Chapter 186: Veronica Leaves Melk
Chapter 186: Veronica Leaves Melk
A week has passed since our discussion, and I think I have killed all the cult members who are trying to come to Melk. But my summoning element hasn't increased to intermediate yet. I still regretted how I didn't kill Luiz back then.
So far, there has been no one tried to make a contact with Veronica, so we thought that it's safe for her to stay in our hotel. And we are probably right in doing that since we also learned more about the cult.
First, their research lab. The cult has done a lot of experiment, using monsters and even humans. Just like how they did a research to get monster follows human's order.
The location of the lab isn't known yet. Although their headquarter moves a lot, their lab shouldn't be able to move like that since they have done many evil experiments. But it seems that other than their head of research and the Archbishop himself, no one else knows where it is located.
But since we found out that the Orc Emperor has found its way to Melk, I think it should be near this area. Unless that Orc Emperor capable of a really long-distance travel. That's why Albert told the agents to look around in case they found something unusual.
Now that he mentions it, does that cave they used for recruitment still there? I told Albert about it and he ordered the agents to look for that cave.
I also went there, but after I arrive, I don't see any trace of it being a lab research even after I used my Divine Vision. And so, I left that place for the agents to investigate. They should be better in finding clues than I am.
Other than the research lab, we found clues about some of the higher ups' faces. We let Victoria turned into something we can mold, and have Veronica explains to us how they look like.
After shaping Victoria into their appearances, Veronica would explain their color since Victoria can't change it. Their skin color, hair color, the color of their eyes, the clothes they usually wear, and some of the cult members wear a mask, so she told us about how they look like and the color of their mask.
Veronica also explained to us that there might be some of them who wanted to leave the cult like she does. So if possible, we are not allowed to kill them.
One of them is Celestine. The leader of big boobs faction.
"She might be annoying since she always thought of me as her rival, but I never thought of her as a bad girl. There might be some circumstances as to why she joined the cult. So please if possible, talk to her first."
That's what Veronica requested. Although Celestine thought of her as rival, Veronica doesn't think of it that way. But what if she's the one sending spies on Veronica?
Veronica just insisted on us hearing Celestine's goal first before making a decision. Although if I met her first, I might kill her on sight before… she seduces me. Thought I never told the others about this, Victoria already figure it out.
So they gave me a plan in case I encounter Celestine first. But I won't tell anyone about it. I already received permission from everyone to do it, but I will keep this as my secret weapon against Celestine. Though I doubt it will work that easy.
If it does, then… whatever. Huehehehe.
Though I don't think I will meet her.
Today is supposed to be the day that Veronica returns to the cult's headquarter which may or may not be at the same location anymore. She said that if they moved, they would have someone to wait and report to those who are trying to return there about their new location.
From what she said, their headquarter has been moved many times since she joined. It has never stay in one location for more than six months. And the shortest time in their new spot is just two days. So short! Why does that lord of theirs loves to move around a lot!? And don't tell me that lord of theirs always carried that door whenever they moved? Or is it that he has too many of the same door.
Wherever their new headquarter is located, there is always that same door in sight. Even when Veronica asked the Archbishop himself, he doesn't even know the reason is.
Anyway, that's about everything that Veronica told us about. As for today, the plan is for her to returns to the cult's headquarter, and she will encounter me and fight.
And… DAMNIT, ALBERT! YOU SAID I CAN ENDURE HER ATTACKS, BUT YOU WERE WRONG!
If any of Veronica's attack hits me, even with I covered my whole body with Aura, I would still take a heavy damage! Even her Wind Slash can cut off my limb! And Victoria is acting as my tamed monster, so I can't use her as my shield!
So I quickly escape and have Victoria stop Veronica from following me. With this, it should be enough, right?
When I asked Albert why we have to do this, he just said just in case someone can detect lies like him.
Now that I think about it, every move he made and ordered, he considers that someone else has the same ability as he is.
We don't know if they really have someone who can detect lies, but just in case they do, Albert made some precautions. That's why Veronica will only tell the truth of what she knows and experience in Melk. It's also more believable if she told the truth.
I escaped from Veronica's ferocious attacks with my Aura covered my feet, and kicked the ground as strong as I can to launch me forward and make it seems as if I am flying in low altitude. This way, she will think that I am a wind mage.
After a while, I had Victoria summoned while she's still fighting Veronica when I reached the hotel.
And of course, I greeted Albert with an Air Slap on his cheek.
"Endure my ass! I almost died!"
"I mean dodge. Not endure. But you're still fine, right?"
"What will we do now?"
"Well, the story is that you attacked everyone from the cult who is coming. But as for her, we make it as if you are trying to flirt her, but she rejected you. Feeling ashamed, you attacked her out of nowhere not knowing that she is expert level mage. Now that you have returned, you make a false information about her as a suspected cult member and failed to kill her since she's too strong. Then I will send some agents to chase after her."
That's our plan. To follow Veronica without her noticing. But since she's an expert level mage, if we're too close, she would notice us right away. And Albert also told the agents to only follow her as long as they found traces of her. If not, they should return immediately.
Too many works, I say. Well, as long as I get my break, that's fine.
...….
The day after she left Melk, Veronica has already at the cult's headquarter. And as if she was expecting this, she has her usual expression on her face as she witnessed that the headquarter is moved again. The only one left in the headquarter is the Archbishop who was about to left as well.
"Veronica? That was quick of you. How about the mission?" the masked Archbishop asked.
"Well, it actually like this."
Veronica started explaining everything Albert and Roy told her to say. About how the princess went there incognito when the stampede happened, and she brought a powerful bodyguard with her, until she clashed with said bodyguard and he managed to escape from her.
"What?! How could he just tell them about us!? Why didn't he kill himself!?"
"Probably because of the Magic Restriction Collar was put on him." Veronica replies calmly.
"Hmm… there's more to it than that. Probably, they already know about us even before the stampede happened. Then they used the stampede as a chance to tell the world about us. It's not like it will be a problem to our lord, so we can continue with what we're doing. There will be no big event within the next ten years unless something happens along the way. Until then, we will continue getting stronger and find more people to join us. By then, no countries can match us."
Hearing how the cult doesn't have any big plan like before, Veronica feels better. That means she won't have to kill anyone for about that long. But that also mean that it will be difficult for her to leave the cult since faking her death might meant 'something that happened along the way' and the cult will be more active because of it. Veronica feel helpless about it.
"I think it might be because we became more active this year than the previous year. That's how they know about us." The masked Archbishop continued.
"If that is all, then I will take my leave and prepare for our move." Veronica about to leave when the Archbishop grabbed her arm and stopped her.
"Wait! You have a scratch on your arm. Sword's wound?" The Archbishop asked while sending off a powerful pressure on Veronica.
"Y-yes. That person seems to be the princess' bodyguard who stopped the stampede. He seems to be a tamer since he has a powerful Living Armor as his contracted monster. And there were witnesses saying that he has another one, but I only fought one of them alongside the mage himself."
Veronica told him about the barbaric princess' bodyguard who tried to flirt with her, then attacked her since she rejected him. Then as soon as he found that she is more powerful than him, he escaped by having the Living Armor stopped her from chasing. That's how he managed to escape.
"A Living Armor given a powerful equipment? Interesting. You may leave"
The Archbishop stopped sending pressure on Veronica as he said that. And Veronica left that place.
"Living Armor, huh? There's no way Aura user still exist in this world."
The Archbishop said when Veronica has disappeared from his sight. No one heard about what he said.