a frown.

"That's urgent," Anfey said. "Which is why I need to leave as soon as possible." He paused and looked around. "Which is why I want to see a plan before I leave."

"This is difficult," Ye said, shaking his head. "Hesier was well-liked. He had a lot of friends in the city," Ye sighed, "but it's not his friends I'm worried about."

"What is it, then?"

"Nishieva," Ye said.

"Nishieva?" Anfey repeated. The name sounded very familiar, but he couldn't recall who it belonged to.

"She's Anthony's wife," Ye said with a sigh.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm certain," Ye said. "Hesier's wife is just a normal woman. I don't believe she was capable of lying to me."

"Where is she now?"

"She's dead," Ye said. "I needed Edy to make sure she was telling the truth."

Anfey sighed. Hesier's wife must be innocent, but Hesier put Alice in danger, and Ye needed to do everything it took to find out more about Hesier and his motives.

"Did her story check out?"

"It did," Ye said.

"What did she tell you?"

"A lot of useless things," Ye said. "But she did tell me that Nishieva came to find Hesier a few days ago and spoke with him alone. They talked a few times after that, and she gave Hesier a memory crystal. She told me that Hesier had showed her the crystal and was very proud of it. I don't think I need to prove anything further."

"Does this mean Anthony is a part of this?" Blavi asked hesitantly.

Blavi's words made the atmosphere in the meeting room even more tense. If Anthony really was involved in this assassination attempt, they couldn't just let him get away with it. But with Anfey and Suzanna out of town, could they take down a top level power like Anthony?

"I don't think so," Anfey said, shaking his head. "Anthony is a careful man. His plans are meticulous. If he really was involved in this… I don't know how he would do it, but his plan would not be this sloppy. At least, he wouldn't let Ye find out so much about it in this short amount of time."

"I agree," Ye said. "Anthony and David supported my decision on take Hesier's wife and investigate his friends. I don't think I could have done it this easily without their support."

"Anthony's plan wouldn't have such blatant flaws," Anfey said, shaking his head. "He wouldn't use his own wife as bait, either. Whoever made this plan is sloppy. Hesier must be an idiot. Does he think we will just let him go?"

"Well, we almost got fooled by an idiot, so…"

"So we need reform," Anfey said. "We need to examine ourselves. What did we do wrong? How did we allow things like this to happen?"

"Maybe Anthony is behind this," Christian said suddenly. "He purposely made such a sloppy plan because he knew that we wouldn't attribute such a plan to him."

"Maybe," Anfey said. "But I don't think it's likely. News about Alice has already spread throughout the city. Anthony and David have helped Ye, which means they know. Shouldn't they at least come and visit her? They didn't, because they are conflicted.

"When Ye found out Nishieva was involved, they found out as well. If Nishieva really is involved, they should bring her to us, shouldn't they? If he purposely led us to her, he had nothing to worry about. He didn't come because he is conflicted. If he really gave up his wife, the mercenaries would lose respect for him and his son. David has just taken over Glory mercenary group. He needs the mercenaries' support. They didn't come because they don't want to give up Nishieva. They also know that we will want to punish Nishieva. This is why they haven't come to visit Alice."

Christian frowned and nodded.

"Another thing. What is Anthony's goal? You saw how happy he was when Baery announced that he should be a duke. You can't fake that. Anthony is satisfied with his current status, which is why he turned Glory mercenary group over to David. He wants Glory mercenary group's achievements to be David's. Killing Alice does not benefit him at all," Anfey said. He smiled at the people in the room. "Anthony should know a memory crystal is not enough to buy Alice's loyalty."

"What about Nishieva?" Sante asked loudly. "Sure, he wants to protect his wife, but what about Alice?"

"He's right," Blavi said, standing up. "Anfey, let's go. We need to arrest Nishieva."

"Ask Christian," Anfey said. "I can't make that decision."

"Why me?" Christian asked, surprised.

"With Alice gone, you are in charge all of internal affairs," Anfey reminded Christian.

Christian looked at Anfey and shook his head slightly. Anfey frowned. He didn't like politics and enjoyed revenge, but he also knew that revenge was the least viable plan at that moment. Demanding Anthony to hand over Nishieva was not a good plan.

"Christian!" Sante said hurriedly. "Say something."

"We must wait," Christian said. "Anthony will come to his senses. I believe he will give us a satisfying answer."

"So we wait?" Sante asked angrily. "What will we tell Alice when she wakes up?"

"Anfey, say something!" Blavi said. He didn't like Christian's decision and wanted support from Anfey.

"I support Christian," Anfey said, shaking his head. He saw Christian's expression and knew he couldn't let Christian take the blame for this decision alone. "Hagan said Alice will wake up soon. Let's wait until she wakes up and make a decision."

"What if Alice is insistent?"

"If she wants, if she insists…" Anfey took a deep breath. "Then you can destroy Glory mercenary group."

"Anfey!" Christian said, surprised. "Anthony is a duke now. You can't just do that."

Anfey shook his head. He could serve politicians, but he would never take part in politics. An eye for an eye. Only then would he be satisfied.

"Who will be charge of Alice's safety?" Suzanna asked.

"Kumaraghosha will be her personal guard from now on," Anfey said. "Shinbela, I know this will be difficult, but I want you to stay as close to Alice as possible at all time."

"Yes, sir," Shinbela and Kumaraghosha said in unison.

Chapter 475: Revenge

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Three days later, Anfey drove to a remote village in the wagon at noon, which was less than 50 miles from the headquarters of Death Roaring Legion. Anfey was not worried about the issues in White Mountain City. If Anthony did not do it, then White Mountain should not be a serious trouble now. Moreover, he had sent people to get Marino and Entos. Marino had power and reputation, while Entos was a very close friend of Anfey. With their help, League of Mercenaries should not be in any dangers.

Baery and Ernest came to the same little village in the afternoon. Maho Empire had secretly placed many spies in Shansa Empire. Shansa Empire probably did the same thing to Maho Empire. Even the Death Roaring Legion might have spies in other countries. Baery and Ernest could not let Anfey into the headquarters. For reasons of safety, Baery did not even bring a bodyguard with him.

In fact, Anfey and Baery had seen each other recently. They skipped over the courtesy of greeting and got to the topic quickly. Baery asked, "Anfey, I heard your CEO had an assassination attempt against her and Anthony's wife was involved?"

"Yes." Anfey nodded.

"Is Alice alright?" Baery asked.

"She is ok, but it scared her a bit," Anfey said.

"That's good." Baery paused before he continued, "I have seen Nishieva at the appointment ceremony in White Mountain City. My comment about that woman, hmmm, how to put it into words? She appeared to be tough, but feeble in essence. She made sarcastic comments about me in front of everybody. After I got mad and smacked the table to confront her, she got scared and never said anything afterwards."

"Of course, she was scared. You are the general of the empire, a god-like warlord. Anthony is a top power, but he is no comparison with you," Anfey said with a smile.

"Didn't you get my point?" Baery frowned. "I meant she does not have guts to do things like this. Someone must be behind her to stir things up."

"The person behind Nishieva has to be from here." Anfey lifted his chin and pointed to the north.

"Are you saying it is Scarlet?" Baery asked.

"No one else but her," Anfey said.

"You are right. It has to be her," Baery said, and then went quiet.

"Mr. Baery, is everything ready here?" Anfey asked.

"Yes, but I cannot give the order," Baery said.

"What do you mean?" Anfey asked.

"The king said you have to give the order," Baery said seriously. "Before you make any decision, I need to let you know our plan first."

"Ok." Anfey nodded.

"Prince Jerrick learned somewhere that he should visit civilians," Baery said. "When he was in a good mood, he would always generously give money and offer help to people. When he was not in a good mood, he would just comfort people in words to brush them off. After he came to the Country of Mercenaries, Prince Jerrick still kept this habit. Now the disaster of death spirits has passed, so survivors have come back to their hometowns. They provided Prince Jerrick a good opportunity to showcase his habits. The chief commander's plan is to create some conflicts when Prince Jerrick tries to show his generosity and kindness to people. Our people who are inserted onto Jerrick's team will kill those mercenaries who make trouble. Our disguised mercenaries will find more mercenaries to join the fight and surround Jerrick's bodyguards. We will rush out of the encirclement to look for help from Scarlet, and then it would be your time to join the fight."

"How many bodyguards does Jerrick have?" Anfey asked.

"Not many. Jerrick is not very talented. He is not that important to others either. People do not find him very valuable. No one even planned to do anything to him, so he is used to dress casually to show that he treats himself as a regular person. We should have no problem attacking him," Baery said.

Anfey shook his head. "Jerrick might not have value to others, but he definitely means something to Scarlet. Without Jerrick's help, Scarlet would not be who she is now. If no one else cares whether Jerrick is dead, I think Scarlet would. I guess there must be some top powers among his bodyguards."

"Anfey, I think you are putting the cart before the horse," Baery said. "Without Jerrick's help, are you sure Scarlet could not be who she is now?"

