Chapter 257: Enemy Acolytes

Besides me, among that group of five people, Mitral was, according to the statistics I had gathered, the strongest.

And this wasn’t merely an impression. Mitral’s mana had reached 18. That was an impressive amount for a Level 3 acolyte, but with three more points, he would become a Pseudo-Mage.

However, there was something even more interesting. His mana was hidden. Just like mine. From the very first moment I met him, I had noticed that Mitral’s energy waves didn’t completely correspond to what his apparent level should have displayed. He was obviously using some secret method to conceal his true strength.

A Level 3 acolyte coming directly from the Tubol family, one of the three great families of Arcangrove Tower, obviously couldn’t be treated like an ordinary acolyte.

Furthermore, the magical artifact Mitral carried was also extremely powerful. The energy waves it emitted were strong enough for me to sense them even when he tried to keep them under control.

Still, there was something that particularly pleased me. Mitral’s artifact was only the second strongest among those present.

The first was my Life Shield Cube. Naturally, no one there knew that.

As for Toral, Marak, and Folbit, all three were also Level 3 acolytes. But they were different. They had only recently advanced. Toral and Marak possessed magical artifacts and, considering all the factors I could observe, they were clearly stronger than Folbit.

Still... Folbit was strange. Throughout the entire journey, he hadn’t displayed any arrogance. Nor had he behaved in an excessively obedient manner. He was simple, spoke little, and even seemed a little clumsy.

But that didn’t mean he was weak. People who didn’t display any extreme characteristics were usually the hardest to assess.

If I temporarily excluded their hidden trump cards and considered only what had already been revealed... Mitral and I were the strongest.

And between Mitral and me, I had approximately a ninety-five percent chance of winning.

As for Marak and Toral, they were below us, while Folbit ranked last.

I wondered what would happen if Toral or anyone else discovered that the clues we were following might be related to the inheritances of Great Mage Redof. None of them would be willing to fairly share an inheritance of that level.

The Far Mountain Mundane Forest City was a small city located at the foot of the Far Mountain Mundane Forest. The road leading to it was dry and dusty. The wind kicked up small clouds of dust whenever the horses passed.

After some time, Toral raised his voice.

— Alright.

—We’ll enter the Far Mountain Mundane Forest from this city.

—Before that, we can rest at an inn.

He pulled on the reins, and the horse came to a stop. Toral dismounted and immediately took out a rather damaged map. I moved close enough to observe it.

Toral pointed to a certain region on the map.

— This is a border area.

—If there are people from Black Bull Tower around here, it wouldn’t be strange.

—Therefore, we need to be even more careful.

— We already know that.

Mitral impatiently adjusted his robes. The expression on his face clearly showed that he wasn’t interested in hearing such obvious things again.

The five of us led our horses through the city until we reached a small inn called The Drunken Spot.

As soon as we opened the door, the smell of sweat mixed with the strong odor of alcohol hit us. Toral frowned, but still walked to the counter and placed a gold coin on it.

— Give me five private rooms.

— Sorry.

—We only have three rooms.

The answer came immediately.

Before Toral could finish speaking, the man behind the counter interrupted him.

The man appeared to be the innkeeper. He also reeked of rum.

Toral remained silent for a few seconds.

Then he nodded.

— Fine.

—Three rooms will do.

—And give us your best food.

It was understandable. Finding lodging in such a small city could already be considered lucky.

Toral didn’t insist.

However, as he handed over the money, he couldn’t help complaining.

— Isn’t this damned place supposed to receive almost no visitors throughout the year?

—Then why are there only three rooms available?

The innkeeper burped.

— Burp!

Then he scratched his belly.

— Who knows?

—The Far Mountain Mundane Forest is filled with that damned poisonous gas and diseases.

—Many of those who enter never return.

—Normally, only a few people come here to drink rum...

He raised the gold coin.

—But today, I was lucky enough to receive two waves of important guests!

My expression immediately changed.

— Two waves?

I took a step forward.

— And what did they do?

The innkeeper looked at me.

— Yes. Before you, another group came here.

—They even asked for a guide and paid in gold coins!

The man shook his head.

— Bah!

—Who would want to die in the depths of the Lunar Mountain Plain Belt?

I exchanged a quick glance with everyone in the group.

No one needed to say anything. We all had the same feeling. If another group had arrived before us and had even hired a guide, there was a reasonable possibility that they had also discovered something.

