"I'd like to look around for a bit, so let's say goodbye here!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Leilin caught the disappointment in Jessica's eyes, while Neyn visibly relaxed.
He smiled, turned, gave a wave, and disappeared into the crowd, with Gubler hurrying after him.
His remarkable physique allowed Leilin to faintly hear the two of them arguing in hushed, strained voices behind him.
"Really…" Leilin shook his head. "Instead of devoting their limited energy to the pursuit of truth, they fixate on things like this…"
"Well, I suppose that's the pleasure of mortals!"
He shook his head and then nodded, called out to Gubler, and continued on his way.
"Once we enter the Black River region, we'll be very close to the headquarters of the Serpent's Ring—the Phosphorus Swamp…"
Gubler was clearly familiar with the area, carrying a mingled sense of dread and nostalgia.
He熟练地 hired a horse-drawn carriage, and then he and Leilin sat inside, watching the scenery pass by.
If they had been pushing hard, they naturally wouldn't have been traveling so slowly, but Leilin was in no particular hurry and wanted to see more of the Central Continent's landscape, so he had chosen the carriage as their mode of transport.
As evening approached, Leilin and Gubler arrived at a small town.
The inn was tiny, and from the front room you could already smell a mix of alcohol, sweat, and horse dung.
The accommodation made Leilin frown, but since it was the only inn in town, they would have to make do—in any case, an inn was still better than sleeping under the open sky.
After putting their luggage away, Leilin and Gubler returned to the main hall, planning to have something to eat.
Dinner was beef stewed with potatoes and some fresh vegetables—these were all the town had, but the cooking wasn't bad. The beef on top of the potatoes gave off an enticing aroma that stimulated the appetite.
"Hm?"
Just then, Gubler's expression changed abruptly.
A deep, ashen grey rose from the inn's doorway, spreading outward and engulfing every other traveler and the shopkeeper inside.
Crack! Crack!
The ordinary people touched by the greyish-white light all froze in place, as though turned into wax figures.
"It's a Solidification Formula! There's a wizard, and we're the target!" Gubler cried out in alarm and anger, surging to his feet as a ring of earthy-yellow energy particles appeared around his body and spread outward.
A circle of light shielded the table where they sat, protecting them from suffering the same fate as the other patrons.
Leilin, however, seemed utterly oblivious to everything, still leisurely savoring the town's home-brewed wheat ale.
Bang!
The inn's wooden door exploded inward, and two wizards in black robes strode in, each wearing the red gemstone badge Leilin had seen before.
"Neyn! We meet again!" Leilin raised his cup and greeted him with a faint smile.
Sure enough, Neyn was among the two wizards who had burst in, though his face was twisted with fury as he glared at Leilin. "Where's Jessica? Where is she? Hand her over right now!"
"Jessica? Wasn't she with you?"
Leilin chuckled.
"She left after that! I suspect she was abducted, and according to the tracking mark on her, I can confirm she's right here!" Neyn's eyes had turned slightly red.
"A tracking mark?" Leilin laughed in disbelief. "How little confidence must you have in yourself to plant something like that on the woman you love?"
"I don't care, Uncle! It must be him! This wizard took Jessica!" Neyn grabbed the sleeve of the wizard beside him and pointed at Leilin.
The second-rank wizard with him shifted his eyes slightly, then stepped forward abruptly.
A flash of silver light swept past, and the elemental halo around Gubler shattered instantly.
"A Second-rank Wizard!" Gubler murmured under his breath.
Hearing this, a look of smug triumph appeared in Neyn's eyes, but the other Second-rank Wizard showed no trace of joy on his face.
In his view, Gubler—who was only partially elementalized—posed no threat whatsoever, but Leilin, who had remained seated and motionless the entire time, gave him an unsettling feeling he couldn't quite read.
"The two of us are from the Nonolifa Family, and we have absolutely no intention of using force. It's simply that our heir's fiancée has recently gone missing—a serious matter. We need to search these premises, and we hope you'll cooperate…" The Second-rank Wizard stated his intentions clearly and plainly.
First displaying his strength, then showing a degree of courtesy and leaving room to maneuver—this was, it had to be said, the smart approach. At least far better than Neyn's.
"Fine!" To Gubler's surprise, Leilin nodded in agreement right away.