Chapter Forty Seven: Master Of Deception

“Tell me……….. are you the one who suggested that the alarm should be turned off because the demon has left? If so then……… how were you able to tell that the threat is gone? Your answer might cause you your life.”
A tough looking man in heavy silver armor stood with his heavy sword touching the ground and a stern look in his face when we stopped to grasp the situation.
I see……… so that’s how it is.
It seems we are being doubted. It’s obvious if you look at it objectively that we would be doubted.
First we made them assume that a demon has entered the capital. And secondly, we made them stop the alarm by saying that the demon is probably long gone by now. The question here is; “how in the world did we know all that?”
It is just like he said. One wrong move and I’ll be drowning myself. The event so far has led them to believe that ‘I’ in the very least know a little of what is going on in this town.
What can I say? This is the perfect opportunity to confirm my theory about this new ability that has given itself to me.
“Logic…………” I gently dropped the wood I was carrying and raised my hands up in the air to show that I mean no harm.
I then walked slowly closer to the man in armor after whispering to the girls “Stay calm and leave it to me.”
Standing 2 meters away from him, I glanced at the people behind him and then at him.
He gives off a different aura than the others. My guess is that he is the guild master of one of the guilds. I already know the ‘Lord guild master’ who together with the ‘Lord guard master’ tried killing me. These are just minor characters in the game.
“I used a simple logic to deduce all that…………. Here is how it happened………….”
I told the same lie as before in telling them that I found my friend collapsed next to the barrier so I came to this town seeking help. I then turned the whole story into something that they would have a hard time believing. My goal was  to see their reaction to my lies.
“I was desperately trying to see my friend wake up I felt a tremor below the house I was in. Before I realized it, I was punched out of the house. I’m sure a lot of people can testify to that. The aura I felt coming from that tremor was immense. I would have run away if my friends hadn’t been inside that house. When I got back inside through the hole I had made while flying out, I met all of them collapsed on the floor. The aura was gone completely and all that remained was a deep hole in the ground…………. as for why I told your men that the cause of that incident had been long gone; it’s obvious that such a powerful enemy would be wrecking havoc right about now if he hadn’t left this town. Or are you telling me that a being as powerful as that is still hiding among the people of this town? There is no way that is possible. I don’t know what happened myself because I was sent out of the house. But if you think about it from a neutral point of view; something must have happened to make the enemy change his plan. What if he was attacked by some magic and disappeared before completely taking form? Then wouldn’t that mean that the people in the house at that time saved the whole town from the enemy? The way I see it, you guys should be thanking these girls instead of pointing your swords at them! Shouldn’t you treat them like heroes for getting rid of the enemy for you!? you think the enemy will just disappear on his own after going through all the trouble of coming here? Thank them for saving your town!!”
Like a religious preacher, I gathered all the attention I could get and made their minds and soul to follow my words.
At the end of my sermon, the looks on their faces were changed completely.
“He’s right. The demon would have attacked by now if something hadn’t prevented him.” “That’s true. They saved our town!”  “They saved our town!” “They saved our town!”
The crowd cheered for us as if we did something great.
Finally…………. now I’m certain of this ability. I’m a master of deception.
“Sorry for the accusations. We had no idea that was what happened.” their leader bowed deeply and apologized to me.
“It’s nothing. You were just worried about your people am I right?” 
Worried about your people? The hell is that!? these people only think of themselves!!
He asked about the materials we brought back with us. I told him that we couldn’t let the house stay destroyed especially since the inside can be seen through the destroyed wall.
“As thanks for saving us, we’ll fix the house for you.”
I didn’t expect him to offer help to us.
I accepted his help. He excused himself from me and went back to his men. The girls and Burte walked close to me in that time. He talked to them for a while when they all came rushing towards us thanking us for saving their town.
After that, a master carpenter was called to fix the damaged wall and floor. 
The carpenter was tall and had dark skin. Using the wood we bought, he molded the planks in his hand like flour then plastered the wall with it.
Before my very eyes, the solid wood became like dough which was used to seal the hole. He also did the same to the hole on the floor. That was after a different demi-human girl closed the hole in the ground using earth magic. 
She stood above the hole and chanted a few words. The soil began moving together slowly until it closed off completely. The carpenter used the other planks to close the hole after turning them into dough.
After he turns them into though and stitches up the hole, he then uses his hands to smooth over the surface. He was more of a chef to me than a carpenter. Magic is really something else.
Everything was returned to normal and the workers proceeded to work on the quaked ground. Those with earth magic were called to cover up the grounds throughout the town. Some houses were caught in the middle of the quakes but only few minor injuries were reported.
“You are amazing!” Surprised to no end, Taht became really excited after they all left.
