At this time, at the newly built Bianchi Headquarters in Milan, Italy –

Mia was holding onto a book. While she was reading it, she was writing something on a piece of paper.

“Mia, I don’t know if you believe this but I suddenly had a bad feeling.”

Mia glanced up. The one who had spoken was Allen’s big sister, Layla Bando.

Currently, she didn’t have anything particular to do and so, ashamed of freeloading, she started helping Mia on her work.

However, as she was recording the financial statistics of the Bianchi Family, she suddenly a felt a chill… an unknown feeling as if something was taken away from her.

At this moment, Allen’s face appeared on her mind.

Looking at her worried expression, Mia obviously understands where she was coming from. In the first place, every day she would also say something like this.

“Allen’s going to be fine. You didn’t know this but he is really strong… far stronger than me, actually.” Mia assured her while wearing a bitter smile.

“But…” Layla was still worried.

“Mia, it’s understandable that she would feel that way. Because of that huge earthquake, the world was now a ‘Dead Zone’ and cell phones doesn’t work anymore. Countless towers were already destroyed, and the communications were substantially crippled.

Worrying about Allen who is in the Philippines is unavoidable.”

A woman spoke in Lerina’s behalf.

“But mom, what could I do?” Mia put the book and the pen down as she stared bitterly at the woman calmly sitting on the sofa.

“Unless Lieri called from her side using the SatPhone, I can’t do anything. There are still many things needed to be done on our side too.”

SatPhone, or satellite phone, is a type of mobile phone that connects to orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial cell sites.

They provide similar functionality to terrestrial mobile telephones; voice, short messaging service, and low-bandwidth internet access are supported by most systems. Even if the waves were disturbed, with just a bit of tinkling, it would still work without a problem.

And because they don’t rely on the standing towers, they weren’t affected by the huge earthquake similar to those happened in cell phones.

“Hm, well if only we had several SatPhones in our hands, we could give it to Allen.” The woman sighs.

She was Mia’s birth mother, Xia Yi Bianchi.

However, all the SatPhones they had gathered beforehand were already distributed to all the groups scattered doing missions and tasks. Finding a new one would be a bit hard.

“…unfortunately so…”

Listening to her talk, Lerina’s shoulders slumped as she arranged the documents in her hands. She wasn’t unreasonable; she knows what was happening right now and how hard for it to live. It’s very hard to get used to this kind of world where a monster might pop out all of a sudden and attack them.

Seriously, it sounds like something in horror movies. It’s not even November right now…

They all ignored the treat or trick policy and directly go killing the moment they appeared.

“But it’s fine. Allen won’t die, no matter how you kill him; he won’t just lie down and died obediently.”

“… …”

“He was stronger than me and besides his luck is one of the greatest I have ever seen. It reached the point that it was already cheating… you would even think that he might be the secret lover of the Goddess of Luck.” Mia spoke like she found it amusing at the same time being proud of it.

“... Nothing would happen to him, I’m certain of that fact.”

“I guess so, he was also like that when he was still a child.” Layla nodded her head. “When he needed it, he would find a purse filled with money out of nowhere or even find something you wouldn’t expect.”

“Now, I’m really curious about this youth you praised so much~” listening to Mia and Layla's boasting as if it was about them, Xia Yi’s curiosity towards the youth gradually became deeper.

“I really wanted to meet him now…”

“… I know, but he’s just too stubborn. He always does things alone, not minding what others feel when they are left on the sideline, continuously worrying whether he was fine or not. He always had an indifferent expression but when he was left alone, he would cry and grieve for his lost friends… such an absurd man.” Mia shook her head, her voice filled with lament.

“Mm…” Layla placed the pen down, looking lost in thought…

“Mia, you sure know a lot about him?” Xia Yi asked with a smile.

“Well, we had been together for a very long time. I might know more about himself compared to him…”

Xia Yi picks the cup on the table. “Even though you said that you’re not worried but by your tone, anyone could hear your worry.”

