Chapter 009: Casimir’s Special Hobby

Du Fan rolled his eyes and looked at Casimir, who was smiling. “Lord Casimir, what do you mean by this?”
Casimir smiled slightly and clapped his hands gently. Dishi quickly drew out the machete at his waist and blocked the entrance to the tent, while Hege pulled an arrow from his quiver. As he drew back the bowstring, the arrow was already aimed at Du Fan’s head.
“See, I don’t have any other intentions,” Casimir said with a smile. “It’s just that… we have something to discuss with Lord Alfred.”
A hint of fear flashed across Du Fan’s face—though it was fake, it was extremely convincing. He instinctively stepped back a few steps inside the tent before muttering, “Lord Casimir, if I’m not mistaken, it was I who saved your lives from the monsters. You’re here only because of my mercy. But is this what you call repaying me?”
“Oh… no, no, no… that’s not it, Lord Alfred,” Casimir said with an unusually serious smile. “Actually, this isn’t about repaying you. It’s just that I’m giving you a lesson, Lord Alfred.”
Du Fan frowned. “A lesson?”
“Yes, just a lesson,” Casimir said, gesturing toward Eileen. “For example, this mage girl has offered herself to you—why wouldn’t you accept her? If you had accepted her earlier, we would have had an excuse to hold you accountable, Lord Alfred. But Alfred’s infatuation is truly touching. He remains unshaken in the face of such temptation. Anyway, I have to admire you for that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t I say I have no intention?” Casimir’s smile turned crueler. “I came here today to make you understand one thing, Lord Alfred.”
Du Fan raised his eyebrows. “What thing?”

“That is, on these northern ice fields, the most terrifying thing isn’t the harsh weather or the fierce magical beasts—it’s… humans… You see, Lord Alfred, each of us mercenaries who roam the north are outlaws. So aside from our own mercenary groups, we trust no one else. That’s why, even when camping at night, we never light a fire… Because on these ice fields, the most terrifying thing is drawn to the light of fire—human greed!”
Du Fan sneered inwardly, though his expression changed appropriately.
Seeing Du Fan’s reaction, Casimir seemed satisfied with his explanation. He paced back and forth inside the tent, his gaze roaming over the artistically arranged items inside. After a while, he took a deep breath and continued, “Those of us who make a living on these northern ice fields would naturally coexist peacefully if we met elsewhere. But if we run into each other here… well… that’s when trouble starts. Because since we’re surviving in this place, we’re willing to risk our lives and do whatever it takes to get valuable things. Our prey isn’t just magical beasts… it’s also humans… Lord Alfred, do you understand what I mean?”
Du Fan quickly figured it out. It seemed that among the mercenary groups in these northern ice fields, aside from dealing with magical beasts, they often fought more against their own kind.
After all, there were countless magical beasts on the Roland Continent, and it was hard to tell their strength levels. Even if one managed to kill a few with all their might, the profit might not even cover the costs. But if they encountered another mercenary… then…
Not to mention anything else, just the weapons, equipment, and supplies those mercenaries carried could equal the earnings from one mission. After all, anyone who wanted to operate in these northern ice fields for a long time needed high-quality weapons, equipment, and ample supplies. If such a mercenary had anything valuable on them, that would be an even bigger profit.
Moreover, dealing with fellow mercenaries was usually much easier than dealing with magical beasts. When fighting magical beasts, one could only rely on traps occasionally; most of the time, it required risking one’s life. But when dealing with fellow mercenaries, there were far more methods available.

This kind of underhanded behavior actually takes place in every corner of human society, from conflicts between nations to arguments among children—everything is the same. However, compared to such blatant acts in the northern ice fields, other behaviors are much more civilized.

Seeing Du Fan’s expression change slightly, Casimir grew even more pleased. He carelessly sat down on Du Fan’s bed, reaching his right hand into the blanket covering Eileen to touch her, while whispering with a smirk, “Well then… Lord Alfred is also a smart man. I think you understand what I mean now. Everyone is smart; there’s no need to make things clear about many things, right?”

Du Fan glanced disdainfully at Casimir’s right hand and sneered, “If I understand correctly, Lord Casimir, you already consider me, Alfred, as prey. So what do you want? My possessions, or my life?”

Casimir’s gaze swept over Du Fan’s left hand, his greed evident in his eyes. “Why would I want Lord Alfred’s life? You see… our Snow Fox Mercenary Group is very principled… Our rule is to take money rather than lives unless there’s resistance. But… if someone resists… then I’ll naturally take their life.”

As he spoke, Casimir seemingly casually waved his hand, and a burst of combat energy shot out from his palm, striking the ground and creating a half-meter-long crack.

Du Fan stared at the crack for a moment, couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. This… Casimir… seemed to have some real skills. Although Du Fan had never seen a true master in action, he could tell that Casimir’s abilities were likely above those of the Temple Knights who had fought today. As for himself, if he didn’t use his myriad techniques or the pile of gold coins he had, fighting him would surely end in death.

Du Fan took a deep breath, glanced up at Casimir, and smiled faintly. “Lord Casimir, to be honest, with your exceptional skills, I, Alfred, am naturally no match for you. But… don’t forget… I still have a few bodyguards outside. Although I’m not your opponent, I’m sure you’ve seen their skills too. They may be slightly inferior to you—maybe one or two of them aren’t enough to take on you alone—but… what if three or four of them attack together? Do you really have any other solution? So… my advice to Lord Casimir is… leave on your own. If you think you can take advantage of us, you… don’t yet have the qualifications!”

Casimir stared at Du Fan for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter. At the same time, his movements became faster. Under Casimir’s touch, Eileen’s breathing grew increasingly rapid, her face turning red. Finally, she let out a long moan and collapsed.

Casimir pulled his hand back, shook off the glistening liquid from it, glanced at the satisfied Eileen, and laughed heartily. “Lord Alfred, do you really think I’d be that foolish? If I hadn’t dealt with those bodyguards outside, I doubt I’d be here now.”

Du Fan’s expression changed slightly. “They’re all sixth-level knights… How could you possibly handle them silently…?”

“Well, normally, it’s impossible. But don’t forget—our Lady Eileen is a magician!” Casimir said proudly, looking at Eileen. “Although she doesn’t know many spells, her strongest skill is the stun spell. With a few spells cast and our cooperation, it’s easy to silently take care of your bodyguards. It’s funny, though—Lord Alfred, you lack experience, and so do your bodyguards. It really shows what kind of master one has—what kind of subordinates they’ll have!”

Watching Casimir’s smug expression, Du Fan secretly chuckled. Although Light Combat Qi wasn’t particularly powerful, it often yielded unexpected results when it came to protection and countering curses. As for this Eileen, though she was a magician, Du Fan felt that given her mental strength, she could barely be considered a first-level magician. What advanced stun spells could such a person use? Managing to cast a first-level spell was already astonishing.

If it weren’t for the cooperation of those Templars, it was really doubtful whether she could even knock someone out. Thinking of this, Du Fan couldn’t help but feel a strange sensation. These Templars used to be such pious and holy people—how, in just a few days following him, could they grasp the essence of various schemes and conspiracies without him having to teach them directly? Their talent was truly extraordinary!
“Alright… Lord Alfred, could you give me the storage ring on your hand?”
Casimir smiled faintly, his gaze toward Du Fan flickering with intense heat. Du Fan felt uncomfortable under that stare and thought, Could this Casimir be a pervert? This… this look… it’s really similar to that of certain special enthusiasts…