Chapter 1670 - A Necromancer Who Just Wants to Plant Trees

Chapter 1670: 456 Major Tear and Legendary Sniper_2 She was a bit scared now. She didn’t want the team leader to have to collect her corpse by the moat the next day… Just at that moment, whispers came from the next table: “Have you heard? The spellcasters are going to collect taxes again!” “Collect taxes again? Three times in a month? What’s the excuse this time?” ... “Don’t worry, it won’t reach us for now, they’re specifically targeting the rich folks in town to pay the taxes, either in gold coins or various useful materials, especially high-quality timber!” “What do they need so much wood for?” “My brother’s relative’s wife once worked in logistics at a Mage Academy of the Alliance, and according to what she let slip, the spellcasters are not only hoarding timber but also scouring for scarce metals like Golden Mithril…” “What are they up to? During the calamity, they didn’t come out to save anyone, and now that things are slightly stable they remember to collect taxes?” “Heh… I’ve always said, those spellcasters are no good, calling themselves guardians, but none of them are genuine.” “Hmm, I heard there’s a dedicated Alliance Wizard down south…” “You mean the tree-planting mage from Rolling Stone City? Heh, don’t think too highly of them, all birds of a feather flock together. I just happen to have some dirt on him, want to hear it?” “Spill it, spill it… heh heh heh…” Alicia’s pricked ears gradually relaxed. Nothing new. It was all petty Alley Gossip, about as credible as the bust size she used to fake when dressing up for gala dinners. However, when it came to opinions about the Seven Saint Alliance, Alicia held very similar views to other low-level mercenaries. The Aindor Continent had been peaceful for too long, the Alliance always boasted that it was thanks to them, but in the face of a real disaster, no spellcaster was heard to have stood up to avert the catastrophe. At least not up in the north. Now, after the initial stabilization of the calamity, the presence of the spellcasters had suddenly grown much stronger. Alicia had heard more than the people at the next table— She heard that the spellcasters were hoarding timber because they wanted to build a fleet sturdy enough to withstand the turbulent waves of the Endless Ocean. Others said, the spellcasters intended to build a great ship out of gold and use magic to make it float on the sea. They planned to board that ship and flee overseas. They intended to completely abandon Aindor! And there were even more outlandish rumors. Some said that after the tears the target apart, the spellcasters discovered a rich new continent in the southern part of the Endless Ocean, with a more stable and safe environment and soil better suited for human survival; Others claimed, the tears the target apart was just the beginning of the disasters. The Aindor Continent was about to sink completely, and the spellcasters were doing this out of desperation for their own survival. Some even alleged, that after the disaster, the mist that obscured the path to the Eastern Continent had dispersed, and the Seven Saint Alliance planned to collectively move East, seeking collaboration with the Su people to confront the upcoming apocalyptic crisis. These rumors once caused panic among the residents of Sword Winter City. But as time passed, everyone went back to living their own lives. At most, there was just more to talk about after meals. Alicia finished her beer, a wave of drowsiness flooding over her. She was about to rest her head on the table for a quick nap when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a girl with a terrified expression being dragged into the storeroom next door by two burly bald men. The tavern’s undercity storeroom was an open secret among many regulars as a brothel, and the prostitutes were also accustomed to plying their trade there. But that girl was clearly not a prostitute… Alicia hesitated for a moment, her hand gripping the short sword at her waist, but a few seconds later, she slowly released it. Her face stiffened as she turned away, a faint look of loss and regret in her eyes. She couldn’t save the girl. It wasn’t that she couldn’t defeat the two burly men, but even if she managed to drive them off this time, they would take it out on the girl. She might suffer even worse abuse then. Alicia couldn’t be by her side all the time. She was barely managing to survive herself and had no capacity left to care for others. “This world…” She muttered under her breath. But just then, a sudden outburst of cursing came from outside the storeroom: “Who the hell is in there?” “Disrespectful for half a day, get the fuck out!” “Don’t damage the flour I just bought!” In the chaos, the two large men sheepishly emerged, receiving a couple of kicks to the backside from the lizardman tavern owner, and left chuckling through the back door. After a while, the lizardman owner led the bewildered girl to the kitchen. Alicia sighed softly. According to past experience, the girl would stay to work as a helper, and the lizardman would offer her a meal. But in reality, the number of idlers living off the Half Ear Inn was way over the limit. Once in the middle of the night, she caught the lizardman owner sighing over a bill sent by the flour merchant. Who knew how much longer this kind-hearted man could hold on. “This world!” Alicia bit her lip, her drowsiness gone. She listlessly propped her chin with one hand, staring off into space in a daze. A quarter of an hour later, her teammates from the group began to appear in the tavern. The first to arrive were two warrior companions. These two were quite distinctive in appearance, one had a long, pointed nose with a vicious look in his eye, as keen as a hound; The other had barbarian blood and was covered in needle-like fur that would bristle when he got angry, much like a porcupine. Their names were complicated.