Axel found Madame near thThe client—a refined, middle-aged woman dressed in travel attire—looked him up and down with unmistakable skepticism.
"So you're the… Fairy Tail boy?" she asked, frowning.
"Axel Drake, at your service," he replied, straightening his posture as professionally as a ten-year-old could manage. "I'll be your escort mage."
Behind her, a carriage stood ready, its cargo area stacked with tightly sealed crates—heavy ones.
"I deal in valuable merchandise," Rosalie said coolly. "These crates must be delivered to Shirotsume. The road is dangerous, and my previous guard… resigned." Her eyes narrowed. "Are you certain you can protect all of this?"
"My responsibility is to ensure your cargo arrives intact," Axel answered without hesitation. "My evasion magic and physical strength are more than sufficient for any threat on the road."
Rosalie exhaled slowly. Practical necessity outweighed her doubts.
"…Very well. We depart in ten minutes. The responsibility is entirely yours, Mage Axel."
Ten minutes later, the carriage rolled out of Magnolia, Axel seated beside the coachman as the city faded into the distance.
The journey began quietly.
The road twisted through dense woodland, shadows stretching between tall trees. Axel kept Emperor's Eyes (Lv. 2) active in passive perception mode, scanning constantly for mana traces, irregular movement, and potential ambush points.
Shadow Step remained ready—just a thought away.
The system said "small bandits and wild creatures."Perfect. CP farm.
The first ambush came in the middle of the afternoon.
As the carriage passed through a narrow stretch of road, four men burst from the bushes—rusty swords in hand, crude Body Enhancement Magic barely holding together.
"Stop the carriage!" the leader shouted. "Hand over the gold and nobody gets hurt!"
Axel leapt down before the coachman could even react, landing lightly on the dirt road.
[Warning: Enemy Level 8 — Bandit (x4)][ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: First Assault — Reward: 10 CP]
"Low reward… zero risk," Axel muttered.
The bandits stared at him, confused.
"A brat?" one of them scoffed. "Where's the real mage?"
"I am the mage," Axel said calmly, stepping forward. "And I'm not in a good mood."
He didn't need offensive magic.
Axel activated Shadow Step (Lv. 4) at maximum output.
His body blurred—motion collapsing into afterimages, like mist pulled by the wind.
In the blink of an eye, he stood before the leader.
Emperor's Eyes flared, highlighting a clear weak point.
The jaw.
One punch.
CRACK!
The bandit was launched backward, disappearing into the forest and collapsing unconscious among the trees.
The remaining three barely processed what had happened.
Axel was already among them.
With Strength 17 and Agility 19, he disarmed the first bandit effortlessly. He seized the stolen sword and used it like a blunt weapon, smashing it into the second man's skull.
The third panicked and attempted a spell.
"Stone—!"
Axel sidestepped gracefully, leaving behind a Shadow Step afterimage. His kick slammed into the man's chest with crushing force.
THUD!
The last bandit turned and ran.
A fatal mistake.
Axel appeared directly in front of him, blocking the path. The man nearly collapsed in terror.
"W–who are you?!"
"Just a kid who needs Conquest Points."
The bandit dropped everything and fled into the forest, stumbling over roots in blind panic.
The entire fight lasted less than ten seconds.
Axel stood alone in the middle of the road, red hair swaying gently in the wind—uninjured, unbothered.
Madame Rosalie, peering through the carriage window, was completely speechless.
[Bandits Defeated: 3/4 — Knocked Out][Escort Mission: Progress Updated][EPIC ACHIEVEMENT: Physical Dominance (Low Risk) — Reward: 80 CP]
"Eighty CP…" Axel grinned. "Almost half of what I expected for the entire mission."
His total climbed to 670 CP.
Only 330 more until the Boosted Gear.
He tossed the bandit's sword aside and glanced at the coachman, whose face had gone pale.
"Let's keep moving," Axel said calmly. "The carriage is safe. And please…"He paused."…don't ask who I am."
The coachman nodded silently.
The journey continued.
And Axel understood one thing clearly:
At this pace, he would reach 1,000 CP long before arriving in Shirotsume.
Earthland was chaos.
And chaos…
…was his farm.