791 Huge Monster Near the Castle Island
Today, I'm going to investigate the last island. The island with a castle where the bird's master is located.
But before I go, Albert and the other kings contacted me and told me to have a meeting all of a sudden.
"So, how was it?" Albert asked.
"Among the three islands, I haven't fully investigated the island with the castle. One of the two that I have investigated has more monsters than humans. And a lot of them were the result of cloning technology that the cult created. Apparently, even if we captured the Professor, the one who might be the smartest in the cult, there are other smart people there. And Albert, have you asked the Professor if he has other inventions and technologies that could be disadvantageous for us?" I asked Albert.
"Even if I ask, it doesn't seem like he will answer anything. But I will try to get what we needed from him," Albert said.
Yeah, that's the only thing we can do. The Professor is somehow still being kept alive by Albert for interrogation purpose.
"Hey, about the cloning technology. Is it possible for the cult to clone a human being? Including their intellect and their thinking capabilities?"
Fabio asked something scary. For a cloning technology to clone a human being. Will that count as a human or a monster?
Maybe if they put a monster's flesh or organs, it can be considered as monster. That means they can be tamed.
.....
Taming a human being. The thought alone is scary. It's scarier than enslaving them.
Well, both are scary.
"Wait! Do you mean that it's possible that the Professor has clones? Or maybe the Professor that we caught is a clone and the real one is somewhere else?" Kayla asked.
...Damn, that's scary. If there are too many Professor, that would be the worst.
With their knowledge and skill to not only make clones but also to artificially create master level mages, the cult is already way too powerful.
"I don't think they are ready to clone humans yet. Master level mages are too precious. And cloning humans must have some risks as well. While cloning weaker mages will not really improve their overall strength. And if cloning and artificially made them into master level mages is possible, they should have used them to attack Consenza during the tournament. But they didn't. I guess their technology is not that advanced yet," Albert said.
"I guess total destruction is needed in those three islands. So that they will stop creating clones," I said.
Play this game for 1 minute and see why everyone is addicted.Panzer.Quest strategy game
On the two other islands I have investigated, I didn't see any strange technology that they use for cloning. Which means that it's in the castle island which I haven't fully investigated yet.
I think it will be a while until we can find everything and destroy them.
Not only so that the cult can't create clones anymore. But also for us. Even if we have the same mind to destroy the cult, that doesn't mean that we're all good guys.
For example, there's me. I just thought that if I can create a clone of myself, even if it's just one, then our strength will be doubled. Having two Aura Masters would be great.
I'm really tempted to do it. But if my clone went rouge, I'm the only one who can stop him.
Aura Master facing another Aura Master. Even if I win in the end, I won't win unscathed. And it will only end after sacrificing many people.
And some among this group must have thought the same. That's why none of them rejected this idea.
"So, Roy will find the lab and destroy everything while the others are in battle. Let's go back so Roy can continue his investigation. As for the agent who will investigate that island with weaker mages, I will send this man. Roy will bring him to that island and he will investigate by himself while pretending to be loyal believer," old man Henry said as he introduced the agent.
Old man Henry said that he has been taught about the cult from the former cult members who joined us. And it's not just him. Other agents also learned it in case they needed to infiltrate the cult.
After I brought everyone home, I brought the agent to the second island. I will leave him on the route from the city to a village. He will then fly on his own to the village and ask them if he can stay and work there.
The agent look old enough to have grandchildren. And it's common for people at that age to retire to the countryside. So I hope the disguise won't be discovered soon.
After he left, I open a portal to the castle island. From here, I will investigate this place for a while.
During the meeting, the kings also suggested that each island will have a few old agents to infiltrate. For the island with more monsters, someone is being carefuly selected. And this island is being investigated by me. So maybe it will be tomorrow that the agents can do their mission.
"Then, our main objective is to find the lab," I said.
"What about checking the castle?" Victoria asked.
"That will be too dangerous. Spot, let's go!"
The castle has a prison with a lot of prisoners at the moment. I don't know how they got captured, but it's too dangerous to just go there mindlessly.
And since it's a castle, most of the people there would be master level mages.
But what about the lab? A laboratory is obviously a place where either smart people or experiment to gather. So it's less likely to have master level mages. And I should be able to infiltrate that place. Especially since everyone here is related to the cult. So they would feel that it's safe and there's no need for guards.
The three islands don't seem to have any enemies. Not people and not monsters. So unless they are on a mission outside, the people here won't have much experience. And it's more likely for them to let down their guards even with so many people guarding these islands.
Though I think the high security was because we have been destroying the cult's plan so many times. And they are just afraid that we will get here. So the cult just increased the security here.
Everything look normal. And since I can't see any opening yet to enter the city, I'll go check on other places first.
There are monsters in this island. But even if they are strong, I can't communicate with them. So I can't learn anything from them. And meeting them will only alert their masters.
Unlike the Dragon Kings who can keep their calm even though they are tamed, these monsters don't seem to be as smart as those Dragon Kings. They can't keep calm if I got too close.
But at least I need to see the leader. So that once the battle started, I can go directly to them and kill them to make their clones go wild.
I see a village and checked it from above. The people there are mostly old people. So I don't think that they are master level mages. Because master level mages, even if they look old on the outside, the inside is healthy unless they have been alive for over a few centuries.
Even among the ten master level mages, the oldest was a bit less than three centuries old. He was still healthy, but his organs are not as good as they used to be. It looked just like he is a fifty years old man on the inside.
But the villagers here are old for real and not master level mages. So I think we an put an agent in this village.
After checking that village, I flew to the other villages. Most of the villagers in those villages are old people. There's rarely a young people there. So I think it's safe for the agents to infiltrate those villages.
But so far, I didn't see any lab. So it's most likely somewhere in the city near the castle.
And as I was flying on Spot's back, I suddenly see something huge coming out of the ocean. Something like a serpent but it was bigger than Spot's original size.
"Let's fly higher. That thing might be able to sense us if we got any closer," I said to Spot.
That monster is possibly the one responsible in the destruction of the old kingdom here. Something that look like a serpent, but it's not.
"Spot, do you know what that thing is?" I asked.
"No. It's not a sea serpent. And whatever that thing is, it's stronger than me," Spot said.
Well, that sucks. So the monster that destroyed the kingdom is still alive. Can that thing destroy this island again?
Someone from the castle was flying to the monster. And the two talked for a bit before the monster returned back to the sea. Then that man also returned back to the castle.
"...Anyone knows what they're talking about?" I asked.
"...My guess is that the man is an old master level mage. Maybe a tamer. And he tamed that monster and used it to destroy the old kingdom. Well, we won't know anything unless we investigate it," Victoria said.
"Okay. Let's infiltrate the city next. That monster is too scary. I think that thing could be at the same level as Andro," I said.
Even Spot and his family won't be able to defeat that thing. We need a strategy to make that thing go far away from the islands.
792 Too Many Secret Tunnels in the Island
I waited for a few hours until the guards changed shift. It's about time that they showed opening.
I think that because this city has never been attacked ever since the cult started residing in this city, no one taking the guard duty seriously. But they are still expert level mages and master level mages. So even if they seem relaxed, they can sense a bit of change in the surrounding.
If an uninvited guest suddenly appears, even if the guards seem to be relaxing, they would notice. At least the master level mage among the group will. And that mage will report it to the others.
And there are also almost no opening at all in the spots they are watching. Other than the opening to the prison.
The castle is big, so even if it's in the center of the city, I can still see a part of it. And my Divine Vision is good enough to see up to the prison.
When I looked at it, even though it seems that the opening that lead to a trap to imprison trespasser is safe, there are some people near the path. Even if they are just expert level mages, if I enter that path, they could notice me. That's why even if I can enter that place without having to worry about the trap, I could get surrounded. And I can't use magic inside that prison.
Maybe I should also investigate if there's something that block magic. Maybe it's in the lab as well. Just like the cloning technology.
What if there's no lab at all? What if they experimented it in the wild?
Well, that's just stupid. Why would anyone experimenting something like cloning in the wild?
.....
I won't get anything if I enter through the opening that the guards are showing openly. That's why I waited until the shift ended.
I don't know how long each shift is, but I know that it's impossible for anyone to voluntarily be on guard duty the whole day. Even if they are master level mages who have lived for so long, they can still get bored.
When the shift is changing, there's some other opening and I entered the city. Though I can only lower my body on the rooftop while having Spot to camouflage us so that we won't be seen.