"Well…" Anfey was shocked.

"Without Jerrick's help, Scarlet could get help from other princes. Do you think any of them would refuse to help her? Especially after Scarlet made a name for herself, there was a rumor in Shansa Empire that no matter which prince would marry Scarlet, he would be the future king, including the youngest brother of Jerrick, a nine-year-old boy," Baery said in a low voice.

Anfey did not reply. He just attentively listened to Baery.

"Shansa Empire has not had any real good generals for many years. The debut of Scarlet seemed to meet the image of a good general by generations of soldiers. That is the reason she could gain control of the military in such a short time." Baery continued, "Why do you think Edward VIII sent out the Griffin Aerial Unit? It is because Scarlet got support from all the princes, soldiers and citizens for the fight. For hundreds of years in the history of war between Shansa Empire and Maho Empire, Shansa Empire had more losses than victories. Even when Shansa Empire surrounded our Blackania City, they had to run back to their country at the end. Everyone in the Shansa Empire wants to win so badly."

"Did you say Scarlet already has control of the military?" Anfey suddenly remembered something. "Then what is the point for us to fight her? Won't Edward VIII fight her soon?"

"What is going to happen to us in this battle?" Baery asked quietly. "If we lose this battle or win it with many casualties, if Edward VIII regains control of the military or Scarlet overthows him, it would become pointless. We cannot wait that long. In addition, necromancers are still watching us and waiting for the opportunity to fight back. We need to end this battle as soon as possible."

"But, if the situation is like you say, Scarlet might not even come to save Jerrick. Even if Jerrick dies, she could seek help from other princes," Anfey said bitterly.

"She will come to save Jerrick," Baery said with certainty. "First of all, our people would spread the news that Jerrick is in trouble. Everyone knows Jerrick and Scarlet are a couple. Scarlet has to go and help Jerrick. Jerrick truly loves Scarlet. It is true that Jerrick is not very talented. Think about it, what does it mean to Scarlet? Can she give up on Jerrick?"

Baery continued, "Anfey, you need to worry about other issues instead of this one. The most terrifying person around Scarlet is Douminge. He is an Electric Series archmage. His magic skills are phenomenal, especially Lightning Guard. It seems to be the nightmare for all the non-magical fighters."

"Lightning Guard?" Anfey asked.

"A cloud of gas with metallic color will appear above his head when Douminge releases the Lightning Guard magic. The gas cloud releases powerful lightning balls extremely quickly to attack the target Douminge locks onto with his telepathy," Baery said in a low voice. "Let me reiterate that lightning balls are super fast. In the blink of an eye, you could be attacked a few to more than a dozen times. Don't forget, lightning balls have paralyzing effects. If I had to fight with Douminge, I might still be paralyzed even after he kills me."

Anfey could not help frowning.

"The more terrifying part is Lightning Guard is just a materialized magic, which means that he could release other magic, even Forbidden Spells, after releasing Lightning Guard magic."

"I see." Anfey nodded.

"Won't he difficult to deal with?" Baery asked.

Anfey shrugged. "The more challenging the task, the more excited I get."

"You are…" Baery smiled bitterly. "After talking about Douminge, let's talk about Supreme Armor. It was armor of a male Golden Knight. After Scarlet got it, she asked an alchemist to tailor it to her. It fits her very well now."

"Supreme Armor?" Anfey asked.

"Don't overlook armor. For example, if Ernest and Suzanna fought, Ms. Suzanna would have an advantage at the beginning because she would be wearing Azure Armor, while Mr. Ernest would not even have soft armor on him," Baery said slowly, "I am not sure how strong the defensive ability of Supreme Armor is, but the chief commander told me that he may not be able to pierce through the Supreme Armor after crashing the combat power on Scarlet first."

Anfey recalled Suzanna's Azure Armor and nodded to show he understood.

"Supreme Armor covers Scarlet very well. The only exposed body parts are her eyes and nose." Baery thought for a moment before he continued, "Besides, Scarlet is a senior Silver Knight. She already has really quick reaction without any doubt. You only have one chance to attack her. You need to be really careful. If you were attacked by Lightning balls and got paralyzed after being targeted by Douminge's telepathy, you would be paralyzed and had no chance to even open your dimensional ring."

"What else?" Anfey asked.

Baery was shocked for a second. "Scarlet not only has Douminge. Manstuly, Fernando or others might come with her. The only people who could help you are Ernest, Shawn, and Dalmatian. I have tried my best. At this moment, do you still want to assassinate Scarlet?"

Anfey went quiet for a moment and smiled. "Of course. I still want to take revenge for Alice if for no other reason."

"Anfey, you should not joke about this issue," Baery said with a serious voice.

"I never joke about my life," Anfey said.

"You…" Baery did not know how to respond to Anfey. In fact, he did not think Anfey could do it.

Chapter 476: Motivation

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Suzanna leaned against Anfey's shoulder and watched the night sky. Anfey turned and saw the moon reflecting in her bright, clear eyes. She had been running around with Christian for a few hours and had not seen anyone. She was curious, but she did not suspect anything because she trusted all her friends.

Anfey had always said that his home was wherever she was. Now Suzanna understood this as well. No matter where they were, no matter how dangerous their future would be, she was content because she was close to Anfey.

Suzanna snuggled closer to Anfey and smiled.

Anfey reached over and rested an arm on Suzanna's shoulder. After that night, he was certain of Alice's feelings for him. That was part of the reason why he left White Mountain City in such a hurry. He needed to meet Baery, but he also wanted to get away before Alice woke up to avoid any awkward situations.

No matter how strong Alice's feelings for him were, it could not compare to Suzanna. Suzanna's love was unconditional. She was willing to give away everything, even herself. In a way, Suzanna was like Shinbela. Shinbela fell in love with Manlyn, and she even gave him the mercenary group she worked so hard for. Manlyn's betrayal nearly destroyed her. If she didn't hate him as much as she did, she might not have survived. Anfey didn't want Suzanna to become another Shinbela. He loved her too much to put her through anything like that.

Alice's words the other night had moved Anfey, but he quickly calmed himself down. He wasn't worried about the rules. He believed in an eye for an eye, and he knew no one could stop him if he wanted revenge. However, he must convince himself first.

"Anfey," Suzanna said, straightening herself.

"What is it?" Anfey said, turning to Suzanna.

"Why do you want to kill Scarlet?" Suznna asked. "I agree with Lord Baery. It's too dangerous!"

"I need the motivation," Anfey said. "Having a goal motivates me to be better."

"The only thing exposed by that armor is the eyes," Suzanna said. "Scarlet won't be sitting around, waiting for you, either. She will fight back, you know. If you can't do it, come back. Promise me."

"I already did, didn't I?" Anfey said, smiling.

"I need a formal promise," Suzanna said, her expression grave.

"Alright," Anfey said. "I promise. I will not risk my life for this. If I miss that one chance, I will immediately get myself out of there." He looked at Suzanna and asked, "Do I look like someone who does not care about his life?"

Suzanna looked at him for a few moments, then nodded.

"Really?" Anfey asked, his eyes wide. "I would never risk my life unnecessarily. You have to believe me."

Suzanna giggled. She knew him well and knew he wouldn't risk himself for an impossible goal.

Anfey's eyes widened. "You were just joking," he said.

"Of course I was," she said. She leaned closer to him and pecked his cheek.

Anfey grinned. "This side too," he said, pointing to the other cheek. "You can't miss the other one."

Suzanna smiled and kissed his other cheek as well. Anfey's grin grew wider. "And the lips, too," he said hurriedly. "Can't forget that."

Suzanna rolled her eyes. "I'm serious right now," she said.

"I am too," Anfey said. "Do you not want to kiss me?"

Suzanna sighed. "Fine," she said, shaking her head. She moved closer and left a quick kiss on his lips. Anfey laughed and held her closer to him.

Suzanna leaned her head against his chest, her eyes again watching the night sky. Anfey looked at the snow under the tree and sighed. "I am a count," he said, shaking his head, "but I'm always sleeping in trees."

Suzanna looked up and rolled her eyes. "You can't blame anyone but yourself for that," she said. "You're the one who insisted on assassinating Scarlet."

"I'm only doing it for our future," Anfey argued.

"Future?" Suzanna frowned. "But our future is secure, isn't it?"

"I have two choices," Anfey said. "One is to display my strength and scare all my opponents. Another is hide my power so my opponents would underestimate me. I like the latter, but we cannot hide any longer. We have already made a name for ourselves. The more we hide, the more enemies we will have, and there will be more threats to my future. Anthony would have never work with us if I hadn't killed Michael. If he really wanted to go against Michael, he would have done it himself, or he would have sent someone to talk with us. Instead, he waited until he was certain he would pick the winning side."

"I see," Suzanna said, nodding.

