The white light dispersed, and Ezreal and his four companions appeared in a small alley near the port.
The salty sea breeze blew in their faces, and in the distance, the sound of ship horns and the shouts of dock workers could be heard.
"We've arrived," Ezreal clapped his hands. "According to the plan, we'll split up. Cana and I will inquire with the port workers, Gray and Marcus will check the warehouse area, and Snow will use her Celestial Spirit Magic to search for suspicious magical fluctuations."
Everyone nodded in understanding.
Cana had already changed into a dock worker's outfit, and she wore a hat to cover her long hair: "How do I look? Do I resemble one?"
Marcus looked her up and down: "Aside from your face not looking much like a laborer, everything else is fine."
Gray had already started walking towards the warehouse district: "Don't waste time, we need to find clues before dark."
Snow summoned the Celestial Spirit Libra: "I will use Celestial Spirit Magic to investigate this area. I'll notify you immediately if I find anything."
Ezreal nodded: "Gather at the lighthouse on the east side of the port in two hours. Be careful."
The team dispersed, each beginning their task.
Cana and Ezreal walked towards a group of dock workers who were resting. Cana naturally struck up a conversation: "Hey, guys, any news at the port recently?"
An old worker with a full beard glanced at her: "Little girl, you're not from around here, are you?"
Ezreal smiled and handed over a pack of cigarettes: "We're new here and want to understand the situation."
The old worker took the cigarettes, his attitude immediately becoming much friendlier: "Recently, yes, there have been some strange things. A few ships unload cargo in the middle of the night, very secretive, not letting anyone near."
Another young worker interjected: "I heard they're transporting 'live cargo' on those ships."
Cana and Ezreal exchanged a look.
"Live cargo?" Cana asked, feigning curiosity, "What does that mean?"
The old worker lowered his voice: "It means people. I heard it's some 'flower' people doing business."
A sharp glint flashed in Ezreal's eyes, but his expression remained calm: "Where are those ships docked? We want to avoid them so we don't get into trouble."
The old worker pointed to the northwest corner of the port: "There's a private dock over there, usually locked. You'd best stay far away."
Just as the old worker finished speaking and was about to turn, he saw white light suddenly ignite in the eyes of the golden-haired youth opposite him. He felt a moment of dizziness and immediately lost consciousness, his eyes vacant as he stood in place.
Cana subtly stepped to block the young worker's line of sight, preventing him from noticing the situation here.
The white light in Ezreal's pupils flickered, appearing somewhat eerie. He questioned the vacant-eyed old worker in a low voice, "What is your identity, and why are you telling us this?"
The old worker's expression was blank, but he answered quickly, "I'm a cargo unloader. I can tell from your clothes and demeanor that you are Mages sent by the Magician Guild to investigate human traffickers. I've long wanted to report these people and have them arrested, but I have family and don't want to cause trouble."
The white light in Ezreal's eyes slowly extinguished. Then, the old worker, whose eyes had been vacant, regained his focus. He first looked around blankly, then turned to continue his work as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, Cana and Ezreal had vanished from their original spot at some unknown time.
At the same time, Gray and Marcus were sneaking through the warehouse district near the port.
Marcus pulled a small bottle from his bag, poured out some powder, and sprinkled it into the air.
"What is this?" Gray whispered.
"Magic Tracking Powder," Marcus said proudly. "It can show magical traces from the last 24 hours."
The powder formed a faint glow in the air, pointing towards one of the warehouses.
Gray raised an eyebrow: "Quite useful, isn't it?"
The two quietly approached the warehouse. Gray used Ice Make Magic to create an ice crystal in the shape of a key on the lock. With a gentle twist, the lock opened.
"Ice Make: Universal Key."
Marcus gave a thumbs up: "Impressive."
The two pushed open the door and entered. The warehouse was filled with wooden crates, but a corner area was clearly frequently used, and there were traces of strange magic circles on the ground.
"Looks like we're in the right place," Gray said softly. "These are definitely traces of dark magic."
On the other side, Snow and the Celestial Spirit Libra were moving around the port. Their investigation was very straightforward, relying purely on walking, but they were not aimless.
Strictly speaking, Libra does not have investigative abilities, but she possesses a very interesting skill.
The golden scales in Libra's hand are not just decorative; they can weigh the 'weight' of anything, and this weighing is conceptual.
Libra can even place the good and evil thoughts within a person's heart on the scales as stakes.
Thus, as she moves through an area, if the good intentions in that place are strong, the scales will tilt towards good, and vice versa.
The two walked along the dock, passing one ship after another. Libra suddenly stopped, and the golden scales in her hand began to tilt noticeably to the right.
Snow observed this. Libra looked at the scales, then nodded affirmingly at Snow. She raised her hand and pointed to the sea: "There's a ship over there with clear malice."
Snow followed the direction and saw a seemingly ordinary cargo ship docked at a private pier.
"Found it!"
Snow whispered, her gaze fixed on the seemingly ordinary cargo ship.
The shadow beneath her feet quietly twisted, emitting faint black smoke, and a pair of blood-red wolf eyes lit up. Immediately after, Ezreal's gentle voice emerged from Snow's shadow, "Wait a moment, we'll be right back."
In less than five minutes, the other four had silently gathered in the shadows of the dock.
"The port workers said it's this ship." Ezreal's eyes glowed faintly white in the darkness, his gaze penetrating the ship's hull. "There are six guards on deck, all armed. There's a faint magical fluctuation in the cabin, most likely some kind of soundproofing magic."
Gray rubbed the chill emanating from his arms: "I feel an uncomfortable dark magic."
"Split up." Cana held three cards between her fingertips, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Snow and Libra will block the escape routes, Gray and Marcus will launch a surprise attack from underwater, and EZ and I will attack head-on."
Marcus whistled: "An S-Class Mage is different; her command is quite impressive."
"Shut up," Gray had already taken off his shirt, his hands condensing ice crystals into underwater gear. "If you talk any more nonsense, I'll freeze you into an ice cube and throw you over as bait."
Snow took a deep breath, holding one gold and one silver Celestial Spirit key to her chest: "Open, Gate of Aries, Aries! Gate of Libra, Libra!"
Silver and gold magic circles simultaneously unfolded beneath her feet.
At the center of the silver magic circle was an arrow. In the dazzling silver light, a silver arrow, as tall as a person, floated around Snow, fluttering up and down, its feathered tail scattering silver starlight as it danced.
The Celestial Spirit Libra floated behind Snow, the golden scales emitting a soft glow.
"Move!"
At Ezreal's command, all five attacked simultaneously.
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