"I didn't expect you to be invited by that gentleman as well," the black wizard finally said after a long pause.

Nidhogg, snapping back to reality and analyzing the hidden messages, was taken aback—could the final destination of this mission, Bangar City, actually be a gathering place for black wizards?

This seemed too outrageous. If true, Nidhogg couldn't help but feel disdain towards Tutor Pel Arnos for claiming the target was only a weak wizard apprentice or a black wizard of little strength.

The young girl in the carriage was relieved to see the black wizard recognize the token in her hand. She shouted, "In that case, make your followers stand aside quickly."

The black wizard hesitated for a moment, his gaze finally settling on Nidhogg. With a cold smile on his youthful face, he said, "Releasing you is not an issue, including the knights—I can let them go as well. After all, once you become one of us, you'll need these guys to do some work. However… I'm interested in this person. Having such a powerful follower would save me a lot of trouble."

The black wizard stared at Nidhogg with undisguised greed, as if he were eyeing a prized possession, his desire for ownership written plainly on his face.

Nidhogg felt his skin crawl under the gaze of this disgusting figure. If it weren't for the potential secrets this man might hold, Nidhogg would have dropped his disguise and dealt with him already. A sorcerer of greater power couldn't tolerate such insults from a weak sorcerer.

"Humph! If I get the chance, I'll finish him off in the most brutal way," Nidhogg thought venomously.

"No, he's my follower, my private property. You have no right..." the girl screamed, seemingly tempted by Nidhogg's display of a "legendary knight" identity. Additionally, it seemed like she intended to use Nidhogg for some wicked deeds once she became a black wizard.

This puzzled Nidhogg. It was said that black wizards avoided exposure, leaving devastation in their wake, so when did they start needing a large number of helpers?

Was it a branch of black wizards? A new type?

"Humph!" The black wizard sneered, fixing his gaze on the girl, "I'm not negotiating with you. Perhaps I should teach you the rules among black wizards?" His youthful face twisted into an evil, chilling smile, as if trying to match his supposed status.

"You…" The girl was a little afraid, ultimately saying nothing more, giving Nidhogg a "regretful" look. She stomped her foot and said, "Let’s go!"

"Wait!" the black wizard shouted.

The girl, now angry, roared, "What more do you want? Don’t push it! I was formally invited by that gentleman!"

"Foolish idiot," the black wizard mocked disdainfully, then calmly said, "Do you think these guys would obediently take you to Bangar City after knowing your connection with me? Hmph, they'd probably kill you halfway there."

“No, no…”

“That’s impossible, we know nothing…”

Grizzly and the others hurriedly defended themselves, pale as sheets. This was no joking matter; someone could really die if things went wrong. Meanwhile, the girl glanced at the knights, troubled: "What then? Without them…"

"Humph, you few, eat this, or don't think about leaving alive." The black wizard pulled out some pills and tossed them in front of Grizzly and the knights, watching them coldly.

The first to move was Hammer. With a clenched jaw, he grabbed a pill from the ground and swallowed it. Following him, Axe, Cobra, and Grizzly, under the black wizard’s intimidating presence, also took the pills. They then sat, looking resigned, accepting their fates. Meanwhile, they cast sympathetic looks at Nidhogg, who might face an even worse fate as a legendary knight.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Instead, Nidhogg felt a sense of excitement.

So, following this girl could lead him to the secrets in Bangar City? If true, then dealing with this pesky black wizard might be possible. Yes, perhaps the expected reaction of a "legendary knight" would be…

With a loud shout, Nidhogg turned and fled, not caring about anything behind him, like a panic-stricken rabbit.

"Cackle, cackle, poor little lamb, run all you want, I’ll make you willingly become my thrall, cackle…" The black wizard's face twisted into abnormal excitement, even flushing slightly. This was a perverse reaction to suddenly wielding great power. Chasing these once lofty individuals as prey became a source of excitement.

With a swoosh, the black wizard dashed after Nidhogg with incredible speed.

Nidhogg ran; the black wizard pursued. After half an hourglass’s time, the black wizard grew bored of the game. A puff of black mist surged at his feet, propelling him ahead to block Nidhogg’s path.

