The children within the magic arrays varied in size, both boys and girls.
At the moment, all of them had their eyes closed and their faces were ashen, as if trapped in a deep coma.
Cinderella, who had recently gone missing, was also among them.
Perhaps because she had been captured not long ago, although she was unconscious, her face was not as pale.
Owen noticed that these strange magic arrays trapping the children would occasionally flash with a bright light, which then converged and flowed into a pitch-black cabin nearby.
"It seems that black smoke monster is inside that cabin."
"Now's a good opportunity. While he's not here, I can sneak over and rescue the children."
"One at a time. As long as I'm careful, I can get them all out."
Taking a deep breath, Owen was just about to sneak out to save the children.
However, Avel blocked his path.
Hmm?
Was there an unseen danger?
Owen squatted down again to observe carefully, and after a moment, his expression shifted.
It turned out that although there were no guards around the magic arrays, oddly enough, there were several crows pacing back and forth nearby.
These crows were small, their dark feathers making them inconspicuous. Had the cat not pointed them out, Owen wouldn't have noticed them.
"These must be the monster's minions."
"If I get close, they'll start squawking and raise the alarm."
Owen thought for a moment and quickly came up with a plan.
He took out a few pieces of beef jerky, smeared them with tranquilizer, and threw them ahead with a strong toss.
The commotion immediately caught the crows' attention.
They didn't find any suspicious creatures.
Instead, a sweet aroma of meat wafted through the air.
The crows were drawn to the beef jerky, flew over, and devoured it on the spot.
"Heh heh, that's my meticulously crafted gourmet beef jerky. Even humans would love its fragrance, let alone these crows."
Owen patiently waited.
Thirty seconds later...
One by one, the crows silently collapsed onto the ground, snoring away.
"I knew it. Earth's drugs really are exponentially more effective on all creatures in this world!"
Owen's confidence surged, and he immediately set his plan to rescue the children into action.
This time, the cat didn't try to stop him.
The magic arrays only had the function of confinement and life force extraction.
Perhaps the monster hadn't expected anyone to dare intrude and rescue the children. Owen successfully saved five or six of them without encountering any resistance.
What Owen didn't notice was...
One of the emptied magic arrays flashed briefly.
The child inside had been carried away by Owen.
With no life force left to extract.
The monster in the cabin didn't notice at first, assuming that one of the children had been drained dry and died.
But soon enough, he realized that several consecutive extractions had yielded no life force at all.
"Something's wrong."
The monster reacted immediately.
He charged out.
Owen had just laid Cinderella down on the ground when he suddenly felt a bone-chilling presence appear, making his skin crawl.
The temperature around him plummeted.
Owen shivered, even sneezing a few times.
"Oh? A life force bottle delivered right to my doorstep." The smoke-covered monster had initially been on high alert, but upon seeing that Owen was just an ordinary person with no mana, he relaxed instantly.
"You're quite brave to come here alone."
"The life force of the brave is always especially delicious."
Perhaps because Owen posed no threat, the black smoke around the monster dispersed, revealing his true appearance.
"You're human!" Owen exclaimed in surprise. "Since you're human, why are you doing such terrible things and kidnapping children?"
"Hehe, you really don't understand anything." The monster laughed, his voice grating like metal scraping together. "I am Soul Sapper."
"Humans treat chickens, ducks, and vegetables as food."
"I treat human life force as food."
"I'm just eating a meal. Compared to those hypocritical nobles who start wars at the drop of a hat, I'm hardly a bad person."
Owen pretended to listen carefully.
In reality, his hand was already clutching a prepared Molotov cocktail.
This Soul Sapper clearly looked extremely powerful.
And he seemed to be able to fly!
So he needed to choose the perfect moment to strike.
While Owen was observing the monster, the monster was also studying him.
"Is this guy really just an ordinary person?" The warlock, by nature suspicious, frowned deeper and deeper. "Something's off. A normal person would run for help after seeing this scene, looking for a knight order."
