Assassin’s Chronicle - Chapter 531

The arena was a chaotic mess. Dozens of swordswomen surrounded Shinbela. They screamed loudly. Even the garrison on the main street could hear them clearly.

“It looks like Shibela lost her control over them,” Anfey said slowly.

“All of them are very professional, proud, and mature. It is not going to be easy to tame them. I think you overdid it,” Anthony said with a smile.

“Tame? You do not have to use such a filthy word.” Anfey smiled. “Let’s go and take a look.”

Seeing Anfey and Anthony, the swordswomen started to quiet down. Some of them even lowered their heads, out of anxiety, and backed away a little bit.

“Shinbela, what is wrong?” Anfey asked.

“Master, they complain about me, saying I am giving them a hard time on purpose,” Shinbela said in a low pitch.

“Oh? Then why don’t you guys tell me how Shinbela gave you a hard time?” Anfey asked.

“Master, Captain Shinbela asked us to run along the arena every day. She did not give us any training. What is more frustrating, was that she filled the wells with stone, and did not allow us to go out. We were so sweaty after the run. We could not shower without water,” a brave swordswoman yelled. “Master, if you don’t believe me, you can smell us. We stink.”

The girl who was speaking did not mean anything sexual, but her audience were good at using their imaginations. Some swordswomen giggled. What guts that swordswoman must have had to ask Anfey to smell their stink.

“You need water, right?” Anfey smiled. “Feller.”

Feller used to lack confidence, when among others. He usually looked shocked when others talked to him. As time went by, though, Feller had grown more mature. After hearing Anfey calling his name, Feller had a devious smile on his face. He chanted and raised his wand.

Bean-sized rain fell on their faces and heads. Feller had really good control, when it came to the rain. Except for Anfey and Anthony, the swordswomen and half of the arena were all under the rain.

A few swordswomen released combat power to protect themselves by instinct. They immediately noticed that Shinbela stood there without moving, quietly taking the hits from the rain. Anfey turned around to look at them coldly. Those swordswomen got scared, and immediately stopped using combat power.

The rain came fast and stopped fast as well, but it had already made all the swordswomen wet. Their daily assignment was training, not to join the battles. Most swordswomen did not wear armor. After they were rained on, their clothes stuck on their bodies and showed their curves.

Of course, not all swordswomen were beautiful with great bodies. They had different shapes and thicknesses.

People could fall really fast. Taking Feller as an example, when Feller was asked to go to the club to “have a drink” for the first time, he refused to go. Blavi and a few others had to carry him there, but after the first time, he agreed to go, and then wanted to go, and even began going on his own at the end. Feller underwent a huge change in less than half a year. He looked at the swordswomen without any embarrassment now. He even secretly gave them scores. He nodded some times, and shook his head at other times.

“Enough?” Anfey asked casually.

The swordswomen all went quiet. If they felt they were being played by someone, they might get all mad and do something at that moment. However, Anfey was different than the others. He was very special. This was especially true, after he said he would give them training. They could not refuse that temptation. Everyone knew Anfey inherited the skills of the Saint. It meant that they might have a chance to break through their bottleneck, or even reach to the highest level, if they could learn from Anfey.

“If you have complained enough, you can now continue the training. Run around the arena for 100 laps,” Anfey said.

“Yes, master.” A swordswoman named Julie answered first, and then started to run before everyone else.

Anfey gave Shinbela a look and walked to the side. Anthony giggled in a low pitch. “Running again? Master Anfey, do you really know how to train them?”

“I do not know.” Anfey shook his head. In Anfey’s previous world, because of his profession, he had the chance to meet mercenaries and get to know some internal information. With the only information he knew, Anfey did not think he could train those swordswomen. In fact, he never thought of training anyone.

“Then, what are you doing to them?” Anthony asked.

“I do know how to make people stronger and tougher,” Anfey said.

“By not allowing them to shower?” Anthony found it funny. “Poor girls. They got wet today. If they are not allowed to shower, I think they will go nuts.”

“Some people might not be able to stand it, but I am sure there are a lot of them that will hang in there,” Anfey said.

“Why?” Anthony asked.

“Alice told me she picked the good ones for this squad. A lot of them must be spies. I think Alice is right,” Anfey said slowly.

“I agree with you.” Anthony nodded.

“The ones who hang in there could be two kinds of people. One is the kind of people with strong willpower, while the other is the spies with a lot of responsibilities.” Anfey smiled. “The latter kind of people would not let any opportunity go to get close to Alice.” The people who were in charge of planning were usually smart. The people who could take a lot must have a lot of responsibilities on their shoulders. The more they could bear, the greater the devious intentions they held.

“You don’t want to torture them for a long time, do you?” Anthony started to worry about himself. It was ok for him to hang around with people who were not able to shower for a few days, but he felt it would be a torture to be with people who could not shower for a few months.

“This is just the beginning.” Anfey smiled. “In fact, I am curious who would hang in there to the end.”

“If some of them could not take it anymore, and want to quit, what should we do?” Anthony asked.

“We actually could trust the people who quit, because they do not have any bad intentions or ambitions.” Anfey watched those swordswomen who started to run as he talked. “I want them to do something different for me.”

Anthony followed Anfey’s eyes. “Master, I noticed that you showed interest in Julie.”

“She is adorable. I do like her.” Anfey smiled.

Anthony was shocked for a second. “Are you serious?” After joining the League of Mercenaries, he heard the rumors about Anfey and Alice. No matter how cute Julie was, she was no match with Alice. It was hard to believe Anfey was attracted to her.

“Of course,” Anfey said casually. “She made me think of an old friend.”

“An old friend?” Anthony was confused.

“People usually have a good memory when it comes to their dangerous past experiences. Back then, when I killed the grandson of Philip and had to ran away from the Sacred City, I was chased by the Sacred Flame knights. That old friend showed up and saved us. Even though, without her help, we would have probably been fine anyway. Dean Steger had been protecting us in secret. I really appreciate it, and would never forget what she has done for me.”

“Are you saying Julie saved you?” Anthony asked in surprise. Feller seemed to be more shocked than Anthony. He opened his mouth wide. Obviously, he was trying to recall what had happened before.

“Maybe, if my guess is right, she should be more powerful than what she showed, at least more powerful than Midof. Feller, shut your mouth.” Anfey said in a low pitch.

Feller swallowed hard. “Anfey, do you really think that is her?”

“Most likely. I still remember her smell,” Anfey said.

“Are you suspecting her? Why? She saved us!” Feller asked.

“Saving us does not mean she had good intentions toward us. She might think it was better to keep us alive back then.” Anfey smiled. “A necromancer saved us back then, too. Do you think that necromancer was trying to help us?”

“Of course not,” Feller said.

“Neither did she,” Anfey said in a low pitch. “Besides, we saved her, too. It does not matter if she had a good or bad intentions back then. The key is that you need to create more chances to work with her. Hehehe, if she were a pile of dry grass, your friendship would be a big fireball. You can light her up.”

“Anfey, I do not think I am that attractive.” Feller smiled bitterly.

“It has nothing to do with charm,” Anfey said.

“If Julie is as Master said, she will immediately cling to Feller. Then she must be a spy,” Anthony said in a low pitch.

“Anyone want to bet with me?” Anfey asked.

“No, thank you.” Anthony shook his head. The reason he joined the League of Mercenary was because of Anfey’s incomparable power. What he admired about Anfey the most was his “horribly” sharp sensitivity. He would not bet with Anfey for anything.

“If she is just as you said, what should I do?” Feller asked.

“I will handle her, if that is the case. I will try to steal her from you,” Anfey said.

“Do you need to try?” Feller smiled bitterly. “I can totally see how miserable my life could be.”

“It’s not definite. Feller, you should have some confidence,” Anfey said.

“Anfey, don’t play with me.” Feller blinked. “Anfey, I am worried there will be misunderstandings between Suzanna and you. Maybe you should have Master Anthony try it. What do you think?”

