Chapter 53

– If you want to get the wolf and fairy back, come to the location written below –

Ariel carefully looked at the paper but couldn’t figure out where “the location written below” was.

She had no knowledge of Goldcastle’s geography.

Should she ask a passing coachman like she did when going to the banquet hall?

As she was thinking that, Rakia cast a spell beside her.

It was Location Tracking Magic using Ghost’s blood.

“This way, Lady Ariel! Just follow me!”

Rakia started running, and Ariel followed her.

The place where Ghost and Roo were located was quite far, but since Rakia and Ariel were determined to run, it didn’t take long to arrive.

After a while, Rakia stopped running and pointed to the abandoned building in front of her.

“They’re here. Ghost is inside.”

“……”

Ariel silently looked up at the abandoned building.

It was a large building about four stories high, but it seemed to have been neglected for a long time, giving off a worn and sinister atmosphere.

A place that didn’t fit at all with the luxurious and sparkling Goldcastle.

Moreover, there was nothing around.

If something happened here, no one would know.

Ariel stepped inside the abandoned building.

Rakia followed closely beside her.

“There are quite a lot of humans inside this building right now. According to my detection magic, there are about fifty of them.”

At Rakia’s words, Ariel nodded quietly.

Fifty people meant it was likely an organization, not individuals.

She didn’t know why they had kidnapped Ghost and Roo, but she was determined to save them no matter what.

As they entered the building, a huge space appeared.

Ariel and Rakia walked to the center of the large space, and suddenly, laughter was heard from ahead.

“Hehehe, you really came!”

And someone approached them.

A boy walking with a crutch.

It was Cobin.

“Long time no see. Your name is Ariel, right? Hehe. I bet you didn’t expect to see my face again here.”

Cobin spoke with a sneering smile, but Ariel didn’t react.

Ariel didn’t know who Cobin was and wasn’t interested.

She was just scanning the surroundings to find Ghost and Roo.

Fortunately, Ghost and Roo were quickly found.

In the corner of the building, Ghost was tied up with chains, and Roo was trapped in a Magic Cage.

Ariel tried to move towards them.

Then, Cobin swung his crutch and blocked her way.

“Hey hey, not so fast! There’s an order to things. If you want to get the wolf and fairy back, you have to listen to me first. Otherwise…”

As Cobin gestured, the sound of a sword being drawn was heard from where Ghost and Roo were.

Swoosh!

Now, a man with a scruffy beard was standing next to Ghost and Roo.

He was the leader of the Crow Mercenary Group.

The leader had a sharp sword pressed against Ghost’s side.

“Ariel, if you take even one step, that wolf will be sent to the afterlife. Got it? You’ll never see it again. Hehe.”

Ariel stood still and quietly looked at Cobin.

Cobin seemed very satisfied and chuckled as he spoke.

“Yeah, that’s it! It’s so nice when you’re obedient like this. Now, first, apologize for the rudeness you showed me before. Depending on how sincere your apology is, I’ll decide whether to spare that wolf or not. If you want to save that wolf, you better kneel. Hahaha!”

Cobin threw his head back and laughed loudly.

How many times had he imagined this moment while lying in bed!

Finally, he thought he could make Ariel submit, and Cobin couldn’t contain his excitement.

“Hahaha! Kneel right now and say you’re really sorry, and apologize politely! No, that’s not enough! Lick my shoes! Crawl between my legs like a dog! Then I’ll spare your friends! Got it? Do it now!”

While Cobin was shouting like a madman, Rakia quietly asked Ariel beside her.

“Lady Ariel, can I use magic?”

“……”

Ariel hesitated for a moment.

She wanted to resolve this peacefully, but since Ghost’s life was being threatened, there was no choice.

“Do as you wish.”

Ariel spoke in a low voice, and Rakia’s lips curled up into a wide smile.

“Thank you, Lady Ariel.”

As Rakia spoke in an excited voice, Cobin made a bewildered expression.

“Magic…? No, do you not understand the situation? Fine, Ariel, if you want, I’ll kill that wolf right now…”

Thud!

Ariel’s fist slammed into Cobin’s face.

*

When Ariel and Rakia first appeared in the abandoned building, the leader of the Crow Mercenary Group was very happy.

The reason was Rakia.

Among Ariel’s group, there was a little girl with blonde hair wearing a dress, and he thought she must be from some lower noble family.

