Chapter 631: Master Level Mages in Rygis
That fucking Timmy! It was something from more than 3000 years ago. But it gives me trouble this day! I should have killed him in a more painful way!
Unfortunately, I was too weak against him at the time I fought him. Though in present, I have grown a little bit stronger. I think even without riding on Ray, I should be able to go toe to toe against him.
How long ago was it when he came to this place that would be called Rygis? And now, all the women there enslave men. Just because of the act of one man.
If that's really the case, if they found out that I have a harem, I would be killed. I guess I can't bring my girls there.
Though if the women of Rygis think that there are men in the circus who are single, they might be targeted. I guess just bringing one is enough.
"Well, I guess this is it. Take me away from here, Thomas," Thomas said to me. My name is Roy though.
"I'm not Thomas. You're Thomas," I said.
.....
"Yeah, I know. But you will need to be Thomas in that country. Burnes, how long will you stay in that country? And how many cities will you stop by?" Thomas asked Burnes.
"At least it will take two weeks even if we just perform one night in each city. There are only a few cities including the capital that we will go to. But since it's another country outside the four kingdoms' alliance, we need to be thorough in our investigation," Burnes said.
The tour won't take long. But the investigation will take time since it's a totally unfamiliar place. Even more, it's because most men from other country were forbidden to enter that country. The fate of the men in that country must be bad.
"Though all the information we have so far might not be correct. Maybe they have changed their treatment toward men. It's been years since that information was reported. Long before Roy started attending introductory school," Burnes said.
Then there's a chance that us men won't be treated badly. But I guess it's fine to get Thomas away from here.
"Thomas, I'll get you to Cassau. But for the circus, I'll stay as Roy. A representative of the circus since the leader of the circus, Thomas, had terrible diarrhea and had no choice but to get hospitalized. Then we will meet after we leave Rygis. I think that's good enough excuse to make. Here's the portal. Bye," I pushed Thomas into the portal before he could say anything.
"At least make it that I got hurt from an accident during a sho-"
Before he could finish his sentence, I closed the portal and he can't be heard again. Diarrhea it is.
"...I guess it's fine if we make the excuse. I'll go and tell the others that Thomas is sick so everyone have the same story if asked," Burnes said as he left my tent.
What preparation should we make? I don't think there will be some. But I guess getting the girls from the circus to act more dominant among us should be good enough to trick the women of Rygis. But we can only know how useful our act is once we enter their country.
Two days later, We are already in Rygis. And I can already see the gate to the capital in sight. With my Divine Vision obviously. Powered by Mind's Eye and Aura which makes me able to see much further than ever.
"I can see the gate already. But we need to get closer so I can see everything," I said.
"Okay. If you see anything strange, tell us right away. Depend on what you see, the setting we have prepared might need to be changed. We're all capable agents and spies here. And you can act well. There's nothing to worry about even if we made some improvisation. Everyone can keep up with the change," Burnes said.
I'm the only one trained differently than the others here. After all, I'm not an agent. Though I still train like them. And my acting skill was good enough that I put acting in the list of skills I mastered for my Shameless Survival Arts.
Nowadays, I have become strong enough that I don't need to be shameless again. But I have become better and more experienced in life so my Shameless Survival Arts should have improved as well.
"So far, everything is fine. There are men walking around the city normally. They are not being enslaved at all. Though that's what I can see. I can't hear anything," I said.
"I guess everything has changed from the past. But we still need to be careful. We don't know if their change is come from within, or it's because of external influence," Burnes said.
"External influence?" I asked.
"I mean there's also a possibility of the country changed because of the cult," Burnes replied.
Oh, right. If the current Rygis changed because of the cult, that mean the cult has taken over this country. Though so far, there's no one with explosive devices in their mouth.
But what if all the cult members there are expert level mages at least? Then there's no need for explosive devices.
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I keep looking around could see thee largest building in the center of the city. Probably the one called the president is working there. So I looked through the wall and see that a woman is in her office doing some paperwork. She must be the one called the president.
"I think I found the one called the president. She's doing some paperwork in a room that looks like an office. There are also many other people doing jobs in other office rooms. But she's the only one with a room for herself," I said.
"Unlike a kingdom where the king or the nobles take care of everything, that country must have no discrimination against status. Anyone who is competent will help the president rule the country. After all, they will change the president after every few years, right? The must be busier than Albert. Albert can continue ruling the kingdom until his son take over. So he can be relaxed with the rule. But if the previous and the current president have differences in ideas, there will be many changes. That's why their government might be working harder than the ruler of our kingdom," Victoria said..
A country where even a commoner can be someone amazing. If it was me before meeting Albert, I would like to stay there after the cult is destroyed. But now, Albert has promised me that I can live peacefully after destroying the cult.
One person with a lot of power, and a group of people with the same amount of power as that one person. I'll pick one person. After all, a group doesn't mean everyone will agree to everything.
There are pros and cons in everything. But I won't care. I just want to destroy the cult and live peacefully.
"Yeah, they're all seem busy. Do they get proper rest at least?" I asked out of curiousity. After all, no one want to do a job where they can't get a rest. But seems like the people there don't really hate their job. I guess they are fine doing what they are doing.
"They should be. If there's no rest, no one would want to work there. That's just slavery. Is there any man in the building?" Victoria asked.
"Hmm... oh! I see a few. Though one of them is crossdressing. But I guess if they allow men to work in helping the president, there's no more discrimination. Or at least there are none publicly. I haven't seen everything ye-FUCK!"
When I looked at the main entrance of the building, I saw something unexpected and instantly turned my sight elsewhere.
"What is it? What do you see?" Burnes asked curiously.
"...Two women guarding the entrance of that building. They are master level mages. They can sense that I'm looking at them. Though they didn't do anything since I turned my sight elsewhere quickly. I couldn't really say their appearance but they know that they are being seen. But I know they couldn't tell where I'm looking from," I said.
"Two master level mages!? This is difficult. So the cult have sent their people there," Burnes assumed.
"I don't think that's the case. The master level from the cult that I met before couldn't tell that I'm looking at them from this far. Which mean these two women cultivated diligently. If so, there's no way the cult would get two master level mages to stay in that country. They will be given tasks. But if they are from the cult, that means there's something in that country that the cult wants," I said.
"But the fact is they have two master level mages. We can't hide that this circus group is far stronger than any ordinary group. Let's stop here and make some more plans before entering the city," Burnes said.
"Okay. I'll move around and see if there are other master level mages hiding there or not," I said.
A small country with two master level mages. If that country decided to conquer the world, most countries will be powerless just because of those two.
Maybe I can find something about the cult here. But safety comes first. We'll stay here until we make a sound plan to move forward.
Chapter 632: The Master Level Mages Stopped Us
I looked around the city from distance. I also ride on Ray's back and look over the city from above as well. But I make sure that I won't look at the two master level mages directly.
From my observation, those two are the only two master level mages in the city. But there's something else bothering me.
I returned back to where the others are and report everything to them who have already gathered together.
"How was it, Roy?" Burnes asked.
"The two women in front of the biggest building are the only two master level mages in the city. There were no one else who noticed that someone is looking at them," I said.
"Just two? I'd like to say that's a good news, but it's still bad. We don't know what they will do to strangers like us from another country. Anything else?" Burnes asked.
"Yeah. There are places that looks like a slum. There were a lot of men who were being enslaved. Unlike the men outside the slum. I guess not all slavery has been gone," I said.
.....
"Hmm... I see. At least we know that not all men are safe even if the country has decided to abolish slavery. Though we need to investigate further. I think I'll report this to his majesty Albert. If Rygis is open to everyone, we can get some of the agents to infiltrate the country," Burnes said.
"Even if they allow people to enter, do you think they will let them leave the country? What if they decided to lock us up?" Victoria asked.
Victoria is right. Even if entering the country has become easier, that doesn't mean exiting is as easy as entering.
Although I can use portal to do it easily, it will still be bad if Rygis end up becoming hostile toward the kingdom. We can stop them, but there will be casualties since they have at least two master level mages.
The best thing is if we can kill the two master level mages right away. But what if they are good people? What if they are not related to the cult at all? They could be our powerful allies.
"If we do it right, we could even get them to be our allies. But if we do it wrong, even if they don't side with the cult, they could be our enemies. I'll go ask his majesty for further order. But if there are no command given, we will continue our plan normally. Act like a normal traveling circus," Burnes said.
...Circus is not anything normal. Every members of the circus have something abnormal to show to other people. But I'll agree with him to continue with our plan normally.