“That’s you young people’s business. Don’t get me involved.” Anthony’s face immediately changed. He gave Feller a dirty look. Feller made it too obvious. He had no confidence to compete with Anfey, but did have the confidence to compete with Anthony. What an insult. Anthony had such pride, too. He was an archswordsman.

“This has got to be the tenth time you’ve asked me about Kamlin in the past three days,” Saul said. “I already told you everything I know about the man.”

“I’m just worried,” Anfey said. “I want to know as much about him as possible, just in case.”

“Kamlin is a good man,” Saul said. “I don’t think you have to worry about him much. He is a little like Ernest, though a bit more temperamental. He had a smooth early life, and that made him proud, which is why he went after Morgan with his wife all those years ago. That was a mistake that almost crushed him.”

“The necromancer?”

Saul nodded. “Morgan may appear young, but he is even older than Golman, and he is a skilled combatant. He is even more skilled than Golman.”

“What happened then?”

“I don’t know exactly what happened. I only know that he went after Morgan without waiting for his friends. By the time they found him, his wife was dead and Morgan was nowhere to be found.” Saul sighed and continued, “after that, he became a recluse.”

“For real?” Anfey asked incredulously. “Why didn’t he hunt down Morgan?”

“He made a choice,” Saul said, “because he learned firsthand how terrifying Morgan is. When Morgan first appeared in the Country of Mercenaries, Burzuryano and Slanbrea made a pact to take him on, together. Followers of the Church of Light and the druids aren’t exactly on friendly terms, but they still worked together. We all know that we can’t take on Morgan alone. Even I have to find helpers, when it comes to Morgan. I know you’ve fought with Desvidia, but you need to know that Desvidia did not use all of his strength, and Morgan is much more powerful. He is a man to be reckoned with.”

“I see,” Anfey said slowly.

“One of Kamlin’s most important weapons is his skin, which is immune to almost all forms of attack. Of course, I’ve heard from Ernest that you are a natural warrior. You may have a chance with Kamlin.”

“You should tell him everything,” Jacob said with a grin.

“Everything?”

“Ernest almost said that it’s a waste that you’re learning magic,” Jacob said.

Anfey smiled, but did not say anything. He turned to Saul and asked, “Does that mean magic cannot effect him?”

Saul shook his head. “It will be hard, but he’s not immune to everything,” Saul said. “Sure, magic cannot physically harm him, but he is not immune to its effects.”

“Which means, I can’t use magic on him,” Anfey said with a sigh.

Saul frowned. “I’ve noticed that you’re not taking magic seriously,” he said. “You’re using it to assist you, but you aren’t treating it seriously.”

“Why would you think that, Master?” Anfey blinked.

“You seem to be satisfied with just using firebirds,” Saul said with a sigh. “A mage that uses a few spells cannot understand the truth about magic.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” Anfey said quietly.

“What are you sorry for?”

“I…” Anfey froze. He was only admitting to the things Saul said, but he did not think too much about it. He did not expect Saul to ask him anything, and so, did not have an answer.

Saul sighed and shook his head. “You already know everything I do.”

“I won’t bother you any longer than, Master,” Anfey said. He bowed and turned to leave.

“Wait,” Saul said. Anfey turned and looked at Saul, confused. Saul sighed and said quietly, “Be careful.”

Anfey blinked, then smiled and nodded. “I will, Master. Don’t worry about me.”

Jacob sat down next to Saul and watched Anfey disappear. “He wants to take on Kamlin.”

“I don’t think he’ll wait for Kamlin to come to him. He will go to Kamlin.”

“You and Anfey are so different,” Jacob said with a grin.

Saul nodded. “I don’t agree with a lot of the things he did.” Saul paused and shook his head. “He never leaves room for any form of negotiation. The way he does things does not allow him to fail. He fails once, and he will lose everything.”

Jacob closed his eyes and sighed.

“A lot of the things he did, were things that did not leave room for failure,” Saul said. “He is very insecure. He doesn’t like having potential threats.”

“Then why do you care so much about him?”

“Everyone has flaws,” Saul said with a shrug. “I may not agree with what he did, but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong. I’m thankful for what he did for my students, my daughter, and my country.”

Jacob smiled. “Of course you would say something like that.”

Saul shrugged. “I don’t like interfering with my students’ lives much.”

“Now that he knows more about Kamlin, what do you think he will do?”

“That’s not our worries,” Saul said.

“You’re not worried about Shadow?”

“I trust that Shadow will understand what is more important. He won’t let his personal life get in the way of accomplishing what is good for his nation.”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Saul pursed his lips and shook his head.

Jacob didn’t need a clear answer. He glanced at Saul and said, “Remember Tivankechajin?”

“What about him?”

“Tivankechajin and Atos fell from grace because of us. Now it’s our turn.”

“Yeah?”

“Michael and Manstuly are examples. Now that he has turned to Kamlin… This is the beginning of the end for us.”

“Ernest said Anfey is wasted learning magic,” Saul said. “You’re wasted learning alchemy.”

“What should I do, then?” Jacob asked with a smile.

“You should’ve been a minstrel,” Saul said with a laugh.

Shinbela lifted up her head and looked at the sky. She was walking very quickly and felt a little anxious. It was her turn to protect Alice tonight, but just as she was about to leave the Garrison, the two gangs led by Julie and Midof had clashed, and had nearly erupted into fighting. The reason for the fight was pretty ridiculous. One of the female swordsmen had accidentally bumped into Midof while she was walking, and Midof had given her a tight slap in the face in reaction. The female swordsman could not take the humiliation of this, and had complained to Julie. So Julie stood up for her, and the situation escalated until it was out of control.

Humans are social beings. When they are in a new environment, they will look for people whom they are comfortable with, in order to work together. In just a little more than 10 days, those female swordsmen had befriended one another and formed two gangs. As Midof and Julie were more capable ones, they had been selected as leaders of the respective teams.

It was getting very dark. There was no one else on the street other than Shinbela. The magic world could not be compared to the modern city. There were no street lights, or any other facilities that could light the way. Although there was not total darkness, one could only depend on the moonlight and the lights that came out from the houses to make their way. Visibility was bad. Fortunately, Shinbela was a high-level swordsman. If it was an ordinary lady, she would have cried out of fear.

After walking past a corner, Shinbela heard someone crying from the side of the street. She stopped and listened for a while. The sound came from an alley. If she had not been in a rush, she would have checked it out. However, she had to rush back for her duty, and that was the most important thing. After pondering for a while, Shinbela continued with her journey.

“Ah…no!” A scream was heard from the alley.

Shinbela stopped again. She heard very clearly. Other than the scream of a female, she could hear the disgusting laughter of a man. She raised her brows and walked back to the alley.

Shinbela saw a lady lying on the ground at the end of the alley. Two dark figures were moving around. She had guessed what they were doing, even though she could not see clearly.

“Stop!” Shinbela shouted. As she released her Combat Power, she could see more clearly. The lady’s skirt had been removed, but her top was still intact. However, there were blood stains on her face. The left side of her face was swollen, and she had lost a few teeth. She looked desperate, humiliated, and enraged.

Initially, Shinbela was a little suspicious. No ordinary people would leave the comfort of their homes late at night. Where did these people come from? However, after looking at the expressions of the lady, Shinbela dropped her suspicions. Given her experience, she could tell that the expressions of the lady were real.

As Shinbela was about to dash forward, an arc that was hardly noticeable to the eyes flashed past her combat boots. Shinbela froze on the spot. Two slabs of earth element covered her feet and turned into rocks.

The two men, who were in front, turned around, each holding a bow. As the sound of a bow being pulled back was heard, two arrows shot toward Shinbela’s chest.

The sword was Shinbela’s forte. Although she could not move her feet, it did not hinder her from exerting her combat force.

There was an explosion, and the wall behind Shinbela fell. A tall figure jumped out. Shinbela was tall, but the figure was taller. The two thighs were bigger than her waist. The figure was holding a long, terrifying battle-ax, which he swung toward Shinbela’s head. The whooshing sound of the battle-ax made Shinbela feel suffocated.

