Qiaolin’s figure flickered continuously in the void.
His simplified version of Folding Warp significantly reduced his consumption of Magic Power and eased the burden on his mind.
Since he only needed to teleport to places within his line of sight, it required almost no mental effort.
Sky-Leap Step — that was the new name he gave to this simplified magic.
Because it was Space Magic, his movements left no trace, and the leakage of Magic Power was extremely sparse, making him difficult to detect.
Within a few breaths, Qiaolin used Sky-Leap Step to reach the sky above the city center.
He took a moment to gauge the magic he had consumed and found it was roughly the same as teleporting directly to the city center from his original position.
It seemed that under Qiaolin’s improvements, Sky-Leap Step had become a spell unsuitable for long-distance teleportation.
He continued teleporting downward, step by step. At that moment, a commotion coming from the street below caught his attention.
It sounded as if something had happened.
With a mind to see what the excitement was about, Qiaolin arrived at the scene with a *whoosh* and hid among the crowd.
“You Barta people are becoming more and more brazen! As soldiers, can you really bully innocent women with such a clear conscience?”
In the middle of the crowd, a man dressed in knightly armor was shouting at the Black Fang Legion soldiers opposite him.
The tall, thin man leading the soldiers seemed completely indifferent to the words.
He grabbed a young waitress by the back of her neck and sneered, “It’s not like I forced her. Since she took the money, she should do her job. Besides, she only has the life of a slave. I don’t even consider it a waste to have spent one silver coin on her.”
“I… I never agreed to anything!”
“Hmph, ungrateful!”
The tall, thin man’s eyes filled with disgust. He threw her to the ground and grabbed the woman by her hair.
“Eek!”
“What are you doing? Let her go!”
The man in the knight’s armor reached for the sword at his waist.
But just as his hand touched the hilt, a distorted silver light flashed, leaving a wound on the back of his hand.
“Ugh?!”
The tall man brandished that strange, whip-like chain sword, and a cold smile appeared on his face.
“This woman’s service isn’t over yet. Until it is, my men and I do not wish to be further disturbed.”
“Forget it, Sir. We can’t afford to offend the Black Fang Legion,” someone nearby urged.
“Even the City Lord said not to have any friction with them! Besides, you saw it yourself — that flexible blade is fast enough to cut off your fingers. Don’t go looking for trouble!”
“Damn it!”
The man didn’t care how dangerous the opponent’s weapon was.
He subconsciously clenched his fist and took a step forward.
“You’re asking for death!”
The tall man drew his Snake Sword, but just as he was about to swing it, a hand quietly pressed down on his wrist.
His entire body felt as if it had been pinned in place.
His eyes widened, and what met him was a fist as large as a sandbag.
*Thud!*
“Gwah!”
The tall man was sent flying by the punch, leaving the surrounding Black Fang soldiers stunned.
“Commander Ashi!”
“Get out of Lin City! You Barta scum!”
Upon hearing this, the Black Fang soldiers drew their weapons. In an instant, the scene was thick with the scent of impending bloodshed.
“Heh… very well. What is your name?”
Ashi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
“The Guardian Knight of Lin City and City Guard Commander, Edmond!”
“I am Stinger Ashi, Vice Commander of the Black Fang Legion. Edmond, I will remember your name… Let’s go!”
Ashi raised his hand, and the others sheathed their swords and followed him away from the scene.
“Are you all right, Miss?”
Edmond helped the waitress up. His gentle expression now was a world away from his fierce aura just moments ago.
“Thank you, Sir Edmond.”
“Protecting the safety of the citizens is my duty. However, we should also thank this gentleman.”
Edmond turned his head, and Qiaolin, who had been standing nonchalantly in the crowd, was exposed to everyone’s view.
“You have a good eye, Sir Knight. I also can’t stand guys who bully women,” Qiaolin said with a smile.
The two men shook hands. At Edmond’s invitation, they went together to the tavern where the waitress worked.
“You must be the famous Healing Mage, Mr. Qiaolin.”
The two sat at the bar. Edmond studied the black-haired youth, who was even younger than he had imagined.
“Am I really that famous?”
Qiaolin scratched his head and chuckled.
“I heard that some citizens were attacked by Magic Beasts a few days ago, so I came here to help out.”
“On behalf of those rescued citizens, I thank you, Mr. Qiaolin. And thank you for your help earlier.”
Qiaolin waved it off. In the meantime, the waitress who had been harassed earlier served them both fine wine.
“This round is on the house, gentlemen.”
The two quickly became acquainted in the tavern.
Amidst a slight intoxication, Edmond opened up to Qiaolin about his past.
“I was originally a Border Knight Captain of the Kingdom of Nolan. My mission was to guard the eastern region of the Celtic Forest. But once, in order to rescue a team of adventurers who had fallen into danger, I took some of my knights and left the post. When it was discovered, I was exiled by the Empire on charges of desertion. Fortunately, I didn’t implicate anyone else, hahahaha…”
Edmond laughed bitterly. Afterward, he came to Lin City to serve as the City Guard Commander, leading a force of just over 1,000 men.
Although it was called an army, due to the agreement with the Demon Race, the Lin City Guard was poorly equipped.
At most, they had simple chain mail and weapons forged of ordinary iron.
This was precisely why he worried about the threat the Black Fang Legion posed to Lin City.
“As you can see, Mr. Qiaolin, if the Black Fang Legion launches a surprise attack, we will have no way to resist. I believe in Lady Aurora’s decisions, but I remain skeptical of the Barta people’s credibility. These are lessons I learned at my previous post.”
“Are you saying the Demon Race might not necessarily pay attention if the Black Fang Legion invades Lin City?”
“In the face of profit, all nations are the same. Just like the adventurers I saved in the Barta jurisdiction — the Council decided my actions would put the Empire in a difficult position, so they cut me off and exiled me,” Edmond said.
“In my view, the Black Fang Legion simply wants to seize the Celtic Forest. Using Lin City as a base will infinitely expand their advantage in this region!”
“Once Lin City is dragged into this struggle, the Demon Race won’t intervene. They’ve already done enough for us.”
Edmond’s words made Qiaolin look at him with a new sense of respect. He was a rare, clear-headed man.
“But even if Lin City is invaded, I will lead my men to resist. It is my duty. I don’t want to be labeled a deserter ever again, even if I have to die for it.”
“You’re a real man. I’ll drink to that.”
Qiaolin raised his glass. Edmond quickly followed suit, and the two drank together.
As they were enjoying themselves, the tavern door was pushed open heavily, and a panicked figure rushed in.
The newcomer immediately spotted Qiaolin sitting at the bar.
“Mr. Qiaolin! I’ve finally found you!”
“Looking for me? You are…”
Qiaolin did not recognize the man.
“Lady Aurora sent me to find you. There is a matter she needs to discuss with you. She is waiting for you at the Lin City Main Hall right now!”
“Is that so? Then it seems I have no choice but to go.”
Qiaolin stood up and smiled at Edmond.
“We’ll gather again another day.”
“Since it’s Lady Aurora’s order, you should go quickly.”
At that moment, a black-haired girl floated in the void above.
She watched Qiaolin as he rushed toward the Main Hall and followed after him.
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