I can see more things inside the city. But why are there so many churches in one city when they all believed in the Evil God?
Unless it's only one church for the believers to pray, while the others are where they conducted experiment. Let's go there before checking the castle.
The first church I checked is filled with people. They are believers who prayed to the Evil God.
I guess this is a normal church. But let's check carefully so I won't miss a thing.
Normal believers, normal priests, and normal church activities. But there's one abnormal priest or maybe some other position in the church. I don't know. Everyone working in the church wears the same garb. I can't tell if anyone is another Archbishop or not.
Anyway, that guy finished his job and left the church while people still goes there. I guess there's no need for anyone to guard a church when everyone is living here happily.
Wait, does that mean I'm the bad guy? Well, I am indeed the bad guy. Should I tell the others about how they are living here peacefully?
I won't. After all, everyone in the cult, whether they know it or not, are hoping for the destruction of the world. Even if it might seem that they are living happily, most of the people here are busy.
Not only because of their job. But they are also busy cultivating and even sparring with each other. They are preparing for a big war as well.
Having an entire population of believers, they don't have to worry about breaking through to the next level. Everyone doesn't care about other people. Just their own magic level. So there won't be anyone disturbing someone who is trying to breaking through.
Or maybe they made a rule that those who are disturbing other people's cultivation will be imprisoned. And that's how those people got into prison under the castle.
Anyway, let's talk about the guy who just left the church. He's heading to the castle.
He's still within my sight so I could see him in the castle. Though I have to be careful to not look at someone in the eyes.
That guy is not visiting. He's living in the castle. Then there's a hooker entering the castle and go to his room.
Maybe that hooker is also strong. So I won't see her eyes. But she has such a high quality body. Still not as good as my girlfriends though.
A priest who is hiring a hooker. Though I can't tell which one is stronger.
I waited for a while and there are no other priests who left the church and enter the castle. That guy is the only one. I guess he's the one with the highest position in the church.
Anyway, the castle's guards are just for show. The city alone is already well-protected. And anyone with ill-intention entering the castle won't last long since there should be many master level mages there.
Though in my mind, everyone in this island have ill-intention. They are parts of the cult after all.
I guess I'm done with this church. Let's go to the next one.
The next church, there are also people there praying. But it's significantly lesser than the previous church.
There's an underground tunnel leading somewhere. It's quite deep so I have to be on the ground level to see where it goes. But for now, I'll remember that church.
Now that I thought about it, there's no need for the church to be the only one with a tunnel to the underground. I'll also check as many place as possible to see if I can find more.
As expected. Several houses in the city have tunnels underneath. Doesn't that mean that powerful magic from master level earth mage can destroy the whole city? One magic and everything above ground will sink.
But that's only if all the tunnels are connected. I should have brought the earth spirit here and ask him to investigate by himself. He should be able to do that, right?
Well, I don't think he wanted to leave that island. Maybe I will destroy that island completely.
Right now, I can already meet him by opening a portal to where I met him last. The tunnel that Angela and Kayla created.
It's no longer connected to the sea. We have covered it. But there's still a hole for a few people to enter. And when we're there, the earth spirit said that he will notice right away and will greet us.
That's for later. I need to continue checking the city.
Is there any empty house where I can enter the tunnel from? Maybe I should dig another tunnel directly from somewhere. But it would be easy to get noticed.
Even more if we start digging from the sea. That giant monster only showed its head and it's already bigger than Spot. Just a bit of movement and that monster might be able to notice me.
What about in the previous island? What if that monster already noticed me and just now, that monster was reporting it to its master?
If that's the case, then we have no other choice but to retreat. I have planted a lot of Blobbies on the three islands so we can raid them anytime we want. Even right now.
Well, seeing how the guy that talked to the monster returned back to the castle without doing anything, I guess it was not something that important. Maybe that monster asked for some sacrifice.
Whatever the case, it feels like we're safe for now.
Anyway, I started checking on the other churches. There are few more where the believers are praying at. But the others are just there hiding something.
Oh, there's an empty church. Let's get in there and hide.
"Spot, that church is empty. And it has a tunnel leading underground. Let's go there," I said.
"Is it safe to go now?" Spot asked.
Since we have been in hiding for so long, Spot also started to get cautious. And he will only move when I said that it's safe to go.
"Yes. Go right from above of the church and we will descend directly from there. If possible, I'd like to go underground," I said.
We entered from a locked window. We just got Victoria to unlock the window so we can enter, then we locked it again.
We went down to the first floor and go to the tunnel leading down.
I can see more from here. And I see that the tunnel here is connected to most tunnels from other location.
Maybe the tunnel was created in the past back when the kingdom was still exist. It's secret tunnel for the members of the royalty to escape in case of emergency. Just like the tunnels in Albert's palace.
I can't see anymore than this. Because if the people inside are master level mages, they would sense me looking at them.
This is why I must not investigate things from above. Just by looking down and I can see people in the eyes already.
Well, for now I'll attach a Blobby somewhere in this church. And next is to... I guess I can't enter yet. Someone is coming up from underground to this place. Let's hide.
793 Don't be Too Hasty
"What's wrong?" Victoria asked.
"Someone is going through the tunnel and going this way. He's wearing a priest's garb. Let's hide first and wait before we enter," I said.
"Or maybe you can just leave now. Albert told me that before you make any mistake, I need to remind you that you are not that good at investigating. And you will send some agents to investigate the three islands, right? Just be patient," Victoria said.
Oh, right. I was about to enter a tunnel to who knows where. And even if the underground tunnel lead to the lab filled with smart people, it doesn't mean that there are no master level mages.
If I got caught just by looking down to the lab and accidentally see a master level mage's in the eyes, then they will increase their security even more and it will be harder for us to fight later.
Why do I want to do something stupid? Is it because I really just want to kill everyone and don't care how we do it? Because if I do, it makes sense that I want to get discovered so we will have no other choice but to attack this place right away.
It's good that Albert told Victoria to remind me before I make a huge mistake. Though whether my plan will be a mistake or not is yet to be seen.
"Thanks for the reminder. Let's just leave this place for later. Anyway, I haven't seen any summoners in this island. What do you think?" I asked Victoria.
"Summoners? Maybe because so many of them have been killed, they are hidden somewhere and being protected by powerful mages. Maybe they are in the underground lab. Because if the lab is used for cloning monsters such as dragons, then they will need someone to open a portal to transport them," Victoria said.
.....
And I also haven't seen any huge entrance or exit for those monsters to leave the lab. Maybe Victoria is right.
Maybe I need proper lessons about infiltrating and investigation techniques. Though I'm too lazy for that.
But if it's learning a new attacking skill, then I will gladly do it. Though what else should I practice? Those unconventional weapons from Victoria's world which is not that efficient and can mostly be used for show?
Like nunchaku for example. Nunchaku might be a good weapon in that world. But in this world where no one learned martial arts, even a normal stick will be difficult to dodge. And my physical strength already surpassed everyone. So even without being unpredictable, it will be difficult for anyone to dodge my attack in close range.
So unless I found some magic or Aura weapons for those weird weapons, I don't think I will try learning it. Maybe I should have asked Timmy if there are other well-known weapons before I killed him.
The priest now has reached the door. And the hidden door opened with a loud sound. I guess being sneaky is difficult for most people to enter that tunnel.
Unless they are capable air mages. Like me who can make a soundproof barrier.
Well, I won't think about going into the secret tunnel anytime soon. I'll focus on the island first.
At least we have known enough that there are other places with tunnels leading underground. I'll see if there's anything else to find.
If the island kingdom was truly destroyed over a hundred years ago because of the monster and that man, then it's possible that they are hiding something more. Maybe even the Evil God is here. Though I can't be sure.
Well, I think tomorrow or the day after is the time that I will bring in the agents to investigate. One of the three islands already has an agent investigating a village, but maybe more people is needed there. I'll just deliver those agents to each islands and then I will probably go back to performing in the circus until I got called. Or I will just rest.
It's also weird that there's no movement at all from the cult to the city in the middle of the Magicless Area. I thought that they would send some people there. But from the report, apparently, there's no one coming at all.
Maybe the cult has started to be more careful. So many places have been attacked. And they need to be careful to not lose any more powerful mages and monsters until they are confident enough to destroy the world.
But why would anyone looking to destroy the world be so patient and wait for the Evil God to do something? Maybe they are not confident to face the world without the Evil God. Maybe it's one of their teachings to wait for the Evil God to rise.