Shinbela’s Combat Power was at its maximum. She moved her body and waved the sword against the battle-ax. As the blows collided, Shinbela was nearly thrown to the ground. The figure moved backward a few steps before stabilizing himself. In terms of strength, Shinbela was more powerful. However, as she was restricted in her movements, she was unable to exert her full force. This left her at a disadvantage.

The figure took a deep breath before taking another step forward. He swung the battle-ax at Shinbela’s leg. This was a vicious move. Shinbela could not run, as her feet were locked. He attacked her left leg, but as Shinbela was holding the sword with her right hand, this made it harder for her to make the appropriate moves.

This was just the threat from the back. A swordsman, wrapped in a cloak, flew down from above with a long sword, aiming at her chest. The combat force was comparable to Shinbela’s.

Shinbela fixed her eyes sharply on the swordsman. She could not be bothered with the attack from the back at the moment.

At this instant, someone dashed from the side, knocking himself against the ax warrior. Although the ax warrior’s body was like a huge beast, he could not withstand the collision. He flew backward with a cry, knocking down a wall before crash-landing on the ground. The ground shook, as though there had been a small earthquake.

Shinbela’s hands became a little weak. She no longer had the desire to fight. This was because a figure had stood before her and was protecting her. This was not fetishism. This was a belief that she had built up through the many combats. No one had been able to hurt her before this figure.

The swordsman recognized Anfey and stopped the attack. With a somersault, she landed seven to eight meters away from Anfey. She knew that this distance was still too close to Anfey, and that she was still in danger. She was shivering, and the tip of her sword was shaking even more.

With a shout, the burly man who had crash-landed jumped up. He was stepping on a body that was dressed like a magician and was distorted in a weird manner. It was as though it had no bones, and blood stains were all over the body. One could not tell whether this had happened when the burly man flew out, or if it was caused by the collision.

The burly man looked adamant. He swung his long battle-ax again at Shinbela. However, as he was badly injured, his movements were slower.

Shinbela had now freed herself from the restriction. She squatted down, glided below the battle-ax, and continued to move backward. She flung the sword with her waist.

This blow was powerful enough to disembowel anyone. However, as the burly man was too big, the blow could only cut the greaves of his leg. There was a deep cut on his leg, and blood was flowing out. Once again, the burly man let out a cry and fell on the ground.

Shinbela immediately jumped, and as she landed, her right knee hit the burly man’s spine. She held her long sword downward, but her eyes were on Anfey. She did not know if Anfey wanted him dead or alive, so she dared not act rashly.

Anfey nodded. Shinbela stabbed down hard on the burly man’s neck, nailing him to the ground.

Not only did the burly man have strong willpower, he had a strong will to live. He survived the blow. He waved crazily with his hands and beat around. However, the more he struggled, the more his wounds tore. Fresh blood spewed out from his neck, like a fountain, splashing onto his body and Shinbela. If it were Anfey, he would have moved aside, but not Shinbela. She was not bothered with the blood that was on her. She stared at the burly man’s body and kicked his head. His wounds got worse, and more blood spewed out. The burly man gradually stopped struggling, and began to twitch.

“I feel sorry for you. I am not against people who are ambitious. It is good to be ambitious, as it serves as motivation,” Anfey said flatly. “But…to assassinate someone to fulfill your ambition is something I cannot accept.”

Having said that, he waved his arms and two phoenix shot out like lightning. Before the two men, who had quietly hidden themselves in the hole by the wall, could cry out, they were on fire.

“You…you know me?” The swordsman asked with a trembling voice.

The moment the swordsman opened her mouth, Shinbela recognized her voice. It was Midof!

“There were more than 50 magicians spying on you on a rotating basis. Nothing can escape my eyes!” Anfey said flatly. He had not wanted to destroy anyone. As to what Alice had said, although these swordsmen were not trustworthy, they were indeed useful, and could serve as cannon fodder. However, Midof had gone overboard and acted willfully. She was the black sheep.

“You are too silly. Compared to Julie, she is smarter than you. She is ambitious, too, and knows what you will be doing. She has played along with you, and after you have left, she reported to Anthony that you snuck out. If Shinbela is killed, and your plot is being exposed, she will naturally become the leader.”

Midof shivered even more, either due to anger or fear one couldn’t tell.

“You wish to live?” Anfey asked with a smile.

Midof was smart enough to catch what Anfey meant. Without hesitating, she knelt on the floor and cried out, “Sir…”

As the end approached, Edward the Eighth grew more and more reckless. He would spend most of his days drunk, and most of his nights with women. He stopped caring about his reputation, because he knew that he would not remain in power for long. His behaviors began affecting members of his court as well. The noblemen were even more crazy than their ruler.

No one tried to stop Edward the Eighth, or tried to rule the nation. If all men must die, then they might as well do some things they won’t normally do. Edward the Eighth was indulging in this madness because he knew that there was no point in struggling anymore. The capital city Diamond City began following its monarch’s descent into chaos as well. The entire city had forsaken its duties in order to seek pleasure instead.

In the mansion of a nobleman, a feast was underway. Except for Edward the Eighth, almost all the important government officials and noblemen were present. A few young men were chatting in the corner of the garden. Normally, these young men wouldn’t be invited to a party like this. However, at this point, no one cared about formalities. Another reason for the invite, was that these young men were very popular among the noblemen lately. No matter what, these young men were smart. Even if they lost in a battle against the Maho Empire, they could still manage to live comfortably.

Once the Maho Empire’s army arrives, the government officials and the nobilities would lose their positions and power. Commoners, however, would have more comfortable lives. Hence, being good friends with a few commoners was a good plan for these high ranking officials. This was why these young men were receiving special treatment.

A few young women walked over and waved at the young men in the corner. The young men glanced at them, but did not react. Seeing that they were not interested, the young women quickly moved on.

A man and a woman appeared around the corner. The man was tall and handsome, the woman was petite and beautiful. They were very close, and were whispering to each other. As they passed the group of young men, the man suddenly stumbled, accidentally pouring his wine onto his date.

The wine stained the woman’s dress and got onto her face. The young woman gasped. She stamped her feet and slapped the man in the face, then hurried off, disappearing into the night.

The young men in the corner giggled. One of them glanced around and said quietly, “The princess has a temper, doesn’t she, Young John?”

Young John snorted and touched his face. “We’ll see who’s laughing at the end.”

“So this has happened before?”

“Shut it,” Young John said, rolling his eyes. “The targets are on the bench to the east. You’ll know who they are.”

The young men nodded. The group divided into two smaller groups, one heading east, and another, back to the feast. Young John hurried after the princess. He needed to calm her down.

There were two young women sitting on the bench. They were dressed plainly, and were not exceptionally beautiful, which was why most people left them alone. The two young men glanced at each other. One of them walked over slowly, and asked gently, “Can we sit here, my ladies?”

The two young women seemed to be surprised that someone was talking to them. They smiled shyly and moved over a little, but neither said anything. The young men sat down. One of them sniffed the air and said, “Smells good here.”

The two young women glanced around curiously. It was already summer, and the flowers were mostly gone. They did not know what the young men were talking about.

“I’m talking about you,” the young man turned to the two women and said with a wink.

The two young women blushed and huddled closer together, obviously unsure of how to respond.

“The entire feast smelled like cheap perfume,” the young man said, shaking his head. “Thank god we found you.”

The young women glanced at each other and smiled, but still did not say anything.

The young man licked his lips and asked, “Are you two mages?”

“No,” the young girl said. “We can’t learn magic. Are you a swordsman?”

“How did you know?” the young man asked, feigning surprise.

One of the girls smiled and pointed at the sword on his belt. The young man slapped his forehead. “My old friend betrays me,” he said.

“Old friend? How old are you?”

“Twenty four,” the young man said. “How about you?” He paused, then slapped his leg. “I’m sorry, my lady. I shouldn’t have asked.”

The young girl shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sixteen,” she said.

