Assassin’s Chronicle - Chapter 231

After checking every dead body on the ground, Urter slowly walked back to Anfey. “Master, the wounds on each body were the same. They must have been killed by the same person. Hmm…Marquis Djoser!” Urter turned to look at Marquis Djoser. “If you do not have anything urgent, I would like you to go to the police station with me. I know you are not in the best mood right now and probably need to get some rest. I hope you can understand this is our procedure. I need to keep records.”

Marquis Djoser lowered his head and went quietly. Without knowing how long had passed, he lifted up his head again. He did not look as sullen as before. He even had an apologetic smile on his face. “Master Anfey, I am so sorry. I am getting old and my eyes are not as good as they used to be. Yesterday when that assassin came in, he knocked out the only candlestick in the study. I… I will ask punishment from the king myself. It was my fault for this whole misunderstanding.”

No matter whether his excuses were reasonable, Marquis Djoser did apologize in front of everyone. Anfey and Urter looked at each other without saying anything. Miorich had more right than they did to pass judgement in this situation.

Unexpectedly, Miorich was really direct. In other words, Marquis Djoser was not important enough for Miorich to hide his true feelings toward him. Miorich walked up to Snefuru’s body. He looked at it for a little while and sighed. He waved his hand. Two knights hurried over and lifted Snefuru’s stretcher.

“Take Snefuru to the camp. I will host a funeral for him.” Miorich glanced at Marquis Djoser and snorted at him. He turned around to walk to the garrison residence. He did not know if Anfey had killed those people, but he knew Marquis Djoser killed Snefuru. Snefuru had followed Miorich for the past twenty years. He was neither a capable person, nor very flexible and smart. He had been a lower level official, but they did build a strong bond between them. Miorich wanted to kill Marquis Djoser right then and there. How could he show forgiveness to the marquis?

Marquis Djoser did not seem to hear Miorich’s snort. He still had a smile on his face. He turned around and slowly walked to the gate of the garrison residence. His movement looked a little stiff.

“Stop! Do you want to leave like this?” Niya yelled. Niya would argue with people when she did not have any reason to argue. It was easy to imagine how she would act when Anfey was set up by others. She did not think Marquis Djoser was important. She was rude to Marquis Djoser and also showed disdain toward him.

Marquis Djoser paused for a second and then continued to walk to the gate. His followers carried the wounded ones out of the garrison residence. They followed after Marquis Djoser and left dead bodies on the floor.

“You, stop!” Niya was getting really mad. She jumped off the steps and was about to run after Marquis Djoser.

“Niya!” Anfey and Christian yelled at the same time.

“Huh?” Niya said.

“It’s okay, Niya.” Anfey shook his head.

Suzanna also jumped off the steps. She grabbed Niya’s hand and said quietly, “Go back, Niya. He is a marquis of the empire. Don’t’ make troubles.”

“What about the marquis? A marquis could set others up?” Niya was not happy about Marquis Djoser.

“Have you seen Anfey being taken advantage of before?” Suzanna smiled.

“Right, he has a devious side to him.” Niya looked like she just realized it.

Niya was mad. The patrolmen came in and glanced at Urter for instructions. Urter had asked Marquis Djoser to go to the police station, but Marquis Djoser was walking out now. Obviously, he did not take Urter seriously. It made the patrolmen angry.

Urter shook his head slightly. He was only giving Marquis Djoser a hard time before. If Marquis Djoser did not want to cooperate with him, he could not do anything to him unless there were secret orders from Sacred City.

“Let’s go back.” Anfey stared at Marquis Djoser’s back. He knew this was not over yet. According to his previous way of taking care of business, he would not have allowed Marquis Djoser to go back to his residence.. Unfortunately, he would have to adjust his rules as situations changed. He could not do anything to Marquis Djoser in public.

Miorich walked into the living room and looked like he was deep in thought. He paced back and forth and looked at Anfey like he had something to say. However, he did not say anything.

Riska and others had gone back to their dorms to pack up. The captain and two assistant captains from the bodyguard squad looked guilty. They timidly walked in.

Every military unit had their own characteristics. These characteristics were decided by their generals. Miorich was not as strict as Baery. He did not pay too much attention to details. He had made a big mistake in not controlling the subordinate knights. Those three captains prepared for the worst as they walked into the living room.

“You guys need to leave now,” Miorich said peacefully.

“General?” Those three captains did not believe what they heard.

The three captains looked at each other excitedly as they received amnesty. They bowed and retreated from the living room.

“Uncle Miorich, it should not be this easy,” Anfey reminded Miorich in a low voice. “The Marquis Djoser and his companions should not have the ability to stir up the bodyguard squad.”

“I know.” Miorich nodded. “That is why I am putting this issue away for right now.”

“I got it.” Anfey smiled. He knew Miorich was pretending to let this issue go, but he actually would secretly continue the case later. He would secretly figure out who was helping Marquis Djoser within the bodyguard squad.

Miorich looked cold. Anfey’s vision was more short-term than Miorich’s. Miorich’s thinking was a lot more sophisticated. His bodyguards were the best of the best. They were trained to be future generals. They had been tested on their loyalty and fighting ability. They had passed those tests, otherwise they would not have been qualified to join the bodyguard squad. What happened today posed threats to Miorich. Marquis Djoser was a fallen marquis. How could he have the influence to control a bodyguard squad? There must be someone behind the marquis.

There was a difference in perspective between Anfey and Miorich. Anfey thought he had made an enemy of Marquis Djoser. He also thought Marquis Djoser wanted to target him to take revenge. Miorich had more sophisticated ideas.

“Anfey, did you use the fighting skills that old man in your village taught you?” Miorich suddenly switched the topic.

“Yes,” Anfey said.

“He might be the most powerful swordsman in this world. Unfortunately, I could not see his skills in person,” Miorich said.

“He used to say, “No matter how good you think you are, there is always someone out there that is better,” Anfey said.

“What do you mean?” Miorich said.

“He thought only a fool would think he was the best. He believe when a person reached a certain level, he usually could see many more powerful people. It was similar to the endless sky and endless sword skills,” Anfey said.

“Sword skills?” Miorich was in thought for a while and then smiled smile. “Anfey, can you come and help train the knights in my Palace Guards?”

“Uncle Miorich, my sword skills are not very good for soldiers to practice.” Anfey shook his head with a smile. “Of course, I will do it for you if you think it definitely would help those soldiers.”

“Why do you think it would not help them?” Miorich asked.

“The victory in a war mainly depends on which party was braver. Sword skills are not like that.” In fact, Panshan spears were used for the soldiers to fight in war. However, no matter whether it was from his family rules or from his own point of view, he would not teach others Panshan spear skills. Anfey could only play stupid right now.

Miorich gave it a little bit of thought and sighed. “It is unfortunate that would not work. Anfey. why did he not teach you combat power?”

“Maybe because I was too young back then,” Anfey said.

“Has anyone taught you combat power?” Miorich asked in surprise.

Anfey tried to recall, but he shook his head. “No, no one taught me.”

“Did Ernest teach you combat power?” Miorich asked.

“I think Anfey does not have to learn combat power,” Suzanna suddenly said.

“Why not?” Miorich turned to look at Suzanna.

“Because there is a mysterious power inside Anfey,” Suzanna said.

“How do you know?” Christian asked.

“I…” Suzanna blushed. She just felt that way, but could not give specific reasons. She had hung out with Anfey for so long. She could clearly feel Anfey was different than regular swordsmen. When swordsmen attacked their enemies or protected themselves, they had to perform combat power. No matter what Anfey was doing, even eating or sleeping, he was in an abnormal state. No matter how powerful a swordsman was, he could not use combat power all day and night.

“What is that call? Samadhi? Anfey, did you get that mysterious power by doing Samadhi?” Miorich asked.

“Yes,” Anfey said.

“You have so many mysteries,” Miorich said bitterly. He had sat the whole previous night as Niya had shown him how to do Samadhi. He did not feel anything. He wanted to ask Anfey about it but also felt awkward doing so. He had such a strong desire for power that he could not control his curiosity about Anfey’s power. He was in such a dilemma.

Anfey shrugged and smiled without saying anything. He planned to play stupid.

The marquis had gone quiet ever since he left. Urter sent his men out to gather some information, and learned that the marquis fell ill and was bedridden. Anfey, on the other hand, chose not to further the conflict. Even though he knew that leaving the marquis could result in troubles, he was in a difficult position right now. He needed an excuse if he wanted to do something so he could justify his actions. He could not act as recklessly now since he had accepted the responsibility as the new city lord.

Most young people enjoyed having fun and living in the moment, and the oldest in the group was only around twenty-five. When they had nothing to do, they would take the time to explore the city. Since Anfey would be in charge of the city, they felt like they needed to get to know it better.

Since Miorich would leave them in a few days, everyone was staying out late and enjoying their time in the city. Most did not return until well after dinnertime. Miorich moved back to the army camp so the young people would not feel pressured to behave.

The cooks hired for the feast were still working at Anfey’s mansion, so no one had to worry about meals. The delicious dinner just reminded everyone how hungry they were. They chatted amongst themselves as they ate.

Riska, however, did not eat much. He was playing with his napkin and glancing at Anfey. Halfway through dinner, he suddenly said, “Anfey, let’s build a magic school here.”

The chatter died down, and everyone turned their eyes toward Riska, confused.

