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Chapter 552: Explanation

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

"I want vengeance! Vengeance!" a shrill voice cried in the night.

"Nonsense!" another voice said. "You'll kill all of us!"

"I don't care!" the shrill voice cried. "I don't care. Send me back! Take me back!"

"You!" the man was clearly getting angrier. He took a few steps forward and raised his hand. Julie, who looked more like a ghost than a person, raised her head and stared at him.

The man looked at her arms. His hand shook and he could not bring himself to do anything. He knew what had happened to her after her cover was blown and he did not blame her for wanting revenge.

"Julie, you have to realize," the man said with a sigh. "Time's are different now. The situation is not looking good for His Royal Highness. There is only a dozen of us left and you cost us four of them. Do you want us to lose everything we've worked for?"

Julie stared at the man, her eyes burning with hatred. "I want revenge, brother."

The man sighed. "You don't understand, do you? Do you remember what I said before you left? Anfey is a dangerous man. You underestimated him. You want revenge, alright. You will avenge yourself but now isn't the time. We have to wait. Wait for the right time. Do you want us to challenge him publicly? Do you want me to? Say it and I will go."

"Brother…" Julie whispered. She choked on her words and started sobbing quietly. The thought of her brother was the only thing that supported her. The only reason she was still alive was her brother. She couldn't send him to his death.

"Julie," the man said, holding her in his arms. "I know what you went through. I promise you. I won't let this go. Just give me some time."

Julie nodded, her eyes filled with tears.

"Get some rest now," the man said. He patted her shoulder and tucked her in carefully.

"Wait," Julie called. "Wait. Do not trust them, brother."

"Of course not," the man said. "Don't worry about me." He walked out of the room and said to the two guards, "Keep an eye on her for me."

The two guards nodded.

The man walked down the hall slowly. Another man in his sixties was waiting in the lobby. "See him," the old man frowned and said coolly, "I need an explanation."

"You know what she went through, Mr. Douglas," the man said. "She made a mistake. I promise this won't happen again."

Douglas smirked. "That's fine by me," he said. "It's not my men who died. I just came to tell you that the plan will be postponed."

"Postponed? Why?"

Douglas's eyes widened in shock that the man did not understand. "How can you not get it?" he asked. "Your sister's behaviors have startled Anfey."

"Mr. Douglas, can't we take him on if you and I just work together?" the man asked, holding his anger back.

"I think we both know the answer to that," Douglas said, leaning back into the chair. "You see, it won't be just Anfey, will it? Have you forgotten Baery, Saul, and Steger?"

"It will be difficult, but I am not afraid."

"I'm not either," Douglas said. "I'm not planning on returning without having done anything."

The man smiled. "That's all I need from you," he said. He was working with Douglas and he could ignore Douglas's rudeness as long as their goal remained the same.

Douglas frowned and said, "I think the plan should change. I am an assassin and you are not that different. We should try a method that works better for people like us."

"You mean—"

"It's funny," Douglas said, shaking his head. "If I knew Anfey would be this much trouble, I would have taken care of him a long time ago. I had a man called Brufit. When Anfey fled Sacred City with the Knights of Sacred Flame on his heels, he was among those who saved him. If I am not mistaken, your sister Julie helped him as well."

The man nodded. "No one knew what he could do in the future. I am sure His Majesty sent them to protect Christian and Niya."

"It's scary how fast things can change," Douglas said with a long sigh.

"I remember Brufit," the man said. "His Majesty trusted him, yet he left Sacred City without a word."

"Does His Majesty really trust him?" Douglas said, shaking his head. "Brufit believed he was in mortal danger."

"He's paranoid."

"Paranoia isn't that bad of a thing to have," Douglas said. He turned to the man and said, "Now, let's talk about the future."

The man chuckled drily.

"Your people attacked Suzanna, which is enough to provoke Anfey," Douglas said. "Which is why my people are leaving this place. If you get into trouble, I won't be able to save you. Of course, if I get into trouble, you are not obligated to do anything."

"Do you have to say things like this?"

"Better say it now than later," Douglas said, getting up from the chair. "If I knew your sister's cover would be blown, I wouldn't have chosen to work with you. But there's no need to talk about that now."

The man frowned but did not say anything. Even if they were working towards the same goal, he was still getting angry at Douglas. He needed Douglas to take on Anfey and he had to keep Douglas happy.

"Take that as a lesson," Douglas said. "Don't try to provoke him anymore. We have to have a clear plan. What's good does killing Suzanna do? Don't forget your priorities."

The man took a deep breath to calm himself, then asked, "You said our plan will be postponed. Until when?"

"Be patient. Until we are no longer Anfey's priority."

"When? A month? A year?" the man asked quietly. "How long do we have to wait? We've startled him, but will he really forget about us?"

Douglas frowned. The man was right. Anfey was a very patient man and it would take a long time for him to forget something.

"What do you want to do, then?"

"Give him an explanation," the man said. "A convincing one. That way, we don't have to wait too long. I think we both know that we don't have much time."

Douglas frowned. He knew what the man meant. He wanted to give up a group of men, the more powerful the better. This way, Anfey would think he had taken care of the moles and would lose interest. But it wasn't Douglas who made a mistake. Why should Douglas give up his men?

"That's one way," Douglas said quietly. "I'll wait for your words."

"What? I…" the man frowned. He only had a dozen people. He didn't have anyone to give up.

"Your sister caused this mess," Douglas reminded him. "Shouldn't you clean it up?" Hearing no other words from the man, Douglas turned to leave.

The man stared at Douglas, stone-faced. After a few moments, he angrily muttered under his breath, "Who do you think you are? You're just Golman's dog, Douglas! You bastard!"

Chapter 553: A Guest

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

The incident, whereby Suzanna had been attacked, did not create any uproar. The people and mercenaries had carried on with their lives as usual. At dusk, a carriage, which was not as new, stopped before the courtyard in the northern part of the city. Ye got out slowly from the carriage.

Ye's appearance represented a command. More than 10 figures that were nearby slowly rose up to the sky. A few hundred mercenaries suddenly appeared on the street, and dashed toward the courtyard, surrounding it. Seven to eight half-elf archers jumped up to the roofs to form a circle. They had their bows and arrows ready, and were searching for their targets.

Shinbela followed after Ye, jumping down from the carriage. Anfey was the last to appear. He looked calm, and was staring listlessly at the courtyard. There were many ways to express one's anger. To make a ruckus was being too shallow. This was not his style, and it was unfit for his status. He had to be here, as the one who had saved Julie was extremely powerful. The traces that he had left behind denoted that he could be a top level power. Anfey could not take any chances, he had to ensure the safety of his men.

The mercenaries had smashed the door of the courtyard and dashed in. No combat sound was heard. Ye said with a wry smile, "Sir, you are right. They have left."

"We can't be making a wasteful trip. Let's go in and take a look," Anfey said flatly.

As Ye stepped into the courtyard, a few mercenaries walked out. He was hopeful and asked, "Have you found anything?"

"Sir, no one is inside, and there are only a few things around," one of the mercenaries replied.

"They could not have wasted their time to pack up the things?" Ye found it unbelievable, and dashed in. There was a two-story building in the courtyard that was made of wood. There were nine rooms in total, and Ye searched through them all, including the kitchen and cellar. And just as the few mercenaries had said, the things left behind were few. There was no firewood in the kitchen or backyard. The kitchen looked as though it had seldom been used. Most of the rooms were empty, except for two that had beds in them. As for the furniture, other than a big mirror, there was nothing else.

Ye felt helpless. Suzanna had been attacked, and that was worse than the jailbreak of Julie. This was an upfront challenge to The League of Mercenaries. He was determined to get to the bottom of it. Suzanna had killed the two assassins, and the other two, after Edy's interrogation, had divulged secrets. However, Ye could not decipher what their secrets were, as their appellation and records were unique. Ye needed time to look into it. The only useful information was their foothold. If he could not find anything here, there would be no other clues. He could not be sitting around, waiting for their next move.

Anfey was not surprised. An agent would call this a broiler. When he took up assignments previously, he would use different identities and appearances, and rent a place near the target. He had to take precautions. Although this was different from his previous occupation, the nature of the work was similar. Whatever the other party could think of, Anfey had already thought of it, unless there was a vast difference in the intelligence. If things were too obvious, the other party must be up to some tricks, as the styles did not match.

"Ye, get a few men to guard this place. The rest can leave," Anfey said softly.

"Guard this place? Will they be coming back?"

"I don't think so, but there might be some unexpected surprises."

Ye pondered for a while and nodded, "All right."

"Go and check up on the owner of this courtyard. But…don't hope too much. If you can't find any clue, then forget it."

"Forget it?" Ye asked in shock. He had not expected Anfey to not care a whit about it.

"Yes" Anfey nodded and said, "I will make a move first. I will be meeting a guest. You can go back later. Hmnn…all of you must be careful during this period. Especially you, Shinbela. You like to act alone. Please change this habit."

"Oh…" Shinbela replied.

"Sir, who is this important guest?" Ye was curious. He knew that Anfey was either going through the formality by his presence, or he was here to prevent a mishap from happening.

"You will know later." Anfey smiled.