The young man was very good at holding a conversation. Slowly, the two girls began talking more, and the tension melted away. The other young man did not say anything. He wasn’t as good at holding conversation with women as his companion was. Because of this, he preferred to stay quiet.

After a sudden surge of magic, the building in the distance burst into flame. The party guests in the garden, startled, stared wide-eyed at the building. All around, dark figures rose into the air and flew toward the building. This was not a natural fire.

“Let’s go check that out,” the silent young man said, drawing his sword.

“Wait!” his companion said, grabbing his arm. “Don’t you know? Anfey’s in the city?”

“What do you mean?”

“Anfey probably wanted to round up everyone,” the young man said. “Let’s go find somewhere we can be alone, and hide there.” He turned to the two girls and said, “Come with me.”

The two girls appeared terrified. They glanced at each other and, after a few seconds, got up to follow the young man deeper into the garden.

“Sir!” Ye called out at the door.

Anfey, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, slowly opened his eyes. “Come in.”

Ye pushed the door open and walked in. He bowed and said, “Sir, things are getting out of hand.”

“Oh?” Anfey jumped down from the bed and put on the long robe that was hanging by the side.

“After you have deliberately slackened in your management, more than 10 female swordsmen became very active. They have befriended many people, but Julie, whom you have instructed me to observe, is well-behaved. She has been practicing her swordsmanship and Combat Power all day long, and has never left the Garrison,” Ye said, “It has been more than 10 days, I am worried…could she have suspected something?”

Anfey frowned, deep in thought.

“Sir, you shouldn’t have told Shinbela the truth. She is not suitable for this role. If someone has let the cat out of the bag and caused Julie to become suspicious, it must be Shinbela.”

“Have Shinbela and Julie fought with each other?”

“They need not fight, Sir.” Ye shook his head. “A hostile or wary look, even just once, is enough to cause Julie to become suspicious.”

“Shinbela is very careful. I don’t think she would make such a stupid mistake.” Anfey said lightly.

“In this case, I don’t understand why Julie is so careful.” Ye smiled wryly and said, “It could be…you have made a mistake. She is not what you think.”

“I have a good memory.”

Ye shrugged and said, “If you are right and Shinbela did not let the cat out of the bag, then what is the matter with Julie?”

“Let’s wait for a few more days,” Anfey slowly said, “Probably, she can take her time to complete her task, which is why she didn’t take the risk.”

“But previously, she has reported to Sir Anthony. I think she is anxious to climb up the ladder, and at the very least, to replace Shinbela.”

“How is the relationship between Feller and Julie?”

“Julie is very warm toward Feller, but she keeps her distance. Hahaha…I don’t think she is interested in Feller.”

“I am disappointed with him.”

“Sir, how about getting Lord Christian to test her out? With his background and charm…”

“Stop your nonsense. How can I let Lord Christian take the risk?”

Anfey pondered this and said, “Let’s wait for few more days and see how it goes.”

“I guess we will have to do that.” Anfey nodded and said, “Sir, one more thing.”

“What?”

“It’s about Batusimon,” Ye said. “He has joined us at a later stage, and has never contributed to The League of Mercenaries. Thus, you have never had any regard for him, or at least, he thinks that you don’t appreciate him. I have heard that he frequently complains to his men about you, saying you are being unfair and even…”

“Even what?”

“Even says that you are a swindler,” Ye said grudgingly. “Sir, Batusimon is unhappy with you.”

“So? He dares to rebel against me?” Anfey sneered. He looked down on Batusimon. Before he had war with the Wolf King Manstuly, the Reaper, Batusimon had sent a messenger to The League of Mercenaries and had promised to join forces with them with his troop.

However, even after he had defeated Blackwater City, Batusimon was still procrastinating and had deployed only a small part of his troop to the war. It was Baery, who had crossed over the valley and wiped out the army of the Shansa Empire. When everything was over, and the army marched up to the north, Batusimon then led his troop to gather with The League of Mercenaries.

Batusimon did not contribute at all to the war. In this case, Anfey could not keep the promises that he had made to Batusimon. The make-up of The League of Mercenaries was very complex. To unite everyone, Anfey had to be fair in his dealings with every team, refugee, and partner. If he had kept his promises to Batusimon, Batusimon would have been very happy, but to those soldiers who had fought together with Anfey, it would be unfair.

“The Maho Empire will unify the continents. Batusimon dares not rebel,” Ye smiled and said, “but he can look for another chief. Recently, he has been walking closely with General Shinge from the Roaring Dead Legion.”

“Shinge?” Anfey was running the name through in his mind.

“Sir, I have spoken to Lord Christian about this. He has asked Shawn to check on Shinge’s background, and they have found out that Shinge is Granden’s confidant!”

“Why have you not mentioned this to me before?”

“Lord Christian has told me to inform you later,” Ye said softly.

“Why?”

“Lord Christian said that your killing intent has been immense, and that, if you know about it, you will try to kill Batusimon.” Ye smiled wryly. “Batusimon is only walking closely with General Shinge, and he has not done anything overboard. When Lord Christian rewarded his subjects previously, Batusimon was on the list. Lord Christian was afraid that if you kill his subject in a rash action…there will be unrest in Sacred City.”

“My killing intent has been immense? What does Christian mean by that?”

“Sir, have you forgotten? Previously, when Sir Alice met up with you and Lord Christian to discuss the uproar the royal families who have been jailed have created, and the rumors their family members have spread….” Ye was careful with his words. “Can you recall?”

Anfey’s expression changed. He recalled the incident. Alice had asked for their opinion, but before Christian could say anything, Anfey had said adamantly that they should be killed to avoid future trouble!

Those royal families had lost their power. No one could take this lying down. As long as they were alive, they would create trouble. If Alice wanted to implement a new policy but they wanted to hold onto the old, there would be no compromise. Thus, Anfey felt that he was right in the matter.

However, now that Ye had reminded him, Anfey realized that he had not handled the matter well. The prisons in Moonlight City and the few surrounding big cities were packed with people. One word from him, “Kill”, would send many heads rolling! Moreover, the royal families ganged up together, because their power had been taken away from them. In actual fact, they were the victims. They were different from those who fought in the war. Anfey had not been disciplined in his cultivation, and was behaving more and more like those small fries in the secular world. This was not what he wanted.

Since Alice was the Executive Governor for the eight provinces, she had the right to make decisions. Christian was the prince of the country, so he could also voice his opinion. However, for Anfey, although he was competent, and was the Chief of General who was in charge of the army of The League of Mercenaries, he had no right to interfere iwith the internal affairs of the Shansa Empire. The funny thing was, as the Executive Governor of the eight provinces, Alice was brainless. She immediately summoned Kumaraghosha to carry out the task. Christian just smiled, and did not oppose. Given his character, neither did he support the idea.

Alice was brainless? What a joke. If she was brainless, Yolanthe would not have had high regard for her. The League of Mercenaries would not come this far. Does Christian not have any plans? Impossible. If not, he would not have asked Ye to keep the matter about Batusimon from Anfey, who was no longer a greenhorn in politics. He knew that they had to go through certain procedures. Firstly, Alice, Anfey, and Christian had to come up with a reasonable countermeasure. Then, they had to discuss with Baery, Saul, Steger and the others, and agree on how they would carry out the plan and submit a proposal to Yolanthe. However, Anfey had jeopardized the procedures, stopping the flow at the first step!

The crucial thing is, Yolanthe had adopted the policy of appeasement. In the provinces ruled by the people of the Shansa Empire, the people of the Maho Empire must not interfere. Yolanthe was also constantly asking if the army had harassed the people. Anfey had been autocratic in his behavior, and had violated Yolanthe’s wish!

A shiver ran down his spine. Anfey was never afraid of any opponents, no matter how powerful they were. However, if the threat came from within, he would, in essence, be his own enemy, which made him feel uneasy.

