Chapter 256: Hector, the One Being Watched.

Shu Li finished munching on a fresh, juicy fruit and wiped the juice from his fingers with a napkin. Then he turned to Hector with a perfectly serious expression.

"No, you've got it wrong. We're poor."

Angel glanced sideways and nodded in agreement. "Exactly. We're mountain folk. Where would we get any money?"

"Uh..." Hector froze.

Shu Li blinked innocently. "We'd just left the Cesis Mountains, and we didn't have a penny to our names. It wasn't until we reached Kesheng Town and accepted an assignment from the Mages' Guild that we earned our first real money."

"If it weren't for Ace, we wouldn't even have known how to accept an assignment!" Angel added.

Ace set down his fork. "I was penniless at the time, too. I needed money for travel expenses, so I decided to try my luck."

Dixio licked a trace of milk from the corner of his mouth. "Later, we went to the port in Baya City and escorted a young master's merchant ship to Adilan. That was our second big payday."

Budno took a bite of his crispy wheat cake and spoke around a mouthful. "Yesterday's assignment was our third."

Just thinking about the five thousand gold coins they were about to collect made him so happy that he helped himself to another wheat cake.

Amanda gnawed on a fragrant piece of roasted meat. "You need money to fill your stomach! We're going to earn lots and lots more!"

Kumandi calmly summed it all up.

"That's what gaining experience is about."

Hector's mouth twitched. He nearly dropped his spoon.

Siti and Nasha covered their mouths, giggling.

Since the Little Fairies and young dragon were pretending to be impoverished mountain folk, naturally they couldn't dip into their old savings.

Now that they had entered the Human World, they had to adapt to local customs, learn how to earn money, and experience a way of life they had never known before.

Most importantly, they absolutely could not expose their true identities.

What ordinary mountain villager could casually produce a mountain of gold coins? That would completely ruin their cover!

If they hadn't encountered such a formidable Demon Lord yesterday, they would never have revealed their true strength, either.

Hector had asked a rather foolish question.

Hearing Siti and Nasha laughing, Hector realized how silly he'd been. He gave an embarrassed chuckle, picked up his glass of milk, and raised it high.

"Come on! Here's to successfully completing our adventuring assignment! Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Everyone raised their glasses of milk and clinked them together.

After taking a generous gulp, Hector sighed regretfully.

"Too bad it isn't wine."

Shu Li wiped the corner of his mouth.

"Once we meet up with Seriu and collect our reward, how about we go to the best restaurant in Igya City and have a huge feast?"

"Yeah!"

Budno and Amanda enthusiastically raised both hands in approval.

Suddenly, a streak of red light shot out from the back of Shu Li's right hand and landed on the table, transforming into a chubby little magical beast.

Falm raised one of his short, pudgy paws.

"I want magical beast meat! High-ranking magical beast meat!"

How could anyone possibly leave him out when there was delicious food involved?

Shu Li poked his round belly.

"You're awfully demanding."

Falm stuck his forked tongue out at him.

As a high-ranking magical beast who had lived for tens of thousands of years, he had no particular hobbies apart from eating.

And lately, the Little Fairy had become terribly stingy. He wouldn't even give Falm any of the fruits grown by the Fairies and Elves to snack on anymore.

It must be because Falm had eaten too many before and exhausted the Little Fairy's supply.

Apparently, the next time they returned to the Elven Kingdom, he would have to remind the Little Fairy to stock up on more delicious fruit.

Falm hopped over to the plate and began picking through the human-grown fruits with obvious disdain.

After much reluctant consideration, he dragged one toward himself and took a bite.

It was so sour his teeth ached.

Pah! Not sweet at all!

When Shu Li saw him toss the half-eaten fruit back onto the table, he grabbed one of the horns on Falm's head.

"Don't waste food!"

Falm widened his eyes. Left with no choice, he hugged the fruit again and continued gnawing on it.

At a table ten meters away, a brown-haired young man dressed in an expensive magical robe elegantly set down his napkin.

He turned to Luvisi, who was seated across from him.

"Your cousin really has sunk to a new low. Look at him, having the time of his life with a bunch of mountain peasants."

