Awkward kick in the door

  "Garrett suddenly sighed: "Hua Leite, you are the first among my students to become a great magician, and your future achievements may even surpass mine. I have one request, if this person becomes your friend, one day when I'm no longer here, you and Raphael must not underestimate or belittle him."

  Hua Lai Te was shocked and said, "Teacher, why do you say such things? You are already a 9th-level Grandmaster Wizard, with powerful abilities that grant you a robust life, far longer than ordinary people's lifespan. In my heart, you are like a divine being."

  "Kalel sighed and said, 'Gilgamesh showed you that letter, you also know my wish, it's almost impossible to achieve, I just want to try my best. Even if thousands of years later we are no longer here, perhaps this wish will still not be realized in the world, but at least someone has tried. This is the meaning of existence I am pursuing, do you understand?'"

  Walter's expression turned solemn: "Teacher wants to establish a brand new city-state on that vast fertile land, jointly managed by surrounding countries, without racial or religious distinctions. This is unlikely to be supported even by the gods. But I understand why you are doing this, you have foreseen that disaster of blood and fire that will never cease, and even if it can't be stopped, you want to try your best to do something about it. As long as Teacher wants, I will fully support it, this is also my wish."

  "When I possessed the 9th level achievement, from that moment on, I made this vow. In my heart, I knew it was impossible to achieve, but I could dedicate my life to it. As for you and Raphael, there may be another secret waiting for you to reveal, even I don't know the answer... That young man named Arokh, the more I look at him, the more familiar he looks. If he comes to visit the city-state of Syria, you must bring him to see me."

  ……

  Amon was not aware that Ge Lie had already recognized him and was waiting to meet with him, and after collecting the land deed, he still lived in the city-state. This time, he did not look for an inn, but instead used A Luo's name to spend a lot of money buying a courtyard, as a foothold for future trips to Xia City-State. In the future, it is likely that he will come and go many times, and having his own residence would be more convenient.

  After settling in, Amun wandered around the city-state of Syria to get familiar with the place. As he walked near the south gate, he saw many people gathering on the main road leading to the gate, all with excited expressions as if waiting for something. Upon inquiry, it turned out that the visiting High Priest Rafael had returned.

  When Raphael left, he didn't cause a stir, but when he returned, there was a big fanfare. The city-state of Cape Horn even sent an envoy to return the visit and a special escort team, giving the high priest the highest courtesy. Ah Mon was just looking for Raphael, so he also stood in the crowd to watch the excitement.

  The gate guards formed a neat queue to welcome them, and Raphael's carriage entered the city first, followed by soldiers from Cape City with bright armor. To show courtesy, all weapons except for knives and axes were put away. Raphael had good eyesight, sitting in the open-top carriage waving and smiling at the welcoming crowd, and when he turned his head, he happened to meet Amun's gaze, then showed a surprised expression and nodded to him, and quietly instructed a follower beside the carriage for a few words.

  At that moment, Amun had a rather uncomfortable feeling, which was a sense of resentment and fear emanating from the carriage behind. The carriage belonged to the envoy of Haicheng City-State, with its curtains lowered so that it was impossible to see who was inside, but Amun could be certain that someone inside was lifting up one corner of the curtain and staring at him with hostility in their heart.

  Amun tried to avoid him, and quickly disappeared into the crowd. However, Raphael's attendant had already left the carriage and walked over, parting the crowd to bow and greet him: "Lord Arlo, hello, Lord Raphael has sent me to pay his respects to you."

  The crowd automatically parted to give Amun a clear space, and everyone looked at him with a respectful expression. Amun could only return the courtesy, saying: "Lord Raphael indeed has good eyesight, able to recognize me among so many people in one glance. What instructions does he have for you to come here?"

  The attendant bowed and said: "Raphael-sama is delighted that you have come to the city-state of Syria, I wonder if you have met High Priestess Hwa Ryung?"

  Ammon shook his head slightly: "I just arrived in the city-state and haven't had a chance to visit yet."

  The attendant also said: "In that case, Lord Raphael has asked me to leave his address with you and welcome you to visit him. He also asks about your residence in the city-state of Syria, as he wishes to pay a personal visit. If you do not have a residence yet, please let me arrange one for you."

  As they spoke, the convoy had already gone far away. As soon as Raphael entered the city, he saw Amun, who was accompanied by an envoy from Cape Town to go to the government office and couldn't stop, so he specially dispatched a welcoming attendant to extend his greetings to Amun. Amun thought for a moment and left his address in Syria City, and there was nothing good to keep secret.

  The second carriage with hostile eyes caught Amun's attention, but he was now a great magician and warrior, alone and unafraid. Even if there were troubles that couldn't be handled, in this densely populated city-state, one could always escape. Moreover, he had originally wanted to see Goro, and Raphael taking the initiative to find him was just what he had hoped for.

  ……

  The cavalcade went far away, and Fayol-Judah quietly dropped the corner of the carriage curtain, his face gloomy and lost in thought. He was the envoy who came to visit Haijiao City-State this time, with two tasks in mind. Officially, he led the guard team to escort Raphael back to his country, convey Haijiao City-State's greetings, negotiate trade matters after the restoration of transportation, and secretly investigate the dynamics of Xuya City-State.