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Burnes then called Sonia to send a message to Albert. And we wait for a while as I continue observing the city.
Everyone lives happily except for those who live in the slum. Especially the enslaved men.
Oh, is that some sort of red-light district? Women from outside the slum enters the slum, and being guided to a building where she could then do anything with a male slave there. Some sort of brothel, I guess.
The man is extremely thin. He must have been played with so many times. That's why you should train your body, man. Though I doubt he can do it since he's being confined in a cell even when he's not servicing anyone.
Soon after, Sonia returned with a new order from Albert.
"Albert said that it might be dangerous even with Roy alone. So, it's best to bring someone else. At least two powerful mages. He suggested to bring Angela since she's the strongest mage we have, and Shirley as well. Not only because she is strong, she's also a princess and have diplomatic power. In case something urgent happened, she can take the lead. Though until then, she will act as a member of the circus as well. Probably as the guard of the circus," Sonia said.
"Have you told the two of them?" I asked Sonia whether she has informed Angela and Shirley or not.
"Yes. They both agree to come," she replied.
I guess their business in Mellian is over already. Or maybe there are still some more monster's nests, but they can leave it to Kayla and the others.
It's Angela after all. She must be interested in seeing real master level mages. Not a ghost, and not someone who hastily improve their level and become much master level mages but they are still weaker than ordinary master level mages.
Well, if those two agreed to come, I'll pick them up.
I opened a portal to where Angela is and see that Shirley and the others are there as well. They have heard everything from Sonia. Though they're not there to come. So I just get Angela and Shirley enter the portal before closing it.
"Sonia has told me what I need to know. We just need to pretend to be your guards, right? But the master level mages should know that there are some strong mages among the members of the circus. How will you react when asked?" Shirley asked Burnes.
What she meant was me and the other expert level mages here. Though I'm just a summoner, so I only need to summon one familiar if they asked me to prove that I'm a summoner.
Victoria is obvious. Any master level mages should be able to detect Victoria's presence. I can't hide her or disguise her as some kind of object in front of master level mages. I learned it from the time I was training with the ancient Aura users who are also master level mages.
"Also, from what Sonia told me, if there's any fight against the master level mages, Roy shouldn't intervene as much as possible and just leave it to us. We need to show the master level mages the power of people from the outside so they won't dare to attack us," Shirley said.
I see. Basically, if there's a fight against the master level mages, they will need to fight Angela and Shirley. And the two of them will show their power to defeat the master level mages so they won't dare to attack the kingdom.
"Fine. I won't fight. But if I see that you might die, which I don't think they will happen, I will intervene," I said.
Angela just smiled hearing that while Shirley nodded in approval to my suggestion.
Those two didn't have any trouble facing so many artificial master level mages. And if they face the weaker master level mages, they could handle it as well. As for ordinary master level mages, which I assumed the power of the two master level mages in Rygis are, Angela and Shirley can still handle it. Though they might still get hurt and injured, they can win.
"Since everyone is prepared, we will continue our journey. And as his majesty command, we have to treat her highness Shirley as a hunter who accepted our request to guard us the traveling circus. I'm sorry, her highness, but we will drop our formality from here," Burnes said.
"Sure. I don't mind it," Shirley said.
And so, we continued our march to Rygis. To enter the city which was supposed to be the capital of that country and face the two master level mages.
"From here on, I won't use Divine Vision to avoid suspicion. Assume that the two master level mages already know our existence," I said.
I won't use Divine Vision anymore. But with Mind's Eye, which is basically seeing without the help of your eyes, I am still able to see further than normal human's eyesight.
Other than me, Angela also have mastered Mind's Eye somehow. Shirley can do it as well, though not as good as me or Angela.
It's the ability one can learn even without using Aura or magic after all. So the others want to learn it as well. But not everyone can master it.
At least we have three people here who can react quickly when we see danger.
"Ugh... I feel like someone is watching me. I don't like it," Angela said as we get closer to the city.
"Must be the master level mages. We don't need to hide our level, so once we sense their location, we can look directly at them," I said.
They will be wary of us for having so many powerful mage in this group. But it also mean that no one should try to make a mess to us. We are that strong after all.
"What should we say if they become hostile to us right away?" I asked Burnes.
"Improvise," Burnes said shortly.
"Okay. I feel like someone is getting closer to us. Prepare yourself," I warned the others about the presences I detect.
Soon after, we were stopped by two beautiful women. Those of us who are expert level mages already sensed them before so we have prepared our meeting.
"Stop! Who are you and what are you here for?" One of the women stopped us and asked our identities.
Well, I hope they will let us pass. After all, if they don't, Burnes and the others will ask me to investigate about the country on my own.
Chapter 633: They Asked for a Match
"Stop! Who are you and what are you here for?"
The one who stopped us is one of the two master level mages from the city. The two of them coming here after they sensed our arrival.
The fact that I only noticed them with my Mind's Eye after they moved means that their detection ability has further range than my Mind's Eye. That shows how strong master level mages are.
Angela understood that. And she didn't hesitate to show the two her desire to fight. Is it another moment of her when she will grow stronger by her instinct? And her instinct is telling her to fight them?
For now, I'll try to talk with the two first. I am the representative of the circus after all. Since Thomas is gone because of diarrhea.
...In truth, after I brought Thomas to Cassau, I gave Lina an order to made a meal solely for him with some ingredients that will give him light diarrhea. It won't be bad, but he will need to relieve himself a few times today. So, it's not really a lie that he's down with a diarrhea.
After the master level mages stopped us, I who was inside a carriage to pretend to be the leader of the circus come out.
.....
"Ah, excuse me. Are you two from Rygis by any chance?" I asked the two women.
Because of their level, they can maintain their beauty. And becoming a master level mages mean that their lifespan is much longer than average humans. Just like me who have become an Aura Master. Though I know how old I am. But I don't know how old these two are. But for now, I will treat them like people of the same age because they look that young.
"Answer my question first," said the master level mage.
The two women look similar. Probably they are sisters. Though I don't think they are twins. But maybe they are mother and daughter. I can't tell.
The one who spoke was someone who look slightly older among the two. She's a bit taller than the other one.
"Okay, okay. My name is Roy. And I'm acting as the representative of this circus troupe since Thomas, the leader of the circus, is sick. And we are traveling around the continent to spread happiness. We're going to do amazing performance for everyone to enjoy in every city and country we visit. That's our reason in coming to Rygis," I answered politely.
I didn't lie at all. I'm a good person after all.
"A circus you say? Grandma, what's a circus?" the tall woman asked.
"That's something when people with weird abilities gather to perform something," the short woman replied.
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...Let's ignore how the tall woman doesn't know what a circus is. They live a long time in what we expect to be an isolated country. A country closed to other people.
The short one is the grandma!? That means the tall one is the granddaughter, right?
As expected, we can't tell how old they are from the outside. Even their inside ages as slow as the outside. I can't tell how old any of them are.
Although I didn't use Divine Vision, I can tell their inside should age as slow as the outside appearance because I have seen the previous master level mages from the cult. Although they are weak, their body has adapted to their magic level. That's why I can tell.
And I won't use Divine Vision on them even if they know I'm looking at them directly here. It's because master level mages will feel disturbed when I look at them with Divine Vision even if I don't have any intention to fight at all. Their senses are much greater than expert level mages.
It seems like the two most powerful mages from Rygis are a pair of grandmother and her granddaughter. What about the mother? I didn't see anyone else who have reached master level mage in the city. Maybe they are outside.
"So, a circus is a group of weirdo looking for money. Am I right?" the tall woman asked me.
"Well, that interpretation is not incorrect. We are looking for money. But that's not our real goal. We are going to spread happiness to the whole continent. Especially during this time of war against the cult," I said.
I didn't just randomly said it. I'm also asking them whether they know about the events going on outside their country or not.
"War? What war? And what cult?" the two master level mages were confused.
"Seems like we have a lot of explanation to do. Everyone, we'll take a break here. It seems that we won't be able to progress to the city for a while. And prepare us some tea and snacks while I explain everything to them," I said to the others.
After preparing everything, we treated the two master level mages politely. And I started explaining to them about what happened in outside world.
Only me, Burnes, Shirley, and Angela is here with the two master level mages. And the others are resting.
I started explaining to the two about the existence of the Evil Cult since it seems that the two doesn't know anything about it. If that's the case, that's fine. But if they are actually members of the cult, but their knowledge of the cult is different with what I had in my mind, a fight is unavoidable.
We think that they are Evil Cult. But the members of the cult think that they are in the right side and called it True God Cult instead.
