Badge in Azure

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Not long after, Cuisi also entered. He then told Saleen about the events occurring outside in a soft voice.

"How many people have the bandits gathered?" The moment Saleen learned that the bandits were planning to use the besieging technique to deal with the merchant convoy, he no longer thought of attacking them as he felt uneasy.

"About four-thousand people. The number is still increasing."

Even though Saleen did not read military books, he knew that the technique of surrounding the target required more than ten times the target's manpower in order to be stable. "The enemy is a little delusional to be trying to besiege a one-thousand man merchant convoy with only over four-thousand people. My team has four grand mages, one Silver Grand Swordmaster, and a few Zun Grand Swordmasters. In terms of equipment, my side has sufficient arrows. No matter how inaccurate the fifty alchemical crossbows were, they can also create a tangible impact during the breakout process. By firing forward recklessly, a small opening can be created to allow the merchant convoy to charge out. Of course, this is the solution to use when we plan to give up the cargo. If Sharman is unwilling to part with her goods, then no one will be able to flee."

Saleen was not worried whether his life would be in danger or not. He could bring Narnia and soar to the sky and if Cuisi recovered, Cuisi could fly with Su as well. Aini had his own flying spirits for escape.

Logically speaking, a sorcerer would not join a bandit gang as it was too dishonorable. Those arrogant mages from the Alchemy City might even emerge to get rid of such scum. Without a sorcerer around, Saleen was not even afraid at all.

The crux was Aini's eighty magic wolves, these wolves could not be stored and carried in the Dimension Stone. Saleen's goddess' necklace could not contain the magic wolves unless he had subdued them. By allowing the magic wolves to possess the divine power of the goddess, even if it was a wee bit, they would be able to enter the goddess' necklace.

"But that means that I have to buy this batch of magic wolves and I don't even need them. Sika has many Caucasus people who are proficient at training such magic beasts. Magic wolves are the local produce from the northern wilderness. If I want them, the Caucasus people can capture three to five hundred of them for me anytime."

"Narnia, do me a favor."

"What is it?"

Saleen took out a Dimension Stone and placed it in Narnia's palm, then said, "This is a Dimension Stone. Go look for Sharman and identify yourself, then ask her to transfer the goods into this Dimension Stone. Tell her to dismantle the large chariots and reinforce the camp compound."

Narnia was aghast, then said, "What about Aini's goods?"

As Narnia was talking, Aini entered.

"Saleen, do you have low level contract scrolls?"

"Yes."

"I need eighty of them."

"Cost price."

"That's great, thanks." Aini heaved a sigh of relief. These eighty scrolls were also worth a sum of money. Since Saleen was selling them to him at cost price, their value would not be calculated at market price, which was a great difference.

"Are you planning to transform the magic wolves into your contract creatures and turn them into spirits?"

"Mm, then I will dismantle the chariots and reinforce the camp complex."

"The losses are huge!" Saleen reminded. Even though eighty spirit wolves were an offensive force, it was totally free to summon them from the death plane. Aini could purchase eighty spirit wolves from Saleen and once these wolves get obliterated they could never be summoned again.

"I know, but the enemy has three metal-armored dragons and one-hundred metal-armored earthworms now. The value of all those magic nuclei will not be a small sum. If I get rid of them, you will be too embarrassed to vie with me right?"

Saleen laughed bitterly, then said, "But of course." He was not willing to fly away because he wanted to make use of the people around him to eradicate a portion of the bandits obstructing the route. Since Aini was willing to sustain losses, Saleen would of course be too embarrassed to snatch that loot from Aini.

Since Aini needed no persuasion, Sharman was even more straightforward. Very soon, the large chariots in the camp compound had been dismantled and the camp complex was fortified. The walls at the periphery had become three layers thick. This time around, even the metal-armored earthworms would find it hard to break the walls open.

Aini received Saleen's scrolls, then he went to his chariot and began subduing the magic wolves one by one. Luckily he was a grand mage and had sufficient mental strength, otherwise using so many scrolls consecutively could cause a person to be deeply exhausted. As those magic wolves were already partially tamed and their grades were pretty far from Aini's, the signing of contracts progressed without a hitch.

After signing the contracts, Aini released the Floral Death Creature. The crown of the Floral Death Creature enveloped every single magic wolf, as its underground roots burst out of the soil and bound the magic wolves. The magic wolves did not put up any resistance, they allowed Aini to transform them into spirits without making any noise. Aini carried out this process clenching his teeth. He did not blame Saleen because he had to become a merchant sooner or later. If these bandits were not extirpated it would be really troublesome for the Clyde family to only travel by sea.

Sea transit was very fast, but was not safe. As the Clyde family did not own any warships, they had to hire warships to protect their convoy and ensure cargo safety. When goods were transported from Metatrin City to Lianyun City, they still had to be sent to the inlands via Lianyun City. The amount of time saved was not really substantial. In the process, the family still had to pay taxes while in Lianyun City.

