Lucas had considered for a moment, looking at those who were rushing at him.

'Should I kill them all?'

But the result that came out after a brief moment of consideration was.

"Sleep-."

-Thump! Thump! Clatter!

To put them all to sleep with a wide-area sleep magic.

And then it was possible to solve everything peacefully.

"The head of the family."

It was no trouble to find the two heads of the family who were hiding.

"Ugh!"

He, who was surprised at the sudden appearance of Lucas, fell on his butt.

"Don't be so surprised. No one will die here today."

"W-who are you?"

"I have come to deliver the will of His Majesty, the sun of the Arant Empire, Emperor Grad."

The heads of the family, who heard Lucas's words, turned pale as if they had faced a messenger of death.

"State your identity with courtesy."

"I am Traver Nolan. I receive the message of the great Emperor."

"I am Felix Barker. I receive the message of the great Emperor."

Was it because they had something to hide? They obediently showed their courtesy according to Lucas's words, even though they had been abandoned by the country.

"I know all about your thoughts of rebellion. And that you tried to drag the Rodrigo County into it."

"..."

"If you stop now, the bloodshed will end here. If not, you will all die."

"H-how can I believe that you... are from the Arant imperial family?"

"Hmm. Well, whether you believe it or not, that's your freedom. If it's hard to believe, how about you try it?"

Lucas's sly sneer echoed low.

"The Rodrigo County. Remember that they are always under the surveillance of the Arant imperial family."

This was the most peaceful and perfect method Lucas had chosen.

A situation where there was no more slaughter, and where no one could freely turn the arrow of suspicion.

By putting forward the name of the Arant imperial family, they would not be able to rashly suspect the Astrid family, who had not agreed with their will, and the Rodrigo County.

"And I know the shameless things you are doing. You'd better stop touching that sacred race, the winter fox tribe."

"That is not for the Arant imperial family to meddle in."

The head of the Barker family sneered.

"Let's just say this is my contractor's meddling."

As Lucas released the polymorph on the back of his hand, Aman's mark appeared.

"...!"

The seal of the silver-blue dragon. The true name of the contractor engraved in dragon language below it.

'A dragon's contractor...!'

The two heads of the family, who saw it, held their breath.

"If the same problem occurs again, it will be my contractor, not me, who will come in person."

Lucas, who had turned around at the end of those words, teleported.

***

It was truly a stormy series of days.

Nothing went as planned, he was almost killed in a surprise attack, and he had unexpectedly solved the problem by selling the name of the imperial family.

Lucas, who was looking at the emblem engraved on the back of his hand for a moment, hid it again.

"Anyway, I'm grateful."

This time, he looked at the small heart-shaped red spot on his arm.

Although it was different from the plan, it seemed that most of the work was done.

"Now, shall we go and solve the last one."

The place Lucas entered was the middle of a forest path overgrown with vines.

"Who is it! This place does not welcome strangers...! Huh!? Benefactor!!!"

The voice, which seemed to come with dignity from a corner, instantly changed to a shrill one when it recognized Lucas.

"Is the chief here?"

"Kyaa! What brings you here? Did you find our captured kinsmen again?"

A small creature, a pixie, flew towards Lucas, making a fuss.

Was it because he had saved a pixie before?

They had given Lucas the title of 'benefactor' and were almost worshiping him.

"I have a favor to ask."

"Of course! Now, this way!"

As he followed the pixie who was leading the way, a narrow path appeared between the small tree vines.

Lucas bent his body as much as possible and walked carefully so as not to damage the vines.

"Huh!? It's the benefactor!"

Then the pixies who had felt his presence began to stick their heads out from between the vines one by one.

"Benefactor! Benefactor!"

"The benefactor has come!"

As Lucas's visit became known, numerous pixies, who looked to be young, began to circle around Lucas.

"Benefactor! Do you remember you saved me last time? My wings are all better now!"

"Benefactor! Benefactor! You'll stay and play a little longer this time, right?"

"That's right! Don't go early this time!"

"Phew... would you all please step back a little? It's distracting."

As Lucas frowned at the barrage of questions, the young pixies' expressions instantly darkened.

"Hmph... he said to go..."

"He said we're going..."

"He said it was distracting..."

"That's why I told you to flap your wings a little slower!"

"It's not my fault, is it? It must be yours!"

The pixies, who were sullen at Lucas's words, began to bicker among themselves.

"Stop! Everyone, go in!"

Finally, Lucas, who couldn't stand it anymore, shouted, and the pixies made a dejected flapping sound and scurried to hide between the vines.

"Hehe, I'm sorry. I think it's because they're all so happy to see you. Chief! The benefactor has come!"

The pixie who was in charge of guiding apologized and called the chief.

"Ooh! Isn't it the benefactor!"

Then a pixie with a white beard braided down to his knees appeared from between the vines that were wrapped around a large old tree.

"Yes. Have you been well?"