Of course I explained that to the two. But it seems like these two also know nothing about the True God Cult. So we're safe and can still avoid battle.
"...I can't believe that the fate of the world is at stake, and we know nothing about it," the short woman said.
"Oh, just to remind you that sooner or later, a messenger from Tatrama might come and they will ask Rygis for their cooperation to eradicate the cult's influence. I think if you don't know about this event, you should inform the one in charge of Rygis about this. After all, the war will affect everything in this world," I said.
"What if we decide to not cooperate? Will you guys fight us?" the short woman asked.
"No. We're just a circus troupe. We're here in peace and only want to perform. If we can't get permission to perform, we will leave to another city," I said.
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"There's no way a circus troupe can have so much powerful members. Some of you, including yourself, are expert level mages," the short woman said.
"Oh, these two are hunters and they are acting as our guard. Because we don't know if we will meet any members of the cult on our tour. And they are quite famous since Angela over here is the champion of a tournament we set for the four kingdoms," I said.
"What about you? I think you are stronger than her," the short woman pointed her finger at me.
"Well, I might be an expert level mage. But I'm a summoner. I'm strong because I got help from my familiars. Excuse me, but may I know your names?"
I fogot to ask the identities of these two. So I used this chance to ask.
"I'm Patricia and this is my granddaughter, Emilia," the short one said.
...Even if it makes sense that she's older because she maintains her youth as a master level mage, it's still weird to see someone who could be mistaken as a child to have a granddaughter.
If other small countries have master level mages like these two, I might get surprised even more. I need to get used to it. We're entering a country which was almost completely unknown to us after all. And it won't end with just this one.
"I'd like to report this to the president right away, but my granddaughter seems to feel intense fighting spirit from the one called Angela. If you don't mind, I'd like Angela to test her strength with Emilia if that's okay with you," Patricia said.
"I agree! Let me do it!"
Without even being asked, Angela quickly agreed to have a spar with Emilia. And Emilia herself seems happy to have a chance to fight Angela.
"...By any chance, is she also the kind that move first before thinking?" I asked Patricia.
"...Seems like your friend is the same. I'll watch your fight first and report everything to the president after I witness their fight. No matter what, if the existence of the cult is real, Rygis will be in danger as well," Patricia said.
"Then, the two of you should-"
Before I finish talking, the forest in front of us got flattened. A large open area was made in an instant. It was Angela's magic.
"...It seems like you two are prepared already. Everyone! Angela and a master level mage is going to have a sparing session! Put up your barrier so you won't get hurt!" I shouted so the other members of the circus can hear me.
"So you know that we are master level mages, huh?" Patricia asked me.
"Yeah. It's kind of obvious for us," I said.
Angela who is crowned as the strongest mage in the continent because of the tournament, against a real master level mage, Emilia. This will be great.
If Angela lose, the two won't think that we will be a problem to them and they will think that it's not a problem for us to enter Rygis. And if Angela win, they will think that the outside world is far more dangerous than they thought. Then, there's a chance that they will cooperate with the kingdom. Though they might not give us permission to enter.
In any case, Angela can show her power against a real master level mage. Not a training session, but a real fight. Let's see how it goes.
Chapter 634: Quick Battle
Angela and the master level mage from Rygis, Emilia, walked to the open area and faced each other. From what Emilia's grandmother said, Patricia, the other master level mage from Rygis, Emilia has similar personality to Angela. And she loves to spar against strong opponent.
"She loves fighting. But after reaching master level, there's no one else who can be a match with her except me. And since I'm her grandmother, she feels reluctant to request for a spar with me," Patricia said.
"Is that so? By the way, what about Emilia's parents?" I asked Patricia.
"They died of old age because they couldn't reach master level," Patricia replied casually.
From how casual she said it, it seems that they have died a long time ago. That means Emilia could be the second oldest person in Rygis after Patricia.
"I warn you. It's impolite to ask a lady about her age," Patricia said before I said anything.
"Then I will ask you another question. When were you born?" I asked.
.....
"I was born around... wait, that's the same question!" Patricia said.
"But I'm not asking your age directly," I said.
"And the answer is the same! Anyway, let's watch the match. We'll talk again after the match is over. I'm curious about how strong the one called the strongest mage in the continent is," Patricia said.
"And I'm also curious about the power of master level mage here. Let's just watch the match. Victoria, get us some seat," I said.
There's only Shirley, Patricia, and me watching directly on the side of the open area. The others are protecting the carriages and the horses just in case the Angela's and Emilia's magic is too strong and can reach them. They also moved back a bit until they feel safe.
They are still in the range of Patricia's detection, so it's fine. Patricia must be thinking that if we do something suspicious, she can react quickly.
And she must have sensed Victoria from before. Though after I said that I'm a summoner, she lets down her guard a bit. And when Victoria suddenly moved, she reacted quickly and put up her guard before she relaxed again.
"A sofa out of nowhere?" Patricia was shocked to see that a sofa was suddenly appearing in front of her.
"It's not out of nowhere. You're a master level mage so you should have sensed my familiar, right? Meet Victoria. A Black Slime. And she can shapeshift into anything and make clones of herself. Please take a seat and enjoy the fight," I said.
Shirley and I sat on the same sofa, and I prepared another sofa for Patricia.though she prefer to stand in the end. I guess she doesn't want to feel at disadvantage by sitting on a seat prepared by stranger.
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Well, that's fine.
"That's a unique familiar your friend have over there," Emilia said to Angela.
"That's not everything she can do though. But let's ignore them and focus on our fight. Are you ready?" Angela asked.
"Whenever you are," Emilia said confidently.
Seems like it's going to start soon. There's no need for a signal or anything.
"Your friend might have powerful earth magic. But that's not enough to defeat my granddaughter," Patricia said.
"Oh, Angela is not just an earth mage, you know. Let's just watch the match," I said.
If that master level mage is not any stronger than the master level mages we trained with, the ancient Aura users who were also master level mages, then I don't need to worry about Angela. She has managed to defeat all the master level mages on her own. An achievement that only she had. While the others can only defeat one or two, but can't defeat the others.
I didn't count myself in that. I just count the mages who practiced with the master level mages using their magic only. Not using Aura.
As for me? I would have died if I can't defeat all of them. That's a requirement for the fight against Timmy after all.
"Well, I doubt she can win against my granddaughter. Emilia is strong. Her ice magic has reached master level. And her wind magic is advanced level. She can fly freely in the sky and attack using her ice magic," Patricia said proudly.
Is she the type of grandma who loves spoiling her granddaughter? She probably is. Though she looks younger than her granddaughter, so I'm kinda creeped out.
"Is it okay for you to say that?" I asked.
"It's fine. There's just no way that she could lose," Patricia said.
"Then I will tell you about Angela. She had four elements. Fire, ice, earth, and wind," I said.
"Had? What do you mean by that?" Patricia asked curiously.
"After reaching advanced level in all of them, Angela tried to cultivate all four elements at the same time. She succeeded and all her elements reached expert level. Except that they're all counted as one now. We called it multielement. She's the only one in the world who have achieved it. I believe that she has a chance to win this match," I said.
Multielement. But it doesn't have all type of element like lightning, light, healing, or other element. Just fire, ice, earth, and wind. The element she had before.
I still don't get it after all this time. How she can make all four different element into one. And Angela being Angela, she couldn't explain it herself.
While Patricia is confused, the match started. Emilia and Angela quickly fly to the sky. And obviously, Angela is faster.
Emilia cast ice magic to attack Angela. And Angela cast the same ice magic as well. The two magic clashed and they're both equal in power.
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"Oh, the victor is obvious," I said calmly.
"No way!" Patricia then noticed that Emilia is the weaker one.
"No matter how long you live, you can't win a fight even if you start as the more powerful one. You need experience as well. Seems like you have been staying in Rygis for so long and there's no one that can test your strength anymore. So your progress is much lacking to Angela's. The winner is obvious, but Angela seems to want to test her ice magic more," I said after looking at the fight.
Emilia is obviously lack in experience. She should have known that not only her magic, but her physical strength is improved as well. But as a mage who have been fighting using magic all her life, she can't just change her fighting style and use her superior physical strength to fight all of a sudden.
If she had experience, she could give some trouble to Angela. Seems like they have a lot to learn these master level mages.
"Oh, I need to remind you that the cult I'm talking about has increased the number of master level mages they have. And since the four kingdoms have started a war against them, they should have prepared and have some experience in battle as well. If you want to protect your country, you need fighting experience. Just being the stronger one in magic doesn't mean you can win all the fight," I said.
