The Lich of Glory Knight Spirit: Moving towards Krimasha!

Andrew could already feel the chill. Although it was winter, this was the kind of cold that seeped into your bones... You know what I mean. At this point, he had no energy left to care about whether Christina was going to stir up any trouble.

If it weren't for that tiny glimmer of hope, he might have just turned tail and run.

They waited and waited—a wait that lasted about two hours—until Christina finally returned. Her giant leathery wings flapped in the air, sending gusts of wind everywhere. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she landed in front of Andrew and, using her mouth, gently laid down the guard tied up with ropes on her back.

The guard could barely stand. He collapsed onto the ground and vomited violently.

The people around were all stunned. Kevin rushed forward, quickly holding up the guard, a barely concealed smile on his face. He asked hurriedly, "What happened? What's going on?"

"It's... just... amazing..." After catching his breath, the guard said excitedly, "It was incredible! Haha, I flew! For the first time in my life, I flew—really flew—and twice in one go! No one would believe it if I told them, but I rode a dragon! Hahaha!"

As soon as he said that, Mr. Paber's family lit up with excitement, while the White Vulture Mercenary Group sank into gloom. Andrew? Well, Andrew didn't seem to care at all.

"So, does this mean the plan worked?"

"Yes, sir. I assure you it worked. I saw Valencia with my own eyes. While flying for the first time may feel extremely uncomfortable, I don't think there's any significant issue with the plan."

"Excellent! Everyone, prepare yourselves! We'll soon arrive in Valencia!" Mr. Paber exclaimed.

The guards cheered loudly in response.

In stark contrast, the morale of the White Vulture Mercenary Group hit rock bottom.

"Let's go; there's no point waiting any longer," Thief Tina sighed with resignation.

The other mercenaries were visibly miserable.

"Hold up—I still need to fetch the written statement. Otherwise, we might not get our deposit back." With that, Kevin reluctantly approached Mr. Paber. "Sir, since you've decided not to employ us, could you provide a signed statement explaining your decision? We need it for the adventurer hall."

"Oh... sure!" Mr. Paber replied with enthusiasm before pausing briefly. Then he turned his head back and tilted his face towards Kevin, asking, "Wait—when did I say I wasn't going to employ you?"

Kevin froze; the members of the White Vulture Mercenary Group froze; and not far away, Andrew froze as well.

"Isn't that the case?" Kevin asked in bewilderment. "Didn't you say you'd give them the two thousand gold coins reward instead of us?"

"No, not at all. I said I'd give them an additional two thousand gold coins, not deduct your two thousand gold coins and give it to them." Mr. Paber clarified, "Your reward remains the same. I still intend to employ you."

Beneath the quiet glow of the blue moonlight, the mercenaries stared blankly at their employer.

After a brief silence, Mr. Paber seriously explained, "Here's the plan: You'll disguise yourselves as me, then follow the original plan and head in a completely different direction. Go to... wherever you want, as long as it's not Valencia. It should be a place about the same distance away. Once you arrive, your task is completed. If you're attacked along the way, don't fight back—just act clueless. You'll just be regular travelers."

"Then who do we confirm the success of the mission with?"

"Habas!" Mr. Paber shouted.

A guard promptly stepped forward to meet him.

"Habas, you'll go with them. You'll be responsible for arranging everything and confirming the mission's completion. You can load some rocks onto the carriage and, after passing through one place, suddenly remove the disguises and then set up disguises in another place. You understand my point, right? Leave a trail of clues, but make it chaotic enough!"

"I understand, sir!"

The White Vulture Mercenary Group, hearing this new task, perked up immediately.

The two thousand gold coins that had seemed lost were now back in play—how could they not be thrilled?

"No, sir!" Andrew quickly moved forward and said, "I don't think this is a good idea. If they know your whereabouts and are tortured by the enemy, they might reveal everything!"

"Mr. Duru, are you saying our members would crack under interrogation?" Kevin questioned.

"Who knows? Regardless, it's a possible risk. It might be safer to disband on the spot."

"There's no need to worry," Mr. Paber calmly explained. "I have ways to handle this. We'll reach Valencia today, but we won't stick around there. We'll move on to other places. They won't be able to track us fast enough; we'll have plenty of time to leave. There's absolutely no need to stress—I have many strategies. Of course, I must commend you for your suggestion; it solved quite a few problems for us."

Andrew was stunned.

...

Everything proceeded smoothly.

Although Mr. Paber's family's luggage was ridiculously excessive, the dragon's capacity was astonishing. In total, Christina made four trips to Valencia, transporting Mr. Paber's family, their guards, and all their belongings to the destination.

Left behind in Linlopes were just a few of the guards, their horses, and several idle carriages. Naturally, those remaining still had tasks left to accomplish.