Chapter 17: Unusual Feelings
Lomei didn’t understand why the Grand Sage would suddenly associate with these minor mercenary groups, which she considered insignificant. Although Komer had erased her memories related to the Church of Light, he had restored her other memories using a highly complex mental magic. Whenever she touched upon those memories, she could gradually recall them, so she wasn’t completely ignorant about the situation of mercenaries on the continent. Mercenary groups as small as these, even in the northern regions where mercenaries were not common, were considered low-tier. Even groups with dozens or hundreds of members might not have a single mage—having just two or three magic users was already quite remarkable. Lomei couldn’t imagine any group on this continent that could afford for the Grand Sage and someone of her status to serve as their mages; even the largest mercenary groups in the continent probably couldn’t.
Yet the Grand Sage seemed quite interested in this tiny mercenary group, especially that curvaceous female assassin, who captured much of his attention. This caused an indescribable displeasure deep within Lomei. But out of absolute obedience and admiration for the Grand Sage, she knew she could only bury this displeasure in her heart.
Komer was fully aware of Lomei’s emotional changes. His continuous improvement in mental power, along with the special mental magic he applied to her, allowed him to control her mental state at any time, as long as she remained within the range of his magic. In fact, that female assassin named Grace did arouse some interest in him. Years of abstinence made him feel strangely drawn to this alluring yet fiery woman, but that was by no means the main reason he agreed to join this mercenary group.
He could sense that this small mercenary group hid some secrets. From their mysterious behavior and signs of fear, it seemed they were trying to avoid something. This mercenary group must have fled to the south to escape trouble. Although he easily dealt with these men’s attacks, Komer knew that despite their unimpressive appearance, they were all skilled fighters. The dwarf warrior’s battle axe alone proved his extraordinary status. As for the young warrior, he came from Binostes, a region renowned for its knights and swordsmen. A man who dared to wear a sword openly there must be quite skilled, otherwise he would be beaten beyond recognition. As for the female assassin, she was even more formidable—she could penetrate Lome’s Holy Shield, even if it was through a weak point on the side, which still demonstrated her exceptional strength. After all, Lome’s predecessor had been an apostle of the Light Church, a position of great importance. Those who held such a role in the Light Church possessed top-tier light magic. Yet her Holy Shield was pierced by the enemy, and it was only through his modified “Hand of the Demon” that she was subdued.
These men all came from the western part of the Northern Alliance, dominated by the Light Church, and their relations with the kingdom were not very good. He wanted to learn any secrets related to the kingdom or the Light Church. Moreover, the stone ornaments he carried were indeed very important. He had no acquaintances in Prague, and his identity didn’t allow him to reveal himself casually. Using this small mercenary group to track down the elf thief was a good strategy. As for titles and status, Komer didn’t care much about them.
Komer also didn’t refuse Grace and her group’s invitation to join them at their residence. Together, they went to the center of Prague, to an inn called “Sofara,” which served as the temporary base for this so-called Dark Angel Mercenary Group. The other two members of the group would join them there.
By the time Komer and his group arrived at the Sofara Inn, it was already slightly dark. The magical street lamps in Prague’s streets shone brightly, illuminating the entire city. Crowds of people moved about on the streets. The Round Table Meeting of the Mage Guild was about to take place, along with magic competitions, which turned Prague into a paradise for tourists and travelers. Guests from all directions filled the city, packing it tightly. While the Round Table Meeting of the Mage Guild might not mean much to ordinary people, the magic competitions were open to the public. The large arena in Prague would serve as the main venue for these competitions, with various individual and team events held there. Hotels and inns around the arena had been fully booked half a month in advance. Those who wanted to witness the battles between mages were eagerly awaiting this day.
The Sofara Inn was quite far from the large arena, which was why the mercenary group had chosen it to avoid unnecessary trouble. There were still available rooms, and after Komer arrived, he reserved two adjacent rooms.
The three members of the mercenary group showed great interest in Komer and Lomei. The addition of two mages would be of immense help to them. Especially Komer’s “Hand of the Demon” wood magic spell left them in awe. They imagined how effective such a spell, which appeared out of nowhere and vanished just as quickly, could be in battle against enemies. As a result, they constantly surrounded Komer, trying to figure out just how skilled he really was.
“Grace, are you saying you invited two mages to join our mercenary group?” The girl dressed in a silver-white priest’s robe’s full lips formed an O shape, almost big enough to hold an egg. Standing with her hands on her hips, she said proudly, “Of course. But I took some measures—like exaggerating our group’s reputation and size. And these two guys happen to be newcomers who just left their apprenticeship, so they believed my description and agreed to join our Dark Angel Mercenary Group as one of us.”
Suspicious glances swept over Grace. The calm-faced young priestess clearly didn’t trust her companion very much. Grace’s carelessness and temper were among the worst in the mercenary group, but it was hard to believe her eloquence was enough to persuade two mages to join this group. Even the giant standing beside her couldn’t help but chatter, “Grace, are you sure? Mages would join our mercenary group? Mage apprentices wouldn’t choose us either. It must be someone with ulterior motives—maybe sent by those who’re hunting us.”
“Briarnos, use your brain! If they really wanted to hunt us, they would have done it by now. Why go through such a trick?” Grace glared angrily at the two-meter-tall giant, speaking slowly and deliberately.
Frowning, the young priestess clearly didn’t want her companions to argue. Besides, as Grace said, if the others truly had malicious intentions, they wouldn’t be able to escape now. Given the forces that had tried to hunt her group before, it would be easy for them to assassinate them here. They had fled to Prague precisely to avoid this inexplicable pursuit. To this day, they still didn’t know who the pursuers were. If not for good luck and the pursuers’ apparent hesitations, they would have been killed long ago.
“Enough, stop arguing. Maybe Grace is right. We do need mages to help us. And if they really had any ulterior motives, they would have acted by now. In Prague, they probably won’t attack us openly. I’ll go meet our two new companions. Hopefully, they’ll bring us good luck.” The young priestess sighed softly, her gentle worry adding to the grace of her ivory-like, round face.
“Great Priestess, do you really think joining this mercenary group has much value or meaning?” Lomi asked quietly as she stood beside Komer, who was sitting cross-legged.
“Lomei, don’t underestimate these people. They might hold secrets I want to know. Besides, the stone necklace I prepared for you was stolen by that elf thief. I need help to find it—it’s very useful for your mental training. I’ve sent magical messages to Rebrí and the others, asking them to wait for us in the city. We’ll contact them after the Mage Guild’s roundtable meeting and magic competition. For now, let’s stay together as members of a mercenary group. Lomei, sometimes experiencing different ways of life is also a form of cultivation. Don’t look down on mercenaries; great heroes have also emerged among them.” Komer smiled gently and stroked Lomei’s beautiful, smooth hair, which instantly lifted her mood. Especially when she heard how highly the Archmage valued the stone necklace prepared for her, warmth spread through her heart.
Nodding silently, Lomei realized she could never refuse or oppose the Archmage’s decisions. Even if he asked her to die, she believed he must have his reasons. She liked this sense of blind devotion and didn’t want to explore the truth behind it.
A strange atmosphere filled the room, carrying an indescribable sense of shyness. Even Komer noticed that this peculiar atmosphere seemed to effectively improve Lomei’s poor mood throughout the day. Lomei silently climbed onto the bed and sat next to him, forcing Komer, who had intended to meditate, to give up on that plan. He had already sensed the girl’s unusual state today.