"...You're not here to threaten us with your strength, right?" Patricia asked.
"No. As I said, we're here for a tour. We want to perform. And if we can't get permission, we will leave," I said.
While we're talking, Emilia started to panic and she finally lost after Angela attacked her with fire magic enhanced with wind magic. Angela has done testing her ice magic it seems.
Angela and the dejected Emilia come to us after their match is over.
"I won," Angela said.
"Yeah, I can see that."
Meanwhile, Emilia is being consoled by Patricia. They know now that the world is bigger than they think. An expert level mage can defeat a master level mage. Even though the master level mage could be much older than the expert level mage.
"Don't be so down. With your strength, you can still be called as one of the strongest mage in the continent. All you need is experience," I said.
"Yeah. It's obvious from that match. Emilia, send this letter to the president. And you need to tell everything that happened here to her. I'll have a chat with them here while waiting for the respond," Patricia said.
"...Yes, Grandma."
Emilia flies toward the city. Obviously less energetic than when she's approaching us before.
"I wrote a letter to our president. And I wrote it positively in hope that you can get permission to come. Though I want to ask you something as well. If you don't mind, can you spar with us in your spare moment," Patricia asked.
Shortly after the match, I exchanged information with Patricia a bit more before she wrote down a letter to give to the one in charge of Rygis. It wasn't much information, but I think that's enough to give some information to them about the outside world.
"Just a spar? Well, I don't mind. Angela and Shirley would love to improve as well. As for the other circus members, they are not as strong as these two. But you may ask them for instruction. They may accept it," I said.
"...but most of them are men," Patricia said in a low voice.
It's here. So we're right. As someone who is most likely live in Rygis the longest, she should have some hatred toward men. And she showed it here. Though her voice is so low that no one but me can hear her.
Let's dig up more info from her while waiting for her granddaughter to return.
Chapter 635: The President of Rygis
With her flight magic and her enhanced physical strength thanks to reaching master level, Emilia dashed back to the city. She ignores the entrance and just flies above the wall and through the window of a building where she was guarding before. The place that Roy assumed to be the office of the one in charge of Rygis.
"Emilia? What's wrong? You seem to be in a hurry."
The one inside the office room where Emilia entered asked her. She is the president of Rygis, Yuria. She looks much older than Emilia, but she is actually younger. Her magic level is not that good as she only reached intermediate level. But her political skill is good enough to make all the people in Rygis to vote for her during the presidential election.
"Yuria, we have outsiders trying to come to Rygis," Emilia reported to her as she gave Yuria the letter written by Patricia. It's a message from Patricia about Roy and the others.
"Oh, really? There hasn't been any guests coming for years. Is it finally the time for our country to be open to the world?" Yuria said as she opened the letter and started to read it. But the more she read it, the more stern her expression changed. Not because of the guests. But because of the report written by Patricia about what she learned from Roy and the others. The fact that there's a war against a cult that worshiped an Evil God and try to destroy the world.
"Is this real?" Yuria asked Emilia.
"At least that's what they told us," Emilia replied.
.....
"So, a group of circus troupe is traveling all over the continent to spread happiness because there's a war. And Patricia said that soon, a messenger from Tatrama kingdom or maybe another country which will ask for our cooperation to fight this cult. Do you think they want to get you and your grandmother because you two are master level mages?" Yuria asked.
"I don't think so. Grandma said that they don't know that we are master level mages until we met. Though I can't tell if that's the truth or not. But one thing for sure is that they are already stronger than us even if our level is higher," Emilia said.
"Wait! You mean that a master level mage like you can lose?" Yuria was shocked hearing that.
"It's not that I can lose. It's that I already lost. I asked for a match with someone among them who was hired by the circus to be their guard since she's friend with them. She was just an expert level mage, but not a normal one. They said that there's a tournament between the four major power in the continent, and she came out as the winner. Hence she was crowned as the strongest in the continent. And I lost against her without even able to give her a scratch," Emilia said.
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Her tone is telling Yuria the mood she's in. She's depressed because of her defeat against a stranger from the outside world that was dubbed as the strongest mage.
"...I thought that a master level mage is undefeated. But the outside world is scarier than I thought. Maybe it's wrong for me to try and make this country open to the world," Yuria said.
"No, Yuria. You're wrong. If we stay locked here forever, we will never know the danger that we're facing. And if what they said about the cult wanting to destroy the world is true, that means we will also be their target. Knowing how dangerous the outside world is much better than not knowing how we will die," Emilia said.
"I see... So, you're agree to let that circus group to enter this city?" Yuria asked.
"I didn't say that. That's a separate matter. And it's for you to decide. Roy, the one who represent the circus, said that if they can't get a permission, they will leave. But they are just a circus group. They can't tell the outside kingdom to not send messenger to this country. I'll leave the decision to you. We decided to trust you as our leader," Emilia said.
"Hmm... I think it's good. They can also be our introduction to the outside world. We can allow them to perform here with a condition that they will inform us of what's going on in the outside world. We will discuss it more later with the representative of the circus later when we meet. But since most of the citizens still feel unsafe, we can only let them borrow the land outside of the city. Though they are allowed to enter. I'll write a letter to the circus so you can deliver it," Yuria said.
Yuria then grabbed a paper and a pen to write her response. Emilia then waited for Yuria to finish her letter.
"...So, do you know what a circus is?" Emilia asked.
"You don't know? That's why you should read more books. There are some books about them in the library. You can go there and read them if you like," Yuria said.
"Me? Reading? I'll pass. They will come here anyway. I can watch them later," Emilia said.
"Sigh... It's just some people doing tricks. There's nothing interesting about it. We have magic so why do we need to watch people do some tricks? Magic is more interesting, right? Here's the letter. Send it to the circus," Yuria said.
"Alright. I'll be leaving then," Emilia flew from the window to go to where Roy and the others are.
"Sigh... come here!"
In the empty room, Yuria shouted to call for someone. And from behind the wall, someone come.
She is someone covered in black cloak. But everyone there knows her as the president's personal guard. Unlike Emilia and Patricia who are responsible for the whole city, this one is only responsible for Yuria's life.
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"You heard that? Seems like our True God is being called as the Evil God in outside world. What do you think?" Yuria asked the woman.
Unknown to Emilia and Patricia, Yuria and her personal guard are actually closely related to the cult. They keep it as secret from the master level mages.
As for Patricia and Emilia, they can sense Yuria's guard. But they can't hear what the president and her guard are talking about. So, once Emilia left, the two can freely talk about anything. Including about the cult.
"I don't know. I don't have any news coming from the outside for a while. Maybe what they're saying is true. And they have killed many members who should be coming here as messengers," the woman in black said.
"I see... Then we must continue pretending that we know nothing of the cult," Yuria said.
"But this is going to be troublesome. I helped you to be the president because you want to change the country. And you said that you will find a way to get those two monsters to join the cult. But you were unable to do that until now. Even more, that person who is called as the strongest in the continent can defeat that monster. Easily. We should have persuade them to join us sooner," the woman in black said.
"I know. My plan is going well. And they will be easily persuaded in a year or two since my plan is working. But because we know nothing of the outside world, we were too late to act. But if someone with the strength of an expert level can defeat a master level mage, don't you think that those two will be useless in the end?" Yuria asked.
"There's no way a master level mage will be useless. Bringing them to join us will raise my status more in the cult. Even if it's just one. Whatever the case, we must hide the truth from everyone. Good thing it's just the circus. If it's the messenger from another kingdom, we will be in trouble. We can think of our next plan after the circus group is gone. But for now, let's act like usual," the woman in black said.
"Okay. Go and tell the others to stay low and don't act suspicious. I will try to get information from that circus group as much as possible. Then, we will know of the cult situation outside Rygis," Yuria said.
The woman in black then leaves the office to inform the other cult members staying in the city. And Yuria stared at the window toward the direction Emilia is flying.
"...I hope I did the right thing," Yuria said in low voice.
Other than the people related to the cult, no one knows that the cult has infected the country. And even their president is related.
And without them knowing anything, our protagonist, Roy, has heard everything.
While Emilia is delivering the letter to Roy, Yuria is storming her brain to figure out what to do. And the woman in black is informing the other members of the cult hiding there to stay low.
And none of them know that in the letter that Emilia delivered to Yuria, Roy has attached a very small Blobby that can't be detected by the two master level mages. It's very small, and Roy used his Aura to try to cover its presence from the master level mages.
Inside that Blobby, there's a device that can transfer the sound it heard to a device connected to Roy's ear. Which is covered with air magic so only he can hear.