Not just anyone could be an initiator. When Alice had wanted The League of Mercenaries to be more cohesive, she tried to paint a good picture of Anfey, praising to his ability. Anfey became the idol of a lot of people in The League of Mercenaries. Even if it were a lie, it would have become the truth once everyone began talking about it. Anfey was, in fact, capable. After having heard so much about him, no one had any doubt about his decisions, even if they could not understand them. Moreover, Saul liked Anfey a lot, and Yolanthe also had high regard for him. Although Baery, Steger, Miorich and the rest were Anfey’s seniors, they had never put on airs in front of him. They were like his friends. After the war at the valley, Anfey and Yinuamansu had become great friends. Anfey had the respect of his men, and support from his friends and many powerful elders, and these were enough to make a level-headed guy like him arrogant. Anfey also had sentiments, which he could not share with anyone!

“Sir…” Seeing Anfey in a daze, Ye called out cautiously. Although he was cautious, he did not dodge his gaze. There was one more thing that he wanted to tell Anfey. He had discussed things with Christian, and they found that something was not right with Anfey’s behavior. However, it was not convenient for Christian to bring this up to Anfey, so Ye had to do the dirty job.

“I see,” Anfey said with a nod. “About Batusimon… do as Christian says.”

“Yes, sir,” Ye said. Anfey’s attitude showed that Ye’s words had made an impression. He was also glad that Anfey was willing to listen to advice, and was not an overly confident man.

“Sir?” someone outside called.

“What is it?” Ye asked.

“We found those men, sir,” one of the men replied.

“Did Alice put you up to this?” Anfey asked.

Ye shook his head. “She knows what I’m doing, but she did not tell me to do anything.”

“Tell me everything that happened.”

“You haven’t talked to anyone lately, have you, sir?”

“I went to meet the guards,” Anfey said. “I didn’t notice anything off.”

“After those noblemen were executed, the families began spreading rumors to slander Lady Alice. Some of those families must have found an artist and paid him to do some paintings on a wall near the southern gate. The artist drew a picture of a woman performing sexual acts with demons, and the woman resembles Lady Alice.”

Anfey frowned. This showed blatant disregard and disrespect toward Alice and, by extension, him. Ye paused upon seeing his frown and added quietly, “We destroyed those images as fast as we could.”

“Does Alice know?”

“I think so,” Ye said. “Lady Alice is popular among the commoners, and there is no reason for them to be so disrespectful toward her. Batusimon has already apologized to Lady Alice as well.”

“Why did he apologize?”

Ye sighed and said, “The paintings were done during the night. Batusimon’s men found the paintings and, instead of reporting it immediately, they chose to ignore it. It wasn’t until midday that it was discovered by us.”

Anfey’s frown deepened.

“I don’t think Batusimon has anything to do with this, though,” Ye said hurriedly. “He seemed very sincere when he apologized to Lady Alice.”

Anfey walked over to the window and opened it, wanting to calm himself down. He pushed on it too hard and the windows slammed into the wall, attracting the attention of several mercenaries below. He looked to the distance and saw that Alice was still in her office. “Is she getting enough sleep?”

“She is busy,” Ye said. “She will only get busier.”

Inside Alice’s office, Alice was with Hui Wei. Both had a large stack of paperwork on the table next to them, and were hard at work. Suzanna was sitting in a chair in the corner, staring at Alice.

“Did you hear that?” Alice sat down and asked with a frown.

Hui Wei nodded. “Was that Anfey?”

“It was,” Suzanna said with a nod. “He sounds angry.”

“Do you want to do check on him?” Alice turned and asked Suzanna.

“I’ll go when Shinbela gets here.”

“But…”

“Don’t worry,” Suzanna said with a smile. “He’s not a child anymore. I am sure he can take care of himself.”

“Does that mean that I am a child that can’t take care of herself?” Alice asked jokingly.

“Of course not.”

“She’s right, Alice,” Hui Wei said. “We can’t risk it. Sure, it’s unlikely, but what if something goes wrong, and there’s no one here to protect you? We can’t lose you.”

Alice sighed. “I’m just curious,” she said. “What made him so angry? Has he been moody lately?”

Suzanna thought about it and shook her head.

Alice smiled. “Seeing how much he cares about you, I don’t think he would let you know if anything’s bothering him, even if he is extremely irritated.”

Suzanna blushed. “Don’t you have work to do?”

Alice giggled and returned her gaze to the paperwork.

A few minutes later, the door opened and Anfey appeared. “Suzanna, honey, smile,” Alice said without lifting her head.

Suzanna rolled her eyes, but nevertheless grinned at Anfey. Hui Wei looked up and smiled.

“Anfey,” he said. “I need to talk to you.”

“How did you guys know it was me?”

“Because you’re the only one who doesn’t knock,” Alice said. “What is it?”

Anfey looked at her for a few seconds, then said, “Did Lord Baery say anything about executing the noblemen?”

“Of course…” Hui Wei said. Before he could finish, Alice frowned and interrupted him.

“Hui Wei, can you go fetch me Ozzic?”

Hui Wei glanced at her, then sighed and quickly left the room. Anfey sat down in Hui Wei’s chair and looked at Alice. “You didn’t want to tell me anything,” he said.

Alice shrugged. “Didn’t feel right,” she said.

Anfey turned to Suzanna and whispered, “Can you leave us alone for a bit? Don’t let anyone come in.”

Suzanna nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her softly.

“What happened?” Alice asked with a frown.

“You should know. Batusimon came to apologize in person, didn’t he?”

“Oh,” Alice said. “You mean the paintings.”

Anfey nodded.

“It’s not a big deal,” Alice said, shaking her head.

“Not a big deal?”

“I know you worry about me, but this is inevitable,” Alice said. “I won’t let it get to me.”

Anfey stared at Alice. He admired her sensibility, and was very impressed by how calmly she had handled this public humiliation.

“If I have not influenced you, you would have used your own method, right?” Seeing that Alice was fine, Anfey heaved a sigh of relief.

“Actually, you are right. If I don’t get rid of them now, they will create a lot of problems.” Alice said with a smile. “I was too simple-minded previously.”

“What did Sir Baery say?”

“He simply asked about it,” Alice said lightly. “Ever since we stepped into Moro Province, Sir Baery has never interfered in the things that I do. This time around, I am too aggressive, which is why he is concerned.”

Anfey nodded his head thoughtfully. He picked up the document that was in front of Alice and flipped through it. “Isn’t this…”

“It is Thompson’s report.”

“You are tied up with so many things, and yet you still have to worry about The League of Mercenaries. This is tough on you.”

“The League of Mercenaries is our fundamental concern. Moreover, Hui Wei is…still unable to take up the responsibility. How can I not worry?” Alice smiled and said. “Anfey, something is not right with you today. Why are you being so polite?”

Alice had noticed that Anfey was feeling apologetic toward her, as she had now been targeted because of him. However, she acted as though she did not know this.

Anfey smiled and did not say a word.

At this moment, Suzanna’s voice was heard outside the door. “Anfey, Ozzic is here.”

“Bring him in.”

The door opened, and Ozzic walked into the room. Hui Wei saw Suzanna standing at the door, so he knew that Anfey must be having a discussion with Alice. He closed the door and chatted with Suzanna.

“Sir, Sir Alice, is there anything I can help with?” Ozzic smiled and asked.

“Sit down.” Alice pointed to a chair nearby and asked, “Ozzic, has Batusimon been looking for you recently? What have the two of you been up to?”

“Yes,” Ozzic nodded and said, “Nothing important, just chatting and drinking. Sometimes, we will go out and have some fun. Sir, I feel that…he has a motive in befriending me.”

“This is normal,” Alice said flatly. “Among the leaders in The League of Mercenaries, you are the most experienced and have earned the most credit. Moreover, you are the most trustworthy. If he can pull you away from us, it will have a great impact on The League of Mercenaries.”

The very few “most” compliments earned from Alice made Ozzic feel elated. He smiled, but the next moment, his face stiffened. “What…pull me away?”

“Yes.”

“Sir, you mean…he is up to no good?”

“Batusimon has been complaining about Anfey behind his back. What good can he be up to?” Alice sneered.

“This is too much!” Ozzic took his sword, turned around, and walked out.