The priest left the room. And after a while I also started leaving.
Like before, we go through the window then had Victoria locked it before flying to the sky.
"It's rare to see them flying. In fact, I haven't seen anyone here flying other than the guy who talked with the huge monster. But at least we know that the sky is safe," Victoria said.
She's right. Other than that guy and the little green bird, I haven't seen anyone or any monsters flying. Just normal birds. Not a monster at all.
The cult should have more flying type monsters. Unless flying type monsters are too hard to tame. They are usually faster than wind mages after all.
But rather than the sky, I'm worried about the sea. That huge monster is too scary.
I made a few more round trips around the island before I made a conclusion that... I can't find anything else anymore. I guess I'll return home now.
35 Extremely Amazing Beaches Around the World
ad
The Sexiest Game Of 2023! Not For Kids
ad
"What about checking other islands? Henry said it, right? There were supposed to be more smaller islands but only three can be counted as the main islands. Maybe we could find something in those smaller islands," Victoria suggested.
"Then that would be our plan for tomorrow. We have wasted a lot of time just in the castle island. And let's try to avoid the place close to where that huge monster coming from," I said.
Maybe that huge monster can notice us even if we're using camouflage. That's why we won't go there. At least not yet.
"What if I distract that thing? Then you can go there, right?"
Spot suddenly gave us a suggestion.
"I didn't feel as much fear as I had when we met the huge dragon. So I don't feel that I'm going to lose at all. But I will still be careful. I can also ask my children to come and help me. If we fight underwater, then it's unlikely for us to be tamed. That's fine, right?" Spot suggested.
"That's... actually a good idea. And since that guy can converse with the monster, maybe you should talk with it first. Just make sure that you don't leak anything about us. For now, let's go back first so we can discuss it with the others," I said.
I can trust Spot. But he's still a monster without a master. So the others will be skeptical about him. That's why I will discuss it with the others first.
When I asked, tomorrow, I will gather everyone together again before I left to the islands. The new members need to know that Spot and his children are our trusted allies.
And we might get more. With Ray training other horse monsters to help us in the future. Once my mission is done, I'll go check on him and other horse monsters.
We already have a few that will help us. But it's just not enough yet. So the more we have, the better it is for us.
Though I don't think we need some rides for the monsters. The werewolves, angels, vampires, and weretigers can fly. So they don't need a ride. And fighting with their own body instead of magic, it will be difficult for them to adjust when they are fighting on a ride. So it's best for them to not have a ride.
Some of the kingdoms already have mage-knights who ride horses. They are mostly not wind mages. That's why they need horses.
But compared to a unicorn, or even a weaker horse monsters, a normal horse is considerably slower. So we need to exchange them with horse monsters.
Sigh... it's good that so far, there hasn't been any accident that the cult created. Maybe they are too busy after so many of their bases are destroyed. Also, we are now united against them. So they should be more careful than they were in my past life.
But we still didn't make any progress in finding out who and where the Evil God is. And I keep getting impatient.
I guess I'll just watch the circus for tonight. I need something to take my mind off the case. I'll just be an audience tonight and won't perform yet. And Thomas also said that there's a show tonight.
"So, anyone wants to watch the circus?"
794 Checking the Smaller Islands
"Alright, I'll leave you here. Good luck!"
It's the last batch of agents that I brought to the castle island. There are three old men here who will infiltrate this island and hopefully, they can get something.
Unlike the other island with mostly weaker mages, this island has a lot of powerful mages. But that doesn't mean that there are no weak mages at all. Especially in the villages outside the city.
They will enter those villages first and gain the villagers' trust before they enter the city. At least that's the plan.
This morning, I have sent several other old men and old women for the infiltration mission. Though I was quite surprised that they are still willing to be spies at their old age. But since the king of the kingdom they are serving put their trust on these old men and women, I guess I can trust them.
They are not just agents from Varadis. The closest kingdom to the islands. But they are also from other kingdoms as well. Because Varadis just didn't have enough old men and women to send.
And these old people are willing to die for their country. Some of them even willing to do it happily.
"I thought that with my age, I won't get into such mission ever again. I'm glad that I can at least have another mission before I die. I don't mind if I ended up dying. But I will do my best to deliver a precise report of what you needed."
That's what these old people said. They are addicted to the thrill of infiltration mission.
.....
Though some kings asked them where they used to infiltrate. Of course those things are confidential.
I can guess that those old agents were sent to any one of the countries among the alliance. But now that we are cooperating together, they will do their best to work together to get result that we want.
Though it's kind of funny how one old man from a Varadis recognized another old man from Arturo and talked about how they were best friends who tried to trick each other in but never worked. Because they were both spies. And they were on a mission in another Consenza. They got reunited here.
Seeing how they reacted like that, I guess their disguise worked perfectly, both of then never realize that the other party was an agent. Though it's also somewhat hilarious to see that.
After bringing all the agents, I left on Spot's back. I will search on the nearby islands.
But before that, I need to drop Spot and open a portal for his children to enter so they can enter the sea. There, they will dive deep and look for that huge monster to distract it from finding me when I fly above them.
Which mean that I have to fly on my own and I have to be really careful from being seen since I don't have any camouflage skill anymore. And since Ray is busy teaching other horse monsters, I also can't bring him.
Last night after I watched the circus with everyone, I went to Monsters World to see Ray's progress. I could see that there are more horse monsters than before. Ray is doing well but he's still busy. That's why I won't bring him here unless it's necessary.
For now, just running in the air is enough.
Spot and his children dived into the water. And once they are deep enough, I think they will go to the huge monster's location directly. As for me, I will go the other way.
Spot has a phone attached to his ear. He can use it and contact me if he's in danger. And I can also contact him if my mission is over so we can go back home safely.
I checked the first island I see. There's no one there. And no underground facilities as well. So I run to the next island.
There were some people there. They looked strong. So I leave them be after I secretly attached a Blobby on top of a tree.
Why are they here? Are they tamers for the monsters here? Unlike the first island I checked today, this island is bigger and has some monsters in it. Maybe the people there are the caretakers of those monsters.
I don't think any of them are cloned monsters. They are varied and not just one type of monsters. So they must be tamed monsters. And I don't think that they are a leader of their race. So I wonder why the cult is taming them?
Maybe because each monster has special abilities. As for what they are, I don't know. And staying here for too long will end up with me getting discovered. So as soon as I planted a Blobby there, I moved to the next island.
There are so many islands nearby. There are even some in between the three main islands. And since some wind mages used that route to travel, there are even some resting areas there. For those who are tired from flying with their magic or with their ride.
They even served water and food for monsters. There's no inn at all, but I think it's safe to even sleep outside in those islands. Everyone is loyal believers after all. And the monsters here are all probably tamed monsters.
After a few hours of moving, I think I have seen all of the smaller islands nearby. None of them seem important other than for herding monsters. There's no sign of a lab or anything. But I have marked all the islands with people or monsters in it with Blobbies so we can go there anytime we want. I hope those Blobbies won't get found.
Next is... should I check on Spot's progress?
From what I see at the place where that huge monster emerged before, it seems pretty calm. And there's no sign of a battle at all. But maybe it's because they are fighting too deep in the sea. Or that they have traveled quite far.
Let's contact Spot first.
Calling him while he's underwater is stupid. We won't be able to hear anything. So I just texted him a message. Good thing we taught monsters to read and write.
Soon a reply came from Spot.
[He's too strong and fast. He brought us somewhere far from those islands and we are still fighting him underwater.]
Hmm? He's big and fast. And he can carry Spot and his children to a far distance without even making a ripple on the sea?
Hmm... the sea level is not reducing. Its still the same. So I don't think that there will be a tsunami here.
But if that thing wanted to kill Spot and the others, he shouldn't do something like this. Maybe there's something I'm missing. So I texted him again.
[Try talking to it. Pretend that you're trying to get stronger to kill someone who tamed some of your children and let them die. Maybe that thing doesn't want you to get noticed by the cult.]
If that's the case, then it's possible that the monster is not an enemy. I truly hope that's the case.
If that monster is tamed, then previously, he didn't need to surface and called that master level mage. The monster could just use telepathy to contact its master. But he didn't do it.
[He doesn't care. He just said that it has been boring since all the monsters in the sea have been tamed so he doesn't have anyone to fight. And now that we appeared, he took us away so the tamers won't notice us fighting. If they realized that we are fighting him, they would try to tame us. That's why he brought us far away]
...Another monster who loves battle. I don't think I can make him join us. He's not like Andro who has terrible itch on his back.