Roy who heard what Yuria and the woman in Black smiled after hearing everything.
Chapter 636: We Got the Permission to Perform
It was good that I was suspicious of them. Though it was extremely lucky that I could attach a small Blobby on the letter Patricia wrote and gave her granddaughter to deliver to the one they call the president.
While she was writing her letter, I used air magic on my surrounding. And both Patricia and Emilia were surprised and wary that I used magic all of a sudden.
"Don't worry, it's fine. I'm using air magic to breathe. Although it's just for a little bit, I made the air in the surrounding to give a calming effect. It's good for when you have just finished a fight. Angela quite like it as well."
That's what I said to the two master level mages. Though that's not a lie. Angela did like the calming gas. Especially after training or doing anything that could tire her out. And once in a while, when she's done with her training, I used air magic like this. So I pretend that it's something that I usually do to Angela and my friends after training.
The two let down their guard at that moment, and I had Victoria throw a clone of her that she has prepared before when I asked her to prepare seats for us. Because if she only creates clone right before she threw the Blobby, the two master level mages would notice.
And it's not just a normal clone. There's a listening device that Marie created inserted inside the clone. The size is small and since it's a newly invented device, no one would know what that is.
After creating the TV, Marie asked Victoria more about the invention in her world. And according to Victoria, in her world, it was sound first that can travel long distance before visual. Which mean a device to communicate long distance was created long before TV.
.....
But in this world, it's the reverse. TV was made first. And thanks to that, Marie could easily make a listening device. A small device that can capture all the nearby sound, and another device it's connected to which will make the listener can hear what sound the other device captured.
And that device is in my right ear. Covered with air magic to not let any sound or let any other sound enter. And so, I have been talking with the master level mages with only one ear working.
Emilia arrived at the city and gave the president the letter. And the one they call the president doesn't notice that there's a listening device there. I could hear everything she said with another woman there. Who seem to be her guard or assistant since Emilia wasn't suspicious of her. She's someone the people has trusted to be that close with the president.
It seems that the city is on the way to its destruction. Though that's not their real intention. Their real intention is to get the two master level mages, Patricia and Emilia, to join the cult.
There will be some trouble during our visit there. But at least we have permission to enter.
Now, the only problem I have is to inform the others about this. I need to tell them when the two master level mages are not here so they won't be able to eavesdrop on us.
The other circus members are fine. They are all agents who have been trained to respond well in any situation. I think it's fine if I don't tell them anything yet.
Victoria won't speak during our stay here. At least not until I told her that it's fine to speak. And Shirley is smart. She knows what to do even without being told.
The only problem is Angela. But as long as I keep it a secret from her, she will act normally. I guess I'll do that to her. And I'll try to tell the others about what I heard if I have the chance.
I tried asking Patricia a bit more about the place we're going to visit. But she didn't answer much about it. Only a little. But I guess that's the most important part.
"The place you're going to have more women than men. I heard that it's normal in outside world that men are the ones with power. So I'm telling you this because I don't want you to be surprised to see that women have more power than men," Patricia said.
That's the only thing she told me about Rygis. Though I'd like to say that it's not only men who have power. Women can have power as well. I know that well since I'm the one who is being pushed around the most at home by the girls.
Soon after, Emilia returned to us telling that we have the permit to enter. And just like what I heard from them, we will only be allowed to stay outside of the city. But that's fine. Even if there are monsters there, we are strong enough to protect ourselves.
...Maybe they did it on purpose so we can protect the city while staying there. Whatever the case, we got the permit.
"That's great! Then, we will go to Rygis. What about you two?"
I asked the two master level mages whether they want to stay with us or move on their own.
"...We'll return on our own. See you at the city then," Patricia said before she and her granddaughter run toward the city.
I guess it's time to tell the others what I heard. Though I still need to keep it as secret from Angela. Because if she's wary at all times, she will only provoke the people there.
As for the Blobby and the listening device in the president's office, I had them moved after I heard that both the president and the other person are leaving the room. The listening device should be in a safe place now. Good thing a clone of Victoria can still follow orders even when I can't see. But I'll find a chance to hide them in a better position later.
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I guess for the duration of our stay, I will stay deaf in one ear so I can eavesdrop on the president. But that's fine since my hearing is good because I'm an Aura Master.
While Angela helped the others to prepare for our travel to Rygis, I told Shirley, Victoria, and Burnes who will inform it to the others about what I heard.
"The president is involved with the cult. And someone who is close with her is also the same. There are others as well, so we need to be careful," I said.
"You too, Roy. We're in another country. Just because of your hatred and trauma to the cult, you can't just kill everyone you think is member of the cult. Have you seen anyone with exploding device in their mouth?" Victoria asked.
"I know. I won't kill anyone at first sight there. But there were no one with explosive devices in their mouth before. Though that might be because this country is isolated from the outside world and there were no supply of explosive devices. The one with the president said that there's no information coming from the outside. And they gave us the permit so they can ask us about the outside world. That's why just in case, don't tell this to Angela. She's not a good liar. It's great that those two chose to return on their own. If they stick with us, we can't have this conversation," I said.
"Thanks, Roy. I'll tell the others about this," Burnes said as he left to where the others are.
"There's a chance that we might get surrounded by the cult members there. I'll get Sonia to tell Kayla and the others. Roy, prepare to open a portal there to get them here before we're in danger," Shirley said as she called Sonia.
Though I'd rather use the portal for us to escape. But that's fine too. I can just call them, and when we're in danger, we will all leave with portal.
"Do you think there will be a fight while we're staying there?" Victoria asked me.
"Even if they are not the first to pick a fight against us, there will be a fight. Because Im the one who will make the first move. They said that they want to get Patricia and Emilia to join the cult. But no matter what, we have to stop it. Though they must be worried since Angela can defeat Emilia. Still, no matter what, we have to stop their plan. Maybe they will target Angela because she's strong. Not to get her to join them. But to kill her. We have to prevent that from happening," I said.
Maybe it's best if we just get someone else instead of Angela to come here. Maybe Kayla because she's the smartest. But she's already here, so there's nothing we can do.
"If it's Angela, dirty tricks could work. For now, let's tell everyone to only eat our own food until you have checked everything in that city. We must avoid getting poisoned," Victoria said.
Poison, huh? They might do that.
Whatever the case, fight will be unavoidable. But when and how is something we don't know yet.
I hope they won't pick a fight against us during our show. That's something that I will never forgive.
Chapter 637: The President Invited Me to Meet Her
After the break, it took some times until we can move again. We took our time until we can reach the city. It's also to observe the surrounding area.
"It's best to go slowly. So we can prepare the route of escape in case danger approach and we're far from you," Burnes said to me.
"Yeah. If something happen, I'll try to get all the attention to me first before I make my escape. Once I escaped, I will look for you all. For now, the main thing is to make sure that at least those two master level mages not hostile to us. Don't make them our enemies. As for the cult, we'll figure it out later," I said.
I can just kill that president and the one guarding her. But that will make the two master level mages as my enemies. And I want to bring them to be our allies in the war against the cult. And we need to be careful about it.
Well, there's also the fact that Rygis enslaved many men. Us men need to be careful so we won't fall to slavery. I hope no one dare to mess with us.
"It's here. You can see the city now. Though surprisingly, the gatekeepers are expert level mages since they detect our presence. Well, since there are two master level mages, I guess that's to be expected that the average level of the people here is higher than in our country," I said.
There are two gatekeepers protecting the gate. And they are all women. Which mean it's likely that the men are much weaker because of discrimination. Though I don't care about them as long as it doesn't involve me.
.....
And I even care less after seeing that there's a man that I know in the brothel. Unlike the other slaves who are unhappy about being used and played with by the women there, he is extremely happy. I saw him back before we met the two master level mages.
He is someone I know in my past life. And I forgot about him until today. The nodding guy. The guy who was always nodded in response when we greeted each other without a word in my past life. Back when I was a student in the introductory school.
Although I was somehow unable to meet him after I returned back to the past because I rarely go to school and I never greeted him so I never saw him nodded, that guy is him without a doubt.
He received a customer with a greeting, and when his customer asked her for something, he nodded in a way that I remember. That's how I remember him.
Maybe because he enjoyed getting with all those women, he seems to be quite popular. I'm glad he's doing well. And that's why I won't care about the slavery in this country. Because maybe, there are some other men who are happy with the life they live in.
"They noticed our presence from here? I guess they are expert level mages. Which mean that Rygis has a way to get magic stones. If we could ask for their cooperation with the magic stones, we can have stronger army," Burnes said.