“A magic school?” Anfey asked.

“Yes,” Riska said excitedly. “A school just for commoners.”

“Who’s going to be in charge?” Niya asked.

Everyone glanced at each other, but did not say anything. No one was powerful enough or had enough experience to be a teacher. They made a good mercenary group, but not teachers at a magic school.

“I’ll do it,” Riska said. “I may not be powerful, but I’m enough to get them started.”

“Easier said than done, Riska,” Christian said. “Are you going to be the only teacher there? We don’t have the money to hire other people, that’s for sure.”

“Everything is harder at the beginning,” Riska said. “We may not be able to hire teachers, but everyone sitting at this table can qualify as teachers for beginners.”

“We aren’t qualified as teachers,” Christian said, shaking his head. “Plus, a magic school isn’t something that can be built in a day. We don’t even have the money or the land.”

“Anfey’s the city lord. If he says yes, all that can be solved,” Riska said, turning to Anfey. Riska was a commoner, and he had experienced a lot of hardship when he first started learning magic. He had always wished magic study was more accessible for people like him. He tried to hide his wish, but now that Anfey was the city lord of a large city, he saw the chance of making his dream come true.

“Yes!” Hagan suddenly slapped the table and said. “Riska just reminded me! I have an idea!” Hagan jumped up, waving his hands and almost knocking the table over.

“Let’s eat first before we talk any further,” Anfey said as he picked up his fork. Hagan had the strangest and the most unpredictable ideas. No one knew alchemy better than Hagan, but when it came to other things, he would be forgetful and absentminded. Especially when he was making new potions. The time it would take for him process other information and questions was hilariously slow.

Hagan sat down gloomily and ate his meal in silence. It seemed like he wanted to finish his meal as fast as possible so he could talk with Anfey.

Hagan was fast, but Anfey finished faster and left the room as soon as he was finished. Even though the food was delicious, Anfey came from a world where some of the best culinary systems exist. The food here paled in comparison.

As soon as Anfey left the dining hall, Hagan chased after him and grabbed his arm. “Anfey,” he said, “Wait. I need to talk to you.”

“Anfey, do what you say about the school?” Riska appeared and asked.

“Your thing can wait,” Hagan said. “It’s not something that can be done in a week. My thing has to be done now or else it would too late.”

“Riska, let me think about it,” Anfey said. “I will get back to you.”

“Alright,” Riska said, disappointed.

“What is it you want to talk about?” Anfey turned to Hagan and asked.

“Isn’t your mansion under construction?” Hagan asked. “Can you change the blueprint and add an alchemy lab?”

“An alchemy lab?” Anfey repeated.

Hagan nodded.

“Anfey, if you are going to add an alchemy lab, might as well add a magic lab,” Riska added. “Magic and alchemy are two very similar things, you know. If we can build the labs in close proximity, it can be beneficial to both sides.”

“Riska’s right,” Hagan said, nodding. “Let’s build two labs.”

“Where do you want the labs?” Anfey asked.

“I’ve seen the place,” Hagan said. “It’s too small. Let’s build it underground.”

“It’s too small?”

“Of course it is. I will build the world’s largest alchemy lab.”

“Are you serious? No way,” Anfey said quickly. Alchemy labs and magic labs were both liabilities, and Hagan wanted to build the world’s largest? If something went wrong, the entire mansion would be gone. Plus, there was an underground labyrinth that could potentially be the tomb of an ancient queen. The news of this underground labyrinth could not get out. Anfey wanted to support Hagan, but his plan was too ambitious. He knew alchemy would be beneficial to his future plans, but right now he could not approve Hagan’s plans.

“Why not? I’m doing this for the team’s sake,” Hagan said.

“You’re the only alchemist here,” Anfey said. “Why do you need the biggest lab in the world? Wait until I come back from Sacred City.” Anfey looked at Riska and Hagan, then turned and went upstairs.

Hagan frowned and turned back to Riska. “Hey,” he said suddenly. “I have an idea. Let’s go find Niya.”

“Niya?” Riska asked. “Why?”

“Haven’t you noticed?” Hagan asked with a smile on his face. “Anfey is scared of her.” After some observation, Hagan noticed that the only person that could make Anfey hesitant was Niya. If someone in the team was being stubborn, Anfey would scold them, but he would ignore Niya’s wrongdoing. After learning who Niya was, Hagan knew he had found the reason. If he needed someone to talk to Anfey, Niya was the best bet.

“He’s not scared of her,” Riska said, shaking his head. Niya was similar to him in age, but they all treated her like their little sister and they would try to satisfy her needs.

“That’s called scared!” Hagan said. “Are you going or not? Do you still want the lab and the school?”

Riska smiled and shook his head. He did not know how Hagan came to this conclusion, but his words were very tempting.

After learning that Anfey was to be the next city lord of Violet City, the city became very attractive to the team. A lot of people found themselves trying to decide if they wanted to stay in Violet City or return to Sacred City to keep studying with Saul. Everyone liked being around someone successful, but even though the city was Anfey’s, everyone knew Anfey could not have achieved what he did without the team’s help. Anfey would be the decision maker, but the city was as much theirs as it was Anfey’s.

“Are you going or not?” Hagan urged. He had never really talked to Niya, and he needed someone Niya knew with him.

“Isn’t this a bit inappropriate?” Riska asked.

“How so? We are doing this for everyone’s sake!”

Just then, Niya and Suzanna walked out of the dining hall, chatting. “Niya, wait up!” Hagan called when he saw her. “Riska and I need to talk to you.”

“Me?” Niya asked, curious. She had never really spoken to Hagan, and did not know why Hagan would want to talk to her now.

Riska sighed, but Hagan was already talking to Niya, and there was no stopping him now. The only thing to do now was go with Hagan and give the plan a try. “Suzanna,” he said as he walked over. “We need to talk to Niya. Can you maybe…”

“I know, I know,” Suzanna said, smiling. “I’m going to look for Anfey anyway. You guys talk.”

“What is the matter? Why so secretive?” Niya asked.

“Niya, we were talking about the magic academy. You heard about it as well, I think…,” Riska said.

“Don’t you think you should ask Anfey about the magic academy?” Niya asked.

“I have asked Anfey,” Riska said bitterly. “Anfey said we would talk about it later.”

“Then just wait a little bit,” Niya said.

“Niya, I am doing this for everyone,” Riska said. Hagan thought Riska did not know how to negotiate. He walked up and pulled Riska aside. “Niya, don’t you want a magic sword that stores and releases combat power as you wish? Don’t you want armor that could stop any magic attack? Don’t you want a pair of shoes that could help you experience what it is like to fly in the sky?” Hagan said.

“What? You can make all of them?” Niya asked.

“Not now, but I definitely could make them in the future,” Hagan bragged. “Niya, alchemists are different than mages. Even the stupidest mage, as long as he masters the principles of elements, he could increase his magic power through meditation. For me to increase my ability, I have to repeat my experiments. That is why I want Anfey to build an underground lab, a free space for me to do the experiments. I think I will become an alchemist soon.”

“Ok.” Niya showed no interest in it.

“Anfey did not want to do it.” Hagan forgot to look at Niya’s face as he talked excitedly. He continued talking without paying attention to his audience. “I really do not know what he was thinking. Niya, you know Anfey better. It is better if you can go and talk to him. Can you ask him to consider building the lab?”

“Hehehe…We have been together so long. We all know him the same. It is going to be the same no matter if you guys or me go to talk to Anfey,” Niya said.

“No, it is different,” Hagan said.

“Ok. I will talk to Anfey when I get a chance.” Niya nodded, but she did not look like she took it seriously. Obviously, she had not learned to hide her real thoughts.

Niya was stubborn and naive, but who does not have weak points? With his experience and wisdom, Yolanthe could easily tell what Niya was thinking, but he still treated her as his own daughter. Of course, he had his own reasons for that it. Niya, being the daughter of Archmage Saul, enjoyed a high position. Many people tried to use young and naive Niya to influence upper class people when they could not convince Yolanthe and Saul to do so. Niya could pass their messages by a joke or a comment. Yolanthe knew what those people were doing. Niya never commented on anything political. Even when Yolanthe tried to tease her and asked her to comment on the government officials, Niya just laughed and ran away, or just avoided answering the questions by talking about who had treated her well and what they had gotten her for her birthdays. Some people might be innocent, but they were only stubborn in the areas they were familiar with. If there was something big happening, they would choose to be quiet or avoid the issue. Some people were naive but thought they were mature. They were cautious about little things, but gave their opinions impulsively on big issues, trying to manipulate others to prove their maturity. Niya belonged to the previous sort. After the hard lesson she got at Lagan City, Niya had never interfered with Anfey’s decisions. She maintained the same perspective in life.

No matter whether the conversation was about building the lab or magic academy, Niya had no knowledge in those areas. She never had any intention to talk to Anfey about it. She chose to brush Hagan aside.

“Are you an alchemist?” Miorich’s voice came from behind.

“Yes, General Miorich.” Hagan was shocked for a second before he turned around.

“Do you want to build a lab? Anfey did not agree?” Miorich slowly walked up. There were fewer and fewer people wanting to be alchemists. Only powers were appreciated in this world. Being powerful was the best way to survive in this world, while alchemists only helped others to be powerful. Alchemists were respected, but almost everyone wanted to be a mage. The requirements to be alchemists and mages were almost the same. Anyone who was qualified to be an alchemist could be a qualified mage as well. It was hard to make people switch to alchemy, since no one just wanted to help others become powerful.