[Try to find if he's tamed or contracted to a summoner. Then, I will move him with a huge portal to Monsters World. Even if he can't join us, he won't be a problem to us if he's in Monsters World]
While waiting, I asked Victoria to sense where the location of her clone which is attached to Spot and his children. Then I run over there.
It's already far from the islands but we haven't reached there yet. How far has that monster took them?
[He said that he's not a contracted monster. He hates humans and only stayed there because of mutual goal]
Alright. I have heard enough. Anyone with mutual goal with the cult can't be trusted. Even if I haven't met the monster yet, whether the monster lied or not, he will just be a hindrance for us.
[Do you think that you can push him into a portal if I open it?]
[Nope. He's too strong. And he's still just playing around with us. It's great that I can get into action. But it's annoying fighting him. Let's just escape first and think of how to handle him next time]
Spot has turned into quite a bit of strategist it seems. But he's right. I think we should do it.
[Carry your children and fly to the sky. That way, he won't be able to chase you. Contact me when you think that you're far enough from the monster]
That's the only thing we can do for now. Also, I think I will just exhaust myself if I have to open a huge portal for that monster to enter.
I guess I need to improve my summoning level to master level to make things easier for us.
795 Escaping from the Giant Sea Monster
Spot and his children are facing the giant monster. I couldn't even see how big that monster is. But as I exchanging messages with Spot, I learned that it's something called a Kraken.
Kraken is something like a giant squid with huge, long, and powerful tentacles that can crush anything.
And Spot said that the one I saw before was not the head of the Kraken. But it was just one of his tentacles.
The Kraken could make his tentacles vibrate and make whatever sound that the Kraken wanted. That's why I thought that it was the head that talked with the mage.
And the Kraken could absorb vibration so even if his head is deep underwater, he could still listen to what the mage said. At least that's what Spot told me.
[It's hard fighting him, but I don't think that it's impossible. We are too unprepared for the fight. We will retreat today and the next time we fight, I'm confident that we can win]
That's what Spot said to me in his message. He's confident that he can win.
When he was facing Andro for the first time, he was scared until he lost his consciousness. But now, when he's facing a Kraken which was less than half the size of Andro, Spot didn't feel any fear.
I guess either that Kraken is weaker than Andro, or that Spot has grown stronger. Or maybe the Kraken is just playing with Spot and hasn't even used his full strength. And that made Spot judge him to not be as strong as Andro.
.....
But he told me that he could win next time. So I will trust him with that.
Right now, I'm running in the sky above the sea to where Spot is located. He will carry his children and fly to the sky to escape from the Kraken. And I will pick him up there.
Carrying several huge serpents on his back should be difficult. Even if he's much bigger than his children, it's not an easy matter. But he can do it.
[Of course I can. They might be adult already, but I'm still their father. Carrying them is my duty. I have been carrying them all my life and will continue to do so until I die]
What a cool father!
"Roy, they should be around this area. They are quite far down. Let's just wait nearby," Victoria said.
Wait? How will I wait in the sky?
Unlike Spot, I can't stay still midair. So I have to keep moving my legs like I'm running or jumping.
I guess I'll just run around above that huge cloud. The Kraken shouldn't be able to notice me hiding above that cloud.
I passed the cloud and jumped above it over and over again while waiting for Spot to come up.
"...Just how deep is the sea here? And how big was that Kraken when just one tentacle is bigger than Spot?"
With nothing to do, I just asked myself that question.
"If the tentacle is as big as Spot, then it's no wonder that they are having problem getting out of the sea. Let's just be patient. You should be able to see them when they left the sea," Victoria said.
Even now, with my Divine Vision, I can't see where Spot is. But Victoria reassured me that they are below me. I just need to be patient.
After waiting for a while, I could see ripple on the water. They are getting closer. But I can't see them yet. I guess they are still quite deep.
They are huge. So it's no wonder if they cause a huge tsunami to nearby island. But we're already quite far from any island so it should be fine. Unless the ripple grow bigger and then it became a huge tsunami.
I don't mind if the tsunami affected those islands where the people from the cult are living. But if the tsunami affecting Varadis, old man Henry will scold me. I don't want that.
Though I just need to not tell him anything about it at all. I can avoid any responsibility if I don't speak of it.
Soon, I can see Spot is swimming upward with his children attached on his back.
How? Do they have some sort of suction power that let them attach themselves to their father?
Then, I can see a long and huge tentacle trying to catch Spot.
That... That's too long! Even from the sea, it should still be able to reach me! I need to go higher!
Covering myself with magic armor, I jumped higher to the sky before Spot even surfaced.
Then Spot surfaced and fly diagonally to the sky. I also run toward where he's flying to.
And soon, a tentacle is coming. By this time, I could barely see the body of the Kraken. That thing is scary.
Let's get away from him before he notice me. If he can hear from just vibration, that means his body is extremely sensitive to change. And he can detect my location with that ability of his if I'm too close.
Now that they are out of water, Spot is faster than the tentacle. But carrying five huge serpents on his back is still a burden to him. I need to help him.
[Spot! Use your camouflage to hide from the Kraken. He could still sense your location but at least you won't be seen. I'll be there as soon as I can!]
Spot who used magic to read the text from his phone directly in his mind, used his camouflage ability and disappeared from sight. But the Kraken's tentacle is still chasing him.
Even after Spot is moving around, the tentacle is still chasing after him and his family.
Now that the entire body of the Kraken is out of the sea. He looks like a giant squid.
He doesn't seem to have noticed me. Which is good.
Underwater, he might be fast. But outside of water, even I am faster than him.
Before long, I can meet up with Spot. But it's best to make it seems like Spot is running away normally.
[Spot, you will outrun the Kraken soon. Say your last message to him before you meet again]
I texted him while still running. Spot then glanced behind at the tentacle before saying something.
"Kraken! We will meet again soon! Prepare yourself because at that time, my children and I will kill you! Good bye for now!"
The Kraken could hear Spot from his tentacle. And instead of chasing Spot, the tentacle stopped.
"You will come back and play again? That's great! I will be waiting for you. Then we can play as much as we want."
Seems like the Kraken is interested in what Spot will do for their next fight.
But seriously, seeing a tentacle talking with just its vibration is creeping me out.
Well, at least the Kraken is Spot's enemy. I won't face him when we're attacking those islands.
But there are still problems. If Spot and his children are not there, that means there's no one who can fight the other tamed sea monsters.
For now the plan we prepared is that when the battle begun, I will infiltrate the underground lab so that they won't be able to hide anything. Then I will open a portal from there to get as many agents as possible to come and get as many things as they could find.
As for everyone above ground, they will be busy facing the others.
Though for me, I think I will infiltrate the underground lab after I killed the four Dragon Kings. If I left them for other people, it might take too long until they can kill those Dragon Kings.
But that's just what we planned for now. There are few agents investigating those islands. And it might take months or even years before we can make our move.
Until then, I think I will rejoin the circus.
Though now that the circus no longer need to investigate the place they perform at since even the smaller kingdoms that were the circus' destination has joined the alliance. Now it's just a normal circus.
Though any normal circus are filled with abnormal people. So I don't know what is normal anymore.
The Kraken returned back to the sea after he stopped chasing after Spot. And Spot just continued flying.
I opened a portal to Spot's location, and then I opened a new one back to the sea in Cassau. It's time to go home.
"Just taking Spot and his children spends a quite a lot of mana. If I transported that Kraken, I won't have any mana left to go home," I said.
"What about Andro? Do you think that you can transport him?" Victoria asked.
"Andro is much larger. While that Kraken doesn't seem to have a spine and probably can be folded. So the differences are huge," I replied.
Now that the investigation is over. Let's take a break from missions and just perform as Clarence the Clown again.
I can't wait to see my audiences.
796 Back to the Circus
Finally! A free time! Though for how long, I don't know.
Now that the mission is on break. I don't have anywhere else I need to investigate. I will leave it to the agents.
It was yesterday when we barely escaped from the battle-addict Kraken. Though it's more correct to say that the Kraken was just relieving his stress from the boredom . But by fighting? That's a battle-addict.
So now, we will move when the agents have finished their investigation.
I have delivered many agents who will infiltrate the villages in those islands and hopefully, they can also enter the city. And I think it will be a few months until the report is complete.
