The Plan (2)

The road grew harder and harder to travel—rugged, steep, and unbearably narrow. Riding was nearly impossible, so Anrien simply dismounted, gripped his staff in one hand, cast Avatar of Wind on himself, and swiftly chased after the little fairy ahead.

Many people instinctively assumed that spellcasters were frail and weak, imagining mages as the sort who would be panting after only two steps. That was actually a misconception. Spellcasters' bodies were not feeble at all; they were constantly nourished by magic. Even if they could not match the sheer strength of warriors, they were still far superior to ordinary people.

Thus, Anrien was not slow when he ran. With enhancement spells supporting him, he was even faster than the Forest Fairy, and the distance between them gradually shrank.

"Please slow down, child. I am a priest, one blessed by divine grace. I absolutely will not harm you." As he pursued her, Anrien called out in clear, standard Eladian Common, ensuring that she could understand him.

The Forest Fairy ahead turned to glance at him. Her little face held a trace of unease and tension, but in the end she said nothing. She quickly turned back and continued fleeing.

That fleeting glance allowed Anrien to see her face clearly.

She was actually a female Forest Fairy!

One had to know that on the market, a female Forest Fairy was worth ten times as much as a male. They were as lovable as miniature angels; whenever one appeared, great nobles would scramble to seize her, then hide her away tightly and keep her caged like a canary.

Anrien was glad he had not informed the other riders and had come after her alone. If Roy and Earl Brando learned that he had a female Forest Fairy in his hands, they would surely demand that he hand her over no matter what. He would never be able to keep her.

At the same time, as he watched the nimble, beautiful little creature ahead, Anrien could not help feeling a faint, secret delight.

The distance closed again.

"Child, as a child of the forest, you should never remain in this savage, harsh wilderness... Come with me. Let me take you to see the civilized world. The people there will surely like you very much."

Though the prolonged running had left him slightly out of breath, Anrien forced himself to call out again. He had already made up his mind: even if he had to chase her all the way south to Mostel or north to Green City, he would catch this little creature and bind her in his grasp.

"Arcane Missiles."

Anrien cast another spell, intending to block the Forest Fairy's escape route. He was certainly capable of using more destructive magic, but he had to be extremely cautious and did not dare do so.

If he accidentally killed the fragile Forest Fairy, Anrien would regret it beyond measure. The loss would far outweigh the gain.

It had to be said that he truly was a gifted spellcaster. At the very least, even the most demanding and exacting archmage could find no fault with his Arcane Missiles.

Three magic-wreathed missiles shot out in succession, all striking around the Forest Fairy and completely sealing off her path.

The Forest Fairy stopped.

"Child, I assure you that I mean no harm."

Anrien hurried after her. His gray hair clung together with sweat, and he did not look particularly presentable, but he still tried his best to put on a sincere smile.

The Forest Fairy looked timid, yet she did not seem especially frightened. As Anrien approached, she fluttered her four transparent wings again and, with a whoosh, darted behind a Flame-Mane Bear that had appeared from nowhere.

"Flame-Mane."

Anrien's smile widened, his delight utterly undisguised. "Child, you must understand that in the danger-ridden Wilds, a Flame-Mane cannot provide you with enough protection."

Flame-Mane Bears were mammals widely distributed across northern Eladia. They were named for their fondness for hot climates. They were distant relatives of brown bears, though somewhat larger, generally measuring between three and four meters in length. The one before him, however, was likely close to four-point-two meters long—a rare giant among Flame-Manes.

Unfortunately, they were not magical creatures. They might pose a deadly threat to ordinary people, but to a spellcaster with real combat experience, a Flame-Mane was truly nothing much.

"I understand now, child. This damned Flame-Mane forced you, didn't it?"

Anrien continued forward, flicking his hand to shake off the blades of grass and dirt that had clung to his robes while running. "I'll help you right away."

He took another two steps forward, then abruptly stopped.

Something was wrong—something was very wrong.

Flame-Manes were hardly docile beasts. Under normal circumstances, once they sensed danger, they would quickly fly into a rage, roaring, baring their claws and fangs, perhaps even launching a direct attack.

Anrien did not believe this Flame-Mane could not sense his threat, yet it had done nothing.

Whether the Flame-Mane Bear attacked or fled, he would not have found it strange. But this beast before him was far too quiet, lying there like a fool without moving.

No, it was not completely motionless. Looking more closely, this Flame-Mane... seemed to be trembling?

What was going on?

Anrien became alert in an instant. He did not think he possessed the ability to make a Flame-Mane Bear tremble, yet at the same time, he could sense no unusual magical fluctuations—damn it, what had come near?

Gusts of wind rustled through the forest. In the north, even the wind carried heat that slapped one's face, yet all Anrien felt was cold. His gray-white mage robe quivered behind him as though it had come alive.

Anrien tightened his grip on his staff. It was a magic item enhanced with spells; Roy had never been stingy toward the only priest in the party. Jewels were set into its handle, gleaming brightly, while sunlight reflected dazzling radiance from the shining metal staff.

Guided by a spellcaster's instincts, Anrien felt it. In the two years he had spent crossing the Wilds alongside Roy, he had never been so terrified. What exactly was causing this?

The Forest Fairy appeared again. Within Anrien's sight, she flew past him and landed somewhere behind him.

Behind me?

Anrien immediately turned around.

His heart stopped beating, and for a long while, he did not dare breathe.

Sunlight spilled across the clearing, revealing the source of his terror. It was an enormous beast, perhaps ten meters long, lying across the woodland like a small mountain. Its bright yellow pupils stared directly at him like a snake watching a bird.

"..."

It was as if Anrien had suddenly lost the ability to speak. He struggled desperately to find suitable words, but all efforts were futile. How could this be? In these unbearably hot Wilds, how could there be a black dragon?

By all reason, this should have been the climate black dragons loathed most. Even if he had suddenly encountered a green dragon or a red dragon, Anrien would not have been so shocked. It felt as though he were trapped in a dream.

Then Anrien saw the Forest Fairy lightly settle between the black dragon's spines and heard her say to the beast, "A spellcaster, a priest, probably around the level of a mid-rank mage. That should be fine, right?"

Hearing those words, Anrien felt flames of rage surge wildly through his chest, nearly bursting him apart.

Damn it! The Forest Fairy he had been longing for had actually become the follower of an ugly chromatic dragon. Unforgivable!