Epic Of The Demonic Sage

"Oh, you can see Cutlass city all the way from here. If you squint your eyes, that is." Albus said as he placed a hand over his eyes.

"You don't have the Eagle Sight gift, Albus. Quit kidding around." Ariana chuckled but checked out the distance too.

"He's actually right. You just need to sit up straighter or tiptoe on your horse's saddle, Ariana." Barty said. "If you want, I could Air Vortex you up so you can see it."

"No thanks! I'm all good from here."

Everyone in Gellor's mercenary team glanced from afar and saw Cutlass city visible in the distance. After traveling from the eastern path, they were happy to see the city after long last.

Lucius on the other hand, took out June's telescope and used it to view the city in a much closer perspective, and was satisfied to see that they were indeed nearer.

There was a long river that passed through the city, and with the way it was shaped alongside the presence of a bridge that passed through it, made the name Cutlass very fitting.

"Well, compared to Harold and the others, we won't be able to reach there tonight unless we rush." Gellor commented before he turned to Lord Asher. "Should we move faster to catch up to them, Lord Asher?"

"No need to rush and overexert the horses. We'll get there in our own time. It's far more likely that they're already there and we're not going to be meeting them right away." Lucius informed Gellor.

"Then we'll continue at our current pace, Lord Asher." Gellor said.

Lucius and the team spend the next several hours making their way to Cutlass city until early evening fell, and they reached a mountain much closer than the hills that they had traveled to.

"We'll allow the horses to rest for some time while we set up a camp, Lord Asher. But after this, it's actually quite easy to head to Cutlass city now if you wish." Gellor informed them as they went down their horses.

"That sounds like a good idea. I'm interested in touring the city myself and collecting information about the Bergan's Band." Lucius said.

"Then we'll finish setting up the camp as fast as we can, Lord Asher." Gellor bowed his head and then assisted the rest of his team with setting up the camp.

Even though Gellor was technically the leader of the group, he did not shy away from assisting his teammates with their task.

​ Lucius could have called him a good leader in a particular sense, as he was able to build a close rapport with his teammates, but if he were to base it on the Great Barrom Clan's standards, then Gellor was missing a rather important component.

'There are those who operate via manipulation of their subordinations, but for the most part, the Great Barrom clan has preferred to operate under the idea that to be feared is to be far more useful than being loved.' Lucius thought to himself.

"Is there anything I can do to help, Asher?" Kiana approached Asher and asked. She could have helped and assist with setting up the camp, but Gellor did not personally reach out to her to ask for her help.

It was clear that there was a division of ranks between them, and Kiana was not necessarily under him just because she was a maid from the Inanis household.

On the contrary, she was of higher rank than him, and Gellor knew that.

"We'll be collecting information on the Bergan's Band soon enough. So all I need is for you to assist me during that point and perhaps to stay around the perimeter. It's unlikely that we'll have people who'll attack me under this disguise, but it's better to be prepared than sorry." Lucius said.

"Of course, Asher. I'll protect you." Kiana nodded firmly.

"Thank you. That'll be all." Lucius said.

Even though Lucius could protect himself with the fireball spell and had the Wind Scar sword on him, he wished to not draw any attention on his sword lest other people figured out that it was an expensive artifact.

The fact that it came from the King of Grantz Kingdom was not any problem at all since he doubted that anyone would recognize it, but he doubted that most mercenaries were able to afford an artifact of its worth.

Gellor and his team were only able to borrow a good artifact from Master Cambrian on the account of Finch being his mistress and nothing more.

That was also why Lucius didn't choose to spar last night when there were some friendly challenges from Harold and Carnus' team.

'But speaking about this secret Bergan's Band mercenary team. They should have already arrived at their base even if there had been other errands.' Lucius thought before checking the link he had with his Lost Rune Beast.

The Lost Bore Shrew successfully followed them to their headquarters and it rose above the ground slightly to peek at its surroundings.

The Bergan's Band base was located openly in Cutlass city and was one of the biggest buildings in the entire place, and that wasn't all of it.

There were several buildings adjoined to it, also of large sizes and seemed to serve as the housing quarters as well as the storage buildings.

Satisfied with the confirmation that the Lost Bore Shrew reached its destination, Lucius turned to Gellor and his mercenary team to check on their status.

"We're finished with setting up the camp, Lord Asher. Shall we head down to Cutlass city?"

"We shall." Lucius nodded and soon enough, they were on their way to the city. "Have any of you checked the Bergan's Band base prior to this?"

"We have, Lord Asher. It's of an incredible size." Gellor said. "They call the main building as the Bergan's Hall."

"It's not that often that a mercenary group would reach the size and wealth that they'd be able to afford to have their own headquarters, so a lot of mercenaries actually visit it from time to time." Finch added.