  He also had a private mission, entrusted to him by Julian the Great Wizard in secret. If there were two people in Cape Town who hated Armon the most, they would be Julian and Judas. The reason for Judas' hatred of Armon was simple: he had once embezzled money awarded to Armon by Lord Dick, and his actions in Duketown had also indirectly harmed Armon.

  Judas thought Amun was just a minor miner, but he didn't expect Amun to become an important figure later on. A small person who had been wronged and framed by himself suddenly became prominent, making people lose sleep, wishing him to fall again, otherwise one day it would be their own turn to fall. This is the mentality of many people, although Amun has never wronged or offended Judas.

  As for Julian's hatred towards Armon, it had already penetrated deep into his bones. The subordinates he sent to hunt down Armon disappeared without a trace, but the Holy Maiden instead sent someone to return the secret letter to Burk, the High Priest, and then banished him far away to the city-state of Syria, leaving Julian with no choice but to swallow his bitter resentment. As long as Armon was still alive in this world, he would be like a thorn in Julian's eye, a constant source of irritation that he could do nothing about.

  Julian was after all an eighth-level great magician and one of the elders of the Eguin Magic Academy, although nominally under the jurisdiction of Lord Rodick, but in reality his status was not lower than that of Rodick. In the Eguin Empire, he had a lot of power and influence. He couldn't openly offend the Holy Maiden, but that didn't mean he couldn't sin against Amun.

  When Amun was in the temple of Isis, Julian couldn't do anything to him, but now the opportunity has finally come. Amun was sent to the Syrian city-state for a secret reconnaissance mission, and Julian also heard about it through his own channels. If such a spy is caught, he will not be recognized in public, either interrogated for information and executed, or exchanged privately, in short, once Amun is exposed, not only will the mission fail but he will also lose his life.

  This time Phallarion-Judah was sent as a return messenger, also specially arranged by Julian.

  Judas sat in the carriage and recalled Julian's secret words: "When you go to Hatti, apart from performing the official duties entrusted by the city-state, pay attention to another matter. It is said that Amun was sent by the Isis Temple to Syria for a secret mission. If you can find out his whereabouts, I think you know what to do."

  Fawkes asked somewhat nervously: "If Amun's identity is exposed and he gets caught, will it affect the Empire and the City-State's big plans?"

  Julian smiled and said, "He's gone to investigate the situation after the flood. As far as I know, the Empire has sent more than one secret agent, and there are many others like him who are unknown to Amun, the true military commander. Even if he gets caught, neither the Egur Empire nor the Isis Temple will acknowledge it, and there won't be any repercussions. Judah, this is a secret between you and me. If you succeed, it'll prove that you're an extremely capable person. I think you don't want to be just a secretary forever, do you?"

  Judas asked: "Why did Isis send Ammon on a spy mission?"

  Julian sneered, "It's just giving him another chance to make a name for himself and get promoted again. The Isis Temple is facing a power shift, with some people actively cultivating their own loyal forces, including me, who are being squeezed out. But don't forget, even if I'm not the high priest of the Isis Temple, I am still an elder of the Egu God Technique Academy. The changes that will happen in the city-state of Syria have already been clearly predicted by the Egu God Technique Academy, and we have received guidance from the gods. Amun's mission is insignificant."

  On the way, Judah's mood was always a bit tangled. He knew that Lord Julian wanted to use Hatty's hands to get rid of Amun, which also suited his mind, but he always felt a little uneasy. Moreover, the city-state of Syria was so big that the hope of meeting Amun was very slim. But as soon as he entered the city, he saw Amun, too coincidental, was it really guided by the gods?

  Juda gritted his teeth and made a decision, let Amun disappear here forever. After returning, Lord Julian will surely appreciate and reuse him, and there will be no more worrying about the aftermath of Amun.

  Kor did not receive the envoy from Cape Town, and Governor Xiao Mo held a grand welcome banquet at his mansion, and had the financial officer accompany Mr. Judah to have fun in the city-state for a few days.

  At the same time, Governor Xiao Mo secretly ordered that the entire city-state still maintained a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, but quietly tightened its guard and inspections to prevent spies from infiltrating and gathering important intelligence. In the minds of officials at Governor Xiao Mo's level, they already knew that the conflict between Hati and Egu was approaching, but it had not yet reached the point of complete exposure. The more this was the case, the more necessary it was to put on a good show on the surface, and the more warmly they received the envoys from Egu.

  On this very evening, the captain of the city guard, Les-Moon, received a secret report that a spy from the Empire of Egu had infiltrated the city after scouting out the strategic terrain around the Black Fire Forest. The spy, named Aroth, had recently purchased a mansion in the city as a base for his clandestine activities and had been identified by someone.

  Before the two countries declared war, such espionage infiltration activities were very common. The Hittite kingdom also sent many spies to the Egyptian Empire under the guise of trade or other names to carry out tasks. On the surface, neither side took up arms, but both were on high alert in secret.

