Does the Butterfly Effect Really Exist? (1)

When the smoke and dust cleared, the dragon carpet that had been laid on the ground had disappeared. Only some unfortunate souls whose wings, hands, and feet had been pierced by the Juque Sword were still lying on the ground, screaming in agony.

"Sage Dragon, look!"

Belserion looked in the direction his subordinates pointed and saw the seriously wounded soldiers lagging behind the fleeing group. Just as Sage Dragon and the others spotted them, the other side spotted them as well. To avoid becoming prisoners like the unfortunate ones on the ground, these wounded soldiers, who needed to cooperate to move forward, flew forward with all their might.

"Sage Dragon, shall we give chase?"

Belserion did not answer his subordinate's question, but instead turned his gaze to Yelibell to the side. As a poisonous dragon, Yelibell naturally understood the Sage Dragon's meaning, so she shook her head at Sage Dragon, indicating that someone disagreed with the order to pursue.

"Listen up, everyone! Clean up the battlefield as quickly as possible, then retreat back to the city! (Sage Dragon)"

"Yes!"

After arranging the cleanup of the battlefield, Sage Dragon and other senior commanders immediately took to the air and flew towards the city, intending to meet with the supreme commander and report the results of the battle. However, they were intercepted midway as soon as they reached the airspace above the city walls and before they could enter the city.

"Uncle Sage Dragon, don't rush off yet, I still have something to say to you."

Only then did Sage Dragon and the others realize that the person they were looking for wasn't in the city, but was sitting pale-faced on the city wall. They exchanged glances, then uniformly scanned their surroundings. After confirming it was safe, they slowly descended onto the city wall. At the same time, Sage Dragon drawled, "You little rascal, so you're here! Saves us the trouble of looking for you!"

After he finished speaking, Sage Dragon quickly walked over and subtly helped Sordil up.

"You little rascal, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I just used up too much magic and my body is a little weak."

"That's good! That's good!"

After quietly confirming Old Suo's physical condition, Belserion finally felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. He then helped the young master forward slowly, preparing to reunite with the others.

"So... (Yesveta)"

Sordil waved to stop Yesveta and said softly, "It's not convenient to talk here, let's go back first!"

The crowd nodded, then escorted Sordil as he flew toward the Lord Mayor's mansion.

At the foot of an unnamed mountain north of Peterburg City, in a temporary camp on the Western Continent.

Looking at the remnants of the defeated army gradually returning to their camp, Kelsu said with relief, "Luckily, I was careful and only used half of my forces to attack, while keeping the other half hidden around waiting for an opportunity. Otherwise, we would have been surrounded by our Old Friend today!"

"Chief Kelsu, what is the Black Mist? Why did our soldiers instantly lose their fighting spirit and scatter and flee upon hearing those two words?"

"Heh! Chief Shideweig, you've just arrived in Ishgar and haven't experienced the power of the Black Mist yet, which is why you find it strange that our soldiers are so afraid of it."

"Oh? Then could Chief Kelsu explain the origin of the Black Mist to me?"

"Of course!"

Then, Kelsu recounted his and his companions' several encounters with the Black Mist after arriving in Ishgar.

"Hiss! What exactly is this Black Mist? Why does it make us feel dizzy and nauseous, rendering us unable to fight?" (Shideweig)

"I don't know the specifics either, I only know that it was created by someone on the other side using magic. (Kelsu)"

"If that's the case, then we're in a dangerous situation!"

"Yes! That's why we were reluctant to launch a forced attack on the city before. We were afraid of pushing them to the brink and causing them to risk their lives to use this move against us, which would damage our foundation."

"So that's how it is. I misunderstood you! But if we let the enemy prepare, we'll have even less chance of defeating them. What should we do?"

"Hehe! Chief Shideweig, there's no need to worry so much. There are only two people who can use the Black Mist. As long as we can lure them away from the defensive line, victory will surely be ours!"

Shideweig wanted to refute Kelsu, but seeing the other's confident demeanor, he was reluctant to dampen his Old Friend's enthusiasm, so he swallowed his words. Kelsu observed Shideweig's behavior but remained silent, because now was not the time to reveal everything.

The two stood there in silence for several minutes until all the soldiers returned to the camp, at which point Kelsu broke the silence.

"Everyone's back. Let's hurry back to the Chigengster Plains and reunite with Yanimus and the others!"

"Okay!"

Peterburg City, the Lord Mayor's Mansion

After several hours of meditation, Sordil, though not fully recovered, finally regained some color in his face, losing his previous sickly pallor. And, perhaps it was just his imagination, but after this recovery, Sordil felt as if some mysterious power had seeped into his body, greatly enhancing the purity, quantity, and affinity of his magical energy.

