Chapter 60: Shu Li and Wang Tie Tie explore the pirate ship.

It was not easy to kill a Saint Mage with a single sword.

However, if advanced magic was imbued into the blade, allowing it to pierce the Saint Mage’s heart and then burn away his soul, death was inevitable.

That was why Myron Crow had let out such a bloodcurdling scream.

As a necromancer, he had killed countless people with dark magic and perpetrated numerous large-scale atrocities. His methods were so ruthless that every nation on the continent had placed a bounty on his head.

And so, he had joined forces with pirates. As long as no one knew his whereabouts, the warrants for his arrest were nothing more than scraps of paper.

More than three hundred years ago, he had once fought the Elven warrior who was now killing him.

At the time, the Elf had disguised himself as a human and set out to sea with a group of human adventurers. They had departed from a port in the Ezerafa Empire and headed toward an unknown island in the north, passing through the pirate-infested waters of Brelid.

Short on undead servants, Myron Crow had joined the pirates in raiding passing ships, only to encounter the adventurers’ fleet.

That was the only time he had ever failed. It was also the first time he learned that Elves sometimes disguised themselves as humans to travel the continent.

With the aid of an Elf at the rank of Saint Mage, the adventurers escaped disaster. Every pirate who attacked them was killed, while Myron Crow leaped into the sea and fled, narrowly escaping with his life.

For the next three hundred years, he had dreamed of taking revenge on the Elf who had humiliated him. He repeatedly sent people across the continent to search for him, but they never found a trace.

When Roald proposed changing course and sailing to the Faerie Forest, Myron Crow had supported him wholeheartedly, driven by a desire for revenge.

Never could he have imagined that fate would toy with him by bringing him face-to-face with the black-haired Elf once again.

Meeting an old enemy made his hatred burn hotter than ever.

Yet the moment they exchanged blows, he was horrified to discover that the Elf had already reached the rank of Mage Sovereign, while Myron Crow himself remained stuck at Saint Mage.

The vast gulf between their strength drove him mad with envy and hatred.

When the Elf’s blade pierced his heart, he knew there was no escaping death.

But a necromancer would never meekly accept his fate.

An eerie light flickered in Myron Crow’s eyes. He suddenly twisted his head around and gave Ilio a sinister grin.

“Then die with me—”

The necromancer roared as countless streams of black energy burst from his body and lunged viciously at Ilio like serpents.

Ilio sensed the danger and tried to pull out his sword and retreat, but it was already too late.

“Holy Shield of Light, repel all darkness—”

A short incantation rang out abruptly. An eggshell-like shield of light flared around Ilio’s body, blocking the onslaught of black energy.

The black energy struck the shield and rebounded, wrapping itself entirely around the necromancer.

Devoured by the backlash of his own power, the necromancer was instantly engulfed in darkness.

Crunch. Crunch.

A piercing sound like rodents gnawing on bone echoed along the silent coast, sending chills down everyone’s spine.

A moment later, the black energy dissipated. The necromancer had vanished, leaving a scattering of “equipment” across the beach.

There was a tattered gray robe, a black magic staff, a storage pouch, and various magical tools.

Ilio breathed a sigh of relief and looked toward the Elven King, who sat astride the unicorn not far away. He bowed respectfully.

“Thank you for saving my life, Your Majesty.”

That had been far too close. He had underestimated the necromancer’s treachery and had nearly fallen into his trap.

The unicorn strolled toward Ilio at a leisurely pace, its four slender legs deftly avoiding the pirates’ bodies scattered across the ground.

It stopped in front of Ilio and gave a snorting whinny.

Ilio’s mood sank.

He had just been mocked by a unicorn.

The Elven King fixed the black-haired Elf with a piercing gaze and said sternly, “No matter the circumstances, you must never underestimate your enemy.”

Ilio lowered his head in shame, his pointed ears drooping.

“You are right, Your Majesty. I was arrogant this time.”

Seeing that he understood his mistake, the Elven King’s tone softened. “See that it does not happen again.”

“Yes,” Ilio answered solemnly.