In a residential area near the Citymaster Manor, Hui Wei was pacing up and down, looking pale. He looked as though he was waiting for someone. What he feared would happen had happened. His master had written him a letter, instructing him to arrange a meeting for him with Anfey. He was thunderstruck when he received the letter. He did not want others to treat him differently, and in order to maintain the friendship, he had to keep the secret to himself. However, his master kept pressing him and caused him to be in agony. He had looked for Anfey many times, but he always changed his mind. However, he could not drag on any further, as his master had consecutively sent letters to him, and sounded more harsh each time. If he chose to tell Anfey himself, at least he would have taken the initiative to make a confession. However, if he waited for his master to arrive, then he would be exposed. He dared not think of the consequences.

Finally, he decided to tell Anfey. To his surprise, Anfey only thought for a while before agreeing to his request. He had not even asked who Hui Wei's master was. As the appointed time was approaching, Hui Wei felt increasingly uneasy. He even blamed his master. His master had told him before that he had only hoped for Hui Wei to acquire his knowledge. He would not force Hui Wei to do things against his wishes, but he had gone back on his word. Moreover, whatever Hui Wei had learnt from him was not practical. Out of the blue, people were after his life. Although his master had given him some magical instruments for self-protection, including the Shattered Will of God of War, his power was limited. In the end, he had to flee to the magic beast forest and associate himself with the orcs.

As Hui Wei's mind was wandering, Anfey had appeared before his eyes. He quickly stepped forward and said, "Anfey, my master…has arrived."

"I know." Anfey nodded. "I can sense his breath." The air was filled with a breath that brought discomfort. Although it was very weak, Anfey was still able to sense it.

Hui Wei was searching for the right words, but when he heard Anfey's reply, he grew paler. He stuttered and asked, "You…you know…who my master is?"

"Of course." When Anfey saw Hui Wei's uneasy look, he patted him on the shoulder and said, "Hui Wei, I appreciate your efforts in getting your master here to meet, instead of me going to meet him." Although Anfey was not explicit, what he meant was clear and simple. If the other party had come to meet him, Anfey would stillhave the upper-hand. However, if Anfey were to go and meet him, that would put Anfey in danger.

"Anfey, you…" Hui Wei was at a loss for words.

"Your master has shown his sincerity by risking his life to be here. Don't worry, we will not have conflicts," Anfey said with a smile, then strode up the stairs.

Hui Wei let out a long sigh of relief, and looked gratefully at Anfey. In fact, Anfey was grateful to Hui Wei, too. Ever since Saul had appraised the combat force of Morgan and Desvidia upfront, Anfey was aware of the possible crisis. He did not want to have clashes with the three master necromancers, at least, not now. What Hui Wei had conveyed to him was a great opportunity. As long as the other party was not here to do him harm, Anfey would not provoke him. Anfey had a family, and he had people whom he cared for. It would be irrational for him to go against those old bachelors who had no qualms about killing. Unless he had been forced into a corner, Anfey would not want to do so.

Anfey stood at the door of a room and knocked gently. "Is Mr. Golman there?"

"Please come in, Sir Anfey, you are the host." A husky voice came out of the room.

Anfey opened the door and walked in. Golman had stood up and politely extended his hand to signal Anfey to sit down. This was a friendly gesture. Anfey broadened his smile and sized Golman up. Apparently, Golman was an ugly necromancer. He looked like a skeleton, with a heap of skin stretched over him. "Heap" was the right word, not "layer". There was a strange red light flickering in his eyes. It sent shivers down one's spine. When a woman aged, her breasts would sag. For Golman, who was of a great age, even his nose sagged. As he spoke, his nose swung along, side to side.

"After you," Anfey politely said.

Golman did not waste time on such trivial matters. He sat down slowly, the red light in his eyes flickering. "Sir Anfey, it seems like you are not worried at all."

"Worried? You mean…"

"After all, I am just a notorious necromancer. Aren't you afraid that others will talk behind your back, if they know that you are seeing me?"

"I have heard Sir Baery talk about you. I can tell that he respects you. Although you and the high priest, Stan, should be…at loggerheads with each other, he does not dislike you. From them, I have discovered many truths." Anfey said with a smile, "I don't think they will say anything. As for the rest, I can't be bothered with them."

"Truth…this is an enticing word. A long time ago, I started this journey because of this word." From his expression, one could not see his inner world, but his voice sounded gentle. "Not many people can accept the truth. Sir Anfey, are you able to accept the truth?"

Chapter 554: Cooperation

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

"That depends on you, sir," Anfey said softly.

Golman frowned and didn't say anything. He did not know, nor trust Anfey, which was why he did not know where he should begin the conversation. Everything Golman did, he did for a reason. He chose Scarlet because he wanted to groom her into a ruler so he could challenge Minos and give necromancers a place to exist. He wanted to end the control Minos had on necromancers because that was the only way he could free them.

Since Scarlet was dead, he had to find someone else to cooperate with. Judging from the global affairs at the moment, Yolanther was his best choice. He was an acquaintance of Baery's, but the two were not on friendly terms. Speaking with Anfey was easier than speaking with Baery. Having Hui Wei there also helped Golman.

Anfey could tell there was something on Golman's mind. "You came all the way here to speak to me, despite the danger," he said quietly. "To me, that's a sign of trust. You can speak your mind here, sir."

Golman smiled. "There wasn't much danger," he said. "You see, I am not your enemy. It will do you no good killing me. If you do, you risk me using the Death Armageddon spell. Even if I don't, Morgan and Desvidia are still out there and can instead. We are blessed with long lives, and I am sure they will avenge my death; not just the people who killed me, but their families as well."

"You have a point," Anfey said. Even if he could kill Golman, he didn't want to.

"Baery wanted to kill me once," Golman said. "But he didn't. People who spare my life tend to become my friends."

Anfey nodded but didn't say a word. He knew that the best thing to do was to keep quiet.

"Despite what you may believe, we are not evil," Golman continued. "We were all humans. Despite our decaying bodies, we still have human emotions. You know Morgan as the man who killed dozens of top-level powers over the years, but you do not know that most of the time, he only kills out of self-defense."

"Most of the time?"

"Sometimes he kills to relieve his frustration," Golman said. "I am sure that if you were hunted constantly, you would become frustrated as well. Like I've said—we have emotions as well."

Anfey nodded. He remembered that he first met Burzuryano because he was there to hunt Morgan. Kamlin became a hermit because he lost his wife while hunting down Morgan. It seemed like hunting Morgan became a goal shared by all top-level powers.

"I know we've made a bad impression on you," Golman said. "But you do not hate us the way others do. You shouldn't, either."

"What do you mean?" Anfey asked.

"The power you use… It is not from our world, is it?"

"I've never met someone else who uses it," Anfey said.

"Your mind magic is even more powerful than your teacher's," Golman said. "It is very interesting to me."

"Because I have a different way of practicing it," Anfey said.

"This is just a word of advice, but you shouldn't use mind magic as much as you do," Golman said. "If you keep using it this often, trouble will find you. Just like Morgan." Golman narrowed his eyes, which were blinking with red light.

"Really?" Anfey asked, surprised. "That's what my first teacher told me."

"You mean, your first teacher taught you your mind magic? The supreme power?" Golman asked. He did not believe what Anfey said because he knew his own abilities. Scarlet's death might have influenced him, but Golman knew he would never make a mistake while using his mind magic. Anfey had to be lying.

"He did teach me that," Anfey said. "But that was too long ago. I cannot remember if he was a supreme power or not."

Golman sighed. He had brought up mind magic because he wanted to see Anfey's reaction. He decided to move on because this was a conversation, not an interrogation.

He was there to find a partner, not the truth. As long as Anfey could work with him, Golman did not care who Anfey really was or where he came from.

"I'm sure you didn't just come here to warn me, sir," Anfey said with a smile. He didn't show it, but what Golman said had made an impact. Clearly, Golman knew about the secret he was keeping. He only kept calm because that was how he dealt with things.

"Of course not," Golman said. "I came here because I have a proposal for Yolanther."

Anfey frowned. This was even more important than he thought. This wasn't something he could decide. Not even Baery or Saul could make a decision on such a matter. Working with necromancers had fouled Edward the Eighth's reputation. Would Yolanther take the risk?

"This is just the general outline of the plan. We can work out the details at a later meeting," Golman said. "In order to show my sincerity, I have something for you. You must know of Evil Mist."

Anfey smiled. "Of course. When I first arrived here with Master Saul, we were attacked by people from Evil Mist."

"You must be talking about things that happened recently."

"About two years ago."

Golman nodded. "By then, Evil Mist was no longer under my control."

"Why is that?"

"I've had the organization for two hundred years," Golman said. "After I betrayed Minos, the organization fell apart. Some people didn't know the organization was controlled by necromancers. Those people left after learning the truth. The others knew I was behind the organization, but since I have no power or money, there was no reason to follow me."

"So you no longer control the organization?"

"I can control those that chose to remain with the organization," Golman said. He paused, then continued, "you were attacked at Tumen, weren't you?"

"Yes."

"That must have been Douglas," Golman said. "He was always in control of that place. He was the son of the head of the Tumen Commercial Union, Sizen. Sizen didn't want to be controlled by the Maho Empire and declared independence. Soon after, his entire family, save for young Douglas, was brutally murdered. Because of this, Douglas hated Yolanther. For him, Evil Mist is just another tool to get revenge. I kept him around because he is brilliant."