Meila on the other hand was not excited. Everything I did seemed odd to her. She almost jumped on me saying “Give me back my ability!” but she couldn’t because of the embarrassment of having her tail stand up straight like that. She stayed in the room upstairs when all the repairs were done.
After really begging Taht to tell me why Meila’s tail is reacting like that, she finally agreed to tell me.
“Sigh…… guess I have no choice……..” she was reluctant about telling me but I nagged her until she did.
“You know how humans get when they are aroused right? Well Demi-humans have the tendency to lose control of their tails when they get really aroused. That is the same for both males and females. That’s why if people saw her like that, then they would instantly know what’s going on and she’ll be labeled a pervert for going outside like that.”
“Aroused………..?” I couldn’t believe that was the case.
What was it that made her that way? Is it from the kiss? No it cant be. She was unconscious when I kissed her.
But then again, the kiss was supposed to send my energy into her, maybe that is the reason behind her arousal. And if that’s the case then……….
“Why aren’t you aroused? Even though I tried to avoid our saliva from meeting, we still kissed right?” I blatantly asked Taht.
“W-Who me!? I…… I’m not a small girl like your friend. I’m an adult!” she frantically denied.
“Is that so…….? Come to think of it, I did see a lot of liquid come out of you after you passed ou……………?”
“No!!!!!!” she screamed when I said that.
“That’s a lie!” she quickly stood up and dashed to the second floor.
What was that all about?
The liquid I saw coming out of her is similar to the one from that time with Etis. I had thought that it was pee, but if she was aroused as well, then could it be what I’m thinking?

Things have gotten complicated. How did it end up like this? I’m sure things wouldn’t have gotten this crazy if only we’d left town much sooner.
After Taht ran up stairs, I stayed with her brother on the first floor and talked about trivial stuff. A while later, I asked Milta to come down so that we can return to the capital. We no longer had any reason to stay in their house.
“Please don’t go just yet! I even went to the trouble of washing her clothes. Cant you stay for a little while? It’s been so long since we’ve had any visitors.” Taht pleaded really hard asking us to stay the night in her house.We all ended up on the first floor and one thing led to another when I told her the real reason we came to this town. It was so that we can go into the nightmare forest.
“You are able to pass through the barrier!?” she shouted so loud because of the shock.
Telling her about my abilities served as a test to see if she really cared for us just like she claims. Being able to pass through the barrier will correspond to the abilities of high level demons to penetrate through it. Considering the event that unfolded since we arrived here, it’s highly likely that she will get scared of me and change her attitude towards us.
I was ready for that to happen. Whenever she starts acting suspicious; all I have to do is use my new ability to deceive her into believing what I want. This ability is really overpowered. I can get and find out whatever I want just by using it. With this ability, I’ll be able to find Leila’s location within the capital in no time.
I cant wait to go back to the capital. But that has to come after my mission. 
As Taht was pleading for us to stay, She used the reason we came to town to her advantage “You haven’t fulfilled your mission to this town right? You can stay here until you do.” that was the whole reason I told her about our true intentions.
Yes. I have a reason for being here. I’ll settle my score with the winged freezer if it’s the last thing I do. I decided to stay with her until I accomplish that goal.
I never thought that she would get so excited that she would follow me to the barrier to see how I’ll pass through it. 
She’s much older than me but she acts like a child sometimes. 
And that’s why we are here. All four of us came to the barrier in the direction where we passed through from yesterday. 
Because there were four of us; we couldn’t all get on top of Duddul. Red dragons don’t allow anyone to get on them except when the master is on as well so we walked our way here without getting on Duddul. Otherwise I would have been the only one who rode him. I couldn’t do that when the girls decided to go on foot.
Meila has calmed down a bit and was slowly returning to her original self.
“I cant believe you left me in that forest all by myself! Were you trying to kill me!?” she yelled at me non-stop thinking I abandoned her.
“You guys really did enter the forest huh? Just how strong are you?” Taht teasingly asked.
“I’m not strong at all! This boy here forced me to enter the forest when I didn’t want to!” 
She tried pushing all the blame to me that I had to fight back “What the hell!? didn’t you follow me because you wanted to see if I really am strong!?”
We quarreled all the way to the barrier. Taht had a smile on her face the whole time “Hehe you guys are really close………. But you know what Meila? I think he didn’t abandon you in there. You know what they say about the dungeon? That you get separated from people who have already cleared a floor? I think that’s what happened to you guys.”“She’s right! That’s what I thought too!” I desperately tried to make her understand my position.
‘Hmph! I already know that. I’m just pissed off that you allowed me to go in there knowing how dangerous it was.”
“Huh….!?” this girl……… didn’t she force me to take her with me?
I had to put up with her nonsense the whole way. 
Arriving at the barrier, they spread the mat they brought along with some food they bought from the town on our way here. The atmosphere became similar to that of a picnic.
