Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 40 (Part 1)
Cliff, the vice-captain, did not rush. He moved at a moderate pace and took plenty of breaks.
After traveling like this for three days, they finally reached a hill where they could see their destination, the city of Hampton.
They had already crossed the border and entered the Ingram Empire. Cliff judged that moving like mercenaries rather than running like madmen would arouse less suspicion.
“We’ll be entering soon. Remember, you are mercenaries. I am the mercenary leader. Don’t forget.”
“Yes.”
The knights of the Royal Guard did not wear full plate mail but leather armor when they left the capital of the Riyaz Kingdom.
Hedler and Lant, who were part of the special forces, were already equipped with leather armor from the beginning.
Darren, the mage, wore a robe, but it wasn’t particularly eye-catching.
Everyone’s clothes were covered in dust from the long journey. Their hair was messy, and they didn’t look like knights.
“Does everyone have their mercenary tags?”
“Yes. Here they are.”
“We’re going in. Move naturally. Our accent is different from that of the Empire, so minimize talking if possible.”
“Yes.”
After standing in a long line and waiting, they finally entered the city of Hampton.
The gate guard checked their mercenary tags and let them through without searching their belongings.
‘Phew.’
Cliff secretly sighed in relief and looked back at his companions. He saw two tense subordinate knights and three country bumpkins excited to see the city.
‘Those guys look more natural.’
The subordinate knights were too stiff. They even had sweat running down the sides of their faces, clearly showing that they were on a big mission.
On the other hand, the three special forces members showed no signs of tension. They were innocently looking at the buildings and people, clearly appearing as rookie mercenaries.
“Bo… I mean, Captain.”
“What? What is it?”
“How long will we stay here?”
“Until our target leaves the city. We estimate between five to ten days. It could take longer or be over sooner.”
Count Bahas was the commander of the Ingram Empire’s vanguard knights, and Weidman, a 6th-circle mage, was the vanguard knights’ field mage.
They had stopped in Hampton for supplies but were expected to return to Orphus, where their knight order was stationed.
Their mission was to find out how many people they were taking with them when they left.
It would be fortunate if things went as expected, but if they took more people than anticipated, they would have to re-plan everything from scratch.
“Can we look around until then?”
“First, secure our lodging.”
“Understood.”
Cliff booked an inn close to the city gate. He paid for ten days in advance to have some leisure.
“Can we go out now?”
“I’ll allow just one day. Remember, we’re here for a mission.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Hedler left the inn with an excited face. Lant naturally followed. Darren was about to go out too, but Cliff stopped him.
“You are in charge of communications with the main force. Stay by my side. Understood?”
“Yes.”
Darren looked sullen.
They had avoided cities and towns on their way here, taking long detours whenever they saw civilians, which cost them a lot of time.
Now, even after reaching their destination, they had to stay cooped up in the inn. How unfair the world could be.
Hedler and Lant moved to a more bustling area after leaving the inn. The number of shops increased, and so did the number of mercenaries and soldiers.
“Hedler, where are we going?”
“Mana stones, potions.”
“Oh!”
They planned to sell potions to make some money.
It would be good if they could also buy low-grade mana stones as Rodin had requested. They also wanted to gauge the atmosphere of the city of Hampton.
“It’s lively. So many people. Despite the war, no one seems worried.”
“There are a lot of mercenaries.”
“Right. There are too many. Could they all be war mercenaries?”
“War mercenaries are dangerous.”
This was something Rodin had mentioned.
War mercenaries were those who, having nowhere else to go, made the battlefield their last choice. Hence, war mercenaries generally fell into two categories:
Those too incompetent to get normal assignments.
Those who caused too much trouble to get normal assignments.
“There are too many bottom-feeders. We need to be careful.”
“You have me. Trust me, Hedler.”
“True.”
Lant, now 18, was a giant. Not only was he tall, but his shoulders were broad, and his entire body was covered in muscle.
No one would pick a fight with someone like Lant unless they were very confident in their skills.
“Over there.”
“Hmm? Oh. This looks promising.”
It was a large general store. The sign at the entrance said they bought potions unlimitedly.
The war between the Ingram Empire and the 13 Nations Alliance was becoming increasingly fierce. The number of wounded was rising daily.
In such times, potions were worth their weight in gold.
“Let’s sell.”
“Agreed. How many should we sell?”
“Enough to buy mana stones.”
“We should sell a bit more. Come on.”
Hedler led Lant into the general store. He first checked the price of low-grade mana stones.
“Low-grade mana stones are 10 gold. Hmm.”
Hedler pretended to hesitate, comparing the price with the potions.
The price for a healing potion written at the entrance was 34 gold. It was enough to buy three low-grade mana stones and still have some left over.
“What should we do?”
“Just sell one.”
Considering the price, they could sell one potion, buy one low-grade mana stone, and get the rest in coins.
“Alright. I’ll sell this. Give me one low-grade mana stone and the rest in a mix of gold and silver coins.”
“Oh, a potion. Can I check its quality?”
“Of course.”
Hedler trusted Rodin’s skill. Knowing Rodin, it wouldn’t be a shoddy product.
The store owner opened the potion cap and inserted a small needle. He tapped the needle tip, with a small amount of potion on it, onto a silver plate. The red liquid on the plate began to emit a faint glow, making the plate look like a magic lamp.
“The quality is excellent. Is this from the Marshall Magic Tower?”
“Do you want to buy it or not?”
“Of course. Do you have more?”
“We consider this our lifeline.”
After receiving the low-grade mana stone and coins, they left the store.
Several people cast glances at them but quickly looked away. They decided it wasn’t worth the trouble, seeing Lant’s imposing figure.
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