Summoned with an SSS-Rank Portal Skill

Bob was there, waiting, tied to one of the stable posts. The creature was visibly irritated to be stuck there.

Lucas stroked his friend. "Relax, we're leaving now."

Fortunately, the constant rain kept Bob happy, so the situation didn't make him snap and try to free himself.

The three only resumed talking once they were in the air, flying on the serpent. They wanted to make sure no one was listening to their conversation.

Up in the sky, with the sound of wind and rain falling hard, talking was safe.

"What did you think of the cooperation idea?" William asked. "Sorry if I ended up deciding things on my own."

Lucas gave him a thumbs up. "Best decision. Either that or we'd have refused to join their organization outright and would've had problems. At least this way we stay on peaceful terms, for now."

Thompson thought the same way.

"We just have to be careful about what they want from the cooperation," Thompson said. "They accepted our cooperation because we're strong, so I can only think they want help with dangerous things."

"Makes sense," William said. "Best thing to do is reach the capital soon and find this Master Xanyi. We need to start setting up our base so we have a safe place to think about our next plans without anyone bothering us."

"Definitely. I don't think anyone will stop us again, I hope," Lucas said.

And so they resumed their journey, watching the damp, foggy landscape, filled with rain-heavy clouds.

William liked this kingdom. It was a nice climate. Would be better if he were inside somewhere, protected.

"I'll have to endure it a bit longer," he thought.

And so a few days passed. No one stopped them again. Some flying beasts tried, as always, but were brutally crushed by Bob.

The capital finally appeared in their field of vision, and by luck, they arrived on a day when it wasn't raining.

They could observe the entire capital as they flew over. The capital was called Wetland.

Protected by high walls and guard towers, besides possessing a vast forest around it, with several rivers and lakes.

There were many mages capable of controlling the water element in that place. They were extremely important to ensure the locals didn't get flooded by the rains.

In the center of the city stood a very tall tower.

"That tower is the residence of the city's Master Mage. He's basically the one in charge here," Lucas explained.

"And the king?" William asked.

"Well, you could say he's the true king. The king himself is just a face of the old royal family to gain popular support. All decisions are still made by the Master Mage."

That wasn't surprising. Many kingdoms operated the same way. In the end, what really mattered was power. Power to fight against enemies and emerge victorious.

Some members of the royal family were strong—no one was saying otherwise—but they usually weren't the strongest.

The Master Mage also possessed a level above 100—according to what Lucas said—and that made him a powerhouse in that region.

Anyway, just like before at the border, they had to dismount from the serpent and enter through the front gate.

Everyone watched Bob as they descended. He was so large, imposing, and powerful that he caused fear in most people.

Even the space on the bridge in front of the main gate was being occupied largely by him. Carriages and people had difficulty passing through because of his size.

As soon as they reached the front of the gate to speak with the guard, Lucas handed over the papers he'd received at the border.

The guard looked at his hand as soon as he took the papers—seeing the ring he'd received from the Order of the Red Rose.

He just pretended to read the papers and handed them back in a blink.

"Welcome to the city of Wetland. Feel at home, and try not to cause trouble during your stay."

As soon as they entered the capital, the trio sighed with relief. After so much time on the road, resting poorly and getting drenched by rain, they had finally reached their destination.

"So now, what do we do?" William asked.

"Let's look for Master Xanyi. We have to make sure he's still here in the capital, right?" Lucas said.

As they walked through the city's stone streets, most people stopped to stare at the serpent. It was drawing a lot of attention.

"Don't you think we could leave the serpent in the lake nearby?" William asked. "It would be better, I think."

Lucas nodded. "Yes, but to get permission that close to a large city, the ideal is to speak with the Master Mage about it."

There were rules for this kind of thing when so close to cities, especially a kingdom's capital. Lucas didn't want to cause problems in the kingdom where he intended to establish their base.

Therefore, the first thing to do—besides looking for Master Xanyi—was to talk with the Master Mage who lived in the city's tallest tower.

The chance of accomplishing both things there was quite high. If anyone would know about Master Xanyi's whereabouts, it would be the Master Mage who commanded the city.

The three walked toward the tower, stopping briefly to buy street snacks. William grabbed a chicken skewer that was delicious—or maybe he was just starving.

As soon as they reached the front of the tower, a group of guards came to speak with them.

Altogether there were 8 guards, just at the front door. That alone indicated how well-protected the tower was.

"Hello, what brings you here?" a guard asked.

The guards couldn't help but stare at Bob just like the city's residents had done. The creature was very majestic, and strong too.

"We'd like to speak with the Master Mage about some important matters. One of them would be permission to leave my pet in the lake nearby. Better than having him walk through the city, isn't it?" Lucas said with a laugh.

"Yeah, you have a point. I'll check if the Master Mage has a free slot to speak with you. Wait a moment, please."

The guard returned inside the tower, and at its base, stopped on top of a magical symbol. On the wall next to the magical symbol were various numbers for him to press.

It was basically an elevator for that tower, and of course, the Master Mage's quarters were on the top floor.

The guard went to the door and knocked a few times, waiting until a melodic voice came from inside.

"You may enter."

A woman was inside the room, looking through an enormous glass window that had a privileged view of part of the city and its surroundings.

The nature and the lake in the background were simply stunning. This was the Master Mage. Yes, not even Lucas knew the leadership had changed a few years ago.

The former Master Mage was an elderly gentleman who decided to step down from the position to retire and left his apprentice in charge. She was also quite powerful, though not as much as the old man.

"There's a group of three adventurers wanting to speak with you," the guard said. "They want to ask about permission to leave their pet outside the city."

"Permission for a pet outside the city?" the woman laughed. "Who do they think they are?"

"Well, ma'am... One of them is nearly level 60, another is level 108, and one is level 111. Not to mention their pet is close to level 90..." the guard explained.

The Master Mage was shocked. She turned to face the guard and said, her voice trembling, "are you serious?"