“Come back!” Alice shouted.

“Sir, this fellow is too much. Let me teach him a lesson!” Ozzic said.

Ozzic had weathered the storms. He was not a rash person. He had reacted this way because, on one hand, he would not want to end up behaving like a clown, and on the other hand, he wanted to prove his loyalty toward Anfey and The League of Mercenaries. He was well aware that Anfey and Alice had summoned him to talk about Batusimon, not only for him to have no more dealings with Batusimon or to create animosity between them, it was more than that.

However, to Anfey and Alice, Ozzic was not so smart. Being silly was no big deal. Anfey and Alice had been forgiving toward Ozzic because he was undeniably loyal. They had been showing him due respect as well.

“We cannot be rash in handling this,” Alice said slowly. “If Batusimon doesn’t have anyone to back him up, he will continue to keep a low profile. But now…he thinks otherwise. He knows that we cannot hurt him openly, so he has become bolder.”

“Sir, I…”

“Batusimon is now very close to Shinge. I have heard that Shinge is Granden’s confidant,” Alice said softly. “But I don’t want hearsay, Ozzic. I shall give this task to you. Continue to socialize with Batusimon, and don’t let him get suspicious. If you have to do it, you can talk bad about Anfey in front of him. Hahaha…Anfey, do you mind?”

Anfey smiled and shrugged.

“When Batusimon thinks that the time is ripe, he will show you his true colors. Everyone knows that you are Anfey’s most trusted person. If the offer he gives you is not attractive enough, he will not be able to win you over.”

“I understand, Sir.” Ozzic nodded and said.

“How shall I describe Batusimon…?” Alice pondered, searching for a right word.

“He is proud,” Anfey interrupted. “He should have taken it slowly. He shouldn’t have placed his bet on Ozzic. This is a bad move.”

“He is trying to earn merit,” Alice said with a smile. “Ozzic is the most experienced leader. Other leaders, like Orsie, Tiger, and Elizabeth were old friends of Ozzic. Once he wins Ozzic over, he will be able to shake the foundation of The League of Mercenaries!”

Seeing that Anfey and Alice held him in high regard, Ozzic could hardly suppress his joy. As he thought of Batusimon, he was filled with disdain. How dare Batusimon encourage him to betray The League of Mercenaries!

A carriage was speeding on the State Highway. The coachman was whipping hard on the horses, so that they would travel at high speed. The horses were stained with blood. The youth who was sitting beside the coachman, found it unbearable and said, “Not so hard. It will be the worst if the horses are hurt.”

“It is all right. Someone will be coordinating right ahead.”

At this moment, a man was heard groaning in the carriage. The youth was anxious and rushed in.

Two girls were being tied up, and were resting against each other in one corner. They were quite well-dressed, but they looked pale. There was another man, who was leaning against the carriage. He was frowning and continuously swinging his hands. His index finger and middle finger had become bloody.

“What happened?” the youth asked hastily.

“I was kind enough to feed them, but they bit me!”

“Andrea, be careful!” the youth said in amusement.

“In this case, I will go out.” The youth moved out slowing from the carriage.

Andrea took out a roll of gauze and started to wrap his fingers clumsily with it. He took the dried meat that was beside him and threw it into his mouth. After chewing for a while, he glanced at the two girls and asked, “You really don’t want the meat? You’ll regret that.”

“Pooh!” one of the girls said in a cold voice. “Don’t be too happy. My father will tear you into pieces!”

“I know, I know,” Andrea said with a smile. “But you also have to know, before your father could tear me into pieces, you will have already been torn into pieces by me!”

The two girls turned and looked away from Andrea. They knew what Andrea had said was true.

Andrea took another piece of dried meat and moved toward them. “All right, ladies, it is pointless for you to throw a tantrum. How can you have energy to run away, if you do not eat?”

One of the girls blinked her eyes and said shrewdly, “All right, I will eat.” After saying this, she opened her mouth.

Andrea was about to feed her, but when the dried meat touched her lips, he suddenly pulled back his hand. “You must agree not to bite me again. It was my bad luck earlier to have been bitten by you. But now, since I have said this, you must not bite me again. If not, I will bite you back!”

Andrea opened his mouth and showed his white teeth. He deliberately chattered his teeth and looked shiftily at her body. He then fixed his gaze at her chest. He was obviously telling her that if she bit him again, he would bite her on the spot.

The girl froze and shut her mouth. She was obviously up to no good. Since her ploy had been discovered, and she would not want to risk being bitten, she shut her mouth.

“Be good, be good.” Seeing that the girl was scared, Andrea tried to force open her mouth. He would not have dared to do this earlier.

The girl desperately shook her head and refused to eat. As they were struggling, the dried meat fell out from Andrea’s hand into her clothes.

“It is a sin to waste food!” Andrea sighed, placing his hand into her clothes.

“You…what are you doing? Ah…” The girl screamed and twisted her body crazily, like a big prawn being thrown onto the shore.

“Andrea, quickly shut her mouth!” A shout was heard outside the carriage.

Andrea seized the girl by her throat, and the screaming stopped. Andrea then took his time and searched around. He took out the piece of dried meat that had fallen into the girl’s clothes.

“You know what? We have paid a big price.” Andrea seemed to be talking to the girl, but at the same time, he seemed to be muttering to himself. “In order to distract your father, a few of my buddies have volunteered to become the bait. As I was feeding you, they…might be fighting for their lives. I must complete the mission. If not, I will be doing a disservice to my buddies. So…please be good and stop creating trouble. This is my last warning. If you do it again, I will cut off your tongue and dig out your eyes! Trust me, I will do anything in order to complete this mission!” Andrea moved closer toward the girl, now speaking in her ear. His words were clear, and the two girls heard him very clearly. They started to shiver.

As flexible as she was, Alice had limits as well. If an order contradicted her personal beliefs, she would not obey it, even if the order had came from Anfey. Reorganizing the noble class was necessary, and she was confident in her abilities, which was why she did not care how she approached the matter.

Anfey placed her in charge of the city because he was confident in her ability, and she wasn’t about to let him down. In her original plan, she only wanted to punish the heads of the noble households. However, because of the actions of some of the noble families, she decided to punish all those that decided to disobey her.

The entire province was seized by fear, but there were still noble families that sided with Alice. When she first began imprisoning the nobility, she spared the families that had ties with the military. She did not want to upset any important military officials.

Unlike the nobility, the commoners did not care what Alice was doing. Alice had been trying hard to improve the living conditions of commoners, and so she gave some power back to them. This made her very popular and well-respected. This was why the rumors that the noble families invented about her did not travel far.

Inside a small tavern in Moonlight City, two men were sitting in the corner drinking. One of the men was Ozzic. Sitting across from him was a man in his mid-fifties, with peppered hair and a long beard.

“Heard Anfey gave you a hard time today,” Batusimon said.

Ozzic sighed. “Bad luck, I guess,” he said. “Lord Anfey’s been in a bad mood lately.”

“I know,” Batusimon said. “Don’t you think he’s getting overbearing?”

Ozzic frowned and put his mug on the table. “Don’t say anything like that.”

“No?” Batusimon said with a smile. “What you said to other people is even worse than that.”

“What did I say?” Ozzic asked with wide eyes.

“I heard that you said he is dictatorial, and that he forgot all the things you did for him and the League. Didn’t you also say that you should have worked with Manlyn instead?”

Ozzic’s eyes widened and he shot up from his seat.

“Calm down,” Batusimon said. “Do you think I would be telling you this if I wanted you dead?”

“How did you know?”

“Someone told me, of course.”

“Who?”

“I can’t tell you, but don’t worry. He won’t betray you.”

Ozzic frowned. Clearly, he did not believe Batusimon and his promise.

“Fine. Here. I will say something as well,” Batusimon said. He cleared his throat a few times and said, “Anfey is an ungrateful man, who did not deserve our aid. Now, are we even?”

Ozzic narrowed his eyes, then sat down slowly. “Fine,” he said. “No more of this.”

