How come this arcanist is invincible?

Chapter 43 Noble Captain

Once back on Earth, the sunlight was quite dazzling.

Two soldiers carried their comrade's body back to their unit, their steps heavy.

The blond man leading the group stared intently at the scene, his face filled with disbelief.

He strode forward, snatched his companion's body from his hand, and then abruptly turned his head.

He stared intently at Kane, who was almost unharmed.

A hint of suppressed anger flickered in his eyes.

The two soldiers carrying the body immediately whispered in their captain's ear, quickly reporting what had happened in the passage.

The blond man's facial expression changed several times.

"This is troublesome," Kane thought to himself.

This blond man is the commander.

He would likely try to shift the blame for his subordinate's death onto himself.

After all, the only outsider was unharmed, while his soldiers were killed.

"Don't worry, you won't be held responsible."

Reed's voice rang out at just the right moment.

He clearly saw through Kane's concerns, stepped forward, and spoke with certainty.

At this moment, the blond man gently laid the soldier's body flat on the ground.

He knelt down and reached out to close the eyes of the fallen soldier who had not yet been able to rest in peace.

He frowned as he examined the wound on his neck inflicted by the dried-up corpse.

After a long while, he slowly stood up and walked towards Kane and the others.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Reed instinctively stepped in front of Kane, creating a standoff.

"Get out of the way, Night's Watchman, I'm not looking for you."

The blond man's voice was deep.

Reed stood firm, his tone as cold and hard as iron.

"Your subordinate's death has nothing to do with him."

"You don't need to remind me!"

The blond man suppressed his anger and tried to speak calmly.

"But I have a few words I must speak with this Dead Apostle."

Reed frowned.

But Kane patted him on the shoulder and stepped forward.

"fine."

He calmly met the blond man's gaze.

Having chosen to become a Dead Apostle and join the Night's Watch, he had already anticipated encountering this situation.

But the next second, something unexpected happened.

The blond man stared at him.

Suddenly he clasped his right hand heavily on his left chest and bowed his head in a salute.

"Thank you, sir."

"grateful?"

Kane was stunned.

Sienna and the others also looked puzzled and quietly lowered their hands from their weapons.

Only the city guards standing to the side remained calm.

They were clearly not surprised by their superior's actions.

The blond man spoke solemnly:

"Your timely consideration of my subordinates' opinions and your decisive retreat were wise judgments."

"Moreover, when exploring the passage, you are always at the forefront and at the rear, taking on the greatest risks."

"Otherwise, I'm afraid my two subordinates would also be doomed."

Kane's heart skipped a beat.

He recalled how the blond man had initially been so aggressive, insisting that he go ahead and scout the way.

It seems that it wasn't a deliberate attempt to make things difficult, but rather an effort to protect his own soldiers.

"Feel sorry."

Kane shook his head, his voice low.

"I failed to protect everyone."

"No, for a wanderer like you, it was already quite an achievement to take two people away under those circumstances."

The blond man interrupted him, speaking calmly.

"These casualties are my responsibility."

The blond man readily admitted his mistake.

This improved Kane's opinion of him considerably.

"Sir, may I ask your name?"

"I asked the blond man."

"Kane".

He did not hesitate.

The blond man nodded:

"My name is Jasper Ashby, heir to Nilfgaard, and squad leader of the city guard."

"If you need anything in the future, you can come to me."

Kane realized that he was a nobleman.

Jasper gestured again.

Then he turned around, personally lifted the body of the fallen soldier, and solemnly left first.

The city guards watched his retreating figure with eyes full of respect.

"What should we do next?"

Reed stared at the deep, dark passage, his brow furrowed.

Kane's gaze also fell on that darkness, and he spoke in a deep voice:

"The obvious evidence inside should have been destroyed, but the smell of blood is still strong."

"The remaining enemies, including that necromancer, are likely still inside."

Reed rubbed his temples, feeling troubled.

Necromancers are spellcasters who rely most heavily on their home field.

If given enough time to manipulate the corpses, no one knows how many transformed undead warriors they would have to face.

Once the battle gets out of hand, those who fall on your side may even become the enemy's spellcasting materials.

