Chapter 17

The news of the missing junior magicians has sparked in the city, causing ruckus within the family of the Vance, the Great Dragon, the City Guard and the Leonin houses. The head of the Vance household blames the Lion Academy for being careless and irresponsible for letting their students left unguarded.

Zilong, the brother of Chang'e, even takes days off from his duties just to check on his younger sister's condition. The Great Dragon, his master, is restless since the day  Chang'e was missing yet he couldn't leave the palace because the power protecting their home is weakening. If left alone, the abyssal demons could freely invade it and would gain much control. The head of the City Guard has to take a trip to travel to Magical City so he could get the direct answers of the academy about Lolita's disappearance. The caretaker of the remaining Leonins in the city is also forced to have an audience with Lion Academy's head to take care of the ruckus. Nana and Harith are the only Leonins left and if they lose both of them, extinction of the race of Leonins would surely be something they cannot stop.

"Footsteps had been seen around the Enchanted Forest's entrance. If those kids had really gone into that dangerous place, I shall have the academy shut down. This kind of issue is not something to be ignored for you are not assuring your students' safety. I demand you to send the greatest warriors to get those kids back!" Harley's mother has almost reached her limits for her only son is in grave danger.

The Enchanted Forest may sound like a magical and safe place for magicians but that was before it has been invaded by unknown culprits. After a strong magic has ruined its heart, the forest itself has changed in all forms just to protect the remaining power and creatures residing inside it.

Mr. Paxley, the head of the academy, remains calm for this case is sensitive and it would affect the school's reputation. He did not hesitate to show himself and gives the concern people the assurance that the involved students shall be safely retrieved back from the forest.

But his words did not convince Mrs. Vance so Mr. Paxley has no choice but to summon the fighter that everyone looks up to. The wooden doors open up, revealing a blond woman wearing a full body armor that is trimmed with gold. Her forehead is covered with a golden plate with a blue gem right on the middle which is the symbol of being a trained warrior from the Temple of Heroes.

"Freya shall be sent with a team to get your kids back. Please, calm down and we'll have to wait for their return. They will be going before it gets dark," Mr. Paxley says as he gazes at the angry eyes of the known people in the city.

The heavy tension is broken when Zilong, who has been quiet and observing at the corner of the room, stands up with his spear on his hand and his golden helmet laid down on the desk in front of him.

"I shall accompany the team. I'd like to personally see my sister," he announces which gives more assurance that their mission will be done in no time. Freya stares at him with a stoic face but when her gaze met with Zilong's, she looks away and gives some words to Mr. Paxley before nodding in his direction.

Freya steps out from the confined room and Zilong follows her down the hallway. Only their heavy footsteps could be heard and despite the absence of verbal communication, the two warriors are somehow on the same footing in terms of strength and it would be best if they avoid going against each other.

As they enter in a restaurant filled with customers, all eyes are set on them. Zilong hates attention but he has to endure for now in order to go and save Chang'e from trouble. He sees Freya approaching a table at the corner of the restaurant with two guys drinking alcohol together.

"Go pack up and we'll dive into the Enchanted Forest," she tells them. The guy whose body is unusually halved in color, purple on the other side and blue on the opposite one, looks up to her with his blue eyes. 

"Have a cup of booze, Freya. Don't be so serious all the time, you will get wrinkles earlier than anyone," his voice is hoarse as he tells Freya to join them in the fun. But the other man with a weird looking monkey on his shoulder touches Freya by the shoulder which made the woman grip his hand and slams it on the table.

"Ow! You would kill me even before I could hear what you have to say about the Enchanted Forest," Claude groaned as his monkey raised its weapon and targets Freya which is a not-so-good move. Freya snatched its weapon and threatened to blast its head which made the monkey raised its  forearms in surrender. 

"Sober up, Claude, we have a mission to do," she informs him before gazing back to the blue guy. "You, too, Gord. The dragon knight shall go with us."

Freya returned the weapon to the monkey as the two men immediately nods in response as they stand back up to their feet and run out of the restaurant like kids who got scolded. Freya turns her attention to the dragon knight wearing her serious expression.

"We shall have our meal before going," she says as she leads him to the counter and orders some food for the two of them.

While they are waiting for their order, silence has once again covered them. But somehow, Zilong could feel that the woman wants to ask something as he notices her uneasiness. He could see her foot moving back and forth at a fast pace. Her fingers are also constantly moving while her eyes are closed as if she's suppressing something.