For this route, Saleen had already secretly told Aini that he planned to develop a road to the Chaotic Swamp and subsequently connect directly to Sikeqinya. This way, the Clyde family could conduct the business in the northern region as usual even if the sea was frozen.

Even though Aini was captivated by magic, the business-mindedness passed down in his family's bloodline was very concentrated. Aini could tell how valuable this road was. It was okay even if he suffered losses now because Saleen would compensate him in the future.

"Luckily I was in the same predicament as Saleen in the past, thus becoming friends with him. The Clyde family would never dominate such an advantageous feature otherwise. No, this has nothing to do with the Clyde family. Once my parents come to Metatrin City, I will be independent, it isn't too bad to stand on my own feet either. Once Saleen affirms his identity, he can make my parents nobles. They won't have to rely on the Clyde family anymore. The important figures from the four big families haven't visited Metatrin City yet. Venturing in Metatrin City are all the descendants from the four big families. These young people are indignant that I have an affiliated status in my family, they are all hoping to carve out a future here. Even the baroness from the Rolande family had visited Metatrin City personally, it goes to show how much emphasis the young ones have placed on this city. Even though Baroness Guya has a high position in the Rolande family, she will never become the successor in the family. Same goes for Irene and the new talent from the Tiffany family. They have all taken root in Metatrin City."

"The damned bandit gang!" Aini lashed out. After all the magic wolves had been transformed into spirits, their magic nuclei had disappeared completely. The offensive power of these wolves was similar to that of the metal-armored earthworms, but they weren't grade-4 creatures. After a metal-armored earthworm got killed, a magic nucleus could still be extracted. Many materials could also be obtained by dissecting it. Once a magic wolf was killed, it would return to the death plane and could not be summoned anymore.

As Aini set up defenses, Sharman's subordinates helped him. Sharman could no longer sit still in her barrack, so she went to pay Saleen a visit. After learning that Narnia was Lex's subordinate, she became surer of Saleen's identity. Even though he was just a white-robed mage, she would not disrespect him.

As the Metatrin City had five months where it was frozen, the port could not be opened all year round. The port was not very valuable in the eyes of the four big families. That was just the mindset of the elderly in the family, Sharman and her sister thought otherwise.

If the sea route was closed, they could still travel on land. If materials from Metatrin City could be marketed for six months in a year, the profits were tremendous enough already. The land business only needed to do well enough to support the manpower in Metatrin City, while the sea business would be pure profits for them.

"Brother Saleen, I have to thank you for the goods." Sharman knew that Lex's mage would have to take orders from Saleen. She did not think that Narnia would raise the topic of the goods voluntarily.

These young people from the business families were very shrewd. If Irene was not fond of Saleen in the past, she would not have done those stupid things she did.

"Why? Are you here to make a marriage proposal again?" Because Aini had straightened his thoughts, Saleen was overjoyed, so he joked with Sharman.

Sharman laughed, but she did not play along. She said, "Brother Saleen, what are you planning to do, a breakout?"

"No, this road is extremely important to the four families, they have to be cleared thoroughly. I plan to exterminate these bandits. Let's wait for them to gather more people, it will be easier to remove them in one go."

Sharman nodded to show understanding. "At the moment, Metatrin City needed these four families. Once it gets developed, people like us will need to depend on Metatrin City. Without that mysterious city owner building a city in the north, no one would know that the barren and frigid northern region would contain so many riches."

The young generation of the four families never thought of snatching this fortune because the backer of Metatrin City's owner was Viscountess Lex. Since they could not seize the fortune, then they had to render as much help as possible from the beginning.

The words of this young mage had already revealed that people living in Metatrin City were beginning to value the four families.

"Brother Saleen, did you let these bandits surround us on purpose?"

"Of course, if I wanted to leave, do you think they could really stop me?" Saleen smiled breezily. The grade-5 mage behind Sharman was about to say something, but he saw Su getting up as his gaze was coincidentally on Su.

This grade-5 mage lowered his head, quickly retracting the words he had planned to use to mock Saleen.

"This Saleen might just be a white-robed mage, but I cannot trifle with his followers. In such a small room, I would be dead meat if the Silver Grand Swordmaster drew his sword."

Saleen had noticed his actions. Saleen felt that it was pathetic for a mage to have a heart of jealousy. "When I recruit mages in the future, I cannot emulate these nobles. Once a mage gets spoon-fed, they would lose their fundamental principles and won't be able to attain the highest achievements."

"Brother Saleen, you are amazing!" Sharman resumed her innocent appearance. She turned around as though nothing had happened, glaring at her mage.

As Saleen's side was discussing how to bait the bandits to attack, another group of people had arrived at the bandits' camp.

In this group of people, there was a grand mage. On his gray colored magic robe were three magic markings. Other than this grade-6 mage, a grand swordmaster had tagged along. The bandits led by this grand swordmaster were clad in the same colors, donning the standard accessories issued to a Loulan soldier.

This high level armor contained magic attributes. There were also hundreds of warhorses and a battering chariot!

The number of bandits had exceeded five-thousand and was still continuing to increase.