Instaron suddenly understood why Brando had specifically asked for intermediate Liches. Low-level Liches, which could only cast spells with the aid of Bone Staffs, clearly could not be called mages. They themselves actually had no spellcasting ability.
"That..." Miss Adeni, the vice-captain of the Wings of Ra Knight Order, had come over at some point. After hearing the two of them, she could not help interrupting. "Actually, I know a little magic too."
Brando turned around, somewhat pleasantly surprised. "Miss Adeni, you know some magic? Are you at the level of a mage apprentice?"
"A little higher than that, but really only a little."
"That's enough." Brando waved his hand grandly. Seeing that Adeni still wanted to speak, he cut her off directly. "Double it."
"What!" Adeni's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
"The payment." Brando replied with the air of a nouveau riche. "The amount we agreed on before—I'll double it for you. How about that?"
"O-of course, no problem. Wait, you're not tricking me, are you, Mr. Brando?"
A crystal traced an arc through the air and landed in her hand. "This is the deposit," Brando told her. Adeni looked at the crystal, and her reaction was exactly the same as Naxin's had been back then. She immediately sucked in a cold breath.
A Flame-patterned Crystal. This single crystal alone was enough to cover more than half of their payment, yet it was only the deposit. The vice-captain witnessed Brando's extravagance firsthand and blurted out subconsciously:
"Martha above, Lord, are you still looking for retainers?"
Brando froze for a moment. If these 'mercenaries' were willing to come and serve me, that would be wonderful. More than ten experts from around the Side of Truth—wouldn't that almost double my strength in Tonigell directly?
He immediately replied, "Of course.