Chapter 5: Gathering in the Royal Capital

Little One's performance was beyond imagination, leaving Mels and the others astonished and exceptionally excited. The four mysterious men attacking Mels, however, felt exactly the opposite!

After Little One felled the two Thunderbirds, the leader of the mysterious men had already realized something was wrong, but Little One's attack speed was simply too fast, leaving them no time to react!

The eight green light spheres shot out by Little One carved beautiful arcs through the air. Four of them streaked toward the four Summoned Beasts, while the remaining four flew toward the four mysterious men!

The light spheres weren't flying particularly fast, but their presence was exceptionally terrifying. The green light itself was inherently eerie and terrifying, and coupled with the sound they made while flying, it was utterly terrifying and overwhelming. "Scatter... scatter!" the leader of the mysterious men roared at his subordinates.

The leader desperately wanted his men to evade Little One's attack, but it was already too late!

The first to be hit were the two Thunderbirds that could no longer move. When the green light spheres enveloped the Thunderbirds' bodies, the two birds immediately let out piercing shrieks of agony, then dissolved into mist and vanished before everyone's eyes.

Moments later, the Ancient Treant and the Flame Beast were simultaneously struck by Little One's attack. Although these two Summoned Beasts hadn't suffered significant damage in the previous battle, they fared no better than the Thunderbirds against the green spheres. They had no chance to resist before dissolving into mist and disappearing.

In the blink of an eye, all four of the enemy's Summoned Beasts were eliminated. For Mels and the others, this was simply unimaginable. Yet, it was all fact, all Little One's doing!

"Ah!" A terrifying green energy bolt struck a mysterious man. His body was covered in green, as if he were wreathed in green flames, causing him to scream in continuous agony.

"Go... go!" The leader of the mysterious men, looking at the miserable state of his subordinate, said to his men, his voice trembling. However, his command came too late. In moments, including himself, three mysterious men were consumed by the green blasts.

Watching the still-burning green flames and everything Little One had done, Sol suddenly said, "Demonic Flame!"

"Sol, what are you saying? What is Demonic Flame?" Mels asked Sol, who was beside him, puzzled.

"Demonic Flame! I'm saying the magic Little One used is Demonic Flame. Legend has it that in ancient times, a group of demons attacked humans. They used a powerful form of magic never before seen, one we fundamentally couldn't learn. Among them was a flame magic very similar to the light spheres Little One is using now.

Green light, green flames, flames that can burn almost anything—Demonic Flame!" Sol said in a daze, his eyes blank as he looked at Mels.

Having dealt with all the enemies, Little One should have descended from the air and stopped fighting, but it remained in the air, with no sign of landing at all.

Just as Mels was about to call out to Little One, Little One did something to make the four green mists from the Summoned Beasts gradually drift toward its body. As the mists approached Little One's vicinity, Little One immediately opened its mouth and sucked all the mist in.

"Boss, Little One seems to be absorbing the Summoned Beasts!" Rek said to Mels, watching the scene before him.

In truth, Mels had no idea what had happened to Little One.

Ever since Little One evolved, due to their low synchronization rate, Mels couldn't understand all of Little One's abilities, nor did he know exactly how strong Little One's combat power was. So today's battle was essentially entirely controlled by Little One itself, with Mels just a spectator!

After absorbing the four Summoned Beasts, Little One swayed as if drunk, gradually descending from the sky. It then went limp and collapsed before Mels, motionless.

Seeing Little One's abnormal state, Mels feared Little One had suffered some injury during the battle. He hurriedly ran to Little One's side, scooped it up, and said, "Little One, are you okay?" However, in response to Mels's call, Little One still showed no reaction, just lying there with its eyes closed, fast asleep.

Mels knew sealing an unconscious Summoned Beast into its Summoning Gem could seriously harm it. Therefore, under the current circumstances, he could only choose to let Little One rest properly and wait for it to wake up on its own.

Meanwhile, Lannis had already summoned her own Summoned Beast to treat Sol's wounds. In the previous battle, Sol was the worst hurt, so Lannis treated him first. Although Lannis's Summoned Beast possessed healing abilities, they were limited to ordinary injuries. For something like the illness afflicting Akafir, she was powerless.

"Brother Sol, are you feeling better?" Lannis asked softly after having her Summoned Beast stop emitting the healing light rays.

"Much better. This healing ability is truly miraculous! The wound stopped bleeding and started healing so quickly," Sol said with a smile.

"Actually, I'm not very good at this. If my abilities were stronger, a wound like this should heal completely in the shortest time, not just given preliminary treatment like now," Lannis said after carefully bandaging Sol's wound.