"I'm not mocking Anthony, of course," Anfey said. "I would have done the same thing. Michael isn't enough. I still need to display my strength, and Scarlet is a good choice, I think. She can bring as many guards as she wants. If I want to kill Scarlet with hundreds of guards around her…then we can make them scared of me. That will make things so much easier."

"So you're certain you can do this?"

"No exactly," Anfey said, shaking his head.

"What about a plan, then?"

"You can't plan for these kind of things," Anfey said, shaking his head. "It's all luck. A plan will have flaws no matter how good it is. No one can predict the future, which is why I rarely plan for this kind of thing."

"I see," Suzanna said. "What can we do, then?"

"I just need you guys to distract them," Anfey said.

"Manstuly knows you," Suzanna said. "He won't be distracted by us."

"Don't worry," Anfey said. He found a piece of charcoal in his dimensional ring. He crushed part of the charcoal and smeared the powder on his face.

Suzanna giggled.

"I can turn into someone else with this," Anfey said. "I have to stay away because if I get too close, someone can tell something is off. Of course, by the time I get close enough for them to tell something's wrong, it will be too late."

"Are you certain?"

"Of course. I can do better, I think, but this is the best I can find."

"If that plan doesn't work, you have to come back," Suzanna said. "You have to get away. Scarlet is no match for Baery. You don't have to risk yourself."

"Again?"

"I need you to promise me!"

"I promise, I promise," Anfey said, nodding.

Chapter 477: The Song of Torment

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It was not an easy task to ask others to come to a certain place within a certain period of time. When Prince Jerrick slowly walked into this little town with his paramilitary unit, he did not realize how much calculation and time were involved in this plan. This was just the beginning of the Song of Torment.

The town was about 80 miles away from Blackwater City. Even though it was not too far from Blackwater City and Scarlet's headquarters, it was not close either. Any other time, Prince Jerrick would not have come here. He heard Blackwater City protected the towns around it during the disastrous time of death spirits. As a result, people in those towns tended to be on the side of Tiger of Tawau mercenary group. The towns a little further away from Blackwater City seemed to have different stories.

Prince Jerrick paid a lot of attention to the current situation. No matter what others thought of him, Jerrick wanted to develop a course of action for himself. Even when there were no opportunities, he still offered others some precise and honest suggestions to try to prove he was a capable prince.

Jerrick took just over 100 people with him, but he still drew a lot of attention from the town. After a while, a group of mercenaries came out from the town to welcome Jerrick. Jerrick took the lead and jumped off his horse. He tried to wear a polite and warm smile as he approached the group of mercenaries.

In fact, Jerrick was never the center of attention. Even though many people did not think highly of him, it did not mean he could be played by anyone. Some people with bad intentions might be able to lure him to there, but it was still hard to change Jerrick's thinking and his principles.

After a short conversation, Prince Jerrick and the mercenaries became acquainted. Jerrick did not talk about business. He only mentioned that he had come for a visit. The group of mercenaries was the temporary manager of the little town. When they determined Jerrick was a honorable prince, they looked very respectful and warmly welcomed him.

Jerrick planned to pay a short visit to get to know the little town and go back to Blackwater City. The group of mercenaries had some senior level professionals among them. They were very hospitable towards Jerrick.

Jerrick liked to learn from the wise rulers of the history books. Wise rulers had certain strengths. For example, they were all good at detecting their subjects' hardships and recruiting geniuses in different fields. Even though Jerrick only came to know them superficially, he started to become interested in these mercenaries. He happily agreed to stay for the night.

"Boss, look, that girl is peeking at you," a paramilitary soldier said quietly. This comment help to start the scheming.

Gaza was shocked at first and turned around to take a look. He saw a girl nervously look away. For some reason, women in this town were either old or ugly. None except that girl was attractive to Gaza. She had a pretty face and looked a little shy. She was a real eye popper. There was a saying that red flowers needed green leaves to show off the flowers' beauty. After seeing old and ugly women, Gaza could not help gulping hard after seeing that girl.

It seemed inappropriate for Gaza to stare at the girl with so many people around. Gaza had to turn back. The paramilitary soldier whispered in his ear, "Boss, she is looking at you again."

Gaza turned around really quick to take a look this time. Gaza and the girl looked into each other's eyes. He could clearly see that the girl was blushing. The girl was so shy that she lowered her head and squeezed through the crowd.

"Boss, it would be great if I could be as handsome as you," the paramilitary soldier said with jealousy. "No matter where you go, many girls like you."

"Boss, go after her. I think she must have a crush on you," another paramilitary soldier said with a smile.

"Stop it! Don't forget we are the paramilitary of Prince Jerrick," Gaza said with a serious tone.

"Boss, don't you like her? Great! I will take her if you don't like her," the first soldier said with a smile. "I will ask around about her."

Gaza felt mad but funny at the same time when he saw the soldier turn his horse around and leave the squad. Gaza felt it would be inappropriate to say anything. "This guy…" Gaza had not been part of the paramilitary unit for long, not even half a year. He fought with his brother for the throne, so he did not get along with his brother. He was at a disadvantage in a fight. He asked people if he could be a captain in the paramilitary unit. He tried to look for ways to move up. When he first came to the paramilitary unit, Gaza was still very impulsive. He was forced to join the paramilitary unit, so he was not good at controlling his temper. As a result, he was bullied and rejected by his peers. Luckily, a few soldiers sought help from him and became his hatchet men. With their help, he was able to escape from dangerous situations. After he was more stable in the paramilitary unit, those two soldiers became his hatchet men. He did not want to scold them over such small things.

What happened next was nothing exciting. They went to have lunch and then dinner. The economy in this town seemed pretty good. The food was not gourmet, but they had meat and wine with their lunch and dinner. Compared with the poor living conditions in White Mountain and Blackwater City, this little town seemed a bit like heaven.

Gaza was just a captain and could not eat at the same table with Prince Jerrick. The mercenaries in the town arranged another place for them to have dinner. The soldier who went out to ask about the girl did not come back to the squad until it was dark. Seeing the grin on his face, Gaza could not help thinking of that beautiful girl. He pretended it was just a casual question. "You have been gone for a long time. What information did you get?"

"Yes, her name is Istar. She is a such poor girl. I heard she was attacked on the night of her wedding. Her husband's whole family and her own parents all died in that attack. She was left alone," that paramilitary soldier said quietly.

"I see." Gaza could not help sighing. He remembered her being very timid and shy like a scared rabbit. "What a poor girl."

"So I decided to save her tonight," the soldier said with a weird laugh. "My guess is she is still a virgin."

"Do you know where she lives?" another soldier asked in surprise.

"Of course. Don't you know who I am? How can I not get the information I want?" the mercenary said.

Gaza looked a little stiff for a while before he said anything. People usually felt uncomfortable and confused when they saw their ex-girlfriends with new boyfriends. This was especially true for Gaza, since he did like that girl. Gaza was the child of a royal family, so he was very proud. He got along with his hatchet men, but he actually looked down upon them a little. He thought they were too low, always fantasizing about humping girls. He was sad to know that.

"So what if you know where that girl lives," another soldier said with a frown. "She likes our captain. Do you want to force her?"

"The problem is our captain does not like her," the soldier said carelessly. "If someone is going to have her, why can't it be me? So what if I use some force? What's the big deal."

Gaza was not sure if it was because he had some wine or because he thought that girl was really beautiful, he felt a fire in him. He did not want to show it too obviously, so he cleared his throat and said, "Don't do that to her. She has already had a hard life. You'd better behave yourself."

"Boss, if you are interested in her, I will not do anything to her," the soldier said unhappily. "Someone would rape her if not me because she has such a beautiful face. Why could I not have her?"

"Who said our boss is not interested in her?" another soldier replied. "Boss, what do you say?"

"Well…" Gaza was a little hesitant. He was not very smart, otherwise his brother could not have forced him to leave his family. He had not been part of the paramilitary unit for very long, so he had very limited experience. If he had been working in the paramilitary for seven years, he might have sensed something fishy. Unfortunately, his hesitation was only because he did not want to make it look too obvious. He was too concerned about how he looked in front of others and did not sense anything unusual.

"Boss, she is such a poor girl. You are not married yet. Why don't you take her back? From the way she looked at you, I guess she might even be willing to be your maid."

Another soldier smiled. "You would be doing a nice thing if you could keep her safe."

This statement confirmed Gaza's thinking. Gaza thought that soldier was right. If it were him, he could protect that girl. Seeing his soldier so horny, he felt that the soldier could not give that girl anything. He probably would just dump her after having sex with her.

Since they had been drinking, nobody noticed three people were missing from the paramilitary unit. Someone knocked on the front door of a lonely wood house in the south end of town.

After a while, a person in white clothes walked out and opened the door for them. When they looked into each others' eyes, Gaza felt his heart pump faster, while the girl shyly lowered her head. She did not look like she was about to close the door on them. There was a saying that trouble would come if you were involved with a widow. However, the people involved with the widow did not mind such trouble.

"Don't you want to invite me in?" Gaza asked gently.