Anfey frowned. He had never heard of Douglas, but if Golman said he was brilliant, he must have been.

"You see, I am willing to give up my organization as a sign of sincerity. Even if Evil Mist is divided, I will still control a significant chunk of it. I can aid him in his effort to unite the world."

"How so?"

"It's easy," Golman said. "A small-scale plague is all I need. Think about what losing their farmers and merchants will do to the Ellisen Empire."

"Why didn't you do that for Scarlet?" Anfey asked, curious.

"Scarlet was young," Golman said with a sigh. "I wanted Baery to be a trial for her so she knows how to take on a strong enemy by herself."

Chapter 555: Get Even, After the Fall

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

When Anfey arrived at the campsite of the Roaring Dead Legion, it was late at night. Although the soldiers on duty recognized Anfey, they still stopped him at the door. Anfey knew that Baery was extremely strict. He also knew the importance of the army regulations and discipline, so he waited patiently outside. After a while, the soldier, who had gone in to report, came back with a military order. The soldiers quickly made way for him.

The soldier ushered Anfey to Baery's tent. This time around, no reporting was required. The guard, who was standing before the tent, lifted up the curtain for Anfey.

Anfey was surprised to see so many people in Baery's tent—Steger, Shawn, Dalmatian and the others. The tent was filled with people whom Anfey knew, as well as strangers. One thought came to Anfey's mind. There would be a war soon! There were seven provinces in the Shansa Empire, and they had captured three. If they were to continue to move forward, it would be into the Shinwa Province. The capital of the Shansa Empire, Diamond City, was located between the Shinwa Province and the Shawa Province. Are they planning to attack all three?

"Anfey, this way." Saul signaled with his hand, and a guard immediately brought a chair, placing it beside him.

Anfey had intended to greet Shawn and the rest, but they were having a meeting now. It would not be appropriate for him to do so. He just smiled and nodded his head, and walked toward Saul and sat down.

Anfey waited only for a while before the meeting came to an end. The generals took their leaves, and Shawn and Dalmatian came over to chat with Anfey before they left the tent.

Seeing that most of the people had left, Baery said with a smile, "Anfey, what brings you here today?"

Anfey looked around and winked at Baery. After Baery had signaled the guards to leave the tent, Anfey released the soundproofing enchantment. Baery and Saul looked at each other grimly. It must be something serious, since Anfey was behaving so mysteriously.

"Golman has looked for me," Anfey said openly.

Although Baery and Saul had prepared themselves, they still looked shocked. After a while, Saul frowned and said, "Did he do anything…"

"Anfey is standing before us now. Golman must have meant no harm," Baery said with a smile. "Anfey, what did he say?"

"Collaborate."

"Collaborate?" Baery quickly asked. "Collaborate how?"

Anfey repeated their conversation in detail. He had a very good memory, and did not miss a single thing. However, he did not mention the part about Mental Roaring.

Baery and Saul were silent for a long while. Baery paced up and down, and Saul closed his eyes in order to ponder what he'd just been told. After a long while, Saul suddenly said, "What does Golman want?"

"He does not expect us to recognize their presence. He only wishes to have a small piece of land where no one can trespass."

"Golman has said this before. After so many years, his wish remains the same," Baery said softly.

If it were only the ordinary people, it would be beyond reproach to ask for the right to survive. However, for a necromancer, it is different. Although they did not have to be wary about Golman, the rest of the people might still be. Even though Golman might keep his promise, his students might not. No one knew for sure what an ordinary person and a necromancer would do. The ordinary person would consider the necromancer to be scheming, possessing the desire to conquer the world. The latter would consider human beings as shameless and ungrateful. Regardless of who was in the right, the two parties had accumulated tons of hatred with each other, and it would be difficult to re-establish trust. That was why Golman had said that he would not ask for recognition.

"For this matter…let His Majesty decide," Saul slowly said. In fact, he was not interested in the fact that Golman had volunteered himself. When the Shansa Empire had become history, the Ellisen Empire would not be able to do much on its own. Even if Golman managed to send a plague to the Ellisen Empire to weaken their strength, they would not be able to fight against the Maho Empire! The main concern was, if they rejected Golman's offer, the three master necromancers would definitely seek refuge with the other side. Having a few more powerful friends was likened unto putting icing on the cake, but to have a few more powerful enemies, that would spell trouble!

"I agree." Baery nodded his head and sat down to write a letter. As he was writing, he said, "Anfey, the day after, we will be attacking the Shinwa Province. Go and discuss this with Alice, and let me know immediately if there is any problem."

Previously, before they attacked, Baery would have waited for Alice to voice her opinion. However, this time around, Baery had made a decision. Anfey knew that there must be a reason behind it, but he found it inappropriate for him to ask, as this concerned military affairs. He said with a wry smile, "We still have many things to settle on our end. What's the rush?"

"Wester and Granden had left Sacred City for the battlefront." Saul sighed and said, "My plan is to launch the attack after they have arrived. However, Marshal refused to listen to me. What can I do?"

"What?" Anfey was shocked. However, he immediately knew the intentions of Wester and Granden. It was a pity that they could not participate in the war against the Country of Mercenaries. They had to participate in this round to destroy the country. If they did not do so, they would not be able to vie with Christian, who had almost reached the pinnacle of prestige. He would then become the successor. Those who were interested in the throne must not miss the opportunity, so Wester and Granden had to go!

Saul related to Anfey how Wester and Granden had repeatedly requested for participation in the war. Initially, Yolanthe did not accede to the requests, but out of the blue, he agreed. It was more than 20 days after they had left that Yolanthe informed Baery about it. A large group of the royal families had gone with Wester and Granden. They had the same objective, which was to go to the battlefront, for show.

"If it was only Granden, it would be fine to wait a few more days. Wester…ha!" Baery, who was writing the letter, suddenly interrupted.

"Baery, it has been decades. Can't you just forget about it? This is so unlike you!" Saul laughed and said.

Anfey blinked his eyes. What does Saul mean? Anfey had found something amiss a long time ago. Baery was nice towards Granden and Christian. As for Wester, he treated him differently. All of them were his nephews, but why this different treatment?

"Saul, don't be sarcastic. You were not the one being imprisoned," Baery said angrily.

Seeing Anfey's curious look, Saul hesitated for a while and said, "Wester and Christian are half-brothers. Wester's mother is Elizabeth. Elizabeth's family had been a great help to His Majesty back then…but when His Majesty was enthroned, Elizabeth's family was against the restructuring. They even threatened His Majesty. Sigh…it has been such a long time. It is pointless to tell you all the details. In the end, His Majesty had no choice but to punish them as a warning to the people. It was not appropriate for Elizabeth to continue to be the queen then."

"Is Elizabeth still alive?"

"She is. Although Elizabeth supported her family, …after all, they are husband and wife. His Majesty could not bear to harm her."

"Oh…" Anfey blinked his eyes again. Although he would like to find out who Yolanthe had married after that, it would involve Baery's sister. He dared not ask, as no one had ever mentioned it. Saul had also never mentioned his wife. He could sense that something bad must have happened back then, which caused Yolanthe and Saul to lose their wives.

"Master, does Wester visit Elizabeth frequently?"

"I have no idea. Elizabeth…I have not seen her for more than 10 years. She has never shown herself in public."

"Let's not talk about the past. Anfey, go through my letter and see if I have missed out anything." Baery put down his pen and handed the letter to Anfey. "Saul, His Majesty has allowed Wester and Granden to leave the Sacred City. What do you think?"

"Me?" Saul was stunned.

"There is only Anfey here. Are you telling me that you are treating your favorite student as an outsider?"

"You…" Saul let out a wry smile and asked him back, "What do you think?"

"Be polite! I have asked you first."

Saul pondered for a while and said, "His Majesty is ready to strike. It should be…more aggressive than the one that took place a few months ago."

"I think so too." Baery nodded in agreement.

"Strike?" Anfey, who was reading the letter, looked up.

"Yes," Saul said softly. "His Majesty was unable to do a thorough job previously. At the critical moment, the royal families will push Wester and Granden to the front, to act as their shield. Now that Wester and Granden have left Sacred City, His Majesty is without scruples."

"Saul, do you think His Majesty…is a little too impatient?"

"Back then, His Majesty had stopped the restructuring because there were strong enemies without. He would not, and dared not, allow political unrest." Saul slowly said, "His Majesty has been waiting for this opportunity for too long. Those who had supported him, and those who had gone against him, he remembers them all. Now, …"

"Get even, after the fall?"

"That's right. Get even, after the fall." Saul paused and said, "Fortunately, we are not in Sacred City. If we were, it would spell trouble for us."

"What trouble will you have!" Baery said with a smile, "Back then, when you supported His Majesty with the restructuring, you had laid off your servants, given freedom to your slaves, and even offered more than 10 manors to the Empire. Were these not enough? Hahaha…fortunately, Niya is not calculating. If she was, she would have hated you."

"Not this." Saul shook his head and said, "Many people back then, had been lining up to look for me, begging me to plead with His Majesty. Now…I don't have to bother myself with such things."

Chapter 556: Trusting

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

Alice stood on the balcony, looking at the night sky. Baery and Kumaraghosha had already left Yellowstone Province with the army a few days ago. Perhaps it was because of the place's proximity to her home, or maybe it was because of the refugees, but she stayed behind.