"I don't know about others, but for me, your ability is already very strong. At least, it's the first time I've seen someone use healing incantations together with a Summoned Beast!" Sol said earnestly to Lannis.

In truth, Sol had seen healers more skilled than Lannis, but he simply wanted to give this delicate young girl more confidence!

"Boss, we should leave this place!" Seeing that Mels was still guarding Little One with no intention of leaving, Rek hastily gathered the essential items from the carriage and walked up to Mels.

"...Yes, it's time to leave here!" Mels said after a moment's consideration, turning to look at Rek.

Although Little One still hadn't woken up, Mels knew the enemy's target was Lannis. Staying here for a long time might lead to new dangers, so heading to the capital of the Fijinando United Kingdom earlier would be the best choice.

"Come on, Little One, we're going to the capital together!" Mels said with difficulty as he stood up, carrying Little One on his back. "Heh, this brat has gotten so heavy. When you wake up, I'm definitely making you lose some weight!"

Since the carriage was damaged and the two fine horses had been killed by the mysterious men, everyone could only proceed on foot.

Akafir, though not fully recovered, could still manage to walk forward with effort. Sol, after Lannis's treatment, had regained basic health, so walking wasn't a big problem for him. Since Mels was carrying Little One, all the luggage and equipment had to be borne by Rek alone.

Seeing this situation, the pampered Lannis immediately decided to only take a few light pieces of luggage to lessen Rek's burden. The group of several youths thus set off forward, looking out for each other.

Perhaps due to good luck or a lapse in the enemy's defenses, they encountered no further trouble in the following days. After a four-day journey, the capital of the Fijinando United Kingdom appeared before them.

The capital of the Fijinando United Kingdom is located on the Cadia Plain. Apart from the Kadola Mountains about twenty kilometers to the north, there is no other undulating terrain within fifty kilometers in all other directions.

The royal capital consists entirely of one main city and six smaller cities, distributed in a radial pattern. The six smaller cities are evenly distributed around the main city like a hexagon. Enclosed roads connecting these seven cities were built, likely military structures for transporting troops and equipment between them during wartime. In peacetime like now, the gates of all seven cities are fully open, requiring only simple inspection to enter.

The biggest difference between the Fijinando capital, Segna, and typical satellite cities is that each smaller city possesses quite sturdy walls. This architectural style further highlights its strong military strategic significance, making it immediately recognizable as a military fortress.

"Boss, we're finally here! Just through this road ahead, and we'll reach the capital!" Sol, standing on the hillock, said to Mels.

"Yeah, once we get there, I think we'll be safe!" Mels nodded in agreement.

For the past few days, Little One hadn't woken up, and Mels had carried it tirelessly. For him, as long as Little One recovered, any hardship was worth it.

After a brief exchange among the group, Mels and the others set off again on their journey toward the Fijinando capital.

Just as they descended the hillock, Mels suddenly stopped. Seeing Mels's unusual behavior, Sol stopped and asked puzzledly, "What's wrong, boss? Is something the matter?"

"I thought I felt Little One move just now! But now I can't feel anything at all!" Mels said.

"Boss, I think maybe you're too worried about Little One, so you're having a little hallucination," Sol said.

"Hmm, maybe. Sigh, I really hope Little One wakes up soon! Let's go." Mels rallied his spirits and took another step forward. Almost at the same moment he moved, a short and faint call reached Mels's ears.

"Boss, put me down." It turned out Mels's earlier feeling of Little One moving wasn't a hallucination; Little One had truly awakened. It was the gradually awakening Little One softly calling to Mels.

"Little One, you're awake! How do you feel? Is there anywhere uncomfortable?" Mels hurriedly put Little One down and asked with concern.

Little One's awakening immediately drew Sol and the others to Mels's side, everyone's gaze now focused on Little One.

"Boss, what happened next? What exactly happened to me? Is the battle over? Did we drive them back?" Little One seemed somewhat listless, barely able to lie on the ground, slightly opening its eyes to ask Mels. From its words, it seemed to have no memory of eliminating those mysterious men and Summoned Beasts.

Hearing Little One's questions, Mels and the others exchanged glances. Then Mels spoke up, "Yeah, we defeated them. We're about to reach the Fijinando capital now. Don't think about it anymore; just rest well."

"Oh. Boss, seal me into the Summoning Gem. I think I need to rest inside the gem for a while," Little One nodded slightly at Mels, making the request.