That girl turned sideways to let Gaza in. She closed the door behind her and followed after Gaza into the wood house.

Whether or not her acting was professional, everything happened naturally after the candle went out. Moaning and pounding sounds came from the room. Unfortunately, misfortune could be a blessing in disguise. As Gaza was reaching his the happiest moment, the door was kicked open. Gaza heard a guy howling, "F*ck you! How dare you do this to my wife?"

The girl under Gaza had been enjoying the sex and moaning happily, but now she started to scream at the top of her lungs, "Help! Help me!"

Chapter 478: Sword

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

A team of around a thousand soldiers headed down the path quickly. Scarlet was among them, riding with the cavalry. Two hours previously, scouts had reported that a nearby town was under attack from the mercenaries and needed support.

Scarlet was surprised but she could still tell the scouts appeared strange. After some questioning, she found out that one of Jerrick's soldiers had forced his way into a farmhouse and assaulted a woman. The woman's husband returned and the soldier was killed in the conflict. The soldier's friends attacked the woman and her husband, killing the husband and injuring the woman. This act angered the mercenaries in the town and they demanded justice.

Scarlet thought that the soldiers should shoulder the consequences themselves, but she needed to get Jerrick out of there. Jerrick was a prince, and she was the only one important enough to go negotiate for him.

The soldiers were marching very fast because Scarlet was very worried. She needed Jerrick to stay safe for the rest of her plan to work out.

Because what his soldiers had done was wrong, Scarlet didn't tell anyone where she was headed and only brought her own soldiers with her.

Behind Scarlet, a large mage was waving his arms. With every wave, lightning swept out around him.

The soldiers had already covered half the distance. Just then, they spotted a strange scene. Lightning on the ground was being drawn to a point not far ahead.

"Wait!" the large mage called.

Scarlet frowned and waved her hand, halting the march.

"What is it?" Scarlet turned and asked.

"You will see soon," the mage said. He raised his hand and whispered something under his breath. A bolt of lightning fell from the sky and struck where the lightning gathered on the ground.

A large hole appeared in the ground and a figure appeared in the hole. The figure was holding an axe but did not move.

The soldiers were all very well trained and could tell that this figure was not friendly. The soldiers in front raised their weapons and lunged at the newcomer.

Sounds of soldiers' shouts filled the air. Combat power burst into light around and before Scarlet.

"That's Ernest, Shawn, Dalmatian, and a young woman," the mage said. "It seems like Baery takes you very seriously."

"The woman must be Suzanna, Douminge," Scarlet said, frowning at the figure in dark. "Is that Anfey?"

Anfey changed his appearance, but everyone knew that he and Suzanna were always together. Scarlet was one of the smartest generals in the world and figured out who he was very easily.

"Is it?" Douminge asked, frowning. "Doesn't look like him."

Ahead, the man with the axe was fighting several soldiers. He wasn't losing, but he wasn't winning, either.

"Did you see him when he first appeared?" Scarlet asked. "This is an act. I can tell."

"I see," Douminge said, nodding.

The fight had caught the soldiers off guard, but seeing Scarlet and Douminge so calm and collected boosted the soldiers' confidence.

"General, we should've brought the griffins!" one of the squad leaders said to Scarlet.

Scarlet glanced at the leader but did not say anything. The squad leader knew he had said the wrong thing and fell quiet. Scarlet had wanted to bring the griffins, but she couldn't. The griffin knights were part of the Shansa king's personal guards, and she did not have enough power to command them. If the knights found out what had happened, Prince Jerrick's reputation would be damaged. She had a plan already. After she got Jerrick out of this situation, she needed to change his personal guards.

"Put on an act," Douminge said. "Then let them in."

"Are you sure about this?" Scarlet asked, putting on her helmet.

"Of course," Douminge said. "If Newyoheim can do it, so can I."

Scarlet nodded and told a soldier to give the order.

"Be careful, my lady," Douminge said. "Anfey is likely here for you."

"Don't worry," Scarlet said. "I have a backup plan in place."

Douminge nodded with a smile. "Still, be careful," he said. "Watch out if he teleports."

The fight had begun, but anyone could tell neither side was fighting with everything they had. Suzanna and Ernest knew that they couldn't fight too hard because they needed to create an opportunity for Anfey, not eliminate Scarlet's force.

Even though neither side was fighting as hard as they could, it was still clear that one side was on the defensive and the other on offense. Suddenly, Suzanna and Ernest both jumped into the air and lunged at Scarlet. A moment later, Shawn and Dalmatian joined as well.

Scarlet gripped her reins and Douminge summoned a shield of lightning. They knew that Suzanna and the other swordsmasters were only distractions. The one they needed to look out for was Anfey. However, Anfey did not join the attack. Instead, he remained where he was and kept fighting the soldiers.

Douminge frowned but did not hesitate. Instead of focusing his attack on Ernest, Dalmatian, or Shawn, he focused on Suzanna.

Several balls of lightning flew towards Suzanna. The soldiers around Scarlet summoned their combat power and readied to defend her against the attacks.

Suzanna was struck by the ball of lightning. Her body froze and fell from the sky. Douminge took this chance and summoned more lightning that struck Suzanna. A few soldiers around her raised their swords and attacked her as well.

Scarlet watched with a frown. She knew that killing Suzanna would be a good strategy. If Suzanna died, Anfey would try to avenge her, and that would give Scarlet a chance to kill him.

Anfey knew that Suzanna was well-protected and wouldn't be harmed. He was fighting the soldiers, but he was paying close attention to Scarlet. As soon as Scarlet's attention turned to Suzanna, he disappeared from the fight.

A few seconds later, he reappeared under Scarlet's horse. He thrusted his sword out, piercing the horse's body and stabbing Scarlet through her leg. The sword traveled up her leg and stopped in her chest.

By the time Scarlet realized that something was wrong, the sword had already stabbed her through her heart. A scroll fell from her limp fingers. Anfey pulled his sword out, picked up the scroll, turned and called, "Let's go!"

Everyone thought that the weakness of Scarlet's armor was the face, but forgot that the bottom half of her body wasn't as well protected. It was a weakness that was often overlooked, but it was a weakness nonetheless.

Chapter 479: Game and New Territory

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After learning the suicide attackers had returned to headquarters, Baery travelled a dozen miles to welcome them back. Anfey, Suzanna and others all looked very happy. An impossible mission became possible with their hard work. They deserved to have happy smiles on their faces.

"Did you do it?" was the first thing Baery asked.

"Marshal, didn't we sent people to report to you?" Dalmatian was a little surprised.

"I just want to double check. Anfey, did you really do it?" Baery asked.

"I am guessing they are thinking about the funeral they should hold for Scarlet," Anfey said with a smile.

"Great, great." Baery laughed. Unexpectedly, he turned his horse around and rode back to the headquarters, leaving these triumphant soldiers behind him. He had only spoken three sentences meeting Anfey.

"Professor," Anfey jumped off the horse and greeted Saul respectfully. Anfey's upbringing was very traditional. He held the principle that he needed to respect his teacher no matter how powerful he became. In some cases, some teachers could be than family.

"Baery has many things to handle since Scarlet died. I hope you don't think he was rude," Saul said with a smile. He was a bit shocked and asked Suzanna, "Are you hurt?"

"I was only wounded a little bit." Suzanna acted as respectful as Anfey.

"Anfey, you made such a great contribution to the empire this time, but next time don't act so reckless." Saul sounded a bit mad at Anfey. "Why did you think it was okay to use Suzanna as a bait? We have many other ways to kill Scarlet. You do not have to take such risks. You know you would rue the day if anything happened to Suzanna," Saul said, getting angrier as he spoke. His voice even trembled a little when he mentioned the phrase "rue the day".

Anfey was a little shocked. He put down his head and said, "Yes, professor. I know I made a mistake." He had never seen Saul upset like this. Anfey suddenly remembered the questions he had not been able to answer for a long time. He always wondered what kind of person Saul's wife was and why he never heard Niya talking about her mother. Yolanthe did not have a queen either. What were the reasons for this? Did Christian, Wester and Granden have the same biological mother? Anfey had these questions for a long time, but did not know whom to ask and also felt inappropriate asking these kind of questions.

"Professor, I requested the task. Anfey actually did not want me to take the risk," Suzanna immediately said in defense of Anfey.

"Silly girl. You never have your own opinions on anything. You have always done whatever Anfey asked you to do. How can I not know that?" Saul heaved a sigh. "Ok, let's not talk about this. Everybody is so happy today."

Shawn hurriedly changed the topic. "Oh, right, Master Saul, Scarlet had two very strange knights with her. They are very powerful. I think we should find out more about them."

"Master Shawn, are they Gold Knights?" a captain in Baery's team who had followed Baery out to welcome Anfey asked.

"No, they are neither Gold Knights, nor Knights of the Light. I did not sense any death spirit on them, so they should not be Knights of Death either. How to put it? They left us a very weird feeling. They fought like barbarians. They fought with great physical stamina, but their fighting ability was very strong." Shawn raised his left arm. "This is what they left. If Master Anfey did not save me, I would not be able to come back alive."