Shu Li found it fascinating to see the black-haired Elf being reprimanded by the Elven King like an elementary school student.

Ilio was the youngest and most outstanding warrior among the Elves, with abilities far beyond his peers. Yet even he had moments when he obediently lowered his head and admitted his mistakes.

The Little Fairies sitting atop the unicorn’s head all stared at Ilio.

Dixio, Angel, and Budno parted their lips in surprise. Kumandi, who had returned to his smaller form, showed little reaction.

Ilio raised his head and discovered several pairs of innocent, curious eyes fixed intently on him. The corner of his mouth twitched.

Fortunately, he was thick-skinned. A brilliant smile soon appeared on his face.

“Hello, little ones. I’m glad to see all of you safe and sound.”

“His Majesty saved us!” Budno announced loudly.

“And Kumandi and Sperien were both so brave!” Angel added.

“Kumandi can grow big now!” Dixio said, gesturing with both hands.

Sier, Avey, and Anna flew over. Before they could even bow to the Elven King, they heard the three Little Fairies excitedly recounting their escape, each chiming in over the others.

The account was somewhat fragmented, but it was not difficult to imagine how dangerous the situation had been.

Light God above!

The other necromancer had actually been an evil Dark Elf!

Even after the Dark Elf intercepted them, the four Little Fairies had not given up. Relying on their courage and intelligence, they fled with all their might and somehow held out until the Elven King arrived, turning certain disaster into safety.

What they had accomplished was no small feat.

To protect the other Little Fairies, Kumandi had actually surpassed his limits and awakened his innate power ahead of time.

Becoming a Senior Mage at fifteen was a truly remarkable achievement.

Even the exceptionally gifted Ilio had not become a Senior Mage until he was twenty.

Then again, considering how diligently Kumandi studied every day, it was not difficult to understand.

Talent combined with hard work had finally borne fruit. It was only natural.

As for Sperien, everyone broke out in a cold sweat when they learned that, after Kumandi lost consciousness, he had approached the Dark Elf on his own and nearly had his head crushed.

Anna’s eyes filled with tears at the lingering fear. If Shu Li had not still been sitting on the Elven King’s shoulder, she would already have snatched him up, rubbed his little body all over, and nuzzled him fiercely.

“Sperien was truly brave,” Avey said with a sigh of admiration.

A five-year-old Fairy cub had faced a powerful and evil enemy without crying or cowering in fear. Instead, he had cleverly made use of his circumstances and fought to the very end. It was simply unbelievable.

Nothing like this had ever happened to them when they were young. If they had encountered the same situation, they probably would have frozen in terror. How could they possibly have dared to risk their lives fighting back?

Embarrassed by their praise, Shu Li hid himself in the Elven King’s hair.

He was not brave at all. If Kumandi had not set an example by throwing himself in front of them without regard for his own safety, Shu Li would have been game over long ago.

Besides, a Fairy who could not even recite a magical incantation properly was utterly useless.

Kumandi had been unconscious, and Dixio and the others were so young. Shu Li had been left with no choice but to stake everything on one desperate gamble.

Looking back on it now, he only felt that he had been reckless.

If the little flower crown had not activated, if the Elven King had not arrived in time, the Dark Elf would already have crushed his head flat.

Shu Li shuddered involuntarily.

His tiny body gradually edged closer to the Elven King’s neck, instinctively seeking warmth.

Feeling something small press against the side of his neck, the Elven King’s expression softened.

Ilio raised an eyebrow and glanced at the little fellow clinging tightly to the king, then smiled knowingly.

He had been patrolling nearby when he received Anna’s magical message informing him that intruders had appeared on the coast near the amethyst trees. He immediately teleported there, using telepathic magic along the way to report the situation to the Elven King.

Nothing involving Fairy cubs could be treated lightly.

Especially when one of those cubs was Sperien.

Given how much the king valued Sperien, there was no chance he would allow the cub to remain in danger.

After sending the message, Ilio reached the beach and devoted his full attention to fighting the necromancer.

