My front door leads to a comic strip

"interesting."

Inside the palace.

A desolate atmosphere permeated the surroundings, even the candlelight seemed frozen, flickering only slightly.

Celia's gaze fell on the table—it contained the latest intelligence about the Seven Sages, delivered by her disciples.

Looking at the relevant information—

"Is he dead? Before I even saw him..."

"Among humans..."

"When did such a valiant warrior appear?"

"He" naturally refers to Kono.

Seria noticed the name after one of her apprentices was injured by this man.

The search has been ongoing for some time, and only recently have we received some leads.

However, before they could even begin their investigation following the clues, news of his death suddenly arrived…

A very soft sigh escaped from her lips and blended into the frozen air.

"What a pity... I originally considered you a formidable opponent. In the end, you died at the hands of an unknown human..."

Seria murmured, her voice filled with genuine regret.

Then, a self-deprecating chuckle swept across the corner of her mouth.

—Seven Collapses of Sages.

That's all there is to it.

But on second thought, it makes sense.

They are all young people who are several hundred years old.

Even though he has never slacked off in honing his magic over the past few centuries, his power... is probably less than one-tenth of what it was at its peak.

but…

"While they might all be just name-callers, the one who defeated him..."

"Um."

She drew out her words, her fingertip tracing the unfamiliar name.

Gu Yuan.

Age and strength unknown; accompanied by an elf…

Just because this person beat her to the punch, taking away her intended opponent, an unprecedented interest quietly sprouted in her heart.

Thoughts raced through my mind.

"Sangfu, come in."

Celia slowly stood up, her wide robes cascading down.

Looking towards the doorway,

"I remember the human you met before had this name."

"Look, isn't that him?"

The door was gently pushed open, and Sangfu walked in with obvious hesitation, not daring to get too close.

"Why are you so far away from me?"

Sangfu's heart tightened slightly.

That's natural.

I bought some donuts and bread from Gu Yuan before, but when I got home I found that they had lost their proper texture due to dehydration.

Celia looked pale after eating it, thinking she was being made a fool of.

It was only because the divine magic she brought back improved her mood that she was spared punishment.

Sangfu took a deep breath and said softly, "No need to confirm, Master, it's them."

"Although it's unclear why they appeared on the Central Continent so quickly, combinations of elves and humans are rare, especially when they share the same name..."

"They probably rode some kind of monster, but that's not important."

Sangfu asked softly, "Master, what do you plan to do?"

Celia chuckled softly, stretched, and slowly strolled down the steps.

Each of her steps struck the smooth ground with a steady thud, echoing clearly in the silence.

"You know the answer already, so you ask."

His tone was a mixture of undisguised fighting spirit and an almost pure seriousness:

"He stole my prey without even saying hello... How can I not go and meet someone like that?"

She turned her head, her gaze falling on Sangfu's downcast face:

"Don't tell me you're worried about their safety?"

"Do I look... like one of those bloodthirsty elves?"

"..."

"Like." Sangfu answered silently in her heart, lowering her head even further.

My master is not a man of indiscriminate killing; he disdains to lay a hand on the weak.

But the number of powerful individuals who have died at her hands... in the past thousand years, there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of them.

The reason for this is his restless nature and his desire to test his "murdering" magic.

"That's interesting."

Celia seemed to see through Sunf's concerns, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

She walked up to the other person, leaned slightly forward, and deliberately made her worry clear:

"You're afraid I'll accidentally kill him, right?"

"I'm curious. I remember you've only known him for less than seven days, no... less than five. And you're already pleading for him?"

At that moment, Sangfu raised her head, her gaze meeting her master's scrutiny without wavering: "...This is not a plea for mercy."

She spoke calmly and deliberately, her gaze firm, as if correcting a statement.

"But I think that as heroes, they shouldn't be reduced to tools for you, Master, to pass the time."

"I know that you, Master, are never afraid of the Empire, but it is because of people like them that the world can function."

"Just like this time, the death of one of the Seven Sages will inevitably alarm the other Seven Sages. Those hidden demons will definitely come out to gather information."

"At that time, various forces will emerge, and isn't that you...?"

Before she could finish speaking, Celia keenly grasped the unspoken meaning in her disciple's words.

"You want me to wait and see, until those cowards show themselves, and then wipe them all out in one fell swoop, right?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, a hint of genuine interest flashing in her eyes.

"It seems you think even higher of them than I imagined... heroes?"

She repeated the word, the curve of her lips deepening.

"In that case, I have no choice but to see him."

Swish.

He suddenly turned around.

Raise your hand.

As if anticipating the dissuasion that Sangfu was about to utter, she casually tossed out a preemptive strike:

"Don't worry, it's just a meeting to chat. By the way... I'm also very interested to see how those demons will react in the future."

"Does that human... have the ability to continue slaying the other Seven Sages of the Collapse?"

"I have reservations about this, and that's why I look forward to seeing...more magic."

Celia's voice trailed off, as if she were sinking into some kind of pleasant reverie.

Sangfu gazed at her master's profile, her face filled with helplessness, a strong sense of déjà vu washing over her.

The way Master looks gives off the feeling that he's about to play a nurturing game.

...It must be my imagination.

Gu Yuan,

It's not like I'm a magician.

"..."

"Get the car ready."

Celia strode toward the palace gates, her cloak billowing softly behind her:

"It's probably too late to get to Galvester now."

"Is their destination the capital? Then I will go to the capital and wait for them."

Reaching the door, she suddenly turned back, glanced at Sangfu, and spoke in a calm yet unquestionable tone:

"You don't need to come along."

She didn't want any unnecessary factors to interfere with the upcoming meeting, even if it was with her own disciple.

Upon hearing this, Sangfu froze in place, the foot she was about to lift.

She remained silent for a moment, then simply nodded slightly and replied softly, "Yes."

He quickly turned around, suppressing the complex emotions surging in his heart, and began to arrange the carriage journey to the capital.

……

Meanwhile, in Galvegas, Gu Yuan received a sudden reward, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.