“Yes, General Miorich. Can you talk to him and convince him to build a lab?” Hagan said with a sad face. Hagan was asking anyone available, without considering if they could help or not, but it was not his fault. He just dreamed of having his own lab.

“Join me! Whatever Anfey could provide you, I can as well. I also can give you what he could not give you,” Miorich said with a smile.

“Uncle Miorich, what are you doing?” Niya pouted and looked at Miorich in anger. Not only Miorich understood the importance of alchemists, Niya did too. Niya and others had been talking about building a few steel puppet warriors the previous day to protect the garrison residence. Without Hagon, they could not do it.

“Sorry, I cannot join you.” Hagan was shocked for a second before he firmly shook his head.

“Why not?” Miorich asked.

“I do not like to be constrained with rules,” Hagan said.

“I can provide you absolute freedom,” Miorich said.

“Sorry, I still cannot join you,” Hagan said.

Miorich smiled. He did not quite understand the young man in front of him. Hagan had just complained about Anfey, but turned out to be his fan the next second. Miorich could tell Hagan’s determination not to join him from his look and attitudes.

“Where is Anfey?” Miorich asked quietly.

“It would not change anything, even if you talk to Anfey.” Hagan got worried. “I am not his slave. Even if Anfey agrees with you, I will not join you. I have the right to choose who I am going to join.”

“Hehe, you misunderstood me.” Miorich waved his hand. “I would not force you to join me if you do not want to. I am just looking for Anfey for something else.”

Hagan heaved a sigh. His thoughts returned to his lab and he forgot Miorich was still there. He looked Niya and asked, “Niya, when are you going to talk to Anfey?”

Niya had changed her opinion of Hagan. What a good man! She hesitated and said, “Don’t worry. I will talk to Anfey soon.”

“Awesome!” Hagan was so happy to hear it. Only Niya in the whole legion could make Anfey change his mind. Now Niya agreed to talk to Anfey, which made Hagan think he was half way to convincing Anfey to agree to build him a lab.

Anfey went upstairs. Black Eleven had been waiting for Anfey where they had previously agreed. Anfey looked tired and slowly took a seat. Black Eleven passed him something like a scroll book.

Anfey flipped a few pages and fell into thought. He continued to read. As he was half way through the book, someone was knocking on the door. Anfey was shocked for a second and said, “Come in please.”

Miorich pushed the door open and walked in. He glanced at Black Eleven first and laid his eyes on Anfey. He scanned Anfey up and down. It looked like he did not know Anfey.

Anfey had already stood up. “Uncle Miorich, what is wrong?”

“Is Heart of Nature with you?” Miorich asked.

“Heart of Nature? I don’t have it.” Anfey was really confused about what Heart of Nature was.

“Didn’t Arch-druid Bruzuryano give you the Heart of Nature?” Miorich looked shocked and in disbelief.

“Bruzuryano? Uncle Miorich, are you talking about this?” Anfey took the tree leaf from his shirt.

Miorich slowly walked up to Anfey and held the tree leaf with both of his hands. He looked perplexed and seemed to be recalling something. There was some hatred, some sadness in his eyes. After a long time, Miorich took his hands back. “Anfey, is Bruzuryano doing well?”

“He is doing good.” Anfey could tell there was something wrong with Miorich. He tried to ask, “Uncle Miorich, are you a good friend of Bruzuryano?”

“Something like that.” Miorich smiled. “Why are you asking? Are you curious about it?”

“Kind of.” Anfey smiled like a silly boy out of habit.

Anfey had earned Saul and Ernest’s trust with this kinds of smile. Back then, no one knew about Anfey, so he left impressions with his facial expressions. But by now, Anfey had achieved so much, so who would fall for his smiles? Miorich heaved a slight sigh. “Go back and ask your master. He would tell you if he is in good mood.”

Anfey smiled bitterly. He had not thought about how to talk to Saul when he got back. He definitely had no interest in the stories among Saul and other top powers.

“You have to protect the Heart of Nature well before you see Bruzuryano again. Do you understand?” Miorich said.

“Is this the Heart of Nature? Uncle Miorich, what can the Heart of Nature do?” Even if Anfey did not get to know the stories of those top powers, it would be helpful to get to know the functions of the Heart of Nature.

“We could not communicate with the Heart of Nature, but Bruzuryano can.” Miorich smiled. “I can tell you though that the Heart of Nature could protect you from any magic if you are under an attack of Anti-Magic. Of course, it could only protect the areas the leaf covers.”

“This leaf is only this big. What could it cover?” Anfey put the leaf on his body to see.

“It depends on which part of your body is more important to you.” There was a playful smile on Miorich’s face. “Anfey, have you seen the statue of the Goddess of Nature?”

“No,” Anfey said.

“You should check it out when you get a chance. All the statues of the Goddess of Nature have the Heart of Nature on them. You will understand the function of the leaf,” Miorich said.

Black Eleven, standing by them, almost laughed out loud after being shocked for a second. He obviously had seen a statue of the Goddess of Nature before.

“Since I know you have the Heart of Nature, I think others know about it as well,” Miorich said, shaking his head slightly. “You guys go get some rest first. Let me set things up.”

Miorich led his men out of Violet City at the crack of dawn. At the center of the guards were the carriages carrying Anfey and his friends. After learning that Miorich was leaving the city, many people gathered to send him off. This may seem like a testament to how beloved Miorich was, but in truth the people of Violet City were simply scared. They had just experienced a brutal war, and many of the people were still terrified that the Shansa armies would return. Miorich’s presence reassured them. On the other hand, Miorich had always had a good reputation. The people of the city did not want to see someone like him go.

Anfey frowned and turned to Urter. “You should go back now,” he said.

“I won’t let you down,” Urter said sincerely.

Anfey blinked, then smiled. He was surprised that Urter could tell what he was thinking, and smiled because he had made a juvenile mistake.

“Alright,” Anfey said. “I trust you.” He nodded at Urter again and turned towards the carriage.

He was worried about Urter. It wasn’t that he did not trust the man. He worried how Urter would fare when he was away. If Marquis Djoser could publicly challenge Anfey, what would the man do to Urter? If the marquis was serious about this fight, Urter would have no chance of winning. Even though Anfey still did not consider this world as his home and all his decisions were made to benefit himself, Urter and he shared a secret. He was worried that Urter would use that secret to exchange for his life.

After seeing Urter’s determination, however, Anfey realized he was overthinking the situation. Being totally in control of everything was not always a right move. He needed to have the courage to let go and let things happen. The labyrinth beneath the mansion may not be a treasure trove, and even if it was, it was Urter who discovered it first. If Urter wanted to tell someone else about it, Anfey had no right to say otherwise. It was better if he could be more relaxed instead of worrying what was happening in Violet City all the time.

Next to him, Niya jumped onto the carriage with Miorich’s help. She looked at the crowd and sniffled. She did not want to leave this city. After all, she was a very emotional person.

Miorich lowered the curtains on Niya’s carriage. His movement was very natural and did not consider whether this was appropriate or not. He had been taking care of Niya ever since she was young. Whenever Niya fell asleep at his place, it was he who carried her to a bed. When Niya was in trouble, it was Miorich who vouched for her. Like Yolanthe, Miorich treated Niya like his own daughter. Miorich had one daughter, but she was blind and insecure, and almost never left her home. Niya was her only friend, and the only one that could make her smile. Miorich was very grateful for Niya because of this.

Niya was a very emotional person, and her moods would change very fast. She and Shally began arguing about something only a few minutes after Niya disappeared into the carriage.

Anfey lifted the curtain to see what was happening, and saw Shally looking at him, pouting. “She’s bullying me,” Shally accused.

“She’s leaving,” Niya said quickly. She wasn’t afraid of Anfey, especially with Miorich present. She was just worried that it would ruin her image if the words of her bullying a child got out.

“You were!” Shally said.

“What are you looking at?” Niya scolded. She frowned at Anfey and pulled the curtains down. “Fine, fine. I was joking, alright? Here, have what you want.”

“Anfey!” Miorich called and waved at him.

“What is it?”

“I ordered three thousand of my men to come here from Blackania City,” Miorich said. “To keep the city safe. The general was my student and I had already told him to get acquainted with Urter.” Miorich paused for a moment before continuing, “Don’t worry. As long as they’re here the marquis can’t do anything.”

“Thank you so much,” Anfey said sincerely. He had realized that all the important players in Maho Empire’s court were used to political intrigue. Not only Yolanthe, but even Miorich kept surprising him. Whatever plan he came up with, Miorich had already executed it.

The familiar people tended to the the strangest, but this was the only thing Anfey could do. He did not know Saul, and he was not brave enough to know Saul because he was afraid Saul would see through all his secrets instead. Judging from what he knew about Miorich and Yolanthe, Saul would not be a simple man, either. Thankfully he did not spend a long time with him, else he might have figured out what Anfey was hiding.

“Don’t thank me,” Miorich said with a smile. “I’m just looking out for my friends.”

“I can’t forsake all formality,” Anfey said, grinning. “Will you return to Sacred City with us?”

“Yes. Why, do you think it’s inconvenient?”

