Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 255 The Chess Game of Redemption: The Fates of Old Friends

Halfas Tower!
This is a name from a very distant past. John is certain that the person who would use these two words together must be someone he knows very well from the past.

He suddenly looked up and, following the sound, saw several galloping horses rushing towards him.

The one who arrived was Major Junzi from the Han Hai Special Observation Team.

Having trained as a reconnaissance soldier, he was an excellent horseman and always took the lead.

In the current Whitestone City of the elves, it is extremely dangerous for humans to ride horses, so after receiving the news, he had to first ask an elven liaison officer to accompany him before rushing over.

As for how the fungus received the news, it was thanks to that "good brother" who had just sold Little John to the half-elf.

John and his group asked their "good brother" for help to leave the city. The "good brother" made arrangements to disguise them and get them into the transport escort team.

Of course, they received a hefty reward per person.

While the dwarf-half-elf Org Watson was searching for "Quick-Leg John," his good friend received the news and immediately made contact with the new White Rock City garrison through various channels.

They also received a considerable fee per person.

Finally, Major Junzi, through the reactivated mercenary guild, issued a bounty for finding John and his grandson who used to live in the Old Hedgehog Tavern, which was discovered by his well-informed "good brother".

As a close friend of John, he was naturally familiar with John's past and recognized him at a glance as his own buddy.

Of course, the "good brother" couldn't let this money go unearned.

But there are still techniques involved in how to earn money.

The "good brother" made a precise timing difference; just as the transport team was setting off towards the city gate, someone was immediately sent to the mercenary guild to offer a bounty on the mushroom.

He was even confident that by controlling the speed of the transport convoy, he could ensure that both sides would see Little John alive at the city gate.

As for who took him away, that's none of the "good brother's" business; he'd already made all three sums of money anyway.

The warhorse let out a long neigh, its front hooves raised high, and was brought to a stop in the middle of the road by Junzi. Its hooves almost trampled into the faces of the city guards who were shoving Little John.

With a swift movement, Junzi dismounted and stood before Old John and Young John. A few simple words, though the name "Chen Mo" never appeared, were enough for both sides to quickly recognize each other through keywords known only to those involved.

My husband misses his old friends and would like to invite you all to visit him. What do you all think?

John was both surprised and delighted, but he didn't forget his current situation. He hesitated for a moment, but then honestly said, "I... I'm a prisoner of the city guards now, so I'm afraid I can't go with you!"

"It's alright, come with me, someone will handle things here!"

Before he could finish speaking, the city guard who had been speaking in a high-pitched voice let out a shriek: "Where did this brat come from? Didn't you see the city guards are capturing a serious criminal? How dare you try to take him away without asking our Captain Aug?"

Without even glancing at the jumping human city guard, Junzi's gaze went straight past him and landed on Org Watson, whose face was gloomy and whose fists were clenched. Junzi's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he wanted to memorize the unique appearance of this elf.

Then, Major Jun turned to look at the elf liaison officer who had accompanied him.

The elven liaison officer had dismounted and was now bowing slightly to Junzi, gently lifting the tassel from his uniform to reveal the badge beneath: three branches of a moon, two gold threads.

The elven liaison officer, his face calm, turned toward the city guards and uttered a few words in standard Inner Elvish: "Let them go!"

An invisible pressure instantly enveloped the entire area. Even the most ignorant human mercenary knew the significance of that badge. The two golden lines on the badge clearly indicated that this person was a person of extremely high status within the Silver Moon Guard, the elite elven army that had breached the city in an hour.

The human city guards who had been shouting just moments before suddenly became like roosters with their necks choked, all their voices stuck in their throats, only a faint clucking sound escaping their lips. They quickly shrank back, their faces turning ashen.

Og Watson was still somewhat unwilling.

He was the hero who captured the city, the captain of the city defense team, and now dozens of his men were watching him. The stubbornness of his dwarven blood made his chest heave violently, and his thick fingers clenched so tightly they cracked.

Aug opened his mouth with difficulty, trying to maintain his last shred of authority and dignity.

