The Archmage’s Terrifying Encounter and a General’s Cold Demands

Leaning on his cane, Bo Aibiyi stared blankly as the little girl, a rope around the neck of the Velsen Forest’s overlord, dragged the creature past him on the ground, all while chanting rhythmic slogans.

“Wait… wait a moment, little sister, I was wondering, is that… your pet you’re leading?”

Mustering his resolve, Bo Aibiyi considered that perhaps the rabbit merely resembled a Balyaas Rabbit. It couldn’t possibly be real.

After all, how could a Balyaas Rabbit, which only lived in the heart of the Velsen Forest, end up in the hands of this small girl? He had also used his abilities to discern that the adorable girl before him possessed neither military-grade nor even common artifacts.

No matter how he looked at it, the rabbit couldn’t be a Balyaas Rabbit. Yet, to satisfy his burgeoning curiosity, Bo Aibiyi called out to the jogging girl, his voice as amiable and gentlemanly as he could make it.

“Hmm? Uncle Stinkbug, are you asking about Billy? Billy isn’t Dora’s pet~ He’s Dora’s good friend!”

The girl he had called out to was Dove. She paused, a puzzled expression on her face, and turned to look at the uncle before her, who was wearing a strangely peculiar smile.

“Stink… Stinkbug?? Un… Uncle?? Didn’t… didn’t your elders teach you any manners?”

Bo Aibiyi had never imagined that this adorable loli named Dove would use such a bizarre moniker for him. He was, after all, on the verge of becoming a person of immense power, second only to one. His ego swelling, Bo Aibiyi gritted his teeth, barely suppressing his rising anger as he spoke.

“Uncle Stinkbug gives Dora a very bad feeling. Dora needs to continue walking Billy now. Goodbye, Uncle Stinkbug~”

Dove still wore a baffled expression as she looked at Bo Aibiyi. Then, turning around, she waved her hand, intending to lead Billy away for their walk.

“You… you little brat… how dare you…”

Hearing Dove’s words, heat rushed to Bo Aibiyi’s head. He was just about to teach the detestable girl a lesson.

Just as Bo Aibiyi prepared to unleash a Fear Spell, intending to scare the disrespectful little girl into tears, he suddenly felt an exceptionally cold gaze fix upon him.

He could sense that any sudden movement on his part would result in his immediate decapitation.

Bo Aibiyi turned his head to face the creature glaring at him with such icy intensity. It was none other than the ‘pet’ being led by the loli named Dove.

‘No mistake… that pet… it really is the forest overlord… it really is a Balyaas Rabbit…’

Seeing those three blood-red eyes, Bo Aibiyi’s legs began to tremble once more. Although he was a peak Archmage, before the Balyaas Rabbit, he felt like a mere lamb to the slaughter, his life held precariously in the creature’s paws.

“Billy? Let’s go! Big Sister Soronna is waiting for us up ahead!”

Seeing Billy suddenly halt, Dove, looking perplexed, crouched down and gently stroked Billy’s soft ears, urging him softly.

‘Ears… its ears…’

Bo Aibiyi watched Dove’s actions with utter terror, his legs trembling even more violently. Everyone knew that if a Balyaas Rabbit’s ears were touched, it would go berserk.

At that point, half of Morgan City would likely be laid to waste by the terrifying magical beast. Bo Aibiyi couldn’t even voice a warning before Dove’s hand was already gently stroking the forest overlord’s head.

Time seemed to freeze. Bo Aibiyi involuntarily swallowed, unable to move as he watched the forest overlord, still sprawled on the ground, staring at him.

After a moment of tense silence, Bo Aibiyi realized the creature showed no signs of going berserk. Instead, it merely cast a disdainful glance at him with its three eyes.

Then, it slowly turned its body and rubbed against Dove’s leg, much like a small cat.

Watching the forest overlord’s actions, Bo Aibiyi breathed a sigh of relief. If not for his cane, he might have collapsed onto the ground then and there.

He resolved to steer clear of any further trouble. His priority was to secure his own wealth and glory.

With newfound determination, Bo Aibiyi swiftly moved his trembling legs, intending to escape from the vicinity of the terrifying forest overlord.

“Dora? Dora?”

Bo Aibiyi saw a pink figure running towards them from ahead, seemingly searching for someone.

“Dora, you took so long to get here. I was a little worried about you. Nothing happened, did it? Did you run into anyone strange?”

A beautiful young woman with pink twin-tails and a pure white nun’s habit rushed to Dove’s side upon seeing her next to Bo Aibiyi. She bent down, gently stroking Dove’s soft white hair, while simultaneously casting a look reserved for scum at Bo Aibiyi.

