Chapter 237: The Exchange Meeting |
Saul blinked and shifted positions, continuing to ponder the "rune problem" in front of him.
“A Second Rank wizard? How did he end up in charge of a library?”
From Agu's appearance, Saul couldn't discern any particularly unusual bloodline.
[Because of my race, I was constantly hunted. Eventually, I died at the hands of a Third Rank wizard from the Gorsa Family. My soul was extracted by him and turned into an eternal servant.]
“An eternal servant, no wonder you offered to serve me for a hundred years.” Saul smacked his lips.
“I’m a bit curious—what exactly is your race? If the question is too sensitive, or dangerous for me to know, feel free not to answer.”
[It’s only dangerous if you tell others.]
[I am a Faceless One.]
Saul had never heard of that race. Aside from raising an eyebrow, he didn’t show much reaction.
“So this name, Agu, is it your own, or…”
Though obligated to answer Saul’s questions, Argu still paused for a while before writing new text.
[It was given to me by the daughter of the last man I replaced.]
It seemed Agu was someone with stories of his own.
Saul didn’t press further—didn’t ask about the man or his daughter.
“What kind of race are the Faceless Ones? Do you reproduce by splitting, or are you hermaphroditic?” As a wizard, Saul found this a topic of academic interest.
Agu had likely grown used to wizards' inquisitive nature, and answered without resistance.
[We were born in the Lightless Abyss. We can also self-replicate.]
No wonder Agu could easily split himself into three parts.
As for the Lightless Abyss—Saul had heard of it before. It had been briefly mentioned in the Basic Knowledge of All Things. A spatial rift.
But that was all the books had said. Not even a single detail about what existed within the Abyss.
Saul knew not to dig too deeply. He instructed Agu to rest quietly in the Black Page for now, to conserve energy.
Agu fell silent, and the diary turned to Morden’s page.
Saul didn’t initiate contact with Morden again.
The old king of the mortal world was nearing the end of his conscious existence.
To preserve Morden’s mind, Saul temporarily decided not to consult him further—at least until he found a way to replenish the Black Page’s energy.
Thus, Herman also managed to retain his consciousness by sheer luck.
Time passed quickly in study and experimentation.
In the blink of an eye, three days had gone by. Dressed in a grey robe, Saul arrived on time at the 13th floor of the East Tower.
Rounding the corridor, he saw the room Lokai had mentioned.
Lokai, as president of the Mutual Aid Society, was personally welcoming Second and Third Rank wizard apprentices arriving for the exchange meeting.
As soon as Saul approached, Lokai abandoned the person he was talking to and came over eagerly.
“You’re finally here! I thought you weren’t coming today—hehe.”
“Am I late?” Saul asked coolly in the face of Lokai’s enthusiasm.
“No, it’s…” Lokai pulled out a pocket watch—an uncommon sight in the Wizard Tower where hourglasses were the norm. “Ah, exactly at the last minute.”
“Come in, hehe. It’s really lively today. Lots of Third Rank apprentices showed up. I’m sure you’ll recognize someone inside.”
At that moment, Saul’s heart stirred. He suddenly turned his head.
Half a second later, Lokai also turned his gaze behind Saul.
At the end of the corridor, Kongsha was approaching in a deep purple satin gown.
Uncharacteristically, she wore no cloak or hood. As she walked, her pale long legs occasionally emerged from the dress, catching the eyes of many.
And Kongsha, whose face was fully exposed without concealment, stared back at the onlookers with her many bloodshot eyes—more than a dozen of them.
“Kongsha,” Lokai’s expression grew complicated, “You weren’t invited to this exchange meeting.”
“Are you going to stop me?”
Kongsha had already walked up to the two. All of her eyes were pressed against the glass wall—one turned to Lokai, two to Saul.
But most of them were aimed to her left.
That made Saul notice her left side as well. He squinted and directed his mental energy toward it, but saw nothing.
“Let her in,” came a voice from inside the room.
Saul looked over and saw a man standing at the door, smiling.
That smile was subtly unpleasant, as if mocking someone.
“Besides, I’ve never seen someone contaminated by an elf before. This is a good chance to observe.” The man continued.
His words were like a torch thrown into dry hay, instantly changing the atmosphere inside and outside the room.
Even Saul couldn't help but glance at Kongsha, trying to find traces of contamination.
But unlike the wary stares of others, Saul wasn’t nervous.
After all, he’d recently encountered an elf himself, and received guidance from a reliable source.
Encountering elves wasn’t dangerous in itself. As long as one kept a clear understanding and didn’t accept them as real, one wouldn’t be affected.
Cognition is mostly formed subconsciously. The best way to avoid elven contamination is to minimize exposure.
Still, Saul was curious to see what someone affected looked like.
Besides, for the woman who had led him into the wizard’s path, he had some faith.
At that moment, Kongsha also directed one eye at the man in the room and said coldly, “Jero, if you’re really curious, I can introduce you to Hirsidges.”
She raised her hand and pointed to her left, as if someone truly stood there.
Even the smile on Lokai’s face faltered.
No one knew whether Kongsha was joking, but anyone with even partial knowledge about elves knew: the more you understand elven illusions, the more likely you are to be contaminated.
And yet, Jero stepped forward fearlessly, arms folded, bowing slightly in the direction Kongsha had pointed.
“Sure! Hello, Hirsidges. I’m Jero, a Third Rank wizard apprentice, specializing in lightning. I love women with unusual traits—care to be friends?”
There was no reply.
But Jero acted as if he’d heard something, nodding as if in response.
Saul could tell at once that Jero was lying, or putting on a show.
Because judging from where most of Kongsha’s eyes were focused, if someone were standing to her left, their head would be at least half a head taller than Jero’s.
Saul had no interest in this farce. Since he couldn’t find traces of an elf on Kongsha, he gave up, bypassed Jero, and stepped into the activity room first.
The setup looked like a classroom party—rows of chairs formed a circle, leaving the front and center open.
In the center stood two rolled-up scrolls, each about two meters tall.
Saul sensed faint magical waves from them.
They likely had wizard formations drawn on them—though he didn’t know their purpose yet.
Still, with them placed front and center, he’d probably find out soon enough.
Saul’s entrance acted like a resume button for the animation paused by Kongsha. Everyone withdrew their gazes from the doorway.
Some turned to Saul instead.
He looked back.
And sure enough, he spotted a few familiar faces.
Billy, whom he’d seen during his night tour of the East Tower, was sitting in the back. His head was lowered, eyes on the floor, seemingly uninterested in the outside commotion.
But Angela—who had made a secret deal with Billy was not here.
Next to Billy sat a pale-faced Wright.
And on Wright’s lap was a girl.
She looked about sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a black-and-white maid outfit. The skirt was deliberately shortened, just above the knees.
Her legs were covered in white thigh-high stockings, and she wore small black lambskin shoes.
With her fair complexion and attire, the girl looked like a porcelain doll.
[End of Chapter]