“They…they’re trying to sneak out of the city! Their behavior is suspicious! According to the law…according to the law…”

"Let them go!" The Silvermoon Elf's expression and tone remained unchanged. "If there are any problems, find my Silvermoon Guard!"

Aug's face instantly turned crimson, a tremendous sense of humiliation gnawing at his heart. Just like Little John before him, he gripped the battle axe at his waist tightly, the rough wooden handle creaking under his grip, the bulging muscles on the back of his hands throbbing incessantly.

However, Aug ultimately made no move.

Watching the group leave and disappear at the end of the long street, all of Aug's anger, resentment, and humiliation could only be transformed into a low, beast-like growl suppressed deep in his chest.

His fist slammed hard against the thick bluestone city wall beside him, blood splattering and stone chips flying everywhere.

In front of and behind Orgrim were the pale-faced human city guards and John, his "good brother," who was also bloodless!
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As if in a dream, John and the others followed Junzi to the base of the Han Hai Territory Military Observation Group.

During this journey, he had roughly learned what had happened. The necromancer and noble young master who was still somewhat naive back then now had a huge influence among the upper elves.

In Junzi's words, a mere captain of the city defense army is not worth taking seriously.

That evening, after receiving instructions from the Han Hai Territory, Major Junzi made an unprecedented use of the extremely precious real-time communication channel, allowing the group to speak directly with Lord Chen Mo.

At first, the group was a little reserved and spoke haltingly, but as Chen Mo greeted them warmly, especially when he asked about their recent situation, John and Josh gradually relaxed.

The group took turns chatting about the situation, and of course, they proudly recounted what had happened during the day.

After listening to their grievances with the dwarves and half-elves, Chen Mo pondered for a while before clearing his throat.

"I think this was handled inappropriately!"

Several Hanhai officers in the field stood up reflexively, their legs snapping together and their bodies ramrod straight.

If the lord says something is not done properly, then even though the lord cannot see it, they must accept the lord's instructions at military posture!
The others also stood up, looking surprised and uncertain.

Chen Mo's voice slowly came over: "According to you, this whole thing started because someone on your team made a mistake! I don't think it's right to laugh at others like this."

"I completely understand that mercenary groups need to unite and protect their own people when they are out in the world, but there is always a right and wrong in things."

"I will also help my relatives, so I certainly can't let others make things difficult for you. But helping relatives doesn't mean being completely unreasonable."

"I have a suggestion for you to consider!"

"Major Mushroom!"

"Here!" Junzi slammed the heel of his military boots down hard, his voice booming.

"Prepare a gift, and ask the middleman from the elves to go and apologize to them in person!"

“If John and the others are willing to go, then go with them. If John and the others have reservations, then you will take full responsibility and try your best to handle this matter.”

"One particularly important point is that we must erase the fact that they impersonated others and smuggled themselves through the city gates, understand?"

"understand!"

While John and Josie were still a little confused, John, standing to the side, couldn't wait to shout, "Go, go, we definitely have to go!"

"The lord's arrangements are perfect, this is for the best, this is for the best!"

Chen Mo on the other end of the microphone chuckled: "It's good that you think that way. When you go there, you don't need to be servile. Just be frank and explain what happened before, apologize. If the other party is still unreasonable, then don't blame us for taking drastic measures."

"Let me tell you, when I'm in the right, I can be quite fierce!"

After thinking for a moment, perhaps fearing that Little John and the others might not understand, Chen Mo solemnly added a few more words.

"Actually, it's not that I want to wrong you; I genuinely consider you my friends."

“If I forcefully help you, I will actually harm you. Just like you said, those lackeys around Aug will only become more and more arrogant now that they have found a backer. Haven’t you already seen his fate?”

"Furthermore, just because we are on good terms with the elves today doesn't mean we'll stay on good terms with them forever. If this matter isn't resolved, your future relatives and descendants might face a lot of trouble if they want to return to their hometown of White Stone."

Old John was nodding his head like a chicken pecking at rice.