"Let's go. We can talk after we get back to the headquarters," Saul said quietly. Shawn ha changed the topic on purpose, but Saul looked like he was trying to avoid responding.

After they got back to the station, Saul asked Anfey about the details of the assassination. Anfey did not hold anything back. He told Saul everything that had happened in the assassination.

Saul looked a little weird. Anfey chose a very special body part to attack, but the effect of that attack was obviously very successful. If Anfey had attacked other parts of Scarlet, Anfey might not have been able to come back with such a victory.

"Professor, Master Baery seemed to have qualms about Scarlet. Why is that?" Anfey asked quietly. "I could not figure out the reason."

Saul was quiet for a moment before he said slowly, "It's time for you to know the secret now. We have to talk about another person first before we get to that secret."

"Who is it?" Anfey asked.

"Golman," Saul said.

"Golman?" Anfey tried to search for that name in his head. He asked in surprise, "Is he one of the three master necromancers?"

"Even though we and church people claim to fight against necromancers, we all know there are good necromancers, just like there can be despicable people in the church," Saul said calmly. "If there were ever any necromancers who never hurt innocent people, it would be Golman, even though he practiced the evilest Plague magic."

Anfey opened his mouth wide in surprise. He never thought Saul would think so highly of Golman.

"Golman has lived for about 600 years. Because of his long life, he was so bored that he read every single book on the Pan Continent. We cannot compare to him in terms of knowledge." Saul smiled. "What could he do after he read so much? Golman spent 50 years creating a game so he could kill time. Hehehe, 50 years might be all the time we have in our lives."

"Game?" Anfey asked.

"It is new territory for us, but Golman only treated it as a game," Saul said quietly. "You only know Golman is a necromancer, but do not know his other professions. He is also an archalchemist, a philosopher, a bard, an astrologist and an amazing general who has never lost a battle."

"General? I never heard stories about Golman in battle," Anfey said.

"The strategic plan of this disaster of death spirits was made by Golman about a dozen years ago. Many people think we once again beat necromancers and are very close to victory. However, what is the truth?" Saul sighed. "In fact, Golman won. Death spirits are everywhere on the Pan Continent and troubled the whole Pan Continent as they took their time and built their base on Greenwich Island. Our king has sent spies there, but they could not even get close to Greenwich Island. The gloomy and chilly wind around the island only proves that it has become the paradise of the death spirits."

Anfey went quiet.

"We have to gather all the forces on the Pan Continent and attack them as soon as possible if we want to destroy the Paradise of Death Spirits. Unfortunately, although our king thinks so, other kings may not agree with him. Our king has sent people to find out what other kings think. They all think it is not a big deal to give death spirits a piece of land, and instead treated our empire as their biggest enemy," Saul said bitterly. "Necromancers used to find it hard to have their own place on Pan Continent. They had to hide all the time. Every time they started wars, they brought us disaster. If they could have a piece of land of their own on Pan Continent, their power could grow a lot stronger in a short period of time."

"If our king could show more of his sincerity, he might be able to win other kings' trust," Anfey said.

"Sincerity?" Saul shook his head. "We could not work with either Edward VIII in Shansa Empire or Philly II in Ellison Empire. They are very short-sighted. If our king shows them his sincerity, it would only give them a chance to stab us in the back."

Anfey went quiet again.

"It is our future problem. We do not have to talk about it now. Let's talk about Golman," Saul said slowly. "Golman spent 50 years making a magic badge. Once the magic badge was started, it could bring people into a world that was an illusion but also felt real, with no civilians, royals or churches. There are only warriors in that world, all kinds of warriors. For example, there are barbarians' Fanatical Warriors Legion and Griffin Aerial Units from Shansa Empire in that world. Golman finds it fun to enter that world. He led one legion to attack another one day, and the next day he could lead the losing team to attack the winning team. He even united legions to fight against other united legions. Hehehe, it is just a game to Golman, but it is such an accomplishment to us. He created his own world, even though it is an illusive world. Anfey, do you understand what I am talking about?"

"Isn't it like Internet…" Anfey was more than understanding it. He was familiar with that illusive world. Wasn't it an internet game? Anfey wondered.

"20 years ago, Baery met Golman. He entered that world with Golman's invitation." Saul sighed. "I heard from Baery that the terrain in that world is similar to Pan Continent's. It even has all kinds of cities. Baery chose Blackania City as his city. He had a fight with Golman to protect his city. Baery miserably lost his first battle. He thought it was because he was not familiar with that world. The soldiers he commanded were very dull. They did not think on their own or have good judgement. Baery had to command them with his telepathy, which Baery was not quite comfortable with. For the next dozen battles, Baery lost every one of them. Golman only commanded Griffin Aerial Unit to harass Baery but made him lose half of his team in the last battle."

"What does this have to do with Scarlet? Did…" Anfey suddenly realized something.

"You are right. Scarlet was Golman's student," Saul said slowly. "Scarlet has been living in such an illusive environment. She commanded troops on many more battles than Baery. In addition, Golman left Baery with such bad memories that Baery rarely talked about it, but we all know about it."

"Why didn't Master Baery kill Golman?" Anfey asked.

"When they first met, Golman covered his death spirit in a special way. He also changed his look. When Baery knew who he was later, Baery did not dare...actually no one dared to hurt a mage who knew disasterous forbidden spells. Don't forget, Golman practices Plague magic. The forbidden spells he releases could wipe out a country," Saul said bitterly. "Besides, Golman has gone against Minos I and stopped working for necromancers. The enemy of our enemy is our friend. In addition, everyone admires Golman for his wisdom. I do not want to admit it, but I have to. At least, Baery already admired Golman very much."

"I really do not know what to say. I killed Scarlet." Anfey smiled bitterly at Saul. "Would Golman…" Golman seemed to be the best of the three master necromancers, according to what Saul said. If Golman came to take revenge for Scarlet, Anfey could not imagine what would happen to him. He did not think he could fight against Golman at this point.

"No, he would not." Saul shook his head. "Golman claimed a long time ago that he would not be involved in any conflicts on Pan Continent. In fact, we have known about Scarlet for a long time. That was why we paid attention to her right away after her debut."

"For a long time?" Anfey asked.

"Yes. Golman told Baery that he recruited a girl as his student. She is the daughter of the Princess Regent of Shansa Empire. He also asked Baery to be careful and not lose any battle to his student." Saul was a little sentimental. "Do you know why our king took the risk of ruining his reputation to attack Princess Victoria?"

"Why?" Anfey asked.

"One reason was to see if Golman could keep his promise. Another reason was to cut off the protection of Scarlet. With Golman's instructions, Scarlet would definitely be a good general. Princess Victoria was very good with politics. If mother were in charge of politics while her daughter was a general, what do you think would happen?'

"What happened later?" Anfey asked.

"After Princess Victoria was killed, Scarlet cried to Golman to ask for his help, but Golman refused to help. Even though Golman had quite an ugly face, he always looked kind and nice. However, Golman acted very cold that time," Saul said quietly. "He said he only wanted to be a teacher passing down his knowledge. He did not want to be anyone's tool or weapon."

"Why did he choose Scarlet to be his student?" Anfey asked.

"Well, I do not know. Maybe he was influenced by astrology," Saul said.

"Professor, who else knows about Golman?" Anfey asked.

"This is top secret" Saul said quietly. "If the king did not give me permission to tell you, I would never talk to you about this. Golman has turned against Minos I. We not only have to bear with him, but also protect him. I think Edward VIII must know about it too, otherwise it would be hard to explain why he suddenly fully supported Scarlet."

"Does Golman only have one student?" Anfey asked.

"I think he has two students, at least two." Saul thought about it for a little bit. "Baery mentioned that Golman told him Scarlet only studied war strategies, while another kid learned his knowledge. Unfortunately, we will never find out who that student is if Golman does not want to talk about it."

Anfey went quiet for a while. "Professor, I think you think too highly of Scarlet."

"Oh?" Saul asked.

"You are right: that world is amazing, but illusion is illusion. The real world is more complicated than that world."

"Hehehe, the king holds the same idea as you. We have looked at the report of Scarlet's battle when she wiped out the rebels. She planned seamlessly. The fighting itself was very good as well. Baery said if it were him, he could have done no better than Scarlet. However, we did see the weakness of Scarlet recently. In other words, the weakness of Shansa Empire. Her coordination ability was not great. She did not have full control of the united legions. The trust and support she gained was very limited, otherwise she would not have had to force the border to open and enter the Country of Mercenaries with force. The most important thing is Shansa Empire is no match for us. They had to unite with others." Saul waved his hand and smiled. "Let's not talk about Scarlet. She is already history, isn't she?"

Chapter 480: Normal People

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Scarlet's body was placed on a large table. Her eyes, already dull, were half-open. Without her armor, she appeared much younger than her age.