Luvisi frowned. He sliced into his steak with his knife and fork and replied coldly, "He's already lost his right of succession. He's no different from those mountain peasants now."

The brown-haired young man rested his chin on one hand and smiled at him.

"I heard you were defeated last week by that mountain peasant called Sperien. And not only did your great-uncle, the Saint Mage, refuse to help you, he even let you embarrass yourself in front of the Mage Sovereign."

"Jason!" Luvisi growled, his expression darkening. "That's in the past. I don't want to hear anyone bring it up again."

The brown-haired young man named Jason shrugged.

"All right, I won't mention it."

He casually picked up a grape and ate it at his leisure.

Luvisi hacked into his steak with considerably less refinement than before, his mood thoroughly soured.

Jason was the heir to Lord Ferent of the Pros Empire, an Intermediate Mage, and a third-year student at St. Velia Magic Academy.

He had only returned to the academy yesterday, yet today he'd invited Luvisi to lunch and deliberately brought up last week's incident.

Clearly, he'd done it just to get under Luvisi's skin.

And Luvisi knew exactly what Jason was after.

It all went back to a royal banquet three years ago, when Hector had accidentally offended Jason.

Apparently, Jason had been nursing that grudge ever since.

While Hector's father was still alive, Jason had been too wary of him to make a move. But now that Hector had lost his father and his position as heir to the Snowvo family, Jason was beginning to entertain some rather nasty ideas.

Luvisi wasn't stupid.

After what happened last time, he had come to understand that the mountain villagers led by Sperien were anything but ordinary.

Not only did they have the protection of a Mage Sovereign, but Sperien also had an older brother who was a Saint Mage.

And that Saint Mage happened to be the instructor of Class One.

The mere thought of the instructor's seemingly endless arsenal of ways to torment his students sent an inexplicable shiver down Luvisi's spine.

If Jason wanted to use him to make trouble for Hector, he'd picked the wrong person!

"I'm finished. Enjoy your meal."

Luvisi picked up his empty plate, rose from his seat, and left the table.

The smile never faded from Jason's handsome face. Luvisi's cold attitude hadn't upset him in the slightest.

Meanwhile, Hector had absolutely no idea that an old enemy had set his sights on him.

After lunch, he cheerfully left the dining hall with his teammates, and the group headed eagerly toward the Entlin Association.

A week had passed since they posted their missing-person notices.

Surely there ought to be some news by now.

Nasha was exceptionally nervous. Her entire body was tense, and fine beads of sweat covered her temples.

Over the past eight years, she had repeatedly asked the queen to help search for her older brother.

But disappointment after disappointment had gradually worn away her hope.

If there was still no news this time, she didn't know what she would do.

And there was another possible outcome she simply couldn't bear to contemplate.

She firmly believed her brother was still alive!

Siti wrapped an arm around her shoulders, offering what comfort she could.

"Don't worry. Seriu found his sister through the Entlin Association. You can find your brother, too."

Nasha took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

"Mm. I know."

Shu Li smiled reassuringly at her.

"Good people have luck on their side. I'm sure your brother is safe and sound."

Nasha looked at him gratefully.

"Thank you, Amo."

"Haah..." Budno let out a long sigh. "I'm more worried about that guy Chris. He's been missing for eighteen years! Who knows where he's off adventuring?"

"Don't worry. Trouble like him never dies!" Shu Li declared. "With Chris's love of practical jokes, there's no way he'd let anyone get the better of him."

The group entered the Entlin Association and headed straight for the information collection counter.

After waiting in line for ten minutes and completing the necessary formalities with the attendant, they received a metal tube.

Inside it was the information the association had gathered.

They found a quiet corner with few people around.

Nasha exchanged a glance with Shu Li, then summoned her courage and unscrewed the tube's cap.

She drew out the slip of paper inside.

Her fingers trembled faintly as she smoothed out the rolled paper and quickly scanned the tiny writing.

[Esteemed Customer, Prince Leon Kellan, whom you are seeking, departed the Pedam Kingdom eight years ago. He traveled through the Central Court, the Kingdom of Keshengdao, the Kingdom of Banaha, and the Kingdom of Monlis before finally entering the Magical Beast Forest. No further information about his whereabouts has been obtained since then. If you wish, you may offer additional payment, and we will continue gathering useful information on your behalf.]

