"Mr. Ulysses, these are your goods. Would you check whether anything is missing?" One of Yarman's soldiers hitched the loaded wagon back to a warhorse and brought it over to Ulysses.
Ulysses gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "There's no need to check. We brought ten wagons of goods with us this time, and those damned bugs have already plundered nine of them. Whether anything is missing from this wagon makes little difference now..."
Thomas frowned slightly. "Lord Ulysses, you still haven't answered my question..." The displeasure in Thomas's voice was clear to everyone.
Ulysses's expression immediately darkened, and his tone grew stiff. "You're President Thomas of the Keren Kingdom, aren't you? What, is the president going to interrogate the three of us?"
The fist Thomas had kept behind his back clenched tightly. Before he could speak, a fifth-tier mage behind him said indignantly, "What kind of attitude is that? If not for us, the three of you would be dead by now. Is this how you treat your rescuers?"
"I have to confirm that you saved our lives, but that doesn't mean you can interrogate us like criminals. By the laws of my Saint Paul Empire, when the three of us return to our families, we'll report the kind assistance of Legion Commander Yarman to the Empire, so it will know that the people around us regard our Empire with goodwill and respect. Our families and merchant guild will also provide a generous reward for Legion Commander Yarman's rescue of the three of us!"
Ulysses had directed every word at Yarman. Clearly, although he was only fifth-tier, his pride exceeded even that of a sixth-tier mage. Thomas's repeated questioning had angered him, so he simply credited the entire rescue to Yarman's Third Legion...
"You..." The mage behind Thomas was furious. He had never seen anyone who'd been rescued act so arrogantly.
Seeing the tension rise, Yarman immediately stepped in to smooth things over. "All right, all right, gentlemen. Here, I think we should stand on the same side. Lord Ulysses, the Saint Paul Empire has always treated my kingdom generously and has often looked after our interests in international affairs. So I'm honored to have been able to rescue mages from the Saint Paul Empire. The three of you must be exhausted. Why not rest in my carriage? After tonight, I'll send my most elite First Battalion to escort you to our capital. From there, you can take a detour back to the Saint Paul Empire!"
"Legion Commander Yarman's courtesy has shown me the kindness and friendliness of the Keren Kingdom's nobles. Thank you again..." Though Ulysses was somewhat disheveled, he gave a perfectly executed salute befitting a noble of the Saint Paul Empire, making everyone look at him in a new light.
Ulysses left with the other two mages to rest. Thomas's expression was now unbearably grim. "All he does is talk about Saint Paul. If you took away the country he comes from, I could crush him with one hand!"
Yarman shook his head helplessly. "That's enough, Mage Thomas. You understand the gap between the Empire and the kingdoms, even if others don't. Before the four great empires, those of us in kingdoms wedged between them are like natives. Believe me, during my years studying at Frossa Academy in Saint Paul, I witnessed arrogance a hundred times worse than Ulysses's. By comparison, he's actually one of the more reasonable imperial citizens..."
"Legion Commander Yarman, do you really believe what Ulysses said?" Not a single person present was a fool. Unless Ulysses could produce solid evidence, it would be hard to believe he was a citizen of the Saint Paul Empire.
Yarman smiled at Yaheng, president of the Rosace Magic Guild, who had asked the question. "What difference does it make whether I believe him or not? Whatever his identity, I'll send someone to escort him away first thing tomorrow morning. Once they reach the capital, our law enforcers will personally escort them to the Saint Paul Empire. Once they get there, the Empire's army will quickly determine whether their claims are genuine..."
"Heh heh, Legion Commander Yarman, you're so courteous to them on the surface, but I didn't expect you to be so ruthless. If you do that, and they really are impostors, tsk, I can't wait to see their faces when the Saint Paul Empire exposes them!" Yaheng chuckled.
"That's right. Under Saint Paul's laws, anyone from another country who impersonates one of its citizens is guilty of a capital offense. Hmm, Yarman, I have to say, I should learn from you when it comes to handling this matter!" Thomas said approvingly.
Yarman's expression gradually grew serious. "Everyone, this is just a minor incident. Please don't forget our purpose. Our movements have been exposed today, so to be safe, we won't travel any farther. We'll make camp here. Tomorrow, with the earth mages leading the way, we'll check the ground for hidden Demon Beasts and advance inch by inch. Once we reach Morton and face their army, it'll be your chance to show everyone the magic your guilds can bring to the battlefield!"
Yarman took out a crystal and spoke slowly. "This is a Claire Recording Crystal. At the decisive moment, I'll activate it to record how each guild performs. These recordings will not only serve as the standard for determining the final winner, but will also become promotional films for the six great guilds. I think that once they're circulated across the continent, the reputations of the magic guilds in the six kingdoms will soar, which should do wonders for your standing in your respective countries..."
Gilbert, president of the Goriu Kingdom Magic Guild, shook his head with deep feeling. "Legion Commander Yarman, speaking from the heart, your methods make you seem more like a politician than a general. And we should be grateful that today we're standing beside this outstanding politician, not facing him as an opponent!"
"Thank you for the compliment, President Gilbert..." Yarman gave a gentlemanly bow and smiled.
The army then made camp where it stood. Eighteen thousand soldiers, together with members of the magic guilds from the six kingdoms, brought the total force to nearly twenty thousand. Military tents were set up in a huge circle, while twenty watchtowers—each ten meters high and covering an area of five square meters, built through the combined magic of fifty earth mages—were spaced around the camp's perimeter. From a higher vantage point, one could see farther; with these platforms, the sentries could easily spot any movement within ten miles!