Chapter 16: The Price of a Black Card

Meixia was completely deceived by the two actor-level performers. She sobbed, defending Larry, and pleaded for Ellis’s forgiveness.

This scene was utterly unexpected for Ellis. ‘Could it be true that big breasts mean no brains?’ she wondered. ‘Usually, this girl seems quite sharp. Why does she turn into a clueless monkey when it comes to love?’

Ellis recalled past events and suddenly realized that Larry’s harem members truly were quite foolish. They had followed him for so long, receiving countless ‘good person’ cards, yet never understood. Forcing Larry’s hand and making him take responsibility was the most effective method.

Ellis’s anger had largely dissipated, but Meixia continued to extol Larry’s virtues.

Taking a deep breath, Ellis finally spoke: “I understand. It seems I misunderstood Larry. However, he truly is a man burdened by sin. Perhaps we should confiscate his ‘instrument of crime’?”

Ellis cast an ill-intentioned glance at Larry’s ‘little brother’ below.

Larry, who had been smugly basking in the moment, instantly froze. Shielding his ‘brother,’ he retorted, “No way! I still need it to give you happiness, Ellis, and to have several chubby sons!”

“I wouldn’t give birth for you!” Ellis exclaimed, blushing with indignation.

Meixia observed the two, who, despite their bickering, clearly shared a deep affection. A sense of frustration welled within her. Larry had never shown such a vulnerable side to any of them, yet he revealed it so easily to Ellis. This was a bond forged over time, a depth that she and her companions, who had only been with Larry for a few months, simply couldn’t match. Perhaps only that scoundrel Ellis could compare… Wait, where was Ellis?

Meixia looked up and asked, “Where did Ellis go? Why haven’t I seen him at all?”

Larry and Ellis simultaneously froze, but Larry quickly recovered. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Don’t even mention that disloyal jerk! After leading Ellis here, he exaggerated everything, deepening her misunderstanding of me, and then he just slipped away. He said he was going home early and told us to ‘rekindle our feelings’ on the way. Oh, and about my fiancée, I wanted to tell you two ages ago! But that beast threatened me in every way possible to keep me from saying anything, just waiting to see me make a fool of myself.”

Even in that moment, Larry didn’t forget to curse Ellis indirectly, and he was immediately punished for it.

Ellis punched Larry, sending him sprawling to the ground. “You are not allowed to speak of my handsome brother like that! If it weren’t for my brother, I wouldn’t have known that a certain someone was out having a good time behind his fiancée’s back!”

Ellis, still fuming that this scoundrel dared to insult her brother, prepared to deliver another punch to Larry. However, her raised fist was caught by Meixia.

Meixia looked earnestly at Ellis and said, “Don’t blame Larry, Ellis. We’ve all witnessed Larry’s character on this journey; he’s truly upright and gentlemanly. As for your brother, while he may appear virtuous in front of you, he’s actually proficient in eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring—he’s a complete scumbag! Trash!”

Ellis:

‘Did I spend your money on eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring?! I’m a single dog, all alone—can’t I even enjoy myself?! And you don’t even consider why I tried to hinder you two!’

Meixia, completely oblivious to Ellis’s expression, thought of Ellis’s various obstructions during their journey and his threats to Larry to conceal his fiancée. She gritted her teeth. Taking a deep breath, she said, “I apologize, perhaps I shouldn’t destroy your brother’s image in your heart like this, but you must believe that I genuinely wish you both well!”

Meixia suddenly grasped Ellis’s hands, her eyes firm as she spoke.

At this moment, Ellis’s Elemental Staff was pointed directly at Meixia’s forehead. If Ellis had been a little more ruthless, she would have… ‘Forget it. Given how sensible you are, and since you don’t know my true identity, I won’t hold it against you!’

Meixia didn’t know Mitchell because Ellis (brother) had never used him when he was in the team. Instead, he had always operated as a support healer. The Elemental Staff he wielded then wasn’t Mitchell, but another staff that enhanced his own elemental arts.

Ellis suppressed her anger and said softly, “I understand, Meixia. Seeing your pure, unblemished eyes, like those of an innocent child, I know most of what you’re saying is true. I will re-evaluate my brother’s situation. As for this fellow…”

Ellis cast a cold glance at Larry and stated, “I’ll let him off for now! But he remains on probation.”

“Phew, I’m glad your misunderstanding is resolved. Oh, right, Larry, I brought this over for you.”

Meixia tossed a backpack to Larry. It was Larry and Ellis’s shared storage backpack, containing some of their treasured efforts. Ellis had been wondering how to retrieve it.

Excitement!

Ellis instantly teleported next to the backpack, opened it, and began rummaging through it. Inside was the fruit of her adventures from the first half of her life.

But strangely, no matter how much she searched, she couldn’t find it. Ellis even emptied everything out of the backpack.

“It’s gone! Strange, why is it gone?!” Ellis exclaimed in exasperation.

Meixia asked curiously, “What’s gone?”

“It’s a black card. My… my brother specifically told me to bring it back to him.”

Ellis looked expectantly at Meixia, hoping she could provide an answer.

Meixia thought for a moment, then clapped her hand. “I remember! It’s that black card with ‘Magic World’ written on it, right?”

“Yes, yes, that’s the one!” Ellis exclaimed, gripping Meixia’s hand excitedly. “Where is it?”

Meixia honestly replied, “Daisy took it.”

Ellis stared blankly. “Why would she take that?!”

“I don’t know either. After we found out you two were missing, we looked through your backpacks for clues, and that black card just fell out. Daisy snatched it up with a cold expression and told us that if anyone met Ellis, we should tell him the card was with her, and if he wanted it, he should bring Larry to her.”

Ellis’s eyes sparked with fury. “That despicable woman!”

This action startled Meixia. She asked timidly, “Is that black card very valuable?”

Ellis said frantically, “Of course it’s valuable! It’s worth ten million Kamo! More importantly, it’s not something you can just buy with money; it requires a special status and special requirements to obtain. Once lost, it’s not reissued.”

Meixia jumped in surprise. “Ah, I didn’t know it was such a valuable item. I’m sorry I didn’t bring it back for you. Daisy just took it and left, and I didn’t know its worth~”

Larry comforted her, “It’s okay, Meixia. Although that thing is rare, it’s not that great. If it’s lost… it’s still best to get it back.”

Larry had initially been indifferent, but Ellis’s murderous gaze made him quickly change his tune. He still needed Ellis’s help to deal with these women; he couldn’t afford to mess up now.

Ellis, still panting, asked, “Did that woman say where to find her?”

Meixia replied, “She said she planned to return to her country directly.”

“Dangar Kingdom?” Ellis’s eyes flashed with a sharp glint. “It seems our next stop is there!”

Larry shivered, saying in disbelief, “Are we really going to that woman’s territory? She’s capable of ordering guards to arrest us!”

“Hmph!” Ellis grabbed Larry’s tie and shouted, “You’re an S-rank adventurer! A power level acknowledged across the continent, capable of destroying nations! Are you afraid of a few mere guards?!”

“Then show me how many S-rank adventurers actually go around causing trouble! Anyway, it’s not a good thing; why not just forget about it?”

“Absolutely not! That’s my… my brother’s life savings!”

“Your life isn’t even halfway over! Why are you so anxious about your brother’s affairs?!”

“My brother’s affairs are my affairs!”

Meixia watched the arguing pair and interjected, “How about I help you find that card too?”