’How is that possible?’ Roe thought.

Lot followed with the same thought.

Arthur followed, however, he verbalized his thoughts.

"How is that possible?" he shouted.

"Freedom. I’m free from mana," Quentin responded.

’Why does this guy have to be so dramatic?’ Lot thought.

’Just get to the point.’

Lot now looked Roe dead in the eye. There was something he wanted Roe to ask. This ability to use spells without mana was obviously a product of an emergence.

The question now was whether Quentin was the emergence.

Roe didn’t have to think long as he came up with the perfect question.

"This ability. What’s it called?" Roe asked. He was now on the platform with them.

One of the members wanted to charge at Roe.

"How dare you question our abilities!" he shouted.

Quentin told him to remain calm.

This was an opportunity they had never expected.

Even now, Roe knew what was happening.

Lot was disappointed this was the question Roe asked.

Quentin saw this as an opportunity to recruit Roe. If they had the one blessed by mana on their side, then it would become possible to convince the world that faith was the right path.

"This power is called faith," Quentin responded.

"Interesting. And can you all use this faith?" Roe asked.

Lot smiled. He hadn’t realized Roe was planning to eventually drive the question in this direction.

"Yes, we can," Quentin responded.

This shocked Roe and Lot. There was no way all seven, or possibly eight, of them were the convergence.

"Ok, thanks for letting me up here," Roe said.

A bunch of people in the crowd began to cheer Roe on.

He got down from the platform. He wanted to soak in the glory, but he knew that right now they didn’t need the attention.

He knew he couldn’t return to Lot, so he planned to locate Arthur and maybe find out what they were doing.

Maybe they knew more. Anyhow, Roe was going to find out.

He navigated his way through the crowd.

Quentin continued.

"Now those of you who wish to come in direct contact with faith have a chance."

He looked at his watch.

"The presentation is over," he said.

"You may sign up to join our circle. Remember, you don’t need mana, which means you don’t need to be an awakener."

"Imagine having all the cool powers that come with being a mage without all the responsibility."

Quentin ended. This was his final selling point.

It seemed it worked, as almost all who were invited made their way inside as instructed.

Inside, where their new life as ’Faithers’ would begin.

A couple remained outside. They were probably skeptical.

Thanks to the crowd heading in, Roe found Arthur, and he wasn’t alone. There was another cloaked figure beside him.

"Hi," Roe greeted.

"I’m sure you know who I am," Arthur responded.

"And I’m sure you know me," Roe responded.

Roe tried peeping through the hood of the person beside Arthur.

"Just remove it already, man," Arthur said.

"Ok, ok," Perzeus responded.

"Hi. I’m Perzeus," he introduced himself.

"So why are you guys here?" Roe asked.

"We came to investigate this new thing. This faith thing..." Perzeus said.

"Well, it’s kind of a cover for an emergence, at least Morgana and Elijah seem to think so," Arthur added.

"You weren’t supposed to say this. We are undercover, you idiot," Perzeus remarked.

"And you?"

"I’m on my first mission."

"I was only instructed to relay anything suspicious to my master," Roe said.

"You see? He’s deceptive. Be deceptive," Perzeus added. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"So are you not going in?" Arthur asked.

"Well, I can’t. If they were former mages and using faith made them lose their mana, I’m not sure I want to lose access to mine."

"Yeah, it probably wouldn’t be worth it for you, given your insane reserves and whatnot," Perzeus responded.

Arthur gave him a light jab. He was technically being rude.

Lot didn’t join them for a while, so Roe joined Arthur and Perzeus with their strategy.

Just then, Arthur received a call. It was Elijah.

They explained everything to Elijah.

He was then to help them formulate a counterplan.

Elijah was ideally the best for this job. Morgana had just insisted he remain back at HQ because things could get dicey and they might need more combat-focused mages.

Elijah was strong, but he wasn’t ’Arthur strong.’

Perzeus was sent as his backup.

After they explained everything to Elijah, he suggested they simply wait outside until some of those who went in came out.

He told them to leave the line open. He could be needed at a moment’s notice.

They were not to proceed and take the faith awakening under any condition.

Lot made his way over.

He wasn’t alone, however.

He just nodded to both Arthur and Perzeus, and just like that, he had greeted them.

He introduced Roe to Andrew.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mage of Mages," Andrew said.

"The pleasure’s all mine, Master," Roe responded.

"Oh no. You will not call him that. He’s no Mage of Mages. He’s not Merlin," Lot responded.

"Yeah, I guess that’s fair," Perzeus said.

"Who asked you?" Lot responded.

He was ignored.

"Yeah, that is fair," Roe said, patting his own head, feeling awfully embarrassed.

"That’s so fair," Arthur followed up.

"Ok, enough," Andrew said.

"I’m Andrew."

"Yes, I know who you are," Roe responded.

They relayed the information Elijah had given.

All parties knew they were here for the same thing.

They might as well work together for the time being.

"It’s funny how the Circle of Vlad didn’t send a representative. I mean, all parties are reunited from the event of yesterday," Lot said.

"It’s in the past. Just drop it," Perzeus said.

"We only watched. We were not present," Andrew said.

"Yeah, but you were used to state our case. So tit for tat. Same thing," Roe supported.

Lot just smiled.

Roe caught notice.

Roe was playing the role. He wanted Lot to like him, and this was the only way he knew how.

Propping him up and having his back.

Just then, footsteps were heard.

It seemed like someone, or rather a group of people, were coming out the same way all those people had gone in earlier.