Although the Whatever Magic Guild accepted Kas’s commission, it was already evening, so they couldn’t set off for Windrock City immediately. That night, they returned to Stan Town to rest.
Old Merlin would continue to serve as the acting mayor of Stan Town in the coming days, and the commission required some formalities. With Old Merlin’s intervention, the six-star mission scroll was quickly handed to Ye Chui. The mission was assigned in secret, known only to a few, with others unaware that the Whatever Magic Guild had taken Kas’s commission.
Completing this mission would raise the guild’s star rating by at least one level.
The mission reward was set at three thousand gold coins, plus all gains from the mission except for Windsor herself.
Kas had already paid a thousand gold coins as a deposit to Ye Chui and Debbie.
After learning of Kas’s plan, his close guards wanted to accompany him to Windrock City, but Kas refused.
In the end, five people were set to travel to Windrock City: three from the Whatever Magic Guild, Kas, and Leisha.
The church in Stan Town was still under reconstruction, leaving Leisha with plenty of free time. She usually spent her days with Ye Chui and Debbie, genuinely caring for Ye Chui like a sister would for her brother. Thus, she decided to join them, as her mana-restoring holy words would be highly useful to Ye Chui and Debbie.
That evening, a banquet was held in the guild hall. Ye Chui used part of the deposit from Kas to buy plenty of fine wine and food, and they celebrated heartily.
During the event, Ye Chui quietly took some magical beast meat from his spellbook and gave it to Los, claiming it was buffalo meat hunted in the wild. Los, still downcast from losing her beloved horse the previous day, accepted it with a smile, unaware that Ye Chui and Debbie had already avenged her.
After a couple of drinks, a slightly tipsy Old Merlin pulled Green to a corner outside the guild hall.
“Green, though I hate to admit you’re my student, you did learn some combat skills from me. There’s some bond between master and apprentice, and this mission is extremely dangerous. I can’t just watch you walk into death, so I’m giving you something for protection. Be careful and don’t embarrass me.”
Hearing Merlin’s words, Green’s face lit up with joy, rubbing his hands eagerly. “Master, what are you giving me?”
“This is a very powerful weapon, especially suited to the combat style I taught you. If used well, it can double your effectiveness. Don’t let your master’s efforts go to waste,” Old Merlin said solemnly, patting Green’s shoulder before taking the deadly weapon from his spellbook.
Green’s breathing nearly stopped, his eyes wide with anticipation as he watched Old Merlin’s hand.
Then…
A few seconds later, Green returned to the guild hall, holding a brick, his face a picture of tearful frustration.
That stingy master!
The next morning, the group set out quietly, beginning the mission.
Stan Town was three hundred miles from Windrock City, a journey of two to three days.
The weather was clear with scattered white clouds, not too hot.
At noon, they stopped to rest. Ye Chui took some magical beast meat from his spellbook for Green to cook. Since killing the church’s divine envoy was a serious matter, Ye Chui and Debbie hadn’t told anyone they had already killed Jamil and looted him. They also didn’t mention what kind of meat Green was cooking.
The delicious magical beast meat soon filled the air with an enticing aroma under Green’s skilled cooking. The group sat on the ground.
“Little brother, did you really not catch up to Jamil?” Leisha asked, holding a piece of golden-brown roasted meat, bringing up the topic again.
“Such a pity, letting that guy escape,” Ye Chui said with a pained expression, biting into the meat. Wow, it tasted really good.
Green, flamboyantly sprinkling salt on the meat over the grill, said incredulously, “When you summoned that strange heroic spirit, Guildmaster, it made the carriage go so fast. And you still didn’t catch Jamil?”
“Flying magical beasts are quite fast, you know. Besides, you’re aware of Ye Chui’s stamina issues,” Debbie quickly interjected, covering for him. Then she noticed Ye Chui looking at her oddly. “What are you staring at?”
“Nothing, just have a slight issue with that stamina comment…” Ye Chui said, sweating a bit.
“What issue?” Debbie asked, blinking her big eyes.
Kas, unable to listen anymore, changed the subject. “Ye Chui, what kind of meat is this? I’ve never tasted such delicious roast meat.”
