Investigation Team's Arrival

After resting for the entire night, Allen and Laxus adjusted themselves to peak condition.

The next morning, the two quickly packed their things and prepared to track down the escaped Black Robed Figure.

Even in the rugged mountain terrain, their speed did not decrease in the slightest. Along the way, Allen and Laxus remained fully focused, abandoning all unnecessary rest in order to catch up with their target as quickly as possible.

Hard work paid off. After two days and two nights of arduous travel, Allen finally sensed the Black Robed Figure not far ahead on the third day, thanks to his keen perception.

By then, they had reached a small town at the foot of the mountain. When Allen sensed that the Black Robed Figure had stopped moving, he decisively took out the Communication Crystal and contacted Makarov, the guild master who was far away at the guild. After reporting the current situation in detail, he learned from Makarov that the Council's Investigation Team was rushing over. Allen immediately made his decision: they would capture the Black Robed Figure in this town, then wait for the Investigation Team to arrive.

Allen and Laxus walked side by side along the streets of the still-unnamed town. They soon noticed that every resident seemed to be watching them with strange looks. Although Allen felt somewhat puzzled, he did not let down his guard. Instead, he lowered his voice and reminded Laxus beside him to stay alert.

A while later, Allen once again confirmed through his perception the Black Robed Figure's exact location—it was inside the house directly ahead of them. Allen did not enter immediately. Instead, he and Laxus stared in shock at the emblem above the house's entrance.

Allen and Laxus had seen that emblem only a few days ago. It was the guild crest of the Foxes of the Forest, which they had seen on the clothes of the wounded man they had treated—Harry Calvin!

Allen knew that the situation had become troublesome. Until they uncovered the Black Robed Figure's true identity and position within the Foxes of the Forest, acting rashly would definitely be unwise.

After all, the Foxes of the Forest was also a member of the Light Guild. Thus, after careful consideration, Allen decisively chose to monitor the place in secret and wait for the Investigation Team to arrive. Once they arrived, he would let them make the decision.

And so, Allen and Laxus checked into an inn near the Foxes of the Forest.

With Allen's perception ability, they had no fear that the Black Robed Figure would take the opportunity to escape.

For some reason, they also did not contact Harry. Recalling all the strange looks they had encountered since entering the town, Allen could not help feeling an ominous premonition rise in his heart.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Just as Allen thought this boring day was about to end, the Communication Crystal he carried suddenly began to glow. Once the connection was established, a voice claiming to belong to the Investigation Team captain, Yahar Benjamin, came through, ordering them to immediately gather at a designated location outside the town.

At that moment, Laxus, who had been sitting quietly to the side and meditating in silence, suddenly opened his eyes in excitement. Clearly, the long wait had been torture for someone as restless as him.

Without another word, the two dashed toward the location Yahar had mentioned.

It did not take long for them to reach their destination.

When the two sides met for the first time, they frowned almost simultaneously.

Allen frowned for a simple reason—the Investigation Team members who had come to provide support were far too few. There were only four of them! With such a meager force, if a battle broke out later, these people might not stand a chance against the Black Magic Group's usual methods.

The four members of the Investigation Team also frowned deeply.

Although Allen and Laxus had used magic to alter their appearances and make themselves look as mature as possible, no matter how one looked at them, they were still far too young. In particular, Yahar, who was steady and experienced, instinctively found it difficult to trust the two young men.

After a brief silence, Allen was the first to break the deadlock. With a solemn expression, he said, "After investigating, I've successfully pinpointed the exact location of a member of the Black Magic Group. However, he's currently inside the Foxes of the Forest. We only know that his name is Malcolm, but since we can't confirm his exact identity, we haven't taken any action yet."

After hearing Allen's words, Yahar's already furrowed brows drew even tighter. This was unquestionably bad news. As a member of the Council, he naturally knew of the Foxes of the Forest. Although it did not have much of a presence, it had a certain amount of history. If this matter was mishandled, it could very well have a massive impact.

After remaining silent for a moment, Yahar asked Allen, "Is there any chance we could lure Malcolm out?"

Allen shook his head helplessly. "Laxus and I have been watching him this entire time while waiting for you to arrive, but he hasn't taken a single step outside the Foxes of the Forest. Without alerting him, I don't have a better solution."

The atmosphere fell silent for a while.

Not long afterward, Yahar's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly. As though he had finally made up his mind, he looked at everyone with a determined gaze and said solemnly, "I'll contact the Council first. Until we receive instructions, all of you will stay here and wait for my message." With that, Yahar turned and left.

Allen, Laxus, and the three remaining members of the Investigation Team stood quietly where they were, looking at one another in awkward silence. No one made the first move to break the suffocating quiet.

Finally, Allen, who was relatively mature by nature, could no longer suppress his restlessness. He lightly coughed, trying to ease the incredibly awkward atmosphere, then introduced himself. "My name is Allen, and this is my younger brother, Laxus. As for where we come from, I'm sure there's no need to say more, right?"

As soon as he finished speaking, one of the Investigation Team members replied, "My name is Laharl. The two beside me are Ryan and Elmer. The three of us are all newcomers who just joined the Council."

When he heard the name Laharl, Allen could not help raising his brows, secretly astonished. I didn't expect Laharl to have joined the Council this early.

After both sides finished introducing themselves, the tense atmosphere gradually eased. They chatted about everything from their personal experiences to their views on the current situation. The more they talked, the more they found they had in common, and before they knew it, the distance between them had narrowed considerably.

Just as the group was chatting animatedly, a hurried set of footsteps approached. Everyone stopped speaking and turned toward the sound. Yahar strode back in a rush and, before he had even steadied himself, decisively declared, "Enter the Foxes of the Forest and arrest him!"