Chapter 40

Chapter 40 - A Clue and Memory

Once we were there we had to wait a bit for someone to enter inside to sneak inside the office so we stood there waiting for a bit. Thankfully it seemed that there was someone speaking with the leader of the base already that had soon left and gave us an opening to sneak on into the base. 

When we arrived in the area, we found that the place was rather gaudily decorated with gold plated decorations everywhere. At the head of the furnished dark oak wood desk was a wily and conniving looking fox man spinning a cartoonishly evil looking mustache as he quietly snickered in the base. 

Looking at him, we knew that we had found the right place as he doesn't look like the type that is trusted by someone like that lion we saved earlier. During this time we looked at the personnel list but with no frame of reference it was all a moot point. 

So we waited to confirm that he was indeed suspicious before leaving. And luckily for us this time it was much quicker to do this time. 

The metaphorical fox tail on this one seemed quite obvious as the next visitor to the room all but confirmed the obvious. 

Entering in next was a rather large bear like beast folk who after entering started to glare at the fox man. After some pointless banter, they finally got to the point and revealed some rather interesting information that confirmed to us that the place was indeed taken over by an unknown group after the lion folk had left. 

"Wily fox..."

"Why thank you!"

"You should know that doing this would be an offense against the royal family should they hear of it."

"How laughable, to think you would be so naive to think that the Third Prince could compete. You should know that the true reason that the fool was sent here was to be banished and left out of the inheritance race. It was unfortunate that he had met up with an accident, but of course  it was a good thing he had left a will just in case... Isn't that right?"

With a smirk, the fox man pulled out a sheet of parchment that had a certain style of handwriting and a personal seal and signature upon it. Seeing this scene the bear gritted his teeth. A sound similar to grinding chalk echoed through the room as the fox simply watched in amusement before the bear finally relented and stepped out of the office. 

Watching the figure walk out, he showed a contemplative thought before speaking out loud enough for the bear to hear even when out of the room. 

"As expected of the loyal lack of the Third prince! Just as stubborn and just as much of a weakling!"

Hearing this, the figure paused for a moment before quietly bearing the humiliation and leaving. Once he was out of sight and out of hearing range, the fox dropped the conniving act and showed a rather serious expression on his face. 

"That bear. As the head of the Guard Order stationed to protect the Third Prince is indeed quite the troublesome foe to deal with. Unlike the others whom I could goad into attacking me and then arrest on the spot, it would require more planning to deal with him..."

But after saying that much, he then showed a sneaky grin. 

"Good thing that the others were much simpler to fool. I could use them to perhaps make a gamble. If it works, I will be able to get the elder's approval and finally leave this trashy dump."

Then staring at the gaudily decorated office, the fox scoffed and muttered under his breath about how low class the room was before going to work and finishing his document. 

While he was doing that, I was quietly sensing the room. After the previous fiasco, I knew that the bases here are rather cleverly hidden as I was unable to detect the entrance underground with my space magic. 

Since this is also a rather suspicious place, I scanned the whole area and this time paid attention to scan every nook and cranny very carefully to see if any flaws would be seen through my perception. 

Likely seeing the attention and focus I put into scanning the area, the other members quieted their voices as they all chatted amongst themselves and discussed how they would save those humans from their current predicament. 

Although I only heard part of the discussion, it seems that the final result was that they needed more information on how many there were and what their exact circumstances were. 

While they finished their conversation, I felt that I had suddenly made a breakthrough discovery. Quickly looking at the floor, I noticed that through deeper sensing I could even sense the traces left on the ground by different foot prints indented onto the floor.

By checking the different prints and sensing the exact outline of the shoes worn by the fox, I was able to find a match among them and could finally take this investigation one step further. 

After finding this out, I quickly informed the others and they were both surprised and full of joy. This was, after all, a skill that the others did not really have so having it now would be handy. 

With my new development, I could not help but think about why I could not do this before? 

Then it hit me. Recalling a memory from a long while ago I found out exactly why I could know to instinctively do this when trying to track someone. 

It was back several years ago when I was a bit shorter than before. 

"Mom! Do you know what it is like outside the library?" I asked the figure behind me curiously. 

At the time, I had only been alive for about a month and my mother was still a little stiff with greeting me and trying to figure out how I had turned out the way I did. 

"I told you to stop calling me Mom! I am only a few years old! I am too young to be a mom! But, as for your question, I have some knowledge of the outside world, but I haven't been out there myself."

Looking out of the library, she saw outside the one way glass at the rest of the castle around. For a moment she looked melancholy, but I did not notice it at the time. 

Seeing her, I then asked her why she did not go and explore herself? She had the power to compete with even the Demon King now and there was nothing stopping from going should she really desire. 

After a momentary pause, I turned to look at her confused as she tried to think of the words to teach me. 

"Well, even if I am able to do such a thing I wouldn't do so."

"Why not?"

"It is simply because I owe someone that I should at least cater to her wishes for a while... At least until this body matures in age."

That last part I did not hear fully as she had mumbled under her breath, but looking back it was rather suspicious. But at the time I only paid attention to that part that I heard which peaked my interest.