"For him to come and rescue people directly, and not collapse or beg for mercy upon seeing me, there's definitely something unusual about him."
The two of them thus entered a subtle standoff.
Owen didn't dare make a rash move. He had to find the right moment to throw his bottle.
The monster didn't dare act recklessly, unsure about Owen's true intentions.
"I am Soul Sapper Leifsac!" After a few minutes, the monster took the lead in speaking. "Who are you?"
"I'm Owen." Owen blinked, then thought that perhaps he could scare his opponent. "It's normal that you haven't heard of me, but you should have heard of Pablo and Caesar, right?"
"Of course! Who hasn't heard of those two?"
"Oh, they're my friends." Owen said casually. "They often visit my home. Just recently, Caesar even thanked me for helping him boost his strength."
"Huh?" Soul Sapper Leifsac's expression twisted.
His gaze toward Owen grew dark and sinister again.
"Heh, blowing hot air, are we?"
"I can blow hot air too—Caesar's actually my cousin, and Pablo's my uncle. They eat at the same table as me every day."
Owen chuckled as well.
"I have proof."
He suddenly pulled out a ring.
"This is the Crossbridge Headmaster's Ring that Pablo gave me. There are only two of them in the world."
"If you don't believe me, see for yourself."
Owen tossed the ring to the ground at Soul Sapper Leifsac's feet.
Taking advantage of the moment the monster bent down to pick it up, Owen struck without hesitation.
"Smash, smash, smash!" Several Molotov cocktails landed precisely around Soul Sapper Leifsac.
Flames burst forth in an instant.
At the same time, the tranquilizer mixed in the bottles turned into gas and began to spread.
Soul Sapper Leifsac realized what was happening. His eyes glowed green, and his entire body swelled.
In the blink of an eye, he transformed from his human form into a five-meter-tall, green-glowing beast.
"You lying, deceitful scoundrel!"
"I'll drain every last drop of your life force."
"Dare to trick me, you're courting... mm, courting... um... courting..."
Before he could finish saying "courting death," the massive beast collapsed with a heavy thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The potent tranquilizers took effect.
Soul Sapper Leifsac reverted to his human form, snoring loudly and even starting to drool.
"Phew, that scared me to death!" Owen wiped the sweat off his forehead.
Luckily, the tranquilizer worked.
Otherwise, he'd be the one locked in a cage next.
Just then, a sudden sound of hooves came from outside.
"Found it!"
"Everyone, be careful. Up ahead is the monster's lair! Mages, put shields on everyone."
"Knights, prepare to charge."
Owen craned his neck and saw a large group of people galloping in aggressively on horseback.
It was clear that they were also here for the missing children.
Among them, Owen spotted a familiar face.
"Isn't that Flora's silly friend, that girl named Jane?" Owen waved at Jane.
Jane was startled to see Owen there.
Then, as she looked at the fallen Soul Sapper and the rescued children, she immediately understood.
"Mr. Owen, you saved the children!"
"And this evil warlock on the ground, did you defeat him too?"
Everyone came to a halt.
They also realized that the situation wasn't quite what they had expected.
Jane's words drew everyone's attention to Owen.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Owen said, "Haha, I just came to save the kids. As for the warlock, well, he's a bit weak, so I knocked him out with a tranquilizer."
"A bit weak?" Jane's mouth began to twitch.
The one lying there was one of the continent's top ten most wanted warlocks!
Soul Sapper Leifsac was infamous for his cruelty and cunning. He had destroyed an entire town in his homeland and had been wanted for over a decade with no one able to defeat or capture him.
And yet, in Mr. Owen's eyes, he only got the evaluation of "a bit weak."
"Hmph, what an exaggeration." An elderly man in a black robe snorted. "Young man, there's no trace of mana on you. Defeating Soul Sapper Leifsac was surely just luck."
