Before he could finish, a wolf paw, smoking with black mist, suddenly reached out from the long-haired youth's shadow and grabbed his head.
Before the long-haired youth could even scream, he was dragged into the shadow on the ground, disappearing without a trace.
The entire process was so fast that people barely had time to react, as if it were just an illusion.
The hall was dead silent, everyone too terrified to move by the scene.
A suffocating fear permeated the air, as if even breathing became difficult.
Only the youth who had been held hostage touched his neck in relief, looking at Ezreal and the others gratefully.
Ezreal withdrew his hand, his tone calm: "The mole has been dealt with. Everyone, go back and rest. We still have to continue our journey tomorrow."
Charlotte took a deep breath, nodded, then turned to the caravan members and said: "Everyone, go back and rest. Let's pretend tonight's incident never happened."
The caravan members exchanged glances, then quietly dispersed.
After bidding farewell to Ezreal, Charlotte also left the hall with his guards.
Only Ezreal, Levy, Jet, and Droy remained in the hall.
Levy pushed up her glasses and quietly said: "Ezreal, wasn't your action just now a bit too… direct?"
Ezreal smiled, his tone indifferent: "Moles like that, the sooner they're dealt with, the better. The longer you drag it out, the more trouble it causes."
Jet nodded: "No wonder the caravan is always attacked by Dark Guilds. I'm afraid there are quite a few moles within the Heartfilia Merchant Guild."
Droy, on the other hand, yawned and lazily said: "Who cares? Since the problem is solved, I'm going back to sleep too. I still have to continue researching my new plants tomorrow."
Ezreal looked at them and smiled slightly, "Alright, everyone go back and rest. We still have to continue our journey tomorrow."
The few people nodded, and Levy and the other two returned to their rooms.
Ezreal stood in the empty hall, snapped his fingers, and a thick black mist surged out from his shadow, instantly dimming the brightly lit hotel lobby.
"Monitor every room for me. Report any unusual activity."
A massive wolf head with blood-red eyes floated beside Ezreal in the rolling black mist, nodding slightly.
Then, the black mist exploded, transforming into hundreds of black mist wolf heads with blood-red eyes, silently flying to various parts of the hotel, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
The hall returned to calm, with only the gentle rustle of wind outside the window, as if nothing had happened… Late at night, only faint moonlight filtered through the curtains onto the floor in the hotel room.
Lucy sat in a chair by the window, holding a cup of warm milk, her gaze directed through the window towards the distant port.
The sea breeze gently blew, bringing a hint of salty, damp air.
Lucy had no sleepiness whatsoever; her mood was still immersed in the novelty of her first outing.
"Grandpa Cru, at this distance, can you find the exact location of the key using astrology?" Lucy asked softly.
The Southern Cross Celestial Spirit Crux floated beside her, his silver-white cross glowing with a soft halo in the moonlight.
This old Celestial Spirit, who looked like a silver cross come to life, might seem unassuming, but he was arguably the most knowledgeable person in the entire Celestial Spirit World.
Crux, who was not skilled in combat, knew almost everything about the Celestial Spirit World.
In addition to being knowledgeable, he was also proficient in astrology, capable of predicting good and bad fortune, and finding ownerless Celestial Spirit keys through stargazing.
Crux smiled slightly, his voice gentle and kind: "Little Lucy, you still need to travel a bit further, but the caravan's direction is very close to where I previously predicted the key to be."
Lucy took a sip of milk, a hint of excitement flashing in her eyes: "I really want to find horologium's key quickly."
Crux nodded, his tone carrying a hint of encouragement: "Your talent is excellent; as long as you work hard, you will surely become a powerful Celestial Spirit Mage."
Just then, a slight commotion came from downstairs.
Lucy frowned, put down her cup, and listened intently.
Although the sound was not loud, she still heard the sounds of fighting and a few muffled groans.
"Something seems to have happened downstairs…" Lucy said with some concern, instinctively getting up and walking towards the door.
Crux slightly opened his eyes, and just as he was about to speak to stop her, Lucy herself voluntarily halted her steps.
"No," Lucy said rationally, sitting back down with her milk, "I can't become a burden to them."
She remembered that this was not the heavily guarded Heartfilia Merchant Guild headquarters with its round-the-clock patrol by the enforcement team; even if there was a disturbance, the experienced Charlotte would handle it, and she didn't need to intervene.
As the young miss of the Heartfilia Merchant Guild and also under the protection of Ezreal and the others, she knew her safety was paramount.
Acting rashly would not only put herself in danger but also potentially cause trouble for the guards.
Crux smiled with relief, his cross-shaped white beard trembling, and his gaze immediately shifted towards the door, his tone calm: "Someone must have infiltrated the hotel, but with the Fairy Tail Mages here, it's not a big problem."
Lucy nodded; although she felt a little uneasy, she did not intend to go downstairs.
Not long after, the commotion downstairs gradually subsided.
Lucy breathed a sigh of relief, just as she was about to continue talking to Crux, a gentle knock came at the door.
"Young miss, are you resting?" Charlotte's voice came from outside the door, with a hint of respect in his tone.
"Not yet, please come in." Lucy stood up and straightened her dress.
Charlotte pushed the door open, a hint of fatigue on his face, but his eyes were still sharp.
He bowed slightly, his tone calm: "Just now, two assassins from a Dark Guild infiltrated the hotel, attempting to attack us. However, they have already been dealt with by the Fairy Tail Mages. You don't need to worry; the matter is over."
Lucy nodded, a smile appearing on her face: "Thank you for your hard work. Ezreal and the others are indeed very capable."
Charlotte's serious face also showed a slight smile: "Yes, their strength is indeed reassuring."
After speaking, he bowed slightly: "Young miss, please get some rest early. We still have to continue our journey tomorrow."
Lucy nodded: "Alright, you've also worked hard."
After Charlotte exited the room, Lucy sat back by the window, but her mood remained restless for a long time.
She turned to Crux: "Grandpa Cru, Ezreal and the others are really amazing! They resolved the fight in just a few minutes!"
Crux smiled slightly, his tone carrying a hint of deeper meaning: "Indeed, the Mages of Fairy Tail are not to be underestimated. Even in the Celestial Spirit World, I have heard of them…"
Before he could finish, he suddenly frowned, his gaze turning to the corner of the room.
A faint silver glow illuminated his eyes, and in his sight, a nearly imperceptible black mist seemed to be silently spreading in the shadows of the room.
Lucy followed his gaze but saw nothing.
"Grandpa Cru…" Lucy blinked, a little confused.
"What an extraordinary young man." Crux praised, the light in his eyes slowly extinguishing. He looked at Lucy kindly, "Little Lucy, your journey may be unexpectedly smooth."
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"