"The followers of the demon god aren't good trackers, but they can't be underestimated. If we move into a big group, we will warn them," Verkan said. "So, we will leave at night and try to look for them. Just you and me, it will be easy to erase our traces later that way. As for the others, they will stay behind and work together to protect the town. There is always the chance that it might be attacked while we are away."

Zaos also realized that was the best thing they could do. While it was unnerving to work on a dangerous task with someone he barely knew, he was fully aware the commander wouldn't send his squad to work with someone troublesome. In fact, he never heard of traitors in the northern base. Traitors and deserters are condemned to be beheaded. According to the registers, the last beheading that happened in the North took place more than one hundred years ago. It would be really a sad coincidence if one suddenly appears now and Zaos is designated to work with them.

In the end, Zaos rested during the rest of the day inside the post. Thanks to the fact that there weren't many things there, there was plenty of space for them to rest. Zaos and Verkan would leave at night, at a moment where few people would be able to see them leaving the town. It was the best way to fool the enemies' eyes if they are close to keeping an eye on the guards. However, one hour before sunset, Zaos left after saying he was going to take a walk, but once he reached a place where no one could see him, he fired an Earth Bullet on his left hand. Even though the projectile didn't have much space to fly, Zaos still couldn't help but clench his teeth due to the pain. Fortunately, it had been worth the while…

Your Magic Resistance has reached level 01

Health: 480/480

Mana: 800/830

Stamina: 810/830

Strength: 240

Magic: 415

Endurance: 415

Resistance: 415

Focus: 04 + 01 

Sorcery Lv 37, Meditation Lv 23, Magic Swordsmanship Lv 14, Alchemy Lv 06, Magic Resistance Lv 01, Swordsmanship Lv 33, Axemanship Lv 09, Spearmanship Lv 09, Archery Lv 15, Shield Mastery Lv 18, Pain Resistance Lv 15, Blacksmithing Lv 11

Lesser Heal, Heal, Holy Light, Detoxification, Cold Whisper, Mend Bones, Dispel, Protection, Magic Barrier, Stone Skin, Fire Sword, Water Sword, Earth Sword, Wind Sword, Earth Bullet, Ignite, Spark, Agony,

"As expected, it increased my mana, magic, and resistance," Zaos muttered. "Train this will be necessary… while I didn't receive any wound caused by magic, I am pretty sure any well-aimed spell can be as dangerous as a direct hit at a vital point by a big and heavy weapon."

Zaos had always been diligent when it came to his training, be it with magic, sword, or with a bow, but since the battle last year, his desire for power increased a lot. At first, he was only doing it because it seemed interesting and because he didn't have anything better to do. Still, now… he truly wanted to become strong. He succeeded at protecting Krisaldia, but he lost some comrades. That wasn't a price he wanted to pay ever again. Zaos was fully aware that he was naïve, but those were his thoughts anyway.

After a light dinner, Zaos and Verkan the small post. However, half of the recruits and the guards stationed in the post also left with them to patrol around the town. Zaos and Verkan disappeared throughout the night while they were faking a patrol, and no one noticed when they left, not even their allies.

Verkan guided Zaos toward the North. Fortunately, it didn't take long to start to snow, which would help them to erase their traces. However, that came with a cost: it made the travel harder due to the cold.

"Sir, we didn't talk much about where we were going, did we?" Zaos asked.

"Lower your voice," Verkan said. "To be honest, I don't have any idea where we are going. I have been patrolling this area for the last twenty years, and I still don't have any idea where the followers of the demon god might be hiding. So, we should head for good vantage points. From there, we will decrease the number of places we need to search."

It looked like that job might take a while. Zaos was trained for that kind of thing, but he only had experience by working with his squad. While he still maintains a certain distance between them, they share a sense of confidence when they work together.

"By the way, I don't know much about mages since they rarely come to this part of the kingdom," Verkan said. "But are those tracking skills that you mentioned earlier something common among them?"

"I don't think so," Zaos replied. "I have studied magic for a while back home, but I never heard of such a skill. Considering the actions of those three enemies, I would say that it isn't a spell… and also, considering the use of magic, I don't believe our mages can do that. We rely too much on the incantation."

It was weird that Verkan didn't know much about mages, even though that made sense since mages haven't been participating in many battles as of late. Zaos realized another thing about magic, those who used it only tried to make a living with it in a safe manner. No wonder there were so few things that were known about magic… When money is involved in most things, those involved get relaxed after a while due to it.

Another weird thing was why mages weren't deployed in the borders to help. If they wanted easy money, it could be made in such places. Unlike soldiers who train their bodies to get strong, they could keep studying and practicing and grow in the same manner. Still, just like his mother said once, magic isn't seen with good eyes… even though it could be used to save the lives of recruits.