"Wait, why did you come along as well?"
On the Mogaro airship, Fang Mo looked at the Summon beside him and couldn't help but complain, "Didn't I tell you to help the Imperial Army?"
Yes, Fang Mo's original plan was to rescue the Empress, then head to the Etten Industrial District to swindle Anton... As for the other main quests, like the one in the divine city of Ghent, he planned to leave them to the Summon and Misha.
Everyone knows that the main quest in the Empyrean Realm is long and tedious, and Fang Mo wasn't keen on running it all by himself.
After all, Fang Mo had crossed over to Arad to reminisce about the past, not to save the world. He couldn't possibly run every single quest himself, could he?
For example, the quests in Stone Snowfield and Aphelia.
Fang Mo was too lazy to deal with them, so he simply left them to his little partners to handle.
But what he hadn't expected was... this little demon suddenly changed his mind. At this moment, he clung tightly to the mast of the Mogaro, refusing to let go.
"Sigh, I told you to guide the Imperial Army, why won't you listen?" Seeing this, Fang Mo sighed, "If Colonel Chen Rui blames you later, even I won't be able to protect you..."
"It's the Imperial Capital Army."
Summon's face darkened, "How do you manage to twist everything you say into something so weird?"
"That's nothing. I've got weirder ones."
Fang Mo puffed out his chest with pride, "The famous B-station... oh no, famous B-grade movie 'The Great Traitor Chen Rui' is about to start filming, and we're recruiting three Great Han actors."
"I really wish I didn't understand any of this, truly."
Summon said with a headache.
"Then why don't you go back to Ghent?" Fang Mo spread his hands, "The Imperial Army is still waiting for you."
"It's the Imperial Capital Army!"
Summon couldn't help but shout, "But... do you really think after Misha's sword strike, the Imperial Capital Army still needs my help!?"
"But you can't just leave Misha alone in Ghent."
Fang Mo said, rubbing his chin, "There's a scientist named Giselle, who's pretty capable. When I fought the hero-level pursuit annihilation battle back in the day, he killed me instantly with a full-health chainsaw. And I think he even knows how to reverse time..."
"A scientist?"
Summon replied with frustration, "Sorry, but I don't think science is your match."
"That might not be true."
Fang Mo waved his hand, "I may seem strong, but sometimes even a small scientist can have me at his mercy..."
"?"
Summon tilted his head in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"Ahem, nothing."
Fang Mo turned his head and dismissed it casually, "You'll understand later... For now, go back to Ghent and wipe out those Kartels. I've already promised Marlene to eliminate them completely. It would be embarrassing if a few slipped through the net."
"I'm not going."
However, Summon flatly refused.
"Why not?"
Fang Mo asked curiously.
"Because..." Summon recalled his experience in the Forest of Gran, where the devastating strike from the Cosmic Neutron Sword left him shaken, and said with a dark face, "Because I don't want to die."
"Huh?"
Fang Mo responded, puzzled, "But I can resurrect you?"
"Just because you can resurrect doesn't mean I want to die."
Summon's face turned black as coal, "Enough, stop trying to talk me into it. Let's just get going."
"Tch... fine."
Seeing that his words had failed to persuade him, Fang Mo gave up.
The Mogaro was swift, and after flying for a short time, they soon left the Ghent area.
Marlene, as the chief officer of the Empress Court Organization, was familiar with the terrain around here. The Mogaro airship headed south, crossing a vast wilderness and forest, and soon arrived at a bustling artificial seaport, which retained Ghent's architectural style.
Though it was called a seaport.
There were no ships docked at the pier.
Instead, there were a few trains with a somewhat retro design.
Yes, trains. These trains looked like vintage steam locomotives, with black, round engines, chimneys, and whistles. Behind them were several cars, some for cargo, others for passenger transport.
But it's worth mentioning.
These trains were eerily suspended over the sea.
No tracks, no visible supports—these massive steel beasts just floated on the water, defying all logic.
"Mr. Fang Mo, we've arrived."
