The Amber Sword

The exquisite card was grey, had sigils on its back, and there was gold embossed on its edges. It was as thin as a feather, and on the drawn side was the black city Ludes with high walls against a volcano as its background.

Brendel moved the card away from the sunlight and the golden rays once again shone on Ciel’s luxuriant fiery golden-red robes.

– Echelonius’s Furnace of Adversity

– Paradise of Adversity III

– Costs 30 Will

– [Barrier Nest]

– Attach Echelonius’s Furnace of Adversity to a Land card when it comes into play.

– Tap, pay 2 Will, sacrifice an Echelonian soldier, Echelonius’s Furnace of Adversity gains two Energy counters.

– When travelers move across the Great Plains, they discover the northern Ludes’s volcano to be shrouded with dark clouds illuminated by flames.

“This is……?” Brendel spoke in his mind.

“A group of mercenaries found it an underground city near the silver mines. They seemed to have heard that we’re seeking cards, so they sent it over to me. I believe there are more to be found there. I believe the creator of this card is Kelsie, a relatively successful planeswalker in the past three millennia. She created a shadow world called Echelonius Plains. The famous deck she created is called Echelonius’s Adversity, and the card in your hands is suitable to combine with other decks.”

“And how exactly do you know so much about her?” Brendel raised an eyebrow.

“I am privy to more knowledge about the Laws when my levels were raised, but there wasn’t really a chance to show it.” Ciel gave a shrug.

“This card is amazing?”

“Absolutely. Kelsie is quite a remarkable Planeswalker. If we’re able to discover her Legacy, we will be rich,” Ciel spoke eagerly.

But Brendel was not particularly optimistic about it. While it was true that Schafflund was an area meant for newbies, underground cities made by the Rune Dwarves were exceptions. It was also a question if the treasures were still intact.

“Did they search extensively?”

“No. They only dug through several areas, and they found it in a place which they believed it was a tomb. The architecture is old enough that they were certain it doesn’t belong to our era.”

[Perhaps a sealed city? That will be interesting, and searching it for the first time should yield quite a good result. Come to think of it, didn’t my first Card of Fates come from a tomb as well? Should I consider switching to a profession like Tomb Raider or something?]

The conversation between them only took a few seconds, but there was silence in the courtyard as everyone waited for the youth to speak up. Brendel blinked a few times as he looked around before he asked aloud:

“We should make a trip. How do you travel to this area?”

“Naturally by horse carriage, my Lord.” Ciel gave a small smile.

The youth nodded and his eyes went over to Carglise and spoke with a sharp tone: “Oi!”

“Y, yes?” Carglise was distracted as usual and he snapped to attention. Brendel felt the corners of his eyes twitch with pain: “As one of the descendants from a long-standing noble family in Aouine, you should be thankful that your father didn’t kick you out.”

Carglise grinned and scratched his head.

“Prepare a ship that goes to Ampere Seale,” Brendel said.

“Ampere Seale, I’m going there? My Lord, is there anything else you need me to do!” The eyebrows on Carglise’s face were on the verge of disappearing into his hair.

“Not you. Me.”

“What, My Lord, you’re leaving Firburh to Ampere Seale, why?”

“You’re prattling too much. Are you going to prepare it or not?” Brendel snapped.

Although the attributes on this fellow were considered to be first-rate in the Trentheim region, he was lazy enough to cause a headache. Brendel felt a little sympathy to Lord Macsen. The latter probably lost his temper more than a few times.

Carglise shrugged:

“Go, I’ll definitely go, why wouldn’t I go, this is my Lord’s order. A ship that leaves for Ampere Seale, I got it, I’ll tell them that the passengers are a normal bunch of customers.”

[Hmph. That’s better.]

Brendel threw a dirty glance at him before looking at Finny: “Do you like it here?”

She was having a conversation with Medissa and nodded upon on Brendel’s inquiry. The Tree Elf archers were currently staying together with the Druids at Firburh, but they wanted to find a suitable place for themselves.

“But Valhalla isn’t big enough yet.”

“That’s fine. The surroundings are acceptable, My Lord,” the Tree Elf captain answered generously.

Her words reminded Brendel. A thought sprang up in his mind to move the Lycanthropes over. The citizens of Firburh were still unable to accept the Senians right now, and having the latter to stay at the lumber mill was not a solution.

[I should give this task to Medissa. She’s now the instructor for the Tree Elves, and she does have the capability to persuade the Lycanthropes.]

After assigning the various tasks, Brendel finally set off with Ciel and got onto the horse carriage. Scarlett did not leave his side, seemingly only at ease when she was around him. Little Romaine was naturally the same, though it was more like she was a rock holding on to the youth’s leg.

