As the two reincarnators reached the velvet curtains, the doorway was tested as Sirius tried to turn the handle, only for his grip to be rejected by a mystical barrier.
Shaking his hand after it was forcibly rejected, Sirius looked up at the dark-purple and blue barrier that blocked the doorway, "I guess he wasn't lying. You're the magic savant, so what do you think?"
Though there was undoubtedly a mastery held over lightning and spatial magic by Sirius, it was undeniable that Emilio was more experienced in the intricacies of magecraft and had a far wider scope of knowledge.
Emilio inspected the barrier, seeing the hexagonal pattern presented through the thin, but impenetrable barrier. The way the barrier worked, there was no workaround; he could sense it wrapped around the room ahead, making any attempts to break in from a different wall impossible.
"It looks like a decently high-end spell. It's nothing a novice could whip up–not with any moment of time or preparation. The good news is, a barrier like this is one-way. Meaning our target is a sitting duck," Emilio put his hand to his chin, "Give me a second. I think I can reverse it."
Sirius moved aside, deciding to watch him with an excited smile, as if impatient to see the expert in magecraft do his work.
Conjuring a line of mana at his fingertip, Emilio brushed it across the barrier, lightly moving it around to form a seal of his own that was inscribed over the barrier. The light-blue mana, having properties similar to gum when manifested, was stretched out into lines, running along the hexagonal barrier.
"Hmmm…" Emilio thought to himself.
"Having trouble?" Sirius asked, almost playfully.
Emilio kept his eyes on the complex barrier while responding to the snarky comment, "Reverse engineering a spell I've never seen isn't exactly an instant process. I need to understand it to its most fundamental level."
"I know, I know, I'm just messing with you," Sirius folded his arms over his chest, leaning against the wall as he waited.
It was almost like entering an entirely different world within his own mind when working on understanding and dismantling such a spell; he was able to see the threads of mana and the language infused into the mystical element like a roll of film, crossing by with countless words. Those words, etched into the minuscule threads of mana, woven into the backbone of the spell, were the foundation of its power.
'...The teachings of Eisramdal. He's one of the Founders of Magic, and the one who established the "Seal Arts"--magecraft that functions outside of the usual elements and instead functions for specific purposes,' Emilio thought, 'I'm not entirely well versed in it, but I think I know enough to break this down.'
The motions made with his hands were a cross between the conductor of an orchestra and that of a masterful painter, stroking the brush of mana against the canvas with his fingertip.
"You've put a lot of time into studying magic, haven't you?" Sirius asked.
"You haven't?" Emilio replied while staying focused.
Sirius shrugged, looking towards the ceiling, "Sorta. My system made my affinity with lightning come as easy as breathing. Space was…well, it was another thing. When I look at you though, I see a master–like a seasoned artist expressing himself with magic."
eaglesnov?1,сoМ "I guess it's something like that," Emilio said, spreading his hands out as a net of his mana pressed against the barrier integrating with it, "--And done."
"You figured it out? That was faster than I thought, honestly," Sirius remarked in surprise.
Emilio looked at the barrier that was now infused deeply with his own mana, "Magecraft is like an endless series of knots, you just need to understand what goes where and how to unravel it. That's putting it really simply, though."
Part of it was akin to figuring out the internal workings of a lock then forging his mana like the mold of the fitting key. With his own mana fitting into the weaving of the barrier, he snapped his fingers, initiating the reversal of the barrier.
Sirius whistled, "Good work. They really oughta give you a promotion."
"Well, I haven't exactly had time to do any quests lately," Emilio muttered before readjusting his focus, "Alright—it's time to get to our target."
"About time," Sirius readied himself.
As the mystical barrier dissolved upon being cracked, the doorway was now left unimpeded. Taking the lead this time, Emilio stepped in front of the door, exchanging a quick glance of confirmation with his companion to make sure he was ready as well.
Placing his hand forward, he waited for a moment before mana exuded from his pores, releasing with a gentle swirl of wind that was quickly stirred into a blast of air pressure. The powerful propulsion of wind slammed the doors open, allowing the two inside as they ran in.
"Impressive."
They both stopped at the sight of the man seated in a chair within the room: a tall, lanky figure with shaggy, dark-red head and skin so pale it almost seemed translucent.
'Maximus–that's definitely him,' Emilio recognized.
"You're both clearly not just bandits looking to rob me of my riches or simple assassins. Dealing with Isbrand and Higan means you're both quite dangerous," Maximus said, lifting a glass of wine from the table beside him.
The red-headed figure casually brought the rim of the glass to his lips, sipping on the fine, dark-purple liquid before pulling away, locking his dark, violet eyes on the two intruders.
"It wouldn't make sense for you two to be bandits–they tend to be weak and come in large groups. If they're strong, there would be no need to resort to such acts. You're not hired assassins, either–you wouldn't have cared about sparing the lives of my useless subordinates," Maximus presumed, breaking down the information before him as he crossed one leg over his knee, "This leaves me with one conclusion: you're here not for monetary value, but something else–information. In that case, you two must be here because of my ties with the Children of Chaos. Am I correct?"
It was surprising just how quickly the youthful-looking, pale-skinned merchant of high wealth seemed to delve through every action they took to determine their motives.
"Right on the money," Sirius confirmed.
"What's it matter now? You're done," Emilio asked, looking straight at the pale-skinned merchant.
Despite clearly bypassing all of the high profile supplier's defenses and having him cornered, there was no worry present on the face of Maximus, who sat there in his velvet-fabric chair.
"You have the wrong idea," Maximus said.
"What're you talking about?" Emilio asked.
Maximus sat there without any guard as the words rolled off of his tongue, "This situation is perfect for me."
"I think this guy has a screw loose," Sirius muttered.
However, the comment was ignored as Maximus tapped his long, bony fingers against the arms of his chair.
"My alliance with the Children of Chaos is not one forged by the prospect of coin. I am not a bought ally of them–no, I am an advocate myself. Perhaps you're mistaken about my position,," Maximus explained, beginning to stand up as he towered over the two.
"Position?" Emilio repeated.
"Yes—I am not merely the supplier of the Children of Chaos–I am one of its very own leaders, but I sit at the High Table: Maximus Leocharn, The Fifth Seat of Rhapsody," the man introduced himself, placing his hand over his chest and bowing, "I have awaited your arrival–Sirius Stormheart and Emilio Dragonheart."
The clear introduction itself peeled away false truths, revealing who the figure before them truly was–or rather, the full nature of his status among the nefarious organization.
"You know who we are?" Sirius asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, you pretended like you were unaware of that just a second ago," Emilio added.
Maximus stood straight, seeming to stand taller without any slouch as his dark-purple eyes themselves changed: they were now a bright, pure blue with odd rims around his pupil.
"Forgive me, but I have a habit of deceiving people. There is no point in that now, though–let's dance together as our goals clash yet align: you wish to capture me, and I wish to capture you–I wonder, which of us will succeed?" Maximus asked as his entire body seemed to shift; the pale complexion he had seemed to fill in as his shaggy, crimson hair turned to a silver coloring.
Sirius gathered electricity at his fingertips, readying himself, "So, this was all a big, elaborate trap to draw us out then?"
"Figures," Emilio muttered, "These people are always crafty–but why use somebody of such high standing to draw us out?"
The appearance-shifting, mysterious man smiled at that question, "Isn't it obvious? It's because I am capable enough to capture you both. After I do so, I'll destroy this town in its entirety. That's the mission that has been entrusted by me–for the sanctity of Chaos."
[Maximus Leocharn | High Table of Chaos | Fifth Seat of Rhapsody]
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel