The Vastness of Magical Destiny

Chapter 42 - 42 17 Friends and Enemies

?Chapter 42: Chapter 17: Friends and Enemies Chapter 42: Chapter 17: Friends and Enemies Man plots against tiger, and tiger also plots against man. While Jack was pondering how to resolve the two Thunderhorse Knights before addressing the intended target, the two Thunderhorse Knights were equally speculating about their adversary.

“Maray, what do you make of those three fellows? I can’t fathom which Knights regiment they hail from. The one leading them has already achieved the same level of beginner Fighting Qi strength as us, and the other two aren’t far behind; I can’t unravel their purpose for lying in wait here for us.”

Green Knight, although walking in front, kept his attention on the trio dangling far behind.

The knight, whose face betrayed cold indifference, glanced back briefly and spoke softly, “By their garb, they somewhat resemble the rumored Fallen Knights, a bunch of low-lifes who indulge in worldly pleasures!”

“Fallen Knights?! That gang of murderous lunatics who arrogantly rebel against heaven’s will and worship degeneracy?” Green Knight too was taken aback.

He was well aware of the infamous reputation of the Fallen Knights—it was a loosely organized group. How many people there were, where the members came from, what beliefs they held—likely unclear even to their own ranks. As long as one adhered to their principles and passed their tests, one could become a part of them.

They cared not for your past deeds or identity, for they always appeared masked, seldom spoke, completed their tasks and then disappeared. Even after becoming a Fallen Knight, one could leave at any time without any explanations.

“It must be them. I reckon they’ve also set their sights on our target. If not for Warcraft interference, their battle would have been over long ago. Fallen Knights never abandon a mission; I believe they’ll proceed to their next step soon enough—though probably not until after today,” said Knight Maray, ever so darkly.

Turning his gaze back to the group behind, Green Knight’s eyes also flashed with a trace of stern brilliance, “This poses a dilemma for us. Corps Commander tasked us with tailing this person, and from the looks of it, there are signs emerging. Today, his actions have greatly surprised us, indeed, heh, the level of magic; next time, he might just show his tail. We cannot let anyone disrupt our established plans, but giving them a chance to probe could be a good idea.”

Knight Maray always admired his companion’s strategic mind. ‘Plan before action’ was his comrade’s motto. Perhaps it wouldn’t be long before they completed the mission assigned by the Corps Commander and headed home.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere among Komer’s group was uncomfortably awkward. Fran and Baoling were riding in the two separate carriages in front, with Ilot taking on the driver’s role for the carriage Komer was in, alongside Puber. The intention was obvious.

Komer knew no matter how he explained, the two would not believe him. Not to mention today’s performance took not only Ilot and Puber by surprise, but he himself was unclear as to how he could have made such a remarkable move. The display of Magic Skills completely surpassed the level of an ordinary Magician, easily matching that of a true Mage, and Komer had always maintained that he only knew some simple magic, which undoubtedly frustrated them.

“Alright, alright, stop looking at me like that. In front of my friends, I never intended to deceive either of you, at most it’s just some matters inconvenient to explain. However, today’s performance surprised me as well—I can only call it a miracle. Other than that, I truly cannot explain it, but perhaps in the future, such miracles might happen more often.”

Komer shrugged and offered a wry smile. Seeing their unwavering gaze, clearly unsatisfied with his explanation, he genuinely had no answer, “Really, my friends, I could deceive anyone, but I would never lie in front of you two.”

Seeing their disdainful expressions, Komer quickly added, “Of course, I’m talking about serious matters.”

Komer’s frankness finally made them hold their tongues, for three years’ time is enough to change many things; no one could clearly say what kind of person their childhood companion had become. However, one thing was certain for the two of them—the feelings of the past would never fade, being steeped in far too much vicissitude.

As night fell, the small group entered the camping area.

It was a small, flat meadow right beside the avenue. The events of the day had heightened everyone’s vigilance; the appearance and movements of Monster Groups were not a good omen. Especially such large-scale migrations could only indicate that something in the forest affected the natural patterns of the beasts—a change that certainly wasn’t a good sign for Vulnerable People.

The red bonfire pile finally ignited, providing warmth. To prevent accidents, the experienced Thunderhorse Knights built several pyres ten meters outside the tents, ready to light them during the night vigil to ward off potential attacks from Magical Beasts. The fire couldn’t solve all problems, but it could effectively prevent ice and water element Magical Beasts as well as dark and undead creatures from invading, at least buying Sleeping People some time.