“Are you scared of him?”

“Of course I am,” Ozzic said. “And you’re not? If you’re so brave, why don’t you say that to his face?”

“That day will come.”

Ozzic pursed his lips. He understood the underlying meaning of Batusimon’s words, and that made him very uncomfortable. “What exactly do you want?” he lowered his voice and asked.

“I…”

“Wait,” Ozzic said, shaking his head. “I don’t want to know. Whatever you want to do, leave me out of it, do you hear me? If you try to push me, I will go to Anfey and tell him everything. Trust me. He will take my word over yours.”

“Working for him has turned you into a coward,” Batusimon said with a sigh.

“Maybe I am,” Ozzic said. “I value my life more than anything.” He finished the beer in his mug and stood. “I think it’s better for both of us if we stop meeting,” he said curtly, then turned to leave.

“He has a weakness, you know,” Batusimon said.

Ozzic stopped, but did not turn to look at Batusimon. Batusimon did not appear bothered. He took another sip of his beer and said, “Suzanna.”

“You’re mad!” Ozzic said. “She’s a top level power. You can’t take her on.”

“But she has a weakness as well.” Batusimon smirked. “Shalley.”

Ozzic paled. He understood what Batusimon wanted to do, but he could not be a part of it. He turned to leave again.

“Let me ask you one last thing,” Batusimon said hurriedly. “If Suzanna and Anfey are both dead, who will you side with?”

“Lord Christian,” Ozzic said with a snort. “So we can get rid of traitors like you.”

“So you don’t have an ounce of faith in me?” Batusimon asked.

“Even if Anfey and Suzanna were dead, Alice and Christian are still here. Baery is Christian’s uncle, and he would never turn down Christian’s request for aid. I am not about to commit suicide.”

“I’m not going to attack anyone,” Batusimon said.

“My god, Batusimon,” Ozzic said. “Just tell me your plan.”

“I’ll be honest with you, then,” Batusimon said. “I’m working with His Royal Highness Prince Wester. There’s no future for you, if you work for Christian, Ozzic. Even if he can take the throne, he won’t spare anything for you. He cares about Suzanna and Anfey way more than you. If you work for His Royal Highness… Well, think of all the glory in the world, and ten times more.”

“I will do no such thing,” Ozzic said, shaking his head. “Christian has support from Saul and Baery. Who does Wester have? He does not stand a chance against Christian.”

“You underestimate His Royal Highness,” Batusimon said. “Christian only began planning for this a year ago. His Royal Highness has been planning to take the throne more almost a decade. There are people working for His Royal Highness all over the world, including here.”

Ozzic’s face darkened. Batusimon was right. Wester was older than Christian, and must be more prepared.

“I already told you everything,” Batusimon said. “You can make the decision for yourself.”

Ozzic sighed and sat back down in front of Batusimon. “Are you sure about this?”

“Of course!”

In a small building at the southern part of Moonlight City, Batusimon lay naked on a double bed. The bedroom was splendidly decorated with precious stones. The owner was obviously not an ordinary person.

Batusimon was making eyes at a woman, reluctant to shift his gaze away. It was summer and the room was getting warmer. As she was in her bedroom, the woman was scantily dressed. The thin material of her undergarments was translucent, revealing her private parts.

“Honna, come here.” Batusimon patted the bed as he said it. When he had first met Honna at the feast held by Alice, Batusimon was mesmerized by her, but Honna was not interested in this old man. It was only by chance that, when Honna was harassed by some thugs, Batusimon had come to her rescue. Honna’s impression of him changed after that. Batusimon had expended much effort in trying to impress her with his capabilities, status, and wealth, before he could finally capture Honna’s heart.

“Are you still able to do it?” Honna looked at him seductively.

“Hoho…come here, and you will know if I am still able to do it.” Batusimon gave a cheeky smile.

At this instant, the sound of a carriage was heard at the forecourt. Honna turned pale and jumped up. “Oh no! My husband is back!”

Batusimon was shocked at first, but after a while, he calmed down and sneered. “So what if he is back?” Before he hit on Honna, Batusimon had run a check on her husband. He was just a powerless, wealthy merchant. Batusimon had never had any regard for such a person.

“You…you must leave quickly!” Honna panicked. She held onto his arm and tried to drag him out of the bed. However, she did not have much strength. Instead of dragging him out of the bed, she nearly fell onto the bed.

“What are you afraid of?”

“Of course you are not afraid. What can he do to you? But it is different for me. After you leave, what will happen to me?” Honna was so worried that she nearly cried.

“Don’t worry, baby. I will take you with me,” Batusimon said, as if it was no big deal.

“You…”

When the door opened, someone walked slowly into the bedroom. Without looking at Batusimon, he went straight to a chair and sat down.

Before the door opened, Batusimon looked calm, but Honna looked flustered. However, after the door opened, the situation changed. Honna smiled, but Batusimon was so shocked that he jumped up from the bed. “You…Sir, why are you here?”

“What have you done?” Anfey said flatly. “It is so late now, but you keep me so busy.”

“Sir, why are you handling such a small matter?” Batusimon smiled cunningly, rolling his eyes. He was thinking hard.

“Small matter? If your wife commits adultery with another man, would you still consider that a small matter?” Anfey smiled. “Of course, if your wife is of your age and uglier than you, no man will take a liking for her. I mean, if it is so.”

“Sir, that Edy…” According to what he had found out, the name of Honna’s husband was Edy.

“Did Edy know Anfey? Or did he know one of Anfey’s men, and has asked Anfey for help?”

“Come in, Edy.”

After Anfey called out to him, Edy walked in, looking calm. He walked steadily and stood tall. He had a steady gaze, and did not look like one who had been made a cuckold. It was not surprising, as he was not related to Honna. At most, they would be considered as colleagues.

Honna had quietly walked past Batusimon, and now stood behind Anfey. Seeing that Anfey was shaking his wrist, as though he was tired, she massaged his shoulders. From a seductive woman, she instantly shifted to behaving like a maid.

Batusimon felt a cold chill run up his spine. Not only did Edy know Anfey, Honna knew him as well. Something was not right.

The sounds of people quarreling outside the room ultimately turned into screams. After a while, Ye stood at the door, and there was the smell of blood.

“Sir, have you…gone overboard?” Batusimon whispered. He knew that misfortune had befallen his men.

“Batusimon, you have been plotting against Alice, and you dare to say that I have gone overboard?”

“Sir, I don’t know what you are saying.” Batusimon felt more and more chilled. Has something happened to Ozzic? If not, how could Anfey have known about it?

“Do you think that I dare not lay my hands on you?” Anfey said with a smile.

“Sir, we are all serving the Maho Empire. I am not your enemy.” Batusimon forced out a smile. “Moreover, Lord Wester…”

“Do you think you have Wester to back you up? You are that naive. Even if Wester is here, I can do whatever I want with you,” Anfey said softly.

“Sir, I am the Earl of the Country. You have no right to lay your hands on me!” When he heard that Anfey would do whatever he wanted with him, Batusimon knew that he was in grave danger. He had to make this last attempt.

“People die of many reasons. I am an expert in this aspect. Why would I create trouble for myself? I will not lay my hands on you. Whatever happens today is very simple. A man’s wife has been violated, and he has no choice but to fight back. This has nothing to do with me.”

Batusimon was in utter despair. He shifted his gaze to one side of the room. When he was having foreplay with Honna, he needed another knife, so he had thrown his long sword toward the dressing table. His sword was only five meters away from him. If he was fast enough, he could take it out from the sheath. However, standing before Anfey, five meters could be a matter of life and death. Even if he could get back his sword, he did not have the confidence to get out of this place alive.

“Honna, what has happened during the past few days?” Anfey asked. No one in the room seemed bothered by Batusimon, acting as though he was invisible.

“A female swordsman was here, Sir. Julie must be one of Wester’s men. I have heard them talking about her,” Honna replied, bending down to whisper into Anfey’s ear.

