Dance with the Nightingale-Chapter 69 - 68: Spying

[Western Edge of Atlas’s canopy, Lueurre]

In the dead of the night, the atmosphere was subtle and quiet, an atmosphere that was quite easy to disturb, quite easy to disrupt.

With such an atmosphere that was brimming with quiet and calm, honestly I didn’t hope to find anything.

It was just my first survey, on my first day in the city.

It would be too good to be true if I actually found something...or so were my thoughts...

But just then a slight breeze, an unnatural breeze blew past me, somehow making me absolutely sure that I wasn’t alone...

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In an instant my eyes glowed, numerous tri-colored petals blooming in them as I observed the area and just as I expected, a small, a minuscule fluctuation in the ambient mana couldn’t escape my notice.

Laughing at my own ridiculous luck, I got to work. Following the small mana fluctuations to catch my fellow player of hide-and-seek.

Speeding up, I took out a pair of glasses from my bracelet and put them on.

The silver rimmed glasses matching quite well with my chestnut colored hair... unfortunately there was no one to appreciate...

With the glasses on, I could see the fluctuations of mana even without using my skill. Not only that, I could even faintly see the silhouette of the figure speeding through the moonlit canopy...

That wasn’t enough though, I wanted to see who it was, I wanted to identify him before I made my move, and thus I decided to go full force.

[Attribute infusion] [Overload]

Activating both of my skills to overpower the silhouette’s cloaking capabilities.

My silver glasses glowed, a complex runic network showing up on them as their glow only intensified, making it hard to see through them.

Thankfully all of it was hidden by my skill and the artefacts.

Squinting, I kept moving forward, my glasses finally tapping on the power I imbued in them as...only for a moment...just for a moment, I saw the person whom I was chasing.

And that small moment was enough for me to recognize the cloaked perpetrator.

With two pair of arms, a angular face, slanted eyes and wheat brown skin, all covered by a grey sleeveless t-shirt, baggy black pants and a long black cape, the figure was of someone I had recently seen.

’Wasn’t it the same guy who resisted the basilisk’s aura at the gate today!??’

I exclaimed inwardly, the next moment my glasses crackled with mana. The mystical energy tangibly crackling out of it as the glasses went out of commission.

Like totally wasted, as the mana I poured in them was too much for the artefact to handle, its cores getting totally destroyed by the overloading.

Not caring about that in least, I continued moving. Various scenarios passing through my head as I thought about how to make the best of the situation...

Sadly, I couldn’t actually come to a solid conclusion, not with so little information...

So, I decided to wait and follow him.

And that seemed like the right decision.

Cause instead of a fox sneaking into someone’s territory, he was like a lion who was guarding his own kingdom.

Other than the stealth artefact he wore his actions, his moves...none of them even had the ’S’ of the word stealth...

Each of his quick movements causing a slight breeze, each use of his sensing technique leaving behind a trace...

Rather than being on a covert operation, it felt like he was trying to deliberately leave traces. As if marking it as his territory, as if daring someone else to enter that area...

’Definitely not from the Church of Light...’

I thought as I sneakily followed him using his traces.

’Well, if not those losers then it could only mean one thing; he works for the Council of the Rich...’

Interesting...

If the council sent him, a C ranked mage, here, then they should have an vague idea that something fishy is going on...just like in the novel.

Alas, before they could respond, the Church of Light had already made its move...

But should it be same this time?

’Of course not.’

I answered myself.

If everything was to remain the same, then why would I even be here?

’Things needed to be changed, starting with this.’

But for now, I will keep following him...maybe I can get a clue on how much the Baron and the Council knows?

With that motive in mind, I kept following him, carefully, stealthily, uneventfully...

Other than checking up the area, the guy did nothing...absolutely nothing...

The same rinse and repeat that I was doing, giving out no clues at all.

He just continued with his job, leading me to the very corner of the foliage of the Atlas which was the last area left to check.

A tricky area, cause the branches here weren’t that thick, moving up and down with each of our steps. So, following and hiding was quite cumbersome cause I had to sync my steps with his and step on such a place that either he wouldn’t notice the movement of the branches, or the movement the branches made would appear like the reaction of his own steps.

And just as he was done surveying the whole area, just as I was consoling myself that it wasn’t a wasted trip as I too inadvertently finished surveying the area, and just as I thought that he would return, he did something unexpected.

He just stood there.

Yes, you heard that right, he just stood there.

For a minute, for two, for three...

’Excuse me sir, are you admiring the moon?’

I almost asked out of frustration as I stood there like a statue, incessantly watching him as I waited for something, for anything to happen.

And then, after a short period of time that somehow felt unbearably long, my hard work was rewarded...

Unlike before there wasn’t a breeze nor was there any disturbance in the surroundings, only calm and lucidness that somehow felt...unnatural...

What was unnatural?

