Chapter 249: Emio’s Identity

Clearly unprepared for the other party to say such things at this moment, Rod didn’t know how to respond for a while, standing there dumbfounded as he stared at the guy.

Black Tooth Legion? Ridiculous. He had never even considered it—never in his dreams. Even the invitation from the Royal Guard back at the Holy Light Academy had been declined by him, let alone this so-called Black Tooth Legion?

“I don’t think I’ll join the Black Tooth Legion. I prefer a free life!” After calming down, Rod said with a bitter smile to Emio. He didn’t know Emio’s identity, and if he did, it probably wouldn’t be an invitation anymore—instead, they would likely hunt him down together.

“I see. That’s a shame. You’re a talent; I can tell. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have… Well, forget it. Think it over carefully. There’s no rush. You still have time to consider it. Come tell me when you’ve made up your mind. The doors of the Black Tooth Legion are always open to you. Coming here won’t restrict your freedom—it will instead help you find your purpose and unleash your full potential. We can offer you the space and opportunities you need to grow!”

“I can sense that your heart doesn’t want to be confined to this level, and you have the strength for it—this is evident from the way you train the members of your camp! Think it over well!” Emio said, sighing as he stepped beside Rod and patted his shoulder. He had been observing this guy these past few days, and coupled with his decisive actions on the city walls that night, everything made him very interested in him. He didn’t want to miss such a talent.

“I…”

“Alright, think it over. Consider it an opportunity for both you and me. We don’t need your reinforcements for now. At least, as you said, we can hold out for a day. The mages will handle defense, and with our own soldiers, that’s enough. As long as those huge monsters don’t show up, there should be no problem. You guys can go back and rest. If needed, we’ll sound the horn, and then we hope you’ll do your part to defend this wall together and protect the safety of the continent!” Emio interrupted Rod, who wanted to speak, and spoke in a firm tone. Time was the best persuader. Perhaps, with time, his invitation might be accepted. He didn’t want to get a disappointing answer now—hope was better than despair.

“Well… fine, I’m leaving first. We’ll come here as soon as we hear the horn!” Aemio said with a bitter smile; it seemed he couldn’t refuse at the moment. Looking at the chaotic wasteland below the city, with scorched ground, extinguished fires, piles of black debris, darkened soil, thick smoke, and scattered embers, the scene was unbearable. With a sigh, he turned and headed down toward the city. “Kid, I hope you’ll join our Black Tooth Legion! Losing you would be the biggest loss for our empire!” Aemio sighed as he watched Rod walk away, standing in place. Such a young age, combined with formidable strength, outstanding leadership skills, and extensive knowledge—every aspect of him was exceptional. Losing him was truly regrettable.

…

“Hey, boss, do you know this Aemio?” As soon as Rod arrived below the city, Curly quickly pulled him aside and asked anxiously. “Boss, that’s really unfair of you—you didn’t even tell us about this. What’s your relationship with Aemio?” Another burly man asked right after. In an instant, Rod was surrounded by a crowd, pressed to the center as everyone started pressing him with questions. With a helpless smile and innocent eyes, Rod had no idea this matter would cause such a stir. It was one thing if the people in his own camp were curious, but now everyone else was too. Looking at the other reinforcements outside through the crowd, the way they stared at him made his hair stand on end—their expressions clearly meant they wanted to interrogate him as well. “What… what are you talking about! I only met that Aemio a few days ago. I don’t even know who he is. This is only our second meeting. How do you know who he is?” Rod pushed through the crowd to create some space and asked frustratedly. It seemed Aemio was indeed a very important figure, capable of causing such a huge reaction. “Boss, are you serious? You really don’t know?” “Damn it, boss, stop playing tricks on us, okay? Seriously!” “Boss…” Rod’s words struck like thunder, causing a huge reaction among the crowd. “Boss, you really don’t know? Fine, it seems it’s true. Alright, everyone, quiet down. This isn’t the right place. Let’s go back and talk.”

