Chapter 209: As Expected
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 209: As Expected
Smack!
A stinging heat rose on her cheek along with a ringing in her ears. Before she could even steady her blurred vision, Ratashia, a mage equivalent to Titanium Grade, began thinking at lightning speed.
‘My domination magic, the one I poured my heart and soul into…! It was shattered without leaving even a trace of influence?!’
She was someone who had been summoned as a mercenary for the Antonio Brotherhood while working at the Page of Arcana. Her magic to seize control of one's body had even been recognized by her superior, Mad Popenes—one of the seven mages who ruled Calax.
Its power scaled with the amount of mana accumulated over time, and the domination magic she had just cast should have been strong enough to easily neutralize a mere stratum boss.
‘This makes no sense…! It’s… impossible…!’
She remembered a warning she had received from a woman named Aelmeri, a fellow mage in the Antonio Brotherhood.
She had been told that the Clinging Death—a trophy taken from the Arch Elder Lich who reigned as the boss of Hechituk’s 7th Stratum—had once been neutralized.
Among necro-type monsters, mage-class members of the Necro Species show exceptional defensive power against mental domination.
The Antonio Brotherhood had already received reports from the Page of Arcana and possessed some understanding of the skill Yoo Eon possessed, based on the report submitted by Ravi Sateria.
They expected him to have absorbed at least a Lich from the 2nd Stratum. Naturally, Ratashia wasn't the type to come unprepared for that level of power.
She had assumed that the Clinging Death was neutralized simply because of his characteristic ‘corpse-eating’ skill. Or so she thought.
‘Did he really eat a member of the Necro Species even more powerful than an Arch Elder Lich?!’
It was only for a split second, but Ratashia quickly reached a conclusion on what her next move should be.
“What do you think you’re doing, right from our first meeting?”
“…I am sorry.”
He possessed a level of mental defense capable of reflexively collapsing her high-intensity domination magic without any prior preparation. Furthermore, he had enough magical insight to immediately realize that domination magic had been cast.
Of course, this wasn't actually because Yoo Eon had studied magic diligently.
It was thanks to the mana core of Amelia, who possessed infinite mana and an endless capacity for mana adaptation—traits that even ancient mages had coveted long ago.
Yoo Eon only vaguely sensed that a domination spell had tried to seize his body and failed.
“I-It’s a skill. Sometimes it just goes off on its own.”
“Is that so?”
Smack!
Yoo Eon slapped Ratashia’s other cheek as she stood there with her head bowed.
“I have a curse skill of my own. Sometimes my hand just acts on its own. Is that alright?”
“…It is alright.”
“You said Mystery Antoinette wanted to meet me.”
“That is correct.”
“Go on ahead and wait.”
“Pardon? But…”
“Go.”
When Yoo Eon’s hand rose to the level of his elbow, Ratashia flinched and quickly backed away.
“U-Understood. I will be waiting in the Southeast Central District.”
“Do that.”
As Ratashia vanished in an instant using flight magic, Yoo Eon watched her retreating figure and brushed back his hair.
“Hah, seriously. These bastards.”
After confirming she was far enough away, Yoo Eon opened the door to the Sateria Appraisal Office and stepped inside.
Inside, he found a trembling white cat and Iris, who had the cat perched on her lap.
“She’s gone. She was a mage sent by the Antonio Brotherhood.”
“I-I heard such a scary sound outside! What happened?!”
Ravi, who was shivering on Iris’s lap, barked out her questions. The mana I sensed was quite powerful; I think they said she was Titanium Grade.
She must have felt like an incredibly powerful mage to Ravi as well.
“What about the mana?”
“She probably thinks it’s the mana of a monster I ate.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Keep it well hidden. Ravi, you go back to the inn. And Iris… since I haven't explained things to the people at the inn yet, why don't you head over to the magic item shop for now?”
“Okay.”
“T-Then am I going alone?! I’m so scared!!”
“Hmm…”
It was certainly dangerous. The Antonio Brotherhood was acting submissive for now, but they were criminals at their core. I didn't like the idea of those around me getting hurt.
“I’ll walk you there.”
“What about me?”
“Iris… do you need me to?”
“Yes.”
“Tsk, fine. Let’s head to the inn together first.”
* * *
I dropped Ravi off at the Mounted Goat Inn and sent Iris—who had now regained her vampire powers—back to her magic item shop. About an hour had passed, but what could I do? They were the ones who showed up unannounced, so they should have expected to wait this long.
After flapping my wings for about ten minutes, I arrived in the Southeast. As I’d heard, there was a line near the border of the Southeast where guards patrolled. Surprisingly, these were guards hired from within the Southeast itself.
You could think of them as a private city guard. Their purpose was to identify those coming and going and filter out dangerous individuals.
Their primary goal, however, was to prevent the beggars and vagrants crawling all over the Southeast from leaving the district.
“You there, halt. What is your business?”
“Mystery Antoinette called for me.”
“What kind of nonsense is—”
Just as the guard holding a long spear was about to let out a scoffing laugh, tilting his head in disbelief, a slightly older-looking guard nearby stepped up and smacked him on the back of the head.
“Yes! We will escort you inside.”
“Where is the Central District? I was told to go there.”
“A-Ah, understood. I will take you there immediately!”
“Just tell me the location. I don’t plan on walking.”
He was probably the captain of the guards or something. Following the directions he explained as best as his dim wits allowed, I spread my wings toward the Southeast Central District, where the Antonio Brotherhood’s headquarters was located.