"Okay, as long as you feel it won't harm you, I'll seal you now." Saying this, Mels slowly raised his left hand. After Little One nodded again in confirmation, he aimed the Summoning Gem on the back of his hand at Little One's forehead.

Amidst a soft green light, Little One's body vanished into the air, completely sealed into the Summoning Gem. "Boss, why doesn't Little One remember the situation of the battle that day?" Sol asked after Little One disappeared.

"I don't know either. Little One is so strange now. I really hope nothing goes wrong with it!" Mels shook his head, saying helplessly.

"Brother Mels." Just as Mels and the others fell into brief contemplation, Lannis spoke up. "I've heard from several seniors that Summoned Beasts undergo an 'Absorption Ritual.' Simply put, intermediate-level Summoned Beasts do not absorb lower-level ones. When they absorb intermediate-level or higher Summoned Beasts, they consume a tremendous amount of energy.

Although under normal circumstances, this absorption is entirely beneficial to them, it's also possible that absorbing too much energy can cause their bodies to be unable to digest it all in a short time.

I think Little One is a recently evolved Summoned Beast. Judging by the condition of the Summoning Gem in Brother Mels's hand, it should be an intermediate-level Summoned Beast. And during that battle, Little One absorbed four Summoned Beasts of the same level at once! Such a massive amount of energy would definitely place a considerable burden on its body. That's probably why Little One slept for so many days. No wonder it can't remember what happened that day!"

Hearing Lannis's words, everyone felt as if waking from a dream.

Mels said, "So that's it! Lannis, you mean Little One has been sleeping for so many days because it's digesting the massive energy it absorbed?"

"Right, that's exactly what I mean." Lannis nodded in confirmation to Mels.

"Haha... Now it all makes sense, and it explains why Little One fell asleep for no reason! Don't worry, boss. I bet when Little One reappears, it'll be even stronger than before!" Rek patted Mels on the shoulder and said.

Over the past few days, everyone had seen the worry on Mels' face about Little One. Now, with Lannis's explanation, Rek and Sol felt relieved and equally delighted, congratulating Mels!

"Yeah, Lannis, you're something else. Since you knew what was going on, why didn't you say so earlier? You made the boss worry for so many days, and we didn't dare bother him about it either! Thinking about these four dull days of travel, it was practically hell on earth!" Sol crossed his arms, looked at Lannis with a smile, and spoke half-jokingly, half-reproachfully.

"Actually... I was just guessing all along. I didn't dare say anything until I was sure. Brother Mels, I'm sorry!" Lannis lowered her head, her eyes seemingly about to shed tears, speaking to Mels with a grievance.

"No need to apologize! Don't listen to Sol's nonsense. He just has a bad mouth and always likes to talk nonsense! Heh, if it weren't for you, we wouldn't know how long we'd have to listen to his nagging on this journey!" Mels comforted her.

"Yeah, yeah! It's my fault. I was just joking earlier and definitely didn't mean to blame you!" Seeing that his careless words had nearly made Lannis cry, Sol quickly spoke up, taking all the blame onto himself. In truth, they all knew Lannis's personality. Perhaps out of a chivalrous instinct, coupled with Lannis's gentle nature, which had genuinely won everyone's affection, Sol and Rek always tried to avoid letting Lannis suffer in any situation. That's why the earlier scene occurred. Otherwise, given Sol's personality, why would he take all the blame onto himself?

"Alright, Little One is fine, and the capital is right in front of us! Let's pick up the pace and get to the capital!" Seeing the atmosphere was a bit tense, Rek immediately changed the subject, drawing everyone's attention to the Fijinando capital.

Of course, no fool would bring up anything about Little One now. Everyone quickly packed up their belongings and, amid mutual urging, set off toward the Fijinando capital!

After several hours of travel, the entrance to the southern satellite city of the Fijinando capital, the "City of Commerce," appeared before Mels and the others. Since they arrived at noon, during the soldiers' rest period, according to the Fijinando Kingdom's regulations, Mels and the others had to wait until the afternoon to pass through the checkpoint and enter the capital. "No choice, it looks like we'll have to wait!" After inquiring about the situation, Mels said to Sol and the others. Just as the youths were helplessly preparing to find a sheltered spot to wait for the city gates to reopen, three middle-aged men hurriedly ran out from inside the gates. Judging by their searching gazes, they seemed to be looking for someone.

"Over there!" One of them spotted Lannis and immediately called to his companions, then ran toward her.