I told them to not enter the city in the island castle through the obvious opening. Because that's a trap.
The agents who were sent for the mission are old. But still fit enough to work. So they are fit to be farmers, carpenters, or other jobs that needed strength even though they are old.
They are just around advanced level. So it might be difficult. But they are willing to do it.
And there's also Spot to think of.
.....
After facing the Kraken, Spot said that he needed preparation so he will be confident to face the Kraken next time alongside his children. And after I brought them back to Cassau, they left.
"Sorry to ask you this, but I would like for us to be brought to Monsters World so we can train there. We can't protect the sea for a while, but we needed this to get stronger to face the Kraken the second time. And we can't do a mission with you until we're done here."
That's what Spot said to me after I brought them back. Not just Spot. His children also looked at me in favor for that request. Seems like Spot knows something that can make them all stronger.
"I understand. I'll explain it to Albert and the others."
That's what I told them before opening a huge portal for them to enter Monsters World.
After that, I reported to the kings about the result of my last day of investigation.
From how many islands I found, and how many of them were lived by humans and how many were for monsters.
I also told them about the Kraken and also Spot's decision to go to Monsters World to get stronger so Spot and his children can defeat the Kraken the next time they faced each other.
The kings allowed it. After all, thanks to Spot and his children, the sea has been safe for a while already. So there shouldn't be any problem unless the cult suddenly decided to attack from the sea.
The agents who investigated the city connected by the cult's summoners to the base we destroyed in the Monsters World also found something. They learned a few other possible locations of the cult's bases. Though we still haven't found where the cult leader is.
And I don't need to go there by myself. The agents will take care of it.
After all, it's best for the kingdoms to let their people handle it instead of getting my help every time.
Because while the agents will continue to be loyal to their kingdoms after the cult is gone, I won't. I will take a rest and stop fighting when the cult is gone.
That's for the future, but it's also good for the agents to do their own job instead of relying on me all the time.
That's how I get some rest. For how long, I don't know.
And today, after waking up late in the afternoon and fill my stomach, I checked my clothing store.
I haven't been able to properly check it. So as their employer, I need to check the store.
...It was doing very well. I thought that I heard Victoria saying that the clothes here are not suitable for the nobles. And for commoners, they just felt that the clothes are uncommon.
But after advertising the clothes by letting my employees, the girls I saved from Monsters World, walking around on the street wearing the clothes from the store, more people are coming. Even from other cities, they would come just to buy some clothes.
As for my employees, they are happy with their lives. Some of them even managed to get a lover. Or two. I don't care how many as long as they don't cause trouble with my store. Though I guess they can't really escape from their former lives as prostitutes yet.
I also checked other branches of my store. And everything seems great.
I returned for dinner, then play with the kids before I went to bed.
The next day, I'm still free. I guess I'll go back to the circus.
Knowing that the enemy this time will only be stronger than the last, everyone is busy getting stronger. And they also trying to meet up with Sunglasses to learn more about strategy thanks to his previous result as the commander.
For his next duty, Sunglasses will need to split the army into at least three teams. Each team will attack one island. And it will be difficult for Sunglasses to give instructions directly even with the use of a phone.
Anyway, today the house feels quiet. Unlike yesterday. Though yesterday was because I woke up late. And everyone already finished training.
"Lina, did Sunglasses borrowed Elsie again?" I asked Lina.
"Yes. That's why Sunny feels lonely. So I thought that I will bring her to the Monsters Village so she can feel relaxed when being spoiled by the elves," Lina said.
Sunny is being worshiped by the elves. And so, when Sunny feels lonely and bored, Lina would bring her to meet the elves. Or she would just bring Tia, her contracted monsters which is the Elf Queen, here. But I guess today Lina will bring Sunny to that side.
"Today I will return to the circus. If you need anything, contact me through your phone," I said to Lina.
And so, I returned back to the circus. Unlike previous days earlier when I was just one of the audiences, this time I will return as a performer.
The Sexiest Game Of 2023! Not For Kids
ad
10 Mobile App That Can Make You Money
ad
I opened a portal to Thomas' location. Not in front of him, but beside him so that I won't surprise him.
I have contacted him that I will return today. But when I get there, Thomas was being unresponsive.
He didn't even feel my presence even though I'm not hiding it. He's just sitting there with a sad face.
I've seen him this way back when I watched the circus. I didn't greet him or other performers, so I just looked at him from the audience seat. And he looked sad just like today.
"Thomas! Good morning!"
"Whoa! What are you doing surprising me like that?!"
"I'm not surprising you. I just greeted you. But you didn't answer at all. Is there anything wrong?" I asked.
"No, it's nothing. Welcome back, Roy! How long will you be here?" Thomas asked as if there's nothing wrong at all.
Well, if that's what he wants me to think, that's fine. I think it will be easy to find out what he was thinking later. I can ask Burnes or the others.
"I don't know. Maybe for a while. I don't think we will make any move in the next few months. So I guess I can stay here until the tour is over," I said.
Right now, we are in Varadis. The circus had just finished performing in the capital. So I think I have enough time until the tour is over.
We planned the tour from Cassau in Tatrama, then to Arturo, Varadis, Consenza, and back to Tatrama. While passing as many cities and other smaller countries as possible.
Though we now no longer need to get to smaller countries. But we will do it. Because we are entertainers.
Even more if those places have been infiltrated by the cult or even attacked directly in a war. The people there needed reassurance that everything will be fine. And a watching a circus is a good way to relax after the war. So we will still go there.
"Oh. I see."
Thomas just said that before he returns to his dreamland. Why is he smiling then turn sad, then smiling again? What is he thinking?
"...Then I will go and greet the others. See you later."
Thomas didn't reply. Just sat there while daydreaming about something.
I don't think it's something bad. It shouldn't be an emergency. But as a leader of this circus, it will be bad if he didn't pay attention to his surrounding.
I think it's fine for now. And he also didn't put up a performance as much as the others since he's just the leader of the caravan. But he still gave advice to us on our performance. He's still the most important person in this circus even if he's not performing.
Let's see... the others are mostly still sleeping. I came here to early I guess.
Well, I'll just waste some time playing poker with those who are already awake. We will arrive in the next city later in the afternoon. So it will be at least a few days before we can perform again.
797 Thomas' Love Life
"Roy, you're here."
While I played poker with some circus performers, Burnes greeted me. he had just woken up and about to have breakfast when he saw me.
"Morning. Seems like there won't be any show for a few days. But I'll just stay here. Everyone is busy getting stronger," I said.
"What about you? You're not thinking of getting stronger?" Burnes asked me.
"The thing is that I don't know how. My air element is progressing extremely slow. I don't think it will improve anytime soon. As for summoning element, even after getting Shelia and Graham to kill as many master level mages as they could in the previous few missions, my level hasn't grown yet. So it's best to just move my body," I said.
"What about improving your Aura?" Burnes asked.
"I did train everyday. But the improvement is so little. And I think that performing and practicing my performance as a clown increase my physical strength even for a bit. So this could be considered as my training."
Well, it's not as hard as my usual training. But this could improve my flexibility. I can learn from the contortionist.
Well, I can't be as flexible as her. But at least it will lessen the possibilities of getting injured.
.....
"Is that so? I guess it's hard to get stronger when you're already that strong. Anyway, it's good to have you back. For how long will you stay?" Burnes asked me.
"The investigation will take a while. Maybe a few months. I think that I have enough time to stay with you guys until the tour is over. By the way, what will you all do after the tour?"
The tour was for investigating other places. But now that there's no need for that. There's only circus shows left. No more investigation unless we found something interesting that needed to be checked.
That's why I asked what the circus will do after the tour.
Obviously, a break is necessary. But when will they go touring again or just performing in one city, I don't know.
And Thomas is not in a condition to be asked. Even when I'm looking at him in his tent from here, he's still blankly staring at an empty space. That's why I asked Burnes. The clown who somehow become the second-in-command in this circus.
His appearance is now important in this circus. Even more than me, the best clown in the world.
Well, it's obvious since I keep being absent. But from what I heard in the audience seat, he has gained quite a bit of reputation.
Though for the next show, Clarence will steal the spotlight.
As for Thomas, he's more of a business man now than a circus leader. He rarely plays on stage. But he's still dreaming of making his circus big.
"After the tour, huh? I will take a break. We have gotten quite a lot of money not just from the tickets but also from the sponsors we got on our journey. Including from your clothing brand. I have requested to Thomas so that we will take a break for at least six months before we perform again. But he's been like that ever since we left the capital of Varadis," Burnes said.