“No, no, of course not. I’m just worried that something may…happen on the way there.” Anfey knew that there must be a reason Miorich was accompanying them back to Sacred City, or else he would not be so persistent. They would not have time to go retrieve the treasures they left behind. On the other hand, this may be a good plan. The rest of the team knew about the treasure as well. If they tried to retrieve it without telling Saul about it, it might damage their reputation.

“Ernest said you’re a clever one,” Miorich said. “He’s not wrong. But sometimes you are not all that smart.”

“What did I do wrong?”

“You thwarted the necromancers’ plan, which is good, but you don’t need everyone knowing your name.”

“They do?”

“Of course, it’s not all your fault. Slanbrea is famous for having a loose tongue,” Miorich said with a sigh. “Nothing stays a secret with him.”

“Will necromancers do anything?”

“They’re with the Evil Mist,” Miorich said gravely. “You don’t know how terrible those people are, Anfey. His Majesty had been ruling for decades, but still rarely leaves Sacred City. Do you know why?”

“Is he worried about assassination attempts?”

“They can achieve anything as long as they want to,” Miorich said, shaking his head. “His Majesty isn’t scared, but there is no need to risk everything.”

“Does that mean we have to stay low?”

“There’s no use staying low when your enemy is the Evil Mist, son,” Miorich said with a sigh. “You are already a target, but I don’t know what they will do to get to you.”

“Me? Aren’t they overreacting a bit?”

“You were the one that foiled their assassination attempt on Saul. You were the one that killed their men in Sacred City, and you were the one that thwarted their plan in Country of Mercenaries. Annunciata is one of the five elders of Evil Mist, and it was you who led Slanbrea to her. Why wouldn’t they target you?”

“Those necromancers are pure evil! I couldn’t have just let them turn people into zombies!” Anfey did not regret destroying the necromancers’ plan the way he regretted killing Philip’s grandson. The necromancers were evil and should be destroyed. Their actions threatened the safety of Moramatch and people living there. It was better to gain an upper hand than to wait until the threat became too real.

“Your words are meaningless to me, and even more so to them,” Miorich said. “The only solution is your weapon.”

Anfey shrugged. He agreed with Miorich on this matter. He, too, often resorted to violence to solve the problem.

“If that old fox is willing to give you Heart of Nature, then…” Miorich’s voice trailed off.

“What does that have to do with Evil Mist?”

“Heart of Nature can cancel out most side effects of death magic and would be very helpful. Besides, Bruzuryano is an Arch Druid, and he can sense Heart of Nature at all times. Which means he can easily find you as long as you are wearing the Heart,” Miorich said. He paused and glanced around. “Maybe he’s observing us right now.”

As the legion was slowly getting ready to depart, Anfey returned to his own wagon. He quietly leaned against the wagon, recalling what had happened. Christian was talking with Riska and noticed Anfey lost thought. He asked with concern, “Anfey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I was thinking about what has happened.” Anfey heaved a deep sigh. “Miorich just told me those necromancers had targeted us for revenge. I was not careful enough. If I could do everything over again, I think I could do it better.”

“Hehe… it is already history. Why are you still thinking about it? Don’t worry about it,” Riska said.

“No, that is not right. You will make the same mistake again if you do not learn from it,” Anfey said.

“Anfey, you are too cautious. You will get tired really quickly,” Riska said.

Anfey smiled without saying anything back. Life was never easy for Anfey.

“Anfey, we are going to see our professor tomorrow. You had better think about what you are going to say to our professor,” Christian said, smiling.

“What? Tomorrow?” Anfey was startled. He was not ready to see Saul yet. He became very worried when Christian told him he would be seeing Saul the following day. Anfey knew Christian never joked about anything important, otherwise he probably would think Christian was joking with him now.

“What is wrong with that? Didn’t Miorich tell you?” Christian was surprised too.

“No! Did our professor come already?” Anfey asked.

“No, he did not come.” Christian shook his head. “Didn’t Miorich tell you Evil Mist has planned to ambush us on the way?”

“Yes, he told me about that,” Anfey said.

Christian thought about it and smiled. “Hahaha, Miorich must want to see you make a fool of yourself. Maybe it is because you always look like nothing could bother you and never seem concerned about most things.”

“Get to the point, Christian. Tell me what happened,” Anfey urged.

“Miorich spread the news that we are going back to Sacred City on purpose. We did travel west on the merchant route. This will make Evil Mist believe they have enough time to get ready to attack us. If we were going back to Sacred City on the merchant route, it would at least take us twenty days. They are not rushing to attack us right now because we travelled to this place.” Christian pointed at the carpet. “Here we are only about ten miles away from Blackania City. We will change direction to go to Blackania City. Before the war started, the magic array was destroyed by the spies from Shansa Empire. Now it has been fixed. We also secretly sent a large amount of magic crystals from Sacred City, which should be enough to send us back to Sacred City by magic array.”

Anfey smiled bitterly. If Christian could describe the plan in such detail, Miorich must have told him everything but left Anfey out. “Miorich must have some evil intentions towards me,” Anfey thought to himself.

“Will all of us be sent back to Sacred City?” Anfey asked.

Christian shook his head. “It is impossible to send all of us back. It would take too many magic crystals. Only five people will be sent back; you, me, Niya, Suzanna, and Shally. It would use about half the magic crystals they sent, or possibly more. It is too far from Blackania to Sacred City. If we are all sent back through magic array, all the magic in stock in our empire would not be enough.”

Anfey opened his mouth, trying to say “Can I go back by myself?” This question would make others doubt his intentions. This question was on the tip of his tongue, but he asked another question instead: “Will Riska and others stay in Blackania City? That is not too safe for them.” Christian looked at Anfey like there was something wrong with him. He thought Anfey was a smart and cautious man, far better than he was. Therefore, he was willing just to be his assistant.

At that moment, Anfey seemed so naive about the issue. “What danger? Anfey, those necromancers hate you. You are in the most danger, and then Niya. If they could catch Niya, they could blackmail our professor. Riska and others will go back with Miorich. Without you and Niya, do you think people from Evil Mist would attack Miorich’s bodyguards with a high cost?”

Riska nodded in agreement: “He is right. Anfey, we will be in danger if you are with us.” “Christian has reminded me of things we should be careful of. Don’t worry. We will be fine.”

“But…what if Evil Mist would still attack you?” Anfey said.

“They do not have a reason to attack us.” Christian felt there was something wrong with Anfey.

“Anfey, our king is so fond of you.” Riska looked jealous. “The reason Suzanna and Shally could be sent over by magic array is because of you.”

“Hmm…” Anfey sighed and leaned back against the wagon.

“Anfey, you do not look like you want to go back to Sacred City,” Christian said in a low voice.

“It is not like that. But…it’s just too soon,” Anfey said.

“If it is too soon for you, it would be really soon for Evil Mist. I think they will be so disappointed when they find out you are already in Sacred City.”

Anfey did not know how to respond. At that moment, he had no time to think about how to learn from his mistakes. He recalled his time with Saul and the stories he had told Saul. It was easy to lie but a lot harder to have the lies make sense in the future. Usually, people could not tell when someone was lying right away. People usually realized they had lied when their lies did not make sense later on.

Saul had cared and loved Anfey. Anfey respected Saul from the bottom of his heart. All of these were facts. But their bond had not grown strong yet by the time Anfey had to escape with Saul’s family and students. It was fortunate for both of them that they could build their teacher-student relationship. Predestined relationships could change at any moment. People could bond one day but dislike each other the next. Anfey did not want Saul to dislike him.

The legion travelled neither too fast or too slow, just at the right pace. They stopped to take a break around noon. They did not look rushed. They could have travelled a few miles more before taking a break. Miorich’s bodyguard squad suddenly accelerated and turned toward the road to Blackania City. Ten miles was not far. Very soon, Blackania City, also nicknamed Never Fallen City, appeared in front of everyone.

Anfey lifted the curtain to look out. As a military fortress, the buildings in Blackania City looked simple but grand. Tall city walls were like high rising cliffs. At each corner of the walls was a parapet. There were many holes on the walls of the fort where soldiers fought their battles. There were five mage towers in the city. They looked like gigantic swords thrusting at the sky. The war had ended only a short time ago, but Blackania had cleaned up the city and its surrounding areas well. However, when there was a breeze, a slight smell of blood was still in the air. Anfey overheard talk among Miorich’s bodyguards that the number of casualties was more than half the total number of soldiers who stayed at Blackania City. Shansa Empire had an even higher rate of casualties. Their generals had similar talents and leadership abilities, but the invading party was always in the disadvantaged position. Shansa Empire retreated in a very short of time and did not get a chance to bury their soldiers’ bodies. They left this duty to their enemy. The spies from Maho Empire took advantage of this and spread rumors in Shansa Empire, blaming Edward VIII for his inhumanity.

There were many bodies buried under the plains around Blackania City. As the saying went: “How many millions died that Caesar might be great!” Of course, this saying referred to the benefits to the leader. It should not be so costly for a person to be famous. But to a real general, this kind of justification sounded ignorant, and it was just the criticism of writers. Most wars were not fought to make anyone famous. They were fought for survival or freedom. To the people who were fighting for freedom, dying for their beliefs would worth it.

The city gate slowly opened. Miorich’s bodyguard squad passed through without any hesitation. They moved towards the center of the city. In a little while, the bodyguard squad stopped at the garrison residence. Blackania City did not have a citymaster. The garrison had military officers and administrators in charge of everything in the city. This used to be the house of the commander of the Roaring Death Mercenary Group, Baery. Now it became Miorich’s temporary home.