"I have heard of the Temple of Heroes, it seems to be a place for great warriors like you," he says without looking at her for she might mistake it to something else. Freya turns to him and she simply smiles at him with a nod, accepting his compliment, then, turns away once again.

"I heard you travel through time to aid kings and soldiers in wars. It seems like a good job," Freya says after a while. She slowly shifts on her seat and faces him with curious eyes.

"I have been to wars before but unlike you, I do not travel in time to give assistance to those who are need. And only the Great Dragon could grant someone the permission to go in different eras. How do the other worlds look like? "

Freya's question is a bit of a shock for Zilong because he has always thought that she would be uninterested with things like his work. He smiles at her before grabbing the cup of water in front of him. He runs his finger on its tip as he recalls the past battles he had fought in.

"It's no different from this world we live in. No matter when it is or where it is, there is always wars and deaths. Who cares about how those worlds look like when wars are prevalent like how it will turn out between us and the abyssal demons today," he replies with a calm voice for he does not want to offend Freya with his answer.

He hears him chuckle as she turns her seat back towards the counter and looks at the food being served on their table.

"You're right," she simply says before taking a bite. "I did not expect such answer from you though."

Back at the Vance household where the rock giant is currently staying by the foyer, Gusion sneaks in and finds Grock playing some sort of game that Harley has taught him when they used to hang out. Despite trying to hide his presence, Grock glances at the direction of where the mage is hiding from. He seems to had sensed his presence which affirms Gusion that he truly fits to be the tank of their team.

If he will be on his original size and would not suppress his strength, he'd be a formidable ally and enemy.

"Paxley, what are you doing here?" he asks which kind of ticks him off for Grock calls him the way the Vance siblings address him. He blows his bangs as he walks towards the giant with a composed demeanor. He sits across him and watches his game. The giant's hands are too big to move the small chess pieces that he unintentionally bumps and knocking into them. Gusion gazes at his glowing blue eyes that seems to be bored so he initiates to talk about the squad.

"I bet you've heard of Harley's intrusion into the Enchanted Forest. Do you know why he had dived in that dangerous place?" he entices him with subtle questions so Grock would voluntarily join in without knowing of the truth.

"Because he had a fight with his father, I saw him mad," Grock replies while clearing the chess board with his hands that caused some ragged sound. Gusion smirks at him and the giant is confused at his reaction. He may had lived for quite a long time but Grock did not interact with humans very often so he somehow has the difficulty to read their minds.

"That is not the sole reason," Gusion states as he lies down on the floor with both of his hands at the back of his head. He stares at the high ceiling waiting for Grock to ask questions himself so it would look more natural that he goes with him on his own free will.

"Harley has other reasons?" the giant asks, slowly falling into the trap of the devious mage. Gusion shifts his position and nods as a response.

"He is on a mission, by the end of his journey in the Enchanted Forest, he'll join in a secret squad to become stronger," he replies. The mage sits down properly when he notices that the giant's interest is piqued. With a smirk on his lips, he says, "If Harley joins, he'll surely face countless dangers, you wouldn't want him to get hurt, would you?"

Grock huffs in agreement. He stands on both feet causing the foyer to shake.

"Grock would not let Harley be in trouble, I shall join the squad and protect him at all cost," he claims which gives the conclusion on Gusion's goal that day. It is easier to get him fooled than he originally thought. But it is for the better for him not to spend more time convincing him for they are also racing with the time.

"By midnight, I will come and fetch you here. Do not say any word about this or else you won't be able to reconcile with Harley," Gusion demands and the giant simply agrees on his term.

The mage manages to use Grock's ignorance of the real world's harshness into his own advantage. Only a few steps and they'll be complete and now that Nephila is being taught of her new role, it would be easier for the other members to be equipped in the huge tube.

When he enters the laboratory where the two doctors are currently educating Nephila who's almost done with the process of her transformation, he whistles which disturbs the doctors' concentration.

"You seem to have got Grock join the team," Dr. Baker states as he goes back into writing the improvement of Hanabi.

"Tomorrow morning, there will be a total of three specimen in your sights," Gusion replies as he makes himself comfortable on a table. He gazes at the bubbling tubes beside Hanabi's place and he could imagine himself and the others being strengthened inside the experimental water. He slides off and walked towards Hanabi who is staring down at the two doctors. Their gazes met and Gusion clenched his fist and laid it at the tube.

"Let us have each other's back on the battlefield, Nephila," he said with a smirk and without hesitation, Hanabi returned his fist bump.

"I'll look forward fighting alongside you, Emperor," she replied, thus, the camaraderie between the two has been sealed.