The entire mansion was silent. The mercenaries had left with Anfey, and the only ones that stayed with her were Shinbela and the mercenaries Shinbela had trained to keep Alice safe.

"Alice?" Suzanna called as she walked out onto the balcony. She wrapped a shawl around Alice's shoulder and said, "It's chilly outside. You need to stay healthy."

"Thanks, Suzanna," Alice said quietly.

Suzanna sighed. She didn't like how uptight Alice was. Despite how long they'd known each other, Alice still refused to let go of her manners.

"The rumors of Anfey?"

Suzanna nodded. "If they want to do something, they will do it soon."

"Be careful," Alice reminded Suzanna.

"Don't worry about me," Suzanna said confidently, patting her sword. "I have this. You are the one that should be careful."

"If they are really working for Wester, they won't do anything to me," Alice said, adjusting the shawl around her. "I may be bait, but their goal is you and Anfey."Suzanna frowned and nodded.

"You have to be careful," Alice said, turning to Suzanna.

"I know. I will," Suzanna said, taking Alice's hand and squeezing it. "Let's go inside."

Just outside of Alice's mansion, in a small commoner's house, were two groups of men in dark clothing. The two groups were clearly hostile toward each other.

"Douglas," one of the men said quietly. His voice was quivering, clearly enraged. "We had a plan. Why are you backing out at the last minute?"

"I never said I'm backing out," Douglas said. Even though his face was covered, he was clearly smiling. "Volte, I said you should clean up the mess you made. As far as I can tell, you didn't do anything."

"What does that have anything to do with this plan?"

Douglas sighed and shook his head. "Volte, you are letting your anger get to your head. Anfey knows we exist. He didn't know anything before, but thanks to your sweet sister, his guard is up. I want you to do damage control, but you didn't do anything. Do you really think Anfey is stupid? He knows that we exist, but he still left Yellowstone Province. Can't you tell? You're walking into a trap!"

"I am not stupid, Douglas," Volte said coldly. "My men reported back to me already. Anfey is indeed in Shinwa Province with Baery, Saul, and Steger. No matter what they're planning, Suzanna is the only one here. With the two of us, we can take on Suzanna. Anfey is only a human. He makes mistakes as well."

"Fine," Douglas said with a shrug. "Go, then. I will stay here, so you can enjoy the glory yourself."

"You!" Volte spat angrily. Suzanna was a threat to him, but assassinations were not simple. He had to end the fight as fast as possible. If he startled Shinbela and her mercenaries, it would be a much harder fight. He knew the mercenaries trained to guard Alice. Despite the moles he had planted, those guards will still be a threat.

"What about me?" Douglas said, shaking his head. Volte's actions had made him very angry. That rescue plan Volte had had already startled Anfey and his men. Douglas almost had a heart attack when he heard Julie sent her men in for an assassination. Douglas wanted to lay low for a while, so even if the plan didn't go as planned, they could still strike a damaging blow. Now the plan would go to waste.

"You really are going to back out?" Volte asked. He was getting impatient. Julie was Volte's only family. What Julie went through in Anfey's hands made him angry already. Today was the day he would get his revenge.

"You're threatening me now?" Douglas asked incredulously. "You want to force me to help you kill someone?" Douglas shook his head and chuckled.

Volte glanced at Douglas again and turned to leave. He was stopped by the sudden sound of crows.

Volte's breath hitched, and his hand flew to his sword. "It's my people," Douglas said coolly. "Don't stress over it."

"You told people about this place?"

"It won't be a secret after tonight," Douglas said.

A few moments later, a man in a mage's robe walked in. He was young and handsome, with the badge of a senior magister on his robe.

"Brufit," Douglas said. "Good news or bad?"

"Good," Brufit said. He glanced at Volte and said, "But it made me more confused."

"Why is that?"

"Anfey is indeed at Shinwa Province right now," Brufit said. "I just don't think it's normal, sir. He is not a careless person. Baery and Kumaraghosha's army is more than capable of taking Shinwa Province. He is not needed there. Why didn't he stay here?"

Douglas and Volte both frowned. Brufit had just asked the question Volte had been wondering. He couldn't allow himself to overthink this. He had to keep his ultimate goal in mind.

"What's even weirder is that Anfey took Saul's students with him," Brufit said. "He commanded several battles. He is even more busy than Baery. It's almost like he's purposely keeping himself busy."

"I know what he's doing," Volte suddenly said.

"What?" Douglas asked, surprised.

"He wants the glory. He wants more, which is why he is there with the army. Baery is the general, and Christian's uncle. He wouldn't fight for glory with them. Anfey and Christian want more glory, which is why they are with Baery's army."

"I can see that," Douglas said. "How's Anfey behaving in Shinwa Province?"

"He made several appearances," Brufit said. "It's almost like he's afraid people don't know he's there as well, which is why I thought someone else was impersonating him."

"That has to be it," Volte said. "He wants to scare us, make us think he's still here."

"But why didn't he take Suzanna with him? Why keep her here?"

"Because Anfey doesn't know who we are, and who our target is," Volte said. "He needs someone to stay behind and protect Alice. The only people capable of that are Anthony and Suzanna. Suzanna is the better choice between the two."

Douglas nodded, his frown slowly disappearing. "He knows that we exist, but he doesn't know what we're capable of. He thinks Suzanna and Shinbela are enough to stop us. To him, he's not taking a risk."

Douglas turned to Volte and back to Brufit, who thought about it, then nodded. "It makes sense," he said. "There had been multiple attempts on Alice's life."

"Alright, then," Douglas said, putting his mask on. He had always trusted Brufit and his judgement. However, he did not notice the small smirk on Brufit's face as he left the room.

Chapter 557: Quit

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

It was getting late. The security in Alice's mansion was still very tight. There were mercenaries patrolling the outer courtyard, as well as female swordsmen, all taking turns to guard the inner courtyard. If a bird would have flown past, it would have attracted the attention of many people.

In the southern part of the inner courtyard, two female swordsmen were walking in the alley. The one taking the lead suddenly stopped. The female swordsman behind her was curious and asked, "What happened?"

"I…seem to have heard something just now." The female swordsman taking the lead grabbed her sword with one hand, and with the other, took out a magic scroll.

"Don't be silly!" The female swordsman walking behind said hastily. "Don't alert Sir. If it is a false alarm, can you bear the consequences?"

The female swordsman taking the lead felt that her partner was right. Once the magic signal had been released, all the mercenaries and guards would be alerted. Should everyone rush here to find out that it was a false alarm, she would be ridiculed.

The female swordsman kept the magic scroll and walked to the side. However, as she moved forward, she felt a sharp pain on her back. A cold hand came around, covering her mouth tightly. She then heard the shivering voice of her partner, "Don't blame me. You asked for it…"

Suzanna and Alice were chatting in the upper floor. Although Alice had a very tight schedule and had wished to be able to stretch out her time, her energy was limited. She needed to rest at times. Chatting had become her way of resting.

A maid gently opened the door and brought in a plate of fruit and a pot of tea. Those who burned the midnight oil would know that they would get hungry in the middle of the night, if they were awake. To ensure the quality of her work, Alice had developed the habit of taking supper.

After the maid had placed the plate of fruit on the table, she made tea for them. As she was putting down the teapot, she accidentally knocked against the cup, sending the hot water splashing onto Alice. The maid turned pale and quickly wiped it up with her sleeve.

"Alice, have you been burned?" Suzanna was shocked, and immediately stood up.

Suzanna and Alice were entirely different. To Suzanna, the speed of her sword was faster than her brain. Most of the time, she had used her sword based upon her instincts. For Alice, she could think fast, but her actions were slower. She had been tense, and waited for the enemy to act. The maid moved forth toward Alice and speedily backed away. Alice's speed was too slow. The moment she lifted up her head, a dagger was at her neck.

"Don't move!" The maid shouted sharply. "If you move, I will kill her!"

Suzanna had withdrawn her long sword, but she stood rooted to the spot. Although she was confident of killing the maid, she dared not take the risk.

"Lajusha, has Arunjay instructed you to do so?" Alice said flatly. She looked relaxed, but she felt remorseful within. Alice had five maids on rotation to take care of her daily needs. The selection process was extremely strict. Not only did Alice do a check on them, Anfey would personally do a background check on them. They had been very loyal to Alice. Recently, Lajusha and Arunjay had been very close to each other. Alice had been told that both of them were sleeping together in the storeroom. She had brushed it aside, as she thought that it was nothing unusual. Now, she knew that she had been wrong. Only a woman could make a man change so drastically. Likewise, only a man could make a woman change so drastically. It must be Arunjay who had instructed Lajusha to attack Alice. Sometimes, it would not be a good thing to be too lenient to the servants. The more they come into contact with the outside world, the more hopes and desires they would have. Lajusha was a typical example of this.

"Shut up!" Lajusha screamed again. She had hidden herself behind Alice and was staring at Suzanna nervously. As Alice's maid, she knew who was the most terrifying person. At this instant, fighting sounds were heard from the ground floor. The outer courtyard was in an uproar as well. The assassins had acted efficiently and effectively, especially with the help of their spy. From the outer courtyard to the inner courtyard and middle floor, the sentries and Patrol had not been alerted. However, Lajusha's screams were loud, and they had awakened the female swordsmen who were sleeping in the outer courtyard. They carried their long swords to check around, and saw the group of people in black. A fight ensued.

