Translator: Wuxia Dog Editor: Wuxia Dog
While he was still in a daze, Chipango heard people talking around him. He tried hard to open his eyes, but a water ball exploded on his face and wet almost all of his clothes. Chipango immediately became sober.
“Don’t play dead in front of me!” Following the voice, Chipango felt a large hand grab his collar. He wiped off the water on his face and opened his eyes again, only to find a bearded man staring at him with ferocious eyes.
“Now, answer all my questions honestly! Don’t try to fool me! Otherwise, I will crumple your bones one by one!” Moxinke lifted Chipango up. “You understand?’
“Got it,” Chipango said in a hoarse voice.
Moxinke paused. It was rare to see such a cooperative captive. He glared at him again. “Don’t play tricks!”
“I won’t.”
“What’s your name?” Reg asked.
“Chipango.”
“Which mercenary team are you from?”
“The Light of Night. Have you heard of it?”
Reg paused and looked at Moxinke, who thought for a while and shook his head. “No. Should I know your team?”
Chipango showed a bitter smile. His team was more or less famous in Isolated Cliff City, but these mercenaries had not heard of it at all. This hurt his pride to some extent. Apart from this, the big guy in front of him was really interesting. Was this an interrogation or a bicker?
“Why did you follow us?” Reg asked again coldly.
“Because we took on a black mission.” Chipango cast a glance around and fixed his eyes on Yalina. “Our task is to…”
“Move on!” roared Reg.
“Kill this distinguished magus and take away her magic wand.”
“You are a fucking liar!” Moxinke was irritated and harshly slapped Chipango’s head. “Do you think it’s that easy for black tasks to be released like in the first few years when Isolated Cliff City was just established? Either the employer or the employee will be severely punished by the Association of Mercenaries! Bastard! Do you think we are all fools?”
Chipango dully looked at Moxinke. No one knew if Chipango had been beaten, dull, or scared. After a while, he faltered. “Are you… really a mercenary, my lord?”
“Nonsense!” Moxinke was even more annoyed.
“If I release a black task, I will definitely be punished. But… what if someone who the Association of Mercenaries is afraid to intervene with releases the task? Or if it is someone that the whole Isolated Cliff City does not dare intervene with? Do you think the Association of Mercenaries will have the courage to punish them?”
“So you know who released the task?” Han Jin coldly asked.
“It has been a long time since the last time someone released a black task. We were very curious and secretly investigated. The task was released by…” Chipango hesitated. “Lord Forsa from Fatto City.”
Upon hearing the name, Yalina suddenly clenched her magic wand. Just like the hatred between Zaganide and Dismark, the hatred between her family and the Forsas was also irreconcilable; even the old enemies could not appropriately describe their relationship. They were just mortal enemies! The hatred between them would not end until one of them died.
Han Jin and the others looked at each other, feeling astonished.
“How dare the Association of Mercenaries challenge Forsa?” continued Chipango with a note of sarcasm. “For the Chamber of Commerce in Isolated Cliff City, their trade caravans can no longer pass through Fatto City if Forsa is annoyed, and their commercial firms located there will also suffer great damage. What are rules? They are just something that is meant to be broken. As long as you have enough power, rules will cater to you! With Forsa’s power… I think you don’t need a reminder from me about the issue.”
“Damn it…” Moxinke cursed. He felt extremely depressed.
“You should be careful. I am not the first one to take this task, nor am I the last one.” To avoid being mistaken as gloating, Chipango said this in a solemn tone. “As far as I know, lots of mercenary groups and teams have taken on this task. You have many enemies!” He wanted to warn them about the other thief, but he didn’t mention it after giving it a second thought. These guys in front of him could hardly survive the waves of assassinations. If Gibran knew this, his own fate would also be very miserable.
“Unlimited?” Moxinke’s face changed dramatically.
“Yes.”
“How much money do you get for fulfilling this task?” Han Jin softly asked.
“Money? How can a distinguished magus be measured by money?” Chipango shook his head with a bitter smile. “Three dragon crystals! That’s the reward offered by Lord Forsa.”
They were all stunned. The dragon crystal they had obtained raised all kinds of wild and fanciful thoughts. A dragon crystal could be exchanged for so many things, and in order to kill Yalina, Forsa was willing to offer three dragon crystals. What would Yalina be facing in the future? Floods of mercenaries! Even one dragon crystal was enough to allure most mercenaries, let alone three!
“Now I know why this area has become so busy these days.” Han Jin let out a long sigh. “And… Forsa is really wicked.”
“Wicked? What do you mean, Raphael?” Moxinke asked.
“Hatred can be accumulated. Think about it, what will happen if we are able to kill lots of mercenaries?”
“The more we kill, the deeper hatred they will have against us,” Reg slowly replied. “Even those who are not interested in this black task will take part in the queue of sieges against us out of justice, and we will eventually become the public’s enemy!”
“Damn it! This is unreasonable!” Moxinke flared up into a fury. “Do we have to wait to be killed?”