Oh, right. I forgot about that. I guess he's right that magic stones are easy to get in this place. Well, we will learn more about it as we investigate. For now, let's greet the gatekeepers.
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"Excuse me! We're the circus troupe that will perform in this city. We have received permission from the president, and although we are allowed to enter the city, we can only build our tent outside. So, can you guide us to the place where we can build our tent?" I asked the gatekeeper as I gave them the letter that I received from Emilia.
"Hmm... alright. This is a real letter from the president. We have been instructed to allow you to build your tent around the entrance. You can build your tent anywhere you want as long as you don't block the road," one of the gatekeeper said.
Hmm? The other gatekeeper is blushing when she is looking Burnes? I'll get him to do the talking with her then. He's an agent. Sleeping with a target to get information is natural.
Burnes seem to sense it as well as he smiled at the girl. Though he needs to be careful because she's an expert level mage.
Well, he understand what to do. I'll just trust him.
But I don't like how Burnes have an admirer right away. I'm more handsome than him!
Anyway, we got the permission to build the tent where our show will be performed at. As an entertainer, it's best to keep our audience safe. Even if the average level of this city is higher than normal, it's best that we build the tent not far from the entrance.
And obviously, we build the tent near the gatekeeper so Burnes get some information from the gatekeeper who have a crush on him.
What about the other gatekeeper? Is there anyone whom she took fancy?
...the two strongmen appear to be whom she's interested in. Is it the muscle? Because the men of Rygis were too thin?
"Apparently, you're not their taste, Roy," Victoria said.
"It's not like I'm desperate to have another girl. I already have you and the others," I said while hiding my tears.
It's not like I want to have more lovers. I just don't like it when other men are more popular than me. It has been like that even before I returned back to the past.
Just wait. Once the show started, Clarence will be the most popular one.
"Roy. The president said that she wants to meet the representative of the circus. You're allowed to bring someone with you," Burnes said.
He received that message while he was talking with the gatekeeper. I'll take that offer then.
"Shirley, I'm going to meet the president. Do you want to come? The others are busy with the tent," I asked Shirley if she wants to meet the president.
"Sure. I'll go."
Of course as a princess, she wants to meet the leader of this country. Someone who might be her ally. Though that president seems to be our enemy though. I don't know about the others people here, but we'll just be careful.
I also need to make the listening device that I installed there to be hidden perfectly. It's a good time to do that.
While avoiding the two master level mages, I used Divine Vision again toward where the Blobby is. And I moved it toward the bookshelves when the president and her guard are not looking.
Good. It should be safe now. As for the Blobby, I will let it stay there without doing anything else. So when I need to, I can kidnap the president.
Shirley and I entered the city, and there's someone waiting for us there. She will guide us to the president.
"Ooh... nice city. I'm curious what kind of treats this city have. Is there any restriction of the places I must not go or enter?" I asked the guide.
"There shouldn't be. But in the past, there's a discrimination toward men. So you might be treated badly because of that and not allowed to enter some establishment just because you are a man. Just be careful and mind your manner," the guide said.
"...That's scary. What kind of discrimination was it?" I asked.
"Well... it's nothing to worry about. Our president has worked hard to erase discrimination. But that doesn't mean the people's hatred toward men diminished. Just be careful and only enter a city with a female companion at least," the guide warned me.
Good thing I chose Shirley to come with me. If I asked Burnes or another man, we might be treated badly.
"Hmm... there are many women here and I don't see any men. I guess they hide themselves in their home so they won't be discriminated. Am I right?" I asked the guide.
"...You're right. Although it's better now than in the past, there are still many men who are afraid to come out of their house," the guide replied.
That's a lie. Many of them can't leave their house because their wife or female relatives forced them to stay at home. I saw them when I used Divine Vision from before.
"Whoa, that's a huge building! Is that where we will have attendance with the president?" I asked. While pretending to be surprised.
"Yes. You will meet her in her office. Please follow me," the guide said.
The entrance of the building is being protected by the two master level mages. I greeted them when I entered. Seems like as long as I'm in this city, they will put surveillance on us at all time. We need to be careful.
If they are not master level mages and are important to the city, I would have kidnapped them and took them to meet Albert right away. But being master level mages, they are too dangerous to meet Albert.
How can I convince them that this country has fallen to the cult? Should I try to provoke the president? Or her guard?
If they make an action that will endanger the people of Rygis, it would be easier for me to convince the master level mages that they are from the cult. Though if too many people died because I provoked the cult, those two will end up hating me. I need to be careful and not kill anyone right away.
Chapter 638: Exchanging Information
"Ms. President, it's me. I brought the circus representative," the guide said after she knocked on the door to the office where the president is working.
This room is where the listening device is. And I had the Blobby there hid it behind a bookshelf. I can see it with my Divine Vision.
And there's also someone else there. Someone in hiding behind the wall. She must be the one that the president was talking to. Though we need to pretend that we don't know her existence.
Well, even without Divine Vision, both Shirley and I are expert level mages. We can detect someone's presence as long as they are within our range. They should have known that I'm an expert level mage. So they know that I can detect the presence of the one hiding.
The guide opened the door to let us enter. The two of us then entered the office room, and the guide just stand in front of the door.
"Umm... nice to meet you. I'm sorry that it's the first time I heard of a president, so I don't know what to do. Should I kneel down?" I tried to ask the president politely.
Usually, when meeting a king, one should kneel down first until the king told us that it's fine to stand up. Though I rarely do that. I'm friends with the kings after all.
.....
But now, I don't know what to do. Should I kneel? But we're in her office. Not in attendance hall or somewhere else. But her office. A place that no stranger should enter. And we're here easily.
"You don't need to mind your manner. Before I became the president, I was just a normal civilian," the president said.
"But you need to at least mind your manner."
The one who said that was the woman in hiding. And since she leaked her presence on purpose, I guess we don't need to act like she's not there.
"Why are you speaking?" the president asked the woman in hiding.
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"Those two are expert level mages. They already know where I'm hiding. Though I will still hide myself in case they are trying to do something," the woman in hiding said.
Their voices are exactly the same as the two that I heard with the listening device. They are related to the cult. Especially the woman in hiding.
As for the president, I don't know whether she has joined the cult or not. But at least I know that she's working together with the cult.
Since it's the president herself who is related to the cult, it will be difficult if I just kill her. Especially since she's someone that many people here trusted to be their leader. The dissatisfaction that we killed their president might end up with them waging a war against us.
If the one in charge here is a king, and that king is disliked by many people, I won't have any problem to kill them right away. But killing someone popular among the commoners will only give us many trouble in the future. That's why I need to hold myself back from killing them.
"Okay, I'll try to be polite then. May I ask why you invited me here?" I asked the president.
I already heard her name from Patricia. But I'll just call her President or Ms. President to be polite.
"I want to ask you more about the outside world. This country, until a few years ago, has been closed off from the outside world. So we know very little about what's going on outside. Even Emilia doesn't know what a circus is. That's why I want to ask you more about it. Including about the war against the Evil Cult," the president said.
"Okay. I kind of expected that to happen when Patricia and Emilia said that they didn't know about the cult. So, I brought Shirley here. She's a high-ranked hunter and has been to many places so she has more information than me who focused more on the circus," I introduced Shirley to the President.
Although I didn't lie, her information was because she's a member of royalty. Good thing I had her with me. She can get to know the political structure of this country.
Shirley then introduced herself as a daughter of a nobility from Tatrama who became a hunter. And that's why she knows more than me. I was just there to tell the President about my journey.
"You're also a finalist of that tournament I heard before? Does that mean you're strong?" the President asked Shirley.
"Well, I'm still improving. Though there are still some people who are stronger than me," Shirley said.
We're currently talking about the tournament between the four countries. President Yuria wasn't surprised to hear that there are some expert level mages. As expected, the average level here is higher than the outside world. I'd like to know how they can gain their level. But for now, we need to get the conversation going to where we wanted.
"So, the tournament was actually a bait to attack the cult. Although the strongest mages are fighting the tournament, the four kingdom's army cooperated together and defeated a lot of expert level mages and the powerful monsters they brought. That's why the cult should be at their weakest after the kingdoms killed all the artificial master level mages. So, Thomas and I decided to do a tour because we expect the cult won't make any big move at the moment," I said.
When I said that many cult members died, President Yuria didn't react at all. But the woman in hiding clenched her fists. I guess this President is just cooperating with the cult. But she's not a member of the cult.