Miorich tapped twice on the wagon wall and said, “You are here. You can get off now.”

Anfey lifted the curtain and jumped off the wagon first. He looked around and saw Miorich. Miorich still looked energetic and hospitable with his smiles. However, he looked a little cunning in Anfey’s eyes. “Uncle Miorich, why did you not tell me that we are going back with magic array?” Anfey half complained and half asked.

“Didn’t I tell you this morning that Evil Mist was going to take revenge on you?” Miorich said.

“But, you did not tell me that we are going back to Maho Empire by magic array,” Anfey said.

“Time is very tight. I only had the time to tell you the beginning of it,” Miorich said.

Anfey did not know how to respond. Some people could easily shake off their responsibilities, or even push them on others. Anfey was not too happy that Miorich had a negative view in him.

“Where are we?” Niya jumped off the back of the wagon. She looked around in curiosity. Obviously, like Anfey, she had not been told what was going on.

“This is Blackania City. Niya, let’s go inside.” Miorich smiled.

Suzanna jumped off the wagon after Niya. She walked next to Anfey as she was used to doing. Women usually liked to unconsciously rely on their men to protect them. Suzanna did not stand next to him because she relied on him for protection, as some women might. She did not need anyone to protect her. She just liked to stand next to Anfey.

“Don’t just stand there. Follow me.” Miorich walked to the garrison residence first.

Miorich’s mansion had an outer courtyard and an inner courtyard. The high walls and tight security had isolated the mansion from the outside world. In the middle was the mansion, where the general took care of important business. Anyone who tried to enter by force would either be captured and imprisoned or killed. The transmission portal was located next to the mansion.

The portal was the only way the general and the emperor could communicate when the general was away at war. The portal was right next to Miorich’s residence in order to prevent any information from getting out. It was also the innermost part of the mansion, and it would be difficult for intruders to fight through every level of security check. This was done in most cities to prevent security breaches. Everyone knew the importance of securing information.

Anfey did not know when Miorich began putting the plan in motion and how he had sent his orders. Miorich’s men were very efficient, however, and the portal was already activated by the time they reached it. Even a common person could sense the magic surges coming off of the portal. The crystal in the middle turned from a solid mass into pure energy, and was floating in the air above the portal like mist.

“What are we doing here?” Suzanna asked quietly.

“We’re going to Sacred City.”

“Sacred City? We’re teleporting everyone?” Suzanna asked, shocked. This was such a lavish way of transporting people. Transporting across such a long distance would cost thousands of magic crystals. It would be more riches than a normal family could ever dream of.

“No, just a few of us.”

“What about Shally?”

“Shally’s coming with us, of course. She’s my sister too, and I won’t abandon her,” Anfey said with a smile.

Suzanna frowned but smiled nonetheless. She did not know if that was the truth or it was Anfey trying to please her, but it didn’t matter. As long as Shally was safe, Suzanna was happy.

“Are we using the portal?” Niya walked over and asked. “Will I see father again soon?”

“Of course,” Miorich said, glancing at the mages around the portal. “Are you happy?”

“Yes!” Niya said excitedly. “Of course! You’re the best!” She squealed and hugged Miorich.

The runes around the portal slowly lit up as the mages began chanting. One of the mages took away the protective dome over the portal, and the magic surges became several times stronger. The energy above the portal rose upwards. The energy did not disperse in the air, like it should have, but instead lurched towards the people standing around the portal.

Anfey frowned, but did not try to avoid it. He knew that energy like this would not harm him. As the energy came closer and closer, it began to condense. It finally became a thin column and crashed into Anfey’s chest and disappeared. It was as if something was absorbing the energy. Everyone frowned and stared at Anfey, confused by the strange occurrence.

“What just happened?” Miorich asked.

“Nothing,” Anfey said. He moved his arms and smiled.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Alright,” Miorich said. He looked at Anfey, who did not display any signs of discomfort. He turned to Niya and said, “Come stand here. Laura had been asking about you. Don’t forget to visit her when you’re back.”

“Of course not,” Niya said, smiling. “I miss her a lot, as well.” Laura was Miorich’s daughter and Niya’s good friend.

Anfey closed his eyes. He had already realized that the Arch Druid’s gift could absorb the forest’s energy and become one with nature. That was why he could see things that were far away from him. It was the Heart of Nature that absorbed the energy just then, but compared to the energy in the forest, this energy was much more powerful.

In the past he could only see the ants, but now he could see the details on the ants’ bodies. In the past he could only see shapes of people, but now he could see the details of their features. Everything became so much more clear and bright, and all the colors became more vibrant. Anfey had never experienced anything like this. It was as if he had always looked at the world through fog, and could only see it clearly with the Heart of Nature.

As Niya was walking over to the portal, her ears suddenly moved. In the past, Anfey would have never been able to spot something like that. Miorich was watching Niya, and as he blinked, Anfey saw his eyelids wiping away dirt from his eyes. Suzanna sighed, and Anfey could see the shape of her breath and how it blew a few tiny bugs away.

It was hard to describe what it was like to see the world in such a detailed and clear way. Not only could he see more clearly, Anfey could feel things more acutely, as well. Before he could further enjoy this sensation, however, it began to fade. Before the power completely disappeared, however, Anfey saw one of the mage’s eyes gleam suspiciously.

“Niya!” Anfey bellowed suddenly.

Niya was already stepping onto the portal, but jumped back and turned to stare at Anfey. The others around him were frightened by his sudden shout as well, but Miorich and his men only looked at him.

“What’s wrong?” Christian asked.

“Niya, get away from that portal,” Anfey said. He turned and walked to the suspicious mage.

Whenever Anfey become serious, no one would try to object. Niya stepped away from the portal and rejoined the group. Suzanna’s hand was resting on the hilt of her sword and observing the changes in the surroundings. Unlike everyone else, Suzanna did not grow up in Sacred City and did not treat Miorich as the absolute authority. She was alert, and suspecting everyone except for her friends.

Anfey walked over the mage and stared into the man’s eyes. Compared to other parts of the body, it was the hardest to lie when someone looked into one’s eyes.

“Excuse me, my lord, what can I do for you?” the mage asked.

“Christian, check the portal,” Anfey said without moving his eyes away from the man.

“Me?” Christian asked. He was only a junior magister, and it would be difficult for him to check on a portal. Christian did not even have the experience, and it was almost an impossible task.

“What do you mean, my lord?” another mage interrupted and asked. Clearly, Anfey was suspecting that something was wrong. This directly affected their reputation, and it was unacceptable for the mages.

“Nothing,” Miorich said. “His words are mine, and you will obey him.” Miorich did not know what was happening, but he trusted Anfey. He was familiar with Saul, and knew Saul’s students very well. After reuniting with Saul’s students, he realized how mature they had become. They had been on their own for the entire time, and did not have any contact with Saul. The only person that could lead them and guide them was Anfey. Miorich would never ignore Anfey’s opinions. Anfey’s nervousness made Miorich uneasy.

Realizing that Miorich was taking Anfey’s side, the mage lowered his head and stepped back. Mages were widely respected wherever they went, but nothing was absolute. Miorich was far superior to the mages. He had no right to defy Miorich’s orders.

“Did you hear him just now?” Miorich bellowed. “Check the portal.”

The mages all jumped up and began busying themselves with checking the portal. Some retrieved books from their rings and compared the ones in the book with the one in front of them. However, no one found anything wrong.

“General, there is nothing wrong with the magic arrays,” a mage reported to Miorich as he glanced at Anfey. He wanted to see Anfey make a fool of himself.

“Check it again,” Miorich demanded before he even turned around to look at him. The worst thing a leader could do was to change his ideas all the time and never hold firm in his position. When a leader listened to someone and believed in him, and then later started to offer different opinions on the same issue, the leader would doubt him. If the leader could not make his own judgement from the information given, he could be taken advantage of and misled by others. Miorich was an excellent general. He would not be indecisive. Since he believed in Anfey, he would not contradict him easily.

The mages looked at each other and then checked the magic array again, because they knew they could not disobey Miorich’s command.

Anfey and the suspect looked at each other for a while, but he did not find anything suspicious in that mage. The mage looked at him confused. He seemed to sneer at Anfey. Everything seemed normal about the mage. Someone else might doubt himself and think he had made a mistake, but not Anfey. Anfey was very determined and confident. He never second guessed himself.

Anfey slowly turned around and walked to the magic array. After the magic array started, it would slowly suck the magic crystals’ energy to keep the magic array running. It only took a little while to see some smog above the magic array. The smog was getting thicker.

When Anfey walked only five yards away from the magic array, he saw exactly what he expected. The smog seemed to be blown away by the wind and moving towards Anfey. Anfey knew the Heart of Nature was sucking the energy.

Anfey slowly closed his eyes, and got into Samadhi state. He suddenly started to see his surroundings clearer. Anfey focused all his attention on that suspected mage, looking for anything unusual.

Anfey scanned the suspect from head to toe and from toe to head, but he did not find anything unusual. Anfey turned to check the magic array. Suddenly, he saw an amazing new world. An invisible but clearly sensed energy was moving among all kinds of spells. The whole magic array was divided into sixteen sections. The energy stayed in each of the sections without interfering with each other. All the energy merged onto sixteen points. Anfey had never learned about magic arrays before, but he started to get the hang of how a magic array worked. Those sixteen points were the hinges for the door to the space. Anfey believed if he could continue to be able to see the magic array, he could build a magic array on his own.