“A bit…” Mia honestly nodded. That guy was too adventurous; he liked taking risks too much.

This was what she was worried about.

“I like Thrills’ that’s what he would often say.

Xia Yi laughed, smiling as she said, “Lieri would report not long when she calls, you should ask her to give him the phone and talk with him.”

“I think I will just do that.”

As Mia and the women spoke, a maid hurried over. Within the quiet and elegant corridors of the Bianchi's new headquarters, her echoing footsteps rang exceptionally loud.

There was a knock on the door, the sound was still as urgent as before.

Mia slightly frowned, “Enter.”

The maid opened the doors. Her face looks flustered, and she didn’t even bow before talking, “Young Miss, there has been an accident. Miss Lieri called and said that the young master Allen was taken by a monster called Thumbeline!”

“What?”

Mia’s eyes widened and she immediately stood from her chair.

As Mia heard these words, she couldn’t believe her own ears. Her eyes widened as she simply stared at the maid, her hands tightly gripped against the armrests of her chair. Because of the strength of her grip, her fingers had gone pale.

Thumbeline? Where did I hear that name…?

“It seemed like the Military Camp, the young master Allen was in was attacked by a group of insect-type monsters and harpies. And the cause of the attack was to capture the young master and bring him towards a monster called Alkrasha!”

Alkrasha!

As these words reverberated in her ears, Mia felt as if all the strength in her body had been sucked out, and all her feelings were gone.

Her heart felt empty, but she didn’t know what this meant.

It was like the world had slowed to a crawl.

Thumbeline! That’s right, the trusted regent of the Insect Queen; Alkrasha!

But why? Why did they want to capture Allen…?

She was confused, anxious, in complete disbelief…

Layla, on the other hand, became as pale as white. Her body trembling and all the papers she managed to pile up neatly was now scattered under her.

“M, Mia…”

She didn’t know who’s this Thumbeline or Alkrasha but from Mia’s reaction, she could judge that things are not that simple.

Everything is extremely bad!

Xia Yi’s body stiffened for a long time. Finally, she took a deep breath and faced the maid. “Did Lieri tell you anything specific…? What happened in there?”

“Madam, Miss Lieri reported that due to the camp being held hostage, young master Allen decided to go with the monsters willingly. She also said that the young master left a message for the young miss…”

“Message?”

“Yes, he said not to worry about him.”

Xia Yi frowned. Worry or not, he was taken by a monster you know. Forget about worry, anyone would faint after hearing about this.

“Where is Lieri at now? And what is she doing?”

“Reporting to Madam, Miss Lieri should be now on her way here. She also said that with the [ Vivite Liberi ] we could track the young master’s whereabouts!”

“Ah right, we also had that!” Xia Yi, of course, knows about the existence of [ Vivite Liberi ] as well as the medallion made for every member of the group.

The medallion has a tracking device so that they would know the whereabouts if someone disappeared.

“Mia, what are you going to do?”

Mia wasn’t listening to her mother and was deep in thoughts. “…why is Alkrasha looking for Allen…?”

This was her main concern.

Before becoming the Demon King’s subordinate, Alkrasha never attacks a distant human settlement on her own accord or without reason. She invades others but it was only those that are near at her kingdom.

And from what she remembers, Alkrasha’s base is not in the Philippines.

So why would she attack a small distant region…

Then the only reason Mia could think of was that she did it deliberately in order to specifically look for Allen.

But for what reason…?

“Mia?”

“Mia…”

Xia Yi and Lerina called out to her respectively.

“Ah yes?”

“Allen, my brother what would happen to him?” Layla's face was filled with worry. Her eyes were already on the verge of crying.

“We need to save him and we could track him by using the medallion of [ Vivite Liberi ]… what do you say?” Xia Yi voiced out her suggestion.

Mia took a deep breath and her emotions gradually became calm. “I heard that Allen left a message, what was it again?”

“Answering to the young miss, the young master said not to worry about him and also he just need to confirm something from Alkrasha, therefore, he needs to go and meet her.”