Upon seeing the pink-haired young woman, Bo Aibiyi felt a surge of dread. ‘That girl… her name is Soronna, I think…’

He recognized her as the young woman who frequently visited General Baro’s mansion. Even General Baro, with his esteemed status, showed her immense respect, suggesting her true identity was far more significant than that of a mere mercenary.

Moreover, he had crossed paths with her before. ‘I hope she hasn’t remembered my face,’ Bo Aibiyi thought, lowering his head, intending to slip away unnoticed.

“N-no, Big Sister Soronna… Dora is fine…”

Bo Aibiyi distinctly heard the loli named Dove whisper, her voice tinged with both humiliation and a resilient strength, as if enduring great injustice yet choosing to face it with a smile.

The future rewritten…

As Bo Aibiyi turned to leave, he heard Soronna’s cold voice, laced with menace, call out, “Stop right there! Did you say anything strange to Dove?”

The expression on Bo Aibiyi’s face instantly stiffened, morphing into an unnaturally awkward smile.

“No, of course not. I was merely curious about the pet Miss Dove was leading… and so I inadvertently delayed Miss Dove for a moment…”

Bo Aibiyi recalled his previous words. He had indeed said strange things to Dove, such as “Didn’t your elders teach you any manners?”

However, it had never occurred to him that Lady Soronna, whom General Baro held in such high regard, was the loli’s guardian. Therefore, Bo Aibiyi absolutely could not admit to such a statement.

Left with no other choice, he adopted what he believed to be his most gentlemanly, friendly, and sincere expression as he spoke.

“Put away that hypocritical smile; it makes me utterly disgusted! Furthermore, I remember you, Mr. Bo Aibiyi. You are General Baro’s subordinate, are you not? If you dare to provoke Dove again, I won’t hesitate to let you taste despair!”

Soronna covered Dove’s ears with her hands, then fixed Bo Aibiyi with an icy stare, uttering a stern threat.

The expression on Bo Aibiyi’s face instantly stiffened, morphing into an unnaturally awkward smile.

“Dora, let’s go home~”

Soronna led Dove and Billy past Bo Aibiyi.

Bo Aibiyi remained rooted to the spot, his gaze following Soronna and Dove as they departed. To his surprise, Soronna turned her head, fixing him with an exceptionally cold stare.

At the same time, she silently mouthed a word.

As an Archmage, Bo Aibiyi naturally possessed a profound understanding of lip-reading. From Soronna’s mouth, he deciphered four distinct characters: ‘D-I-E! L-O-L-I-C-O-N!’

****

Dragging his physically and mentally exhausted body, Bo Aibiyi finally arrived outside the Morgan City Lord’s mansion.

The soldiers guarding the Lord’s mansion displayed astonished expressions upon seeing Bo Aibiyi, leaning on his cane, appear at the entrance.

One of the soldiers nodded to another and then ran inside the mansion to announce his arrival.

Bo Aibiyi waited for a moment at the entrance. He then saw the soldier who had gone to announce him rush back out, offer a salute of the heart, and open the grand doors.

Bo Aibiyi stepped into the Lord’s mansion. As he made his way towards General Baro’s chambers, he began to analyze the situation in his mind.

He surmised that General Baro had likely concluded that the team previously dispatched to investigate the heart of the Velsen Forest had been entirely annihilated. This explained the guards’ surprise at his appearance outside the mansion.

However, the fact that General Baro had not immediately ordered his arrest suggested he intended to hear the full account of events. Bo Aibiyi wasn’t afraid of explaining himself.

His true fear was that General Baro would execute him without question. As long as he could communicate, he believed his wealth and glory would soon be within his grasp.

Arriving at the entrance to General Baro’s room, Bo Aibiyi, despite already fantasizing about a life of wealth and glory, still felt a tremor of nervousness at the prospect of facing the General.

He knew all too well the kind of man General Baro was: ruthless and unscrupulous.

“Bo Aibiyi, is that you? Come in quickly, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, hahaha.”

A robust, hearty laugh echoed from within the room.

“General Baro! Your subordinate is truly ashamed. I failed to bring the young master back, and even I barely escaped with my life from the Velsen Forest. However, to not disappoint everyone’s expectations and to deliver the information I risked my life for to you, General Baro, your subordinate bravely survived!”

Summoning his emotions, allowing tears to well in his eyes, Bo Aibiyi pushed open General Baro’s door and spoke in a choked voice.

“Bo Aibiyi, it’s good that you’re alive. It appears your injuries haven’t fully healed. I won’t waste any more time, then. Three questions. I will ask you three questions, and if you cannot satisfy me with all of them, there will be no need for your worthless life to continue.”

Bo Aibiyi’s tears had not yet had a chance to fall before General Baro’s words struck him, leaving him rooted to the spot with a look of utter bewilderment.