Chapter 49: Water Moon City

Under Bruce’s leadership, the group arrived before that massive army. Seeing the carriage heavily guarded in the center, everyone was astonished and chose to remain silent.
“I heard you are the Swift Wind Mercenaries?”
As the group approached, a tall, burly man in elaborate armor stepped forward and asked indifferently. The medal on his chest caught everyone’s attention, causing their expressions to change dramatically.
It was a skull symbol—few people on the continent would not recognize it. It belonged to the Empire’s First Legion, also known as the Dark Legion of Imperial Warriors. The skull symbolized disappointment and murderous intent!
This legion had left countless legends and miracles across the continent, creating many myths. A thousand years ago, when the empire was in dire straits, it was this legion that saved the entire empire with a single strike. Yet, despite having nearly half a million soldiers, only less than a hundred remained.
“I am Randy, the captain of the Swift Wind Mercenaries. It’s an honor to serve you this time!”
After a moment of hesitation, Randy stepped forward from the crowd and spoke sincerely to the officer. Even without considering the symbol on his chest, his official status alone made Rod cautious. These men were powerful figures—he couldn’t afford to neglect or offend them, or else he might face serious charges.
“Hmm, since you’re here, let’s set off. Your task is simple—help us handle some daily matters. We’ll take care of the rest. Oh, and tell your men to be careful: only look what they’re supposed to see, and don’t say anything unnecessary!”
Nodding, the officer scanned the group carefully before responding, “Of course, of course!” Though his words sounded unpleasant, what could they do? In this highly hierarchical society, they were just at the bottom. Even with magicians around, would these officials even look at them properly? Especially not in front of the proud soldiers of the Dark Mercenaries.

On the other side, Rod also couldn’t help but frown. He disliked the tone of the other person’s speech and even more so their arrogant attitude. It reminded him of his former world, where officials became complacent and forgot what their responsibilities were—unaware of the meaning of serving the people. He didn’t care about some so-called Dark Legion or Black Legion; he had no feelings toward it. Besides, it had been a thousand years since then—was the Dark Legion still the same? That raised a big question.

The atmosphere was somewhat gloomy. At the officer’s command, everyone slowly moved forward, heading toward the imperial capital. The plans that had been made earlier were no longer useful. They formed a line and followed at the end of the army, moving slowly with gloomy moods. Early in the morning, all their good spirits were completely ruined.

Walking among the crowd and looking at the luxurious carriage at the end, Rod curled his lips in disdain. He could imagine the identities of those inside—nothing but nobles and princes!

“It seems no matter where I go, I can’t escape such a system!” Rod thought, sighing softly in his heart.

With nothing to do, he sat on his horse and began to cultivate. At least for now, they had nothing to do.

Closing his eyes and entering a state of cultivation, he immediately felt the fire elements around him approaching. He slowly absorbed and refined them, making them his own. Feeling the horse beneath him carrying him forward, Rod realized for the first time how comfortable cultivation could be.

He gradually compressed and refined his combat energy, feeling the warm currents flow through every corner of his body. An unconscious smile appeared on Rod’s lips—this feeling was great.

Lost in cultivation, he temporarily forgot about the outside world. It seemed as if he was the only one existing in the universe, forgetting time and the world around him.

After circulating his energy through various meridians for thirty-six full cycles, feeling a sense of saturation, he finally exhaled and opened his eyes.

What he saw shocked him—his cultivation had already reached noon. Although it was winter, the sunlight at this time still brought a sense of warmth to everyone.

“Alright, Karry, let’s rest here for a while!”
Just as Rod looked around in confusion, seeing everyone with grim expressions, a clear voice came from inside the carriage, instantly lighting up his eyes.
A woman? Yes, it was a woman. He never expected to hear a woman’s voice inside the carriage. Could it be that the person of high status inside was actually a woman! A woman who could command the protection of the Dark Legion—such status truly surprised everyone.
“Good, everyone, stop and rest for half an hour before continuing on!”
Hearing that woman’s voice, the leading officer spoke without hesitation. He stopped everyone from moving forward and ordered them to rest in place.
As expected of members of an elite army, their movements were precise and swift. After the officer’s command, the sound of footsteps disappeared, leaving everything quiet—something that made Rod and the others feel uneasy.
They took out the dry rations they had prepared earlier and began their lunch. As for the people in the carriage, they fell back into silence; perhaps they had already finished lunch earlier.
Holding a shriveled lump of food, Rod looked at the carriage in confusion while carefully chewing it bit by bit.
Watching these people and their actions, he thought to himself that they seemed quite capable. At least from morning till now, though his observation time wasn’t long, he could clearly sense that this group had strict discipline and carried a faint murderous aura! Such an army surely wouldn’t be weak—at least that’s what Rod thought. This changed his perception of them greatly.
Lunch was rushed. After some repairs, at the officer’s command, everyone quickly got up, packed up their things, and continued moving forward.
Feeling the cool breeze, Rod and the others hardly did anything that day. As night approached, they saw no signs of these people intending to rest. After a day of observation, he was surprised to find that they seemed in a hurry, as if there was something urgent they needed to do. They kept rushing forward, almost as if they were ordered to move at full speed.
Filled with doubt, he glanced at the dimming sky, wondering if they really intended to spend the night in this desolate area. At least for now, there were no signs of any cities nearby!
“Karry, are we almost at Water Moon City? The lady said we’ll rest there tonight and continue on tomorrow!”

Just as Rod was speculating, that pleasant voice came from inside the carriage again, shouting outward. Hearing this, his heart settled, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“A young lady? Yes, I did hear that woman mention a young lady earlier. Could she also be just a servant? Is there another woman in the carriage? As he delved deeper into the situation, Rod grew more and more puzzled. This group didn’t seem simple, and the next task didn’t seem as easy as he had imagined. Although nothing had been done yet, it seemed unlikely that they would be given the commission so easily. If they just had to follow to the capital without doing anything, there was no need for all this trouble.
Under the leadership of that officer, it was clear that everyone’s pace increased as they rushed northward.
“Who’s Captain Landy? Our boss has given orders—your Swift Wind Mercenaries should send a group forward at full speed to Water Moon City, prepare everything there, and wait for us!”
Suddenly, strange horseback sounds came, and soon a soldier appeared before the group. After scanning them all, he spoke calmly in an unambiguous tone.
“I’m him. I understand. Tell the master we’ll handle it right away!”
Stepping forward, Landy smiled at the soldier.
Hearing Landy’s words, the soldier nodded, said nothing, and turned to rush forward, his horse’s hooves making a harsh noise.
“Hmph, so this is it—no real work to do, just running around. What a ‘favorable’ task.”
After the soldier left, Bit beside Rod said with a bitter smile. It seemed this was the first time they had encountered such a task, though their faces showed more helplessness and bitterness.
“Rod, you and Bit head ahead first and settle in Water Moon City. We’ll follow soon. Remember, no mistakes allowed—everything must be done perfectly!”
Turning to look at Rod and Bit, Landy carefully gave them instructions after a moment of silence.
“Sure!”
Without waiting for Bit to speak, Rod quickly replied. It was his first time receiving orders from a captain, and even though it was a small task, he was excited. He absolutely couldn’t afford any mistakes.
“Good. That’s best. Rod, let’s go then!”
Bit also seemed relieved. Perhaps he didn’t like this atmosphere; he was glad it was over.

After a farewell, the two waved their whips and rode away, speeding away from the group with the sound of hoofbeats toward Water Moon City.