Her beauty was quite outstanding, and if sold as a slave, she could fetch a higher price than a fairy, but honestly, he didn’t have high expectations.

He didn’t think she would follow Ariel all the way here. This was the most remote abandoned building in Goldcastle.

But since she had followed here without fear, Rakia’s fate was pretty much sealed.

The leader knew many perverted nobles who liked girls with Rakia’s appearance.

If sold to them, he could make a fortune.

As Cobin gestured, the leader drew his sword and pressed it against the wolf’s side.

The wolf, injured and exhausted, only twitched and couldn’t resist.

The moment Cobin gave the order, the leader was ready to plunge the sword into the wolf’s body, but that probably wouldn’t happen.

Ariel had come here to save the wolf. Since the wolf was captured, she would surely follow Cobin’s orders.

While Cobin was doing as he pleased with Ariel, the leader would have his subordinates kidnap Rakia, and that would be the end.

Everything was perfect.

But the situation didn’t go as planned.

Ariel suddenly punched Cobin in the face, and Cobin lost his crutch and flew far, crashing into the wall.

“?”

The leader was momentarily unsure of how to act.

Should he kill the wolf?

No, but Cobin seemed to have lost consciousness. Seeing the wall Cobin crashed into crumble, he might even be dead.

Now, threatening the wolf’s life was meaningless.

“Capture them! That elf and the blonde girl!”

The leader shouted to his subordinates hidden throughout the building.

Cobin was done. Since things had turned out this way, the success reward Cobin promised was gone.

But capturing Ariel, Rakia, and even the fairy to sell wouldn’t be a loss.

It might even be more profitable than the success reward Cobin promised.

“Whoa!”

“Capture them!”

The subordinates hidden throughout the building rushed out and charged at Ariel and Rakia.

There were fifty subordinates in total.

The Crow Mercenary Group had been kidnapping and killing as easily as eating meals. Capturing two girls like this was a piece of cake for them.

But.

Boom!

A huge explosion suddenly erupted under the feet of the charging subordinates.

About ten subordinates were swept away by the explosion, and then blue lightning struck from the sky.

Crack!

Another ten subordinates trembled and collapsed.

“?!”

The leader couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

Explosions and lightning.

Now even pillars of fire were rising, and he couldn’t grasp the situation.

“Ma, magic…?”

Although the leader led a mercenary group in the back alleys of Goldcastle, he had seen magic a few times in his life.

But he had never seen such powerful magic before.

The most he had seen was fireballs flying around, but this large-scale destructive magic was a first.

“Ru, run away…”

The leader tried to turn his trembling legs.

He didn’t know the details, but this place was dangerous.

There was no way to counter such powerful magic. All his subordinates would die, and soon he would too.

Thud. Thud.

Then, through the dust, someone was seen walking towards him.

A silver-haired elf.

It was Ariel.

“St, stay back… or I’ll kill this wolf!”

The leader pressed his sword against the Silver Wolf’s side again.

It was just an instinctive action.

Earlier, he had threatened the wolf to let Cobin do as he pleased with Ariel, but now it was different.

The leader was threatening the wolf’s life to save himself.

“Le, let me go! Then this wolf will be safe!”

The leader desperately shouted, but Ariel didn’t stop walking.

She was walking towards him, step by step, looking straight into his eyes.

Cold eyes with no emotion.

“Hi, hiik!”

The leader was seized with terror and soon completely lost his sanity.

“Stay back!!”

The leader swung his sword at the wolf.

Killing the wolf would mean his own death, but in his state of madness, he couldn’t think that far.

The moment the leader’s sword was about to strike the wolf’s neck.

Clang!

A Blue Barrier appeared in mid-air and deflected the leader’s sword.

The leader flinched and stepped back, and when he looked forward again, Ariel was standing there.

“Sa, sa, spare me…”

The leader pleaded pitifully. He had forgotten that he had just tried to kill the wolf and was begging for his life.

“Sa, spare me, and I’ll do anything! I’ll give you lots of money if you want, please…!”

Moonlight streaming through the broken window illuminated Ariel’s face.

Her eyes, reflecting the moonlight, glowed an unusually bright red.

Ariel quietly raised her finger and slashed through the air.

Swoosh!

A blue streak shot out and pierced the leader’s forehead.