“Understood.”
Di Leike turned around, looking down at Kaixi from his height.
The earlier agitation was gone from his eyes, replaced only by an unfathomable darkness.
Have those seven hundred men guard the city gates.
When the Royal Dragon Eagle Knights arrive, keep them all out.
“As for the Guard Squad…”
Di Leike turned back, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk.
“Pick a few who aren’t too badly injured, polish their armor until it shines. When the Royal Court Mage arrives, I’ll need some men to put on a good show.”
Kaixi frowned at that, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.
Dressing up brothers who hadn’t even recovered from their wounds just for appearances… was that really necessary?
But looking into Di Leike’s unfathomable eyes, he swallowed the words that had risen to his lips.
“I understand, my lord.”
He was about to turn and leave when Di Leike called him back.
“Wait.”
Kaixi stopped mid-step and turned back respectfully.
“Is there anything else, my lord?”
Di Leike didn’t look at him.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he slowly walked over to the large map hanging on the wall.
He raised a finger and pointed to the eastern part of the forest, at the Misty Swamp marked as a “Danger Zone.”
“After that, send men to conduct a thorough reconnaissance of this swamp east of the forest.”
His finger jabbed heavily several times at the swamp’s location.
“I need you to find this thing.”
As he spoke, he cast a glance toward an open book on the table.
Kaixi followed his gaze and saw what it was.
“That… wouldn’t that be… too dangerous? If we have to fight that thing…”
His pupils contracted sharply, and he couldn’t even speak clearly.
“Hmph. Dangerous?”
Di Leike let out a light laugh, laced with a bone-chilling coldness.
“When did I ever say I wanted them to fight? All I need is confirmation of its location.”
He reached out a finger and tapped lightly on Kaixi’s tense shoulder, his tone turning meaningful.
“Of course, if you really think my order is sending them to their deaths, you’re more than welcome to go yourself.”
A thin sheen of cold sweat broke out on Kaixi’s forehead.
He understood the city lord’s subtext: this wasn’t a discussion—it was a final, absolute command.
“…Yes.”
Kaixi didn’t argue further. He gave a heavy nod.
“I’ll arrange it immediately. I’ll bring you back the location!”
“Good.”
Di Leike nodded in satisfaction, the chill in his eyes gradually fading.
“Remember, keep it secret. Don’t let anyone know, especially…
“Don’t let the upcoming Royal Court Mage know.”
On the other side of the forest.
“Sister, look! There are so many pretty mushrooms here!”
Aiweila flitted through the bushes like a happy little butterfly.
Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight as she carried a small bamboo basket already half-full of mushrooms.
Luo Xiaosu pushed through the bushes behind her, followed her, and shook her head helplessly.
“Slow down, be careful not to fall.”
She too carried a basket, filled with freshly picked wild berries.
“Sister, look at this one! Doesn’t it look like a little umbrella?”
Aiweila held up a large red mushroom and ran cheerfully in front of Luo Xiaosu.
“Mm, it does.”
Luo Xiaosu smiled and patted her head.
“But mushrooms this color are usually poisonous. You can’t eat them.”
“Mmm, I know. I’ll plant it back then.”
Luo Xiaosu laughed softly.
Just as she was about to say something, her gaze inadvertently swept ahead.
Through the dense forest, she could vaguely see a grayish area.
The trees there grew crooked and twisted, their trunks covered in thick moss.
The ground was full of muddy puddles, and a faint mist hung in the air, giving it an eerie and uncanny feel.
“That’s…”
Luo Xiaosu frowned, an inexplicable unease rising in her heart.
“Sister, let’s go check it out!”
Aiweila had apparently spotted that area too.
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she grabbed Luo Xiaosu’s hand and tried to pull her forward.
“Wait!”
Luo Xiaosu instinctively pulled her back, her mind racing through memories.
“There’s something very terrifying over there. We’d better not go.”
“But…”
Aiweila pouted, looking reluctant.
“I want to go see it. Maybe there are pretty mushrooms there too!”
As she spoke, she sneaked a glance at Luo Xiaosu’s expression.
Seeing her hesitant look, Aiweila tilted her head.
“Is there something there even Sister can’t beat?”
“It’s not that I can’t beat it, but…”
Luo Xiaosu was caught off guard.
She gave Aiweila a strange look.
When had this little one learned to use reverse psychology?
Seeing Aiweila’s pitiful expression, her heart softened.
“Fine. But you have to stay close to me, understand? No wandering off.”
“Mm-hmm! I know!”
Having gained Luo Xiaosu’s approval, Aiweila immediately brightened up.
She grabbed Luo Xiaosu’s hand and hopped and skipped toward that grayish area.
Luo Xiaosu sighed, tightened her grip on the basket, and glanced around warily.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was watching them.
What she didn’t know was that, as they entered that area, several pairs of cold eyes in the grass nearby had already locked onto their figures.
In the grass, several figures crouched low, their breathing barely audible.
They were the scout squad carefully chosen by Kaixi to carry out Di Leike’s orders.
The leader, a man named Huai Te, stared through the thick bushes with hawk-like eyes, fixed firmly on the two receding figures.
‘So that’s… the legendary witch?’
Huai Te muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the knife handle at his waist.
From a distance, the two girls looked ordinary, except that the little girl’s golden hair stood out so brightly against the gray swamp.
“Captain, what do we do now?”
A subordinate behind him asked in an extremely low voice, his tone carrying an imperceptible tremor.
“Follow them. Keep your distance. With those two clearing the way, we’ll be safer finding what the city lord wants.”
Just thinking about what the city lord wanted them to find sent a chill down Huai Te’s spine.
He still remembered how, a few hours earlier, Kaixi had approached him and said he was to lead a team on a secret mission.
The moment he learned the mission was to head to the Misty Swamp east of the forest and find the Lightning Bee’s hive, Huai Te felt terrible.
‘Damn it. Lightning Bees… is that something you can even get close to?’ he cursed inwardly.
Seeing that Luo Xiaosu and Aiweila were already far ahead, he waved his hand, signaling the squad to follow.