Warrod Sequen

"Why do we have to come along? I'm so sleepy, I don't want to move at all. I just finished fighting the Eclipse Celestial Spirit yesterday, and I have to go on a business trip today."

Riyao yawned, his face full of reluctance.

He let out a huge yawn, tears welling up in his eyes. He looked dejected, his steps unsteady and long.

A group of people doesn't walk very fast.

The wildflowers by the roadside hadn't fully bloomed yet; a few were blown about by the wind, just like the Riyao.

Riyao's backpack hung loosely on his shoulder, the strap slipping down to his elbow, and he didn't even bother to hold it up.

His hair was sticking up in all sorts of mess from sleeping, and his eyelids were half-open, making him look like he had been dragged out of bed by someone.

"There's no other way; the president has given a strict order this time."

Mirajane shrugged, a helpless smile on his face.

She walked beside Riyao with light steps, her silver hair fluttering in the wind, showing no signs of fatigue from her journey.

"According to the guild leader, the person who issued this commission is Warrod Sinken, the fourth seat of the Ten Wizard Saints and one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Ishgar, who is also one of the founders of our guild."

Erza looked serious; she was taking this request very seriously and had brought more luggage than usual.

She would glance down at the map every now and then.

This time we must be absolutely sure of everything goes perfectly; no mistakes are allowed.

Natsu and Gray lagged behind at the back of the group, secretly competing with each other.

Neither would give way, their shoulders bumping, their steps quickening, and it looked like the contest was about to turn into a race.

Lucy felt uneasy; her brows furrowed, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her dress.

"Is this request dangerous? After all, it's a request from Four Heavenly Kings of Ishgar. Is the difficulty really not S-Class?"

"Probably not. Maybe he's like Riyao, who finds it too troublesome and just posts his requests in the request section."

Wendy laughed as she spoke, her eyes curving into two crescent moons, and she stuck out her tongue at Riyao's retreating figure.

Carla, sitting atop Erza's mountain of luggage, rolled her eyes upon hearing Wendy's words.

She sat cross-legged on top of the pile of luggage, her tail swishing idly.

"Only this cunning bastard would be this lazy."

"Aye, Riyao is indeed lazy."

Happy flapped its wings in agreement, nodding its head vigorously. After speaking, it even flew over to Riyao and circled around it once.

Riyao picked up Happy and stared at it with hostile eyes.

He pinched Happy's nape with two fingers, pulled him close to his face, and laughed in a way that sent chills down your spine.

"Happy, do you have a problem with me? I always thought of you as soon as a new potion came out, and now I'm heartbroken."

These words reminded Happy of some unpleasant memories.

The cat froze for a moment, its fur stood on end, its tail stood straight up, and its eyes darted around.

"You're using me as a guinea pig!"

Happy flew up and started smashing Riyao just laughed even harder.

It swung its two short claws in a wide arc, aiming for his face, while its wings flapped loudly.

"There's nothing I can do; nobody in the guild is willing to help me test the new potion. And you're practically a newborn baby."

"Isn't this just taking advantage of Happy's immaturity?!" Lucy muttered.

"Back then Natsu was feeding Happy burnt fish every day, which made him sick, so I made some new medicine for Happy to drink."

Riyao looked at Lucy with a half-smile, and she opened her mouth in surprise.

Lucy blinked repeatedly, her mouth agape for a long time, looking at Riyao as if she were examining some rare object.

She looked Riyao up and down, as if she were seeing him for the first time.

"I didn't expect you to be so kind."

"What are you saying? What kind of talk is that? I'll get you some new medicine to try another day, and mix it into your juice!"

When Lucy heard Riyao's words, she looked at Mirajane in fright, her eyes pleading for help, almost as if she wanted to hide behind him.

As the group bickered, they could already see the small house on the hill.

The hill wasn't high, and green grass stretched down its slope. A lone wooden house stood atop the hill, bathed in the slanting afternoon sunlight.

Several trees grew on the walls of the house, their branches rustling in the wind, making it look as quiet as if it had been carved out of a painting.

There was no smoke coming out of the chimney, and the window was half-closed, so it was impossible to tell whether anyone lived inside.

Erza glanced at the map in her hand, and after confirming that this was their destination, she led the group there.

The group walked up the grassy slope, their footsteps rustling. The closer they got, the more they could smell the fresh scent of grass and trees, mixed with the dampness of the soil, which filled their nostrils.

Bang bang~

"We're coming in. You'd better put away anything you're carrying quickly."

Riyao pushed open the door.

The wooden door creaked open, its long, heavy creaking sounding as if it hadn't been opened in a long time.

He knew the place well, so he stepped into the room, plopped down in a chair, and even crossed his legs.

"Please make yourself at home. Don't be shy, make yourself at home."

His overly familiar manner made Lucy want to complain again.

Mirajane also went into the hut and sat down next to him.

Is it really appropriate for you guys to be so overly familiar with each other?

Lucy finally couldn't hold it in and blurted it out.

"Shh~"

Suddenly a voice rang out, and everyone froze.

I had no idea there was someone there just moments ago.

They all looked over at the same time.

The person who made the sound was standing in the shadows of the hut, seemingly watering the flowers.

Inside the room were three five-tiered flower stands, filled with many kinds of plants.

The flower trellises were covered with layers of greenery, vines hung down from above, leaves crowded together, and the air was filled with a damp, grassy scent.

Only a beam of light leaked in from the roof, falling on the floor like a narrow pillar of light.

"Honestly, can't you make the room a little brighter? It's always so dark when I come over; the plants will cry."

"Haha, Riyao, you're still as talkative as ever."

When the man turned around, everyone was taken aback, because his skin was indistinguishable from tree bark.

His skin was pitted and covered with grooves like wood grain, and a few new green leaves were still clinging to his arms. At first glance, he looked like an old tree that had come to life.

He was also carrying a watering can, water dripping silently into the soil at his feet.

"Hey, Riyao know this person?"

"He's the 'Warrod Sinken' the old man was talking about. He's skilled in plant magic, similar to mine. I've visited him a few times before."

Riyao shrugged.

He spoke so casually, as if he were just talking about what to have for dinner.

Not only was Lucy surprised, but Erza and the others were also very surprised, as they did not know that Riyao knew the founder.

"No, I am not Warrod Sinken."

Warrod's words surprised everyone once again.

"Haha, just kidding."

Lucy confirmed it; these were indeed people from Fairy Tail.