"I advise you not to talk big. Ordinary people should remain humble if they want to live longer."
Jane's eyes widened when she heard her mentor speak to Owen that way.
She wanted to say something.
But she had no chance to interject.
Owen didn't really mind the old stranger's nagging. He was more concerned about Cinderella's condition.
So Owen simply nodded and said, "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."
He pointed to the still-sleeping Soul Sapper on the ground and reminded them, "This guy will wake up soon. Make sure he doesn't escape again."
To Ravenfeather Headmaster Black, however, these words sounded like the young man was mocking him.
"Hmph, no need for your reminder."
"What's your name? When I hand him over to His Majesty, I'll mention you, and you'll receive your due reward."
Owen waved his hands repeatedly.
He didn't want to attract that kind of attention.
"No need to mention me. You can handle the rest yourselves. I just wanted to save the kids I know."
Ravenfeather Headmaster Black sneered, "Though you're just a commoner, you do have some sense. This isn't something someone like you should be meddling in."
"Here's the bounty. I'll give it to you in advance."
With that, he tossed a pouch of coins at Owen's feet.
Jane wanted to knock herself out right then and there.
It was all over.
No matter how kind and gentle Lord Owen was, he was definitely going to be upset now.
"There's a reward?" Owen immediately picked up the pouch. "That's pretty nice."
He put the pouch away and began checking Cinderella's condition.
The little girl seemed to have lost only a small amount of life force.
Owen took out his homemade perfume and dabbed a little under her nose, and Cinderella suddenly opened her eyes.
"Wahhh, Mr. Owen!"
"Did you save me? I was so scared. I thought I was dead."
The little girl's tears wouldn't stop flowing.
Owen comforted her, "Don't cry. You're safe now. The bad guy has been captured, and you're completely safe."
"No, it's…" Cinderella sniffled, "It's because of whatever you put on my nose, Mr. Owen. It's making my eyes water."
Owen awkwardly wiped off the medicinal oil from her nose.
With help from Ravenfeather Academy, the other children also gradually regained consciousness.
Fortunately, Owen had arrived just in time.
Several children had been on the brink of death. Though they were extremely weak now, their lives had been saved.
Seeing that Owen was about to leave, Jane quickly whispered to her mentor, "Mr. Owen is leaving. We should go see him off."
"Jane! Is your brain full of syrup?" Ravenfeather Headmaster Black glared at her. "He's just a commoner. Do I need to see him off? He can leave the way he came."
When Owen's figure had completely disappeared from sight, Jane grew anxious.
She couldn't help but blurt out, "Mentor, he's Lord Owen! I've told you about him before—the mysterious master who lives on the mountain. Even His Majesty and Headmaster Pablo have gone to visit him!"
"What!" Black was stunned. "When did you tell me?"
"Uh?" Jane thought carefully, then froze. "I think I meant to tell you, but I forgot."
"You fool!" Black angrily tapped Jane's head with his staff. "Sometimes I seriously doubt if you're a wild boar arcane beast turned into a human."
"No, no, pig-type arcane beasts are actually very smart."
"You're driving me insane."
Ravenfeather Headmaster Black was a proud man, but he understood that anyone worth a visit from both Caesar and his rival Pablo could not possibly be an ordinary person.
But for him to chase after Owen now and apologize?
Absolutely out of the question.
"Hmph, so what if even His Majesty values him?" Black said, trying to salvage his pride. "I'm a formidable master too. I don't need to fear or curry favor with anyone."
Jane stared at her headmaster.
Then she suddenly remembered that she had also forgotten to mention how Lord Owen's entire yard was filled with god-tier magical fruits and how even His Majesty had broken through after eating his food.
But after touching the large bump on her head, Jane decided it was best not to say anything for now.
Otherwise, she really might get knocked on the head until it was covered with bumps.
Owen, on the other hand, didn't care at all about Ravenfeather Headmaster Black's attitude.
