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Within the Kingdom of Fiore, there is a unique village.
The village is named after the Sun and worships the "Eternal Flame" that has burned for over four hundred years without extinguishing.
Such a treasure naturally attracts covetous eyes.
For centuries, countless treasure hunters have flocked to it, and guilds have even designated it as an S-Class treasure, but to this day, no one has ever managed to take even a wisp of the Eternal Flame.
Because the villagers of Sun Village—the Giant tribe who have lived there for generations—will help those with ill intentions abandon their greed.
However, the world doesn't lack strong individuals. Can the Giant tribe truly guard Sun Village for hundreds of years on their own?
"Ever since the village was established, it has been the Eternal Flame protecting us from harm."
In the forest northwest of Sun Village, a Giant who had ventured out alone to hunt was now stiff and motionless like a wooden puppet, his expression dull, and he spoke in a rigid tone.
The suit-clad goat-man standing on the Giant's head pushed up his sunglasses, and beneath his calm expression, he let out a maniacal laugh that didn't fit his demeanor. "Hehehe, so that's it. The Eternal Flame is a living being."
Zoldeo looked toward Sun Village from afar. The mysterious Eternal Flame turned out to be a powerful fire lifeform. It was indeed the correct decision for him to target a lone Giant outside the village.
If he had rashly attacked Sun Village directly, he might not have been a match for the Eternal Flame plus a group of Giants.
Zoldeo's original intention for this operation was merely to capture a Giant to expand his collection of puppets, but now that he knew the true nature of the Eternal Flame, he—being obsessed with pursuing power—naturally harbored ulterior motives.
However, even if he released all the puppets enslaved by Human Subordination, at most, he could only cause some trouble for Sun Village.
"What should I do? Should I go back and call for reinforcements? Master Hades will definitely be interested in a living flame. I'll just ask him for some reward then."
"I think that brat Ultear raised would be perfect for a puppet... No, no, that crazy woman would kill me."
A deep hint of fear appeared in Zoldeo's eyes.
As an executive of the Dark Guild Grimoire Heart, he was the weakest among the Seven Kin of Purgatory. Although he held a position, it wasn't nearly enough.
Especially recently, Ultear had recruited Jellal—who possessed the power of a Wizard Saint—into the guild, causing his standing among the higher-ups to drop by one rank.
Lost in thought, Zoldeo inadvertently saw a little girl with wine-red hair approaching the Giant.
Because of the Giant's tall stature, the little girl didn't notice Zoldeo on the Giant's head. She just cupped her hands like a megaphone and happily shouted a greeting to the Giant.
"Uncle Sol! Did you catch anything today?"
"If not, we will go back to the village chief's house."
The little girl named Flare was very cute.
However, the Giant, controlled by Human Subordination, wouldn't respond to Flare. The struggle in his pupils made Zoldeo's lips curl into a smile.
There was actually a human child in the Giant's village.
A harmless child, yet deeply cared for and loved by the Giants—she might be his best tool for dealing with Sun Village.
The humanoid goat that descended from the sky startled Flare. She hid behind the Giant's leg, revealing half her face to observe Zoldeo, and her panic was quickly replaced by curiosity.
"Who are you, and why do you look like that?"
"Little one, my name is Capricorn. I'm a Celestial Spirit~"
Zoldeo showed a kindly smile and slowly approached Flare. Since it was the Capricorn Celestial Spirit's body doing the work, what was wrong with using Capricorn's name?
Although she felt an unexplainable strangeness, Flare believed the Giant would protect her, so she didn't resist Zoldeo's approach.
Moreover, he was a Celestial Spirit!
Flare had always been curious about the outside world, but she was still young, and the Giants didn't feel comfortable letting her venture too far.
Zoldeo came before Flare, imitating the Capricorn Celestial Spirit's mannerisms, and with a gentlemanly demeanor, he half-knelt to meet the little girl's gaze. "You're Flare, right? You're so cute. Have you ever thought about leaving Sun Village?"
Flare blinked and nodded gently. "But I'm afraid everyone will worry..."
"They won't."
Zoldeo interrupted the little girl's hesitation. "Haven't you noticed? How out of place you are—a tiny being living among Giants."
Flare lowered her head in disappointment. Zoldeo's words struck a chord with her. Because she was different from the Giants, she'd always felt inadequate. Perhaps leaving was the right choice.
"I convinced her just like that. Children are so easy to trick."
Watching Flare's wavering expression, Zoldeo chuckled inwardly while maintaining his benevolent facade. He took out a small bottle of green liquid from his pocket.
This was a paralyzing toxin extracted from plants by a fellow member of the Seven Kin of Purgatory—a battle-maniac who used Great Tree Arc. However, that person never liked using such methods, so it conveniently fell into Zoldeo's hands.
Don't underestimate this small bottle of paralyzing toxin—it was enough to incapacitate all the Giants in Sun Village.
Flare could be said to be the favorite of Sun Village. The Giants regarded her as their daughter. As long as he tricked her into pouring this bottle of toxin into the water source in Sun Village, he could take over the village...
Bang!
That was the sound of a glass bottle shattering on the ground. Flare's wine-red hair suddenly elongated, smashing the small glass bottle containing the green liquid.
This sudden turn of events caught Zoldeo off guard.
Looking at the paralyzing toxin rapidly seeping into the soil, Zoldeo's eyes were filled with shock. This brat was actually a mage. What a miscalculation.
"Hmph! I'm not an idiot!"
Flare made a face at Zoldeo.
That bottle of green liquid clearly wasn't good stuff. She was a child, yes, but not a little fool. How could she easily fall for the goat-man's trick?
His supposedly clever scheme exposed by a brat, Zoldeo was furious. "You brat, you're as annoying as that kid Ultear raised! I'm going to torture you severely! I'll make you realize the consequences of offending me, Zoldeo!"
"Huh? Isn't your name Capricorn?"
He'd accidentally blurted out his real name, but Zoldeo didn't care. It was just a mere child. How much power could magic cast at this age have?
He could easily handle her.
Flare also clearly realized this, understanding why her Uncle Sol hadn't responded to her, so she turned and ran.
As long as she went back and told everyone, as long as the Eternal Flame knew, Uncle Sol would surely be saved.
But the stinging pain of her hair being grabbed made Flare clutch her head. How could a little girl outrun Zoldeo? Especially since Zoldeo's current body was that of a skilled Golden Key Celestial Spirit.
Zoldeo grabbed Flare's hair with one hand and raised his other hand high, magic light rising. "Trying to run? You'll become my puppet just like your Giant uncle!"
To Zoldeo, the paralyzing toxin was gone—so be it. Given the Giants' favoritism toward Flare, threatening them with her would be just as effective.
Even if he ultimately failed to seize the Eternal Flame, he could still kill Flare and Sol to vent his anger and disgust those Giants.
A refreshing breeze swept past, and a hand suddenly grabbed Zoldeo's wrist firmly, forcefully interrupting the magic he was casting.
The unyielding immense strength nearly dislocated his wrist. Zoldeo turned back in pain, only to meet the cold gaze of a white-haired young man.
"You truly are a beast."