"Don't tell me, we've already come this far. Are these guys really so persistent, determined to fight us again?" Seeing three fierce-looking men running toward them, Sol couldn't help but complain loudly. "Don't rush into a fight. This is the capital! If we anger the military police, we'll be arrested as troublemakers!" Mels stopped Sol, who was about to cast a spell, and cautiously drew the sword at his waist to be on guard. Although Mels said these people might not be enemies, he also knew that even though they had reached the capital, given the mysterious men's determination to kidnap Lannis, enemies could still appear at any moment.

Just as the three burly men got closer to Mels and the others, and the youths were ready to fight at any moment, Lannis, who had been hiding behind Mels, suddenly ran toward the three men, calling out joyfully, "Second Uncle, it's me! I'm here!"

Seeing Lannis's actions, Mels knew the newcomers must be Lannis's relatives or elders from the Magic Family, so he immediately put away his weapon and signaled Sol and the others to follow Lannis toward the three men.

When Lannis reached the three men, she threw herself into the arms of a man dressed in luxurious clothes, around fifty years old, with a kind and gentle demeanor.

"Lannis, you've really suffered. It's all our fault for putting you through so much hardship!" Watching Lannis sob uncontrollably, unable to contain her emotions, the man tenderly stroked her hair and comforted her.

Little did he know that his comfort only made it harder for Lannis to control her feelings. She burst into tears, almost unable to stop.

Although he was worried about Lannis crying herself sick, the man knew she needed to let it all out now.

Lannis, who had always been pampered, had not only endured various hardships on this journey but also faced life-and-death trials. For a sixteen-year-old girl who had never left home before, this was indeed an incredibly arduous journey. After a while, perhaps because she was too tired from crying or because her body couldn't take it anymore, Lannis fell into a deep sleep in the man's arms. Only then did the man turn to Mels and say softly, "You must be Mels, the new disciple taken in by the seven elders. You've all worked hard on this journey. I am a member of the Magic Family, Lannis's second uncle, Mickey Magic! I'm currently in charge of commercial affairs here."

"Hello, it's an honor to meet you." Seeing the other party address him, Mels immediately responded respectfully.

However, before he could finish speaking, Lannis suddenly woke up and said, "Second Uncle, that guy is a little pervert!"

Lannis's words shocked Mickey! Even Mels didn't understand why Lannis, who had been sleeping, suddenly woke up and cursed him.

But when he turned his gaze to Lannis and noticed her hair had turned black, everything became clear! The girl now was not Lannis but Mels's nemesis—Bagina!

Strangely enough, Lannis originally only appeared during the day, while Bagina would appear at night. However, ever since they escaped from Frank Island, Bagina had not appeared at all. Mels had initially thought Lannis's condition might have improved, which was why Bagina hadn't shown up, but he never expected Bagina to appear before them in broad daylight!

"Bagina!" Mickey seemed even more surprised than Mels that Bagina would appear during the day.

"Second Uncle, what? Aren't you happy to see me?" Bagina slightly narrowed her eyes and spoke coldly to Mickey.

"N-no, of course not!" Seeing Bagina's cold gaze, Mickey suddenly felt a chill.

"Good!" Bagina didn't press further. She turned to Mels and said, "Little pervert, I'm exhausted here. Hurry up and have your underlings, 'Big Ape' and 'Blond Monkey,' carry this young lady's daily necessities into the city!"

"Big Ape?!" Rek looked at Bagina's bossy demeanor, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Bl-Blond Monkey?!" Sol, who had always been very confident in his appearance, was momentarily speechless upon hearing Bagina call him a blond monkey!

However, Bagina didn't care about their reactions. She simply turned slightly and strode proudly toward the city gates.

"Boss!" Sol and Rek looked at Mels with extremely "wronged" expressions, as if pleading.

But Mels could only force a bitter smile and said, "I've already been labeled a pervert. What else do you expect me to do for you?"

After hearing Mels's words, Rek and Sol thought about it and realized it was true. They could only helplessly prepare to pack their luggage. The two guards Mickey brought weren't foolish enough to actually let Rek and Sol carry the luggage. Without needing Mickey's orders, they had already stepped forward to shoulder the youths' already light luggage. Then, at Mickey's signal, they followed behind Bagina toward the city gates.

On the way to the city gates, Mickey approached Mels and whispered, "Mels, I'm really sorry. I..."

Mels knew Mickey was apologizing because even he, as an elder, was helpless against Bagina's arrogant attitude.

Mels smiled slightly and said, "You don't need to apologize for Bagina. We already know her temper."

Seeing the sincerity in Mels's eyes, Mickey nodded slightly and said, "That's good, that's good!"

Since several elders in the Magic Family believed they were responsible for Bagina's split personality, almost everyone in the family let Bagina do as she pleased, which only fueled her arrogance.

