Chapter 20: A Perilous Mission and a Peculiar Trial

The coachman casually delivered a bombshell. Mo Ya and Akuma’s faces simultaneously registered surprise.

Noticing their reactions, the coachman turned his head as he guided the carriage from the forest.

“Aren’t you here to eliminate the Eaters?”

Perched on the carriage roof, Mo Ya, uncharacteristically, voiced his thoughts to Akuma.

“It seems our mission this time isn’t as simple as just delivering a letter.”

Hearing Mo Ya’s words, Akuma then turned to explain their true purpose to the coachman.

“Well… there are other reasons, of course. But if there are Eaters here, we’ll certainly take responsibility for eliminating them.”

Akuma spread her hands, skillfully diffusing the situation.

“What? So that’s how it is!” The coachman laughed heartily, tugging at the reins in his hands. “You still need to work hard, though. Drive those demonic monsters out of this village!”

“That’s a given,” Akuma replied, picking up on the coachman’s words.

The carriage continued its journey. After a period of quiet travel, it came to a smooth stop before Akaru Town.

The coachman halted the horses, and the animals, weary from the long trek, let out heavy breaths.

Mo Ya leaped gracefully from the carriage roof, landing steadily on the ground. Akuma then walked to his side.

After a brief rest, the coachman turned his horses around, preparing to return the way he came. The slight graying at his temples did nothing to diminish his robust aura.

He waved his calloused hand at the two who had disembarked, his voice booming from his throat.

“Well then, farewell, magicians filled with glory!”

Akuma met his gaze with a friendly look, raising her arm in a reciprocal wave.

The coachman drove the carriage away, the sound of its wheels rolling on the town’s paved ground reaching their ears. Soon, his figure, along with the moving carriage, slowly faded from their sight.

“He’s a good warrior.”

Mo Ya suddenly uttered these words, and Akuma cast a bewildered glance at him, not quite grasping the meaning behind his statement.

“Speaking of which, I’ve been meaning to ask since earlier. What exactly do you mean by ‘our mission isn’t just that’?”

“No, it’s just my speculation for now. In any case, let’s head to the address on the letter first. If my deduction isn’t wrong, our mission this time…”

Mo Ya’s gaze drifted towards the forest at the edge of the town, an indescribable look surfacing in his eyes.

It was quite interesting, actually; Akaru Town’s geographical location was peculiar. In short, it could be described as forest—town—forest.

The former was the forest Mo Ya and Akuma had traveled through, while the latter was naturally the gathering place for the Eaters.

Akaru Town was like a chasm cutting through a road, cleaving the forest in two.

“Our mission is to eliminate the Eaters in that forest.”

***

Meanwhile, at the Magic Academy.

Instructor Xiluo Ya sat idly in the back garden, savoring his delightful afternoon tea. For him, this time and place were perfect for relaxation, a ritual he observed daily.

Today, however, was different. A new guest had intruded upon this usually deserted back garden.

The rhythmic clack of wooden clogs echoed through the garden, growing louder as it approached Instructor Xiluo Ya’s ears.

A man with disheveled hair and slovenly attire walked directly up to him, pulled out a chair, and slumped into it.

“Ah… I’m exhausted, utterly exhausted. Butler, pour me a cup of black tea.”

The newcomer was undoubtedly Conrad. He seemed quite tormented by the afternoon sun, his eyes narrowed slightly.

Yet, Instructor Xiluo Ya paid him no mind, continuing to delicately sip his black tea.

“What? Fine, I’ll do it myself.” Conrad grumbled, picking up a cup from the table and pouring himself some. He then chugged it down, a stark contrast to Instructor Xiluo Ya’s refined tea tasting.

Instructor Xiluo Ya still ignored him.

“I say… drinking too much black tea will cause insomnia, you know.”

As if to express his boredom, Conrad propped his head with his hand, focusing his gaze on the man in the suit opposite him. This time, he finally received a response.

Instructor Xiluo Ya slowly set down his cup. After pushing up his black-rimmed glasses, he shot Conrad a look of disdain.

“Why has a mosquito flown into the back garden? My rich black tea doesn’t taste good anymore.”

“It’s quite impressive that you can understand a mosquito’s speech.”

Conrad shifted his posture, his free right hand reaching for the teapot once more. He refilled his cup with black tea, then drained it again.

“You… sent them out?”

Conrad didn’t stop after finishing his tea. He had arrived at the main topic of his visit, a hint of sharpness in his eyes.

Instructor Xiluo Ya, however, remained unconcerned. He calmly answered Conrad’s question.

“Yes, I assigned them the Akaru Town mission.”

“Hey, hey, hey, you really do whatever you want, don’t you? You must know how terrifying that village is.”

“Of course. Compared to the Eaters, the chaos in human hearts is far more terrifying.”

As Instructor Xiluo Ya spoke, he swatted away Conrad’s hand, which was once again reaching for the black tea. He then added,

“But don’t you think this is an excellent opportunity for a trial? Compared to our greenhouse education, such real combat can lead to rapid improvement, right?”

“That certainly makes sense, but it might not apply to that particular boy.”

Conrad rubbed his slightly reddened palms, resting his feet on the round table.

“You, put your feet down.”

“What’s the big deal, Xiluo Ya? It’s fine.”

“Do you not want your legs anymore?” A colossal blue dragon abruptly appeared behind Instructor Xiluo Ya, breathing fire towards the slumping Conrad.

Powerful blue flames surged towards Conrad, engulfing his entire body. But it was only for an instant; the flames vanished immediately, along with the blue dragon Instructor Xiluo Ya had conjured.

“Still as fiery as ever. It’s truly not easy to dispel this magic.”

Conrad said casually, though he did put his feet down. This was, after all, touching upon the sensibilities of a fastidious butler, so he dared not push it too far.

Instructor Xiluo Ya adjusted his glasses once more, recalling Conrad’s earlier remark.

“You said this method wouldn’t apply?”

“Yes, the trial for that boy isn’t of this nature.”

Instructor Xiluo Ya frowned. Conrad’s words were always perplexing.

“Speaking of which, which boy are you referring to?”

He questioned Conrad, the disdain in his eyes not diminishing in the slightest.

“Ah, I almost forgot. Come to think of it… they seemed to be two boys.”

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