Chapter 116: Lumenford, The Cliffside Harbor Town

Chapter 116. Lumenford, The Cliffside Harbor Town

Breakfast turned out to be surprisingly peaceful.

Nobody scolded me. Instead, the dining room was filled with the pleasant aroma of freshly baked bread, roasted meat, and Lily’s herbal tea. Morning sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the polished table and the beautiful women sitting around it.

Life was good.

Liora was the first to check on me. She wanted to know whether I was feeling better. Her expression remained composed, but I noticed how carefully she studied my face, probably searching for signs of fatigue.

I assured her that I felt perfectly fine.

Well, mostly. My body had recovered, my mana reserves were in decent condition, and my brain hadn’t exploded despite everything I’d put it through this morning. That counted as excellent health by my standards.

Of course, I hadn’t forgotten the rare silver-blue healing crystal she’d left beside me while I slept. Without it, I probably would have woken up with a stiff neck and enough aches to make me question my life choices.

Nia, meanwhile, was more interested in whether I’d drunk the honey milk she’d left in my study.

Naturally, I had. Every last drop.

Her fluffy tail immediately swayed with satisfaction, and I caught the little smile she tried to hide behind her cup.

Ariel’s concerns were considerably more practical. Since I was leaving for Lumenford, she wanted to know whether I needed additional clothes in case the investigation required me to stay overnight. Which was a good point. Twelve missing women weren’t exactly something I expected to resolve before dinner. Unless the culprit was kind enough to stand in the town square wearing a sign that identified him as the murderer. So I agreed to take some spare clothes and the other necessities she’d prepared. My Dimensional Storage Ring had more than enough room, anyway.

Seris, however, brought the most interesting information of the morning. Tomas Venn had been handled and Duke Harven was searching for a certain assassin. Apparently, he’d even contacted Raven’s assassin guild to inquire about the mysterious individual.

I nearly cringed. It seemed Evelyne was trying to find me. Or, more accurately, she was searching for the identity I’d used when rescuing her from Hollowgrave.

I’d saved her life, and now she was apparently determined to turn my peaceful existence into another noble family headache.

For what reason?

Gratitude?

Curiosity?

Some ridiculous demand involving her father?

I had no idea. And frankly, I didn’t care enough to find out.

Evelyne was beautiful, certainly. I wasn’t blind. But beauty didn’t automatically make someone pleasant company. That woman had inherited more than Duke Harven’s noble blood. She possessed the same selfish tendencies as her father, along with the spoiled attitude of someone who’d spent her entire life expecting the world to accommodate her wishes.

No, thank you.

I didn’t need another woman bringing unnecessary drama to my doorstep. So Evelyne could keep searching. I had absolutely no intention of revealing myself yet.

After that, I informed Nia that I’d used the last two unenchanted accessory bases for something else, so she shouldn’t expect them back. I didn’t explain much, since I knew the moment I brought it up, I’d be in for at least an hour-long lecture. I also told her that the sixty-eight completed accessories were waiting on the table near my study door.

Before breakfast ended, however, I made one final request. And this one was serious. Whatever happened to me later in the Holy City, I didn’t want my wives interfering. I knew perfectly well that they wouldn’t like hearing that. Their expressions told me as much, even before I finished explaining. But I needed them to understand something.

If the Light Temple made its move, I intended to let them. Within reason, of course.

I wasn’t planning to stand there helplessly while a bunch of self-righteous priests decided what to do with my soul. That would be stupid. I wanted them to believe they controlled the situation.

I wanted their confidence. Their arrogance. Their audience. And most importantly, I wanted them to commit themselves completely before I ruined everything.

After all the work I’d put, I wasn’t about to let the performance end before the interesting part. That would be such a waste.

My wives were powerful enough to interfere with almost anything the Temple attempted. Which was precisely why I needed them to remain patient.

If I required their help, I would contact them.

But until then?

I wanted the Light Temple to enjoy its moment of glory. The higher they climbed, the more spectacular the fall.

Once breakfast ended, I checked the contents of my Dimensional Storage Ring and returned to my study.

There was one last thing I wanted to bring.

I approached my desk, pressed a concealed mechanism beneath its edge, and pulled open a hidden drawer.

Inside lay a mask.

A full-face mask.

Its dark surface was smooth and unsettlingly expressionless, decorated with subtle silver markings that resembled the contours of a skull. Narrow eye openings gave it a cold, almost inhuman appearance.

The Grim Reaper’s mask.

It belonged to the original Rey Valen.

I lifted the mask and examined it.

Strange... Holding it produced an oddly familiar sensation, as though my hands remembered something my mind hadn’t fully experienced.

I stored the mask inside my Dimensional Storage Ring. Hopefully, I wouldn’t need it. But having another identity available could prove useful.

With my preparations finally complete, I left the mansion and activated my Voidwind Manipulation.

Mana surged through my body, lifting me into the morning sky. This time, however, I didn’t fly nearly as high or as fast as I had two days ago. There was no reason to.

I maintained a comfortable high speed, soaring above forests, rivers, farmland, and winding roads.

From time to time, I noticed travelers looking up. Some pointed. Others stopped their wagons to watch.

A Magus flying overhead wasn’t exactly an everyday occurrence. And unlike my previous journey, I wasn’t moving so quickly that ordinary people could barely perceive me.

The trip took approximately two hours.

Then, shortly before noon, the landscape began to change.

The forests thinned. The hills rose. And beyond them, the land opened toward an enormous expanse of glittering blue.

The sea.

I slowed slightly as the coastline came into view. Then I saw it.

Lumenford.