“General, there is nothing wrong with the magic array,” a mage turned around and told Miorich.

This time, Miorich did not respond. He only turned to look at Anfey. Anfey was totally lost in the thought. He did not hear anything around him.

It was people’s nature to want to have control in life. For instance, seeing the snowflakes falling, people could not help holding their hands out to catch them and watch them melt in their hands. Seeing beautiful flowers, some people would sniff, touch, or even pick them. People were just passerbys in the world, but wanted to prove their existence or leave their footprints. When they were touched or sentimental, most people would have the desire to do something.

To the people in that world, magic arrays were just magic arrays, but Anfey had a sense that magic arrays were integrated circuits. Watching the energy slowly moving in order, Anfey subconsciously used his ability mastered in the Evil Abyss. He used his mental power to communicate with that power.

The magic array suddenly shined with white light. The mages who were still checking the magic array were all startled by it. Anfey could clearly sense the energy oozing out of the spells. He immediately stopped using his mental power once he realized what he did to the magic array. He also woke up from his thoughts.

“What happened?” the mage who reported to Miorich before said, wide-eyed.The magic array itself had shown there was something wrong by running at a crazy speed.

Miorich turned to look at the suspected mage with a scolding look. “What else do you want to say?”

The mage smiled bitterly. “Master, I was not feeling well yesterday. I did not come and instead rested at my daughter’s house. You can check on it if you do not believe me. I did not start the magic array. I had nothing to do with it.”

Anfey looked vicious. He looked at Suzanna first and then blinked at her. He turned to give Christian a look and then walked slowly to the mage who was arguing for himself.

He did not find anything unusual before, but as the mage talked more, Anfey could see what was wrong with him. The vision Anfey had with the Heart of Nature had not totally disappeared yet. Anfey still could clearly see the air coming out of his mouth. It seemed normal. When the air passed through the throat, the air constantly changed the position of the throat muscles and tongue. By changing the position of their mouths, people could make sounds. The problem with that mage was that he only breathed out. Normal people had to breath in intervals to get oxygen for the body. It was not possible to keep talking without breathing air in.

Anfey stood in front of that mage again. It was easy to figure out what was wrong him once he found something unusual on him. That mage’s chest was moving slightly up and down, but there was no air passing through his nose and mouth. The chest movement was only to prove he was normal. That mage could not completely stop breathing in unless he was a Samadhi practitioner as Anfey, or had reached the level that he could breathe through his skin.

“What is your name?” Anfey asked quietly.

“My name is Thore, Master.” The mage looked respectfully at Anfey.

Anfey nodded. He noticed another unusual thing about the mage. The mage in front of Anfey neither breathed in nor had any pulse. Judging from every angle, the mage in front of Anfey must be dead. Anfey felt it was amazing and could not make sense of it.

Anfey moved his body sideways. A bright white sword radiant passed over Anfey’s shoulder. With a metallic whooshing sound, Suzanna’s sword thrust into the mage’s throat.

The mages around the magic array were startled. They had noticed Suzanna slowly walking up to Anfey, but they did not expect her to kill the mage. They were worried and angry when they saw their fellow getting killed for no reason.

Christian had stood in between. He did not mean to fight with mages. Neither could he. He had to stop the altercation before Miorich could say something.

Suzanna pulled her sword out with a backhand move. The mage held his throat with one hand and stumbled back with shock and anger. The way he looked definitely got compassion from the others.

“Stop it.” Anfey pointed at him and raised his voice on purpose. “Your blood should have oozed out when you were stabbed in the throat. You neither breathed in, nor had any heart beat. In other words, you have been dead.”

The mage slowly fell to the ground with one hand on his throat. He looked like he was in a spasm and kept twitching his legs as he opened his eyes wide. He looked like he could not die in peace.

Two mages with hot tempers had already started to chant. Element surges started to get tense. However, all these activities stopped after Miorich cleared his throat. The world seemed to become quiet.

“Anfey, what happened?” Miorich walked over.

“He has been dead.” Anfey shrugged. Things were more than he could imagine. He thought the mage would resist after he was found out. Who would know he played his original role, dead on the floor. It was not easy for Anfey to convince others to believe him.

“Dead?” Miorich said.

“Yes, I have said before that he neither breathed nor had any heart beat. What was he if he was not dead,” Anfey said, walking forward.

“Anfey, stop.” Hui Wei rushed out behind Blavi.

“What is wrong?” Anfey asked.

“He must have been created by a necromancer with puppet spells if he did not breathe or have a heart beat for a long time.” Hui Wei had rushed next to Anfey and grabbed him to stop him from getting any closer to that mage’s body. “It is too dangerous. We need to get away from him.”

“Bullsh*t!” A mage was so enraged that his eyes turned blood red. “Thore chatted with us this morning. How could he be a puppet?”

“Right! If he were a puppet and we did not sense it, wouldn’t General Miorich sense it?” another mage said. He was smarter, knowing to use Miorich’s reaction to prove his point.

“What if he was a Servant of Death created by masters with puppet spells?” Hui Wei refuted.

All the mages were startled by what Hui Wei said. Low-level puppet spells could only change the target’s body. Advanced-level spells could be divided into two extremes. One was to make the body of the target become more powerful. The target could even have some counter ability for magic and combat power. The other was to avoid making any change to the body of the target and only intervene with telepathy and mental power. A perfect Servant of Death would look no different than a regular person, have the basic magic and combat power skills, or even get married and have kids. It would be hard to notice anything wrong with Servants of Death among people.

Miorich suddenly looked seriously concerned after hearing about Servants of Death. Servant of Death was the tamest puppet spell among other spells of necromancers, but could also be the most terrifying one. A long time ago, there were two necromancers who had successfully turned half of the city into Servants of Death in a year. A Servant of Death could slowly turn his family into Servants of Death in an unnoticable way. It was impossible to keep track of who got affected by this spell. Later, people found out by an incident. Back then, the Church of Light was powerful and influential. Two travelling priests performed Magic of Light to try to convert people, but the people on the street attacked them like crazy. One of them was torn into pieces while the other one luckily got away. This incident got the attention of the Pan Continent, and Church of Light became famous afterwards.

“This is impossible,” one of the mages stammered. “People who know how to do this kind of magic are long dead.”

Not everyone agreed with his comment, however. Necromancers were very hard to kill, and despite the numerous attempts to eliminate necromancers, they thrived. There were always a few necromancers that would hide away and recover in some remote corner of the world. When there were enough believers in their religion, there would be another attempt at eliminating necromancers. Every time, the Church of Light would announce that they had eliminated all evil, but it was never the truth. Everyone had forgiven this, however, because it was better to have the Church in charge than the necromancers.

Miorich walked over slowly. This time, Hui Wei did not try to stop him. Puppets were not powerful and could not harm a gold knight, unless there was a necromancer lurking nearby. Hui Wei turned and whispered something to Anfey and Suzanna. Anfey nodded, and Suzanna jumped up onto the small tower next to the transmission portal. The tower was only ten feet tall, but it was enough to give her an advantage.

Miorich looked at the man, then kicked the man’s hand away from his throat. His expression grew cold at the sight. There was a large gash on the man’s throat, but there was hardly any blood. Miorich knew very well what this indicated.

“Burn the body,” Miorich ordered, taking a few steps back. He glanced at Suzanna, then walked away from the man. He was trying his hardest not to let his emotions show. The mage really had been turned into a puppet, which meant that the transmission portal was unsafe to use. What if Niya had stepped into the portal? Miorich did not want to think about it. Suzanna and Shally’s deaths would be easier to deal with, but if it was Niya, Christian, or Anfey who was harmed, the consequences would be too great. It would put his ability in question, and he would not be able to face his old friends. This could potentially have destroyed his future.

As soon as Miorich turned around, the mage’s body began to change. The man’s light green eyes turned to grey, then his eyes dissolved into puddles of water, and his body began to bloat.

Miorich swept around to face the man. There were two types of warriors, swordsmen and knights, and neither needed weapons to be powerful. Suzanna once almost kicked Anfey to death when she was weaponless and choking, and Miorich was so much more powerful than she.

Miorich stepped forward, crushing small pebbles under his feet. The mage was thrown back by some invisible force. Miorich swung at the man, and his combat power swallowed the mage’s body.

A loud crack ripped through the air, and the unstable air current caused by the combat power swept across the courtyard like a raging storm. The transmission array burst into light and was under a transparent magic dome. It was the protective dome placed onto the array. Christian released a protective spell first, and Riska and Blavi followed suit. They had already preparing themselves when they saw Suzanna drawing her sword. Mages tended to use three kinds of defensive magic. There were shielding, protective domes, and kekai. Shields were only used by one person and were the strongest. Protective domes and kekais were both used for large groups of people, but not as powerful as shields. Of course, one could not compare shields released by a junior magister to the kekais released by an archmage.

Usually, mages would use shields when they were in danger. Previously, Christian, Riska, and Blavi would not use a kekai either, but after everything they had been through together, they learned how valuable friendship was. The mages standing around the transmission array, on the other hand, choose to protect themselves first.