The door had been kicked open, and five to six people in black dashed into the room. They looked at Alice, who had been held hostage, and Suzanna, who was standing to the side. One of them dashed behind Alice and pushed Lujasha away, snatching away her dagger. He said coldly to Suzanna, "Madam Suzanna, we mean no harm. We just need your co-operation. Please put your sword down!"

Suzanna slowly took a few steps backward, and held on more tightly to her sword. The magic signals had been sent, one after another, toward the sky. Now, not only were the people in Alice's mansion being alerted, the entire city had been alerted as well.

"Madam, I don't have much time. I hope you will co-operate with us!" The man in black glided the dagger along Alice's neck and said, "Unless, you want her dead!"

Alice's heart was heavy. Her instinct was right. They were targeting Suzanna and not her! Since they had been discovered, reinforcements would be on the way. If they were targeting Alice, they would have acted earlier. They would have either killed her, or held her hostage and escaped. They would not have made Suzanna disarm herself.

"Put down your weapon!" The man in black was impatient and shouted. He made a cut on Alice's neck.

"No!" Suzanna said in a hurry. She finally loosened her grip.

Regardless of her faults, Alice was not an evil woman. At times, she would put her interests aside. Should Suzanna meet with any mishap, it would do Alice more good. The assassins were Wester's men. The day before, Wester had written her an ebullient letter, ensuring her safety. Moreover, Anfey would be here soon. Just a while more, and everything would be fine. Alice did not let her thoughts run wild.

There was an emotion known as "gratitude". Initially, people would be on guard with one another. As time went by, the relationship became more cohesive. Suzanna was Anfey's wife, and she could be considered as the First Lady of The League of Mercenaries. However, she had become her bodyguard for the past few days. As for Christian, regardless of his weariness from the day's work, he would ensure that he would personally go to Alice's bedroom to cast a magic array to protect her. As the Chief of General, Anfey had been on sentry for a long period of time, to ensure her safety. All these things, and what many others had done, had taken root in her heart. It was a great blessing to have people with whom she could entrust her life!

Alice dropped her right finger to the floor and slowly shook it. She twisted the pendant of her cloak with her left hand. Her right finger was pointing at Suzanna, hinting to her. When Suzanna had brought the cloak to Alice after nightfall, the target in their conversation was referring to Suzanna!

Seeing that Suzanna had wavered a little, Volte put his hands behind his back and moved closer to her. The closer he was, the more careful he became. He did not want to irritate Suzanna. He had nothing in his hands. He stopped when he was less than three meters away from Suzanna. He removed his mask, and with a gentle smile, said to Suzanna, "Madam, please hand me your sword."

Suzanna took a deep breath and asked, "Who are you? What do you want?" She asked for the sake of buying time.

"Madam, please trust me. We mean no harm." Volte said with a smile. The fighting sounds were getting nearer, and Volte was getting impatient. His men had obviously been unable to hold back the mercenaries led by Shinbela. They had failed on the previous attack, as Suzanna had a magic prop that had enabled her to fly up to the sky. He had to disarm Suzanna and try to control her. At the least, he had to throw out a deadly attack before Suzanna could fly up to the sky.

"If I disarm myself, you must not hurt her!" Suzanna said slowly, pointing at Alice.

"Of course. I swear!" Volte's heart was beating fiercely.

"All right!" Suzanna hesitated for a while and gritted her teeth. She handed over her sword to Volte. Upon seeing this, Alice nearly fainted. She crazily twisted her body and tried to warn Alice. However, she was too slow to act. The man in black, who was standing behind her, covered her mouth and said, "Stop moving!"

"Sir, let me." A pale-looking hand was placed on Alice's shoulder. A thick, iron blue color was released from Alice's shoulder and spread out to the surrounding area. Even Alice's hair turned iron blue. Alice stood frozen to the ground and could not move.

Douglas let go of his hand and smiled with satisfaction.

Brunfett smiled slyly and said in a low voice, "Sir, we cannot delay any further. We have to end it fast!"

"Don't worry." Douglas slowly took a few steps forward and was ready to attack with Volte.

Volte tried to suppress his emotions and slowly stretched out his hand. As his finger was about to touch the edge of the sword, Suzanna's expression suddenly changed. Her helpless look had turned into a sharp look. A bright Combat Power shone out, and Suzanna's sword shot forth like lightning.

Chapter 558: Lesser

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

In a fight between two very powerful people, a small mistake can be detrimental. Suzanna already had her sword drawn, but Volte did not even draw his weapon. However, he was very fast. He easily ducked Suzanna's attack and grabbed his sword.

Suzanna gripped her sword and lunged at Volte, who drew his own sword, and the two clashed with a loud crash, sending bright sparks flying. Suzanna stumbled backwards and steadied herself. Volte was sent flying backwards and crashed through a nearby wall, finally landing in the courtyard. The mercenaries outside quickly surrounded it.

Suddenly, Volte's sword lit up brightly, then turned into dozens of arrows. The arrows made of combat power flew outwards toward the mercenaries. The mercenaries did not know who they were fighting, and it was already too late by the time they realized. Dozens of mercenaries were struck by Volte's combat power and fell to the ground.

Suzanna's eyes widened in shock. Swordsmen's combat powers were more or less the same, but Volte's control of combat power was unheard of. Even Ernest was not this good.

"Out of the way!" Suzanna called, jumping down into the courtyard.

Volte turned to her, sneering. The two lunged toward each other, bright white combat power and golden combat power clashing. A moment later, Volte fell to the ground, stumbling. Suzanna, however, did not attack again. Instead, she kept herself floating in midair, staring at Volte's hands. It may not seem like it, but she had almost fallen for Volte's trap.

Douglas was creeping toward the fight. Just as he was about to attack, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him and swung a large axe at his head. Douglas was forced to jumped back and duck the attack. He raised his sword, blocking another blow from the axe. He was fast, but he was still slower than his opponent.

He was able to block the axe with his sword, but the floor under him could not handle this much force. Before Douglas could do anything else, he found himself falling down through a hole in the floor. The figure with the axe chased after him. By the time Douglas reached the next floor, the figure with the axe was already upon him.

Douglas bellowed angrily, as he raised his sword to block another attack. Swordsmen all had similar combat powers, but there were small differences. People like Suzanna and Ernest focused on strength, while Douglas focused on speed. He had almost never been outmatched in speed.

By now, Douglas already realized who he was up against. The second time his sword made contact with the axe, he changed the angle of his sword, so he wouldn't fall through the floor again. He pushed off of Anfey's axe and landed near the wall. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Aren't you in Shinwa Province?"

Anfey pursed his lips and did not say anything. He jumped toward Douglas, swinging the axe at the man's neck. Douglas waved his hand, and a large, black net appeared in the air. The net was made of a dark, flexible metal and had large spikes all over it. As the net fell toward Anfey, Douglas began moving toward him as well.

Instead of using teleportation, Anfey suddenly leaned back and fell onto the ground. He slid toward Douglas, swinging his axe at his leg. Douglas jumped off the ground and moved toward the ceiling, summoning his combat power. Douglas didn't want to fight with Anfey. He had no reason to fight with him. He wanted to get back into the other room, because that was where his real target was. He needed to get to Alice and use her as a leverage. He knew that Shinbela must have already arrived with her men. He needed to get to Alice to get himself and his men out alive.

Douglas crashed through the wooden ceiling and returned to the room above. The men he brought were already lying on the ground, dead. A few mercenaries were also lying on the ground, dead as well. Brufit, the only survivor, was sitting on the ground and panting. All the walls in the room were covered in black. Thuds could be heard from other side of the wall. Clearly, Brufit had managed to seal off the room after getting rid of the mercenaries.

Douglas dashed toward Alice, who was standing quietly in the room. Anfey jumped into the room from below. Douglas raised his sword to Alice's neck and said, "Don't do anything, or it will end badly for both of us."

Anfey looked at Douglas calmly. Douglas frowned, feeling uneasy. He had expected Anfey to react to what he was doing, so he could tell what Anfey was thinking. However, Anfey was only looking at him, not showing any emotions.

Just then, the entire building shook with the sound of an explosion. Then Douglas heard Volte's voice, "Mauso, Burzuryano, goddammit…"

Douglas' breath hitched. Brufit has sealed the room off, and he could not see what was going on outside, but he knew what would happen to Volte. Volte may be powerful, but not powerful enough to take on Mauso, Burzuryano, and Suzanna at the same time.

Anfey gripped his axe and started walking towards Douglas. "Stay where you are!" Douglas called loudly. "I may not be powerful enough for you, but if you do anything, I will kill her!" Then he grabbed Alice and pushed his sword closer to her neck.

"Whatever you say," Anfey said with a shrug, but did not stop moving.

"Whatever?" Douglas repeated, his eyes wide. "Good, then. Fine. Do what you will."

"If you say so," Anfey said. He suddenly lunged forward, swinging his axe at Alice. Anfey was very fast, and did not leave much time for Douglas to think. His axe went through Alice and struck Douglas in the chest. Normally, Douglas would be able to get away, but he was too close to Alice. He also didn't think Anfey would actually do anything to harm Alice. He had gathered a lot of information and knew how important she was to him.

