Chapter 6: Experiences

Another awkward silence ensued. All three of them silently picked up their glasses and drank deeply, seemingly trying to numb themselves with alcohol. Gazing absentmindedly at the drunken guests coming in and out, Komer finally broke the silence with a smile: “Alright, let’s stop looking so gloomy. We’re all back, which is good news. Do we really have to act like weaklings and cry? Ridiculous! Let’s talk about what’s been going on with you guys these past years.”

The young man with a horse-like face stretched his mouth into a wry smile even uglier than crying and said nonchalantly, “I’m better off than you guys. When I received the exile order, I went to the Mogan Plateau. There’s a friend of my father who’s a commander at a fortress there. I became an officer there and spent two years there. I can’t say much about the rest, but my combat skills have improved a lot.” After saying that, he proudly puffed out his chest to show off his strength.

“The Mogan Plateau? That’s a paradise for orcs. Didn’t you get captured by them for a ransom?” Komer teased with a laugh.

“Hehe, the more dangerous the place, the safer it is. The orcs were relatively peaceful in the past couple of years, so there weren’t many troubles. But I heard they’ve become more restless since I returned.” The young man with a horse-like face acted concerned for his country and people.

“Tch, it seems like it was your fault the orcs were peaceful those years.” Komer joked with a smile.

“Hehe, not really. I was just lucky. The orcs staying calm meant I didn’t have to fight them head-on. That’s no joke. In previous years, how many hundreds of thousands of gold shields did the fortress spend on compensation each year? It was only because things seemed calm those two years that I didn’t go and risk my life.” A sly look appeared on the young man’s face—one familiar to Komer. This guy might seem rough, but knights often use the tactic of pretending to be weak to lull others into a false sense of security before delivering a fatal blow. But he couldn’t deceive Komer and Puteng, his childhood friends. It seems these past two years weren’t wasted for him; not only had his combat skills improved, but he also seemed to have become more strategic.

“What about Pubei? Where has he been hanging around these past two years?” Komer gradually regained his usual bossy demeanor, no longer showing the awkwardness of having just met.

“Hehe, I had bad luck. I was sent straight to Phoenix City, under the pretense of studying. But it was nothing but a prison. I only returned a couple of months ago because I couldn’t stand the restrictions there.” The pale-skinned young man replied casually, clearly not wanting to talk much about his painful experiences.

“Oh? Phoenix City? It seems your father wants you to gain some experience in politics and become a government official.” With a hint of sarcasm, Komer narrowed his eyes and sneered inwardly. This was the fate of those born out of wedlock—unable to inherit titles, they had to either join the army as cannon fodder or learn something to make their way up in the bureaucracy step by step, or else wander around like scoundrels on the streets. Once they reached adulthood, they could only leave with their meager family wealth; once it was exhausted, they would end up as beggars or become utterly destitute—in short, trash, ignored by everyone. Phoenix City was the second-largest city in the Principality of Nicosia, located in the western plains of the principality. The famous private university, Phoenix Elite Academy, was there, one of the best places to train low-ranking officials for the principality, though only low-ranking officials—never high-ranking ones. Many commoners from other countries on the continent also came here to study, hoping to find a satisfactory job after graduation.

Glancing at the other person awkwardly, his words remained as harsh as ever. Pube lowered his head and wiped his face—this was his habit of avoiding questions. “Hehe, boss, there’s nothing we can do about it. We’re in the same boat. You know our fates are uncertain; we still have to survive.”

Sighing deeply, Komer nodded silently, picked up his glass, and drank it in one gulp. “Hmph, don’t be discouraged. There’s always a way out. Since Heaven brought me, Komer, into this world, it won’t abandon us. There will be bread, everything will be fine.”

“Boss, when did you start using the kind of words priests use to enlighten fools?” the man with a horse-like face said with a smile. This guy had never been a devout believer. If the Church Tribunal heard his absurdities, he’d probably be imprisoned for decades if not burned at the stake. Fortunately, Cyprus wasn’t strict in such matters, which was one of the reasons Cyprus was vibrant compared to other regions.

“Boss, how did you get through these three years?” Taking a gentle sip of wine, the pale-faced young man’s face turned red—clearly not used to alcohol. Yet his bright, deep eyes showed that his mind remained sharp.

“Better not say anything. In any case, compared to you guys, it’s like one is in heaven and the other in hell—nothing but exile after exile. Of course, some other things unexpected by you guys also happened in between. I’ll tell you more slowly later.” Komer shook his head, picked up his glass, and let the wine swirl in his mouth as if savoring something carefully. His experiences over these three years were likely far beyond what others could imagine. He himself didn’t want to recall those days too much. Though hardships can temper a person, such trials on the edge of life and death, filled with endless pain, were certainly not a pleasant topic to remember.

“Boss, it’s obvious you’ve had some special experiences. I bet on it,” said the young man with a horse-like face, his expression firm and his eyes glowing with excitement. “I can sense that there’s something unique about you—like the mages in our fortress. Have you learned magic, boss?”

Startled, Komer studied the young man carefully. He hadn’t expected this kid to have such a keen sense. He had only tried to use telepathy to eavesdrop on the conversation of that strangely shaped man nearby, yet this kid had picked it up.

“Hehe, I occasionally learned a few trivial things. They’re probably not worth much,” Komer said, neither denying nor elaborating further. “What do you think those people over there are doing?”

Following Komer’s gaze, the young man’s attention was immediately drawn away. Those men had massive frames, large heads with a few beautiful feathers, and bronze-colored faces with sharp features. They drank large glasses of the strong Red Reed liquor—something most people wouldn’t dare try—seemingly enjoying it to the fullest.

Shrugging, the young man glanced at them and said, “Oh, they’re barbarians. Lately, they’ve been coming here quite often. It seems their region has faced another bad harvest, so they have to come here to buy food and necessities.”

“Mm, probably. A few days ago, I also saw some barbarians at the market, bringing lots of ore to exchange for food. They must be struggling. Usually, these guys rarely set foot in Sepulus. But that ore seems quite valuable—many of it is good material for crafting fine weapons. It’s a shame those greedy merchants drive down the price, and those barbarians don’t understand anything, so they probably only get one-tenth of its worth.” The pale young man made a disappointed face.

“Oh?” Komer felt a stir in his heart. Over the past three years, he had learned from his master and acquired quite a bit of knowledge about crafting artifacts. Though not an expert, he knew that adding special substances to certain artifacts could instantly increase their value by a hundred times, far exceeding their original worth. However, this required both the skill of the craftsman and the properties of the added substances.
“Let’s go and take a look. Maybe we’ll encounter some lucky surprises.” Komer raised his eyebrows and stood up.
It was unclear why Komer suddenly became interested in a group of barbarians, but the horse-faced youth and the pale youth instinctively stood up as well and followed Komer, staggering along behind him.