Chapter 442: The Black Unicorn

Chapter 442: The Black Unicorn

"The sun is almost set, why are you still wearing sunglasses?" Mira adjusted her sunglasses but didn't remove them.

Rod put on a pair as well: "Better safe than sorry when we're out and about. Remind me to buy a pair of regular glasses when we get back."

"So, it's for self-defense? I thought you liked seeing me in glasses."

"Well... I guess I can like that too."

Girls with glasses were indeed quite charming.

As a precaution, Rod left two groups of Rock Beetles near the village, disguised as rocks, to keep watch.

Then, he summoned Hexie, and together with Mira, they rode it to the crime scene described by the Village Chief.

The Village Chief's description wasn't entirely accurate. Once they arrived, Rod released Shadow Wolves to sniff around for any traces of blood, finally uncovering some dried bloodstains that had been buried.

Nearly half a month had passed since the incident. The road was bustling with people coming and going, and it was hard to imagine what it looked like at the time of the crime.

However, there were neatly cut bushes and wild grass on the side of the road, with fallen leaves and small branches nowhere to be found. Deep slashes could be felt on the ground nearby.

Mila squatted down to examine the scene: "The perpetrator either has exceptional sword skills or is proficient in a powerful wind-based magic."

Beyond that, she couldn't make any further deductions.

Rod searched the vicinity but couldn't find any more useful clues.

After so much time had passed, footprints, hoofprints, tire tracks, and even traces of magic had long since disappeared.

The scents in the air were also chaotic, making it impossible to discern anything.

Rod shook his head: "If we really want to investigate, we'll have to wait until tomorrow and ask around in town."

With no other choice, the two returned the way they came.

When they arrived back at the village, night had already fallen, and neither of them had removed their sunglasses, but the Village Chief didn't ask any questions, as he had heard that there were many peculiar individuals among mages.

"Thank you for your hard work. May I ask..."

Rod shook his head: "There are too few useful clues. We'll have to be extra cautious tomorrow."

Mila reassured him: "Don't worry, we'll ensure the village's safety."

"Yes, please do." Jasper led the two to the same room as before. "My wife will be back soon to prepare dinner, please wait a moment."

"No need, we already ate on our way back. A little rest is all we need."

Rod declined the Village Chief's kindness, as he wanted to observe more and figure out what was amiss with the Village Chief before he could relax.

As night fell, the two took turns bathing.

A man and a woman, no, an unmarried couple sharing a room, even sleeping in the same bed.

Rod couldn't help but stare at Mira in her pajamas, but he dared not make a move.

It wasn't that he was worried about things getting out of hand; he was afraid that if things did get heated, something might happen and they'd have to stop before they could even start.

That would likely lead to frustration at best and psychological trauma affecting their happiness at worst.

They had agreed to take turns staying awake, one keeping watch during the first half of the night and the other during the latter half.

Mira, confident that Rod wouldn't do anything inappropriate, happily used him as a body pillow, snuggling up and finding a comfortable position before falling asleep.

This left Rod certain that he wouldn't be getting any sleep that night.

Feeling dejected, he stared at the dark ceiling, only to shift his focus to the patrolling Hexie to distract himself.

The night sky was adorned with a waning moon, its radiant light casting a clear view.

One Hexie circled the village walls twice without finding anything unusual.

The other Hexie quietly walked through the village's streets, with most houses already dark and only a few windows emitting light.

If not for their mission, a leisurely stroll through this small village would have been quite charming.

Rod felt something rubbing against his chest; it was Mira, who had snuggled up to him in her sleep. This was too much; he'd have to make her pay after the mission.

The next morning, Mira tightened her grip on the body pillow in her arms and felt around with her hand, only to open her eyes when she realized the texture was off.

Oh, she had been hugging Rod in her sleep.

Darn, it seemed she had overslept!

Mira sat up abruptly, meeting Rod's bell-like eyes.

"You're awake?" Rod also sat up, smiling at her messy hair.

After staying up all night, one might feel unusually energetic the next day.

