Chapter Eighty-Two: The Dragon Rider

Curiously surveying her surroundings, Afra found that Zhou Tian barely spoke along the way. Unable to contain her restlessness, she finally took the initiative to break the silence, asking, "Captain, where are we headed?"

"To the Gale Mercenary Corps headquarters."

"Gale Mercenary Corps?" Afra glanced at Zhou Tian in confusion, then asked, "The Gale Mercenary Corps may be the strongest in this border town, but surely they have no connection with our church. Why are we seeking them?"

Zhou Tian casually shook the papers in his hand, looked at Afra expressionlessly, and replied, "To collect debts. Haven't you always said you wanted to teach a lesson to those plotting behind our backs? I haven't yet discovered which faction sent people after me, but from Catherine, I've learned the names of several groups that previously participated in dividing the church's interests. The Gale Mercenary Corps weren't the main instigators, but they were involved in those affairs."

Taking a deep breath, Afra's demeanor shifted; she set aside her usual smile and, regardless of Zhou Tian's willingness, dragged him along at a quickened pace toward the Gale Mercenary Corps headquarters.

The journey, which normally would have taken more than ten minutes, was completed in just five as Afra pulled Zhou Tian along. Still catching her breath, Afra drew her fearsome dragon lance from her spatial ring, lifted it, and angrily shouted at the gates of the Gale Mercenary Corps, "Tell your leader to come out and face me!"

"Where did this woman come from? How dare she cause trouble on the Gale Mercenary Corps’ turf? If she doesn’t—"

A loud slap cut him off. As expected in such scenes, a member of the Gale Mercenary Corps stepped forward, ready to deliver his threat as a minor character. But Afra, unrestrained and impatient, did not follow the script. Before the mercenary could finish his words, she swung her dragon lance and sent him flying.

With a thunderous crash, Afra created quite a disturbance. The massive sound outside the headquarters, combined with the mercenary's screams, instantly threw the previously peaceful base into chaos.

"Enemy attack!"

"Move quickly—faster!"

Amid the tumult, the Gale Mercenary Corps scrambled to assemble and emerged from their headquarters.

Seeing that only Zhou Tian and Afra stood outside, the mercenaries hesitated.

Their hesitation was not because of Zhou Tian—news of Wang Fugui's death and Zhou Tian's appointment as the border town's lord had not yet spread. The upper echelons might already know, but these ordinary mercenaries had no access to such fresh information.

Their hesitation was mainly because of Afra. Dragon lances were not something anyone could wield; without having ridden a dragon into battle, even possessing a dragon lance would bring little power. Those who could use one were either frauds or true dragon knights. Afra hardly looked the part of such a formidable warrior, but to brazenly confront their headquarters, she must possess some skill. Thus, the mercenaries dared not make a definitive judgment about whether Afra was a genuine dragon knight.

"Madam, may I ask your purpose in doing this? We don't seem to know you. What brings you to the Gale Mercenary Corps?" Despite the intimidating dragon lance, not all mercenaries were cowed. After a brief silence, a middle-aged swordsman stepped forward and questioned Afra about her intent.

"I'm here because—"

"To collect debts," Zhou Tian interjected, knowing exactly how Afra would respond and cutting her off before she could finish.

Afra looked at Zhou Tian in confusion, unsure why he answered that way. Yet, she trusted him enough not to question it further. Though she didn't know his intentions, she quietly withdrew to Zhou Tian's side, letting him take center stage.

"Collect debts?" The middle-aged swordsman eyed Zhou Tian warily. He had no recollection of ever meeting them, let alone owing them anything. He shook his head in puzzlement and said, "I don't remember ever seeing either of you, much less owing you anything. Are you sure there's no misunderstanding? Or perhaps one of our members owes you?"

"Are you the leader of the Gale Mercenary Corps?"

"No."

"Then why are you here? I'm looking for your leader, not here to explain myself to you."

"You—"

Just as the mercenary was about to retort angrily, a swordsman with a greatsword on his back emerged from the crowd, patting the middle-aged swordsman's shoulder and calming him.

"I am Li Gale, leader of the Gale Mercenary Corps. What business do you have with me?" Unlike his subordinates, Li Gale was the leader of the largest mercenary corps in the border town. In the empire, perhaps he was a minor figure, but due to the town's unique position, he had contact with many influential people.

Even without much expertise in attire, Li Gale could discern from their clothing that Zhou Tian and Catherine were hardly ordinary priest and knight. A knight capable of wielding a dragon lance and a priest seemingly of church hierarchy—a combination like this gave Li Gale a sense of foreboding.

As expected, Zhou Tian’s next words made Li Gale’s heart sink.

"Allow me to introduce myself," Zhou Tian said, giving Li Gale a casual salute, his face dark. "I am Bishop Zhou Tian, dispatched from the Holy City to the northern region of the empire. Recently, after a pleasant conversation with your northern lord Duke Li, I have also been appointed as the lord of this border town."

"Bishop and lord?" Hearing this, Li Gale felt as if he'd been cast into hell.

Li Gale knew well what he had done in the past. The Gale Mercenary Corps had grown to its current size largely thanks to the share of interests he had seized. Back when he got involved, Li Gale knew he might face church retribution someday, but he always hoped the church would overlook such peripheral churches, especially since he hadn’t gone too far. Over time, he had nearly forgotten what consequences his actions might bring.

Now, Zhou Tian, the victim, stood before him as both the highest local authority and leader of the church, stirring turmoil in Li Gale's heart.

Seeing Li Gale's reaction, Zhou Tian nodded in satisfaction and spoke, "For the deeds you've done, if I were to report you to the Holy City, the Holy City would surely send the Inquisition’s elite to seize you as a heretic. You know well how our church handles such matters, don't you, Commander Li?"

Li Gale nodded grimly, and after a brief moment of consideration, calmed himself, glancing back at his mercenaries. He finally asked Zhou Tian, "Since you’re telling me this, does it mean you’re willing to overlook my actions?"

Seeing he understood, Zhou Tian nodded again and said, "No need for pretenses—I detest hypocrisy. Let’s be direct: I can pretend you never did those things, but you must repay me a hundredfold the benefits you gained!"

Li Gale's expression darkened. He was about to refuse outright. He knew exactly how much he had benefited from those actions, and repaying Zhou Tian a hundredfold would bankrupt the Gale Mercenary Corps.

But—

At Zhou Tian's subtle signal, just as Li Gale was about to object, a 'dragon' suddenly soared over from behind Catherine. With a swift movement, Catherine leaped onto its back, raised her dragon lance, and fixed her cold gaze upon Li Gale.

"Dragon... Dragon Knight!"