  Mu En didn't know whether the secret report was true or false, but he didn't dare to be slow. He immediately led a team of personal soldiers to rush to the mansion, quietly blocking both ends of the road in the night, and surrounding the mansion with fully armed soldiers to prevent any news from leaking out and also to prevent the spy from escaping in the chaos. Only then did he bring a few elite soldiers to the door, preparing to personally capture A Luo.

  Muer is the captain of the Imperial Guard of Xuya City, under whom there are three Imperial Guard teams. Normally, three deputy captains take turns to be in charge of patrolling the city, but today, the Governor has given an order, and Muer has taken it upon himself to show his importance, coincidentally catching this incident, what a stroke of luck.

  Mu En's background was also somewhat special. Two years ago, he was just a small leader of a relay station in the Black Fire Forest, with only about a dozen miscellaneous soldiers under his command.

  In the great flood, all the relay stations in Duketown and the Black Fire Forest were destroyed. Only Mian was calm and quickly led the soldiers to retreat to a nearby giant stone, tied everyone together with their belts, grabbed the bushes and waited for rescue. The great wizard Ge Lai drove the Azure Boat deep into the floodwaters towards Duketown, and rescued them along the way. That team of soldiers was the only survivor in the flood.

  Whether in distress or rescue, Mu En was in command, and his soldiers maintained discipline under his orders, without any signs of panic. On the Azure Boat, he did not disturb Ge Lie, who praised and appreciated him. After returning to the city, Ge Lie specially recommended Mu En to Xiao Mo, who then received heavy use.

  When Xiao Mo led the troops to ambush Luo De's convoy, he lost a team of close guards and needed to rebuild. Mu En became a team leader, later known as a deputy team leader. Just a few months ago, Mu En broke through the seventh level and became a great warrior, and was promoted to be the captain of the entire Xuya City-State's Imperial Guard, responsible for protecting the safety of the State Lord and maintaining order in the city-state.

  As a great warrior, Mu En acquired noble status and became the captain of the city-state's imperial guard, with a position far more prestigious than that of the small station chief he once was. He felt deeply grateful to Ge Lai, this great divine magician who had saved him and also recommended him, having both the kindness of saving his life and the kindness of knowing him.

  Because of this, Mugen will personally come to capture a small spy with his identity as a great warrior. The messenger from Hakuchou, Judah, is still here as a guest, so everything must be done in secret.

  It was quiet at night, and the location of Aro's mansion was also very secluded. The streets had been cleared and cordoned off early on. Mu En checked it satisfactorily before coming to the door, pulling out his weapon, and kicking the large gate open with one foot.

  Under the feet of a great warrior, the thick wooden gate was as fragile as a piece of paper, shattering and flying apart without making too much noise. Mu En held his shield in his left hand and his sword in his right, leading the charge into the courtyard, which was empty and quiet, with the windows of the hall revealing lamplight, indicating that the people inside had not yet rested.

  Mu En didn't waste any words, and with his weapon in hand, he walked towards the door under the guard of his personal soldiers. He lifted one foot and kicked the door flying open. The kick was very powerful, but instead of shattering the door panel, it broke the door hinge, causing the door to swing violently into the room. If anyone had been hiding behind the door to peek inside, they would have been knocked off their feet along with the door panel.

  Mu En's shield and long sword shone with a faint light, while two guards on either side held round shields and javelins, advancing into the room to block the flanks in perfect coordination. According to convention, after the heavy door panel fell to the ground, Captain Mu En should have loudly declared his name and stated his intentions, allowing the spy master to surrender voluntarily.

  A small detective witnessed such a scene, and Mu En, the great warrior, personally led people to capture him. It's strange if he wasn't scared out of his wits.

  But what happened next was astonishing. Mu En had just kicked the door open and saw the scene inside, then immediately dropped his weapon and knelt down to pay respects. The two guards on either side also put down their weapons and knelt outside the door, their armor making a faint clanking sound as they said in unison: "We deserve to die, we disturbed you at midnight."

  The soldiers behind all showed a look of astonishment, and without saying a word, they put down their weapons and knelt in the courtyard.

  There were indeed people inside the house, not one but four. An old man and a young boy sat face to face, without even lifting their eyelids, as if they hadn't heard any sound. Two others sat shoulder to shoulder at the table, just facing the door, saw Mu'en kick in the door, made a gesture of stopping and showed a stern expression, it was the two high priests of the city-state of Xuya, Huaileite and Lafi'er.

  The door that was kicked flying disintegrated into countless fragments in mid-air, drifting gently to the ground, yet not a single piece landed on the table or the four people. The young man was none other than Mu En's target for tonight, the "spy" A Luo, and the old man opposite him was surprisingly Ge Lie. These two were engaged in a game of chess.

  They were playing an ancient game of military chess, with pieces shaped like various beasts replacing different troops, arrayed on a large board to check and kill each other. The calculations involved were extremely complex, and only a few people could understand it. But the way these two played was even more extraordinary, without a board or pieces, the empty space on the table appeared as the light and shadow of the military chess. The board changed with the beasts fighting, completely demonstrating the high-level divine technique in the game.

  This kind of magic is also heard, only the great god wizard has the ability to do it. Goro doesn't need to say, and the young man in front of him is also a great god wizard.