The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind

After completing the king's commission, Riyao gave no thought to returning to the guild.

The bustle of Crocus, the City of Flowers, had long tempted him, so he tucked away his hefty load of gold coins and took a leisurely stroll through its streets and alleys.

Flower shops lining the streets filled the air with a refreshing fragrance, while the wind swept colorful petals across the cobblestones. Vendors' cries and laughter mingled with the aroma of food, creating a lively scene that dazzled him.

Riyao was in no hurry, but someone else was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Smoke curled around a skewer stall on a street corner, where sizzling skewers of meat glistened with oil beneath a coating of spices.

Riyao found a little stool and sat down, clutching two skewers of marbled lamb while a grilled chicken wing hung from his mouth. His cheeks bulged as he ate, satisfaction written all over his face, and he didn't even notice the grease at the corners of his mouth.

He had just stripped a skewer clean when an anxious voice called out behind him.

"Mr. Riyao! Are you Mr. Riyao?"

Still chewing, Riyao twisted his neck without turning around. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed a young man in coarse clothes, around his early twenties, with sweat on his brow and a panicked expression. Riyao didn't recognize him at all.

The young man ran up to him in a few steps and came to a stop with a thud. He bent nearly double in a deep bow, his voice brimming with urgency and sincerity he could hardly conceal.

"It really is you, Mr. Riyao! Thank goodness! Please, help me!"

Riyao was biting a chicken wing bone when he heard him. He paused, his cheeks still bulging as he chewed, and swallowed the meat with a muffled sound.

He casually wiped the grease from his mouth. His eyes instantly turned wary and resolute, and he gave a crisp, decisive answer.

"No money."

The young man froze for a moment, then quickly straightened up and waved his hands, sounding even more anxious.

"Ah! No, no! You've misunderstood, sir! I'm not here to borrow money!"

He rubbed his hands together as the sweat on his forehead trickled down his cheeks.

"I heard you'd come to the capital, so I asked around until I found you. Please, save the elder in my family!"

"Oh—so it's medical treatment."

Riyao drew out the words, his brow smoothing as he took another bite of chicken wing, looking unconcerned.

"Then why don't you just post a commission at the magic guild? It's much easier to go through the proper channels."

"There's no time!"

The young man's voice trembled with anxiety as he leaned half a step closer.

"The elder suddenly fell ill and won't wake up. It's an emergency! There's no time to post a commission!"

Riyao slowed his chewing. The anxiety in the young man's eyes didn't seem fake. He gnawed the last of the chicken wing clean, tossed the bone onto a nearby plate, and wiped his mouth.

"If it's an emergency, why not find an ordinary doctor? There's no need to come looking for me, is there?"

"I did! I called in all the best doctors in the city!"

A trace of despair entered the young man's voice. He clasped his hands so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"They all said there was nothing they could do. I really had nowhere else to turn! Then I heard you were in the capital, and that you were the best healing mage, so I rushed over to try my luck. I didn't expect to actually find you!"

Riyao narrowed his eyes and studied the young man's anxious, earnest face. His head was covered in sweat, and he looked frantic. He didn't seem to be lying.

He brushed the crumbs from his hands and stood up. Wearing a smug expression that said he had no choice, he puffed out his chest. "All right, all right. What can I say? I'm a living bodhisattva, merciful and compassionate, always happy to help!" He waved a hand. "Let's go. Lead the way, and don't waste any time."

The young man's face lit up with wild delight, his eyes shining as though flames had sprung to life in them. He bowed repeatedly.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Mr. Riyao! You really are our family's savior!"

"Oh, right."

Riyao had only taken two steps when he stopped and turned to look at him.

"I haven't asked your name yet. What is it?"

"Ah! How rude of me, how rude!"

The young man hurried to answer, his voice filled with the gratitude of someone who had survived a calamity.

"My name is Aris El, sir. You can just call me Aris!"

"Aris, huh? All right, let's hurry. We shouldn't keep the elder waiting."

Riyao waved a hand and casually grabbed two wrapped skewers of grilled lamb kidneys from the stall. He gnawed on them as he followed the young man deeper into the streets and alleys, walking at a leisurely pace and paying no mind to the "emergency" at all.

Aris quickly acknowledged him and turned to lead the way. The wild delight vanished from his eyes in an instant, replaced by a flash of sinister coldness, and he quietly clenched his hands into fists behind his back.

Perfect! This kid really is greedy and easy to fool! Does he actually think he's some living bodhisattva who saves lives and heals the wounded?

Once I get him to the abandoned mill outside the city, the brothers will already be waiting. Then we'll cripple his magic first and force him to hand over the reward the king gave him and that magic book. Heh heh, working for that dark guild big shot this time is bound to bring plenty of benefits!

He deliberately slowed his pace a little, pretending to accommodate Riyao as he ate his skewers, and spoke as respectfully as ever.

"Sir, take your time eating. It's not far now, just a little way outside the city, in a village. Our elder has trouble getting around, so there was no way to bring him into the city."

Riyao chewed on the lamb kidneys and casually glanced at the streets around them. Their route grew more remote as they went. The bustling shops gradually thinned out, replaced by low houses and quiet alleys. The aroma of food on the wind faded too, giving way to a dusty smell.

A thought crossed his mind. Interesting. This isn't the way to a residential area at all. Outside the city? What if there is no "village" and it's an ambush instead?

Aris is a pretty good actor. He almost fooled me with that anxious look earlier, but the tension in his eyes was too deliberate. It didn't look like he was worried about the elder; it looked more like he was worried I'd run away.

He deliberately slowed down, gnawing on his skewer as he spoke indistinctly.

"Hey, your place is pretty remote. Why move outside the city when you were living just fine in town?"

Aris's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly looked back, covering it up.

"Ah... it's peaceful in the countryside. The elder likes it. We're almost there. It's just past that bridge ahead."

He cursed inwardly. Why does this kid talk so much? We just need to get to the mill. Don't let anything else go wrong! When we make our move, we'll have the brother who's good at binding magic strike first. This kid's a healing mage, so his attack power probably isn't very strong. We'll definitely take him down in one go!

Riyao grinned, swallowed the last bite of his skewer, and patted the oil off his hands.

"Nothing. I said we're almost there, so let's hurry."

He was delighted. This kid's panicking! Looks like the people lying in ambush are nearby. Perfect. Let me see just how capable you lot really are. Don't disappoint me!

Just as the two stepped onto the stone bridge, a dark figure crouched among the dense branches and leaves of an old locust tree beside it, nearly blending into the shadows.

His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, fixed intently on Riyao's back. Intense hatred churned in his pupils, yet the corners of his mouth slowly curled into a sinister smile.

The dark figure sneered inwardly. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. You think you're the hunter, but little do you know you've long since become someone else's prey. I'll avenge my elder brother with my own hands. Once you and Aris's bunch of scum have left each other badly wounded, your time will be up!