I train my body alone in the magical world.

Chapter 17 "Black...White...Red..."

After the girl uttered those words...

A black light shone on Grace's wrist, and strange black runes appeared. She couldn't sense the existence of her own magic at all.

What?

"Anti-magic spells? You..."

"Whoosh!"

The sound of something cutting through the air reached Grace's ears, and Grace pulled Trish back to retreat.

On the tree roots nearby, three silver crossbows gleamed faintly in the moonlight.

"Oh, I knew it! That's not enough to kill a top-tier mage like you, Miss Grace!"

Fu Xiao and Rias stared in astonishment at the direction of the jungle from which the crossbows were flying. A man wearing a long brown leather coat and a khaki wide-brimmed, high-topped felt hat with the brim pulled down, walked out holding a crossbow.

"And who are you...?" Fu Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Um... me? Excuse me, as a gentleman, I should introduce myself first! My name is Frass, and as for my profession... well, let's just say I'm a professional..."

"The 'Mage Slayer'?"

The man who called himself Frass raised his head slightly, glanced at the crowd, and then looked at the little girl.

"Very good, Alice, you've completed your task. What a good girl!"

"Lord Frass... I have lived up to your expectations!" Alice, her face flushed, moved closer to Frass.

"After finishing a commission, even the most powerful mage would relax, wouldn't you say, Miss Grace?"

"The Lord Goblin was your doing? You really went to great lengths to seal my magic!" Grace gritted her teeth. "How did you manage that?"

Frass chuckled. "Miss Grace should be quite familiar with this, right? Physical enhancement potions. The price of these on the black market really makes my heart ache."

"A physical enhancement potion?" Fu Xiao glanced at Grace.

Why didn't you bring out such a good thing sooner?

Grace, annoyed by Fu Xiao's gaze, said, "That thing was the area I initially researched at the academy. That potion was nothing but waste; it caused the flesh to proliferate uncontrollably, which the human body simply couldn't withstand. Later, the Empire classified it as a drug for animals and banned its use on humans!"

Upon hearing this, Frass's lips involuntarily curled up, and a hint of excitement shone in his eyes.

"But I'm curious, how did you discover Alice? She doesn't have any magical aura at all, and her figure and condition, under my training, are exactly like a child whose parents were murdered. To suspect such a child, Archmage Grace's vigilance is far beyond my imagination?"

Grace scoffed, "It's the scent of the Moon Goddess Flower, isn't it? The Moon Goddess Flower, when used for bathing, can enhance the vitality of the body and bones, keeping you young! Even in the capital, only a select few of the most elite nobles can afford it."

Her tone carried a hint of sarcasm: "I didn't expect to smell this familiar scent in such a remote place."

"But...you know me very well? Did the Domino family send you?"

"Understand? Of course, or rather, I understand every one of you. It's a basic professional quality for a mage assassin to have all the information before taking action!" Frass didn't rush to make a move, as if he had already completely taken control of the situation, and looked at Grace with a hint of smugness.

"Miss Grace entered the Imperial Capital Magic Academy at 18, graduated after two years with all the required credits, and became the youngest Silver Mage in the Lingxi Empire at 22. Two years later, she was promoted to Gold Mage. She has single-handedly completed three S-rank Adventurers' Guild commissions. Based on your resume, you should be the youngest Kingdom Mage, or even the youngest Archmage, without a doubt. However, a year ago, you made a mistake while assisting with an SSS-rank royal commission, which led to the mission's failure, and you were stripped of your Gold Mage title!"

"ha?"

Fu Xiao stared wide-eyed at Grace, her clear eyes filled with disbelief.

Good heavens! Lady Grace!?

Such a terrible resume? Isn't this also a form of betrayal?

"Now I'm just like a stray dog... stuck here as a dispatch mage?"

As he spoke, Frass stared intently at Grace's expression, anticipating the fear and anger that would appear on her face, or even her cursing at him. He thoroughly enjoyed the process of gradually breaking down Grace's psychological defenses.

Frass's kill was a complete and utter defeat of a mage.

Physically killing them was not enough; what truly fascinated him was the process of gradually dismantling the minds of these once high and mighty mages and humiliating them step by step.

"Heh heh heh, just bad luck in choosing the wrong person!" Grace just smiled coldly, without revealing the expression that Frass had expected.

"Hmph! I didn't expect the renowned Golden Archmage to have to make up such an excuse for himself?" Frass's face was somewhat cold.

Grace's reaction surprised him; even with her magic sealed, she showed no sign of panic.

"Honestly... that look of yours is really annoying!"

"You are not the first Gold Archmage I have killed. I'm sure you've heard of Archmage Magno!"

Frass delivered his speech as if he had victory in his grasp.

"Hmm? You killed that old man too? You're not exactly a wicked person, are you?" Grace even smiled when she heard that familiar name.

Frass's eyes flashed with a hint of ruthlessness: "The expression on that guy's face when he died was far more interesting than yours. He begged me to spare him, offering me a large sum of money, but... how can the death of a high-ranking Gold Archmage be measured in money?"

"I slowly tortured him to death, slice by slice, watching his haughty face contort in agony as he begged for mercy! His screams were unimaginably beautiful!"

"His final appearance was simply a work of art! So... what kind of death did Archmage Grace prefer?"

"What a pity! I'm not particularly interested in women. Otherwise, how about playing chess with your pretty face? Or crippling you and selling you to the capital? I bet quite a few nobles would be interested in you and your innate magic, right?"

Grace narrowed her eyes slightly. If she remembered correctly, the "Magnolo Massacre" had happened about half a year ago.

Magno, a Gold Archmage, was assassinated in his home. His death was gruesome, and the murderer left no trace or magical fluctuations.

Magno was probably sealed off from the very beginning by the "magic-suppressing spell," leaving him no room to struggle, just like himself today.

But that old lecher... that's fitting for his way of dying, isn't it?

"Anti-magic spells don't belong to the realm of magic; they're a curse activated by an anti-magic stone. The only way to break them is... find the anti-magic stone and destroy it!" Grace whispered to Fu Xiao beside her, trying to discuss a strategy, glancing to the side...

Grace opened her mouth, the scene before her eyes so bizarre that her brain momentarily froze.

Fu Xiao started waving his left fist at the air repeatedly, without anyone knowing when it began.

He was throwing punches while muttering to himself...

"Black...white...red..."

"What...what are you doing?"

In this tense moment, what was he thinking?

. . . . . .