Chapter 238: Three rings
When Yukata returned, he found his location to be largely unrecognizable. Part of the tunnel had collapsed and parts had turned into shining black stone of cooled, melted wall.
The blind guy sat where the camp used to be, frowning down at legs that seemed broken.
Lady Maraget was standing nearby with a scowl on her face.
"What happened here?!" Yukata’s eyes widened as he looked around. "I was only gone for about an hour!"
He knew there was a suspicion that someone was following them, but was that the cause of the big battlefield that looked as if dozens of Magus had trampled through?
Lady Maraget explained what happened, and by the time she finished, Yukata was pale and trembling. He was glad that he wasn’t there when things went down.
"Do you know anything about those guys?" The blind guy studied his reaction with great interest as he asked.
Yukata took a deep breath. "Well, there are rumors, but there’s never been a confirmation that the guide have some kind of way to carry out incredibly covert intelligence gathering and assassinations. But to think that they would send them here? I thought I had finalized things with them."
The blind guy snorted, shook his head, and gestured. "Where’s what we sent you?"
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Vacuse was still careful about the fifth-circle Magus after them, and as such he had taken a precaution. And that was to send Yukata to get them some magical instruments.
Yukata came forward, dropped a ring in his hand, then went to Lady Slave and did the same while he showed his own. "This is a glamour, not ordinary illusion, and that’s why it cost us a lot of money.
"You can drip your blood on it, activate it, and then the spell will set. You should know that this is a one-time spell, so the image that’s fixed in your mind at the time of casting would remain unless you buy another glamour ring."
Vacuse came up with the idea that they should change their appearance, and that was why they didn’t bother to near the gang territory and instead sent Yukata.
Vacuse looked at the bland ring and nodded in satisfaction. "Then what about the other matter that I sent you? Did you spread the rumors?"
Yukata grimaced and then nodded. "I did, but you might also draw the wrong attention through this. There are lots of rumors flying around in town."
Vacuse narrowed his eyes. "Speak!"
"First, there’s a bounty from Eboncrypt on a dragon and two people. A man and a woman that look awful similar to you guys," Yukata said carefully as he swallowed.
Vacuse smiled, his red eyes on Yukata. "Similar, eh? What do you think, Yukata, do you really think it’s similar?"
Yukata wasn’t born yesterday, and thus he understood where the blind guy was going. His face went blank. "Of course not! In fact I’ve never seen them before."
Vacuse shook his head and replied firmly, "You should not. I’ll kill you if you try to betray me. I already have my energy inside your body. Move out of line and you will die."
Yukata shuddered and his heart started beating faster as he raised his hand to his chest as if he could feel the foreign energy rampaging in him. He swallowed through a dry throat. "Of course!"
Vacuse waved him away. "Do you have any news that’s not about a bounty?"
Yukata nodded, his face still showing his discomfort. "There seems to be news about dragons everywhere. I saw something on a poster that a team of dragon hunters are hunting for a red-eyed dragon!"
When he heard that, Vacuse went very still instantly and his eyes turned sharp like blades. Then he smiled. "Is that so? It seems some people are looking for me. Tell me about this poster."
"Of course. It seems it’s a hunter team that operates deeper in the mountains, but they paid lots of money to spread the news as far as they could, even to this far edge."
Vacuse nodded thoughtfully, the smile still not completely gone from his face. "I see. Then we’ll see about them deeper in the mountains then."
On one hand, Vacuse was extremely happy because it seemed his attendants were still alive and looking for him. On the other hand, it might also be his enemies. In this strange Great Dungeon, memories could be searched and looked through.
He would look for this team of dragon hunters, but just as he always does things, he would have to be extremely cautious. The last thing he wanted was to fall into a trap that could be avoided.
But either way, he knew his days in the mountains would not be boring at the very least.
With that out of the way he focused his attention back on the ring. It looked like a ring carved entirely out of stone. "Go on, Yukata. Show us how it’s done."
Vacuse had first secretly used his senses to check the other two rings and found that they were the same thing. Still, ever wary, he asked him to do it first.
Yukata seemed to understand. He shrugged, then bit his finger with his teeth and smeared the blood on the ring before he wore it.
The ring shimmered and got darker, disappearing from view even though they could still feel it.
Then a look of concentration appeared on Yukata’s face before he turned into another person.
His looks changed completely. From a thin man to a tall and strong man with grey hair and steely eyes. Even his aura changed and turned more imposing.
Vacuse was impressed as he watched the progress. Not only were his eyes telling him that this wasn’t Yukata, even his energy sensing was telling him the same. "Not bad. You next, Lady Maraget."
Lady Slave also did her own, and she turned into a woman with near-oversized muscles.
Vacuse nearly rolled his eyes as he saw her. "Now we’ll have to get you a sword."