“By the way, did Emio say anything to you when you went up there just now? What’s the situation now?” Perhaps unable to stand by any longer, Skora finally stepped in to ease the situation for Rod a bit.

Hearing Skora’s words, everyone finally noticed the current situation and realized where they were, as well as their own previous misbehavior.

“We just discussed how to deal with the current situation; nothing else. The fire has subsided, but there’s still residual heat. The biggest concern now is water—if water hits the walls under the high temperature, they might crack and collapse instantly. That’s why we’ve deployed many magicians to prevent attacks from water-based monsters. As long as we can avoid water attacks, at least for today, those beasts won’t be able to attack. The monsters in the sky aren’t a threat!”

“We’re still setting up defenses; we don’t need to go up there to defend yet! You can go back first. If anything happens, the horn will sound, and it won’t be too late for you to come!” Looking at the group, Rod hurriedly spoke, hoping to distract everyone’s attention.

“That’s great. Boss, let’s go back. You owe it to the brothers to give an explanation today!” But things didn’t go as Rod had hoped. Seeing the chance to leave, Curly put his hand on Rod’s shoulder, smirked, and said those words to him.

Curly’s words reminded everyone of what had happened before. Under such circumstances, the group escorted Rod back to their camp like a prisoner, leaving a group of confused reinforcements standing there, watching them leave in confusion.

……

“Boss, it’s time to tell them now, right? Everyone here is on our side. You’re not planning to keep hiding it, are you?” Back in the camp, Curly pressed Rod.

“I really don’t know. I told you, it was just our second meeting—how could I know that much? It seems like you know better—explain it to me then,” Rod said with a bitter smile, looking at the group staring at him.

“Aimio, the commander of the Black Tooth Legion. He is the overall commander for this defense against the beast horde. In short, whenever necessary, we must obey his commands and arrangements. He is regarded as one of the Empire’s three great generals! He now possesses holy-level strength, being a holy-level expert in the wind attribute! With thirty years of military experience, he has achieved numerous military feats, rising from a mere soldier to his current position through sheer effort—without any shortcuts. He is also one of the generals most respected by his men! It is precisely because of this that he is highly valued by the Empire and appointed as the commander of the Black Tooth Legion to guard Iron Bar Town, the most important location.” Seeing Rod’s frustrated expression, Skora stepped in with a smile to ease the situation and briefed him on Aimio’s background.

After hearing this, Rod’s eyes widened in shock. “Damn, it can’t be that extreme. Just bumping into some guy and turning out to be the commander of the Black Tooth Legion, one of the Empire’s three great generals! Isn’t he on the same level as John’s family whom I met at the Holy Light Academy? Such a powerful figure—has he seen everything I’ve done? This is too fantastical!” Hearing this, Rod inwardly groaned. Although he knew Aimio’s identity was extraordinary, he never imagined it to be this extreme.

“I first saw him on the city walls that night and had no idea he was the head of the Black Tooth Legion! Damn, why didn’t you tell me earlier?” he said, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

“How could we know you really didn’t know? But boss, I have to admit I’m impressed—this is amazing! I heard about what happened that day too. Heh, I guess the main reason he showed up there was because of you. After all, you held their deputy commander, General Nagran, hostage back then! But why did it end up unresolved? It seems your tactics worked—setting them against each other. Heh, it’s like making amends through achievements!” Curly Hair timely joined in, breaking the awkward silence and livening up the atmosphere again. It was clear Rod wasn’t lying, and no one intended to press further.

“This attack might be fierce, so it’s better if everyone gets prepared first. There are unusually many beasts this time. Since dragons have appeared, anything is possible. It’s wise to stay alert—things will only get more dangerous from here on out!”

With the previous topic concluded, Skora shifted the focus to the battle. The flames dying down meant the fight was about to begin, danger was approaching, and bloody days were about to resume. He had to worry—having experience in two battles, he knew far more than others.