The appearance and subsequent address by the Mercenary Guild Branch Master immediately brought a hush over the entire hall.
“Grandpa, are you also like them?”
Having discerned their intentions, Jeanne D’Arc regarded the elder with a palpable sense of wariness.
“So, young lady, would you be interested in learning magic under my tutelage?”
Arken did not refute his intentions; rather, he reiterated them with even greater clarity.
“I apologize, Grandpa.”
Jeanne D’Arc rose to her feet, her voice resolute as she respectfully declined Arken’s invitation.
Her refusal, however, left the entire assembly dumbfounded. No one had ever conceived that a person would reject an S-rank powerhouse’s offer, let alone decline to become a student of such a formidable figure.
“Might you tell me your reasons?”
Arken appeared rather pleased by Jeanne D’Arc’s gaze and composure, nodding in clear satisfaction.
“My brother has already promised to teach me, so I must respectfully decline your kind offer, Grandpa.”
To Jeanne D’Arc, Yue Wu was more than just her brother; he was her one-of-a-kind teacher, an irreplaceable mentor.
“Young lady, you truly must consider this. This is Lord Arken, an S-rank mage.”
“That’s right, your brother’s power likely pales in comparison to Lord Arken’s.”
“Precisely! If I were in your shoes, I would have accepted without a moment’s hesitation.”
“What is your brother, then? In the face of Lord Arken’s might, he is nothing more than an ant.”
One after another, the onlookers pressed Jeanne D’Arc to choose Arken, simultaneously belittling the brother she spoke of as utterly insignificant.
“You! How dare you slander my brother!”
Jeanne D’Arc detested hearing anyone disparage Yue Wu. In a surge of fury, she lost control of her nascent magical power, which she had yet to fully master.
The magic within her erupted outwards like a hurricane, tearing through the Mercenary Guild hall.
However, Jeanne D’Arc’s limited magical output wasn’t enough to truly instill fear in everyone, as she was, after all, merely a novice who had only just begun to harness her abilities.
“I will make you pay for this!”
It remained a mystery how Jeanne D’Arc managed to unleash such raw magical power, yet as moments ticked by, the outward surge intensified, rapidly approaching a state of uncontrolled rampage.
“Who knew you possessed such a fiery temper, little one? To act like this after only a moment out of my sight—this simply won’t do.”
Just then, Yue Wu materialized beside Jeanne D’Arc, gently patting her head before affectionately stroking her hair.
The instant Yue Wu appeared, Jeanne D’Arc’s surging magic recoiled, as if confronted by a primordial beast.
To Yue Wu’s sudden arrival, every other person in the hall remained oblivious; only Arken perceived his presence.
A powerhouse—one in no way inferior to himself!
This was Arken’s immediate evaluation of the young man who had materialized before him. Unable to gauge the stranger’s true power, he could, however, distinctly perceive an oceanic expanse of magical energy radiating from him, a sensation that instantly sent a shiver of apprehension through him.
“What is this? Do you have some business with my little sister?”
Yue Wu’s gaze suddenly sharpened, sweeping across every individual in the room. As his eyes passed over each person, their reactions were almost universally the same: a profound sense of paralysis, as if they were prey caught in the unwavering stare of a predator.
“If there’s nothing further, might we all disperse? This is a public establishment, after all, and obstructing others’ passage wouldn’t be ideal, wouldn’t you agree, old man?”
The very next moment, Yue Wu’s demeanor softened back to its original state, as he amiably addressed everyone present, including a polite reminder to Arken.
Indeed, everyone dispersed in a rush, eager to leave, save for Arken and his two accompanying twins. After a brief, silent exchange of glances with Yue Wu, Arken finally departed, the twins in tow.
****
“You certainly run too fast.”
It was only then that Lucifer Kentest and his companions finally caught up, all of them harboring suspicions that Yue Wu was a rare spatial mage, for they simply could not keep pace with him.
“Allow me to introduce you: this is my little sister, Jeanne D’Arc.”
As he introduced Jeanne D’Arc to Lucifer Kentest and the others, a distinct sense of pride was evident on Yue Wu’s face—a sentiment they found difficult to fully grasp.
“Jeanne D’Arc, these individuals will be joining us for the mission. This effeminate fellow—ahem, my apologies, this handsome man who’s a tad less impressive than I am is Lucifer Kentest. The burly uncle is Modley Hadas, and this tiny one, roughly your age, is Sophia Intist—quite the coward, I might add.”
Yue Wu then introduced the trio to Jeanne D’Arc. However, when he reached Sophia Intist, he deliberately highlighted her as a ‘little one’ and a ‘coward,’ which clearly displeased her. In protest, she poked her head out from behind Lucifer Kentest.
“I—I’m not a little one! And—and I’m not a coward!”
“Well then, let’s depart. The mission’s location is quite a distance from here; if we tarry any longer, we’ll likely only arrive by nightfall.”
Lucifer Kentest, too, was eager to avoid further delay. He had pressing matters to resolve and could not afford to squander any more time.
“How far is it from here, exactly?”
Stepping out of the Mercenary Guild, Yue Wu glanced up at the sky, posing the question with an air of nonchalance.
“Not terribly far—roughly seven hundred kilometers from here.”
Lucifer Kentest responded with a flat tone.
“Seven hundred kilometers, you say? That’s hardly any distance at all. A matter of mere seconds, with just a few uses of Angelic Wings.”
Yue Wu began to murmur to himself.
“…”
The three of them, Lucifer Kentest included, suddenly found their eyes widening in disbelief upon inadvertently overhearing Yue Wu’s words.
While Modley Hadas and Sophia Intist had no idea what Yue Wu meant by ‘Angelic Wings,’ Lucifer Kentest, as a Sage-class lecturer and high-ranking school official, was acutely aware.