"Little lamb, I'm tired of playing. Just be my follower, cackle, cackle…" The black wizard’s youthful face was filled with excited laughter, as if envisioning himself at the pinnacle of the wizarding continent.

Nidhogg curled his lip disdainfully, "Are all black wizards like you? Really…" He couldn't even think of a fitting description. Seeing this guy reminded him of the new students at the wizard academy—arrogant, foolish, and naive.

The black wizard's expression shifted from excitement to a cold, vicious sneer, "Foolish legendary knight, you’ve angered your master, and I shall punish you with a hundred slaps!"

"Enough! It's time to end this farce; I’ve had enough of your nonsense!"

Nidhogg was both amused and irritated, unwilling to waste more words on this guy. Since he could trace the source through that girl, all he needed to keep was this guy's head; hauling him as a specimen would be cumbersome since he still had training to do. With this thought, Nidhogg, under the black wizard’s startled gaze, conjured a fireball at his fingertip.

Nidhogg grinned wickedly, "My first black wizard hunt—this is exciting!"

"No! How could you…"

Boom!

The flames engulfed the weak black wizard, and since the attack was overwhelming and the wizard was too weak, even the usual struggle and scream sequences were skipped. Moments later, Nidhogg looked at the solitary black wizard’s head on the ground, satisfied with his control over the fire element.

Thinking for a moment, Nidhogg dug a hole on the spot and buried the black wizard's head.

As a black wizard, he shouldn't decompose quickly due to his robust constitution. Nidhogg could retrieve it on his way back to the academy. Now, there was no need to follow the girl to Bangar City. He could get the information from Grizzly and the others after she left Bangar City.

After all, that would be the safest, most secure approach.

With this plan in mind, Nidhogg activated his morphing technique again. With his facial scar gone, he resumed his guise as a lone rogue knight heading toward Bangar City.

Ten days later, in the wilderness, Zeros and Lane watched in shock as the "knight" wearing the unique mask made his way toward them.

Of course, they recognized Nidhogg despite his knight attire, not asking foolishly about Harry Red’s whereabouts. The results were simple: either he was killed by Nidhogg or returned to the academy, now in disgrace.

From a psychological perspective, they never thought highly of this newcomer, considering his previous actions mere bravado. The current outcome was unexpectedly beyond their expectations.

Thus, Zeros and Lane's evaluation of Nidhogg rose considerably, thinking him even more talented than the "newcomer kings" of his cohort.

This means he'll likely soon find himself on the hunting lists of the four great experts.

"How did the mission go?" Nidhogg asked coolly, maintaining his terse demeanor.

Lane shrugged, sighing, "We completed it, but the others beat us to it. There were four of them, and we couldn’t outdo them, even with Zeros leading."

"Hmph! Who knew that so-called black wizard was just a weakling, hardly better than a new wizard student? What a waste after all that cautious probing!" Zeros slammed the ground in frustration, cracking it slightly. Nidhogg's pupils contracted behind the mask.

"It’s a pity. We were too cautious. If we’d been bolder… It’s frustrating the black wizard was so weak," Lane complained, glancing at Nidhogg, "If you’d dealt with that guy earlier and come over, you might’ve held off that Elizabeth from Ivory Castle, and we could have snatched the black wizard’s head."

Elizabeth? The Despair Enchantress from the trials two years ago? Nidhogg recalled the name.

"What’s the point in rehashing this? Those guys are probably back at Ivory Castle reporting in!" Zeros was irritated but bore no grudge against Nidhogg. After all, defeating Harry Red was already impressive for a newcomer.

She wouldn't have guessed Nidhogg was delayed by his training.

"Forget it; this mission was jinxed. Nidhogg, we’re heading back to the academy. You?" Lane looked frustrated; the mission had left him really vexed.

"I plan to check out the mission site," Nidhogg replied coolly.

Watching Zeros and Lane depart, Nidhogg couldn't help but feel intrigued.

Was the black wizard from the mission also this weak? Was the one he encountered also unusually weak? Was it a coincidence or some special reason? Perhaps there really was a secret in Bangar City.