A ball of dark energy struck Douglas in the back, causing his combat power to disappear. Douglas bellowed in pain, as he fell to the ground, his sword also falling.

"It will be easier if you just give up, my lord," Brufit said quietly.

Douglas turned toward him with wide eyes. "Why… you…"

"I have a teacher as well, my lord," Brufit said. "That is all I can tell you."

The spy, Lajusha, stood and walked toward Anfey. As she walked, her appearance and clothes started to change.

"It's just a small mirror spell, my lord," Brufit said, noticing Douglas' eyes on her.

Anfey sighed. "You shouldn't have done this," he told Douglas, as he brought the axe down on the man.

Chapter 559: The Hero

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

"Sir John, they…they are coming over," a knight said fearfully.

"As though I can't see for myself!" Little John said softly. "Stay vigilant!"

"Sir, that is the Roaring Dead Legion!" The knight's voice trembled as he spoke.

"What is the big deal?" Little John asked with a prideful smile.

The knight dropped his jaw, wanting to say something, but ended up keeping mum. He did not know where to start, as he had too much to say. Little John seemed ignorant and proud! During the night, the mage army had been utterly destroyed. The Griffin Aerial Unit had also ceased to exist. The Roaring Dead Legion was the only remaining powerhouse, and it would be impossible to defeat them with only a few thousand new infantries and more than 200 knights. They would be courting their own deaths if they were to attack the Roaring Dead Legion. However, commands must be obeyed. He could only lament his fate, and the fact of having such a Chief Commander.

The army was approaching them. Although there were only about 700-800 of them, and the fact that they were not moving in unison, the soldiers still exuded an overpowering killing intent that only elite troops possessed.

"Sir, we should retreat." The knight made one last effort to dissuade Little John.

"I just wonder how you became a knight!" Little John sneered at him and said, "Pass down the order and get ready…"

"Yes…" A voice came out from among the shrubs, sending chills up the knight's spine.

The soldiers from the Roaring Dead Legion had reached the foot of the mountain. For the past few months, they had not met any powerful enemies, thus they had slackened. The soldiers formed ranks that stretched a mile long, and there were more than 40 prison vans with them. Every van was filled with prisoners. There were males and females, young and old. All the prisoners were well-dressed, and they seemed to be the royal families from the Shansa Empire.

Little John turned and gave a signal to one of the magicians, who softly chanted a spell and released a bellicose incantation. More than 500 soldiers of the Shansa Empire had been affected by the incantation. Little John jumped onto his battle steed and pointed his long sword toward the sky, shouting: "Comrades, let's charge…" Having said this, he took the lead and dashed downhill.

The soldiers who followed after Little John were the ones affected by the incantation. Courage could be contagious. The other soldiers hesitated for a while, following behind. Their Chief Commander was in the frontline, and they had no reason to back away. Moreover, they would have been severely punished if they had retreated.

The soldiers of the Roaring Dead Legion were taken off guard. "Oh no, we have been ambushed! Let's run for our lives. Leave the prisoners behind! Let's leave…" Following the cries, the soldiers fled desperately in a panic. 　

Initially, the knights of Little John were slacking behind the soldiers, but after seeing what had happened, they were elated, and urged their battle steeds forward. However, it was too late for them to take credit. Little John had dashed into the chaotic array. Those soldiers, who had been affected by the bellicose incantation, followed closely behind.

A general from the Roaring Dead Legion clumsily urged his battle steed onward, but it refused to move. Little John dashed toward the general and slashed the general's neck with his long sword. A bright sword ray flashed across, and the general's head flew up to the sky, sending blood spewing all over.

"Charge…" Little John shouted.

"Charge…" When the soldiers of Shansa Empire saw that their Chief Commander had killed the general of their enemies, their morale was boosted. A few thousand soldiers rushed down from the top of the hill and filled the valley.

Many soldiers from the Roaring Dead Legion fled for their lives. More than 30 of them lost their directions in their panicked states, not knowing where to flee. Little John pushed his way around and wielded his sword. He was like the invincible god of war. Every time he wielded his sword, someone would be killed.

As he was dashing past one of the prison vans, Little John suddenly stopped. "Is that not Duke Rhine?" He gave up his plans to pursue after the enemies, and quickly dismounted from his battle steed. With great force, he broke the chain around the cage with his sword. He went into the prison van and helped an elderly man exit.

"Good, …well done." Duke Rhine had lost hope, not having expected to see such a courageous general in the Shansa Empire. This general had fearlessly challenged the Roaring Dead Legion. That was a close call for Duke Rhine. He was moved to tears and could not say a word.

"Charge…" The soldiers of Shansa Empire dashed past the prison vans in pursuit of the enemies that had fled. To beat a drowning dog was a pleasurable feeling for the soldiers. Only some of the soldiers remembered to break open the prison vans and rescue the royal families. However, they were too slow to act, as compared to Little John. After saying a few comforting words to Duke Rhine, Little John had rushed to the other prison vans with his sword. Within a short period of time, he had broken the chains of more than 20 prison vans, and rescued many royal families.

The combat ended very quickly. Although the cowards in the Roaring Dead Legion did not have the courage to fight, they were quick in escaping. It might have been due to the lack of training of the Shansa Empire soldiers as well. After pursuing the enemies for a few miles, not only were they unable to catch up with them, but they became exhausted. It was especially so with the soldiers who were influenced by the bellicose incantation. After the magic power had lost its effect, they were left panting hard.

Having received their freedom, the royal families sat on the grass. After being cramped up in the prison van, they needed a rest. Some were praying, some were bursting out in tears, and some were filled with gratitude and were talking to Little John. Little John was like their god. However, Little John smiled humbly, speaking politely to them. He had left a good impression on the royal families.

After mingling around, Little John came back to Duke Rhine. Although all were royal families, there were different rankings among them. Duke Rhine was a good friend of Edward VIII. Even if all the royal families had gathered together, they would still not be as important as Duke Rhine!

At this instant, the knight, who had tried to dissuade Little John earlier, came forward. He said excitedly to John, "Sir, the enemies have been pushed back. We have killed a total of more than 30 enemies, and one of them is a general! We have a great victory!"

"How many enemies have you killed?" Duke Rhine coughed, while asking this in a dignified voice. He had now recovered, regaining his composure.

"We have killed more than 30 enemies, including…"　

Duke Rhine lifted up his hand and gave the knight a tight slap. He lowered his volume and said, "You are stupid like a pig!" He felt deeply grieved. Why? Why is there no intelligent man, under such a courageous general?

"Sir Duke…" Little John was taken aback.

"There were more than 5,000 men, who were escorting us, but you have killed only a little more than 30 soldiers? Do you consider that a great victory?" Duke Rhine pointed at the knight's nose and said, "I have seen the whole process with my own eyes. It was such an intense fight, and you have only killed a little more than 30 people? You fool, have you seen correctly?"

Little John and the knight just stood there, dumbfounded. 5,000 people? Who has seen wrongly?

Duke Rhine waved his hand and said, "I am not old. I have seen clearly! We have killed more than 3,000 soldiers in this battle!"

The knight scrunched his face up, and after a while, looked elated. Little John had killed half of those people, including the general. To share the remaining credit among the soldiers would be pathetic, that is if they had killed only a little more than 30 people. However, if they had killed more than 3,000 soldiers, the situation would be quite different. He might be accredited for killing more than 10 people!

The knight suddenly lifted his hand and slapped himself. He shouted, "Sir, I am a fool, I am blind. Please forgive me. This place is filled with dead bodies. There are about 5,000 of them!"

"Nonsense!" Duke Rhine said with a straight face, "How can you report to your superior with an estimated number? Go and check again. Remember, I want a definite figure!"

"Yes, Sir!" The knight saluted excitedly at Duke Rhine, turned around, and dashed out.

Little John finally managed to calm himself down. He had been around Diamond City for some time, and knew that the royal families had been deceiving their superiors and subordinates, and that they were corrupted. However, he did not know that military merit could be exploited in this manner! Suddenly, Little John noticed a longing look in Duke Rhine's eyes. After pondering this for a while, he said softly, "Sir, the greatest credit goes to you. If you had not disrupted the deployment of the enemy's army from within, I would not have succeeded." Since Duke Rhine had amplified his credits, Little John had to give the greatest credit to him.

"Hahaha…" Duke Rhine laughed aloud. He patted Little John's shoulder and said, "Young man, you have a great future ahead of you. I like you!"

"I am honored to be recognized by you." Little John bent with respect as he spoke.

Duke Rhine held Little John's hand warmly, lifting it up. He shouted, "Who has saved us from our suffering? Who has given us the chance to live again? Who is our hero?"

Many of the royal families knew Little John's name by now. Moreover, they had to give due respect to Duke Rhine, so they shouted, "John…John…" Their shouts grew louder, and in the end, many soldiers joined in the shouting as well. If the Maho Empire was a tiger, then the Shansa Empire would be a timid rabbit. The rabbit would hide in its burrow, shivering. Shansa had been longing for a hero to stand up and take control of the situation.

