Scepter

Part 14

As they descended the stairs, the swordsmen had already finished breakfast and were waiting there. When they heard that Chris was bringing along the same "useless" mages from last night, Feizel was a bit surprised. "Are you sure?" His expression hinted at the fact that he didn't think much of their capabilities, especially after their defeat against the intermediate mages last night.

The cleric stepped in to explain, "They are our friends, and each of them has their own expertise in magic. Last night was just a minor mishap."

The elf was nestled in the cleric's arms, blowing bubbles, while Daniel teased him with a piece of moonlight grass, causing the elf to sneeze repeatedly.

Lily slapped Daniel on the back of his head. "Stop fooling around!"

Daniel protested, "But you always play with him!"

"Lily," Yannick interjected, "we're discussing important matters here!"

Daniel fell silent.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the mage Asur, who had provoked them the night before, was lazily tossing his staff onto the table and leisurely eating breakfast.

The female mage beside him reprimanded, "Asur, you're becoming less and less like a mage!"

"Relax, Afra. Your makeup is a bit heavy today, making your mouth look like a gaping hole."

"Asur!"

Taking his gaze away from this motley crew, Feizel's lips twitched with skepticism at the cleric's words.

But he didn't say anything more and instead introduced his companions to Yannick and the others.

Among these swordsmen, including Feizel, there were three senior swordsmen, with the rest being intermediate swordsmen.

Unlike mages or clerics, swordsmen didn't require magical talents and belonged to a more secular profession. Anyone could become a swordsman if they wanted to. Of course, due to talent and various other factors, there were distinctions in skill level among swordsmen. Sword Saints, the pinnacle of swordsmanship, were said to be able to take on ten opponents in the army single-handedly, but that was about it.

Sword Saints represented the highest level among swordsmen, but if a Sword Saint were to spar with a high-level mage, the former might not necessarily win. So Feizel found it not surprising that they were being courteous to Chris.

However...

Behind a powerful mage, having so many tag-alongs, was that really okay?

It was too late for regrets now, and poor Feizel could only suppress his inner unease.

After finishing breakfast, they set off from Tome Town. Along the way, Feizel explained the purpose of their journey to the dark forest.

"Actually, we have another companion. She is Sofia, the daughter of Count Marlin of the Jardet Empire. She was with us on our adventure into the dark forest but went missing. Since we couldn't find her, we had to come out and seek help."

Isn't the Jardet Empire Chris's country?

Yannick didn't respond but looked directly at Chris.

Chris, however, asked a question that nearly tripped him up, "When do I get the eight hundred gold coins?"

Feizel chuckled nervously, "Sofia carried a considerable amount of money with her. Or after we bring her back to the Jardet Empire, her father will surely be willing to pay this sum!"

Yannick: ...

So, it's still a blank check. But what if Sofia dies?

Seeing everyone's faces turning grim, Feizel hurriedly added, "But I still have two hundred gold coins here. Shall we consider it a deposit for now?"