“Good job! There is a limitation to what magic can do. With the Eyes of Sky, we can only see where they have gone, and who they have met up with, but we are not able to hear their conversations. They have come into contact with so many people, and I can’t possibly arrest all of them. Moreover, the moment they enter a building, the Eyes of Sky would lose sight of them.”

Anfey smiled. “If not for you, I would have to wait a few more days. Hahaha…but now, it is time for action!”

“Thank you for your compliments, Sir.” Honna smiled seductively.

Batusimon stared at Honna like a venomous snake. The smile that he was previously captivated by now looked evil. However, it was too late for regrets. He could not do anything but watch.

“Batusimon, you have done a good job as well. At least, Lord Christian has one doubt removed.” Anfey turned and looked at Batusimon. “Am I right, Christian?”

Christian appeared behind Ye, and Ye stepped aside to make way for him. “Anfey, what do you mean?” Christian smiled wryly, as he moved toward Anfey.

“Because this has nothing to do with Granden,” Anfey said. “Previously, when Granden was unaware of your status, he tried to get close to you, because he has taken a liking to Niya. If I say that you have no feelings for him…that will be a lie. Hahaha, do you feel better now?”

“I knew much earlier that Granden has nothing to do with this,” Christian shook his head and said. “Although Granden is now prejudiced against me, …to threaten us with little Shally is something that he will not do. He knows his boundaries.”

“It is good to know your opponents,” Anfey said with a smile. He was, in fact, trying to hint to Christian that, no matter what he thought of Granden, they could only be opponents and never friends!

Christian knew what Anfey meant, but he did not say a word. He only let out a sigh.

Batusimon started to move suddenly. He did not attempt to retrieve his long sword, but he dove toward the window. As he was about to jump out of the window, he froze. Suzanna was standing in the courtyard. Although Suzanna looked beautiful, she was more frightening than a demon. Batusimon moved back a few steps and fell down weakly on the bed. “Sir Anfey, …you are really good to me!”

“Batusimon, it is better for you to die than to live. Even if we do not kill you, Wester would,” Anfey said flatly. “We have thought that Shinge is one of Granden’s men. Now, it seems like we are wrong. Your stupidity has not only betrayed you, it has betrayed Wester. Do you want to escape? Where do you think you can run to? Can you escape from the continent?”

“Sir, having said so much, are you forcing me to kill myself?” Batusimon was very direct in this question for Anfey.

“If it were in the past, you would have been dead by now. But now…I need to control myself,” Anfey said flatly. “I will give you a chance. To live, or to die, I will let you decide.”

“Are you not afraid that I will betray you one day?”

“Shinge will definitely die. Who are you going to seek refuge with? Who will forgive you?” Anfey laughed. “Moreover, I am only giving you a chance to stay alive. I will never trust you, so how are you going to betray me?”

Batusimon was stoned and suddenly shouted, “All right! Sir, I am willing to serve you, but I have a request.”

“What request?”

“I want her!” Batusimon pointed at Honna.

Honna turned pale. She could tell that Batusimon hated her. If she were to fall into his hands, the consequences would be too dreadful to contemplate.

“What?” Anfey asked, caught off guard by Batusimon’s request. He had spared him because he wanted to learn how to control his temper. He had expected Batusimon to be grateful, not to be making requests.

Ye drew his sword and walked toward Batusimon. He leveled the sword at the man’s chest, then glanced at Anfey, waiting for his order. Batusimon did not look at Ye. He kept staring at Anfey and said, “If you can give that woman to me, my lord, this life is yours.”

Anfey walked over and stopped next to Ye. He looked at Batusimon and sighed. “Even if I don’t give you anything, your life can still be mine.” He grabbed Ye’s hand and thrust the sword forward. The sword plunged into Batusimon’s chest.

Batusimon’s eyes widened. He did not expect Anfey to value the life of a woman over his. Ye pulled his sword out. Blood sprayed onto the ground and Batusimon stumbled backwards. He gasped a few more times and slumped against the wall. Anfey turned to Edy and nodded at him. Edy came forth and whispered a spell under his breath. A cloud of dark fog enveloped Batusimon’s body.

Christian frowned in disdain and moved away from the front. “Let’s go,” he said to Anfey.

Anfey nodded. “Let’s go check on that team of guards.”

“You wanted to go see Julie?”

Anfey nodded. “I heard she’s improving quickly. She defeated Midof, and the women are seeing her as their leader instead of Shinbela.”

“I thought you sent Midof there.”

“I did,” Anfey said. “That’s why I need to go check on Julie. I need Midof to have more room to do her thing. Edy, can you head over to the garrison building after this?”

“I’m not sure how long this will take, though,” Edy said, without lifting his head.

“We’ll wait for you, then.”

Anfey and Christian walked out of the room and toward the yard, to wait for Edy to finish his work. Even though Anfey wanted to create some fictional couple to take the blame, there was really no need to make it a secret, because no one would investigate it.

As the two of them left the building, Robert appeared. Ye glanced at the man. After he recognized Robert, he turned his gaze away.

“I have news, sir,” Robert said quietly. He leaned over to Anfey and whispered something to him.

“When will they arrive?” Anfey asked, smiling.

“They must have already land by now,” Robert said. “Three or four days, at most.”

“Landed?”

Robert nodded. “In order to escape, Andrea didn’t follow the original plan. He headed toward the northeast and rented a boat to throw off anyone on his trail.”

“His name’s Andrea?” Anfey asked. Robert nodded. Kidnapping Kamlin’s daughters was a difficult task, and he knew how much effort Robert put into completing the mission. However, he only ever talked about two people. Young John and Andrea. Clearly, these were two of his best men.

Anfey was very impressed by the work of Andrea and Young John. People in Diamond City would searching the roads to the west of the city, but not the ocean to the east. Taking a boat was a good choice.

“He had requested this mission,” Robert said with a wide grin. “I was worried, but now it seems that was unwarranted.”

“Well, young people would never grow up if they didn’t go through hardship,” Anfey said.

Robert nodded in agreement. “Send some men to aid him,” Anfey added. “I don’t want something going wrong now.”

“I already did.”

“Good,” Anfey said.

Robert bowed and quietly disappeared.

“What are you planning to do?” Christian asked, curious.

Anfey sighed. “It seems like Wester and I are not that different, after all.”

“What do you mean?”

“He tried to use Shalley as a leverage against me,” Anfey said. “Now I’m using Kamlin’s daughters against him.”

“So you really did send people to Diamond City?”

“Didn’t you hear what we just said?” Anfey asked with a smile.

“What are you planning to do with the girls?”

“I’m not sure,” Anfey said. “If someone tries to use Shalley against me, I don’t think I can make the choice. I want to see how Kamlin will react.”

“Does Master know?”

“I think so,” Anfey said. “He didn’t say anything.” He paused and glanced at Christian and Ye. “Don’t tell anyone about this. This will stay between the three of us. Kamlin is a good friend with Lord Commander. I don’t want to anger him in the process.”

“Of course,” Christian said. “I understand. You want Kamlin to disappear quietly.”

Anfey nodded. “Master, Baery, Steger are all near the city. Anthony, Suzanna, and I are inside. I don’t think Kamlin can take on so many of us alone.”

“I don’t think you need to worry, though,” Christian said. “I’m sure Lord Commander knows what is more important.”

“You can’t be sure.”

“I’m pretty sure.”

“Have you met him? Do you know him well?”

“I’ve met him, sure,” Christian said with a shrug. “But if he wants, he can find out what happened to Kamlin with no trouble.”

“He had been working with His Majesty for years. I’m sure he knows what he should do,” Anfey said quietly. “But if he knows that I killed Kamlin, maybe he won’t do anything, but he will not like me. If we make Kamlin disappear, and spread the rumor that Kamlin was working with Edward the Eighth, I don’t think Lord Commander will want to investigate.”

Before Christian could reply, Edy and Honna appeared. Anfey turned and asked, “How was it?”

“I don’t think he knew much,” Edy said with a sigh. “But he did mention a swordswoman called Julie. I think she had some connection with Wester.”