Whoa! I'm not just a member, but also a sponsor? I'm so amazing!
"Now that you mention it, what happened? How did Thomas become like that? He even didn't notice me when I came," I asked.
"It's not a secret, so it's fine for you to know. But don't tease him, alright? Back in the capital of Varadis, Thomas had a drink at a pub with a widow. He didn't mention it, but it seems like he's... well... you can guess the rest," Burnes said.
Meeting a widow at a pub and he became like that. Now that I think about it, Thomas is single. I guess he's interested in her.
Burnes stopped explaining after seeing my expression turned all smiley. And he's also all smile when he tried to explain it.
"Romance is in the air!"
The one who is excited the most is Victoria. She turned into her human form and asked Burnes to explain more on how the two met.
"Well, it's not official yet. But I think it's obvious that he likes her."
Then Burnes explained to us how they both met. The other performers also joined. They already knew it but they love gossips.
Thomas visited a pub the night after the show in the capital was over. There, he got greeted by a woman who said that she's a fan of the circus.
They chatted until it's time to close. The woman left while Thomas was hoping that he will meet her again.
"Obviously, as his subordinates, we're helping him from the shadow. The next morning, we were supposed to leave for the next city. But some of us faked illnesses and delayed the departure for two whole days. So Thomas can meet that woman again in the night," Burnes said.
Obviously, the circus members know about Thomas meeting with the widow. After all, they're all agents. Their main job is to investigate.
And they have traveled with Thomas for a while. So they know when there's any kind of changes around him. And when they investigated, they learned everything.
"I guess the reason that you didn't mention it to Thomas was because there's no need to. You all think that she's safe and won't cause any harm to Thomas or the circus. That's why you never mentioned her and just watched Thomas from the sideline. Am I right?"
If that woman is someone dangerous like being related to the cult, then there's no way that Burnes and the others will keep quiet. So they must have found out everything about her and concluded that she is safe for Thomas.
There are kings who asked agents to spy on other country. Those agents with deep sense of loyalty to their country.
But those same agents are making their move just because a circus leader is in love with someone. I think we can say that Thomas has the same power as a king.
Well, it's more like that the agents are interested in Thomas' love life. That's why they investigated that woman and her surrounding.
I didn't ask much about that woman. Because if these people didn't do anything, then there's no need for me to know. I'll just enjoy the fun.
"So, they just meet up and didn't go any further?" Victoria asked.
"Nope," Burnes replied.
"What a shame."
"We're all also quite disappointed by the result. And that's how Thomas is like that now. Maybe he regretted how he didn't confess to her," Burnes said.
The other party might be a widow. But if they suit each other, I guess it's fine.
"So, any reason why you let it be? Is it something you learned as you investigated on her?" I asked.
"Yes. It's fine if we leave Thomas be. You don't want to know more?" Burnes asked.
"Nope. It's much more interesting if I know less. And it's not something that you needed my strength to help, right? Then it's fine if we just watch from the sideline," I said.
"Uhh... I'm really interested! But as Roy said, the less we know, the more interesting it is. I'll be patient and just watch," Victoria said.
I guess Burnes is calm because he knows that Thomas will meet that woman again in the future.
Who is she? What is her job? And how will the two meet again? Burnes and the other agents must have known about it.
But from how excited they seem to be, I think that the woman also have some sort of interest in Thomas. That's why Burnes will not do anything to either Thomas or that woman.
"So you will not do anything?" I asked Burnes.
"We will if Thomas asked. But we will not tell him everything. Though it seems like Thomas no longer remember that it's our original job to investigate people. That's why he never asked us," Burnes said.
I guess since the alliance with the smaller countries have been formed, and there's no real need for more investigation by the circus since the kingdoms can just send their agents directly, Thomas has forgotten all about it. And the agents here are just enjoying being performers.
Now that I returned back to the circus, the atmosphere was much better than when the circus first left for the tour. Everyone is getting along well and even used their spying skills for fun. I really like it here.
"Can someone ask Thomas to go and eat some breakfast? He hasn't eaten anything since he woke up," someone suddenly said.
"...Are you sure you won't help him with his romance?" I asked.
Seeing that even Thomas himself might end up ruining his health because of love, I started to get worried.
"It's fine. He will still eat. But he eats slower than usual. Though it's not good if we keep delaying our journey. I'll go and remind him to eat breakfast," Burnes said.
I wonder how Thomas' love life will end? I hope it will be good for him. He's still my boss after all.
798 Hearing it from Thomas
...We're just here waiting for Thomas to finish his breakfast. But it has been an hour already!
It's just some sandwiches! Why would anyone take that long to eat them?!
Even after I left to chat with the master level mages who joined the circus recently and came back, Thomas still hasn't finished eating yet.
There are three master level mages who joined the circus. All of them came from the Magicless Area. The recently recruited members of our alliance.
One is the master level summoner. But because he never realized the existence of the Pear-y Fruit, he can only make a contract with one monster unfortunately. So he's still searching for one that fits him.
His other magic was not that great since he only focused on his physical abilities for the last few decades. But if we can get a powerful monster for him, that's enough. And since he's a master level summoner, I can ask him for some guidance for me to improve my level.
Though since he didn't even know about portal magic until I told him, I guess I still have more knowledge than him. But at least I can find out how to be a master level summoner.
Next is the tamer. Seems like the summoner and the tamer get along really well in that small village of ten. They even came here together. Maybe because they both worked with monsters.
He's also a master level tamer. And he has ice element which has reached expert level. But just like the summoner, he's now focused on his physical strength.
.....
The same could be said to the last person. A woman who was also a master level at fire element.
There is also someone else who has reached master level in her fire element. And like other master level mages we have, they are guiding other mages so they can improve their level faster.
And because there's another fire master level mage, she said that she will join the circus instead because there's no need for two people to teach the same thing. And the other circus members here can also taught her and the other two about magic control as well while training to be a performers.
Those three decided to perform something that needed physical strength. But they are also interested in other performance. So they are still training.
They might be the oldest. But they are the newest members who still need practice to be in the show.
And they can't just use their full power. Circus meant to be entertaining. Not just a show of strength. That's why the others are teaching them the basics.
After talking with those three, I returned back to see that Thomas is still hasn't finished his meal.
"He's taking too long. Why isn't anyone talking to him?" I asked to myself.
And as usual, when I'm talking to myself, someone is replying. Because I was actually almost never by myself.
"The others are all agents. Experienced agents. They are taught to keep a cool head and be patient at all time. So of course they don't mind if the journey got delayed. And other than agents, there are three master level mages who have lived for over a century at least. Taking their time is a normal thing for them. Though I think you're the only one who is impatient even though your lifespan could be longer than any of them combined," Victoria said.
Yeah. Just by becoming an Aura Master, I can live far longer than a master level mage. But I just can't seem to take my time.
"I guess it just means that I don't have much hobbies. Or maybe, I'm just the kind of man who wants to finish my job as soon as possible and relax. Though since there's no strict schedule, I guess I should be more relaxed," I said.
"That's a good thinking. But you're not the one to listen to your own advice, huh?" Victoria said as I approached Thomas who is still daydreaming.
"Thomas. Something must have troubling you. I can lend Victoria so you can talk to her. While I just stand here and pretend that I'm a statue," I said to Thomas.
"So it's just him talking to me?! Why not help him directly? You're an idiot," Victoria sighed.
In the end, I tried to get Thomas to talk about his problem. Though I already know what it is. In fact, everyone here already knows what Thomas' problem is. They just leave him be since they know that Thomas will meet that woman again.
"Roy... and Victoria as well. You're right. If I go on like this, I will only be a problem for everyone else. Roy, I trust you. So I will tell you what happened. But please don't tell anyone else about this. It's embarrassing after all," Thomas said.
...He totally forgot who the rest of the circus members are. I mean, come on! Thomas, you're not that stupid!
"I promise that both Roy and I can keep your secret. But that doesn't prevent the others from figuring it out by themselves. Seeing how everyone didn't talk about it, I can guess that everyone already know what you're going to talk about," Victoria said.
"Really?! Does it mean that... everyone is ignoring me?" Thomas asked.
"Rather than ignoring you, it's more like they are supporting you so you can make a decision by yourself. Though for Roy who is so impatient, he can't let things be. Just talk to us. At least it will feel good to have someone to talk with," Victoria said.
