After completing the King's request, Riyao didn't give a second thought to returning to the guild. The prosperity of Crocus, the Capital of Flowers, had long since piqued his interest. Carrying a heavy pouch of gold coins, he began to stroll leisurely through the streets and alleys.
Refreshing fragrances wafted from the flower shops along the street, and colorful petals were swept across the stone paths by the wind. The cries of vendors, the sound of laughter, and the aroma of food mixed together in a bustling scene that left him dazzled.
Riyao was in no hurry, but someone else was as anxious as an ant on a hot griddle.
Smoke swirled around a grilled skewer stall at the street corner, where sizzling meat skewers were coated in spices and glistening with oil. Riyao found a small stool and sat down, clutching two skewers of mixed fat and lean mutton in his hand and a grilled chicken wing in his mouth. His cheeks were bulging as he ate with utter satisfaction, completely unaware of the oil stains on the corners of his mouth. Just as he finished stripping a skewer clean, an anxious shout suddenly came from behind him: "Mr. Riyao! Is that Mr. Riyao?"
Chewing on a skewer, Riyao twisted his neck without turning his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a young man in coarse cloth clothes, about twenty years old. Sweat was seeping from his forehead, and his expression was panicked; he looked like a complete stranger.
The young man ran up to him in a few steps and stopped with a "thud," bowing deeply like a bent shrimp. His voice carried an irrepressible urgency and sincerity: "It really is Mr. Riyao! Thank goodness! Please, I beg you, help me!"
Riyao was biting the bone of the grilled chicken wing when he heard this. His movements paused, his cheeks still bulging as he chewed. He swallowed the meat indistinctly, wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth with his hand, and his gaze instantly became wary yet firm. He crisply spat out two words: "No money."
The young man froze for a moment, then quickly straightened up and waved his hands, his tone even more urgent: "Ah! No, no! You've misunderstood, sir! I'm not here to borrow money!" He rubbed his hands together, sweat from his forehead sliding down his cheeks. "I heard you had come to the capital and specifically sought you out. I want to ask you to save an elder in my family!"
"Oh—treating an illness?" Riyao drawled, his brow smoothing out. He took another bite of the chicken wing and said nonchalantly, "Then why don't you just go to a Magic Guild and post a request? It's much simpler to follow the official process."
"There's no time!" The young man's voice trembled with anxiety as he leaned half a step forward. "The elder suddenly fell ill and is unconscious. It's an emergency; there's simply no time to post a request!"
Riyao's chewing slowed down. The anxiety in the young man's eyes didn't seem fake. He gnawed the last bit of the chicken wing clean, tossed the bone into a nearby plate, and wiped his mouth. "If it's an emergency, you should look for a regular doctor. There's no need to specifically find me, right?"
"We've tried! We've invited all the best doctors in the city!" A hint of despair crept into the young man's voice. He clenched his hands tightly, his knuckles turning white. "They all said they were helpless. There was really no other way! I happened to hear you were in the capital and that you are the most powerful Healing Mage, so I rushed over to try my luck. I didn't expect to actually find you!"
Riyao narrowed his eyes, his gaze scanning the young man's anxious and earnest face. Seeing him covered in sweat and looking frantic, he didn't seem to be lying. Riyao brushed the crumbs off his hands and stood up, a smug "I have no choice" expression on his face. Puffing out his chest, he said, "Fine, fine. Who told me to be such a merciful, helpful Living Buddha!" He waved a hand. "Let's go. Lead the way, don't waste any time."
A look of wild joy instantly erupted on the young man's face, his eyes lighting up like flickering flames. He bowed repeatedly. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Mr. Riyao! You are truly our family's savior!"
"By the way," Riyao had just taken two steps when he suddenly stopped and turned to look at him. "I haven't asked yet—what's your name?"
"Ah! How rude of me!" The young man replied quickly, his tone filled with the gratitude of a survivor. "My name is Aris El. You can just call me Aris, sir!"
"Aris, right? Okay, let's go quickly. Don't keep the elder waiting." Riyao waved his hand and grabbed two packed skewers of grilled lamb kidneys from the stall. He munched on them as he followed the young man deep into the alleys, his pace leisurely, not taking the "emergency" to heart at all.
Aris quickly responded. As he turned to lead the way, the wild joy in his eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a flash of sinister coldness. He quietly clenched his fists behind his back. 'Perfect, this kid really is a glutton and easily fooled! He really thinks he's a Living Buddha saving the dying? Once I bring him to the abandoned mill outside the city, the brothers will be waiting. We'll disable his magic first, then force him to hand over the reward from the King and that magic book. Hehe, working for the lords of the Dark Guild this time will surely bring plenty of benefits!'
He deliberately slowed his pace, pretending to accommodate Riyao's speed of eating skewers, his tone remaining respectful: "Sir, please take your time eating. It's not far, just in a village not far outside the city. Our elder has difficulty moving, so we really couldn't bring them into the city."
Riyao chewed on the lamb kidney, his eyes nonchalantly scanning the surrounding streets. The path was getting more and more remote. The bustling shops from before were gradually thinning out, replaced by low residential houses and quiet alleys. The aroma of food in the wind had faded, replaced by the smell of dust.
He thought to himself: 'Interesting. This direction isn't heading toward the residential area at all. Outside the city? I bet it's not a "village," but an ambush. This Aris's acting isn't bad; that anxious look earlier almost fooled me. It's just that the tension in his eyes was too deliberate—it didn't look like he was worried about an elder, but rather worried that I'd run away.'
He deliberately slowed down and mumbled through his skewers, "Hey, your place is pretty remote. Why move outside the city when living inside is so nice?"
Aris's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly turned back to cover it up: "Ah... the countryside is quiet, and the elder likes it. We're almost there; it's just past that bridge ahead." He cursed inwardly: 'Why does this kid talk so much? Just get to the mill already, and don't cause any more trouble! When we make our move, I'll have the brothers who specialize in binding magic go first. This kid is a Healing Mage, so his attack power shouldn't be strong. We can definitely take him down in one go!'
Riyao grinned, swallowed the last bite of his skewer, and patted the oil off his hands. "It's nothing. I said we're almost there, so let's keep going." He was laughing in his heart. 'This kid is flustered! It seems the people lying in ambush are nearby. Perfect, let me see just how much ability you all have. Don't disappoint me!'
Just as the two stepped onto the stone bridge, a dark shadow curled up among the dense branches of an old locust tree by the side of the bridge, almost blending into the shadows. Those eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, staring fixedly at Riyao's back. Intense hatred surged in the pupils, but the corners of the mouth slowly curled into a cold arc.
The dark shadow sneered inwardly: 'The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. You think you're the hunter, but little do you know you've already become someone else's prey. I will avenge my brother with my own hands. Once you and Aris's group of scum are both wounded, it will be your time to die!'