Having spent so many years in the mercenary world, he knew all too well the treacherous nature of the world. A vengeful elven city defense captain was enough to make them sleep with one eye open every night in Whitestone. Even if they left Whitestone with their families, who could say for sure if they would run into him again in the future?

If Junzi's intervention was to protect them, then Chen Mo's earnest words showed that he genuinely cared about them.

This level of skill is truly extraordinary. No wonder he can become a lord and build such a powerful force!
Major Junzi's execution ability is beyond doubt. That evening, a captain of the Silvermoon Elves stepped forward, and the elves of Whitestone City hosted a banquet on behalf of the city lord, inviting a group of civil and military officials from all levels of the city to attend. Of course, among them was the city defense captain, Aug Watson.

In fact, the elves have already figured out the situation, and there has even been fierce internal conflict.

Just as Chen Mo said, when everyone is siding with their own people regardless of right or wrong, for the elves, Aug is the one who is truly "close"!
In situations like these, the best option is for everyone to be reasonable.

The elders responsible for liaising and commanding the elves and half-elves in the human-occupied territories had just overturned the table in a fit of rage at the White Stone City assembly when they received a message from the Vast Ocean Territory.

Then, with no other choice but to willingly pay for the tables at the venue.

The banquet was a grand affair. The former White Stone City Lord's mansion, now cleansed of blood, was filled with distinguished guests and brightly lit.

When the dwarf half-elf saw his "enemies" across the banquet, his eyes turned red and his body trembled slightly.

Aug was straightforward but not stupid. He knew very well that the humans under his command were only praising him to the skies because they wanted to use his power.

After what happened at the city gate that morning, the way his men looked at him changed. A greater power, like a mountain, weighed heavily on the city defense team.

If I were to lose my position to the higher-ups of the elves, my fate would likely be far more miserable than it was before the elves came.

He has a child!

Aug gritted his teeth, prepared to endure any humiliation.

The next second, he saw two little guys holding wine glasses, respectfully coming over to apologize to him.

What kind of occasion is this? Most of the high-ranking officials of Whitestone City are here, along with a special representative from the Silvermoon Forest Court. The other party has mobilized such a large force to apologize to him, a half-elf!

On the day the city opened, Og Watson, who was covered in blood but didn't even flinch, burst into tears at the banquet.

He has no respect whatsoever!

The dwarf-half-elf, sobbing uncontrollably, clung to little Josie's waist, his voice broken and fragmented: "I... I wasn't good either. I stepped on you that day. You should have stepped on me a few times too!"

He then put his arm around Little John and said, "From now on, we'll be brothers, blood brothers!"

The banquet went very well.

As the person involved, Aug was very satisfied. He was given both face and substance, and from then on he no longer had to live in fear.

John and his friends were very satisfied. Regardless of Chen Mo's influence, as long as the elves were here, their entire family would receive excellent care.

If the elves leave... then, who wouldn't be a traitor? It's all the same.

The Elven leadership was very satisfied; an incident that could have triggered internal conflict was successfully resolved, while simultaneously significantly strengthening their relationship with the Vast Ocean Territory.

Faced with such a powerful, wealthy, and rule-abiding ally, many who had previously harbored resentment because of the Silver Moon's bloodshed have quietly switched sides in their hearts.

Han Hailing was also very satisfied. In the traditional ideology of Dongxia, it was not shameful for the national leader to apologize for the plight of the common people. It was a huge plus!
Of course, there will definitely be people who are not satisfied!

That very evening, Aug, this "brother," brought Little John his "good brother," whose arms and legs had been broken and who had been dragged over like a dead dog!
Incidentally, there were also three large boxes full of gold, silver, and valuables, showing that this good friend was indeed a financial expert and a master of wealth accumulation.

Og Watson's ruthless methods sent chills down the spines of the two children, but also strengthened their resolve to go to the Vast Ocean Territory and pledge allegiance to the wise lord.

Only the mushrooms vaguely sensed that the lord had made a seemingly ordinary move, but one that was actually quite profound.

However, the mushroom quickly had no time to think about it, because the lord had more than just this group of friends in Xiyue.