Kane offered timely advice:

"We can temporarily deploy a squad of soldiers to block this exit using crossbows in rotation."

"Delay long enough for a final attack."

"Of course, this is on the premise that the channel is one-way."

He added:

"Furthermore, if a strong attack is to be launched, it is best to have heavy armored professionals provide support in conjunction with spellcasters."

Reed glanced at Kane with some surprise:

"Do you have experience in commanding?"

Kane shook his head.

Reed gave him a deep look and nodded:

"I understand. Let's talk tonight."

Before he finished speaking, he turned and walked toward a city guard soldier who was left behind.

It was clearly to coordinate the rotation of troops and the sealing of passageways.

Kane was pondering Reed's intentions when someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder.

It's Sienna.

Her emerald green eyes gazed at Kane:

"Thank you. If it weren't for you just now... I'm afraid I would have had to go to that bird-beak doctor for surgery and lie in bed for months."

Kane chuckled and waved his hand:

"It's okay, we're teammates."

"Consider it a reward for the detailed mission log you gave me."

Sienna stared intently at him, her emerald eyes gleaming.

"I see."

While they were talking, Reed had already finished coordinating.

Soon, a team of fully armed city guards arrived to relieve them.

The outermost layer consisted of heavily armored soldiers with shields, followed by crossbowmen standing ready, and even oil was prepared.

Anyone who tries to break through will be met with a fierce counterattack.

Once everything was arranged, Reed turned around and addressed the crowd:

"Let's go get something to eat first."

The five-person team then left and headed to a rather unique tavern not far away.

Although it was noon, the tavern was already bustling with people.

Many of the people dressed as adventurers carried weapons and behaved in a rough manner.

There were also ordinary people dressed simply, sitting together in twos and threes.

Two completely different atmospheres blended wonderfully in the tavern.

In the open space in the very center of the tavern, a bard was playing his harp.

The deep, resonant voice flowed slowly.

When Kane and his men entered the tavern.

The Night's Watch insignia on their bodies abruptly silenced the laughter and chatter in the tavern.

The atmosphere gradually returned to normal only after the five people sat down in the corner and the waiter came to order.

"The stew at this tavern is delicious."

Sienna smiled as she ordered, and the table was soon filled with steaming dishes.

Kane was eating when the bard suddenly changed the tune.

"...Silent evils fester in the shadows...They sell beating hearts...until a flash of silver."

"...Oh...the blade of revenge...the shield of the common people...the tolling bell of the villain..."

Upon hearing the familiar lyrics, Kane paused for a moment.

The others in the squad also seemed thoughtful, and Reed gave him a meaningful look.

Sienna then asked directly:

"What are your thoughts after hearing this?"

Kane shook his head.

He never exposed that evil deal out of any sense of justice.

Moreover, true evil has long been rooted in the Kingdom of Nord, like a malignant tumor.

It even spread to the upper echelons of the six countries across the entire continent.

Sienna nodded, seemingly understanding.

Then, the bard's song changed, and the volume increased slightly:

"Now, I will sing the praises of another hero who fought against the demonic cult!"

"This song comes from the Lantern Bearer, witnessed by a female knight-errant!"

New lyrics emerge, telling the story of a hero who cuts off the devil's temptations and falls into the abyss with evil.

The audience in the tavern mostly listened casually.

After all, the Demon Cult is too far removed from ordinary adventurers, and is far less eye-catching than the current Blade of Vengeance.

Kane rubbed his temples, and a name involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

Shar.

Since entering the city of war, he had never thought of going to find her.

"Kane, want to go for a drink with me tonight...?"

Sienna smiled and leaned forward slightly.

Kane was pondering how to politely decline.

Reed suddenly interrupted her:

"No, Kane is coming with me tonight to go back to Night's Watch headquarters."

"team leader?"

Sienna looked puzzled, as did the others.

Reed remained expressionless, his tone serious:

"This is important business."

The Night's Watch captain turned to look at Kane and slowly began to speak:

"Tonight you may choose one spellbook, limited to the first level."

First-level spell!

Kane's hand tightened suddenly.