"You owe someone?! Wow! How amazing is that person that they could allow someone like you to owe them, mom?"

With a sigh, she once again chastised me for calling her mom to which I playfully ignored. She then seemed to stare off into space for a moment before motioning me over. 

I walked gingerly over and when I arrived she stretched her arms out and pulled me into her embrace. 

Now sitting on her lap and having my head gently petted, I felt like I would melt into that sensation and I was only able to snap out of it when I heard her speak her mind once more. 

"This world of magic, even though there is such an obvious path to strength so many people fail to develop their thinking and limit themselves so much in order to fit in with the world. For some people, their strength is not in something like their combat strength but in strength of will and mind. None of that matters though as she was rather fragile and helpless and weak. Even so, for me at the time she was still an impressive figure and really touched my heart through her emotions. Her yearning."

Although I did not know who she was talking about, I could still imagine the type of figure to have that kind of effect on my mother. Even if she says that she is not weak, being able to influence someone like my mom is proof enough that in some ways she is indeed strong. 

Hearing about such a figure would implant into me an idea that strength itself was not as necessary as long as emotions deep enough could contact and connect myself to others. This ended up causing Alice a lot problems later down the line and had she known what my thoughts were at that moment she would have likely not cared about me looking like her and beaten me up to get that idea out of my head. 

Although she never talked about who it was, I now know that the person she was talking about should have likely died. Having seen the emotions of people and how they respond to things, I now knew of that, but at the time I who was still ignorant brought up a question of my own. 

"Why can't you use magic to bring them over? Space magic is super useful and convenient, right?"

Hearing my inquiry, her hand patting my head stiffened for a moment. Noticing the change, I tilted my head up to look at her but I was unable to see her expression. 

Suddenly a large sense of danger came from her right behind me and quickly following my instincts, I tried to dash out of her arms and away from her who was about to explode in emotion. 

Unfortunately, an oversight appeared as I had forgotten that she had already kept a hand on my head so before I could leave I felt the grip above my head tighten as her fingers clamped down on my skull.

"Ooh. Yah! I am sorry Mom! I mean, Master Alice! I won't do it again! So please stop pressing my skull ow ow!"

"It seems that you have not been paying attention to my lectures once again."

Although she spoke calmly, I saw from the corner of my eyes her expressionless smile that scared me and caused me to shiver in her grasp.

After a small punishment of tickling me in various spots that I did not know I was ticklish in, she eventually stopped me and began a lecture on Space magic for me. 

Being the current premier mage on the study of Space Magic, she was more than capable of teaching me about the system and certain traits it had. 

Skipping through the long lecture, it was around the half way point where the content began to matter to the current scenario.

"Space Magic, as I have explained, is the most versatile and yet also basic of the elements. It is the fundamental building block of matter so it can do far more than just attack and defend like I have been speaking of before. Remember this as it will be important for yourself later on when you may find yourself needing it. Spatial Perception is actually a rather simplistic effect for the cost of the complexity of the spell."

Then taking out the spell circle and chant for the spell, once I was confirmed to have memorized it she then began to explain some of the more finer details. The most important right now was this one. 

"... at the level of Minor Achievement the spell changes so that the previously stiff monitoring ability of the spell then adapts into an interact-able screen like effect where yo can have a higher level of sensing in terms of perception. You can reach this state by..."

This was the exact point that was so important right now. Seeing this and hearing the explanation I was able to clear my mind as to how my spell had suddenly changed. 

As for that classification of Minor Achievement, it is a term coined by Alice to explain the level of proficiency that a mage is in their spell.

To be clear, the levels are Entry, Usable, Minor Achievement, Major Achievement, Perfect and Transcendent levels of Proficiency.

Entry means that the user just learned how to cast the spell and has casted it once successfully. Usable is when the user can stably always activate the spell. Minor Achievement means that in addition to the basic effect of the spell the user has found a way to develop it further. Major Achievement means that the spell acts completely at near the peak performance designed by the spell caster. Perfect means that there is no point in any way to control the spell better and Transcendent simply meant that you understood not only the spell itself, but also the true meaning and intent of the spell to the point that the spell becomes second nature and transcends the original limit of the spell. 

The effects of such a situation differ depending on the type of spell, but I am far from reaching that level. 

I mean, I had just reached the Minor Achievement level on Spatial Perception even though I had used it every day since I was sent to look for Luke...

Even worse is that Alice had started casting spells at that level after just a few minutes with a new spell...

Thinking about such things is useless. Anyways, now that I have reached another level of perception, I no longer had to worry about the previous complete sealing mechanism when it comes to perception. 

If I was at this level before, I would most certainly be able to find that underground basement entrance at a glance, but that is already too late for that. 

At least I had it now and that it is still useful even now. That is all that matters. 

Leaving my flashback, I returned my attention ahead as we stood at a dead end of a hallway and I told the others where the entrance was. Now that we were here, it was time to completely open up this conspiracy to the surface and find out what secrets this place could be hiding.