Coming to the barrier with me didn’t imply that they were going inside it together with me. Not in the slightest. Meila only tagged along because all the others did so. In fact, her body froze when we were about a hundred meters to the barrier. 
The others had no choice but to choose that spot as their picnic location.
While they sat down and started drinking tea; I got on Duddul and headed towards the barrier. Taht and Burte’s eyes were focused on me the whole time.
It seems they’ve never seen anyone pass through the barrier before. To the rest of the people here; the barrier is like an impregnable wall that can only be used by people with a specific strong magic. Most of those people are nobles who inherit that kind of magic.
I didn’t even bother to wave at them when I penetrated the barrier with speed. I’m not as enthusiastic as they are about this whole thing.
I might get my ass handed out to me by that monster.
The leaves and grasses outside of the barrier rustled ever so gently. My aim was decided from the start. I would be taken to the winged freezer area.
It’s always hard to defeat a monster the first time. But after defeating them and absorbing their abilities, I can defeat a hundred of them in a single day.
“GUUUUUUUUUU!!!!” 
The bull like creature with big wings roared when I set foot in his area.
Yes. Roar as much as you want. I’ll make sure to take those wings for myself.
His long drill neck bone pointed at me. He readied his hoofs and in a split second and caught a glimpse of him centimeters away from me.
My barrier didn’t react in time when he delivered a blow to my chest with his bone. “KAAM!” the force pushed me off duddul. 
Aargh!
The pain…….. even though the barrier reacted just in time; the pain always gets connected to my body.
“Rnn!!!” before I touched ground, I saw the moment when the monster bent his neck(Bone) and slapped Duddul away full force with it.
Duddul dropped down hundred meters away rolling on the ground.
It all happened within that short instance after he closed the distance between us when he disappeared from my sight and the next thing I saw was a shadow above my head.
The pain from earlier was still circulating my body when I felt his hoofs placed together on my chest.
“Oh no…….”
“BAAAM!” 
It was meant to be a stomp. He stomped on me so hard I was sent deep into the ground.
It felt as though all my ribs had been shattered. I laid in the ground motionless and my brain frozen from the pain. 
“UWAAH!!” 
I sat up with all my strength after regaining consciousness. 
“Cough! cough!” I coughed out blood from my mouth like a pump.
This is bad. Unlike my opponents so far, my barrier doesn’t insulate the pain as much. I have to find a way to…………?
Thinking up strategies; the sky became so bright only light could be seen.
A sound followed less than a second later later “GUUUUUUUU!!” and a wave of white energy came towards me from the sky.
His attack this time was made of magic. My barrier turned black amid all that whiteness. It was ready to shield me from his attack if only I wasn’t weaker than the barrier.
The barrier took no damage at all. But half of the attacks real strength was passed from the barrier into my body.
It was a terrifying pain. My mind was white and my very core screamed of pain.
I’m going to die………..
After the attack subsided, I was left in a crater ten meters deep. All I could see was white for several seconds after that.
When my mind returned to me. I found the sky to be really beautiful lying in that crater. I almost wished I could reach it.
It was unnaturally blue and clear. The monster was not above me as well.
“Rnn!!” from inside the crater, I could hear a faint sound like that which Duddul makes. The sound changed direction haphazardly and he sounded like he’s in pain.
Thinking about how Duddul might be getting hurt, my strength exploded in an outburst and I jumped out of the crater in one single movement.
I always get stronger after taking a beating.
All this time, the monster didn’t even give me enough chance to unsheathe my sword.
I unsheathed it and looked for the direction Duddul was fighting. I knew that it was to my right, but the exact location was a mess to me.
I held the ground with my feet. My jumping ability is weaker than what the monster displayed earlier but I can make this happen.
Duddul went around in circles confusing the monster while I was down there. It’s all thanks to him that I managed to recover from that attack.
The monster hovered in the air just a meter above Duddul’s height. I waited for the moment when Duddul made a quick turn to confuse him when I jumped over 30 meters and closed the distance in a flash.
“HIYAAH!” with my sword ready for a strike, I pushed it deep into his right back leg thanks to the momentum from my jump.
“GUUUUUU!!!!” He cried before flapping his wings and going higher into the sky.
The attack landed perfectly and precisely because of all the abilities I have acquired from fighting the prince.
I am almost confident I’ll be able to finish him off if he stays on the ground.
He gained height and hovered in the air when the surroundings became so bright. The light was coming from the tip of his drill horn.
It was that light wave from before.
I had no where to run to. All I could do was take it head on and hope that it wouldn’t kill me.
Just like a real magician would. I raised my hands up and pointed my palms up at him. I’ve never tried it before but if I have the ability to use barriers; then it should come out and protect me.
