Chapter Seventeen: Friends and Enemies

Man plans against the tiger, but the tiger also plans against man. While Jacques was figuring out how to take care of the two Rema knights first before dealing with the target, the two Rema knights were also sizing up each other.

“Mare, what do you think those three are? I can’t figure out which knight order they belong to. The one leading them already has a level of combat energy comparable to ours, and the other two are not far behind. I can’t guess their purpose for waiting here for us.” Though Knight Green was walking ahead, he kept an eye on the three who were far behind.

The knight with a cold expression glanced back and said indifferently, “Judging from their attire, they seem like those so-called Fallen Knights—a bunch of scoundrels who indulge in worldly pleasures!”

“Fallen Knights?! Those self-proclaimed killers who defy heaven and are considered heretics?” Knight Green was also shocked. He had long heard of the Fallen Knights—a loose organization. No one knew exactly how many members they had, where they came from, or what their beliefs were. As long as you embraced their principles and passed their tests, you could become one of them. They didn’t care about your past or identity, as they always wore masks, spoke little, disappeared after completing their tasks, and even allowed members to leave at any time without reason.

“It must be them. I think they’re after our target too. If it weren’t for the interference of the magical beasts, their battle would have ended long ago. The Fallen Knights never give up on their missions. I think they’ll take action soon, but at least we have to get through today.” Knight Mare’s tone was always cold.

Turning his gaze back to the rear, a sharp light flashed in Knight Green’s eyes. “Isn’t this making things difficult for us? The leader ordered us to keep up with this man, and from what’s happening now, we’re getting some clues. Today, this guy’s performance has really surprised us. Hehe, given his magic skills, maybe he’ll reveal more next time. We can’t let anyone disrupt our plans, but giving them a chance to test us might be a good idea.”

Knight Mare had always admired his companion’s strategic mind. Planning carefully before acting was their motto. Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before they completed the task assigned by the leader and could go home.

The atmosphere among Komer and his companions was extremely awkward. Fran and Baoling rode in two separate carriages at the front, while Ilot acted as the coachman for Komer’s carriage. With Pube sitting beside him, his intentions were obvious. Komer knew that no matter how he explained himself, they wouldn’t believe him. His behavior that day not only surprised Ilot and Pube but also surprised him himself—he wasn’t sure why he had acted in such a remarkable way. The magical skills he displayed far exceeded those of an ordinary mage, almost on par with a true magician. Yet Komer had always claimed to only know a few simple spells, which naturally angered them. “Alright, alright, stop staring at me like that. In front of my friends, I never had any intention of deceiving you. At most, there are some things I can’t easily explain. But even I was surprised by my own performance today. I can only say it was a miracle; I really can’t explain anything else. Maybe such miracles will happen again in the future,” Komer said with a shrug and a wry smile. Seeing that they still stared at him intently, clearly dissatisfied with his half-hearted answers, he had indeed nothing more to say. “Truly, my friends, I can deceive anyone, but I would never lie to you two.” Noticing their disdainful expressions, Komer quickly added, “Of course, I mean serious matters.” Komer’s honesty finally made them shut up. After all, Komer had been away for three years—a long time enough to change many things. No one could tell what kind of person their childhood friend had become now. But one thing was certain: their bond from the past would never fade, having endured so much together. As night fell, the small group entered a campsite—a small, flat grassy area right by the road. The events of the day made everyone more cautious. The appearance of a herd of magical beasts was no good sign, especially such a large-scale migration. It must mean something in the forest had disrupted the beasts’ usual patterns of life. But whatever it was, it surely wasn’t a good sign for those who were vulnerable.

The blazing bonfire finally caught fire. To prevent accidents, the experienced Rema knights set up several piles of wood about ten meters around the tent, ready to light them during the night watch to guard against attacks by magical beasts. While the fire couldn’t solve all problems, it could effectively ward off ice- and water-type magical beasts as well as dark and undead creatures, at least buying some time for those sleeping.