Miorich’s figure was obscured by the current, and the only one that was not protected by magic was Suzanna, who was standing on the tower. Unlike the people on the ground, who were stumbling, she was standing straight and unmoving, as if she was nailed to the tower. Her eyes were bright and filled with admiration for Miorich’s power.

Anfey was in the worst shape of all. He wasn’t close enough to Christian when he released the kekai, and instead had jumped into the air and was blown away by the current. He grabbed at the air and landed on a wall nearby.

After a few moments, the current died down, and Miorich turned towards his guards. He might have caused the violent currents, but he did not have any scratches on him, and his clothes were still immaculate. His eyes were cold.

Anfey stayed on the wall, staring at Miorich. He had grabbed something he imagined must have been a spirit. This was the second time he had came in contact with a spirit, but when he tried to communicate with it, it struggled against him. He could feel how terrified the spirit was. He felt a momentary warmth, then the spirit melted away.

“Close the array immediately,” Miorich instructed sternly. He turned to the group that was still waiting to use the array and said, “Stay here. Don’t go anywhere.”

“Don’t worry,” Anfey said as he rejoined his friends.

“Niya, stay here and don’t do anything, alright?” Miorich turned to Niya and said. He was worried about her.

“I understand,” Niya said, nodding.

Miorich turned to the mages standing nearby. If one of them was turned into a puppet, he had to inspect the rest of them as well.

“Go home and rest,” Miorich said, “for now.”

The mages glanced at each other and turned to leave. The mage who was trying to protect the puppet seemed especially defeated. Thankfully no one affiliated with the Church was present, or else he would be a suspect. The mage’s guild would not protect him if he was suspected of being a necromancer.

After the mages left, Miorich sent some of his men to escort Anfey and the group to their rooms. However, no one was in the mood to rest, and everyone gathered in Anfey’s room to talk about what had just happened.

“Anfey,” Blavi asked eagerly, “what did you catch?” He was very curious, but did not want to ask when there were still strangers around.

“Nothing,” Anfey said. He wasn’t exactly lying. The spirit did disappear after he caught it.

“Then what were you going to catch?” Christian ask. He worded his question much more cleverly.

“A spirit,” Anfey said. He had changed his mind and decided to disclose more information to his friends. Necromancers were targeting them, and he knew very little about them. He needed to talk to his friends so he would be more prepared. Beings from the Evil Abyss were things that existed in the place between life and death. Each spirit had its own thoughts and personality. There were betrayals, hatred, and murders, but there was also cooperation, trust, and friendship. The spirits there were not unlike humans. Death magic, on the other hand, was only one branch of magic, and products of death magic did not have any emotions.

After two encounters with spirits, Anfey was nervous that someone was trying to achieve the same thing Yagor was trying to do. Someone was trying to build a tunnel between the Evil Abyss and the living world, and he could not allow that to happen. He knew very well what lives in the Abyss, and how terrible the thing was. Nothing can compare to a Spirit King when it come to murders and killing. A single Spirit King has enough power to crush every life in a thirty mile radius. Only those who had achieved sacred state could defeat a Spirit King, but those people were nothing more than legends.

“A spirit?” Hui Wei asked, shocked.

“You know about them?” Anfey asked.

“No,” Hui Wei said, shaking his head. “But I’ve read about them. How did you discover them?”

“You will find out later,” Anfey said, shaking his head. “Hui Wei, how much do you know about spirits? Does it have anything to do with necromancers?”

“I don’t know, but I know that puppet earlier was a failure, or else you wouldn’t have discovered it so easily. It seemed like those necromancers have not mastered the art of creating puppets yet.”

“Which means they are actively practicing it,” Christian said slowly. “This one may be a failure, but the next one may not be.”

Hui Wei opened his mouth and tried to respond to Christian. He swallowed whatever he was trying to say after he looked around. Anfey saw Hui Wei’s reaction, but did not say anything.

“Anfey, didn’t you say you want to catch Ahrimans? Did you get them?” Niya asked out of curiosity.

“No.” Anfey shook his head. He looked upset and disappointed. He still could not figure out how Ahrimans disappeared.

“Uh…” Niya heaved a long sigh. “We used to have such a very peaceful life. We did not have to worry about anything. I don’t know what happened this year. Troubles have come one after another. It is so annoying.”

After Niya finished talking, everyone smiled bitterly. Niya was right. They had peaceful lives in Sacred City before. They only had to focus on practicing magic. Since they escaped from Sacred City, they kept running into all kinds of trouble. It seemed like they had experienced a whole life’s worth of troubles in a year, just one after another.

“Anfey, it is all your fault,” Niya suddenly complained with a playful tone.

“What did I do?” Anfey asked.

“Since you came to my house, all kinds of troubles have been finding their way to us. You have jinxed us.” Niya’s words sounded a little harsh. If she had not been smiling or people did not know her personality, her words could have caused conflict between her and Anfey.

“My princess, I do not want to run around every day either. I don’t think you should blame me.” Anfey did not know if he should laugh or cry. He was a very forgiving person. He did not take Niya’s words seriously.

“I am blaming you,” Niya said.

“You cannot blame Anfey for that,” Blavi said. “It was Maris. He was too devious. Maris and Melinda set Anfey up. After they were kicked out of our professor’s house, they even took Zeda back to cause troubles for us. If Anfey and others did not fight back, we would probably have been killed.”

“Oh, right, did Maris die? I was too nervous and forgot to check on him,” Riska said.

“He should be dead. I saw Zeda thrusting his sword hard at him. There was no way he could survive from it,” Blavi said.

“Zeda was so cruel. He actually aimed at Anfey after Maris. I bet Maris did not think Zeda would kill him to attack Anfey,” Riska said.

“Hahaha…Why couldn’t he think of that?” Blavi snorted. “Zeda was so devious. There was nothing he dared not do. He felt he had Philip behind him.” Blavi hated Zeda with passion. As Saul’s student, he was popular among young men. No one thought Zeda would attack him without any concern and almost killed him without giving the consequences any thought. It was such a humiliation for Blavi. He would never forget it.

“Blavi was right. Zeda was the worst one among the Four Troubles in Sacred City,” Riska said.

“Four Troubles? People just made that up. Stop spreading rumors,” Christian said, standing up immediately and glancing at Niya since she was one of the Four Troubles. What Christian said made some sense. The so-called Four Troubles were just four unrelated people who had been lumped together. There was no reason behind it. It just sounded fun. It spread from mouth to mouth, and now everyone knew about it. In fact, Niya only liked to play some pranks. She had nothing in common with the other three. She was an angel compared with the other three troubles.

“Four Troubles? Who are they?” Niya asked in curiosity.

Everyone was caught off guard by her question. No one thought Niya had never heard of this saying. However, thinking about it again, it did make some sense that she did not hear about it before. No one would pass this information to Niya. If they did, they were just looking for trouble themselves.

“People like Zeda,” Christian tried to change topic right away. “Zeda had given us so much trouble. When I saw Anfey beating Maris and Zeda, I felt great. If it were me, I would have fought them as well.”

“Yes, if I were not restrained by the antimagic bracelets, I could have helped Anfey to give them a lesson,” Riska said angrily.

“I did not get to see it.” Blavi looked upset. He had been in a coma and did not get to see that awesome fight.

“Anfey’s sword skills were already very good back then. It was awesome to see Anfey’s foot sword fight with Zeda.” Feller said with a smile.

“Did he fight with his feet?” Blavi opened his eyes wide open.

“He tossed the sword up and kicked the shaft. The sword shot at Zeda,” Feller said.

“Anfey was good with the sword. Didn’t you notice even Ernest and Miorich were interested in his sword skills?” Christian commented with a smile.

“Hold on, hold on. We should talk about necromancers right now. Why are you guys talking about me?” Anfey helplessly waved his hand. They were really off topic.

“You guys can continue your talk. I am feeling a little sleepy.” Niya stood up with a playful smile. Niya’s personality was just like this. No matter what difficulty she was facing, she still could smile as long as she had someone to rely on. Her personality was not bad. She was optimistic, which kept her healthy and could help her live a long life. Anfey, on the other hand, could not be optimistic. He had been thinking that problems were way serious than they should have been. In everything, he used to plan for the worst. He did not want to act this way, but life forced him to.

“Ok, you guys should go have some rest. Riska and Blavi, can you be on watch for the first half of the night. I will take over for the second half,” Anfey said in a low voice.

“Sure.” Riska and Blavi nodded together.

Everybody started to walk out. Anfey gave Christian a look to ask him to stay and then he called, “Hui Wei, can you stay for a second?”

Hui Wei shrugged and walked back. He took a seat on a chair.

There were only four people left in the room. Anfey signaled Suzanna to close the door and said quietly, “Hui Wei, do you want to tell us something?”

Hui Wei hesitated for a second before he started speaking. “I talked about Servants of Death on purpose. I was trying to help you out back then. In fact, those necromancers cannot make Servants of Death. I think it was a new puppet spell instead of Servants of Death.”

“Why do you say this?” Anfey asked.

“Because I know some of the history of the puppet spell of Servants of Death. There was a terrifying agent in the blood of Servants of Death. The Servants of Death could not turn regular people into their same kind until they put their blood into a regular person’s bodies. Once this kind of agent disappeared, they could not make any Servant of Death anymore.”

Anfey and Christian looked at each other without saying anything.