Outside, the army camp was in chaos. Her death was a devastating blow to the Shansa army. Every soldier now must fight for their own future. Some insisted on avenging, while others believed they should retreat to preserve the army's strength. The argument lasted all night long yet no agreement was reached.

Prince Jerrick was in a very difficult situation. The soldiers may be arguing, but they all had allies. Prince Jerrick was the only one who was truly alone. He sat in the corner of a tent, saying nothing. He knew that Scarlet had died because she left to save him.

After Scarlet's death, he became the de facto leader of the army, but he could not go visit her. Last night, Manstuly tried to see Scarlet's body but was attacked by Scarlet's mysterious guards. Now, no one was allowed near her body.

A dark shadow appeared in the army camp and floated towards the tent with Scarlet's body. A gust of wind blew open the tent's flap, and the dark shadow slipped into the tent without anyone noticing.

Aside from Scarlet's body, there were three men in dark clothing. Seeing the dark shadow, the three men knelt to greet the shadow.

The shadow floated towards Scarlet's body. He was a very thin man, his cheeks and eyes were sunken. His skin was very pale, as if he hadn't seen the sun in years.

"Leave me," Golman ordered.

The three guards stood and left the tent.

Golman reached out and stroked Scarlet's face. He was one of the smartest men in the world, but he had made so many mistakes. He was the only person who could understand his own burdens and pain.

He knew how much the necromancers contributed to the world, and he pitied them. He believed that the necromancers were only fighting for survival. He was seeking immortality as well, because he had so many questions and he had so much to learn. He needed time. He had become a necromancer so he could answer those questions.

Who would have thought Minos's goal wasn't to preserve but to destroy? Golman could not allow that to happen, which was why he betrayed Minos.

He had thought Baery was his friend, which was why he told Baery about Scarlet and why he pushed Scarlet to the position she was in. He was proud of her and wanted his friends to see how good she was. He never thought Baery would do anything to hurt Princess Victoria.

Princess Victoria was another one of his friends, and he had known Victoria before he knew Scarlet. Victoria never showed any degree of disgust towards him, even though she had plenty of reason to do so. She respected his intelligence, and they would often have long conversations. She listened to him and was the one who made him feel like his hard work was worth it.

Victoria died because of him, and every time Golman recall Victoria, his heart would ache.

He couldn't blame Baery and chose to keep his distance. He understood why Baery did what he did, but he could not forgive Baery.

Golman sighed and reached for Scarlet's left hand. Before he could touch her hand, he stopped. His eyes flickered. He was hesitating.

He had known Scarlet for her entire life, and he knew very well that Scarlet's emotions towards him had stopped at respect. Even though he tried hard to treat her well, his coldness when Victoria died had angered Scarlet. He doubt that she had forgiven him.

Golman was very hesitant. If he revived her, he would face everything he had been running away from. But if he didn't, what would he say to Victoria? What about his promise to her? Golman sighed and grabbed Scarlet's hand. He found the ring on Scarlet's finger and tapped it a few times.

The ring was plain, with not a lot of decorations. After Golman tapped it, however, the shape began to change. The gemstone blinked a few times, and a red pentagram flickered into existence. The pentagram was surging against the surface of the gemstone, moving and contracting as if it was a human heart.

A surge of magic spread across the land. It was a surge only necromancers could feel.

Desvidia and Morgan were the first to sense the surge of magic. Even though they were far from the Shansa army camp, they still felt the surge as if it was right next to him. The two of them widened their eyes and glanced at each other. They both saw fear in each other's eyes.

"He's mad," Morgan whispered. "Golman, you're mad! Mad! Why would you use the Ring of the Undead?"

Desvidia glanced in the direction of the army camp, his brows furrowed together in a deep frown.

The surge spread across the ocean and reached Greenwich Island. A broken skeleton raised its head and howled in excitement and anger.

Red veins appeared under Scarlet's skin. The ring's power was still sealed away, and Scarlet's injuries were very grave, but something was still flowing through the red veins as if it was trying to save her. The veins began to pulse faster and grow larger. As the power of the Ring of the Undead was unleashed, Scarlet's body began to glow red.

"I hope I'm right," Golman whispered, looking at Scarlet's face.

Life began to return to Scarlet's body, and her eyes flickered open a few moments later. She pushed herself up and saw Golman. She frowned and tried to sit up, but she could not control her body just yet. "You came," she said. She did not appear surprised by Golman's presence.

"Do you know why I chose you to be my student?" Golman asked softly.

"Because you foresaw my fate in the stars," Scarlet said.

"Yes, and I also said I saw you as the ruler of Shansa Empire. That is what motivated you, isn't it?" Golman paused. "Do you know why I stopped talking about reading the stars?"

"Why?"

"Because something went wrong," Golman said. He picked up a small pebble and tossed it into a bowl of water next to the table. "Because like the water, something, someone, appeared. Their appearance has disrupted the alignment of the stars. Which is why my readings before are untrue now. You need to take care of yourself." Golman looked at Scarlet. He was more than her teacher. He treated her the way he would treat his own daughter. He wanted to her stay safe.

Chapter 481: Plan

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

A spring breeze blew over the prairie, which was still covered with snow. Spring usually signaled the beginning of the year, and a very important time to farmers. The spring breeze was warm and filled with hope. However, the powers on Pan Continent felt depressed by this spring breeze. Many people had realized that the situation on Pan Continent could turn for the worse as the spring breeze arrived.

Saul and Anfey chatted as they walked on the prairie. After Anfey assassinated Scarlet, Baery did not immediately take action to start the battle. It was because wars could not be rushed. Instead, everything had to be prepared well in all areas for the war. In addition, Baery was waiting for Yolanthe's order to start the war.

Saul and Anfey had been spending a lot time together talking about magic when they were free. Of course, Saul instructed while Anfey listened. They also talked about issues in Maho Empire, about which there was more discussion than instruction.

"Professor, I thought our best time to attack Shansa Empire was after Scarlet died. Why didn't our king give the order to start the battle?" Anfey asked quietly. He thought Baery would give the order to attack Shansa Empire right away. He did not know then that Baery had to get permission from Yolanthe first. However, there was no news from Yolanthe for more than a dozen days. He started to get impatient.

"Because the king had so many things he had to consider," Saul said. "In fact, that is the reason I asked you to join me today."

"Really?" Anfey asked.

"Anfey, do you know who our king thinks is the toughest opponent?" Saul asked.

"Scarlet and Shansa military," Anfey said.

Saul shook his head. "No, no. Shansa Empire and our Empire could not compromise with each other. Shansa Empire could only be conquered or conquer us. Those Knights of Light give our king a headache."

"Could they turn the situation around with the influence and power they had?" Anfey asked.

"You probably do not know about it. We cannot afford to not have churches. No matter whether we face the threats at this moment or look at the situation in the future, churches will be absolutely necessary. Many people in the church did things that made us angry, but they do not want to see the whole continent turning into a paradise for death spirits. This is the very essential difference between Knights of Light and others," Saul said slowly.

"Does the king want the pope to change his opinion?" Anfey asked.

"The pope would never make any mistakes. Even if he did, they would not be counted as mistakes. The followers of the church would not agree that their pope could make any mistakes," Saul said. "You probably did not notice the church only sent the Knights of Light legion to us while their priests stayed with them."

"Didn't Fernando bring a group of priests with him?" Anfey asked.

"The priests in that group were not popular and have no power in the church. There are only two real priest groups. One is Fanatical Priest group while the other is Glory and Praise Priest group. Fanatical Priest group is the main priest group in the Church of Light, while Glory and Praise Priest group is the core of the church and even of Church of Light. Slanbrea was the vice commander of Glory and Praise Priest group.

"I see." Anfey thought quietly.

"Knights of Light has always been connected to priests since St. Robin showed up on the Pan Continent," Saul said. "There have been over 60 popes after St. Robin. Every one of them was picked from the archpriests. Knights of Light never had the chance to be picked, no matter how powerful or loyal to their beliefs they were. This is the rule made by St. Robin."

"It is not fair to Knights of Light. I believe there must be geniuses in the Knights of Light," Anfey said.

"They could not become Knights of Light if they thought it was not fair, otherwise there would be flaws in their beliefs," Saul said. "This rule was made by St. Robin. He thought Knights of Light were just the weapons of the priests to help cleanse the sins. He never believed weapons could walk themselves to the altar."

"Why did not they send the priest groups to us?" Anfey asked.

"Because the priest groups had problems with each other," Saul said with a sigh. "Robin was very weird. He seemed to want to divide his followers into two parties on purpose. He never seemed to want union and harmony among the followers. He even stirred them up and caused them to argue."

"What was the purpose of that?" Anfey asked.

"Who knows. I do not know," Saul said with a smile. "I only know the two parties in the Church of Light have been giving tit for tat for a long time. One party is very radical. They think the church needs to have supreme power, even the power to constrain the kings to better spread the glory of God. The other party thinks God led Robin to this continent to protect human beings. In other words, they could only be humans' guardians instead of rulers."