Having rushed to Qingze City, Junzi met another old friend of the lord in the prison—the mage Vincent.

When they first met, Vincent was the deputy director of the Skill Level Appraisal Center. It was under his guidance that Chen Mo obtained the qualification to study in the Magic Tower, successfully completed his first advancement and the study of "Psionic Diversion," and completed the most important foundational step.

Therefore, although this man was very demanding in terms of money, he was very grateful to Chen Mo because he was able to clearly state his prices and actually delivered on his promises.

Unlike John and his group, this man was a legitimate official of the Creek Moon Federation and was in charge of the intelligence system of Qingze City. He created many obstacles for the elves' occupation, so he was quickly arrested after the city fell and thrown into a prison for serious criminals, where he has been detained ever since.

Guided by the jailer, they walked through the dark prison corridor and into a small reception room where Junzi visited the monk Xiyue.

Vincent looked haggard, but still tried his best to maintain a semblance of dignity.

After much prompting from the mushroom, Vincent finally remembered the "little fox" from before, only when the keyword "necromancer" was mentioned.

"Oh, it's him!"

"Sigh, when I first saw him, I felt that the child was destined for greatness. He was so mature and composed that whenever I think about it now, I can't help but wonder which noble family would just leave such an outstanding young man out there to be left to fend for himself!"

"Looking back now, I realize how shallow I was! In just a few short years, it has grown into a towering tree!"

As he spoke, a look of longing appeared on Vincent's face. Then, his fingers involuntarily twitched a few times before he suddenly realized that he had nothing in his hands.

The middle-aged monk gave an awkward smile.

"Sir, could you... could you get me a pack of cigarettes?"

A few minutes later, holding the long starlight tube, Vincent slowly exhaled a puff of white mist. He was visibly more relaxed, and the conversation became more casual.

"The vast desert? I've heard of that place. It's really not easy to establish a territory in the desert!"

How many people are there now?

How many registered mercenaries does the Mercenary Guild have? What are their ranks? Are there many first-class professionals?

Clearly, Vincent was most interested in matters related to his job, and after chatting enthusiastically for a while, he once again exclaimed with deep admiration, "Truly a chosen one!"

"The Lord of Clouds and Mist was truly blind. If he had had better judgment back then, he wouldn't have met his demise!"

As they chatted, half a day had passed without them realizing it. The guards in the prison refilled their tea twice and brought them snacks three times. Junzi felt that she was about to collapse, so she brought up the previous topic again and extended an invitation.

Vincent touched his now shiny head and gave a wry smile.

"Thank you for your kindness, lord!"

"I'm not very capable. All I know is how to please my superiors. I'm also greedy and lustful. I wouldn't be of any use in that... Hanhai."

"Things are more valuable away from their hometown, but people are less valuable away from their hometown!"

"Besides, I'm getting on in years, and my leg bones are too stiff to walk far. So I won't go to such a far place. Thank you for your kind words, Lord!"

Major Jun couldn't help but speak up, reminding them, "The elves have confirmed that you instigated rebellion. According to your crime, you should be executed. My lord made arrangements with the elves, so..."

"This gentleman!"

Vincent suddenly raised his voice, interrupting Junzi. The slightly slick smile on his face disappeared, replaced by a strange expression that was both sad and arrogant.

"Sir, why must I spell it out so clearly?"

Vincent leaned close to the cannula, took a deep drag, let the smoke linger in his body for a long time, and then slowly exhaled.

"Although I, Vincent, am utterly incompetent, lacking in both talent and virtue, and have spent most of my life scheming, as an official of Xiyue, I cannot afford to disgrace even the last shred of Xiyue's honor!"

“The elves have invaded my country and destroyed my city. I am mortal enemies with those long-eared bastards. Your territory is an ally of the elves. How can I serve an enemy force?”

"Thank you for your kindness, lord. Please return now!"

After hearing Junzi's report, Chen Mo remained silent for a long time before letting out a long sigh.

"Everyone has their own ambitions, let him be!"

(End of this chapter)