Chapter 16: Rescue

Almost the moment the pack of gray wolves disappeared into the forest, everyone collapsed to the ground. This life-and-death battle had drained everyone’s energy—whether they were Ram knights or Masked knights, including Komer and his group. All they could think of now was to lie down and rest. The only exception was Puber, who had remained on top of the carriage. Having not participated in the battle, he suffered little damage aside from his lips and mouth turning blue from the lingering effects of the wolves’ icy magic breath. Instead, he was delighted by the dead gray wolf corpses surrounding them.

Although magical beasts like gray wolves were not among the most powerful, they were still formidable. Their skins, once tanned, made excellent material for armor, far superior to ordinary cowhide armor. Not only were they several times tougher than cowhide, but they were also lightweight and soft. What’s more, as ice-type magical beasts, wolf skins had properties that protected against ice magic attacks, making them highly sought after by adventurers. If they could skin all these wolves, they could likely fetch a good price, enough to compensate for the loss of three servants.

Yet as they lay down, the sole remaining Masked knight suddenly jumped up. He remembered that two of his companions had been frozen solid by the magical breath emitted by the red-maned wolves before they died. The situation was extremely dangerous; if not rescued promptly, they might die there.

“Everyone, please help! My two companions were injured by the wolves’ magic breath. Please use healing magic to assist them.” Clearly, this Masked knight was not good at negotiation, even when asking for help, his tone was harsh.

It was only then that the two Ram knights, having caught their breath, had the energy to examine the three men dressed as Masked knights. Earlier, the three of them had clearly been waiting for someone ahead, but the sudden attack by the wolf pack left them no choice but to huddle together to defend against the wolves. Now that the crisis had passed, these three men who had suddenly appeared deep in the Greenland Forest seemed suspicious, especially since they all appeared to be quite powerful.

A person like this, whose demonstrated strength was on par with his own as a Ramma Knight, raised questions in both of their minds: What was his purpose? Was it aimed at him or at the target he was monitoring? The target’s performance in this close combat, showing the strength of a true mage, astonished them and also made them wary. After all, being a mage is a special profession that not just anyone can master, and the target’s astonishing abilities made it hard to doubt that he might have been hiding his true skills all along. However, there was little evidence to conclude that he belonged to the dark or necromantic factions.

Although they wanted to ask about the target’s identity, their pride as knights made them fear he might misunderstand them as trying to coerce him into revealing it under the guise of rescue. After some hesitation, they decided it would be better to save his companions first before discussing anything else. The Red-Haired Gray Wolf’s final burst of power was indeed formidable. Though they were direct knights of the Light Church, the severe damage from the icy magic blast left the two masked knights in a state of apparent death. It was then that the two Ramma Knights realized the seriousness of the situation. Even after using various recovery spells and sacred healing rituals, they failed to awaken the two deeply comatose victims. The excessive use of mental energy also left the two Ramma Knights, who were not very skilled in magic, pale and on the verge of collapse, forcing them to sit down and take turns resting.

Komer really wanted to save the two frozen masked knights. Although he suspected the intentions of these three masked knights of unknown origin, and the strong hostility shown by the one called Pick made him feel that they likely had a specific purpose, probably targeting him, he still hoped to save them. After all, they had been injured while fighting alongside him, and more importantly, he wanted to know why these three strangely dressed men were targeting him if they really were, and what outcome they hoped to achieve.

But the fleeting inspiration he had in that urgent moment seemed to have vanished completely. He couldn’t recall why he had been able to cast such a magnificent spell so easily. When the masked knight saw that the two Ramma Knights were powerless to help his companions, he turned his complex gaze toward Komer. Komer’s magical abilities demonstrated in the fierce battle gave him hope.

“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t seem very skilled in this kind of healing magic; I can only do my best.” Faced with the expectant gaze of the other party, Komer felt some pressure. He tried hard to recall the healing magic he had learned, but to his disappointment, since he had no interest in white magic, he couldn’t think of any effective advanced spells despite racking his brains. However, some vague incantations seemed to emerge gradually as he pondered. He instinctively felt they must be some kind of healing magic, so in such a situation, he had no choice but to try using them.

Watching in surprise as the target recited something and then performed a healing ritual in a strange and peculiar manner with both hands—something he had never seen before—Komer quickly saved his two companions from the brink of death. The masked knight was so astonished that he could hardly close his mouth. Earlier, even the Light Church’s unique sacred restoration technique had failed to revive them, yet these two awoke swiftly under the clumsy gestures of this guy—it was truly a miracle. The profound magical power displayed by the other party also left him stunned.

The three masked knights who had joined the group followed behind Komer and his three companions once again. The carriages set off southward once more. Without servants, Fran, Baoling, and Ilot had to act as drivers temporarily. With their help, Pube finally completed a great task—stripping the skins off all the slain gray wolves, as long as their bodies remained intact.

Although they traveled together with various motives, the group unconsciously split into three loose groups: the two Ram knights at the front, the three masked knights at the back, and Komer’s group of five in the center around the three carriages. The atmosphere didn’t change just because they had escaped the danger of the magical beasts; instead, mutual suspicion grew even stronger.

The three masked knights gave no explanations to Komer and the Ram knights. What they needed now was to recover their physical condition as quickly as possible. Jacques and Morsen had been attacked by the gray wolves’ malicious energy and nearly lost their lives, but their bodies hadn’t suffered much actual damage. With some time to rest and recuperate, they would recover. However, the external injuries they sustained were more troublesome. The claw wounds from the wolves were poisonous. Though not serious for them, their internal energy was severely depleted, forcing them to spend more time adjusting and recovering.

After listening to Pike describe the astonishing power displayed by the target, Jacques fell into deep thought. This Komer seemed to be vastly different from the Komer he had known before. In his original impression, Komer was a typical scoundrel—arrogant, lustful, greedy, and unrestrained, with only a hint of cleverness; there was hardly anything notable about him. Yet today’s performance had completely surprised him—this man had turned out to be a magician, a true magician! It was unbelievable that someone like Komer could become a magician in just three years. He couldn’t imagine anyone on the continent having such ability, not even the strongmen of the major nations or the Church.

But the truth was right before his eyes: this man, who had once seemed like complete trash in his eyes, had instantly unleashed a masterpiece of fire magic—“Hellish Soul Training”—followed by another equally difficult spell, “Dance of the Golden Snake.” This was definitely the performance of someone above the level of a mere magician. If not for being in danger at the time, he would have rushed forward to grab this good-for-nothing who had always lived off others and ask where he had learned such magnificent spells. He simply couldn’t believe any powerful mage in the magic world would take such a scumbag as a disciple—such an idea was an insult to the already strict standards of the magic world.

Yet this very scumbag not only saved everyone in the end but also used healing magic to pull himself back from the Gate of Hell. Jacques had never thought he would go to heaven after death, and he certainly didn’t want to go there. In his eyes, the people living in heaven were even more despicable and hypocritical than those in hell.

What should he do under these circumstances? That was something Jacques had to consider. The sudden appearance of two Ramknight had added many variables to this mission, and now the target’s strength far exceeded his expectations. Could he really return empty-handed this time? There had never been a precedent of fallen knights returning without fighting, especially since he still carried the trust of someone who had never failed him. Thinking of this, he felt as if that eager, trusting gaze was once again on his back, prompting him to instinctively straighten his posture.