‘So this is the Southeast…’
I remembered hearing about it once. From the outside, the Southeast looked like a slum of shacks, but the amount of gold coins circulating inside was said to rival that of the Northwest.
It just didn't show up in statistics because it was all illegal funds—the place was packed with illegal gambling dens, unlicensed monster arenas, and human trafficking hubs.
As I flew deeper toward the heart of the Southeast, I saw it. After passing through the slums where most buildings looked ready to collapse, the city district of the Southeast began to appear, filled with buildings that were heavily decorated and looked expensive.
Thud!
I folded my wings at the boundary and landed quickly. Looking around, I saw many people dressed properly, but for some reason, the streets felt incredibly gloomy. Well, they were all criminals, so that made sense.
‘Look at that hostility. Nothing but lunatics.’
Through the vision of my Evil Eye, most people were colored a deep, blood-red. The intensity varied, but almost everyone walking the streets harbored ill intent.
If I happened to see one or two people without hostility…
‘It’s obvious…’
They were bastards who wore flashy clothes but looked as if a wicked curse had settled on their faces, each leading a string of beautiful women in tattered clothes behind them. Slaves, presumably.
They didn't harbor hostility toward me. Perhaps they didn't have the luxury to.
I couldn't do anything about them right now. Of course, I could easily grab them and turn them into pressed meat, but there was no reason to escalate the hostility further.
‘This is disgusting to watch.’
My brow furrowed involuntarily. Living in a place like this, it was no wonder their heads were filled with trashy thoughts. Even Gandhi would have become a top-tier criminal if he’d been born here.
Using the increasingly tall buildings as landmarks, I entered the street that appeared to be the wealthiest part of the Southeast. The architecture was so developed that I almost forgot whether I was in the Northwest or the Southeast.
And before long, a group appeared in the distance.
“Oh my, it’s a pleasure to see you. Explorer Aven. We’ve met before, haven't we?”
“Mystery Antoinette.”
Contrasting with the gloomy atmosphere of the street, a woman with snow-white skin and brilliant pink hair appeared. It was the leader of the Antonio Brotherhood, Mystery Antoinette, in the form of a young girl, leading her subordinates toward me.
“Ufufu, my name is actually ‘Terry.’ Antoinette is a title. It means Miss Terry. Isn't it a funny joke?”
“Enough small talk. Are we talking here?”
“Oh my…! You’re right. I can’t possibly leave a precious guest standing in the street. I’ll lead you to a place with fine tea.”
About five or six attendants followed behind her. Among them was the female mage who had failed to cast domination magic on me an hour ago. Judging by her pale complexion, she must have been reprimanded.
“Where are we going?”
“To a tea house we take great pride in, operated by the Antonio Brotherhood.”
“I suppose you still need to drink luxury tea even when the streets are overflowing with beggars.”
“Fufu… it’s a pity that your misunderstandings seem so deep. If you have any questions, feel free to ask at any time.”
Mystery Antoinette gave a thin smile and gestured with one hand, guiding me into the city district.
‘She doesn't seem to have any intention of attacking right now.’
The reason I didn't reveal the Antonio Brotherhood’s assassination contract at the Guild Headquarters wasn't because I liked them. Publicly announcing it and meeting them in person to settle things were two different matters.
The biggest problem was the difficulty of providing evidence. If I lost in a public forum due to insufficient evidence, the backlash would be hard to handle. And as I saw it now, I didn't think I could win against people like this yet.
“I’ll follow.”
“Yes, I shall guide you with pleasure.”
‘Still gray… does she really have no hostility?’
Through the Evil Eye, I couldn't find a trace of hostility from Mystery Antoinette. It wasn't just a little, or less than others.
It was complete gray. Either she had no intention of being my enemy, or there was something about her that the Evil Eye couldn't detect.
* * *
Following Mystery Antoinette’s lead, I entered the tea house. The others who had been following her had vanished somewhere.
As expected, the room was luxurious and expensive-looking, on par with the restaurant I’d seen in the Northwest. It was a space that would feel full with just a few people; it seemed designed for two.
“I don’t really drink tea. What’s good?”
“How about hibiscus tea? We just received a high-quality batch, and the aroma is wonderful.”
“..He-he Circus? Give me that.”
“Ah, um… yes. Understood.”
Clatter…
Before long, the expensive tea Mystery Antoinette ordered arrived along with dried tea leaves. The employee who served it left only the leaves and the brewing tools before quickly backing away and disappearing.
“Do I have to brew the tea myself here?”
“Fufu. I happen to have a hobby of brewing tea. The experience of soaking tea leaves, dried by master craftsmen through a series of processes, in warm water is quite ecstatic.”
“I can relate. I also enjoy soaking living people in boiling water.”
“…And, it’s because many people misunderstand.”
“Misunderstand? What misunderstanding?”
Mystery Antoinette smiled and carefully picked up the teapot filled with hot water.
“I suppose they think… pre-made tea is dangerous. Everyone seems to decline it.”
“That’s a bit strange.”
“Isn't it?”
“What difference does it make if you show me the leaves? There could already be poison on them.”
“Hmm…”
Mystery Antoinette pondered for a moment, then pinched a handful of dried tea leaves from the basket with her thumb and forefinger. Then, she opened her lips, stuck out her red tongue, and dropped a few strands of the tea leaves onto it.
After holding the dried leaves in her mouth for a moment, she chewed them slightly and swallowed.
“How is that? Does this satisfy you?”
“What if there’s poison in the boiled water? Why don't you try a drink?”
“…I’m not very good with hot liquids. My apologies.”
As I thought. There must be poison in the water.