And as promised, I stood still like a statue the whole time Thomas talked with Victoria. Though they both sometimes talked to me. But I just ignored them like a statue would.
So, Thomas talked about the woman. Her name is Sandra. A woman whose husband died a few years ago. And she was not blessed with children.
Thomas said that Sandra was a fan of the circus. She had been depressed ever since her husband died, and traveled around for her job. Though she never said what her job was.
When he watched the circus, she felt better and felt cheerful. So when she saw Thomas entered a pub, she approached him to thank him for the show. And then they both talked a lot.
10 Mobile App That Can Make You Money
ad
The Sexiest Game Of 2023! Not For Kids
ad
The next day, because some of the members came down with some illnesses, they delayed the journey. And he could meet Sandra again at night and talked a lot.
Well, there's not much differences between Thomas' story and Burnes' story. So I don't really need to hear them. And I really became a good statue as I stopped listening to them. Though I still heard Victoria shrieked in excitement after hearing Thomas' story.
"So, you feel down because you love her and you don't know if you can meet her again?" Victoria asked.
"Yeah. On the third day, I thought that I would meet her again. But she already left for her job. As to where she's going, I don't know. I never asked. I wish that I could talk more with her," Thomas said.
Then Victoria who is in her human form ever since she's listening to Thomas' story, come to my ear to whisper something to me.
"Stop acting like a statue for a few moment. Do we really need to keep it as secret that the others know more about that Sandra than Thomas? Can't we just tell him why they are not helping him at all?" Victoria asked.
"Well, we can tell Thomas to ask for advise from the others. Maybe he will remember who they are," I replied. Though I returned back to be a statue again.
Then Victoria returned to face Thomas again.
"Thomas. How about you explain it to the others? They are willing to help you if you ask," Victoria said.
"But it's embarrassing, you know?" Thomas said.
"It's fine. None of them will make fun of you. You should know them well after traveling together for a while already," Victoria said.
She's trying to convince him to speak to the others. While I just act like a statue. A statue who knows that the others are already surrounding this tent and listening to everything we talked about from the start.
"Asking for help from them, huh? Oh, right! I forgot! They're all agents! They must have known everything already. Including who Sandra really is and what her job is," Thomas finally remembered.
I mean, how could anyone forget? They're all agents. Did he really think that everyone is a normal people? Well, there's no normal people who trained to be extremely flexible, extremely strong, and extremely talented. This is a circus after all.
But maybe the fact that he treated everyone here normally is what made everyone is friendly toward him.
And as soon as Thomas remembered, Burnes and the others entered the tent.
"Finally, you remembered! Say the word and we will help you. Or even if you want to find out everything by yourself, we will support you by giving you some advise. We're agents and we don't have any lack knowledge in almost everything. Including romance," Burnes said.
Well, with their help, I think Thomas' love life will end well. And I'll just continue watching him until then.
I might be the one with the most girlfriends. But I don't think I'm good in being romantic. So there's nothing for me to teach to Thomas.
...Maybe I should be a little more romantic to my lovers. It's sad to know that they have never experienced many romantic experience with me.
799 Spoiler
Burnes and some other agents barged into the tent. They didn't even hide the fact that they have been listening in from the start.
"Shit, I forgot," Thomas said.
"You could have asked them to help you before you left the capital. But you forgot about it. If not, then they can do more. Maybe they could even find her late husband's identity," Victoria said.
"Actually, we already found out about it," Burnes said casually.
"...Of course they did," Thomas said.
"Don't forget why we started touring in the first place. It's to investigate the cult. And obviously, we need to check everyone interacting with us. Including Sandra. To make sure that she's not targeting you with ill-intention. And don't worry. The result is good. She's not from the cult," Burnes said.
Thomas sighed in relief after hearing that.
"It's good that she's not related to the cult. And since you're here, does it mean that you're going to help me?" Thomas asked.
"Yes!"
.....
Burnes answered excitedly. And the other agents nodded.
"Great! So, what should I do?" Thomas asked.
"Thomas, we're willing to help you. But we're not going to tell you about every little thing. We will help you little by little, but we won't help you with everything. To get a woman, it's best to do it on your own instead of getting someone to help you all the time. We're just background supporting characters at best," Burnes said.
"Okay. I understand. So what do I need to do now?" Thomas asked.
...I don't think he understands at all. Just after Burnes said to not expect help all the time, he asked for help right away.
"...For now, finish your meal and continue our journey. Although we're not in a hurry, I think it's best to get to the next city early for preparation," Burnes said.
"...Right. In the end, I am still busy with the tour. And Sandra is also busy with her business. So it's not like we're going to meet anytime soon. Alright, I'll finish my meal now. Prepare for departure. We'll leave as soon as I finish my breakfast," Burnes said.
He sounded disappointed after realizing that he's still in the middle of a tour. Which will probably be over after a few months.
"Don't be too disappointed. After the tour is over, we should have a break, right? Some of us are willing to help you since we don't need everyone to send their reports. And not everyone has a family to go home to. Finding out where she is after the tour is not a problem for us," Burnes said confidently. Though I think it's highly likely that we will meet her during the tour. That's what I feel after seeing the agents' expressions.
"Really? Then I will count on you. Roy, that's enough. You don't need to act like a statue anymore. We're also about to leave so you can help the others," Thomas said.
And that's the end of my act as a statue. I have to say that I'm pretty convincing as a statue.
We prepare to leave and after Thomas finally finished his breakfast, when it's soon time for lunch already, we departed.
On the way, I asked Burnes about everything else I missed. And I don't care on how many women he's sleeping with on every city. Just anything important or entertaining to hear.
Something like a blooper that the other members made during a show. No matter how professional they have become, they are still humans who make error.
The good thing was that there's no one injured. And if it's just a light injury, there's a healer in the circus as well.
It was fun hearing how the others make some bloopers that's sometimes funnier than Burnes' own performance. He's a clown. He should be the funny one.
But I know that Burnes never mentioned about his own bloopers. He kept talking about other people's mistakes, but never about himself. So I asked someone else about Burnes. And there was indeed a lot of mistake that he made.
He tried to be me. To be Clarence during a show. But he couldn't do it. At least it was funny in its own way.
And obviously, I laughed at him.
"You tried to copy me? Even these master level mages who had just joined the circus won't be able to copy me with their excellent physical ability. And you who are just an expert level is trying to copy me? So what kind of injury did you get?" I asked.
"...I never got any injury. Just a few slips," Burnes said.
But the other guy told me the truth.
"He fractured his legs and unable to perform for a week. Even with a healing magic, it took time until he can perform. Then there are other injuries as well. Like—"
"Stop it! He's just going to make fun of me the whole journey!" Burnes shouted.
This is fun. The atmosphere is really good. And everyone is getting along with each other just fine.
Must be because there's no more need to investigate. Although they would still do it, they no longer need to focus on that job unless it's necessary. Just fooling around as a fellow member of the circus.
After that, I also asked the master level mages about their performance. I told them to not do too much and let people know that they are master level mages. Keep their level as secret. I also showed them some tricks that they can do. With their speed and strength, they could do some tricks that no one else but me can do it.
Though that means I have to learn new tricks. Which is fine because I enjoy it.
So during the journey to the next city, other than talking with the others, I also practiced my new routine. Not just me, but also some other as well. They don't want to lose their spots to the recently joined master level mages.
It's fine since we can catch up with Thomas and the others while practicing on our own. But I have a new thought.
What if we swap the horse with horse monsters? Then the journey will be faster.
Even now, we're already fast enough. We could travel around the continent in just one year. It's because once in a while, they would ask me to transport them with portal.
But like before, if I'm on a mission, then there's no way but to travel normally. Which is fine since the agents are strong enough to face some monsters. But it doesn't mean that there's no danger.
The Sexiest Game Of 2023! Not For Kids
ad
20 Extremely Special Beaches Around the World
ad
If we have horse monsters to pull the carriages, we can get to the next destination sooner. I think I'll go and meet Ray after the show in the next city is over.
"...It's boring, isn't it?" Victoria suddenly asked.
"Not really. It's peaceful. If you don't like it, I can return you back to Cassau," I said.
"I don't want to. If I return, I won't be able to witness Thomas' love life," she said.
"Then find something to do so you won't get bored. Aren't you a writer? Write something," I said.
"I can't. My mind keeps wandering to Thomas' story. Until I witnessed everything, I don't think I can write anything," she said.
Why don't you just worried about your own future instead of someone else? Is not what I asked her.