“Christian, you made necromancers sound too terrifying. In fact, necromancers could be very weak,” Hui Wei said with a smile. “I have a wide range of interests. I want to know a little bit about everything. I spent some time on death magic before. Luckily, I was able to pull myself out from it before I committed myself to death magic.”

“I did not make necromancers sound terrifying. You are making them sound too simple,” Christian said with a shake of his head.

“What do you mean?” Hui Wei did not sound too happy.

“You only obtained very superficial knowledge of death magic, but you have not turned into one of the necromancers. You do not really know about them,” Christian said.

“Do you know about them?” Hui Wei asked.

“I think you could tell Miorich was very nervous when I mentioned Servants of Death. Do you think he worried about one or a few puppets? If you think that way, you are so wrong. He was worried about the habit of necromancers.”

“Habit?” Anfey and Hui Wei asked at the same time.

“When death magic had just appeared, kings from different countries were very fond of it, since death magic could create many cheap but loyal soldiers. However, because of the characteristics of death magic, as necromancers got stronger, kings started to see death magic differently. They started to fear it. When people started to dislike death magic, necromancers felt they were used and dumped by those kings. They could not bear with it. Instead, they killed people to vent their anger. They became the enemies of the whole Pan Continent,” Christian said.

“Do you know the habit of necromancers whenever they were defeated? The surviving necromancers would hide in the areas where no one would find them. They would restore their abilities. When they felt they could fight against the whole Pan Continent, they would come out to make some small troubles to test what countries on Pan Continent would respond to them,” Christian said. “Twenty or thirty years ago, was there any necromancer on Pan Continent?”

Hui Wei thought about it and answered, “No.”

“Now many people know about a necromancer called Annunciata. What they did not know was that Annunciata had been making trouble here and there ten years ago. Our professor talked about her before as well. This time Annunciata dared to create many zombies in the Cross Valley. Do you know what it means?” Before Hui Wei could even answer his question, Christian continued, “Necromancers only pick a fight when they think they are a match with the whole Pan Continent. It means the War against the Dead would start soon.”

“Is it that serious?” Hui Wei asked.

“Time will tell,” Christian said. “Right now, one of the two High Priests of Light has gone to Maho Empire and the other to Shansa Empire to try to mediate the war. The pope will meet with the nobility in Ellisen Empire. Are they there only to mediate the war? In fact, many people have noticed the threats from necromancers, but they just do not know which areas necromancers would target first. That is why Miorich was so nervous after seeing the puppet. A regular puppet spell is not that great, but more and more necromancers showing up would be an issue, a serious issue.”

When Anfey ended his meditation, the sky was already filled with stars. He gathered his things and left the room. He reached the window on the top floor by the stairs, and jumped onto the windowsill. He jumped up and pulled himself onto the roof.

Blavi and Riska, who were chatting on the roof, turned and looked at him. “Didn’t expect to see you here,” Riska said with a smile.

“I’m full of surprises,” Anfey said. He glanced around and said, “Nothing’s amiss, I presume?”

“Everything’s going pretty well,” Blavi said, nodding. “You see, over there and there? There are guards everywhere. You don’t even really need the two of us here.”

“Better to be careful. Just pretend you’re here for fun.”

“You’re by yourself?” Blavi asked, curiously. “Where’s Suzanna?”

“Shally had a nightmare and Suzanna’s with her,” Anfey said with a smile. “You two should get some rest. I got it from here.” After spending so much time together, everyone knew that Anfey was always energetic and rarely needed rest. Blavi and Riska nodded. They released a levitation spell and disappeared into the building.

Anfey sat on the roof quietly and stared at the courtyard. The innermost building was where Miorich and some of his most trusted men lived. The building there could not hold a dozen more people, and it would be inappropriate if they requested the knights to prepare rooms for them. Miorich may not care, but the knights would. Anfey decided it would be better if they just stayed in a building off to the side.

The innermost courtyard was the most heavily-guarded place in the entire city. The anima pagoda there were essential to connecting the mage towers, and the transmission array was the only way this city could communicate with Sacred City. People who lived there were the most important people in the city, and it was logical how heavily guarded this place was.

Two dozen magic lamps lit the inner courtyard, and teams of guards patrolled it nonstop. Soldiers were much more serious and disciplined than normal people, and did not chat like Blavi and Riska had been just moments ago. They went about their business in silence and did not talk to distract each other.

Anfey felt his eyesight was getting better. He was a few hundred feet away from the knights, but he could still see each and every man.

He talked about the spirits with Christian and Hui Wei, but the more they talked the heavier the mood became. Christian and Hui Wei both became very worried after their talk. They were still young, and were ambitious enough to aspire to great things. They were worried not only for themselves, but also for the entire world. It was understandable, since young people tended to have grand ideas and dreams. Even if one was only working a small and insignificant job, everyone still had the dream to achieve greatness. The older a man got, however, the less idealistic he would become. Some people would even forget about their initial dreams.

Suddenly, Anfey spotted someone walking out of the inner courtyard. He was dressed in common clothes and did not appear special. Anfey wasn’t sure where he had seen the man before, he looked familiar.

The guards did not pay the man much attention, and when he left the inner courtyard, he suddenly lifted his head as if he sensed someone observing him. He looked towards Anfey and their eyes met.

Anfey saw the man’s shock, and knew that he had recognized him. The man lowered his head and quickly passed by under the building.

“Anfey? Why are you here by yourself?”

“Feller? What are you doing up here?”

“I wanted some fresh air.”

“It’s three in the morning.”

Feller smiled and sat down next to Anfey. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but every time I fall asleep, I have nightmares. I can’t sleep like that.”

“Aren’t you a little too old to be spooked by nightmares?”

“You don’t know, but the dreams were so real,” Feller said, shaking his head. “Almost too real.”

“There you are, we’ve been looking for you, Feller.” The door opened and Sante and Zubin appeared.

“Why are you looking for me?” Feller asked.

“Do you have any ale left?”

“No. Why would I? I left unnecessary things at Moramatch.”

“God, I wish we were staying at an inn,” Sante muttered. “I don’t even want to leave my room here, let alone find ale.”

“Why aren’t you two asleep?” Anfey asked.

“Had a nightmare,” Sante said, shaking his head. He turned to Feller and said, “Did you really leave ale at Moramatch?”

“Really.”

Anfey frowned. He knew it was normal for Shally to have nightmares, and Feller’s nightmare must have been a coincidence. Now that he learned Sante was having nightmares as well, he was growing suspicious. “Zubin,” he said, “did you have a nightmare as well?”

“How did you know?” Zubin asked, frowning.

Anfey jumped up and said urgently, “Quick, wake everyone up.”

“What? What happened?”

“Quick, do as I say. I will explain it in a bit,” Anfey said. He ran towards the edge of the roof and jumped off. He knew exactly where Shally and Suzanna’s room was, and it was easier this way. He grabbed their windowsill and knocked on the window.

“Who is it?” Suzanna asked, alarmed.

“Me,” Anfey said.

“Wait,” Suzanna said.

After a few moments, Suzanna opened the window. She was wearing a white nightgown. She grinned after seeing Anfey standing on the windowsill like a thief and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Is Shally still having nightmares?” Anfey asked as he jumped into the room.

“She is,” Suzanna said, nodding. “I would spend half an hour putting her to sleep and she would wake up crying after a few minutes. I don’t know what spooked her so much.” She frowned and shook her head.

“Grab her, and let’s go look for Niya.”

“Alright,” Suzanna said. She moved over to the bed and gathered Shally into her arms. Shally frowned and murmured something.

Anfey pushed open the door and knocked on Niya’s door, which was directly across the hall. He waited for a few minutes, but there was no response. Anfey knocked again, harder, but there was still no response. Anfey frowned and pushed the door open.

Niya was lying quietly in her bed and was asleep. Her thin quilt was thrown aside and her nightgown was rolled up to her thigh. The little unicorn woke up and shook its head. Seeing it was Anfey in the room, it jumped up happily and walked to his side.

Anfey did not care that he was in Niya’s room without permission and did not try to entertain the unicorn. He walked over and shook Niya. Niya groaned and opened her eyes. Seeing that it was Anfey who woke her up, she rolled her eyes and waved her hand. “Go away, for goodness’s sake,” she said.

“Get up now,” Anfey said.

“Why?” Niya asked. “Are there necromancers here?”

“No, but you still need to get up immediately,” Anfey said, hiding a grin.

“Fine,” Niya said with a sigh. She sat up in her bed, then suddenly let out a shrill scream. Anfey jumped back, and the unicorn looked at Niya, confused by her sudden action.

Suzanna appeared with Shally in her arms. Shally was shaking, and looked like she was crying. She must be having nightmares again, and a nightmare so terrible she could not wake up. Otherwise Niya’s scream would have awakened her.

“Suzanna!” Niya called. “He’s violating my privacy!” Niya covered herself with the quilt and said angrily. She would obey Anfey’s orders, but he must respect and trust her. Now she was too angry to do anything.

“Niya, calm down,” Anfey said quietly. “Are you having nightmares?”

“What? No,” Niya said angrily.

Anfey looked at her and frowned. He remembered that Niya appeared very peaceful in her sleep, and did not look like she was having nightmares.

Zubin and Blavi burst into the room. They thought that something must have happened after hearing Niya’s scream and came to her rescue. Seeing Niya, who was sitting in her bed with the quilt around her body, and Anfey, who was standing next to her bed, the two of them turned around and left the room without saying a word.