"Which party did Slanbrea belong to?" Anfey asked.

"Slanbrea's attitude was more radical," Saul said.

Anfey shook his head. "I did not see it. He did not seem radical."

"Attitude is different than principle." Saul then asked out of curiosity, "You did not hate him that much, did you, even though he almost hurt Suzanna?"

Anfey shrugged, then smiled. "Things were different then. He acted like a copycat. In addition, it is not necessary to hate a dead guy."

Saul chuckled. "Archpriests are different than archmages. They are rare on this continent. The death of Slanbrea hit the radical party hard. In fact, many people in the church cried out against it when Fernando led some knights and priests to unite with us. They claimed that this could have been the beginning for the Church of Light to take control over the whole continent. They demanded to send the main force to fight, but their proposal was vetoed. Even though the death of Slanbrea was such sensational news, they could not send the Fanatical Priest group and Glory and Praise priest group over. They only sent Knights of Light."

"Professor, why are you telling me these things today?" Anfey asked.

"Is Warner in the League of Mercenaries now?" Saul asked.

"Yes," Anfey answered.

"Is Book of Life with him too?" Saul asked.

"Yes." Anfey nodded. "Professor, do they want to take back the Book of Life?"

"The Book of Life is the lifeblood for the Church of Light, but they did not say they would take the Book of Life back. They sent one guy over. He only wanted to see Warner," Saul said slowly.

"Only one person?" Anfey asked.

"Yes," Saul said.

"Does that person belong to Slanbrea's radical party?" Anfey asked.

"Anfey, you think too much. We are both officials of the king. You are also my student. Let me put it this way. Your attitude on issues represents my attitude. Our attitude represent the king's attitude," Saul said. "We would only be able to work with the radical party if they could forget about Slanbrea. The problem is whether they could stop working with us. The answer is no."

"Professor, I understand what the king meant. Does the king want to try to work with them again?" Anfey shook his head and said, "The radical party must be against it. How could we work with them?"

"That depends on how much the church wants to work with us. The changes following the disaster of death spirits offered a wonderful opportunity for us. In addition, our king has wiped out the Dark Moon Magic Legion in Ellisen Empire. The Griffin Aerial Unit could fly around to mess around, but they would not dare to attack our military."

"How many magic academies does Ellisen Empire have?" Saul continued. "We only have a few. If they had about five years, they could rebuild a magic legion. That is why our king said we are racing against time. The king's plan is to wipe out the main force in Shansa Empire this spring and start full attacks on Shansa Empire in the summer. We need to finish the battle with Shansa Empire and take it over in fall, or before the end of the year at the latest. We need let our soldiers rest and get full training in the winter, because Ellisen Empire is in the far north and is used to the cold weather. When it gets warmer, we could take advantage of the weather to start the battle with them."

Anfey just listened to Saul. It was not appropriate for him to interrupt Saul and say his piece. He did not know how to interrupt either.

"The king has made his decision. He will make it clear no matter what it will cost him. Therefore, we are giving our full loyalty," Saul said calmly. 'If churches refuse to work with us, or are not as loyal as us, our king would do anything necessary. He does not mind making Church of Light part of the history on Pan Continent. Anfey, don't worry. They would not ask too much."

Anfey chuckled. "I am just worried that churches would go back and forth. I do not worry about others."

"Don't you worry that they would ask for the Book of Life back?" Saul asked with a weak grin.

Anfey shook his head with smile. "It never belonged to me. I don't want to be a priest anyway."

"Ok, let's not talk about this now." Saul looked at the headquarters in the distance. "We have received news that many officials and soldiers in Shansa Empire got into a big argument. Some supported the idea to fight back at any cost, while others thought it would be wise to retreat immediately. It seems that the negative feelings got the upper hand. A large number of soldiers fled Shansa Empire. Manstuly and the officials in Shansa Empire fought, so Manstuly led druids back into Blackwater City. Fernando and the other three Archknights left United barracks with Knights of Light legion as well. They retreated over 100 miles and set up their camp next to the Blackwater River. All of this proves they were not far from falling apart. So, Anfey, after you meet with the representative from the church, why don't you go back to White Mountain City with him. You can take your League of Mercenaries to the north. Whatever you do afterwards, I will not intervene."

"I got it, Professor," Anfey said.

Chapter 482: Prelude to War

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

A grey figure appeared on the balcony. "You're wrong this time, Your Majesty." Yolanthe was sitting on a chair and staring at the sky. His face was filled with sadness. The figure hesitated, then said, "I apologize for my intrusion, Your Majesty, are you thinking of…"

"Don't worry," Yolanthe said, turning to the figure. "What did you want to say?"

"You're wrong this time," the figure said. "Without Scarlet, the Shansa army is in complete distress. They lost all of their will to fight, and their alliance is no more. Manstuly has already returned to Blackwater City and the Church has made its decision as well."

"I see," Yolanthe said with a smile.

"You overestimated them," the figure said. "Scarlet's death didn't encourage the Shansa army to fight. On the contrary, it ended the fight before it even began. Without Manstuly and the Shield of Light Legion, the Shansa army will not be a threat to us anymore."

Yolanthe slowly stood up and glanced at the sky again before turning back to the figure. He paced around the balcony as if something was troubling him.

Yolanthe rarely displayed his emotions like this. The figure took a step forward and asked, "Is something wrong, Your Majesty?"

"You don't know how rulers behave," Yolanthe said, shaking his head, "which is why you cannot tell what I'm thinking of. You cannot tell what Edward VIII is thinking of, either. Edward has a lot of flaws. He's weak, he's greedy, he's cowardly. But don't underestimate him. Even the most cowardly man can be brave when he is forced to be. Edward is a king. I didn't believe he could take the death of his best general this easily."

"He was very angry when he learned of Scarlet's death," the figure said, nodding. "My source told me that he was so angry that he killed a few servants in his rage. He is clearing panicking now. He knows that without Scarlet, he stands no chance against us in this war. She was his last hope."

"Edward isn't panicking," Yolanthe said with a smile. "You're too excited, my old friend. Think about this. We all think he is weak, but we are the only ones who can say that. No matter how weak he is, he is still, in the end, the ruler of an empire. There is no way that he reacted to such news like that."

"Then…"

"If what you just told me is true, then this situation just became much more suspicious. If Edward is really a weak and useless man, how did he become the ruler? How did he keep his throne for all these years?"

"You're saying…"

"He lost Scarlet, but he still has the army. It's been a week: Why isn't he doing anything about the army's chaos?"

"You're saying this is an act?"

"I don't know," Yolanthe said. "But I do know that this is unusual. Scarlet took more than three quarters of Shansa Empire's army with her. I don't think Edward would be this calm and doing nothing if three quarters of his army is in chaos and can be easily destroyed.

"The army can't get back to Shansa Empire, either. Their path is blocked. Edward is putting everything he has on the line. We cannot let our guard down right now."

"What are they planning? Ellisen Empire is moving their armies as well. Some of the Shansa army fled toward the northwest. We thought they were going to Ellisen Empire."

"No way," Yolanthe said, shaking his head. "I don't think Edward would let Ellisen Empire control three quarters of his army."

"What are they doing, then? Is this a trap?"

"I don't care what they're doing," Yolanthe said. "What's important is what we will do. It's finally time to grant Miorich's wish."

"He'll be excited," the figure said. "What about General Baery?"

"Let him do whatever he wants," Yolanthe said, shaking his head. "I have a letter you need to deliver."

The figure bowed his head and nodded.

—

The three master necromancers had their first meeting. They hadn't met in more than twenty years, but none of them said anything. After a few minutes, Morgan broke the silence, "Golman, are you ready to come with us?"

"I'm not going back," Golman said, shaking his head.

Morgan shook his head and smiled. "I've always thought you had already unleashed the power of the Ring of the Undead."

"Listen to me, Morgan. I don't want you two to go back, either."

Morgan and Desvidia stared at Golman, their eyes wide with shock.

"Do you think that's possible?" Desvidia recovered first and asked coldly. He couldn't imagine publicly betraying Minos.

"Do you trust me?" Golman asked.

"Golman, I do," Morgan said. "You're my friend and I trust you. But I can't do that. You have to come with us."

"I know what you're thinking," Golman said. "But you're too naive."

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked. He knew that betraying Minos was inevitable, but he still didn't want his friends or himself to be the first ones to do so.

"Minos began doubting you two after I left," Golman said. "He's giving you the cold-shoulder, isn't he?"

Morgan and Desvidia glanced at each other but did not say anything.

"Especially you, Morgan. You're in a very dangerous position right now."

"What are you trying to get at?"

"Minos knows that you aren't doing everything in your power to track me," Golman said. "But did he do anything? After I'm dead, you're next to go, Morgan." Morgan frowned.

"What about me?" Desvidia asked, frowning.