He knew that ‘Angelic Wings’ referred to an ancient transfer magic, a forgotten spell from antiquity, meticulously recorded within the annals of Sage magic. In the present age, knowledge of this spell was exceedingly rare, confined mostly to a handful of venerable old masters.
“You! You possess knowledge of ancient magic?!”
Lucifer Kentest stared at Yue Wu with an expression of utter horror, as if he had just encountered a monstrous apparition.
“That particular magic demands a vast amount of mana, so I’ll dismiss that idea.”
After a moment of careful consideration, Yue Wu dismissed his earlier thought.
“You’re right, of course. Ancient magic is simply impossible to learn. How could you possibly know it?”
Lucifer Kentest let out a self-deprecating chuckle, attempting to alleviate his own awkwardness.
“Ancient magic isn’t difficult at all. If Jeanne D’Arc is willing, I can certainly teach her, provided she possesses sufficient magical energy.”
Yue Wu’s words were a direct refutation to Lucifer Kentest, simultaneously startling all three of them.
“What’s wrong with you all? Is there something on my face?”
“Are you truly serious? Ancient magic!”
“What methods exist? How does one go about using and learning ancient magic?”
As if electrified by Yue Wu’s words, Lucifer Kentest seized his arm and began to barrage him with frantic questions, a wild glint in his eyes.
“You certainly have a lot of questions.”
Yue Wu, growing slightly exasperated, raised his hand. In an instant, a parchment scroll materialized from thin air, settling into his palm.
“It’s time. Activate: Angelic Wings.”
As Yue Wu’s words faded, the parchment scroll in his hand spontaneously burst into flames, reducing itself to ash in less than a second.
In that same instant, the five individuals vanished from the entrance of the Mercenary Guild, a sight that left many onlookers utterly terrified.
Concurrently, from his office, the Mercenary Guild Master, Arken, had witnessed Yue Wu’s display at the entrance. Though he couldn’t discern their conversation, he unmistakably sensed the immense power concealed within the parchment scroll Yue Wu had held.
“An ancient magic scroll, squandered so carelessly by you, you wasteful wretch! You are truly infuriating!”
Upon reaching their destination via Angelic Wings, Lucifer Kentest discovered that Yue Wu had indeed used the ancient magic of Angelic Wings. He was so incensed that he very nearly throttled Yue Wu.
Lucifer Kentest failed to notice the subtle shift in his own voice during his outburst, though had Yue Wu not been struggling against his grasp, he undoubtedly would have.
“Cough, cough~! You damned effeminate man! Are you trying to murder me?!”
The situation nearly erupted into a full-blown brawl. In the end, it was only prevented by Jeanne D’Arc tightly embracing Yue Wu, and Modley Hadas, along with another, restraining Lucifer Kentest.
Afterward, however, the two refused to speak to each other. Yue Wu continued to call Lucifer Kentest ‘effeminate,’ while Lucifer Kentest retorted by labeling Yue Wu a ‘wasteful good-for-nothing.’
Their childish behavior left the three who had intervened feeling utterly helpless.
“Hey, you effeminate man over there!”
Yue Wu turned his head, pointedly avoiding Lucifer Kentest’s gaze, and addressed him directly by his derisive nickname.
“What is it, you wasteful good-for-nothing?”
Lucifer Kentest responded in kind, mirroring Yue Wu’s behavior. Their animosity clearly hadn’t dissipated yet, though such a childish standoff was unlikely to persist indefinitely.
“It’s—it’s appeared.”
A familiar squirrel scurried onto Sophia Intist’s shoulder, whispering the intelligence it had gathered into her ear: the mission target had appeared, observing them from a nearby hill.
It was hardly surprising. Though they had used Angelic Wings for teleportation, the scroll’s magical fluctuations were impossible to conceal, and they had materialized directly within the target’s territory. Of course, they would be observed.
“Stand behind me, all of you. I will do my utmost to engage it and buy time; the rest falls to your hands.”
Modley Hadas donned his knight’s sword and shield. Observing him wield such weighty armaments, one couldn’t help but marvel at his formidable strength.
“Although our opponent is powerful, our primary task is to hold it off. The actual mission objective will be handled by Sophia Intist’s familiars.”
Modley Hadas braced his shield before him, ready to ward off any sudden attacks.
“Hmm, Power Amplification, Stamina Amplification, Speed Amplification, Blessing of the Light Spirit, Light Attribute Enhancement, Strength Enhancement, Stamina Enhancement, Speed Enhancement, Perception Enhancement…”
Before the battle had even begun, Lucifer Kentest unleashed a rapid succession of Sage magic spells, overlaying them onto Modley Hadas. This instantly caused Modley Hadas’s strength to surge dramatically.
“My friends, I implore your assistance.”
Sophia Intist was also prepared. In one breath, she summoned ten familiars, bringing the total to eleven, including the squirrel on her shoulder.
However, these ten newly summoned familiars were all attack-oriented: a powerfully built Minotaur, an agile Cat Demon, an unerring Fairy, the magically adept Fire and Ice Spirits, a Seven-Tailed Fire Fox made of pure flame, a Sword Sparrow with razor-sharp feathers, a cunning Goblin, an alluring Witch, and a righteous Knight.
“Jeanne D’Arc, do you remember what I taught you?”
Meanwhile, Yue Wu was imparting the knowledge of the Light-elemental magic, Sacred Light Bullet, to Jeanne D’Arc.
“I remember, Brother.”
Jeanne D’Arc’s talent was indeed remarkable; she quickly mastered the Sacred Light Bullet that Yue Wu had transferred to her.