“Humph!” Reg snorted. “If we saw this task in Isolated Cliff City, would we have taken it? Anyway, it’s unlimited.”
“We employed you to take us to the Hydra nest, didn’t we?” Yalina suddenly said.
Han Jin quietly looked up at her, waiting for the next half of her sentence.
“Now that we have killed the Hydra and unplugged its teeth as keepsakes, your mission has been finished. There is no relationship between us anymore.” Yalina looked back at Asa. “Sign the contract and give it to them.”
Asa was shocked. Han Jin had left an indelible impression on him after that fight. During these days, he had felt safe and happy – not because of Yalina but because of Han Jin. He could not imagine what their life would become without Han Jin.
“What are you thinking about? Give them the contract!” Yalina angrily roared.
Asa took out the contract with shaky hands, signed it, and walked over to Han Jin.
Han Jin took the contract and carefully checked it. A faint smile appeared on his lips
“Friends!” Tears welled up in Yalina’s eyes. Her face turned icy again, but her tone was complicated and with too many emotions. “Goodbye!” Her eyes swept across Moxinke, Sunier, Reg, Cessacioun, and finally fixed on Han Jin. She started at him, turned around, and walked towards the woods.
“Raphael!” Moxinke anxiously shouted.
Han Jin continued to keep quiet and stare at Yalina’s walking figure. The others also became quiet. After a year’s worth of rough experiences, Han Jin had become the only one among them who could make the final decision. Even Moxinke, who was a hot-tempered person, could only try to remind Han Jin instead of directly asking Yalina to stay. It was a matter of principle.
When she passed by the young magicians, Yalina paused and said in a low voice, “You should stay here. Don’t follow me.”
Asa gnashed his teeth and obstinately followed Yalina, as did the rest of them. Perhaps this step meant death would be headed in their direction while stepping back could spare them their lives, but none of them retreated! However humble their lives were, they had their own perseverance and belief! Though some of them had decided to run away while Han Jin was fighting their enemies, they would not do the same to their mentor!
Yalina let out a light sigh and walked towards the woods again.
“You can’t live on without us,” Han Jin said at last. “All members of Light of Night have been killed except this guy. Do you know what this means? A team with much stronger strength has also taken this black task!”
“You overestimate yourself, Raphael, and underestimate me.” Yalina turned around with her face full of arrogance.
“I didn’t mean to denigrate you. My apologies if how I put it has made you uncomfortable.” Han Jin smiled. “I mean, you need some time to grow and mature, and before that time, please accept my help. Rest assured, I will not ask for compensation.”
“You mean… you want to protect me?” Yalina asked in an icy tone. “For what?” Though her face was expressionless, her heart was dramatically fluctuating. As a woman integrated with a powerful family background, status, beauty, and strength, Yalina had always been the focus of all in the Capital of Elements, and she had even been described as “perfect.” Thus, numerous young and talented men had courted her, but none had claimed to want to protect her! However bold-faced one was, he would not claim to protect a magus!
But for a girl’s first awakening of love, no flowers or compliments could compare to this promise. Though she was gifted and had always hidden under her icy face, Yalina was still a girl. Just like other girls, her heart was filled with fantasies and visions. In her heart, there should also be a handsome, gentle, and powerful Mr.Right who would be willing to challenge all difficulties for her.
“For nothing.” Han Jin showed a warm and mysterious smile again. “Well, we’d better make preparations and leave now.”
Yalina slightly bit her lips. She had planned to continue asking Han Jin regardless of how he replied, but he had instead said the words, “for nothing.” This made her speechless and her chest was filled. Something hot was boiling inside her heart.
The young magicians were all excited because Yalina showed no intention of leaving.
Chipango had nearly forgotten his situation of being a prisoner. He could not even believe his own ears. To protect a magus? Are these mercenaries mad?
“What about this guy, Raphael?” Moxinke gave a kick at Chipango.
“Though he is cooperative, he has seen our situation and knows who our leader is. Should we still let him go?” Moxinke said while Han Jin fixed his eyes on Chipango.
“Please allow me to go with you, my Lord!” Chipango’s eyelids suddenly twitched. “I seldom go back to Isolated Cliff City. Most of my time is spent wandering through this forest. I know this place well, my Lord. Maybe I can offer some help.”
“Take him with us,” Han Jin said in a low voice.
“Thank you, my Lord. That’s very kind of you,” Chipango said with his eyes full of gratitude.
Reg approached Han Jin when the others were a long distance away from them, and asked with a long voice, “Why?”
“What?” Han Jin asked back with a smile.
“You know what I mean. Why help Yalina.” Reg hesitated. “Her voluntary leaving is the best choice for us all. Why stop her?”
“You will see in the future.”
“But… I want to know now,” Reg said with a bitter smile.
“Opportunity and danger always occur together like twins, but people often only see one while neglecting the other,” Han Jin said in a low voice. “Ask Cessacioun about the Capital of Elements, Yalina, and the Duke she mentioned. You will get the answer from Cessacioun.”