I'll ask Albert later on how to deal with her. Should we kill her later, or let her live and continue leading this country. Or even let this country be taken over by Tatrama. That's up to Albert's decision.
Albert must have wanted to hear what we're talking as well. But the listening device can't reach that far to his palace. As for broadcasting it through the TV in his place, the camera is too suspicious to bring.
We keep exchanging information. About the outside world, and about this country. And whenever we told them about the news of the cult's plan that the kingdoms managed to stop, President Yuria didn't react much. But the woman in hiding was extremely angry.
For now, I'm going to assume that the President is not a member of the cult. She only used the cult for her purpose. Which I think should be about her changing this country. To make this country open to the outside world.
She asked the cult's cooperation to make her the president. But she doesn't care at all about the cult.
I think she will start to think that it's a bad idea for her to continue her relationship with the cult after I told her about so many bad things that the cult did. She must be trying to cut off her relationship with the cult.
I need to get more information before I can confirm it. I might need a way to communicate with her secretly. But I guess this is it for now. We will stay here for a few days. And the listening device and the Blobby will stay in the office. I can continue eavesdropping on her, or even use portal to kidnap her if I have the chance.
"Oh, it started to get dark. I think this is it for today. I'm still interested about the outside world. So, if you don't mind, I'd like you to come again at the same time tomorrow. Is that okay with you?" the President invited us to come again tomorrow.
"Of course I'd like to. And after our chat tomorrow, you can come to watch the circus as well. Today, we're just preparing for everything. And tomorrow night will be when we start our show. Some of the circus members should have advertised the circus to everyone. I'd like to get permission to let the gate open until the show is over. Is that okay?" I asked.
"Sure. The gate is never closed anyway. Though at night, the security will be increased. But the people have gotten used to it so it's fine," President Yuria said.
"Then, for our first meeting, I'll give you something."
I grabbed a deck of card from my pocket to perform a trick. It's a simple sleight of hand trick where I guessed correctly the card that President Yuria picked.
She picked King of Spade from the deck. And I guessed it correctly even when I didn't use my Divine Vision.
"This is just a small performance from me. I'll give that card to you as a gift for our first meeting. If you want to see something much more impressive, please come to our show tomorrow night. Then, I'll take my leave."
Shirley and I left the office guided by the same woman who guided us. While the President is still awed by my performance.
And she doesn't know that the black decoration behind the card is a Blobby. All the cards in my pocket have the same Blobby decoration.
If she brings that card everywhere, I can use portal to get her wherever she is. Though I can't eavesdrop on her since there's only one listening device. And that's the one I hid in the bookshelf. But at least it will be easier for me to get to her.
Chapter 639: A Chance to Kidnap the President
The next day, I returned back to the office again and talked a lot about the outside world with President Yuria together with Shirley. This time, we're talking about Tatrama Kingdom.
I'm not used to call Albert as his majesty so I let Shirley do the talking. And Shirley talked about many things that she knows.
Well, she's more knowledgeable about how her country work. While I just focused more on gourmet. If the President asked me what the specialty dishes from Tatrama, I can answer her right away. But it seems like she's not interested in talking about food so I don't have much to say.
The things President Yuria asked were mostly about the situation in the outside world including about the cult.
"Well, now we have more expert level mages. But it's still not enough to face against the cult. Even more since just a few days ago, we encountered two master level mages acting as bandits. We don't know yet if they are with the cult or not. But there's no way any ordinary bandit can reach master level easily. Though we killed them after a difficult fight," Shirley said.
She can lie so easily. She wasn't even with us when I encountered those two master level mages from the cult. And she told the President that we killed two master level mages. Though we won't say anything about them being in the cult without any evidence. We just make them assume that we killed master level mages from the cult.
"How can you kill master level mage easily!?"
.....
All of a sudden, the woman in hiding shouted and asked how we can kill master level mages.
"Simple. We are fight better and more efficient than them. Even if our level is weaker, we have more experience in fighting while they are probably hiding their power or only have the experience of fighting someone weaker than them while we encountered a lot of powerful enemies and keep trying to improve ourselves by sparring with each others," Shirley replied calmly.
"But they are master level mages! I can't even believe that someone as strong as Emilia lose against an expert level mage no matter how much you explained it!"
The woman no longer hide herself. The wall where she hid herself opened and she came out. She's wearing a black robe, but I can see her face clearly. She seems to be much older than President Yuria.
"Then, how about we check it out whether expert level mage can defeat a master level mage or not? Actually, this morning, Emilia asked Angela again for a spar. They should be fighting quite far from here. You can watch it and see whether expert level mage can win or not. Though they both can fly so they might be quite far... did she just leave you alone here with us?"
When I pointed my finger to the location where Angela and Emilia should be sparring, the woman in black came out of her hiding spot and jumped out of the window and fly toward the direction I pointed at.
Did she just forget about her duty as the President's Guard?
President Yuria didn't show it in her expression, but I can see her heart is beating so fast. She must be worried that we might do something to her. Especially after knowing that we are too strong.
"Umm... we can stop our chat today if you want to," I said to the President.
"...No, it's okay. But I will ask someone to come here first," President Yuria said as she left her office. And outside the office, the woman who became our guide again today is waiting.
President Yuria told her to bring Patricia here. Don't tell me that this is a chance to tell them the truth? A chance to see if President Yuria is a member of the cult or only asking for their cooperation?
I approached Shirley and whispered in her ears.
"Shirley, the other woman has left. And the President is bringing Patricia here. Do you think this is our chance to interrogate them?" I asked.
"That's a good idea. But are you sure about this? You might end up missing a chance to perform tonight if there's a trouble here," Shirley said.
Oh, right. Shows come first and cult later. Is not something I would think.
The cult's destruction always come first. My source of trauma should be erased as soon as possible. At least we can do it before we perform. Because if we're in the middle of our performance, I won't forgive anyone who makes trouble at that time. Whether they are from the cult or not.
"It's fine. But for now, I'll make it simple. We'll try to get Patricia and the President to cooperate for now. The rest, we'll do it later. We only have this chance when the President's guard is not here. And it won't be long until she returns. For now, we will both try to stop Patricia from doing anything and convince the President. Once they enter, I will use air magic to lock the sound from leaving," I suggested a plan to Shirley.
"Hmm... I have a better plan. You carried a Magic Restricting Collar with you, right? We'll put that on Patricia's neck. Once she can't use any magic to protect the President, you will open a portal and let my brother interrogate them quickly. You will stay here and keep watch for when that woman returns," Shirley said.
"Okay. That's a much better plan. Be sure to get the answer quickly. Even if Angela is quite far from here, it's best to get things done sooner. Alright, Patricia is close. Let's do it."
We acted normally when Patricia and President Yuria are outside the door. Soon after, the two entered the office.
And as soon as the door is locked, I used air magic to seal the sound in this office.
"What are you doing!?"
As a master level mage, it's obvious that she could sense that I activated my magic. But since she's acting as the President's guard after the real guard is gone, she can't use any powerful magic in this enclosed space or she will end up hurting the one she needs to protect.
"I'm trying to save this country from the cult," I replied.
Then I grabbed Patricia's arm to stop her from doing anything. She was shocked to see that I'm much more powerful than her despite her level is higher than mine.
Using Victoria's clones, I transformed them into a rope so I can restrain Patricia, and I put the collar around her neck.
"Sorry about this. Someone will explain everything soon. With your strength, you can easily rip that collar off your neck," I said.
"Why are you doing this!?" Patricia shouted.
Seeing that a master level mage was restrained easily, President Yuria panicked. But before she could do anything, Shirley stopped her.
"Please don't do anything stupid. We know that you are cooperating with the cult through that guard in black before. We need to confirm if you are only cooperating with them, or you are actually a member of the cult," Shirley said as the air in the surrounding turned cold. She's pressuring the President with her ice magic.
"I... I don't know what you're talking about!" President Yuria denied that she has anything to do with the cult.
But I can see that she's lying. And Patricia who is a master level mage is sensitive enough to feel the change around her president.
"See? You understand, right? For now, please cooperate with us for the safety of your country. I will take you somewhere else where you can hear the truth from your president," I said to Patricia.
"...Yuria. You will tell me everything about what happened with you and that cult. Roy, where will you take me to?" Patricia asked.
To answer that, I opened a portal directly to Albert's location. He's in his office with Mustache and the Prime Minister to do some paperwork.
"Meet the King of Tatrama, Albert. He will be the one asking you questions, and you will answer everything. By the way, Shirley is his sister. Which makes her a princess. I'm sorry that we lied to you, but it was necessary. Please enter the portal. I will wait here for that guard in black. When she's about to arrive, I'll open up a portal for you to return," I said.