And I didn’t believe in coincidences.

— Well!

—I’ll have Martu take you to your rooms.

The innkeeper picked up three extremely greasy keys.

— Martu! Martu! Don’t make me wait another second, or I’ll tear your skin off!

Bang!

A moment later, a small dwarf appeared in front of the counter.

He wore a pointed gray hat.

— Respected sir, Martu is here as you requested...

The dwarf was approximately the height of a child. He wore green floral clothes that made him look even more comical. The innkeeper casually tapped him on the head and handed him the keys.

— Take our esteemed guests to their rooms upstairs.

Then he pointed at us.

— Dear guests, follow Martu! And be careful on the stairs!

Martu touched the tip of his hat.

— Please, follow me.

He began to climb the stairs, and we followed behind him. It was at this moment that Marak removed her cloak. Her beautiful face and alluring figure were completely exposed.

Several drunkards immediately began whistling.

— Hey, beautiful!

— Come have a drink with us!

Marak didn’t seem bothered. In fact, she responded with a few seductive glances. The men became even more excited. I watched the scene in silence and then laughed inwardly.

Marak’s expression said everything. She was annoyed. If those drunkards made the mistake of getting too close... they would probably die without even knowing why.

We continued walking, and Toral quickly assigned the rooms.

— George and Folbit will stay in this room.

— Mitral and I will stay in the other.

— The last one will be Marak’s.

— Does anyone object?

No one answered.

I glanced at Toral. He had chosen to stay with Mitral. A rather wise decision. Mitral wasn’t exactly the kind of person I would want to share a room with.

Folbit also seemed relieved, while Marak simply said nothing.

— Besides...

— Come to my room in a little while.

— We need to discuss the previous guests the innkeeper mentioned. I’m a little concerned.

Toral’s brow was furrowed.

If that group had also discovered the same clues as us, the expedition had just become much more dangerous.

— We’re all staying at the same inn, — I said. — I believe we’ll inevitably see the other group.

I deliberately let a hint of malice creep into my voice.

According to the dwarf Martu, the previous group wasn’t currently at the inn. They had gone out to purchase some supplies. They had also spent money to hire a guide. That meant they would return. Sooner or later.

Dinner was served in the large hall on the first floor. The main dish was a kind of bean paste prepared in a clay container, accompanied by some wild herbs used as seasoning.

In my opinion, it was fit only for pigs. So I remained in the hall with the others. I picked up a drink and began sipping it slowly.

I was sitting down while discreetly watching the entrance.

Bang!

The inn’s door opened.

A strong, cold wind swept into the hall.

Whoosh... whoooosh!

The draft swept through the room, causing several flames to flicker. The previously lively atmosphere immediately quieted.

My body tensed because there were five people. All of them were disguised, and fortunately, none of them were particularly strong.

Invisible sparks seemed to appear between the two groups. However, as if nothing had happened, the five figures continued walking and passed through the hall.

They headed toward the stairs leading to the second floor. Then Marak leaned closer discreetly.

— What do you think? Are they acolytes from Black Bull Tower?

Toral was also staring at the stairs.

— I don’t know.

He paused.

— But they definitely didn’t come here on vacation.

Folbit scratched his head.

— I mean... if we hadn’t chosen this inn, could we have avoided them?

Mitral let out a short laugh. There was disdain in his eyes.

— Avoid them?

He adjusted his clothes.

— That’s the thinking of weak people. The Tubol family would never need to avoid anyone.

— Besides, Lunar Belt City is small.

— There’s only one inn. The moment we entered the city, we were already exposed. Any sudden movement now would only alert the other party.

Fleeing at this point would practically be an admission that we were afraid.

— What matters is why they’re here.

Everyone looked at me.

— Could they have also found traces of the clues?

Toral’s expression immediately changed.

— I bought this information at a very high price. I bought an ancient book that had been scribbled with ancient characters.

— It’s possible that the other party found something as well.

Marak looked increasingly uncomfortable.

— What if they have a teacher with them?

She lowered her voice.

— Should we abandon the operation this time?

— Absolutely not!

Toral immediately responded. He had paid far too high a price for that advantage, so he wouldn’t give up so easily.

I thought for a few moments.

— I also don’t think any of us is willing to let our teachers take half of the benefits we obtain after such a dangerous exploration.

....

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