However, now was not the time for Sordil to think about these things. There was an urgent matter waiting for him to deal with outside, so after regaining his mobility, he immediately stopped meditating and walked quickly toward the meeting hall of the Lord Mayor's mansion.

Just as he arrived at the entrance of the hall, before he even stepped inside, Sordil's attention was drawn to the sounds coming from inside.

"Uncle Kaldiz, Sordil is still resting, so the treatment of those who were accidentally injured by the Ghost Dragon Force will have to be entrusted to you. I hope you can understand."

"Hey! Girl, what's the big deal? That brat always cleaned up our messes, now it's our turn to lend a hand!"

"Uncle Kaldiz, Sister-in-law Irene is, after all, the Queen of a nation. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to call her 'girl'?" (Diphiya)

Before Irene and Kaldiz, the parties involved, could speak, a bystander who was unwilling to remain silent preemptively spoke first, drawing everyone's attention.

"Hmm! I also felt it was somewhat inappropriate, but I was just too embarrassed to bring it up earlier! (Sage Dragon)"

"Uncle Sage Dragon, is there anything you're hesitant to say? If so, please speak up quickly, otherwise I'm afraid you'll miss the chance to voice your opinions because of shyness. (Diphiya)"

Ever since his drinking led to the loss of the Chigengster Plains and the breach of the first line of defense, the name "Sage Dragon" had become his nightmare. Whenever he offered a suggestion or expressed an opinion, Diphiya would jump in and interrupt, driving him to the brink of despair. He'd barely finished speaking when the attack came. Fortunately, Sage Dragon was resilient and adaptable, successfully avoiding the clutches of depression and continuing to enjoy each day. (Simply put, he's shameless and unafraid of embarrassment!)

"Hehe! Divine Constable Di, I've finished speaking, and I have no further comments!"

Hearing her long-forgotten title reappear in the martial arts world, countless black lines appeared on Diphiya's forehead.

"Damn it, bro! You promised you wouldn't tell anyone, but... humph!"

As this telepathic message was sent, a figure in the hall took a step back guiltily, hiding himself behind the crowd.

To prevent the awkward atmosphere from escalating, Her Majesty the Queen, as the person involved, spoke up, "Uncle Kaldiz calls me 'little girl,' which means he doesn't consider me an outsider. Besides, he's Sordil's elder, which is also my elder, so there's nothing wrong with him calling me 'little girl'!"

"No, no, no, Diphiya is right. It's not appropriate for me to call you 'little girl' directly. How about this? From now on, I'll call you by your name, just like the brat did. That way, it will seem more intimate while still preserving your queenly status. (Kaldiz)"

Seeing that Kaldiz insisted, Irene couldn't argue and could only nod in agreement.

After resolving the issue of titles, Her Majesty the Queen raised another important issue, hoping to once again leverage the collective strength of the community to perfectly resolve this arduous task.

"Everyone, Sordil has always opposed my learning of Dragon Slayer Magic, so I had Anna send me to the front lines while he was away to sign a contract with the Sage Dragon. Therefore, I hope you can keep this a secret for me and not let Sordil know about it."

Her Majesty the Queen had barely finished speaking, and Diphiya and the others had barely formed their expressions before their speech centers hadn't even begun to register a response. At that moment, Sordil, who had been lurking outside the hall for some time, could no longer suppress his inner turmoil. A roar filled with shock and rage pierced through the walls, striking everyone's ears.

"What? Irene, didn't I repeatedly tell you not to learn Dragon Slayer Magic? Why didn't you listen to me?"

Seeing Sordil burst through the door, male members such as Kaldiz, Sage Dragon, and Sacred Dragon immediately came forward to comfort him, while female members, represented by Diphiya, stood in front of Irene.

"You brat, Irene learned Dragon Slayer Magic to help you with more things and to keep you from overworking, so why are you angry? (Kaldiz)"

"Exactly! Besides, there's nothing wrong with Irene learning Dragon Slayer Magic. At least it can strengthen her and reduce her illnesses. Why are you stopping her? (Sage Dragon)"

"Alright, alright, don't be angry! She's already learned what she shouldn't have, so that's all that can be done. What else can you do but remove the magic from her?" (Sacred Dragon)

"Young Master, things have come to this point, there's no use in getting angry now. You should have a proper talk with the Young Madam!" (Lindel)

Old Suo was angry not because Irene had lied to him, but because Irene safety was threatened—in other words, concern clouded his judgment. After everyone's enlightening words, the anger he felt from his anxiety was completely extinguished, leaving only deep worry. He felt that some things should no longer be hidden; it was time to have a serious talk with his wife.