Even if Patricia is a master level mage, Shirley and Mustache should be enough to stop her from going wild. And President Yuria who is scared of Patricia right now, can't do anything but obey me.
Albert was confused because I didn't tell him that I will bring the President of Rygis to him. But that's fine. Shirley will explain everything to him.
Since Patricia no longer resisting, I removed the Blobbyrope binding her. She entered the portal while ripping off the collar on her neck. But she has no intention of fighting at the moment so it's fine. And her attention is toward her president who might be betraying her country.
I close the portal and I'm all alone in this room. But there are many expert level mages here who noticed it, so I called Shelia and Graham, and also let Victoria be in her human form. With this, there are the same four people's presences in this room. No one outside will be suspicious if they sense four people here.
I have learned that expert level mages and even master level mages can't tell who is who from just detecting presences. With this, no one can tell that the president and Patricia are gone.
But of course since I used magic, the guide outside the door is suspicious.
"Ms. President! Is everything okay?" she asked.
And I, after adjusting my voice with air magic so my voice is similar to President Yuria's voice, replied back to her.
"It's okay. I just asked our guests to show me their magic. Don't worry since Patricia is here," I said with President Yuria's voice.
"Understood. If there's anything you need me to do, please call me."
We're safe for now. Let's wait for the woman in black to return, or until I received a message that Albert is done with the interrogation.
Chapter 640: She's Victoria's Fan
I can't believe that we got the chance to interrogate the President of Rygis so quickly. Good thing Emilia asked Angela to spar. That woman in black must have wanted to see if Emilia really lost against an expert level mage or not.
As for Emilia, I hope she can get stronger by learning from Angela. And she will hopefully join our cause.
Well, I don't know if she can learn anything from Angela. Angela is a terrible teacher. But if Emilia can learn by watching Angela, or she can improve with her own instinct like Angela, I don't need to worry about it. Though once Patricia and Emilia joined our cause, I can just let Kayla be the one teaching them. And they will grow even stronger even without improving their magic level. Or they could even improve their other element which still hasn't reached master level or even expert level yet.
Anyway, I'm left here in the President's office to wait when that woman in black willl return. Along with my three familiars who are here so the expert level mages outside will still detect that there are still four people here.
"So, what are we doing?" Graham asked me after I summoned him here.
"Nothing. Sorry, but you must only act that there's someone here. I don't need you to do anything, so you can sit on the sofa. But you mustn't use magic or do anything suspicious. Though you can sleep if you want to," I said.
Shelia who heard that she can't do anything, instantly curled up on the floor to sleep. While Graham just looked around the office with no real intention. Though I told him to avoid the windows or we will be seen from the outside.
.....
"So, what do we do?" Victoria asked.
"What else? This is the President's office. Let's see if there's anything we can get. Any important document or something," I said.
"Then I will look at the bookshelves," Victoria said as she walked to the bookshelf where I put the listening device at.
"I will enter the secret passage behind the wall where that woman in black is hiding," I said.
"Is there anything interesting there?" Victoria asked.
"From my experience, the guard of an influential people who protect them from the shadow, is the most suspicious and have something they hide from other people. And this one is a member of the cult, so I don't want to miss a single thing," I said.
The experience I talked about was the guard that protected Albert from the shadow. Candy's teacher who taught her to be an agent. And he has unhealthy affection toward Marie, the queen whom he should protect.
Scientists First Thought They Were StatuesInvesting Magazine
Maybe this one has weird things with her as well. She has a lot of books inside the passage where she was hiding.
And as I used Divine Vision to check every single books, I see several books that seem to be used many times. There's no dust, and some of the pages are crumpled. And there's also sketchbooks where that woman seem to draw for her hobby. And when I looked at those books, I turned around and leave the secret passage. There's no need for me to continue checking this place.
"Oh, Roy. You're back already? That was quick. What did you find?" Victoria asked.
"...that woman in black is your fan. And she seem to have interest in drawing," I said.
"Really!? I'm thinking of adapting my novel to a comicbook. Or should I say graphic novel? If she's not a member of the cult, I would like to hire her. Well, I'll go and check that place then," Victoria said as she has an obvious delighted expression pasted on her face.
Adaptation? Does she mean there will be pictures from her novel? The stories she wrote? Where some of the characters are actually based on me? I'll burn them all when I have the chance.
Then, I checked the books on the bookshelves in the president's office. And I also look for important documents. But it seems like this place is not where the important documents are stored. But since there are no master level mage in this place anymore, I can use Divine Vision easily and look for where they store the important documents. Though it's not like I can go there. But at least I know where to go if I need to.
The woman in black hasn't returned when Sonia appears and told me that I can bring them all back here. That's too fast. But at least they have done discussing the important matter. Though I don't know what that is.
For now, I'll open up the portal. But before that, the guide outside the room called out to the president if there's anything she wants from her.
I used air barrier to lock the sound from leaving. But I can still make it so the sound from outside the barrier to get in. I feel like it won't be long before my air magic can reach expert level.
I used the President's voice to say that we're fine. Though the guide outside is a bit suspicious. Maybe they are using password in case the President is suspicious of something. I need to get the President back quickly.
I unsummoned Shelia and Graham, and after I entered the secret passage to tell Victoria to quickly return and fixed everything back to its place, I opened a portal and brought Shirley, Patricia, and President Yuria back.
Patricia is no longer restrained. And Yuria seem to have refreshed her mind after the discussion. She must have bear a heavy burden after knowing that the cult she is cooperating with is a dangerous group with the intention to destroy the world. Now that she has spoken with someone about her problem, she seems to be free of her burden.
"Is it done?" I asked.
"Yes. They're with us," Shirley said.
"That fast? I'll hear everything later. It's good that we have the cooperation of a leader of a country and a master level mage. So, what do we do with the other master level mage?" I asked.
"For now, we will keep it as secret from her. And from everyone as well," Patricia replied.
"There are too many members of the cult hiding in this country. If we capture just a few of them, the rest will either escape or fight back. And many civilians will be the victims. That's why we will keep it as secret for now. Has the person outside the door asked if there's something wrong in this room?" President Yuria asked.
"Yes. Twice. One after I transported you all to Albert's location, and another right before I transported you back here," I said.
"Oh, if I don't give the right reply, they will think that something happened to me. I'll speak to her now," President Yuria said as she opened the door to te outside.
"She has told us about the password that she needs to say when everything is under control. And it's not a lie," Shirley said.
President Yuria then spoke to the person waiting outside. And she said, "Everything is okay. We're just having fun."
I guess that's the password. When I looked at Shirley, she nodded.
I was right that the president needs to say the right word when asked. Good thing I didn't try too hard in pretending.
For now, the woman outside is convinced that nothing is wrong. And when the President returns, I used my magic to block the sound from escaping again.
"Well, I'd like to hear about what you were talking about. But I can ask Shirley later about it. For now, while this room is soundproofed by my magic, and Yuria's guard is not here yet, let's discuss what we should do next," I said.
"You won't call me President Yuria anymore?" Yuria asked.
"No. Unless we're in the presence of someone else. You have met Albert. The king of Tatrama. But Albert and the other three kings of the major countries in this continent know what I can do. And I have more power since I can tell them what to do. Since you're just a President of a small country, I won't act politely anymore unless needed," I said.
"So I was right that you are the strongest," Patricia said.
"Yes I am. At the moment, in our whole alliance, I'm the strongest. But I still don't know if the Evil God is stronger than me or not," I said.
After that, we chatted a bit of what to do after this. But it doesn't last long since I can see that the woman in black is returning here.
"She's coming back. Let's stop the discussion here. Yuria, give me the card I gave you yesterday," I asked Yuria for the card I gave her the previous day.
She gave it to me in confusion. And when I grabbed the card, the Blobby decoration behind the card moved. I grabbed a few grain of sand and put them on the card. And they are covered by the Blobby.
"Keep this card with you at all time. This way, I can open a portal to your location. And if you think it's safe, you can tap the card so you can summon a ghost to be your messenger," I said.
She wasn't surprised to hear that we used a ghost as our messenger. That's because she must have witnessed it before when Albert called Sonia to send a message to me.
The woman in black then returned to her duty as a guard while she has bitter expression on her face. I guess she must have witnessed how Angela beat Emilia.
We talked a bit more, and then I told her to watch the circus tonight before I left.
With this, we have the cooperation of two of the most important people in this country. It's going smooth so far. I hope there won't be any problem during our stay here.