Chapter 192: Reminiscing.

Fairies had excellent memories. Shu Li still remembered people he had spent time with eight years ago.

Director Ximu looked more mature, but her presence had lost none of its force. If anything, it had grown more striking. Like a rose in full bloom, she was as vivid and bold as ever.

Ximu’s memory was less certain. When Shu Li called her by name, she paused and looked at him in confusion.

As the director of a traveling performance troupe, she took her performers from city to city. Many people knew her and could call her by name. But why did she have no recollection of this exceptionally handsome black-haired youth?

She studied him. The longer she looked, the more familiar he seemed. Those clear, beautiful gray-blue eyes in particular stirred a memory from years ago.

“You’re...”

“Amo!” a clear voice called, using Shu Li’s assumed name.

Shu Li looked at the girl standing behind Ximu. She had smooth, straight black hair and violet eyes, and wore the troupe’s bright clothing. She was staring at him intently.

“Hm? Amo? Little Amo?” Ximu’s brows rose in recognition. This black-haired youth was the adorable little Amo from eight years ago. He had grown taller, his features had matured, and he had become a beautiful young man. Meeting him so unexpectedly, she had failed to connect him with the child she remembered.

Nasha, on the other hand, had recognized him at once.

“That’s me.” Shu Li greeted Ximu with a courteous bow. “I’m glad to see you again. You’re as beautiful as ever.”

Ximu laughed so hard her shoulders shook, amusement glittering in her brown eyes. “Little Amo has grown up handsome and composed, just ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) like his brother. Oh, that reminds me—where is Mr. Al?”

“My brother is at home,” Shu Li said with a smile. “This time, I’m traveling with my friends to gain experience.”

Ximu turned her gleaming eyes on the six remarkable youths behind him. Her gaze lingered on each of them in turn, and she nodded appreciatively as she looked.

As a troupe director, she could never resist a beautiful face. These youths were exceptional in both looks and bearing. The blond one with green eyes was particularly stunning.

She gave him a second look. He met her gaze politely.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me?” she asked with interest.

Shu Li turned to his friends.

Angel stepped forward first and greeted Ximu with a pleasant smile. “Hello, Director Ximu. I’m Anli.”

The others introduced themselves one by one.

“I’m Aodi.”

“Det.”

“I’m Manfei.”

“Kuke.”

“Hello. I’m Estel.”

Apart from Ace, the Little Fairies and the young dragon all gave assumed names. Since Shu Li had introduced himself as Amo, they followed his lead.

Ximu’s smile kept growing as she looked at the handsome youths. If they had not been wearing magic robes, she would have been tempted to coax them into joining her troupe.

What wonderful prospects!

Such a shame.

Shu Li could see her old habit taking hold. He coughed several times to remind her that a crowd of hostile bandits still surrounded them.

The bandits were furious.

What was wrong with these two groups?

They were chatting right in front of them! Did they have any idea what was happening?

This was a robbery!

Did they even know what that meant?

“ROAR!”

A beastman among the bandits bellowed so loudly that birds and small animals fled the woods.

Ximu poked a finger in her ear, displeased. “Bart.”

At her call, a bearded man among the guards strode up to the bandit beastman and glared at him. Then he transformed. His body grew taller, his muscles swelled and tore through his clothes, and fur spread over his skin. His head took on an animal shape, baring sharp fangs. He opened his mouth and roared even louder than the bandit.

“ROAR!”

The bandit beastman trembled under the pressure of someone far stronger than himself and stumbled back several steps. The smaller goblins scrambled up nearby trees. The ordinary human bandits nearly dropped their weapons.

They had thought they had found easy prey. They had never expected the troupe to have such a fearsome beastman among them.

The fight, however, was only beginning.

While the bandits were stunned by Bart’s display, Shu Li raised his wand and cast wind magic.

Wind gathered at the tip. With an elegant sweep of his wand, he sent several small tornadoes hurtling toward the bandits. Caught off guard, they were swept off their feet.

The rest of the Light Squad raised their wands and cast spells of their own.

Orbs of light, fireballs, water dragons, and wind blades struck the bandits as they struggled to regain their footing.

“Ah! Help!”

Terrified, the bandits forgot all about robbery and scattered in every direction. Those who reacted too slowly took the spells head-on. They screamed, fell, and lay still.

The troupe’s guards and beastmen immediately joined the fight, attacking the bandit beastman and the goblins.

The beastman could not withstand them and soon collapsed in a pool of blood. The goblins died before they could even activate their devices.

A one-sided slaughter unfolded in the woods.

Shu Li lowered his wand. The smell of blood made him frown.

He had meant only to drive the bandits away, and his teammates had clearly held back the force of their spells. Bart and the troupe’s guards showed no such restraint. Every blow they struck was meant to kill. None of the bandits survived.

Shu Li sighed inwardly.

