Gajeel stared at the photo, and the gloom in his eyes disappeared.
"That's right, it's definitely that guy Lu Chongwei!"
Laxus Looking at the familiar golden fire in the photo, the frown on his face relaxed and a deep chuckle came out of his throat.
"I knew how could something happen to that guy so easily."
Laxus returned the photo to the reporter, with an unprecedented firmness in his eyes.
"With Lu Chongwei here, the next thing will be much easier to handle."
Gajeel stood up and twisted his neck, his joints making a crisp sound.
"Then let's not be idle. We made an agreement with this guy to act together based on the intelligence. Since Lu Chongwei is already making trouble, we can't fall too far behind!"
Laxus nodded, and the two of them disappeared into the shadows again, their movements crisp and clear.
Above the wilderness, the sound of Magic Four-Wheeler's engine gradually became fainter.
Edolas's Natsu looked at the magic pointer on the instrument panel that had bottomed out and let go of the accelerator with some regret.
"Tsk, my magic power is limited, so I can only send you here."
The four-wheeled vehicle shook twice and stopped behind a huge hill.
Looking from here, one can already see the majestic outline of the city wall of the royal capital in the distance, as well as the huge island floating in the sky.
"Thank you, that helped a lot."
Lu Chongwei opened the door and walked out.
The moment the car stopped, Natsu, who was still "sleeping" in the back seat, suddenly bounced.
His eyes opened instantly, and the confusion in his eyes lasted for less than half a second before his whole person came to life on the spot.
"Ugh--!"
Natsu rushed out of the car, squatted on the roadside and retched a few times, then stood up straight.
As long as his feet touch the ground, he is the Fire Dragon who is not afraid of anything.
Edolas's Natsu was squatting next to the wheel, and the hands that used to hold the steering wheel were shaking violently.
His whole body shrank into a ball, his face was as white as a piece of waste paper soaked in water, and his eyes were full of panic that was about to overflow.
"You... you just asked me why I'm not afraid of transportation?"
Edolas's Natsu raised his head, his voice was trembling, and his teeth were still chattering.
"I... I don't know! Everyone says that I look like a different person as soon as I get in the car, but I really can't remember..."
As he spoke, he shrank his neck back, looking at his companions from another world standing in front of him as if they were looking at some kind of man-eating savage beast.
"I just remember being very excited when I got on the bus. After getting off the bus... I felt totally exhausted and very flustered."
Natsu stood nearby, looking at this guy who looked exactly like him but was now so cowardly that he didn't say a word for a long time.
He originally wanted to ask the other party how to restrain motion sickness, but now it seems that this is simply an outrageous split personality.
"Love! This is the real Edolas Natsu!"
Happy flew in mid-air, pointed at the shivering young man on the ground, and made a sharp complaint.
"When he got in the car, he looked like a god of war. When he got off the bus, even a bug could scare him to tears. The contrast was so overwhelming!"
Carla also had a look of disgust on his face. He shook his beard and snorted coldly.
"No one in this world is normal."
Lu Chongwei stepped forward, reached out and patted Edolas Natsu on the shoulder. The steady strength made the other party feel more stable.
"Thank you, that helped a lot."
Lu Chongwei's voice was smooth, without any hint of ridicule.
"We will walk the rest of the way by ourselves. You should leave here quickly to avoid being discovered by the kingdom's pursuers."
Edolas's Natsu felt like he had been granted amnesty. He hurriedly climbed back into the driver's seat. The moment he closed the car door, his submissive aura began to show signs of change again.
"Then... I'll leave first! You crazy people, I wish you good luck!"
As the engine roared again, the four-wheeled vehicle flicked wildly, kicked up dust in the sky, and disappeared at the end of the wasteland.
Natsu looked at the car shadow going away and sighed helplessly.
"What a weirdo."
Everyone turned their heads and looked at the other end of the horizon.
Under the golden sunshine, the royal capital of Edolas stood quietly under the huge floating island.
It is grand, majestic, and even reveals a kind of uncomfortable luxury.
Lu Chongwei picked up Ryujin Jakka from behind, his eyes stern.
"Let's go and see where that selfish king has hidden everyone's magic power."
The group of people walked along the main road. The closer they got to the royal capital, the more shocked Lucy and Wendy were by the surrounding scenes.
This place is completely different from the dilapidated towns they passed before.
On both sides of the wide street, towering magic streetlights emit dazzling white light, making them look particularly ostentatious even in the daytime.
In the fountain square, the clear water changes into various complex shapes driven by magic, reflecting colorful halos.
Even the ordinary shops on the roadside are decorated with precious Magic Crystal signboards, giving off a strong nouveau riche atmosphere everywhere.
"This... is this the royal capital?"
Wendy stared at everything in front of him with his eyes widened in surprise.
"Isn't it said that the magic power in this world is extremely scarce? Why are there still so many magic powers used for decoration here?"
Lucy also frowned. She felt a strong discomfort in her stomach when she looked at the people of the royal capital who were dressed in gorgeous clothes and had satisfied smiles on their faces.
"It's such a luxury. It's a waste."
Nancy walked on the shoulders of Lu Chongwei, its golden cat eyes full of disgust and its tone full of sarcasm.
"Is it weird? This is what the old king did."
Nancy stretched out his little paw and pointed at the towering palace in the distance.
"In order to please the people of the royal capital, and to make his deformed rule seem stable, he squandered most of the magic power he stole from everywhere here."
Nancy jumped onto a lamppost on the side of the road and lowered his voice.
"He regards this kind of luxury as a gift, making the people in the royal capital think that they can only live a good life by following him. As for how the people in the small towns outside are living, he doesn't care at all, he is very selfish."
Lu Chongwei looked at the children playing beside the magic fountain, without any warmth in his eyes.
"Prosperity bought with other people's lives is ultimately just a mirage."
Lu Chongwei's tone was cold.
"Let's go find the Magic Crystal."
Everyone walked through the bustling commercial street and walked towards the square in the center of the royal capital.
At this moment, Wendy suddenly stopped and her sensitive ears moved.
"Brother Zhongwei, there are many people in front of us. Everyone seems to be squeezing toward the square."
Lu Chongwei's eyes darkened.
"Go over and have a look."