Chapter 427: Getting Back To The Territory - 2

Leo felt a trace of regret that he couldn’t achieve the Royal bloodline with all the beastcores, but he also understood that if he fused any more, the core’s rank would rise further—and Miho wouldn’t be able to form a contract without suffering backlash. 2 minor ranks above one’s level was always the safe zone.

But he didn’t give the core to Miho right away; he waited for Kaelion.

The sun had already set, and darkness slowly engulfed the forest. Even though the Bisons had become timid in the presence of Shyra and Nyxa, they were growing increasingly restless.

At night, they were used to being surrounded by their herd as they rested—those at the front or middle would settle down, while those lagging behind would try to catch up. But now, with only 70 of them left, and just 15 male bisons remaining to protect the group, it was far from reassuring.

Seeing this—and to prevent a sudden stampede now that the Bisons had been freed from the vines—Sylrael and Naelith acted. Freed, because to instill discipline, Leo had killed any who tried to flee. This included some unfortunate female bisons and even calves. Leo had been completely ruthless, and both the Bisons and mice were well aware of it.

Well... all except Zelut—he was still happily squeaking around Leo as if praising his greatness.

But in the end, it had earned Leo 70 disciplined Bisons.

What Sylrael and Naelith did was simple. They raised a boundary around the Bisons to form a safe zone, easing their agitation, while Naelith lit torches at regular intervals along the perimeter. The flickering light pushed back the darkness, and the Bisons visibly relaxed.

As for the torches attracting wild beasts, Leo and the others were actually interested in any that dared to approach.

Not long after, Leo spotted the silhouette of Kaelion’s Skyreaver spirit form slicing through the night sky.

Kaelion noticed them as well, likely due to the organized torches, and descended, carrying a man in his 30s dressed in a black robe. The man didn’t seem talkative and kept his eyes fixed on the target he was meant to teleport.

"I’ve already shown him the location of our territory and where he needs to transport them. He’ll do his job," Kaelion said.

The man stepped forward and took out a few vials shimmering blue. Leo immediately recognized them as mana-replenishing potions.

With a single glance, Leo could tell the man was a pseudo-4★ mage, but his physical constitution was far weaker—barely at a pseudo-3★ level.

Looks like a shut-in researcher who only knows how to study, Leo thought.

He knew mages were among the highest-tier scholars, and a spatial mage dealt with complex mathematics—vectors, coordinates, and dimensional mapping. It wasn’t surprising that they spent most of their time buried in study and not being able to pay attention to their bodies. Matter of fact, this mage was pretty well off in comparison.

His assessment proved correct when the man simply tapped a Bison’s body—and it vanished instantly. He knew what he was doing.

In the next moment, Leo received a message from Brok confirming the Bison’s arrival.

But Leo noticed something else—the mice hiding within the Bison’s body were left behind, dropping onto the ground and freezing stiff under Zelut’s watchful eyes.

"Wait!" Leo called out, stopping him. The man withdrew his hand from the second Bison.

"Send these mice too. They’re important," Leo said.

The man glanced at them and sighed.

"I thought I was doing a free pest-cleaning service." His voice sounded far too tired and bored for someone in his 30s... or rather, like a sickly man barely holding himself together.

"Anyway, each mouse will cost 500 AC for this distance..." He paused, then looked at the chubby mouse beside Leo. "...that one is 5000."

"Squeak! Squeak!"

Zelut squeaked indignantly when the man pointed at him, taking it as a challenge. Knowing Leo was on his side, he puffed himself up and squeaked back provocatively. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"That’s a big mouse... first time seeing one... big and cute?" Even the man sounded faintly amused.

"Alright, but you don’t need to transport him. He’s my tamed beast. Instead, transport her," Leo said, gesturing toward Sylrael.

The man gave Leo a strange look after hearing that.

"You tamed a mouse? Why?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Because I wanted to. Is there a problem?" Leo replied, his tone turning cold. A paid service provider should do his job—not ask unnecessary questions.

Realizing his mistake, the man quickly nodded.

"Alright."

He then turned toward Sylrael.

"That will be 8,000 AC."

Leo nodded, and the man proceeded.

When his lazy gaze lifted to her face, he froze for a brief moment, his hands tensing. But when he noticed the oriental collar around her neck, he visibly relaxed.

Leo caught that reaction. He knew why—spatial mages were strictly controlled by the Empire, or more precisely, by the Emperor himself. The Emperor’s slave decree largely targeted other races, and with such markers, an elf could easily abduct a mage for information if he wasn’t careful.

But when the man attempted to use his teleportation spell—deliberately choosing not to touch Sylrael—his pupils suddenly contracted.

Blink.

He vanished... only to reappear tens of meters in the air.

This time, he looked fully alert. His narrowed eyes swept across the group with sharp intensity.

He spotted 3 elves—2 of them slightly stronger than him. But the moment he gauged the strength of the humans—

He blinked again, instantly moving even higher. His gaze locked onto Lily.

Leo could feel the invisible attack already forming in the mage’s hand. The air grew tense.

Then the mage spoke, his voice clear despite the distance.

"You people... there’s no way you’re freshmen. What are you planning to do with me? Tell me—right now!"

There was no trace of fatigue left in him.

The spatial mage was already debating whether to teleport away and report to the authorities. But he held back—if they truly meant harm, someone like Lily could have captured him the moment he arrived.

Sensing the dangerous attack about to be unleashed—one that would definitely injure several weaker members—Leo stepped forward and spoke.

"Wait! What are you talking about? I think you’ve mistaken us for someone else!"

---

A/N: I am sorry for the irregular updates. My exams have arrived, and it’s getting a bit difficult.