Tears streamed down Nasha's cheeks, and her body began trembling uncontrollably.

Judging by the route her brother had taken during his escape, his destination had clearly been the Land of Snow.

The Land of Snow was her mother's homeland.

Her brother must have intended to seek help from the Land of Snow, which was why he had chosen the shortest route there.

But the Magical Beast Forest was fraught with danger. Given her brother's rank as a Swordsman, he would probably have struggled to take even a single step inside it.

She didn't know which mages and guards had escorted her brother during his escape.

Had there been a powerful Great Swordsman like Senluo among them?

Siti handed her a clean handkerchief and asked softly, "What does it say?"

Nasha accepted the handkerchief and wiped away her tears, forcing herself to be strong.

"My brother entered the Magical Beast Forest."

Hector stared at her in astonishment.

"The Magical Beast Forest?"

Ordinary people who entered the Magical Beast Forest almost never came back alive.

Even adventuring parties and mercenary groups below the Intermediate rank faced nearly certain death there.

Nasha's brother's life was in serious danger!

Siti promptly stamped on Hector's foot, warning him to keep his mouth shut.

Hector endured the pain and turned toward Shu Li instead.

"Um... what about you guys?"

Shu Li had just finished examining the information on their own slip of paper with the other Little Fairies.

Hearing Hector's question, he sighed.

"After Chris left... the Cesis Mountains, he headed straight for the Magical Beast Forest. He stayed there for a month and turned the entire forest upside down. Apparently, he made a habit of raiding the nests of Sekern birds. That made the whole lot of them furious, and every Sekern bird in the area chased him all the way into the Pros Empire."

"And then?" Hector asked curiously.

"And then nothing," Shu Li replied. "If we want to know any more, we have to pay extra."

No wonder the Entlin Association was making money hand over fist.

They certainly knew how to run a business!

By selling information in installments, they could practically guarantee that their customers would keep coming back with more money.

"What about yours?" Shu Li asked Nasha.

"Not very good." Nasha shook her head. "The trail goes cold after my brother enters the Magical Beast Forest."

"Let me guess. If you want to know what happened next, you have to pay more?"

"Yes."

Nasha tightened her grip on the slip of paper and looked toward the counter where requests were submitted.

"I... I'm going to pay for another search."

She had to find her brother.

Alive or dead, she needed to know what had happened to him.

And if the association still couldn't find anything, she would personally enter the Magical Beast Forest to search for him.

"I'm coming, too."

Shu Li pulled out his money pouch, looking as though the expense physically pained him.

Once they found Chris, he was absolutely going to make that guy reimburse every last coin spent buying information about him!

Ten minutes later, the group left the Entlin Association and headed toward the Adventurers' Guild.

"So Chris really did go looking for revenge against that stupid bird!" Dixio burst out laughing.

"Stupid bird?" Ace looked at Shu Li. "You mean the Sekern bird that carried you off and dropped you in the forest?"

Shu Li's cheeks turned red.

"Y-yes."

Angel frowned in bewilderment.

"Fine, he wanted revenge. But why did he have to raid the nests of all the other Sekern birds?"

"Exactly!" Dixio agreed. "If you've got a grudge against someone, take it out on them! What did the other Sekern birds ever do to him?"

Kumandi calmly pointed out the obvious.

"He likes practical jokes."

There was simply no point trying to understand a prank-loving Fairy using ordinary logic.

Once, Chris had sent flowers to two female Fairies in the name of a certain male Fairy.

He kept it up for an entire week.

As a result, both female Fairies became convinced that the male Fairy was two-timing them.

When the truth finally came out, all three Fairies joined forces and chased Chris around, beating him up for an entire week.

Every single day that week, Chris had sported a bruised and swollen face.

Hector found the whole thing utterly incomprehensible.

Was this guy actively trying to get himself killed?!

Sekern birds were generally seventh-rank magical beasts.

If an entire flock of them had chased that newly adult Fairy down...

Was the poor guy even still alive?!