54 Paper Puppet and Scarecrow Part 1 (2/2)

”Nailisi!” Saleen was shocked, afraid that Nailisi would be put under some evil curse.

Nailisi returned to the bedside. Sitting on the floor, she said softly, ”It is a paper puppet, an ancient magic trick.”

”How do you know?” Saleen grew suspicious. Ever since she had come to the Myers Mainland, she had been stuck in the temple of the Goddess of Nature. How would she have known any human magic?

Nailisi pointed to her brain and said, ”It’s in here. I can’t explain it either.”

”Do you know how to use it?”

”I only have an impression.”

Saleen did not feel that Nailisi was lying and thus believed her words. Many abilities of many demons were passed down through magic lineage and did not require any guidance from a teacher. This was where demons were superior to humans. However, it seemed that a long time ago, humans had also possessed this ability. But, after the fall of the Second Dynasty, this ability had slowly waned. By this time a few thousand years ago, it had completely disappeared.

From a room not far away, Walnut gave a snort, fresh blood flowing from his mouth and nose as he lay gingerly on his bed.

He had not expected Saleen to be this perceptive and even break past the stirring mark of his puppet magic. Without even allowing him to clearly see Saleen’s room, his puppet had been destroyed.

Walnut’s face contorted. His expression was even more menacing than that of his paper man. Flamenco had asked him to stay behind earlier specifically to remind him not to offend Saleen.

Walnut had appeared to listen, but could not have been angrier.

It just so happened that you were richer than me. If I had been born into a rich man’s family, I would have become a grand mage a long time ago. Hiding his anger in front of Flamenco, Walnut had returned to his room and grown even more agitated and sleepless from the noise coming from Saleen’s room. Once an evil thought arose in him, he could not control it.

Hence, he had secretly released a paper puppet and waited until Saleen was tired before taking action. Even if he could not kill Saleen, perhaps he could use this opportunity to steal something from him.

If he was able to steal the crystal white ring, even if he had to retire from the Nut Mercenary, it would be worth it. With this item in hand, he would flee to a faraway place. Even if Flamenco was angry, what could he do? Walnut would have quit by then.

Walnut rubbed the blood off of his face, not caring about his injury. He grabbed his bag, slung it behind his back, opened the door, and snuck out.

Since Saleen had discovered his paper puppet, he could not stay in the Nut Mercenary any longer. If this matter were to leak out, Flamenco would kill him.

The professional union hated it most when a mercenary betrayed their employers. Once something like that occurred, if the chief did not take care of the matter, the mercenaries would be removed and placed on the wanted list.

Flamenco would not give up the entire mercenary regiment just for him. Walnut knew clearly that if it were not for the fact that he possessed such special skills, a Grade 5 mercenary regiment would not have taken in a Grade 2 mage like him. The situation now did not leave him any room for regrets, and he could only quickly leave this place and never again appear within the Qin Empire.

Taking advantage of the night, Walnut left the inn and escaped for the outskirts of the town. As he got further away from the inn, he felt increasingly wronged. Why didn’t he have as good a life as Saleen? Moreover, he had to leave this country where he had lived for so many years for some foreign land, all for this ritzy mage.

He didn’t stop to think that throughout all of this, Saleen had never offended him. The only thing that had brought about this ending was his own jealousy.

”Who is it!”

Making his way to the gate, the soldiers on night patrol spotted him. If it wasn’t for the fact that this small town was on a border, it wouldn’t have been this heavily guarded. This place was too close to the Chaotic Swamp, and magic beasts constantly appeared on the outskirts of the town.

”It’s me,” Walnut replied thoughtlessly. His two hands, however, were already casting a spell. While the two soldiers were still lost in their confusion, he had already completed it.

”Go and die!”

Two spears made from rock rose from the ground and pierced the two soldiers between their legs right through to their guts. At this moment, Walnut had taken the two soldiers who obstructed him for Saleen and had not been able to control his killing intent at all.

The two soldiers were common people, and under the assault of Grade 2 magic, they had possessed no means of defending themselves. They were killed almost instantly.

Walnut still wasn’t appeased as he threw two small fireballs onto the bodies and let them burn completely into ash. Only then did he cast a strengthening spell, opening the door and going on his way.

After killing the soldiers, Walnut grew afraid as well. He didn’t dare walk along the main roads and went east using small routes. He didn’t dare walk west as the forests to the west were not a place for a Grade 2 mage to enter. If he wanted to leave the Phoenix Duchy, he would have to take an alternate route and exit from Kroraina Duchy by cutting through Laiyin Duchy.

As he walked faster, he was suddenly pleased with himself. Thinking back to how he had ended the lives of the two soldiers, he let out a low laugh, completely entranced. He did not notice that after he had crossed a maize field, a scarecrow in the field had turned around and followed him behind.