He had never expected to make a mistake at the very last moment. As an Elf who had received the king’s blessing, he felt deeply ashamed.

When Sperien grew embarrassed, he could hide in the king’s hair. Ilio could not. All he could do was humbly accept the king’s criticism.

And endure the ridicule of a unicorn.

“Neigh.”

The unicorn swished its beautiful, silky tail.

Ilio: ...

“Your Majesty, what should we do with the pirates’ bodies?” Sier asked with a frown.

Fairies disliked killing, but they loathed invaders. Leaving the bodies strewn across the beach was a dreadful sight.

The Elven King turned toward the pirate ship nearby and said gravely, “Return them to the sea.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Sier and the other Fairies answered respectfully.

The adult Fairies soon began clearing the beach. With the aid of magic, the work went quickly, and all the pirates’ bodies were thrown onto the wooden ship’s deck.

Just as they were preparing to use magic to push the stranded pirate ship back into the sea, Shu Li suddenly called out.

“W-Wait!”

“What is it, sweetheart?” Anna asked gently.

Shu Li poked his little head out from the Elven King’s hair and said hesitantly, “Um... shouldn’t we search the ship? There might be treasure.”

“Treasure!” The other three Little Fairies’ ears instantly perked up, their curiosity aroused.

They had recently heard many stories about adventurers and had become extremely interested in treasure. When Sperien said there might be treasure aboard the pirate ship, they blinked their large eyes and looked expectantly at the Elven King.

Ilio rubbed his smooth chin. “Pirates plunder ships wherever they go. There may indeed be treasure aboard.”

“Then should we... take a look?” Avey asked.

They might not care about human treasure themselves, but they ought to satisfy the little ones’ curiosity.

The Elven King nodded. “Go ahead.”

“Yay!” The Little Fairies happily high-fived one another.

Shu Li flew off the Elven King’s shoulder, joined his companions, pulled Kumandi along, and eagerly followed the adult Fairies onto the pirate ship.

The vessel was enormous, a great ship built for long voyages that could accommodate four or five hundred people.

They avoided the bodies on the deck and found the entrance to the cabins.

The interior was pitch-black. Sier recited an illumination spell, and a glowing orb appeared above his fingertip, serving as a convenient lamp.

With him leading the way, they encountered no obstacles. The cabins were deserted, and they found nothing of value.

After searching one room after another, Shu Li was bitterly disappointed.

Anna could not bear to see the little fellow so dejected. Taking advantage of the Elven King walking at the back of the group, she swiftly reached out and ruffled Shu Li’s little head.

“Huh?”

Shu Li looked at her.

Without the slightest trace of guilt, Anna said, “Don’t be discouraged. We haven’t searched the lowest deck yet.”

Shu Li smoothed down the hair she had mussed and replied, “Oh,” no longer holding out any hope.

The lowest deck mainly contained the ordinary sailors’ quarters. There was no way any treasure would be hidden there.

Still, since they had already come this far, they might as well treat it as a tour!

They soon headed down. The only passage to the lowest deck was a narrow staircase, which was somewhat difficult for the adult Fairies and Elves to navigate, but posed no problem for the Little Fairies.

Kumandi boldly flew down, and Shu Li followed without hesitation.

“Hey, wait for us!”

The other three Little Fairies cried out, flapping their wings and slipping down through the gaps.

Avey laughed. “Children are always so impatient.”

Anna blinked. “I’ll go on ahead too.”

She suddenly released her innate power and returned to a palm-sized form in the blink of an eye. Brushing past Avey’s arm, she flew down the stairs.

Avey: ...

Ilio shook his head, stepped aside, and gracefully gestured for the Elven King to go first.

The Elven King stood at the top of the stairs without moving.

“Your Majesty?” Ilio asked in confusion.

The Elven King frowned slightly. “I smell a dragon’s presence.”

“What?”

Ilio froze. At that moment, the Little Fairies’ startled cries rose from the lowest deck.

“Waaah! There’s a baby dragon down here! And a little mermaid!”

“Oh no! They’re locked in cages! How pitiful!”