The singing seemed to linger beside the ear, and the dancing seemed still vivid, yet that was a matter of yesterday.
Now, Rhode and Mira were aboard a flying ship, traveling on the route to Gioa Kingdom.
This was their first time taking a flying ship since they set out on their journey.
Primarily because they had already agreed to the invitation and didn't want to spend too much time on the road.
Otherwise, the two might have chosen a more leisurely mode of travel, enjoying the journey along the way.
"Crossing this mountain means entering the territory of Gioa Kingdom, but I'm sorry, there are too many bandits here, and we might be shot down as enemies."
The flying ship landed at the foot of a mountain, and the pilot refused to go any further.
Rhode said, "I'm quite good at Defense Magic, I can absolutely ensure your safety."
"But when I come back myself, I won't be able to ensure that..."
The pilot was adamant about not continuing, indicating that the situation in Gioa Kingdom had been rumored to be pretty bad externally.
Rhode had no choice but to settle the bill and let him leave.
To personally verify the situation, Rhode and Mira began trekking up the mountain along a small path.
The result proved that the pilot's worries were not unfounded.
Because as the two climbed over the mountaintop and descended to mid-slope, more than twenty people suddenly jumped out in front of them.
These people didn't have the neat uniforms like the previous Petlyura Gang, but they seemed to strive to maintain a consistent style in their attire.
—They all wore earth-yellow boots.
The bearded leader saw that there were only two people and swaggered out carrying a great saber: "What luck, just came out and bumped into two rich folks!"
Someone asked, "How do you know they're rich?"
"Need you ask? Just look at their tender skins and delicate looks, especially that woman, climbing a mountain in a dress and high heels, definitely a young lady from some noble family!"
In Gioa Kingdom, February is already the season for outings.
Young lords and ladies sneaking out to climb mountains without guards is quite normal.
As long as they kidnap them, a big ransom can be easily made.
However...
"This young lady is excessively beautiful today..." The bearded leader suddenly had a bold thought, but on second thought, money was important, so he didn't continue.
"That woman looks a bit familiar."
"Hmm? Have we kidnapped them before? That's even better, their family should be more sensible."
Unable to recall, the bearded leader didn't mind; familiar people could pay ransom more smoothly.
Rhode felt that within these few words, he had already grasped many stories.
Firstly, the banditry in this country was utterly lawless, blatantly kidnapping noble children for ransom.
Secondly, the nobles seemed a bit too weak; as per their words, this kind of thing wasn't a one-time occurrence, and every time went smoothly, possibly never facing significant retaliation.
Thirdly...
Rhode cheerfully looked at Mira: "They praised your beauty, what discerning bandits."
"Oh my~" Mira held her face in a shy gesture, looking a bit cute.
But to the opponents, this might appear as a sign of trust, believing that once the ransom was paid, they wouldn't be harmed.
Yet, they simultaneously felt somewhat displeased, as the playful demeanor of the two gave them a sense of being looked down upon.
The bearded leader spat on the ground and impatiently waved his hand: "Tie them up, take them back! Let them know the power of the Machno Gang!"
"Receive·Demon Shadou!"
Mira's skin darkened, her ears turned into pointy elf ears, her clothes transformed into a black leather outfit, and her hair naturally flowed down.
The bandits couldn't react to what had happened and instinctively followed the recent order to rush forward.
The shadow under Mira's feet suddenly elongated, splitting into twenty spikes that pierced the bandits' ankles.
"Ah..."
"She's a Mage!"
"It hurts!"
The bandits fell to the ground, their weapons flew out, leaving only the bearded leader still standing.
Mira's shadow retracted and the Receiving Magic was canceled, she said disappointedly, "Indeed, not controlling it well, left one behind."
Rhode said, "Next time, practice with the Void Worms, capturing them is much harder than harming people."
"Who...who are you, daring to resist the Machno Gang!" the bearded leader clutched his great saber with both hands.
The blade was already emitting flames, but recalling the bizarre shadow earlier, this magic tool didn't give him much sense of security.
Mira didn't answer him, she stretched her arms forward, a small purple magic array appeared, followed by a magic chain extending from the center of the magic array.
The chain shot forward like lightning and struck the blade of the great saber with a clang.
The blade was instantly covered in cracks and the flame was extinguished.
The bearded leader felt a pain in his wrist and the great saber flew out from his grasp, causing him to stagger back a few steps and fall to the ground.
He wanted to stand up but as soon as he pressed his hands to the ground, he felt severe pain in his wrist, rendering his hands powerless.
Mira felt a bit delighted, though the enemy was weak, this chain was quite useful, she planned to try it more from now on.
Rhode stepped on the hilt of the saber and lightly flicked it, catching the cracked great saber and placing it at the bearded leader's neck: "Are you the boss of the Machno Gang?"
"No...no, I'm not."
"Where's your base? What does the head look like?"
The bearded leader cooperatively revealed the location of their base and described the appearance of the head leader.
After all, this was no secret, he felt these mere two people going against the Machno head was simply courting death.
Yet half an hour later, Rhode and Mira were at the front, surrounded by orderly ranks of wild creatures, transporting all members of the Machno Gang.
Rhode felt visiting for the first time without a present was not appropriate, so he decided to use this small bandit group as a meeting gift.
The situation in Gioa Kingdom was worse than Rhode imagined.
Because he hadn't walked far before encountering the welcoming team sent by the King.
And this team was actually surrounded by a band of bandits.
Both sides were on edge, unwilling to yield.
The bandits felt it wouldn't make sense to not leave anything behind on their turf, but a frontal clash might result in losses.
The welcoming team thought if they got robbed just like that, there'd be no face left for greeting the distinguished guest.
However, if they fought head-on and someone got injured in the team, it would be a disgrace, both impolite and embarrassing.
As Rhode's grand procession came forward, both sides were a bit dumbfounded.
Fortunately, Rhode acted in time, leaving only the welcoming team in a daze.
The Captain, upon recognizing Rhode, felt some embarrassment but had no choice and moved forward with resolve, placing one hand on his chest and kneeling on one knee: "Welcome to Gioa Kingdom, Count."
This time it was Rhode's turn to be dumbfounded: "Count? Who?"