“Confirm something? Mia, who is this Alkrasha?”

“… The Insect Queen. A monster King and one of the strongest monsters that would become the Demon King’s subordinate.”

“Insect Queen, then isn’t my brother be in great danger? Mia, we need to save him immediately!” Lerina exclaimed in shock. She almost faint in fear and worry.

“No… I can’t do that.” Mia shook her head.

““What!?”” Xia Yi and Layla were surprised by Mia’s refusal.

But Mia ignored their reactions and returned to her seat. She then waved her hand, ordering the maid, “Leave…”

After the maid withdrew, she sighed, “Allen should have an important reason for doing this. Although he is reckless to the point that he could be called the extreme idiot but he wasn’t dumb. He won’t do things dangerous for him.”

And if there really something, going without thinking might instead turn detrimental.

“But didn’t you just heard, he did it because many people were being a hostage.”

“But if that is the case, Allen would still fight.” Mia flashed a bitter smile. “I don’t want to admit it but he’s the last person I could call a hero. If push comes to shove, he would choose to abandon a number of people he didn’t know to save himself and the people he knows.”

“… …”

“Allen isn’t that kind of person!” Layla felt dissatisfied about Mia describing Allen as a villain! In her mind, Allen was an angel!

A very cute and handsome angel!

What is she saying!?

Mia shrugged her shoulder. She can’t say to Layla that she knows Allen more than her or she would be certainly hated.

Allen, you could say was an ironic kind of guy.

If the situation certainly becomes hopeless, he would readily sacrifice a number of people just to protect his friends and comrades and in the end, when he was alone, he would feel guilt, cry and grieve. He was that kind of man, gentle, kind, yet indifferent and aloof but also sometimes cold and cruel.

For survival, he would do anything.

He was crazy, far crazier than her who was once known as the mad princess. And that was also why he was terrifying…

He could change his personality easily, depending on what the situation asked for.

“Mia…”

Xia Yi turned to look at Mia but saw that she was still tightly holding onto a chair with her hand, her face pale and showing a confused expression.

Although she said all that, she still couldn’t help but be worried…

Xia Yi quietly thought while watching her beloved daughter.

She’s shouldering too much burden that she needed to mask her true emotions and desires. What a pitiful girl…

As a mother, watching her daughter like this pained her so much. She wished she could help her…

“But even so, Mia we still need to confirm where he is right now. So that no matter what happened, we could immediately respond and save him…”

“I think so too…” Mia propped herself up, “We need to go to the communication room.”

“Yeah, so calm down. I believe what you said, that this youth is loved by the Goddess of Luck and nothing bad would surely happen to him.” Xia Yi ruefully smiled and shook her head.

“Lerina, I know that you are also worried but calm down for now. He was captured and not killed on the spot, so it means that he won’t be dying for a while. They should have some use of him, so they wouldn’t do anything bad to him.

What we need to do right now, is to plan on how to save him; worrying about him right now won’t do anything…” Xia Yi saw Layla's oblivious expression and sighed.

All she could do right now is relieved her. Although it would be certainly impossible, as the man she had heard so much about, she wanted to believe.

Her daughter wouldn’t choose wrongly!

“I, is that real… is my brother really be alright?” Layla looked at Xia Yi, her voice trembling.

Xia Yi glanced at Mia before nodding her head.

“Well, knowing about him, he should be alright!” Mia also stubbornly said,

“I know Allen the best! From when I met him, what has he done that hasn’t been beyond all expectations? He has already given too many surprises, why can it not happen one more time? Right?”

As Mia spoke, life seemed to come back into her eyes. Her voice became faster and more and more confident. “I cannot believe Allen would do something dangerous without planning beforehand.”

That’s right! There should be a catch!

Layla didn’t know what to say. Her lips moved, but eventually, no words came out.

After a long silence, Xia Yi asked: “Okay, well let’s go?”

“Alright!” Mia stood up.

--- ---