The bandits had brought it on themselves. Of all the people they could have tried to rob, why had they chosen them?

At least Shu Li and the others could fight back. Ordinary travelers might already have fallen victim to the bandits.

Bandits, whether on land or water, were ruthless criminals with no regard for human life. They had earned their fate.

Ten minutes later, the fighting was over.

Bart and the other beastman guards returned to their human forms.

“Wow,” Budno murmured.

The Little Fairies had spent their lives in the Faerie Forest. This was their first time meeting beastmen, and they watched with fascination.

Amanda had seen beastmen before, aboard ships he had passed while flying over the sea with his brother. But he had never observed one from so close.

Ximu flicked a fingernail and gave Shu Li a captivating smile. “Finally, some quiet. Now we can catch up properly.”

A bead of sweat ran down Shu Li’s temple.

“You’ve become an excellent mage,” she said approvingly.

Shu Li shook his head modestly. “I’m still a magic apprentice.”

“Are you? That’s impressive all the same.” Ximu glanced at the bandits’ bodies scattered across the ground. “You’re far stronger than any apprentice I’ve met.”

“Thank you.”

“No, no.” Ximu wagged a slender finger. “That wasn’t a compliment. I’m stating a fact. Your friends are just as impressive.”

Nasha, standing beside her, frowned and looked straight at Shu Li with her violet eyes. “Your name is Sperien, not Amo?”

“Uh...” Shu Li blinked.

“I can use magic too, and I understand Elven,” Nasha said. “When you cast your spells and prayed to the gods, the names you used weren’t the ones you just gave us.”

“Oh, that.” Shu Li answered without missing a beat. “Amo is my nickname. Sperien is my full name. It’s the same for the others.”

The Little Fairies and the young dragon nodded together, smiling brightly.

Nasha pointed at Ace. “Why doesn’t he have a nickname?”

“Because I’m not from their hometown,” Ace said. He gave Shu Li a grateful glance. “I was attacked by mountain bandits and nearly died on the road. They saved me.”

Nasha puffed out her cheeks, surprised and plainly unconvinced.

Ximu reached over and ruffled her hair. “Don’t get caught up in little details. Plenty of people have two names.”

Nasha gave a small huff, turned away, and climbed back into a carriage.

Ximu chuckled and gave Shu Li a knowing look. “You remember Nasha, don’t you?”

“Of course.” Shu Li nodded. “She’s Pe—”

“Shh.” Ximu raised a finger to stop him. “She’s talked about you for years, you know. She even found someone to teach her Elven and magic so she could catch up with you.”

“Oh? Then is she...” Seeing Nasha dressed like the rest of the troupe, Shu Li had assumed the Queen of Dalia had not taken her in and that she had ended up working as a performer.

Ximu pointed at the bandits’ bodies. “Are you sure you want to keep catching up here?”

“We should go somewhere else,” Shu Li said quickly.

It would soon be dark, and they needed to find a clean place to camp.

The troupe members returned to their carriages, while Shu Li and his friends climbed into theirs.

Harding had wanted to leave for some time. If he stayed any longer, the thick smell of blood might make him vomit.

His passengers were formidable, but the troupe’s beastmen were even more frightening. The sight of them tearing apart human bodies had been bloody enough to give him nightmares.

As soon as Shu Li said they were leaving, Harding snapped the reins and drove his two horses close behind the troupe’s caravan.

As the light began to fade, the carriages traveled a little over a thousand meters before stopping at the foot of a hill. They found a hollow sheltered from the wind and began setting up camp.

Shu Li and his friends got down, took tents from their storage pouches, and pitched them with practiced ease.

The troupe divided up the work in an orderly fashion. Though Nasha was a princess, she helped gather dry firewood.

Angel and several of the other Little Fairies already knew about the troupe.

Eight years earlier, Sperien had accompanied Ilio into the human world to lift a curse. After returning, he had held a gathering and told the Fairies and Elves in detail about the people and places he had encountered.

So they knew of a traveling performance troupe led by Ximu, a capable woman with a gift for leadership.

Now that they had met her, the Little Fairies thought she was exactly as Sperien had described: seemingly carefree, yet dangerous beneath the surface.

The beastmen were so fierce, but they obeyed her every word and remained utterly loyal.

Bart was still the troupe’s cook. He made a large pot of meat soup, carried it to a wooden table, and served everyone a bowl.

The troupe members ate their hot soup with hard bread, enjoying every bite.

Shu Li’s group built a small cooking fire of their own and set a pot of water to boil for their oats.

While his friends were pitching the tents, Amanda had hurried into the woods to catch an animal. He was determined to have roast meat.

Ximu and Nasha walked over to the magic apprentices’ camp. Seeing the pile of fruit and vegetables they had taken out, Ximu raised an eyebrow.

“Are you rabbits? Why is everything you’ve got vegetarian?”

Shu Li: ...!