Everyone gathered quietly around the bonfire. Dinner was simple; the group had come prepared for camping in the Greenland Forest. Dried meat and bread, staple foods of Adventurers, were also essential Items for those accustomed to traveling.

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The crackling of the burning wood made the flames grow more intense, and the pine resin and pine oil released wafts of fragrance in the fire. The faces of the people gathered around reflected varying expressions in the flickering light, especially the three Masked knights, whose masks appeared even more sinister against the dark canopy of the sky and the forest background, shifting with the dance of the flames. Their dark eyes seemed to be waiting for something, silently watching the reddening branches, showing no emotion.

“Your Excellency, it seems our journey to the Caucasus won’t be very smooth. We’ve just reached the Greenland Forest and already encountered an attack by a group of Magical Beasts. If it wasn’t for your astounding performance, I’m afraid we would all be buried here. I never would have thought Your Excellency was a Magician,” said the Green Knight. “Such young Magicians like Your Excellency are unheard of on the Continent.”

The Green Knight’s gaze shifted from the Masked knights across from him to Komer, who was half-closed his eyes pondering something, but every casual glance that passed over the three Masked knights always left them with a sense of his behind-the-scenes alertness.

The Masked knight sitting in the middle cursed silently at the meddlesome fellow and sent a subtle reminder that if his body didn’t need another night to heal and his mission was not yet complete, he would first challenge these arrogant people.

“Haha, Mr. Green overpraises me,” Komer said, chuckling. “I just happened to learn a trick or two from a dying Magician. I never thought I’d have to use it, so I never practiced it. You probably saw I’m a bit unpracticed.”

Komer had already seen through the other’s intentions. They constantly wanted to find something on him, but he wasn’t worried. The corpse had been well hidden by him, and with the current level of detection of the two men before him, they would never be able to detect it.

“Oh? Your Excellency, you make it sound so easy. If magic could be learned in just a trick or two, I fear there would be more Magicians than Farmers on the Continent,” remarked the Green Knight, with a subtle, undetectable sneer at the corner of his mouth. “Unless Your Excellency is a Magic genius, naturally made for the stuff of a Magic master.”

“Hehe, if the knight does not believe me, I can’t help it. But perhaps, as the knight suggests, I really am a Magic genius. I learn everything at once, and even the training of Spiritual Power was completed in my sleep. Only such an explanation will satisfy you, Sir,” Komer retorted with a shrug, his laugh half genuine, half sarcastic. No matter what, he would not win these people’s trust, so he might as well brazenly make stuff up, whether they believed it or not.

“A Magic genius? The Blue Continent claims many geniuses, but it seems the lives of geniuses are not very good: either they die young or they disappear without a trace. I think it’s better for Your Excellency not to be one of these geniuses, to avoid being frightened all your life,” the Masked knight interjected, his mouth twitching into a distorted smile.

“Hey, kid, don’t think just because you put on some strange shell you can spout nonsense here. If he wasn’t a genius, you would be lying in a coffin right now!” Ilot immediately retorted.

He had never been too fond of this bunch of evasive people. To have received a favor from someone and still be sarcastic was too much for him to tolerate. His challenging gaze stared defiantly at the face of the Masked knight, the uncompromising attitude in his eyes igniting the Masked knight’s anger.

“Haha, we’ve shared adversity together, and yet we still don’t know where you’re from or where you’re headed,” spoke a Thunderhorse Knight, deftly steering the conversation towards the others.

“We are just a few Adventurers who wander around. There’s no need for the concern of the honored knights. We will part ways with you at the Leon Region. However, we will have to pass through the Greenland Great Forest together,” Jack said offhandedly, deflecting the topic.

He didn’t want to have too much contact with the two exceedingly clever knights. It was obvious that both knights were accustomed to operating outside for a long time and had an extraordinary sense of alertness. Although he still didn’t know the exact nature of their relationship with Komer and his party, he was certain that these self-proclaimed righteous defenders would never tolerate his group dealing with Komer and his companions. This required him to devise a more appropriate plan of action.

Adventurers were the most common wandering group on the Continent, operating alone or in small groups, seeking thrill and adventure for fun, with a considerable number making a career of it, forming a sizable group and even establishing trade Guilds. It was not surprising to see them in any place.

Although the trio’s attire was strange, people like Komer, Ilot, and Puber, who rarely traveled around the Continent, were not aware of what the attire of the three people indicated. As for Fran and Baoling, who had always been in the Myron Duchy’s military, they were even less aware of the identities of the three.

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