Leisha nodded eagerly. “Exactly, this meat is incredible. Back at the monastery, I ate precious beast meat donated by wealthy merchants, but it doesn’t compare to this.”
“Haha, eat up then. This is from a buffalo we hunted, a white one, probably some rare variant. It’s naturally delicious,” Ye Chui said with a laugh, dodging the truth.
Leisha nodded, taking a small bite. “Is that so? It’s really tasty.”
“This meat reminds me of the magical beast meat I once tried. So delicious…” Kas, well-travelled, sighed.
Then his tone faltered, as if realizing something. His chewing stopped, and he glanced at Ye Chui and Debbie. No way, could these two kids have… Kas quickly shook his head, deciding not to dwell on such terrifying thoughts. It’d shorten his life.
“Mayor Kas, Lord Kevin must have significant power, right? What’s his title?” Ye Chui asked Kas.
Kas’s expression grew serious. “Lord Kevin is a duke. His territory covers a third of the Elven Plains. Stan Town falls within his domain. If you ignore the barren landscape of the plains, his territory is even larger than the Sacred Heart Kingdom. Though Lord Kevin rarely attends imperial affairs in the capital, he holds a pivotal position in the entire Star Empire.”
From the memories Ye Chui inherited from Wade, he knew that titles were exclusive to nobility, divided into duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. As a duke, Lord Kevin was undoubtedly at the pinnacle of imperial power. However, Stan Town was a remote place with little contact with the outside world, so most people were unaware of the broader continental situation.
For instance, the original Wade knew little about the major empires on the Castro Continent, and Ye Chui, since crossing over, hadn’t encountered much information on this. Curious, he asked, “How many countries are there on the Castro Continent?”
“Seven!” Debbie answered first, beaming proudly. “When I was a kid, my old man made me memorize geography. I’m an expert on this. The seven empires are our Star Empire, the Northern Desert Empire, the Northridge Empire, the Sacred Heart Kingdom at the center where the Holy City is, the Southern Rockgap Empire, and the Eastern Tide Empire and Rockridge Empire!”
Hearing Debbie, Ye Chui and Green weren’t too surprised, but Kas and Leisha, who knew more about continental history, paused. Leisha whispered to Ye Chui, “Big sister got it wrong. The Rockridge Empire fell fifty years ago and was replaced by the Morningwind Empire. Her geography knowledge seems pretty shaky.”
“Oh, really…” Seeing Debbie’s proud look, Ye Chui tactfully didn’t call her out. He continued, “Who’s the current emperor of our Star Empire?”
“It’s Charlie II. I’ve seen him in person, a boozy old geezer,” Debbie said, still smug. “And I’m friends with the empire’s seventh prince.”
Leisha covered her face and whispered to Ye Chui, “Little brother, she’s wrong again. The Star Empire’s emperor is Charlie III, and His Majesty’s seventh child isn’t a prince but a princess. She visited the Blue Monastery in the Holy City… Big sister’s totally bluffing.”
“The emperor even tested me on my studies and was impressed by my poetry talent,” Debbie continued proudly.
Ye Chui stood up, patted Debbie’s shoulder, and said, “Alright, alright, a dunce should own being a dunce. Why pretend to be a scholar? Let’s move out. Hopefully, we’ll find a place to stay before dark.”
From what he’d learned about Debbie’s background, the Anduin family was indeed influential south of the Warmwater River, but rumours suggested they weren’t close to the royal family. Debbie was clearly exaggerating.
“Huh? Dunce? Who’s a dunce? I’m a genius girl!” Debbie protested, unconvinced.
But the others were already mounting horses or climbing into the carriage, ignoring her.
The little girl huffed unhappily, but her big eyes glinted slyly as she muttered, “I’m the young lady of the Anduin family, practically raised with the imperial royals. That fat pig Fourth Prince, Little Hook, I’ve been flicking his forehead since we were kids. Who’d have thought he’d get so bold after a few years, daring to steal Kas’s fiancée. Hmph, just wait till you’re all shocked!”