Mila asked with a hint of annoyance: "Why didn't you wake me last night?"

"You looked so peaceful, I couldn't bring myself to disturb you."

Despite the hardship, he didn't feel tired.

Rod stretched, and as Mira hugged him, she planted a kiss on his cheek.

After a brief moment of affection, they got ready and headed out together.

Young people could handle a night of staying up, just like staying up on New Year's Eve or the night before the Harvest Festival.

Two River Crabs had been on duty for nearly a day and a night, and they were now resting back at Summoner's Rift. Today, the Sharp-beaked Birds took the lead in guarding the area.

With their numbers and ability to fly high and see far, they were ideal sentinels, except for their inability to share vision with Rod.

As long as they spotted any unusual activity, they could raise the alarm.

The Shadow Wolves were too well-known, so Rod didn't bring them along.

The village was livelier than usual, with every household decorating their homes with colorful agricultural produce like red chili peppers, yellow corn, purple eggplants, and more, hanging them at their doors or under the eaves instead of flags and balloons.

At first glance, Rod might have thought he was in a rural northeastern village, as the rows of corn cobs looked particularly inviting.

He felt like picking some to stew.

Mila held his arm, and under the pretext of being vigilant, they strolled around the village. "You seem happy," she said.

"Even though I don't farm, I feel the joy of the harvest," Rod replied with a smile. "Compared to the city's simple celebrations, this feels more like a genuine Harvest Festival."

As they spoke, a group of three to five children ran past them, holding corn stalks stripped of their leaves, still green and not yet dried.

They chased and played, reenacting a story they had heard about knights and mages fighting thieves.

Among them was the little girl named Taifei, but she was empty-handed, playing the role of a mage.

In the past, when children played mages, they would also hold a stick as a magic wand.

But ever since Rod and Mila's last visit, no child playing a mage had a wand.

Unintentionally, they had disrupted the children's imagination.

Mila watched the children's backs, smiling unconsciously, both infected by their joy and thinking of their future children's vitality.

Rod also smiled at the children's backs, but he was more inclined to snatch a stick from them to play with, his hands itching for action.

Shaking off the thought of taking the children's toys, Rod noticed the attractive vegetables hanging at other houses and suggested, "Let's buy some eggplants, corn, and potatoes on our way back and make a stew."

Mila blinked and asked, "Will you cook it?"

Rod thought for a moment and countered, "Would you eat it if I cooked it?"

Mila smiled sweetly. "I can eat anything you make for me."

He was touched.

But then she added, "Anyway, poison doesn't affect demons."

He wasn't touched anymore.

Rod gritted his teeth and said, "Just you wait. I'll put half a pot of sleeping medicine and take advantage of you while you're asleep!"

"But have you ever thought about this?" Mila looked at him with a smile. "I'm the one who makes your breakfast every day."

Rod was speechless.

He didn't even have a chance to read a book.

Mila pressed, "What do you mean by 'take advantage'?"

Rod paused for a moment before answering, "Maybe just a leg massage or a shoulder rub?"

"Is that so?"

"There's something going on." Rod's playful expression faded. "I'll leave the Rock Beetles and Shadow Wolves with you. Keep an eye on the village while I check things out outside."

"Okay, be careful."

"Receive—Sharp-beaked Birds!" Rod's arms grew red feathers, transforming into wings. He flapped them a few times and flew into the sky, heading southeast.

—A Sharp-beaked Bird from that direction had returned to the Rift, and he wanted to confirm the situation personally.

Mila watched Rod ascend into the sky and assigned tasks to the monsters.

Six Shadow Wolves and four Rock Beetles nodded obediently and scattered to hide around the area as instructed by their boss.

Mila herself ran towards the village center, the main venue where the crowd was most densely packed, and needed to be protected.

"Miss Mila, I was just about to ask someone to invite you. The ceremony is about to begin..." Jasper looked around. "Where's Mr. Rod?"

Mila replied, "He went to check on a situation, but don't wait for him. Just proceed with the ceremony as planned."

Jasper became tense. "Is there really someone causing trouble? I... I just wanted to be prepared..."

