Inside the tent, Judy was wiping her magic staff, and Atai'er was flipping through a book written in ancient script.
Eric took out the Moon Elf Cloak of Concealment and handed it to Atai'er.
"Teacher, look at this cloak."
Atai'er took the cloak, squinted at it for a moment, and said, "Moon Elf?"
Eric nodded and said, "Yes, it allows for invisibility under moonlight and enhances my ability to absorb moonlight."
Atai'er felt the fabric of the cloak and asked, "Where did they find it?"
"The Stone Giant Ruins of the Eldar Defense Line."
"Is it reliable?"
"I don't know what good it would do them to lie to me."
Atai'er nodded.
He had scrutinized the caravan, and no one there recognized him.
Moreover, the Fairy's Blessing told him that there was no hint of conspiracy in this cloak.
"After this trip to the Capital, we'll go take a look at the Eldar Defense Line."
Eric nodded.
At this moment, Judy raised her hand and said, "Um... Margaret originally wanted to go to the Eldar Defense Line. Maybe she has information about it."
Eric looked at Judy.
When did this little silly girl get so close to Margaret?
We have a traitor among us.
No, that's not right.
Teacher knows Margaret, and Judy's relationship with Margaret is also developing rapidly.
Wait—
Two against one.
Eric finally realized something was amiss.
Damn it, so in the end, I'm the traitor.
Thinking this, Eric quickly stepped forward, grabbed Judy's small round face, pulled it to both sides, and said, "Wake up, Judy, we're comrades! You can't be deceived by noble flattery!"
Judy grabbed Eric's hands and said, "But... I don't have any conflict with Margaret."
Holy cow.
Such a small sentence, but with immense destructive power.
Eric looked at his teacher again.
"You decide this yourself."
Atai'er lowered his head to read, showing no intention of getting involved.
He was numb.
Eric thought about it and decided there was no need to ask Margaret.
He had a conflict with Margaret; in this situation, if Margaret dug a pit for him, wouldn't he die without a burial place?
"Forget it, no rush for now. The Capital is so big, surely we can find some information about the Eldar Defense Line?"
Judy looked up, her finger on her lips, and said, "But, isn't it clearly more convenient to just ask Margaret directly?"
"Judy, shut up."
"Oh."
—
A few days later.
At the entrance of the Dark Swamp was a village called Linshui Village.
The caravan dropped the four of them off here.
The mercenary group leader knelt on one knee, holding Margaret's hand, and repeatedly kissed Margaret's middle knuckle.
"Thank you so much, truly thank you so much! You are truly a generous Holy Mother, an embodiment of an angel..."
Margaret patted the mercenary group leader's shoulder and said, "This is what I should do. I hope this can compensate you for your losses."
"Oh, my goodness, even if I worked hard for ten lifetimes, I couldn't repay your generosity, Miss Margaret, you are truly..."
He was numb.
Eric didn't know what was wrong with this world.
Judy and Margaret were close, Eric accepted that.
After all, there were only two girls in the team.
But you, the mercenary group leader, what relationship do you have with Margaret?
She attempted to rob you and pulled down your pants, so you're overflowing with gratitude towards her?
Uh...
It seemed to make sense now.
Judy seemed to notice Eric's confusion.
She leaned into Eric's ear and said, "These past few days, Margaret has been giving the leader Knight training. Now the leader is already a First-Order Knight."
Eric was stunned.
The leader was previously a Warrior, a normal Rank, around Level 5 to 10. Knight is an advanced Warrior class, belonging to the Hero Rank.
The difference between the two was like heaven and earth.
Without guidance, most people would never even get started in their entire lives.
The leader used half his life's savings to exchange for an opportunity to advance to Hero Rank, with a bright future ahead, and this training method could also be passed down to the next generation.
Some low-ranking nobles might not even have this.
Margaret really went all out.
Eric looked at Margaret with new respect.
"This young lady actually does things like this?"
Atai'er looked at the mercenary group leader and also said, "If he were to pledge allegiance to a noble, he could be directly enfeoffed as a Knight now."
The mercenary group leader got into the carriage, and before leaving, he tearfully bid Margaret farewell.
Eric even felt that...
If Margaret asked the leader to follow her now, the leader would immediately abandon everything and offer his knees.
Why did he feel... a little sour?
After Margaret sent off the mercenary group leader, she turned and walked towards Judy.
She had a fine iron longsword at her waist, humming a tune, and tiptopped past Eric.
"Are you happy now? Little—Short—Stuff."
"Tsk."
Eric made a sound of displeasure.
Margaret quickly left, put her arm around Judy's, and smugly glanced at Eric.
Atai'er rubbed Eric's head and said, "Let's go to the Dark Swamp."
—
At the entrance of the Dark Swamp, Linshui Village.
"Why, why are they blocking the road?!"
Judy stood angrily in front of the wooden stake wall, holding her staff high, confronting the villagers.
The villager, holding a long spear, said helplessly, "Even if the road wasn't blocked, children aren't allowed in here."
Judy's breath hitched.
Her small round face turned red with anger, and her hands gripping the staff turned purple.
Margaret dragged Judy back, then stepped forward with a smile and said, "We just want to know the reason for blocking the Swamp, we have no intention of entering. And weren't there tourist groups here before? Why aren't there any now?"
The villager saw that Margaret spoke without an accent and her demeanor was different from ordinary people.
Immediately, he dared not neglect her and replied, "It's the Mad Frogmen. A month ago, the Mad Frogmen suddenly started attacking the village, stealing livestock, and also attacked mercenaries who entered the deep parts of the Swamp."
Mad Frogmen?
Eric had encountered these things in the Sunset Forest.
Mad Frogmen generally lived by lakes and Swamps.
How to put it?
They were very... special.
Judy held up her staff and shouted, "Impossible! The Frog Queen and I are good friends! They wouldn't attack humans!"
The villager shook his head and said, "They really didn't attack us before. We even went to worship their Frog Queen every year and always received a large amount of Swamp specialties."
Eric was instantly embarrassed.
When he was little, he often did things like that too.
Simply put, for the Mad Frogmen, as long as you praise the Frog Queen or the Frog King, you are a good friend, and you can receive blessings.
Of course, there was a prerequisite: a formidable father had to introduce you to the Mad Frogmen.
Otherwise, you might be caught and eaten.
Margaret stepped forward and asked, "Could it be a diplomatic issue? Unequal rewards and tributes?"
Eric shook his head and said, "At most, it's a problem between two villages, and the Mad Frogmen are very special; it can't even be considered diplomacy."
Margaret turned and glared at Eric, insisting, "Villages are also two power groups. If they are two powers, there will definitely be diplomacy."
Eric's mouth twitched slightly.
Not arguing with idiots was Eric's secret to maintaining a good mood.
Just then, the wooden fence was violently crashed open.
Several villagers carried a stretcher, and a man wearing an exaggerated green cowboy hat and a bright green trench coat was directing everyone.
"Quick, carry him in! He needs to stop the bleeding!"
He didn't help with his hands, only pointed at the villagers and complained, "It's all your fault! If there was a bit more money and a helper, how would something like this happen?"