A horse's neigh, followed by a "bang," as a man was forcefully thrown through the tavern's front door, toppling a few tables.
The whole tavern plunged into chaos.
Pas hurriedly led his men outside.
Before them lay an incredible scene.
Several ruffians, including the red-bearded bald man, were already sprawled out on the ground, unconscious. Others were groaning in the corner, barely alive. The majority surrounded Gray with daggers, though the encirclement was rather loose and scattered, with trembling hands.
As for Gray, he hadn't even drawn his sword. He remained atop his horse, which rhythmically trod in place.
One thug charged forward, only to be kicked out of sight by the horse's swift back kick.
Pas and his mercenary crew stood there, dumbfounded.
Gray maneuvered through the encirclement... or perhaps he was just holding tight to the reins as the Bone Horse darted left and right, kicking, stomping, and knocking thugs away with fluid motions. One after another, the thugs fled, carrying their leader.
After they had all run away, Gray rode his horse away, swaying slightly.
Pas and his mercenaries remained in stunned silence.
This horsemanship was extraordinary. Could humans truly train horses to this extent? Throughout the entire ordeal, Gray seemed to have done nothing, almost falling off a few times. The horse had fought on its own.
...
"That scared me to death... Oh my God, you actually won, without using any magic. Did you plan to use the horse for fighting all along?"
"Of course."
"How did you know the horse could fight like this?"
"Undead Knights underground fight this way."
"Well, it is a Bone Horse, not a living horse. But next time, can you give a heads-up? It scared me to death. By the way, with such skills, why were you running away earlier?"
"I am a peace-loving Lich."
"Then why did you fight this time?"
"I can't stand unfair treatment, especially from a bunch of people who don't even understand magic."
"Oh, so basically, you bully the weak and fear the strong?"
"Hmm... seems like it. So, what do we do next?"
"What do you want to do?" The Black Cat almost screamed, then calmed down and said, "It's already time for humans to sleep. Let's find an inn and rest. You just got some money."
"But Liches don't need sleep."
"Now, you're a Knight, and Knights need sleep! Even just pretending to sleep in a room is fine. We'll see in the morning!"
"Alright..."
Swaying slightly, Gray tethered his Bone Horse and entered a small inn still open at midnight.
From a distance, Pas cautiously pulled his head back and told his men beside him, "Did you see his horse? I have never seen a horse wrapped so tightly. And he never takes off his mask. Maybe he's hiding something. This Knight must be extraordinary. We'll find him tomorrow. If we can recruit him into the Mercenary Group, that would be amazing!"
At that moment, further away, in the darkness, a male Angel with all his light gone appeared silently on the rooftop of a building, 1,000 meters from Gray's inn, watching the place intently.
Soon, a female Angel also appeared.
"What happened to the people who fought him just now?"
"Checked them. Only minor injuries. He used magic in the tavern to win some money. Besides that, nothing noteworthy for now."
"Gambling?"
"Yes."
Suddenly, both Angels fell silent.
Watching the small inn for a while, the female Angel said quietly, "His magic power is reasonable, but not very strong. His skill level seems quite low. We should be able to handle him easily."
"That's not good. According to the 'Gray Robe Agreement,' we do not have the right to take action against a Lich who has not violated any laws. It's part of our deal with the Lich Council. Let's wait and see for now, he must have a purpose for coming to the surface, right?"
Slowly, their figures faded into the darkness.
...
The morning rooster crowed.
As the sky turned faintly bright, people started gathering on the streets. The populace began their day and their new lives.
"Industrious" Gray also opened his door, casually tossed two silver coins onto the inn's counter, then exited, mounted his Bone Horse, and wandered down the street.
"Today's plan is to go to the castle first, swear allegiance to the lord, get a badge, then buy a lance at the blacksmith's shop."
"Why do you make swearing allegiance to the lord sound so simple?"
"Will it be difficult? I can't imagine him refusing. Aren't Knights the lord's soldiers? Who would reject a Knight offering allegiance without salary? If a Skeleton Soldier pledged to me, I wouldn't refuse."
"Oh, really? I don't think he has a reason to accept."
The Black Cat sneered, but Gray obviously ignored him.
The relationship between these two was always subtle, clearly not of one mind, yet crowded inside one set of armor.
Riding their horse, the Lich and the Cat swayed slightly as they soon arrived at the castle gates.
A moat six or seven meters wide, a heavy wooden drawbridge reinforced with iron, and a five-meter-tall gate opened, with wrist-thick iron bars lowered halfway.