I couldn’t really put a finger on it...

It was something, just something...

Something that I just kept thinking about...

Over and over again...

In a loop, in an endless cycle...

-GASP!!

I gasped loudly.

Feeling a jolt from the deepest recesses of my mind as the array in my mind shined brightly for a moment, pulling me out from a trance.

My eyes opened wide, my breathing stuck and my heart beating loudly as I realized what had almost happened.

’I was almost caught in someone’s mind trap!’

I turned my head, my gaze landing on the same moonlit branch, while my body instantly jumped into combat ready state.

But instead of finding a couple of magical spells shooting off at me, what I saw astounded me even more.

Near identical faces, near identical physiques, both having two pairs of arms but both of them bearing a completely contrasting aura!

Two people with almost identical features sat before me, talking and chatting merrily as if they were on a trip!

Without any cloaking spells or a voice suppression barrier. They were just chatting as they drank while sitting on the thin branches of the Atlas!

’The fuck!? Twins!?’

I was just so dumbfounded by the scene that my brain just came to a halt. Unable to process what was happening until I heard a certain word...

"A hidden religion, you say Mark? Are you sure of that? Not another faux rumor like the ones before?"

The twin whom I was following asked Mark, the other twin.

"No, I’m sure about it this time, Jack."

Mark confirmed calmly as he took another sip of sake from his cup.

"So, I can inform the Baron about this?", Jack asked tentatively with a sigh.

"Yes, please. Inform him that the old suspect, Travis Miller, who was killed mysteriously three days ago was sponsoring a Hidden Religion."

"..I will do that." Jack said, before giving Mark a quick glance and asking, "Anyways, did you find any clue about his killer?"

"Apart from that the fact that he was killed by someone using water magic? None.", Mark shook his head as he answered, "But why are you asking me this?", Mark annoyedly quipped.

But what he got instead of apology was another glare as Jack harrumphed, "What else!? The old Baron was complaining as usual about how incompetent us brothers are and what not. He really wouldn’t let me hear the end of it, while you enjoy your merry time outside!"

"What do you mean by ’enjoy my time’? You know how many times he called me today-"

"Definitely more times than his mistress."

Jack laughingly quipped, his anger forgotten as he laughed at his brother’s expense.

Their conversation derailed from there to random talk. From how the Baron managed his mistress when his wife was that strict, to how the honey mead in Elista’s café was worth the money.

During the whole time they chatted, I realized something. I was wrong all along. The one whom I was following wasn’t the same twin that I had seen on the gate, instead the one that had arrived later, Mark, should be the one that I saw at the gate.

Why am I this confident you ask?

Cause apparently Mark had to go out of the city for a while to carry out a mission and he just returned today, leaving no room for guessing.

And from what I saw, it should also be Mark who casted that strange mind spell to clear the surroundings. His aura just matched well with the spells characteristics, lucid and calm. Unlike his brother’s fiery aura.

Thankfully, the array woke me just as I was about to succumb to the spells effect, saving me from being detected, and possibly controlled.

"Speaking of the mission, I have another news for you to report.", Mark said.

"Huh? You didn’t blow up the mission did you? I’ll get another earful if you did."

"No you dumbass, I just saw an interesting human at the gate today..."

"I don’t think the Baron wants another mistress though, don’t tell me you fell for some human bitch?", Jack raised his brows as he questioned mockingly, his voice full of mirth.

-Sigh

"Stop joking Jack.", Mark said, adopting a serious look, "Today I saw a human male entering the city, using a letter of recommendation that held a basilisk’s aura."

He said till that before looking at his brother’s face, seeing the serious look on his face he nodded and continued, "The guy is at least a C rank magic user, probably a mercenary. I heard he is staying in the upper city, surprisingly. Investigate and report. Also, the top mercenary of the Mercenary guild, Fostoria Acben has returned."

"Wait, doesn’t that mean that other than Barons subordinates there are 7 C ranks in the city right now!?"

"Yes, and we don’t know anything about 3 of them."

Silence lingered on the scene as both the brothers thought about the possible implications of the situation before Jack broke silence with a grim tone, ready to depart.

"...I will report it to the Baron."

But before he could go he had a hand clasping on his shoulder.

"Don’t be so grim. The situation isn’t that bad. And don’t forget we still have the highest power of the city in our side, if things actually go south."

"Now, go. And don’t forget to clean the sake from your system, or you’ll hear another earful."

"Yes..."

With that the exchange between brothers came to an end. Jack got back into the upper city while Mark just jumped downwards.

A cloaking spell covering him the instant he did as he fell towards the ground.

Watching the two guys depart, I had no doubts...

’Time to say a small hello...’

With that thought in mind, I jumped down. Following Mark for he simply looked like the type who overthought things.

And right now, he was the kind of guy I needed for my first impression.

For they say, first impression is the last impression, don’t they?

***

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