"And that stench." He paused, a trace of coldness flashed in his eyes, "It's not the smell of an ordinary corpse."

Lambert silently nodded, his Adam's apple moved slightly.

According to the knights, it was a scent gnawed by some "non-human creature," as if death had been fermented and then spewed back to the mortal world, so strong it could make battlefield knights nauseous.

"I don't think it's natural cleaning." Louis's eyes lowered, "Nor should it be any animal's meal. It's more like they're the ones 'covering up their tracks.'"

Lambert's expression was extremely serious.

If even these insect-corpses understand how to clean the scene, it means that behind them... there is organization, intelligence, or they are being controlled.

"We must act." Louis turned and ordered, "Immediately send more knights, expand the search radius, conduct a carpet search within a five-mile range."

"Understood."

"Station five to six knights in that area for routine patrols. Rotate the guards in three shifts daily, not letting up at night either."

"Yes."

"And..." Louis's voice suddenly lowered, "Tell them to be cautious. Extra cautious. If they see any strange corpses, stench, or even moving 'shadows'... do not approach, immediately retreat and report back."

Lambert clenched his mouth shut, bowed his head to accept the orders.

If the knights' search and what Lei Xi'er said were true, then these orders were not exaggerated.

Louis stood in front of the beehive, watching Lambert's figure stride away, feeling heavy inside, pondering other methods of response.

He couldn't rely on himself alone; he had to inform Duke Edmund of this matter.

He has more resources, greater combat power, and is in charge of the true defense intelligence of the Northern Territory.

If these "insect-corpses" were really released by some kind of enemy...

This Lord of the North would probably know what they are, and there's a high chance he's encountered similar cases before.

This wasn't a simple skirmish, nor was it just about two mages going missing.

"I must make him take this seriously."

Of course, the matter of the mages cannot be kept secret, but it cannot be fully disclosed either.

Even Duke Edmund shouldn't know the true identity of the Silver-faced Mage and how he met Louis.

Louis prepared to report in a vague manner:

A patrol knight of the Red Tide detected an abnormal battle site, with scorched ground and a strong stench lingering in the air, suspected to be affected by an unknown demon or technique.

A severely injured survivor was found nearby, identity unknown, whom Louis happened to pass by and took in for treatment.

Simple enough, yet hidden with dangerous signals.

And this "unknown danger" is precisely the thing that would easily attract the Duke's attention.

"Let's prepare him sooner." Louis muttered softly, as if speaking to himself.

The hum of bees was all that lingered in his ears at the bee farm for a moment.

The sunlight slanted down, landing on the wooden cover of the beehive, warm and toasty.

Yet a heavy stone weighed on Louis's heart, which he couldn't relieve.

He sighed, looking up at the sky.

Great Daily Intelligence System, some info on these insects would be nice.

......

The weather was clear, the sun was warm against the skin.

Lei Xi'er quietly sat on the wheelchair, letting the nurse behind him gently push him along the streets of Red Tide Territory.

The sunlight wasn't glaring, and the breeze carried a scent of smoked fish, somewhat enticing.

He wore a woolen cape, and although his face was still pale, there was a hint of vitality in his eyes.

This chair, which could glide over the ground, was said to have been invented by Lord Louis.

The axles and armrests were specially designed, allowing even a single person to easily maneuver it.

The people of the Red Tide Territory called it a "wheelchair," and it seemed to be quite popular, especially convenient, almost like some kind of magic, when used by the elderly and injured.

"He thought of even such details... The Red Tide Lord is truly not an ordinary person," Lei Xi'er murmured softly.

Lei Xi'er slightly moved his fingers, trying to draw magic power, but his body was still an empty shell.

The familiar flow of magic seemed to have vanished, leaving only a dried-up husk.

He lowered his head, fingertips trembling slightly, a hint of gloom rising in his heart.

Though he had woken for days, the aftermath of that near soul-burning overexertion hadn't ended yet.

He still couldn't perform magic, not even the most basic Summoning Technique could be triggered.

The connection he once had with the world now seemed like a broken string, neither responded by companions nor echoed with spiritual energy.

Lei Xi'er couldn't even cast a simple Fireball Technique now.

Worse still, this emptiness wasn't temporary; it might...

Forever change his path in magical practice.

Even if his magic power gradually recovered, he might never return to peak state.

This wasn't ordinary fatigue, but a sign of foundational damage.

He felt a tumult of anxiety, frustration, and even a touch of fear inside.

More importantly, he had countless times wanted to immediately report this crisis and encounter to the Supreme Mage

But without magic power, he couldn't even send a message.

So he was forced to stay here, quietly waiting for recovery, or waiting for his companions to come to him.

For some fresh air, this was his third outing stroll in the Red Tide Territory.

He had expected a long and boring wait, but this land unexpectedly caught his eye.

The streets, though simple, were clean and orderly, and although there weren't many merchants, it was bustling.

What surprised him the most was the expression of the people here, they actually wore smiles on their faces.

In a place like the Northern Territory, such smiles were exceedingly rare.

Children chased and played by the streets, women carried fish baskets back from the market, men sat on terraces repairing tools, drinking hot soup.

"Such a rare sight..." Lei Xi'er watched as a pair of children ran past beside his wheelchair.

Hearing them laugh shouting something like "Do you believe in the light?" made the corners of his mouth involuntarily lift slightly.

This territory was different from other places in the Northern Territory.

The wheelchair slowly moved along the street, Lei Xi'er sat atop it, draped in a light gray cloak, watching the children chase and play in the distance.

His mouth moved slightly, just revealing a hint of a smile, when a light-hearted greeting came to his ears.

"Yo, Lei Xi'er, you're looking good today."

His lifesaver, Louis, seemed to have casually wandered over, standing by his side with a relaxed expression.

Lei Xi'er looked up, seeing the familiar face, he quickly nodded in greeting.

"Thanks to you, I can already walk a bit by myself... But," he lowered his head, his tone slightly paused, "for now, I still can't use magic, and even the Summoning Technique has lost its response. I'm afraid I must stay a little longer and trouble you."

"It's no trouble here," Louis chuckled lightly, his gaze swept with the wind toward the distance, "Stay as long as you want, no one's rushing you."

Lei Xi'er was briefly startled, then bowed his head and softly said, "…Thank you."

He was deeply moved, believing Louis to be truly a good man.

Louis slowly crouched next to the wheelchair, casually picking a blade of grass by the roadside between his fingers: "I sent people to check the place where you had your incident."

Lei Xi'er was slightly startled, his eyelashes gently trembling.

"That area indeed experienced intense combat." Louis looked at him, a bit of apology in his eyes, "Unfortunately... we didn't find the bodies of your two companions. Nor any insect-corpses, not a single trace of blood."

Lei Xi'er was silent for a few seconds, a dark hue passed through his eyes.

He slowly gripped the armrests, softly saying, "That means... they were never truly eliminated."

The wind blew across his pale side face, the pride once belonging to the Silver-faced Mage, now transformed into undisguised worry and anxiety.

Just as he slightly lowered his head, falling into brief contemplation.

Louis suddenly spoke, his tone seeming casual but carrying a touch of seriousness: "By the way, when your injuries get better... may I ask you to teach me something about magic?"

Lei Xi'er blinked briefly, raising his head, "Huh? You mean, you want to learn magic?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.