Grinding EXP From Fireball Skill-Chapter 74: Heading to Maple City
RUMBLE RUMBLE!
The wheels turned as the carriage moved forward at a steady pace.
Everyone was relieved to have safely escaped the encirclement.
"That was too dangerous. We were almost surrounded by the Beastman Race’s army!"
"Good thing Li Wei was leading us, or we’d never have gotten out."
"By the way, how did you know that way was safe?"
"Just a lucky guess."
Once they were safe, Li Wei looked at the carriage behind him, curious about who was inside.
’Is the City Lord in there?’
He quietly released his Spiritual Power, letting it penetrate the wooden boards to see inside the carriage.
Otz sat inside, fully armed, his eyes closed as if he were resting.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, his gaze piercing through the wooden planks to look at Li Wei.
Li Wei’s heart skipped a beat. ’Otz sensed my Spiritual Power.’ 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
’Just how strong is Otz?’
He had never heard anyone discuss the City Lord’s strength.
When most people saw Otz, they first noticed his status as City Lord, then his title as a Count. His actual strength was often overlooked.
It wasn’t that a City Lord didn’t need strength.
It was just that Otz was so low-key, never boasting about his power, that the vast majority of people were unaware of his true strength.
Just like now, Li Wei didn’t even know what Otz’s class was.
After Li Wei withdrew his Spiritual Power, Otz closed his eyes again and remained silent.
He pondered what class Otz could be.
’A Mage can sense Spiritual Power.’
’But Otz often appears in Armor, so he probably isn’t a Mage.’
’Besides Mages, other classes of a high enough Equal Tier can also sense Spiritual Power.’
After an hour, they reached a fork in the road.
Otz suddenly spoke up. "Head to Maple City."
Upon hearing this, Lanya and the others were startled. They quickly stopped the carriage, bowed, and called out, "Lord City Lord."
Li Wei glanced at them, feeling they were overreacting.
"Yes, to Maple City."
"Yes, sir."
Kunan got back on the carriage and drove with extreme caution, no longer daring to speed.
Lanya, Lisa, and Dias also stopped clinging to the carriage. They all got off and jogged alongside it.
Li Wei remained seated on the carriage, acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
He glanced at the stiff, cautious expressions on Lanya, Kunan, and the others, feeling that the atmosphere had become awkward.
He tapped the carriage compartment with his Magic Staff. "Could you open the door, please?"
Hearing this, Kunan looked at him, shocked.
His astonished expression seemed to say, ’What in the world is Li Wei doing?’
The crucial thing was, Otz actually opened the door for him!
CREAK!
The door slid open. Li Wei stood up, slipped inside, and closed it.
Otz watched Li Wei with great interest. "You’re not afraid of me?"
Li Wei retorted, "Why should I be afraid of you?"
It was mainly a case of skill breeding confidence.
Li Wei found a comfortable spot and sat down.
He looked at Otz and said, "Lord City Lord, you don’t appear to be injured."
"This was all just a plan between you and Orn."
Otz smiled. "Orn told me you were very smart."
The implication was clear: don’t ask what you’re not supposed to ask.
Li Wei smiled back. "You don’t mind if I do my Cultivation in here, do you?"
Otz chuckled. "Still not forgetting your Cultivation even now. It’s no wonder you’ve achieved so much at such a young age."
"If you’re willing to join the Mage Tutoring Corps, I can provide you with all the Cultivation resources you’ll need for the future."
"And... a chance to become the Kingdom’s chief Magic Master!"
Li Wei’s heart jolted at these words. He seemed to understand what Otz and Orn were plotting.
’He wants to establish a second Kingdom on the lands of the Macher Kingdom!’
Li Wei closed his eyes and said, "I have no interest in power. My life’s wish is to pursue the Magic Truth."
Otz let out a couple of laughs and said no more.
’Only a young man who has yet to experience any real setbacks would say something like that.’
He wasn’t in a hurry.
While Li Wei’s potential was immense, for now, it was just that—potential.
Not actual, formidable strength.
Li Wei had his own plans.
’Pursuing the Magic Truth costs money, so it would naturally be a good thing to pledge allegiance to a faction and gain access to a large amount of Cultivation resources.’
’But he was unwilling to have his freedom restricted.’
’A contract of servitude is more than just a piece of paper.’
’In the Magic World, contracts cannot be broken, or rather, the price for breaking them is unbearable.’
For a day and a night, the group traveled nonstop back to Maple City.
They even had to switch out the horses pulling the carriage twice along the way.
Upon arriving at Maple City, Lanya, Kunan, and the others finally let out a sigh of relief.
’It’s finally over!’
After learning they were escorting the real Lord City Lord, all four of them had been under immense pressure.
They didn’t dare say a single extra word the entire journey.
Seeing Maple City, the four of them felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted, a sense of liberation washing over them.
"Lord City Lord, we have arrived at the gates of Maple City."
Dawn had just broken, and the city gates were not yet open.
Otz stepped out. When the soldiers on the city wall saw his Armor, they were instantly startled.
A soldier hurriedly fetched the defending general. When the general saw it was the Lord City Lord, he frantically shouted, "Open the gates! Hurry and open the gates! The City Lord has returned!"
After Li Wei and the others had set out, Orn had already sent a message to the general in Maple City via a Magic Text Scroll.
The defending general rushed to the city gate. "We welcome the Lord City Lord’s return."
Otz walked into the city, his Armor clanking with every step.
"Arrange for them to rest, and summon all Commanders to a meeting at the City Lord’s Mansion."
"As you command!"
After Otz left, the defending general arranged for Li Wei and the others to rest inside the gate tower.
Normally, Otz wouldn’t have paid any mind to a few people like them.
But Otz had specifically given instructions about this matter, so the defending general quickly understood the City Lord’s intentions.
Li Wei and the others stayed in the gate tower, where they were treated to good food and drink.
The four of them—Lanya’s group—were so exhausted they fell asleep immediately.
After the non-stop journey back to Maple City, even Kunan, who had been driving the carriage, felt utterly exhausted.
Li Wei glanced at the soldiers standing at the door and understood that his group was under house arrest.
’Otz’s secret return to Maple City must mean something important is happening.’
’Perhaps it’s related to what Otz said about establishing a Kingdom.’
Although he felt very displeased, Li Wei could only endure it.
As his strength increased, the way Li Wei was treated also changed.
From Orn’s initial warning to Otz now proactively revealing secrets and extending an invitation to him.
It made Li Wei lament—strength reigns supreme! Talent is king!
’If I had greater strength, I probably wouldn’t even be under house arrest.’
Li Wei closed his eyes and entered the Dream World.
’I have to seize every moment, grind out my Magic, and increase my strength!’
’I’ll keep grinding the Invisibility Armor Spell. I want to see just how powerful the Perfection Level Invisibility Armor Spell really is!’
Before noon, Li Wei was woken up.
A soldier said, "You can go."
Li Wei stood up, looked at Lanya and the others, and asked, "What about them?"
The soldier replied, "The City Lord wants them to stay."
Li Wei looked at the others, who were still asleep. After a moment’s hesitation, he decided against waking them to say goodbye.
’There’s nothing I can do!’
’I can’t change their fate.’
The moment Otz got into that carriage, the fate of the four of them was sealed.
Li Wei understood that they wouldn’t die. They would just disappear, like Susan.
Until the secret Otz and Orn were hiding was revealed to the world.
"Let’s go."