I know that she lived a long life. And she's practically immortal. Or at least no one has found what can kill her yet. So her life must be so boring.
That's why she loves to watch other people. To mind other people's business. Because everything else about her is not that important.
Maybe I'll be like her in the future. When I lived long enough to surpass everyone's lifespan. Though if someone can reach the stage beyond master level, I think can have companions for a few thousand years. But if I also reached that stage in my magic, combined with the fact that I'm an Aura Master, then I would live for a very long time.
But I already have two long-living familiars. Victoria who is a slime, and Ray who is an Abyss Horse. Though I'm not so sure about Ray yet. But it's possible that Ray might outlive us.
It's good that I will have companions for a long time. But that's for later. After the cult is destroyed.
"Then what if I tell you a spoiler about how it will probably end? About Thomas and Sandra I mean," Burnes suddenly suggested.
If Victoria was given a spoiler, then she might be busy with her own imagination rather than getting bored. I think that's a good idea?
"Spoiler? Does it mean that you know how it will end?" Victoria asked.
"Well, it's not really a hundred percent. So there are still doubts. After all, feelings are not something that we can investigate so easily. And finding the proof is hard. But at least I know something that is possible to happen. Do you want to hear?" Burnes asked.
"Let's hear it then. Just what is it that an expert like you found out about their relationship," Victoria said.
Burnes smiled lightly before he gave his answer. It's a two-word answer that made Victoria's imagination run wild.
"It's mutual."
"YEAAAH!"
It's not like it will come true one hundred percent. But it means something.
It means that the woman is also has some sort of feeling toward Thomas. And that is good enough to know.
Next, we just need to get their feelings blossomed. Though the agents will help Thomas. So I will just watch.
800 Surprise Reunion
Being told of what the other party might feel toward Thomas, Victoria got so excited. She even talked about it all night long.
Good thing that I still have my own tent to sleep. Separate from other people. So we didn't bother anyone.
But I'm not an immortal who doesn't need to sleep. So I asked Victoria to go out and hunt some monsters while I sleep. All that energy can be useful to get rid of the monsters nearby.
Even if she encounters an extremely powerful monsters, she can still be alive. So it's fine for her to go wild. Though I think any powerful monsters have been subjugated by the others first.
Then we reached a village. It's not where we need to stop, but we are still a group of agents. So we stopped for a night to investigate the village.
Even though it's just a village, the population reached a hundred people. I guess that's quite a lot for a village. Even after some of the villagers left for the city life, there are still a lot of people here.
But we set up a stage for just one night. We're not looking for money. We're just here to entertain some people while also to let the rookies, the three master level mages, perform. They were only helpers before. But now, they will be the main performers.
The others will just perform some simple acts and tricks. Because we're not preparing for huge acts. And we also allowed everyone to watch for free.
It will be bad if someone in the city knows that we perform for free while they have to pay to see us perform. So the professional ones will only do some simple tricks. And the main performers are the three master level mages.
.....
I also perform a bit. With Victoria as my assistant. I'm just here as Roy. Not Clarence.
Everyone enjoyed it. And the villages even set up a party for us. We had a lot of drinks and food. And everyone is dancing.
Everyone is relaxed. Though that's what they want other people to see.
The most agents who didn't perform conducted investigation around the village. Just a small one to see if there's anything suspicious about the village.
I also checked the village with my Divine Vision and Mind's Eye. And I didn't find anything. So I'm not worried about anything.
And the agents who were investigating returned after thirty minutes. They said that everything is safe and no sign of the cult being here at all. Nothing suspicious.
So we rested in that village after the show.
The three master level mages did very well for their first performance in front of audience. Not as good as professional yet, but with their great physical abilities, they can get there soon.
Having too many performers mean that we can swap some members. We can make two shifts. One for the first day, and the other is for the second day. Then for the third it will be the first group again, and the second group will play on the fourth day.
Even with just three new members, that might be difficult. So someone might need more tricks than they used to do. But since everyone thought of it as enjoyable, we're fine with it.
"Why not just make the circus bigger so everyone can play? For example, we can make more people do acrobatic shows or more people as trapeze artists. Since I and three master level mages are here, there's no need to worry about our body and stamina," I suggested.
"I thought of that as well. For Roy, you have been in the circus for a while so you might not need training to be in sync with the others. But the other new members need some training to improve our chemistry. At least once they reached acceptable level, we can start thinking of a bigger performance," Thomas suggested.
He's no longer daydreaming most of the time again. But he still do it once in a while. At least he can still give some advise and suggestion to everyone.
The small show at the village is done. and the next day, we leave to our real destination. That village was just a village we found on the way after all.
Also, there are too few supplies we can get from there. And if we take any, it could be bad for the village. Especially after we had a party last night. So we just left without taking anything.
Well, it's obvious that we don't need to get supply from there. The circus has me. A summoner who can make a portal to any city I have been to and bring supplies here right away. So we don't need to worry about our supply.
The master level summoner also said that it might be best for him to get a familiar who can make a clone of themselves. Even if it's not to the point where the familiar is similar to Victoria, it might be enough for it to be similar to Graham.
Graham can make a clone of himself. The shadow clones. And I can also open a portal to where they are. But they are not long lasting clones like Victoria.
And the master level summoner also said that he wanted to fight on his own instead of letting his familiars to fight. So maybe it could be something with shapeshifting ability.
...Both requirements mean that he's looking for another Black Slime. Though when I asked, he said that just one of the requirement is enough.
I also asked him how I could reach master level in my summoning. Seems like just letting my monster fight is not the only way. Fighting monsters on my own. Without magic. That's how he reached master level.
That's a similar way that I could get my Aura ability. To not rely on other people. Just me using my Aura. Though it seems like I also can't use my Aura since the one I want to improve is my magic.
I tried to get him remember how he reached master level in his summoning element. And he said that he remember how he had to wrestle against some kind of ape barehanded.
So, if he needed to fight an ape, what should I fight? Maybe I can't even use Aura to fight. So it will be a lot harder.
No Aura and no magic. Fighting against something that strong. Can I use a weapon? Or maybe I need to go barehanded like he did?
Though I don't think I can do it anytime soon. Not because I want to destroy the cult. If that's the case, then reaching master level is important.
But it was because I haven't gotten my familiars to fight enough monsters.
Because I'm a summoner, I need my monster to gain experience in fighting. Only after they all got enough experience, I could breakthrough to the next level. That's what we know about summoner.
And now that I have four familiars, I think I will need four time more experience than average summoner with only one familiar.
I was lucky so far that I could face so many enemies. But I need more.
Well, I'll rest for a few months for now. I can fight more later. There are many monsters in Monsters World. I can go there after I finish with the circus.
And right now, Shelia and Graham should be fighting monsters in Monsters World when they are free. So I still gained experience gradually by letting them fight.
I will go to the Monsters World after the show in the next city. But that's only to see Ray's condition. Did he managed to get many horse monsters to obey him and become the Horse King?
And after chatting with the summoner, the tamer joined the conversation. It was similar with him too. He needed to fight a monster barehanded on his own to reach master level.
Maybe because summoners and tamers are those who work closely with monsters. So we needed to fight like a monster to reach master level.
For me, I'm fine physically since I'm an Aura Master. But for these two, they were just expert level mages when they fought a monster barehanded. But I might need an even stronger monster to fight.
Well, at least I know how to get stronger. As for air element, I already know that I have no talent in it. In my past life, I didn't even manage to awaken it.
Reaching expert level at this age is already good enough. In fact, it's already much better than any ordinary mages. I guess I will only continue my progress with air element after my summoning has reached master level and I got my fifth familiar.
After a few days, we finally reached the next city. And to my surprise, there's another circus group over there.
I should have guessed that even if we are a famous group, that doesn't mean that there are no other circus groups in the world. But to think that there's another group in the same place. Though they seem to be done with their shows here. They are cleaning up their tent.
But I was shocked even more after looking at Thomas' reaction.
"Sandra?!"
I see. This is why the others didn't do anything even though they know so much already.
A widow who travels for her work. I would never guess that she's working at a circus.
Well, everyone is excited to see the continuation of their romance. Especially Victoria who can't seem to keep her calm.
Isn't it interesting? A love between two rival groups who work in the same industry. I think it's quite a common story in novels I read. Not Victoria's novel obviously.
Well, what will Thomas do now that he knows? Let's continue acting as a bystander in this love drama between the two.