Once the Mogaro landed in a nearby clearing, Marlene walked over, "To reach the Western Lawless Zone, we must cross the sea. The airship can't withstand the storms over the sea, so we'll need to switch to a sea train."
"We could just fly over."
Fang Mo, feeling a bit lazy, yawned. The airship ride had been quite comfortable, "I'll handle the storms."
"Uh..."
Hearing this, Marlene seemed taken aback.
But she quickly spoke again, "I'm sorry, Mr. Fang Mo, but we still need a guide, because I'm not familiar with the Lawless Zone..."
"Hmm?"
"It's like this."
Marlene explained, "The Empress Court is an organization dedicated to serving Her Majesty. Although some of our elites hail from the Lawless Zone, my Kitzka family is not among them, so I'm unfamiliar with that area."
"I see."
Hearing this, Fang Mo stroked his chin, "Then let's find a guide... Let's go."
With that, he walked towards the nearby dock.
After a short walk, they arrived at a place resembling a hall, where many passengers were boarding trains. There were also workers loading and unloading cargo in the distance, giving the place a bustling atmosphere.
Concerned that Fang Mo might not understand the process here, Marlene took the initiative to speak with someone who appeared to be in charge of the trains.
"What?"
Soon, the man looked at Marlene in surprise, "You're from the Empress Court? Uh... Ma'am, how can I assist you?"
However, after hearing Marlene's request, the man seemed troubled and scratched his head, saying, "I'm sorry, Ma'am, it's not that I want to refuse, but as you know, Kartel recently attacked this area. While the main train routes have been rebuilt, there's..."
"There's what?"
Marlene frowned and asked.
"A group of pirates allied with Kartel frequently attacks the trains here," the man said apologetically, "The train service to the western line has been suspended."
"...Pirates?"
Hearing this, Marlene seemed taken aback.
"Yes."
The other party nodded and said, "They call themselves the Iron Scale Pirate Crew. They often attack the sea trains heading to the Western Line. They've plundered everything, whether it's the passengers' money or the goods on the train. There's even a rumor that they're gathering war funds for Kartel... Speaking of which, why haven't the Imperial Army dealt with them?"
At the end of the sentence, there was a hint of complaint in the speaker's tone.
"Well..."
Upon hearing this, Marlene didn't know how to respond. She could only turn her head to the side and say, "Kartel's previous offensive was too fierce, and the Imperial Army couldn't take care of this area. But now the situation has reversed, so I believe it won't be long before the Imperial Army pays attention here."
"Let's hope so."
The person in charge here sighed as they spoke.
"Wait a moment."
At this point, the Summon suddenly stepped forward, asking, "Did you just imply... that those pirates are connected to Kartel?"
"Hm?"
The person in charge was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of a demon realm being dressed in a snowman suit, and was momentarily stunned: "…And you are?"
"These two are elite combat personnel sent by the Imperial Army," Marlene said after a brief pause. "We're currently on a classified mission, so just answer our questions truthfully."
"Is that so?"
Upon hearing this, the person in charge didn't ask further and answered truthfully, "The Iron Scale Pirate Crew does indeed have a cooperative relationship with Kartel. The resources Kartel plundered before were all transported to the Western region on the trains they control."
"I see..."
The Summon nodded instinctively. "So, if we take care of this pirate crew, your train routes can resume operation, correct?"
"Of course."
The train official shrugged. "In these times, who wouldn't want to make more money?"
"Good."
The Summon looked up and said, "Then I'll take care of it."
"Hold on just a minute..." As she said this, Fang Mo suddenly pressed down on her head, "Are you not satisfied with your current summons? Did you decide to get yourself a little fire turtle because you heard I was going after a big one?"
"Huh? What's that got to do with summons?"
The Summon brushed off Fang Mo's hand irritably, "I heard you were looking for a guide. Why not just let these pirates take us where we need to go?"
"Eh?"
Fang Mo glanced at her, somewhat surprised, "…Finally using your brain?"
"Don't start with me."
The Summon facepalmed and said, "In any case, it's just a bunch of pirates. They shouldn't be a match for us… Oh, and please, let me handle them alone."
"Still not considering contracting a few more summons?"
