Almost at the same moment, the team of officers led by Douglas stormed into the scene.

  “This is truly… an eye-opener.”

  “Don’t just stand there! Check if any of these children are hurt!”

  “Captain, what should we do with this big guy?”

  “What else? Leave it there. Let the professionals handle it!”

  Douglas issued a rapid stream of commands, setting every officer in motion. The scene was chaotic yet somehow orderly.

  “Was this… your doing?” Douglas murmured to himself, glancing toward the distant horizon.

  …

  Leaping soundlessly across rooftops, Glenn soon returned to his deer-drawn carriage. He ran a hand through his slightly disheveled hair, made sure his appearance wasn’t too conspicuous, and then drove away.

  The battle had only deepened his fascination with magic—like a novice gamer catching a glimpse of a veteran’s dazzling skills.

  Perhaps when I master magic, I could try blending it with technology… I wonder what would happen then?

  Lost in that thought, his carriage rolled beyond the borders of Dudd Town.

  A familiar scent drifted through the air, pulling Glenn from his musings. Ahead, three carriages trundled along the road—the kind most common in town.

  Two of them were piled with furniture and household goods.

  Moving out? Glenn guessed their purpose and quickened his pace to catch up.

  As he passed the leading carriage, he recognized familiar faces.

  Leila sat deep in thought, unaware of him, while her mother, Mrs. Derry, appeared equally preoccupied.

  “Miss Leila, are you moving away?” Glenn called out loudly.

  “Ah!” Leila jumped at the sudden voice, then relaxed upon seeing who it was. She patted her chest and smiled faintly. “Mr. Glenn! It’s been a long time.”

  Beside her, Mrs. Derry greeted him warmly. “We meet again, Mr. Glenn. I still feel guilty for not thanking you properly for saving us last time.”

  Glenn nodded to Leila first, then smiled at her mother. “Please, just call me Glenn. I’m only in my early twenties.”

  Mrs. Derry nodded in agreement.

  “So, you really are moving?” he repeated.

  The mother and daughter exchanged glances, their smiles fading slightly.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  “We… have to leave for some special reasons, Mr. Glenn,” Leila said, forcing a smile.

  “Is it because of your father?” Glenn asked bluntly.

  At the mention of father, both women paled, haunted by painful memories.

  Glenn could imagine the scars a failed father could leave on a family. His tone softened.

  “If that’s the case, you needn’t worry anymore. The police have already taken care of the criminals. Your father’s likely been arrested—or shot. I heard the news just before I left town.”

  He wasn’t certain if the man he had defeated among the criminals was Leila’s father. But even if he wasn’t, without the giant insect’s protection, that scum Bob could never escape the town’s police dragnet. After all, the entire force had been mobilized across Dudd Town.

  “Is… is that true?!” both women gasped in unison, startling the coachman.

  “Of course. If you don’t believe me, go back and see for yourselves. Many of the missing children have been rescued—they’re waiting for their parents to come claim them.”

  Tears glimmered in their eyes; hope and relief flooding their faces.

  “Mr. Pickman, please turn around,” Leila urged the driver. “Yes, we must go back!”

  The coachman, apparently familiar with them, said nothing against such a sudden decision. He simply signaled the two other drivers, and all three carriages turned back toward town.

  “Thank you, Mr. Glenn, for telling us. Otherwise, we would have regretted it deeply,” Leila said, bowing repeatedly, her voice trembling with emotion.

  “So, you’re not moving anymore?” Glenn teased with a grin.

  Leila’s face flushed crimson. She thanked him again before the carriages rolled away.

  Glenn continued down the road toward home.

  On the way, he passed two residents of Bayek—a memory flickered from the body’s former owner.

  They were dressed in tattered, old-fashioned clothes, their auras grim and crow-like.

  Naturally, none of them spoke; they simply passed each other in silence.

  As Glenn entered Bayek, he immediately noticed a carriage that stood out oddly from its surroundings—and the unfamiliar perfume lingering in the air.

  It was parked before the old man’s house. Glenn guessed it must belong to one of the elder’s acquaintances, so he didn’t feel alarmed.

  Moments later, a tall, elegant woman stepped gracefully out of the carriage.

  It was Depha.

  She studied Glenn with open curiosity, as though examining some rare creature.

  Feeling a bit uneasy, he called out from a distance, “You know the old man?”

  “The old man?” Depha blinked, then covered her mouth and laughed. “Hehe… Is that what you usually call him? That’s quite impolite.”

  “It just rolls off the tongue—and he never minded,” Glenn replied, stepping closer. “So, you really are his acquaintance?”

  The woman was strikingly mature, her curves wrapped in a sorcerer’s robe. Glenn recalled that mages tended to live long lives. Could she be… his childhood friend? he wondered, then asked aloud, “Are you an old friend of his?”

  Before he could finish, Depha conjured a wand and tapped him lightly on the head.

  “Do I look that old to you?” she said, frowning slightly.

  Glenn rubbed the spot and chuckled. “Well, an old bull eating tender grass isn’t that uncommon.”

  “Old bull… eating tender grass?” Depha repeated, then burst into laughter, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. “Hahaha! You’re quite the amusing little one. In all my years, I’ve never met anyone like you!”

  Uh… Glenn hadn’t expected the stern-looking mage to have such an easy laugh.

  “The old man’s not home? Would you like to come over to my place for a bit?” he asked, glancing toward the old man’s door.

  After laughing for a while, Depha nodded.

  The two walked together to Glenn’s house.

  As he opened the door, the little maid, Tia, immediately greeted him. “Welcome home, Mr. Glenn.”

  Glenn waved a hand. “Alright. Let me introduce you—this is…”

  He paused, realizing he didn’t know her full name. Turning back, he asked awkwardly, “How should I address you?”

  “Just call me Lady Depha. But you don’t need to introduce me—she and I have already met.”

  Depha winked at Tia.

  “Is that so?” Glenn turned a questioning gaze toward his maid.

  She nodded earnestly and briefly recounted what had happened that morning.

  When she finished, Glenn sighed. “That old man really never learns, does he? Still barging into my house whenever he feels like it.”