He thought it was just an old man's tendency to ramble. While the old man had been chattering away, Owen had already zoned out.
Right now, what he cared about was how to comfort the still-anxious Cinderella.
The little girl said she wasn't scared, but her body was trembling, and on the way back, even a slight rustling of leaves would make her cry out in fear.
Owen brought Cinderella back to his home.
"Here, have some oatmeal." Owen tossed in a handful of homemade raisins, then added milk and honey.
Cinderella ate in big mouthfuls, a look of happiness spreading across her face.
After finishing the meal, she finally seemed to relax completely and fell sound asleep.
"Poor child." Owen tucked a blanket over her.
He put away the unused Molotov cocktails and pepper spray.
The success of this operation gave Owen a huge boost of confidence.
"It seems that even without magic or knightly prowess, I can still become strong." Owen yawned.
Avel jumped into his arms.
White crouched at Owen's feet.
Gradually, Owen drifted off to sleep as well.
The little house atop the mountain became quiet, like a cozy sanctuary untouched by storms or troubles.
While Owen slept soundly, the people of Ravenfeather Academy were in a flurry of activity.
They escorted the rescued children back to their families.
And the fact that Headmaster Black had captured Soul Sapper Leifsac caused a massive sensation.
Many people began to believe that Ravenfeather Academy, under Black's leadership, was the true premier academy.
The news soon reached Crossbridge Academy.
Headmaster Pablo was filled with disbelief.
"What? That guy Black managed to capture Soul Sapper Leifsac? That's absolutely impossible."
The trio of adventurers exchanged glances.
Kevin, the black-haired young man, asked, "Mentor, why is it impossible? Soul Sapper may be crafty, but Headmaster Black is a formidable mage."
"Heh, you don't know Black at all," Pablo shook his head and explained, "That guy loves ganging up on others!"
"If he has students, he brings a whole group of them to gang up on his opponents."
"If there aren't enough students, he summons his flock of elemental crows to gang up instead. There's no way he could capture Soul Sapper alive."
Seeing his students still looking confused, Pablo continued, "Because when it comes to Soul Sapper, the more people there are, the more life force he has to drain!"
"Ganging up might work for others, but for Soul Sapper, it's completely ineffective!"
"There's something very strange about this."
"I heard Soul Sapper was seriously injured not long ago," Asha, the red-haired girl, suggested. "Maybe that's why he was captured."
Pablo: "Heh, that old buzzard is finally having his day in the sun."
Though the three major academies appeared to be on good terms, in reality, there was an undercurrent of competition between them.
When the news reached Ashes Academy...
The hot-tempered fire mage Jack the Red jumped up in a rage.
"That old crow is so shameless!" The headmaster bellowed in front of the entire academy. "That guy is a ganging-up maniac. How could he capture Soul Sapper alive!"
"He must've used some underhanded trick."
"He's always wearing that black get-up, and his heart is even blacker than his clothes. We at Ashes Academy would never stoop to his level."
"I'm so mad!"
"Today, everyone's having roast chicken for lunch!"
Jack the Red ground his teeth in fury.
If he couldn't hit the old crow, he could at least take it out on some roast chicken, imagining them as crows to vent his anger.
"Headmaster!" A student with a mess of flame-like hair came running up. "New intel from Gleam Town."
"What?" Jack the Red snapped impatiently, "What 'good deed' has Lewis done now?"
Gleam Town was close to Ashes Academy.
Victims of the Lewis family often came to the academy begging for Jack's help.
Because of this, he loathed the Lewis father and son, and had even beaten up Viscount Lewis several times.
"They've really been doing a ton of good deeds recently," the student reported. "They said they received the Goddess of Wine's blessing and decided to turn over a new leaf."
"Every day, the Lewis father and son are doing good deeds, even distributing food and seeds to the townspeople."
"The entire town is completely bewildered."