Fang Mo asked.
"I told you, don't cause trouble."
The Summon couldn't help but roll her eyes. However, after a moment of hesitation, she seemed to have gotten used to the idea of having a summon army. Her gaze wavered slightly as she added, "Well, we'll see when the time comes..."
"Hahaha!"
Seeing that the little demon realm person was finally being influenced, Fang Mo couldn't help but laugh.
"Um..."
But just then, a timid voice suddenly came from nearby.
"Hm?"
Following the voice, Fang Mo saw a small figure at the doorway, and his eyes lit up.
It was an adorable little girl with chestnut short hair and eyes. She was wearing a small, cool vest that revealed two fair arms and a slender waist. However, it was notable that she didn't seem to be human, but some sort of aquatic species.
She didn't have human ears; instead, her cheeks had what looked like fins. Additionally, her lower body was immersed in a large, round fish tank filled with seawater. At this moment, she was leaning on the edge of the tank, looking at Fang Mo and his companions.
"A mermaid?"
Marlene also noticed her, momentarily stunned.
"Uh, she's Little Coral."
The train conductor next to her introduced, "Apparently, she ran away from home to avoid being forced into marriage by a male merman and was washed ashore by the waves. I felt sorry for her, so I let her stay here and sell some small trinkets she fished out of the sea."
"Um... I just overheard you talking about Kartel."
At this point, Little Coral spoke up, "I can provide you with some information."
"Oh, please go ahead."
The Summon welcomed the offer.
"I have a companion named Quong'qng, who, like me, is from the mermaid clan, but she was captured by Kartel's bad guys earlier." Little Coral said, "I heard that Quong'qng was brainwashed by them and turned into one of the pirates. If you could rescue her, you might be able to gather a lot of information about Kartel…"
"A rescue mission?"
The Summon, being kind-hearted, instinctively nodded, ready to agree.
But this time, Fang Mo reacted even faster than she did.
"Oh, don't worry."
Fang Mo waved his hand confidently, saying, "Quong'qng, right? We'll definitely rescue her!"
"…?"
The Summon suddenly felt something was off and suspiciously glanced at Fang Mo.
"I'll leave it to you all, then."
Little Coral didn't seem to suspect anything and took out a bag of gold coins. "This is the reward I prepared. If you can bring Quong'qng back, this will be yours..."
"Huh? Giving me money? Do you think I need it?"
To everyone's surprise, Fang Mo was not pleased to see the money. Instead, he suddenly waved his hand, and with a loud 'clang,' a large yellow-gold block appeared on the ground, about a meter square.
"See that?"
After taking out the gold block, Fang Mo arrogantly said, "I'm the one who usually gives others money... Understand?"
"…Huh?"
Little Coral was stunned.
Actually, not only her, but even the train conductor, Bellen Bonegote, was shocked. After examining it briefly, he stuttered, "It really is gold... What, what the hell!?"
"???"
Even Marlene Kitzka was bewildered as she looked at Fang Mo.
"What are you up to this time?"
The Summon sighed deeply, feeling an ominous premonition. "Weren't we supposed to rescue the princess together?"
"So much money!"
At this moment, Little Coral finally reacted, suddenly looking at Fang Mo with admiration. Her eyes sparkled, "He's quite handsome too, I'd love to marry him..."
Yes, that's her personality.
She seems to have a character arc that draws on mermaid fairy tales. In any case, Little Coral always hated the ugly male mermen and fantasized about a handsome, wealthy human prince taking her away.
Seeing Fang Mo casually toss out a gold block, she was obviously smitten.
"Of course, we'll rescue the princess."
Fang Mo ignored Little Coral and spoke to the Summon with a serious expression, "But suddenly, I, Old Mo, feel like eating fish..."
"What?" The Summon didn't catch on immediately.
"Do you think mermaids have fish bones?"
Fang Mo stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Does their upper body taste more like red meat or white meat? Is there a clear division of red and white meat in their bodies... Could we make a whole seafood feast out of just one mermaid?"
"I don't know."
The Summon held her face in her hands in despair, "…But that really is an awfully good question."