But I was wrong. My barrier cannot be used like that.
The barrier turned pitch black and less than a second later; the pain shattered my being to pieces.
I dropped flat face on the ground with smoke coming out from my body.
I was toast.
Duddul was out of the attacks range. He hurriedly rushed towards me and grabbed my shirt with his teeth. He pulled me away with him out of the freezer’s area before he could throw another attack.
“Wha-what happened!?” seeing my dragged body, they all raced towards the barrier to get me.
“We should hurry back to the town!” “My magic cant heal him!” not knowing what to do, they circled around my body when Duddul placed my body on the ground.
“No……… it’s okay……….” I managed to squeeze out a few words to get them to calm down.
My whole body was aching with pain. I felt paralyzed.
What would have happened to me without the barrier?
“No you are not okay! Let’s hurry back to town!” Taht was more shocked than Meila was. She desperately tried to get me to go to the town.
“Duddul…….” I had no choice but to ask Duddul to defend me from them. They would have carried me back  if I hadn’t told him to stop them.
He stood between me and them with a fierce look in his eyes. That made them back down.
There had to be a reason why a dragon as loyal as Duddul wouldn’t allow people to help his master. We’ve already been through this a lot together. He knows of my ability to heal myself.
“But you are his dragon….. shouldn’t you help him…….” Taht was still not convinced even after that.
Burte held her hands and told her “Don’t worry. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.” 
To think a ten your old child would understand the situation more than the adult……….
Milta on the other hand sat down close to Duddul and watched over me as I laid there with my eyes closed.
“Will he really be okay!?” Taht kept on asking.
“He will…….. even though I’ve never seen him fight before, I know that he’s at least able to survive through this. He did manage to earn over a thousand gold coins fighting monsters after all.” she had this calm tone to her.
But the opposite was the other two’s reaction “Thousand gold coins!!” both Burte and Taht were super shocked to hear that.“Yep. And he did all that in just a few weeks.” Meila was making me look good all of a sudden. Is it because she’s also scared that I wouldn’t be able to heal myself that she’s trying to make herself believe I can? I kept my eyes closed and listened to their conversations.
In a short while; they all forgot about my injuries and argued with each other. Taht didn’t believe what Meila said about me defeating monsters that many. 
“I’m telling you the truth! He even gave me fifty gold coins!”
“Fifty gold coins!? he just gave all that money to you!?” her voice showed even more surprise.
“That’s why I’m trying to tell you. And what about you? didn’t you think it was strange of him to offer you ten gold coins for the house’s repairs when it only costs one gold coin?”
That finally made her think about it. She kept silent for a second there “……….. Oh….. that’s right. I did wonder why he was able to give us that much money. I didn’t think he had too much of it.”
“So now you see…….. here let me show you……” from her tone, I imagined that Meila was thinking of taking out the Dauka from my pocket just to show Taht.
Just because I let her take out money for me once in a while doesn’t mean she should play with my money.
Duddul didn’t chase her away because she wasn’t trying to get me back to town anymore.
This guys have totally forgotten the real issue here. How can they talk about money when I’m in this state?
“Like hell you will!” I waited for Leila to squat down close to me hoping to remove the Dauka when I yelled at her.
I stood up straight and glared down on her.
“How can you think about money when I’m in that state? don’t you have a heart?”
She felt pressured and guilty by my words “No…….. I was just………..”
“If you want money that much, why don’t you enter the forest and get them yourself?” after saying that, I dragged her hand with me and headed towards the forest.
“Please don’t!” Taht rushed to where we were and tried pulling Meila away from me.
She pulled her legs and I pulled her hands. Burte joined his sister’s side and they pulled together.
I felt weak and couldn’t use my strength to pull Meila away even if I wanted to. I never planned on doing so to begin with.
“Please don’t take me there I’m begging you!! I never want to experience that hell again!!” 
In my hands, Meila was already full of tears. I regretted my actions and let go of her hands. 
This is not the time to play with her about the forest. She must be scared to death about it.
It was after I let go of her hands that Taht remembered to ask the question that was bugging her.
“How come you are able to move now? No one healed you.” 
“That’s why I told you to let me be. It hurt a lot, but I always heal myself after a while. In fact, I’m going back to the forest right now. I still haven’t settled my score with him yet.”
As I turned around to face the barrier; the crying Meila jumped and hugged the back of my knee “I wont let you go back now!” her chest bounced on my legs.
“Y-yeah! I cant allow you to go back there as well!” 
Including Burte, the girls all held tight onto me. Their advances were very forward and I gave in before they made me excited in a different way.
“I may not have been able to defeat him this time, but I definitely will defeat him!” all I have to do is strike first.
And so the next morning, I snuck out of the house at dawn and met up with Duddul. My destination was obvious