From the time Ankh and his two companions accepted the job and arrived at the royal capital, less than three days had passed in total.
In that short time, Ankh's speed at completing the mission was incredibly fast.
One day was spent traveling.
The next day, they listened to the king's request at the palace and rested.
On the very next day, he had already wiped out the remaining members of the White Demon cult.
This wasn't really strange.
The White Demon cult was never a match for Ankh to begin with. The only reason they had survived for so long was because they were good at hiding.
Ankh had purposely left the unlucky cult leader alive, if barely.
The kingdom's soldiers carried the half-dead man back to the capital and threw him in a cell.
No one paid much attention to the miserable cult leader because the king was now warmly entertaining his guests in the inner courtyard of the palace.
Erza's eyes shone with happiness.
Her cheeks were puffed out as she happily enjoyed the desserts in front of her.
Though usually tough, Erza always looked purely happy and cute when faced with sweets.
This was a small, charming contrast for the "Fairy Queen."
Mirajane was simpler—she grabbed all kinds of fish and meat from the table, eating with a fierce appetite as she stuffed them into her mouth.
The "carnivore" Mirajane didn't waste any of the food.
All the nutrients went to the right places on her body, maintaining her curvaceous figure.
The still flat-chested Hisui watched from nearby, unable to hide her envy.
Only Ankh used his knife and fork with perfect elegance, calmly cutting his steak and occasionally swirling his wine glass to take a slow sip.
King Toma sat at the head of the table with Princess Hisui, smiling as he watched his guests.
However, Hisui's gaze kept drifting toward Ankh.
Handsome, powerful, with a commanding presence—it seemed all the best words used to describe a man truly fit him.
Hisui's beautiful eyes were soft, and her expression grew gentler.
Ankh seemed to be exactly the kind of man she had always imagined and admired.
Yet Ankh, who was so admired by the princess, felt completely unmoved inside.
He was actually feeling a bit sleepy...
Since becoming one of the Ten Wizard Saints, Ankh's standards had risen a lot.
The job the king had posted was already one of the more difficult ones on the guild's board, but Ankh still didn't find it very challenging.
To keep improving, he needed to find some high-difficulty missions.
For example, the "Ten-Year" level missions (which were one step below the legendary "Hundred-Year" missions) would be perfect for him right now.
After he dealt with the guild's situation, handled Ultear, and gathered information about Tartaros, he could think about taking on some of those missions for training.
Just as Ankh was thinking about his future plans, King Toma noticed his daughter staring intently at Ankh and called out softly.
"Hisui?"
"Ah? Yes, Father?"
Hisui was flustered and quickly lowered her head to respond.
Toma shook his head with a light laugh—his daughter was growing up, and now her heart had room for someone else...
Sighing inwardly, King Toma looked at Ankh, hesitated for a moment, and finally asked.
"Ankh-kun, if I may ask, are you seeing anyone?"
Hisui's heart jumped.
Mirajane nearly choked on the meat she was chewing, and Erza... lifted her head from her pile of desserts, her eyes somewhat confused.
Ankh was startled by the strange question and honestly shook his head.
"Not at the moment."
Hearing Ankh's answer, Toma immediately broke into a wide smile and couldn't help saying.
"Good, that's very good."
Ankh's eyelid twitched.
'What was that about?'
'What did he mean by that?'
That smiling face looked more and more like he was making fun of him.
'So you have a partner and you're showing off?! 'Ankh bit into his beef with visible frustration, which prompted Toma to quickly put on a cheerful smile again.
"Since Ankh-kun isn't seeing anyone, I have a proposal. Perhaps..."
"Your Majesty! Representatives from the Magic Council are here!"
Just as Toma was about to explain further, a soldier hurried to his side to report.
"The Council is here already? They're unusually fast this time," Toma muttered to himself.
He had to put his previous topic on hold and went to receive the Council delegates.
Hisui, who had guessed what her father was going to suggest, secretly felt both relieved and a little disappointed.
While she genuinely admired Ankh, they had known each other for such a short time that she felt hesitant to rush into anything.
Mirajane finally swallowed the meat she'd been chewing, her eyes wide with disbelief.
That girl... and that troublesome old king... were they really interested in Ankh?
What the king was about to say... could it have been about setting up his daughter with Ankh?
The more Mirajane thought about it, the more alarmed she became.
How could they think about marrying off someone so young?
No, she needed to leave the capital with Ankh right away.
That old king had bad intentions—she couldn't let him pressure Ankh!
Mirajane quietly made up her mind.
Unaware of the psychological turmoil his few words had caused, Ankh calmly focused his mind, connecting his consciousness with the deep well of magic power inside him.
Following the flow of magic, part of Ankh's spiritual energy stretched outward.
The Council troops were lined up at the palace gates.
They were led by a man wearing a high-quality councilor's robe.
He had handsome features and a warm smile, making quite an impression.
The man, Anselion, had a sharp look in his eyes and his whole demeanor was very polite.
Just then, King Toma came out of the palace.
Anselion promptly approached and bowed slightly.
"Your Majesty, I am Councilor Anselion from the Magic Council. I have been specially sent to take custody of the felon—the leader of the White Devil Cult."
Toma knew that all magical criminals fell under the Council's control, but he couldn't help asking with some confusion:
"Even as the leader of the White Devil Cult, is he really important enough for a councilor to come personally?"
Anselion's voice was as smooth as a spring breeze.
"This criminal may be connected to the core guilds of the Balam Alliance, which is why we felt it necessary to be cautious."
Hearing this, Toma's face immediately became serious.
The Balam Alliance—with three major Dark Guilds at its center, incorporating hundreds of smaller Dark Guilds—was a powerful force widely considered the biggest threat on the continent!
Any matter connected to the Alliance's core guilds was beyond what Toma alone could handle.
He quickly called for his soldiers to hand the prisoner over to Anselion.
Once he had the criminal, Anselion had him locked securely in the prison compartment at the back of the magic vehicle.
Then, he and his troops gradually withdrew from the palace.
Anselion sat at the front of the magic vehicle.
But before they had traveled far, a subtle ripple of magic power suddenly came from the road ahead...
Anselion's smile disappeared as he looked forward thoughtfully.
Anselion suddenly called out in a loud voice, "There's no need for you to hide, sir. Show yourself..."
As soon as Anselion finished speaking, a curvaceous and imposing figure abruptly appeared in the middle of the road ahead.
Ultear watched the magic vehicle slowly approach, her expression cold and detached as she murmured.
"Here, no one can stop me anymore..."
"Anselion! You will die today!"