Chapter 560: Helpless

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

Baery's Roaring Death Legion, Shield of Light Legion, and Blackania City's city guards combined with Kumaraghosha's Shansa army, the Church's Knights, and the druids, had made a very large and impressive army camp outside of Diamond City. Baery only blocked off three of the city's gates, leaving the eastern gate wide open. This way, if Edward the Eighth leaves through the eastern gate, it would be easy for the army to attack him.

Not only was Edward the Eighth's army severely outnumbered, the sheer amount of top level powers gathered outside the city was enough to make anyone pale in shock and fear. Despite having the upper hand, Baery did not attack the city immediately. Yolanthe wanted occupation, not destruction. In order to take over the city, the most important part of the plan was not outside the city, but within.

The Rangers' Little John had already risen to the rank of general, leading several attacks on the Roaring Death Legion's supply army. He had won Edward the Eighth's trust with his victories. Edward the Eighth named him the deputy general, who was in charge of the southern part of the city, under Duke Rhine. However, the duke barely had any interest or experience in leading an army, leaving most of his work to Little John.

Another part of this equation was Douminge, and whether or not he could convince some of the court mages to join his side. He was once the head of court mages, and was very well respected. If he could convince some of the mages, he could render Edward the Eighth's mage towers useless. Without the mage towers, it would be very hard for Edward the Eighth to do anything.

A lot of Maho soldiers wanted to march on the city and capture Edward the Eighth. Even though the Shansa Empire barely had any defense, they still wanted to attack the city. Sitting and waiting was far from their idea of a war. However, to Baery, he was happy to wait. He was getting older now, and he did not need any more glory. All he needed was victory.

What was ironic, was that Yolanthe had accused Edward the Eighth of working with necromancers, yet his own men were really the ones working with necromancers. No matter where, the ruling class must find a way to control the people they were ruling. Yolanthe may be a good ruler, but he was still a ruler. He needed to control what was reaching his people, and how his people thought in order to stay in power.

Anfey closed Morgan's letter. He turned to Brufit and said, "Go tell Master Morgan that I understand."

"The Throne is almost ready," Brufit said softly. "We do not have a lot of time left."

"Master Morgan said six months in his letter," Anfey said. "I won't be participating in another battle after this. I think I can find the place where I grew up."

"Ellisen Empire is a mess now," Brufit said, shocked. "It will be an easy victory. Are you sure you won't participate?"

Once they take Diamond City, the supplies in the city will be theirs. That, combined with the supplies the armies took from the nobles over the year, would be enough to support the entire army for months. The Ellisen army didn't stand a chance against such a large army. It would be an easy victory and another accomplishment.

"If I'm right, His Majesty will ask Christian to go back to Sacred City after this,"Anfey said.

Brufit blinked and immediately understood what Anfey was saying. Anfey was only leading the mercenaries into battles because Christian was there. If Christian was gone, there was no point.

"His Royal Highness has a long list of accomplishments," Brufit said. "Surely His Majesty will ask him to participate in the war with Ellison Empire."

"Unless His Majesty has already picked Christian as his heir, he won't send him into another war," Anfey said, shaking his head. "He needs to maintain a balance. He can't let any of his sons get too powerful or influential."

"Then it is His Majesty's own decision," Brufit said. "We have no part in it."

Anfey glanced at Brufit and chuckled. He knew what Brufit was implying. If he leaves immediately after Christian leaves, it may seem suspicious. However, he also knew that Yolanthe wasn't the paranoid type. Even if he leaves, he had proven his loyalty to Yolanthe and to the Maho Empire plenty of times. He wasn't worried.

Brufit nodded. He believed that Anfey knew what he was implying, and that was as much as he could do. Anfey will make his own choices, and he can't change that.

Brufit coughed a few times quietly, to break the awkward silence. "Well, I should be getting on my way," he said. "It may not be good for your reputation if other people see me here. I trust you to give the letter to Master Saul."

"Don't worry," Anfey said. "I will deliver it."

Brufit nodded and left the tent quietly. A moment later, Suzanna poked her head into the tent.

"What were you two talking about?"

"We need a new plan," Anfey said with a sigh.

"What plan? Why haven't you said anything?"

"It's not going to work, anyway," Anfey said. He held up the letter in his hand to Suzanna and said, "The Throne of Bones is almost complete. It will give Minos the power he needs to receive a new life. We need to unite against him, or else it will be the end of everything we know. I don't know what the Throne is, exactly, but if Golman, Morgan, and Desvidia are all afraid of its completion… I don't think I want to know what it is."

Anfey sighed. He knew that Minos was very powerful, but he did not know exactly how powerful he was. After he started working with Golman, he learned many things about the necromancers. Now, he knew exactly what Golman was afraid of, and he was afraid of Minos' power as well. Golman was willing to put his hope in a man Anfey had made up, showing that Golman, too, had tried everything he could.

"If we all unite, there's no way Minos can defeat us," Suzanna said quietly.

"Hopefully," Anfey said with a sigh. He took Suzanna's hand and drew her to his side. He looked at her, as if studying her face. Suzanna frowned. She could see the sadness and longing in Anfey's eyes. It was as if he was saying goodbye to her. When she opened her mouth, her voice quivered. "What's going on?" she asked. "Is everything alright?"

"It is," Anfey said with a small smile. "I just think maybe we should have a child."

"Really?" Suzanna asked, surprised.

"When have I ever lied to you?" Anfey asked, holding her closer. He knew that if he was to fight Minos, he must be even more powerful. He could not find the supreme power, because the man didn't exist. The only thing left for him to do was to become a supreme power. However, that would come at the expense of losing things that made him human. For the first time ever, he felt helpless.

Chapter 561: Friendship

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

The curtain had been lifted, and Robert walked in slowly. Due to the nature of their work, he and Ye could see Anfey without going through the notification of the guards. Suzanna was shocked and her face turned red. She quickly stood up from Anfey's lap and nodded at Robert. She was familiar with what Robert was doing. Her father, Darius, had had men like him before. Their tasks were shady.

"Yes?" Anfey asked softly.

"Sir, Wester and Granden have entered the Moro Province. They are traveling at great speed. Given their speed, they should be able to reach the Naho Province in five to seven days.

Anfey was in deep thought, and after a long while, he asked, "Is the information reliable?"

"Yes," Robert nodded and said. "Sir, shall we let Young John and his men take them by surprise…"

"No. That will be too obvious." Anfey rejected Robert's suggestion and said, "Do not think that we can take things into our hands just because Marshal Baery is unhappy with Wester. Being unhappy and having admiration are the attitudes of an individual. If we take Wester by surprise, it will not be a matter of attitude. It is…" At this point, Anfey smiled wryly.

"Sir, what shall we do then?"

"Is Alice with Master Douminge?"

"I have no idea. I have just returned."

"Go to Alice. If you see Master Douminge with her, let me know immediately. If he is not there, tell Alice that I would like her to find an excuse to get Master Douminge there."

"Yes, Sir." Robert quickly walked out.

"On your way out, ask Ye to come in. I need to talk to him," Anfey added.

"All right."

After Robert had left, Suzanna frowned and said softly, "Is Robert crazy? He had wanted to attack Wester!" Suzanna had used the word "crazy" to appropriately describe Robert. Regardless of his conduct, Wester was Yolanthe's son. Only Yolanthe could decide his destiny. To lay hands on Wester would be going against Yolanthe! When Wester had sent the assassins, he only targeted Anfey and Suzanna. He dared not hurt Christian, although Christian was his biggest threat.

"The Rangers are used to disassociating themselves from the world. Other than their own people, they would not show concern for the others, even if he is the king. If they are being pushed into a corner, they will do anything." Anfey paused and said, "Actually…this is one of the reasons that I trusted them. Should things turn out badly for us in the future, they will be the only ones whom we can trust."

"Why is this so?" Suzanna was shocked and asked.

"I don't know why I say this," Anfey sighed and said. "Maybe, this is unnecessary. Maybe…"

"Do you mean we cannot trust Christian and Alice?"

"They can be trusted. What I mean is, if the situation gets really bad…" Anfey smiled and said. "Of course, I will not let such things happen."

"What you have said…makes me feel uneasy."

"Hahaha…let's not talk about the future. Let's talk about the present." Anfey changed the topic. "Christian is…too meek. If we capture Diamond City only when Wester and Granden have reached this place, they will try to take credit for it. Christian will not refute this. He is happy as long as the Empire gets stronger and he can be of service. I have been trying to urge him to fight for power, but his performance has not been satisfactory."

"Christian is too kind," Suzanna said softly.

"This is not a bad thing. If he gets power, he will be a good king whom the people will love. But the problem is, before he gets power, the responsibility is on us."

"What do you intend to do?"

"We must not give them any opportunity, but at the same time, we cannot attack them. What we can do… is to start the war soon."

"But Marshal Baery wanted to launch the attack on…"

"In fact, we have the upper-hand. Marshal Baery was just waiting for an opportunity. We can decide on the timing," Anfey said softly. "It depends on whether Young John can hold the forte at the city gate, and upon the number of magicians Master Douminge can persuade. If Douminge and I share the same view, Marshal Baery doesn't need to follow according to plans. You can say that, even if Marshal Baery knows what I am thinking, he will not make things difficult for me."

At this moment, Ye lifted up the curtain and walked in. "Sir, are you looking for me?"