Everyone silently gathered around the bonfire. Dinner was simple—everyone had already prepared for camping in the Greenland Forest. Dried meat and bread, as the staple food of adventurers, were also essential items for those who traveled far from home.

The crackling sound of the fire made it burn more vigorously, and the resin and turpentine emitted a pleasant scent. The faces of the people around appeared varied under the flickering flames. Especially the masks of the three masked knights looked particularly eerie against the dark sky and forest backdrop as the firelight danced on them. Their three pairs of dark eyes seemed to be waiting for something, silently staring at the red-hot branches without showing any expression.

“Lord Baron, it seems our trip to the Caucasus won’t go smoothly. We’ve only arrived at the Greenland Forest, and we’ve already encountered an attack by a group of magical beasts. If not for your remarkable performance, we would likely be buried here. I never expected Lord Baron to be a magician. It’s unheard of to find such a young magician like you on the continent.” Knight Green’s gaze shifted from the masked knights across from him to Komer, who was squinting as if deep in thought. Yet every casual glance from him made the three masked knights sense the alertness hidden behind his indifference.

The masked knight sitting in the center cursed inwardly at the meddling guy, subtly reminding him that if it weren’t for his body still needing a night to recover and the unfinished mission, he would have challenged these arrogant fellows first.

“Hehe, Lord Green, you’re too kind. I merely happened to learn a few tricks from a dying sorcerer by chance. I never thought I’d need them, so I never practiced. I suppose you two can tell I’m a bit unskilled in this area.” Komer had already seen through their intentions—they were always trying to find something out about him. But he wasn’t worried. He had hidden the body well, and with the current detection abilities of these two, they would never be able to discover it.

“Oh? Baron, it seems you speak of this as if it’s quite easy. If this magic could be learned with just a few attempts, there would likely be more magicians on this continent than farmers.” A barely noticeable cold smirk appeared on Knight Green’s lips. “Unless you’re a magical genius, born to be a master of magic.”

“Hehe, if you don’t believe me, I can’t do anything about it. But maybe, as you say, I am indeed a magical genius—able to learn everything instantly, even mastering mental training while sleeping. That’s the only explanation that could satisfy you.” Komer shrugged and laughed half-jokingly. It was impossible to get these people to believe him, so it was better to make things up outright—let them believe what they wanted.

“A magical genius? There are many so-called geniuses on the Azure Continent, but it seems their fates aren’t very good—either they die young or go missing. I think it’s better for you not to claim such a title, Baron, to avoid living in fear your whole life.” An out-of-place remark was thrown in coldly, as the masked knight’s lips twitched into a twisted smile.

“Hey, kid, don’t think you can talk big here just because you’re wearing some weird mask. If he weren’t a genius, you’d be lying in a coffin right now!” Eilot retorted immediately. He already didn’t like these sneaky guys, and to top it off, they were mocking him after he’d done them a favor. It was unbearable. He stared defiantly at the masked knight, his unruly gaze making the knight angry.

“Hehe, you all have shared hardships with us. I wonder where you’re from and where you’re going?” Knight Reima skillfully shifted the topic to them.

“We’re just a bunch of wandering adventurers. There’s no need for you knights to worry about us. We’ll part ways with you once we reach the Leon region. But we’ll have to cross the Greenland Forest together.” Jacques casually dismissed the topic. He didn’t want to have much to do with these two shrewd guys. Clearly, these knights were experienced travelers with exceptional senses. Although he still didn’t know exactly what their relationship was with Komer’s group, it was certain that these self-proclaimed defenders of justice would never tolerate them solving Komer and his companions on their own. This forced him to come up with a more proper plan.

Adventurers are the most common nomadic group on the continent. They travel in groups of three or five, seeking thrills through treasure hunting and exploration. A considerable number of them make this their profession, gradually forming a large community across the continent and even establishing trade guilds. It’s not surprising to see them anywhere. Although their appearance is strange, those like Komer, Eilot, and Puber, who rarely travel around the continent, don’t understand what their attire signifies. As for Fran and Baoling, who have always stayed in the military of the Meren Duchy, they are even unaware of the identity of these three people.