Mila reassured him. "The situation is unclear, and we'll only know once Rod checks it out. But don't worry; we'll handle it."

"Ah, yes."

Even though he agreed, how could he not worry about the village's safety?

Jasper asked, "Should I organize the young people in the village to help?"

Mira smiled and said, "Do we have enough young people in the village to outnumber Rod's 'army'?"

"..." Jasper thought about the massive blue-purple army from before, and suddenly, his worries vanished.

At this thought, Jasper felt the urge to condemn the media of today. Recently, a certain magazine had claimed that Mr. Rod's greatest strength was a few wolves—what nonsense! The journalist must have never encountered these bugs to make such a statement.

"Then...should we continue with the festival?"

"Please go ahead."

With this approval, Jasper proceeded to gather the villagers, and as the crowd grew, he climbed onto a high platform to address them.

He spoke about the challenges and achievements of the year, expressing gratitude for everyone's hard work, the assistance of the Archmages, and even the blessings of nature.

After his speech, Jasper raised his glass, and those standing closest to the platform followed suit.

They dipped their fingers into their glasses, flicking the liquid upwards three times and then downwards three times, sprinkling the remaining liquid onto the ground beneath their feet.

The entire village joined hands, placing them on their chests in a gesture of prayer, expressing gratitude for the year's harvest and praying for favorable weather in the coming year.

Meanwhile, Rod had located the group approaching the village.

These individuals wore somewhat uniform attire—black suits, white shirts, and plaid pants. Their hairstyles were casual, with some intentionally creating a 'horn' on top of their heads.

There were around forty of them, some unarmed and some carrying weapons. From a distance, Rod couldn't make out any guild emblems on their bodies.

Based on the current situation, it seemed they had ill intentions.

To avoid any accidental harm, Rod decided to confirm their identity first.

He had already released the Void Nest bugs near the village, and by the time these individuals reached the village, there would be hundreds of them, providing an opportunity to test their strength.

As for now...

Rod circled in the air, landing at a slightly distant spot behind the group's formation. He summoned Hexie to work overtime, wanting to observe these individuals before taking action.

The area surrounding the village was too flat, and the nearby vegetation had turned yellow, so the two green Hexie could only pretend to be wild crabs and charge straight towards them.

Fortunately, approaching from the rear didn't attract much attention, and it was only when they got closer that the group noticed the commotion.

By then, Rod had already borrowed Hexie's perspective to identify the emblem on their bodies.

On their jackets, there was a letter 'B', and their emblem was mostly covered by their clothing, except for two individuals who had the letter printed on their face and neck, respectively.

Dark Guild—Black Unicorn!

There was no need for courtesy now.

Rod recalled that during the last routine meeting, the mission to eradicate this guild had been assigned to the Quad Hounds. It seemed they hadn't found them yet, hence the delay in taking action.

Unfortunately, this was a rigid raid mission, not a flexible bounty mission, so today's efforts would be in vain.

Well, not entirely. He could still earn the reward, just not a double reward.

Fine, he'd be content with that.

Through Hexie's vision, Rod observed the Black Unicorn's Archmages discovering the crabs.

Perhaps because they had never seen such large crabs, two men carrying broadswords had tears of fear in their eyes.

The two Hexie crabs scurried past them, and a mage with a staff fired a magic bullet, breaking one of the crab's legs.

The crabs scurried faster.

Some wanted to chase after them to satisfy their curiosity, but the leader stopped them. They had more important matters to attend to and couldn't waste time here.

Rod was relieved that they hadn't been scared off.

He flew back to the village, watching the worms multiply as he awaited his guests.

By the time they arrived, the worms had increased to four or five hundred. Rod waved his hand, and three Nest bugs roared, signaling the worms to leap forward.

The Black Unicorn's Archmages were slightly flustered. They had heard it was just an ordinary village, so why were there so many disgusting bugs? Moreover, the person behind the bugs seemed vaguely familiar...

Book Recommendation: _The Fairy Enters the Dream_

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end