"Yes," Anfey nodded his head and said. "Wester and Granden will be here soon. Have you found out anything yet?"

Ye looked awkward. He shook his head and said, "No…but Volte should be Wester's maternal relative."

"Should be? How sure are you?"

"At least 70-80 percent."

Anfey pondered this for a while and said, "Have them killed tonight. If not, we will not know what will happen when Wester is here. Hmnn…hang the bodies of Volte and Julie outside the campsite. Write down clearly their names, as well as the crimes they have committed. Get it?"

"Yes," Ye said with a smile,. "I am looking forward to seeing the expression on Wester's face when he sees the two corpses."

"No matter how Wester tries to put on a false front, since he has sent his men to deal with Suzanna and me, that proves that he could not take the threat from Christian any longer," Anfey slowly said. "This is expected. He is still young and rash, and this is normal. Since he can no longer take it, why don't we agitate him?"

"Sir, are you not young, too?" Ye said with a smile.

"But I am old here." Anfey pointed at his chest and burst out into laughter. "By the way, Ye, do the soldiers think well of me?"

"Of course! Who are you? You have the Sacred Inheritance, and you have fought for the Empire, killed…" Ye seemed to be in a good mood. He seldom spoke, but now he just rattled on.

"Stop your nonsense." Anfey interrupted him and said, "Send some men to patrol the area. Spread the news that Suzanna has been attacked and have a target placed on Wester. It must be logical and persuasive."

"Sir, do you want to ruin Wester's reputation?"

"Yes," Anfey nodded and said. "The fact that Wester is here to take credit is a big mistake. For Granden, it cannot be helped. When he was 14 years old, he was already an inspector in the army. He has qualifications and a reputation. Even if I slander him, it will not have much impact. As for Wester, who does he think he is?"

"He has to come. If he doesn't get the support of the army, it will be his greatest drawback," Ye said with a smile.

"It is late," Anfey sneered.

"Sir." Robert's voice was heard outside the tent. "I have informed Sir Alice. She would like you to go over now."

"That is all for now." Anfey stood up slowly and said, "Oh yes. Try to think of a way to make the corpses decompose faster, so that Wester can get more emotional."

"Understood," Ye replied.

Anfey took a few steps and suddenly stopped. "I nearly forget about this. Don't kill Douglas. Golman needs him for experiments. It is a rare opportunity to use a top level power for experiments."

"What about Volte?"

"Volte's body is meant to be exposed." Anfey smiled. "By the way, you have misunderstood me. When Golman left Minosie, Douglas was the first to betray him, and he had pulled along with him quite a number of men. Golman misses him a lot."

"I cannot imagine…Volte's and Douglas's destinies. Whose will be better?"

"It is up to you to decide." Anfey laughed and said, "If you are interested, you can let Volte die a more horrible death."

Alice's tent and Anfey's tent were not far from each other. They were located at the center of the campsite of The League of Mercenaries. After walking for a while, Anfey reached Alice's tent. He could clearly hear that Alice and Douminge were happily chatting away.

"Alice," Anfey called out. This was redundant. Having seen Anfey, the female swordsman, who was guarding Alice's tent, had gone in to report to her.

"Come in," Alice called out.

Anfey lifted up the curtain and walked in. Alice was sitting opposite Douglas, and Shinbela was standing guard at the side. Anfey said with a smile, "Master Douminge is here. What a coincidence. Am I disturbing you?"

"When have you become so polite?" Alice asked inquisitively. "Are you blaming me for not receiving you?"

"Hahaha…you are the Duke. I don't think anyone, including Marshal Baery, holds a higher position than you. Who dares to trouble you?"

"Duke? Anything given can be taken back. As compared to this, I put

more trust in things that will not change easily, for example, …friendship!" Alice signaled to the chair beside her and said, "Anfey, you don't seem to be in a good mood. What has happened?"

When Alice brought up the topic of friendship, she seemed to be overdoing it. However, she had not meant it to be for Anfey's ears. It was meant for Douminge's. Anfey had been smiling, but she could tell that Anfey was not in a good mood. This was amazing. She was actually using this to segue to her topic.

Anfey sighed and sat on the chair. He openly said, "The First Prince, Wester, and the Second Prince, Granden, have reached the Moro Province."

"So fast?" Alice was shocked. Her future was tightly knit together with Anfey's and Christian's. She was very sharp, and knew immediately what Anfey was driving at.

Seeing that Alice was looking a bit odd, Douminge put down his cup and started to listen attentively.

Chapter 562: Flags

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

Thousands of fireballs appeared in the air, emitting a bright light. Other than the fireballs, hundreds of lightning bolts crackled through the air, striking the ground with loud thuds. In the distance, a tornado was forming, moving closer to the city at a slow but steady speed. The ground rumbled under the effects of so many magic spells at the same time.

Diamond City was a beautiful city, but with so much magic ready to attack it, it was as if the gods had delivered all the possible plagues onto the city.

When Diamond City was first built, there were only three mage towers. As the city expanded, the number of towers expanded to more than two dozen. Then, those towers were taken down and replaced by giant mage towers. Now, the city was protected by more than a dozen giant mage towers. As long as the towers still stood, and the supply of magic crystals remained ample, the city would not fall.

Steger began his chanting. As his voice grew louder, a red swirl began to form in the sky above the city. He raised his voice, and the swirl became larger and started to glow, outshining even the lights in the sky. As the swirl grew blinding, hundreds of meteorites fell from the swirl and onto the city.

The meteorites clashed into the protective shield that had been placed over the city by the giant mage towers. The mage towers were very powerful, enough to block the effects of any spell, including forbidden spells. Soldiers in Diamond City cheered as the meteorites exploded on the shield.

However, Steger's attack was meant to be blocked by the shields. He was not as experienced as Saul, and did not know this city like Douminge. He was only stalling so that the mages in the city could have a chance to damage the towers.

Anfey stood in front of the swordsmen, observing the city. He was staring at the city calmly. His emotions were no longer something that bothered him.

The rumbling ground did not move him. Behind him were the elites of the Roaring Death Legion, the suicide attackers squad. When Baery first started this squad, he told his soldiers that being in the squad requires determination, and that they must be prepared to be the firsts to die. These soldiers would follow every order, and were always ready to fight. The rumbling of the ground did not affect them, either.

Normally, Baery was the only person the suicide attackers squad followed. However, Baery no longer cared about accomplishments and glory. He knew why Anfey had asked him to lead the charge, and he trusted Anfey.

A strange wave of magic surge radiated out from the city. The shield that protected the city began to shrink quickly. Lights on the giant mage towers that were standing by the south gates were alright dimming. In a building close to the south gates, Little John finished off the last mage who was guarding the towers and breathed a sigh of relief. He was in charge of the southern part of the city, and he had to make sure this part of the city lost its magical protection.

Sensing the surge, Anfey suddenly rose into the air. Elements pulled themselves around him, creating a storm of elements as he shot toward the city. The soldiers guarding the south gate were shocked. Anfey was in the air, but it was impossible to set up magic arrays in this short amount of time. The mages were not present, either. The commanders were intimidated, but they still jumped into the air, trying to block Anfey. However, there were not nearly enough of them to stop him. He landed on the city wall, leaving three bodies behind him.

The soldiers around him scattered. Once their commanders were gone, there was nothing holding the soldiers there. They could tell the difference in strengths, and they were not looking to get killed.

Anfey ignored those fleeing soldiers. He turned and swung his axe, cutting down the flag bearing Shansa Empire's symbol. Seeing him cutting down the flag, Suzanna swooped down from the sky and grabbed the flag staff from his hands. She tossed the flag to Christian, who gripped it in his hands tightly, then beginning to wave it, then stopping. Suzanna was circling above Christian, protecting him.

Seeing the flag, the soldiers in the Roaring Death Legion were the first to react. They knew that this was the signal, and began charging toward the city. A moment later, more soldiers began charging at the city. The soldiers of the Roaring Death Legion were joined by the elites of Sacred City's city guard, sent by Yolanthe.

Mages' magic allowed them to bypass the magic arrays on the ground, but the soldiers would set it off. Soldiers began dying, as they stepped into the magic arrays, but nothing could stop them. With Christian ahead of them, waving the broken flag, the soldiers charged without stopping. The glory of taking the flag was reserved for Christian, and it did not matter who actually cut it down. To the soldiers, it was Christian that took the flag and started the battle.

The southern gate was already open, and members of the suicide attacker squad and the Sacred City city guards charged into the city. The nobles that were still in the city were terrified by this turn of events. Some were pacing in the room, trying to find a way out of the city. Others had already given up, resigned to their fates. Some nobles dressed their daughters and wives up, hoping that would be enough for the conquering armies to spare their lives.

Some nobles began hanging banners on their doors, welcoming Alice's return to the city. For these nobles, in moments like this, staying alive was much more important than being loyal to their country.

More soldiers streamed into the city. The ones that couldn't reach the gates began to scale the city wall. Christian kept waving the flag, despite his arms growing tired and sore. After all, he was a mage, and did not have as much stamina.

He wasn't a competitive person, and he did not want to fight with his brothers. However, he knew that if he didn't fight for the throne, his friends would be in trouble as well, once his father died.

The flags bearing Shansa Empire's symbols were all broken, but Christian did not stop waving the flag. He knew that he could not turn back anymore.