"If Morgan and I both betray Minos, do you think he will trust you? Do you think you can remain loyal to him? If we are dead, you won't last long."

"I sealed the power of the ring away," Golman said. "I'm the only that can undo that seal. Which is why Minos will try everything in his power to keep me here. Which is why he will find out about our conversation." Golman paused and looked at Morgan and Desvidia. "Tell me, do you still want me to go with you?"

Chapter 483: Pleasing

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Master Anfey, you do not seem to be in the mood to talk to me." A middle-aged man in priest gown leaned against the wagon wall, a sluggish smile on his face.

"Master Stan, please do not misunderstand me." Anfey smiled. "As you know, I have to take the League of Mercenaries to the north to fight with Manstuly after I get back to the White Mountain City. How do I explain it? The Tiger of Tawau mercenary group has had total control of Blackwater City. I barely get any information about Blackwater City. Manstuly got support from the elves, but I still have no idea what kind of power he has. Hehehe, I have a lot of pressure on me, so I am thinking a lot now. I hope you are not feeling neglected. I am so sorry if you feel that way."

"I heard about the story--how you had deep conflict with Manstuly." Stan laid his eyes on Suzanna. "In fact, he should be the one feeling anxious. Your League of Mercenaries' fame stretches far. Your league already has dozens of thousands of mercenaries right now, and there will be more mercenaries willing to join your league. With the support of General Baery, I cannot imagine how Manstuly will be able to match you."

"He has elves," Anfey said calmly. "Elves have been quiet for so long, no one would know what powers they have accumulated."

"I think what you said is right, but not completely," Stan said.

"Master Stan, are you saying…" Anfey encouraged Stan to explain.

"Elves' passions have been on arts. They never liked wars." Stan smiled. "They are bewitched by their ambitions, and bravely came out of the forest. However, don't forget most elves are meek. They love and cherish life. Phrases like 'taking up the positions to figh' or 'not afraid of risking their lives' do not fit elves."

"Really?" Anfey asked in surprise.

"In fact, a bloody and cruel battle could crush them." Stan twisted his whiskers. "Elves are a very special race. Their bodies are as weak as are their mentalities. If you can conquer their bodies, you are winning their mentalities as well. Let me give you some examples. As you know, many royals and businessmen like to domesticate elves and take them as sex slaves. Some humans were enslaved as well, but many of them fought against their owners, and even killed them. Have you ever heard any elves who killed their owners? They are too weak. The only radical movement they would take would be ending their own lives. Hehehe, elves think the reason they were taken over by humans is because humans are despicable and shameless, but I think it is because only the fittest survived."

"You are an archpriest. I did not know you were interested in this." Anfey looked a little shocked.

"I know you have known Slanbrea for a while. What do you think of him?" Stan did not answer Anfey's question, but asked one instead.

"Well, it's not appropriate for me to make any comments about him," Anfey said.

"He is a hypocrite. I am different than he is," Stan said.

"Are you saying you are a real gentleman?" Anfey asked casually.

"No, I am a sincere jerk." Stan smiled. "I talk about issues and state my opinions clearly, on the table. It is just easier for everyone. You do not have to try to figure out, then, how I think of things in the future. I will tell you."

"Hehehe." Anfey could not help laughing. He changed the topic immediately. "However, there are special elves. For example, Hotchbini."

"You are right. Hotchbini is daring and confident. She is indeed a special one." Stan smiled. "Do you think she could change the personality of elves with her own efforts?"

"Hard, very hard." Anfey sighed.

"It is not just hard. It is impossible." Stan shook his head. "If you want to beat elves, you have to crush their confidences first. If you could crush their confidences, most elves would change their ideas of fighting with you, even if Manstuly still wants to fight with you, or if Hotchbini does not want to make any compromises. Of course, the bloodier the battle will be, the more effective it will be. I do not think it will be a difficult task for you to do, with what I know about you."

"Right, but it is not an easy task, either." Anfey went quiet to think for a second and said, "Master Bruzuryano has been very nice to me. Without him, I would not be who I am today. If Master Bruzuryano asked me to stop, I think I would."

Anfey was being honest about it. Besides Saul and Ernest, he respected Bruzuryano the most. Without the Heart of Nature, he definitely would not accomplish so much. What Saul and Ernest gave him just helped him start the journey, but what Bruzuryano gave him was the key to becoming a saint.

"You are really hesitant about it. It does not seem like you." Stan smiled. "I agree that Master Bruzuryano is very honest. Because of his honesty, he cannot stop you from exacting your revenge."

Anfey quietly listened to Stan without interrupting him.

"Manstuly asked druids to attack your wife, and they almost got her. If Bruzuryano could not stop them back then, he cannot ask you to stop your revenge now," Stan said in a low pitch. "Manstuly is a very utilitarian and ambitious person. How could he give up his dream? He cannot. Would Hotchbini back out? As far as I know, one of her sons was killed in an attack. Even if she did not have any problem with you before, the hatred between you and her is there now. Manstuly is able to command druids, while Hotchibini enjoyed good fame among elves, but they both have been very aggressive toward you. Master Bruzuryano could not ask you to keep making compromises."

In fact, Stan did not tell Anfey the true reason why he thought Bruzuryano would not stop him. The key to this problem is that Anfey had become one of the brightest stars, after he killed Archmage Michael and beat Desvidia, one of the three master necromancers. Everyone was sure that Anfey would have a bright future. Anfey was still so young, surely he would become a supreme power, like Minos I in the legend, in the future. It would be the stupidest move for anyone to become Anfey's enemy.

Stan believed Bruzuryano had to bear with the pain of not being able to come out to convince Anfey to stop the revenge on the elves, no matter how cruel Anfey could be to them. Bruzuryano already had built such a good relationship with Anfey. He had to maintain this good relationship for the long-term interests of the druids and elves.

Anfey would not only become a supreme power, but also would become an important official of Yolanthe. Yolanthe trusted Anfey. Yolanthe had showed his strong determination to start the war, before the disaster of the death sprits ended completely. It made sense that the good relationship with Anfey would help with the future development of the druids.

Manstuly and Hotchbini were in a situation where they had to continue with their plans. They made the mistake of being Anfey's enemies, so they had to continue to fight with him. If they could not completely destroy Anfey, they would suffer in the future.

Of course, Stan could not tell these things to Anfey. He was the representative of the church. His position was higher than Anfey's. If he told everything to Anfey, it might make him sound like he was kissing up to Anfey, which was not good for the negotiation in the future, and would give Anfey the chance to look down upon the church. He held different ideas and principles than Slanbrea. He did not want to be involved in politics.

His enemies were never the kings, but the Goddess of Nature. He could not help that Bruzuryano had the advantage in the situation, but he could let Bruzuryano enjoy every benefit by himself. He wanted to make up for his mistakes, and to reduce or get rid of the hostility Anfey had toward churches, and thus, rebuild a relationship where they could trust each other again. Therefore, he had shown his sincerity to Saul, before he came here to see Anfey.

"It looks like you know druids and elves very well," Anfey said in a low pitch.

"Not really, but I have worked with them for the past several decades. I am familiar with them." Stan was quite humble about this.

Anfey was deep in thought for a little bit, then changed the topic. He asked in a low pitch, "Since you are so sincere about it, I will be the same. Let me put everything on the table. Why are so interested in Warner in my league?" Stan claimed himself to be a sincere jerk, but that was just a way of saying he was humble. Anfey ignored using the phrase "jerk" when he referred Stan. Stan had been very nice, so there was no reason for Anfey to stir anything up.

Even though Anfey paid careful attention to his wording, he did not show too much respect for Stan through his actions. In fact, Anfey's attitude toward people and issues had changed after he broke through his limits. Anfey did not change his attitude toward Saul, Erndst, Baery, his friends and a few others, but did he change his attitude toward others.

Others seemed to be okay with Anfey's changes. Anthony and Stan were older than Anfey, but they never demanded that he automatically respect them. In this world, where only powers prevailed, powers talked. Age did not seem to matter that much.

"Master, the Book of Life is a holy object for the church, so we feel it is necessary to talk to Warner. What kind of priest is Warner?" Stan smiled bitterly, when they got a chance to talk about the Book of Life.

"What if he could not make you happy?" Anfey asked.

"Master, the problem is not making us satisfied, but us." Stan said it in a very strategic way. The "us" definitely included Anfey. Stan made it very clear that he would not force anything to change. He only wanted to find a middle path for both parties.

"I am glad you said it that way." Anfey smiled. "Oh, Master Stan. I have some questions about Light series magic. May I ask you?"

"You can perform Light Series Magic?" Stan asked in surprise. In fact, he faked the surprise. It was not a secret anymore that Anfey could perform Light Series Magic. This was another reason that he wanted to build the relationship with Anfey.

The pace of their conversation got faster as the wagon traveled further. The atmosphere improved. Stan's knowledge and experience on Light series magic far surpassed Warner's. Anfey was so eager to know, while Stan was happy to answer his questions. The atmosphere could not have been better.