By the time they realized the serious consequences, Bagina had already developed the habit of not caring even in front of her elders.

Perhaps to change the subject, Mickey spent the entire journey into the city introducing Mels and the others to the current state of the Magic Family. Thanks to his introduction, Mels gained a deeper understanding of the Magic Family.

According to Mickey, the Magic Family had only about a dozen core members, but their business spanned the entire southern continent. Mickey was the person in charge of Fijinando and lived in the Fijinando capital year-round. Here, the Magic Family not only engaged in various legitimate trades but also openly dealt in arms, which were strictly controlled in Fijinando.

Although successive generations of the Fijinando royal family had wanted to suppress the Magic Family's enterprises, they were forced to reconsider due to the family's immense economic power, which controlled nearly one-third of Fijinando's productivity. Additionally, during wartime, they urgently needed the Magic Family's military assistance, so such ideas remained at the consideration stage and were never truly implemented. As a result, court officials tended to favor the Magic Family, allowing the family to firmly establish itself in the Fijinando United Kingdom.

Mels had no doubt about Mickey's words.

In fact, just seeing how a small family could have guardians as skilled as the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes showed they possessed substantial strength. Moreover, ever since Mels boarded the fleet bound for Frank, he had noticed that no matter which city they passed through, they never needed to undergo inspections, proving they secretly controlled the southern kingdoms.

Although it was noon, a time when entry into the Fijinando capital should have been impossible, under Mickey's lead, they entered the City of Commerce openly without even needing to greet the city guard.

Just as Mels and the others were about to follow Mickey to their accommodations, a cloud of dust rose outside the city in the distance, catching everyone's attention. Although the Fijinando capital was an economically prosperous area with many merchant caravans coming and going daily, most caravans moved slowly. It was rare to see horses galloping at such speed, so even Mickey stopped and turned to look.

The horses ran as fast as lightning, and in no time, the appearance of the riders became visible to Mels and the others. "Master!" Mels exclaimed in surprise, immediately dropping his belongings and rushing out of the city gates to greet the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes and their group.

It turned out that when the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes received news that someone was attempting to kidnap Lannis, the White-haired Wind God decided to take a detour to the capital. Unfortunately, as they neared the capital, they discovered the enemy had already formed an encirclement. Left with no choice, the White-haired Wind God went out under the pretext of scouting the surroundings, but in reality, he was creating an opportunity for Mels and the others to escape.

He knew that as long as he left the main group, the enemy would be forced to recall the spies lurking around the caravan! This way, Mels and the others leaving the group alone wouldn't attract the enemy's attention, making them mistakenly believe Lannis was still with the caravan and increasing the chances of her safely returning to the Fijinando capital.

Things unfolded exactly as the White-haired Wind God predicted. When Mels and the others left the caravan, they didn't attract the enemy's attention. The five mysterious men Mels and the others later encountered were merely second-rate troops stationed in the surrounding area by chance. The real main force launched an attack on the caravan less than a day after Mels and the others left!

These individuals completely concealed their faces with black veils and numbered about one hundred and fifty, each one a formidable assassin chosen from among thousands! Although their strength was far inferior to that of the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes, believing in the principle that many ants can kill an elephant, these fierce assassins, who had long disregarded their own lives, fearlessly attacked the Seven Immortals.

During the chaotic battle, many Magic Family guards accompanying the Seven Immortals back to the capital died on the desolate plains! Even among the Seven Immortals, four were injured. However, the White-haired Wind God and the others were indeed exceptionally skilled in martial arts. Although they paid a heavy price, they still managed to break out of the enemy's encirclement, protecting Roani and fighting their way back to the capital.

"Wind Elder, how was the journey?" Mickey greeted the Seven Immortals of Myriad Changes, took the White-haired Wind God's hand, and asked with concern.

"Hehe... At least I'm not dead yet! But this battle wasn't without gains. At least we have some clues about who these people are!" The White-haired Wind God smiled slightly and spoke cheerfully.

"Oh? Who exactly are these people? I only relied on the 'Eagle Network' to discover that many experts from all directions were gathering at Bomat Harbor, which is why I sent you the warning. But as for their identities, I have no idea!" Mickey frowned slightly and then spoke.

"Let's talk about these matters later. Everyone is tired. Please lead the way to our accommodations first." The White-haired Wind God said.

Mickey, of course, understood the White-haired Wind God's meaning—the matter was of great importance, so he didn't want to discuss it in a noisy place like the city gates.

Mickey nodded slightly and immediately led the way, taking everyone into the city.