The underground city was located in a valley three hours away from Schafflund. The group had to travel for more than half a day in the verdant forest before they saw the emerald valley that ran through the south and north Trentheim. Mountain ridges ran endlessly before their eyes, and a long stream flowed below them.

There were a few scattered tents in the distant forest made by Ciel’s training apprentices and a group of mercenaries, with the goal of preventing other local adventurers from claiming the spot.

Brendel recognized one of the apprentices.

[What was his name…… Right, Alistair, the young magician whose companions were killed by Graudin.]

“That man Alistair stayed behind? I recall that he comes from a noble family.” Brendel asked.

“He stayed behind all this time after Graudin’s death. He’s one of my best apprentices.” Ciel replied.

Alistair bowed respectfully when Brendel alighted the horse carriage. His silent pair of burning eyes

during their first encounter was the reason why Brendel remembered him, but there was only a modest expression on them.

“My Lord, our destination is underneath the valley. We have dug the area lightly and discovered a passageway approximately fifty meters in length. We suspect it is a catacomb but the interiors have collapsed and filled with soil and rubble. I had ordered the men to cast spells to detect if there’s magic or metal in the area, but there’s no useful result.” Alistair reported in a clear tone.

Brendel was a little delighted to discover Alistair’s talent. It was easy to find veteran mercenaries in Trentheim, but it was rare to find someone who had insight. They were either learned priests working the Holy Cathedral of Fire or nobles who had a good upbringing. If he were to get mercenaries to be in charge of things, he would be thankful if they did not cause trouble instead.

The youth continued to listen to Alistair’s report while he surveyed the surroundings.

[That stream…… It can become a river during the raining seasons, which would then flood the underground dungeon. That’s the reason why the interiors collapsed and blocked with mud. In regards to the Cards of Fates, however, only a Planeswalker would be able to sense them.]

“Have you try to dig away the rubble?”

“We attempted to do so and cleared it partially, but there was some kind of barrier preventing access to the inner tombs. We tried many ways but we are unable to circumvent it.” Alistair answered in a slightly dismayed tone.

“Magic barrier? Bring me there to inspect it.” Brendel’s interest was piqued.

“As you wish, My Lord.” The young magician bowed.

As the group of people passed through the camp, The mercenaries all looked up in reverence. They knew that the young lord was someone who was unafraid of power and fought against Count Randner all because of a promise made to a little girl.

The imprisoned nobles who were captured and imprisoned in Firburh’s filled prison were ransomed for gold. Some were eventually released and they brought back the information to Count Randner where he killed two Gold-ranked swordsmen with just four strikes, making it known throughout the entire kingdom.

This was a true man.

Everyone who was looking at the youth thought that.

[How unexpected. Jana’s here too?]

The red-haired, green-eyed commander was wearing a white shirt and tight pants that fully accentuated her lower half’s curvy figure. She wore a loose belt and a pair of long boots, resembling a stereotypical female pirate. She was tying her warhorse to a tree when she happened to look around. Her long hair flowed against the wind like a waterfall, and she widened her eyes slightly when she saw the youth.

“Ah. Well, the mines are just too boring. I heard that a catacomb was found and wanted to look at it, but it seems like I was caught slacking on my very first attempt. How unlucky,” Jana glanced at the surrounding mercenaries, “but I must say that you are becoming more and more renowned, My Lord.”

The youth coughed awkwardly. This female commander’s figure was a little too hot. Her shirt was tucked into her pants and a pair of ample white crescents were exposed to the air, even making it seem like her shirt was about to burst. It was not just him, Ciel had great difficulty in tearing his eyes away from that ‘gulf’.

“That’s certainly stimulating!” Ciel blurted out in the telepathic channel.

Brendel’s lips spasmed, but he quickly composed himself and studied the uniforms around him. The mercenaries and adventurers were all wearing an assorted mix of clothes, completely living in their own ways. Now that he was recognized as Firburh’s lord, it was time to unify a set of uniforms. The uniform of Aouine’s armies was navy blue, while the private soldiers typically wore the colors of the House’s emblems.

But Brendel had a different idea in mind.

He nodded at Jana:

“That’s fine. Since the commander of my mercenaries is interested, how about coming along with me?”

“As you command,” Jana answered with a small smile, “but you’re too polite, My Lord. I am willing to be your knight, please call out my name directly.”

[Knight? Retainer?]

Brendel felt the subtle meaning behind Jana’s words.

The female commander was very cool about it. Ever since Count Randner’s defeat, she had been completely won over. It was a dream for a mercenary to find a good lord to work for, and though she did not know what Cornelius and Raban thought, she believed that they had the same thoughts.