"Thanks to the benefactor, our children were able to come home. I was just feeling sad that you left so quickly last time. Our pixies were going to cast a blessing spell on you... no, I hope you have time today, but no, the best pixie in our tribe is not here right now..."

All pixies were this talkative.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt..."

Finally, Lucas, who had cut off the chief's words, made a troubled face.

"Oh my, I've been talking too much, haven't I? I'm sorry. No, more importantly, what brings you here... no, no. Whatever the reason, since you've visited, what should I treat you to..."

"Ahem. Ahem..."

There was really no way to stop the pixie's chatter.

"I've been talking too much again! Holholhol! I'm getting old and senile."

"It's a bit of a difficult request, but would you be able to grant it?"

"Oh my. Of course. Please tell me quickly."

"I wonder if I could take one of your tribe members with me for a while. I'm thinking of selling them as a slave."

The chief's expression instantly hardened at Lucas's words.

"W-what do you mean..."

Lucas, who saw him, realized. That he had spoken without thinking because he was distracted.

"Ah, I misspoke. It's because I was a little distracted. I mean, I'm thinking of rescuing the other kinsmen by pretending to be a slave trader, so I wonder if there's a member who would join my plan."

"Oh... I was really so surprised. If it's for that matter, of course there will be a volunteer. Above all, since it's to save our kinsmen, our brave pixie warrior will surely step forward. If I may say so about our warrior..."

The chief, who had been so surprised, then went on a long speech about the greatness of the pixie warrior.

"So... where is the warrior?"

"Holholhol! I've been senile again. Then it would be good if it's a kinsman that humans would covet. A rare hair color and beautiful wings. Hmm... oh, that's right! Alin! Bring Alin!"

"Yes! Chief!"

A pixie who was standing by the chief's side quickly flew away at his words.

"She's the child with the rarest color in our tribe. She's so rare that she usually dyes her hair to change the color."

The hair and eye color of pixies were mostly similar to nature.

The most common colors were green and brown, which were suitable for hiding in trees and living.

"Chief old man! Why again! I didn't go out this time, you know?"

After a while, a shrill voice was heard from a distance.

'A voice I think I've heard before.'

When he turned his head, he saw a pixie with silver hair and green eyes flying, flapping her wings.

'It's definitely a rare color. So much so that it could be considered a mutation.'

As the pixie got closer, Lucas could recognize the identity of the voice he thought he had heard.

'Ha, it's the pixie who showed kindness to Skir before. Was her green hair then dyed?'

Even if the world was small, how could it be this small!

"No, old man, why!"

"Hush! Can't you do something about that frivolous tone? Can't you even see the guest who has come here?"

"Ah, I see him too! I have two eyes, so I can see him well too! He's the benefactor, right? I know him too. Hello. Thank you for saving our kinsmen."

As the chief shouted, Alin nodded her head and greeted Lucas.

"Now, there's something you need to do."

"Ah, I don't want to! I won't do it!"

Alin shook her head at the chief's words.

"Without even hearing what it is? Even though you can go to the outside world?"

"Really? What is it? I'll do it."

At the words 'outside world', Alin's face instantly brightened and she flapped her wings excitedly.

"The benefactor said he's going to save the kinsmen in the slave market. That's why he said he needs a brave pixie to join his plan."

"Khuk! The benefactor really chose a good pixie. Isn't that brave! Valiant! The icon Alin Salerno? Strong wings! A determined look!"

The pixie, who had changed her attitude in an instant, sat on Lucas's shoulder and then flew in front of him again, showing off her wings and glaring.

"Ahem, ahem! Alin? That frivolous attitude..."

"No, old man! Isn't that right? And you need a bait to use on the slave traders, right? Then where else is there a pixie like me? This silver hair. Is this common?"

"Alin! Watch your words. A bait?"

Lucas thought as he looked at Alin, who was flying around excitedly in front of him.

'Should I use silence magic and take her with me?'

"Ahem... benefactor. This child has only lived for about 70 years and is immature... but it's true that she's brave enough to always dream of the outside world. I've often had to catch her when she went out."

"It's fine. You said your name was Alin. Will you come with me?"

"Hey! It's a given if you say it twice, and it hurts my mouth if you say it three times! No, but I can come back, right? You're not really going to sell me, are you?"

"Alin!!!"

Finally, the chief, who couldn't stand it anymore, shouted, and Alin shrugged her shoulders.

"Tsk, isn't that right? You told me to be careful of humans, but isn't the benefactor a human?"

"Right. That's a good attitude. Always be suspicious and careful of humans."

"See? The benefactor thinks so too, right?"

Lucas, who had nodded at Alin's words, looked at the chief.

"Don't worry. I'll be sure to return Alin to the village along with the captured kinsmen."

"Not at all. I'm just sorry that I seem to be constantly burdening the benefactor with the problems of our tribe."

"Not at all. It's something that humans have done, so I'm just doing what I can as a fellow human."

"Thank you."

Alin, who had gently sat on his shoulder, was wiggling her butt.

"Now, let's go!"

"Right. Let's go."

(End of Chapter)