Chapter 3: Tense Situation

She willingly followed behind them. Two remained at her back, while the main one walked in front of her.

“So, how about I get some answers regarding the situation?”

“Yes. You had just flown in from the west correct?”

She kept walking and remained silent.

“Our sensory units picked up on a frightening energy from that direction. According to those who sensed it, it wasn’t human.”

He could see the trio on guard, readily prepared to kill her should she make any sudden movements.

“Now we’re not sure it is you, however, given that you exhibited proficiency in magic, it is necessary for us to question you. Perhaps if you’d seen anything.”

“I possess no capability of sensing magic, so please do excuse me if I haven’t noted anything out of the usual. What should I be on the lookout for if you don’t mind my asking?”

The man at the front hesitated for a second, then responded “Demons.”

She could tell by the way he looked at her, he was trying to gauge her reaction for any telling facial expressions, so she kept it to herself.

“Ah. I see...I can’t say I’ve made contact with any demons as of recently.”

The group continued silently. She felt as if the more she spoke, the more suspicion she was arousing.

The man at the front simply looked straight ahead. He felt something entirely off about this woman. In fact, it was gruelling showing his back to her. But as the leader of his unit, he must assume the position of leadership. Surely if Gasha and Ralva pick up on any suspicious movements, they would react right away.

Yet, the uneasiness about this woman kept his back tense. “She speaks a little too . . . old for her age.” In fact, she spoke in a much older style than most of the people he had known. The accent, and the pedantics. . . this lady is for sure a danger.

After 20 minutes which seemed like an hour, they finally reached their location. She stood in front of a giant spiral tower. This was perhaps the tallest building in the area. It must’ve towered over 400 meters tall. Why one would create an establishment like this, she could not understand.

The three men shuffled behind her and ushered her in and various stone-faced men and women remained on guard. They ignored the group when they entered and remained completely still. One could assume they were statues were it not for their lungs working.

They finally reached one door, where a voice spoke before they were granted entry.

“Name and Department Code?”

“Gasha, Ralva, and Pakl, department of external defense, unit 019”

“What seems to be the situation?”

“We believe we may have intel regarding the dangerous aura that occured just moments ago.”

“Very well, what room do you need?”

“Maximum Security. I want all units available.”

His tone changed and all the motionless task force members turned to face them.

There was a slight pause from the voice speaking before they nodded and replied. “Understood.”

The air grew tense, but it was no big issue for her. Should the need arise, she could easily handle herself in most likely any scenario.

She continued through the portal room that opened behind the door. They found themselves in a completely empty void. Only 2 chairs and a table stood floating in the middle of the room.

In this type of space, one could easily lose track of what is up, and what is down, left, or right. Due to there being no sense of time or direction, it was fairly easy that one might lose their mind within a space like this.

Within the perimeters of the space, there were a total of 8 people. From their long robes and light based outfits, it’s easy for one to surmise that they were mages. Most-likely of the elite variety. They all had the marks of age and experience showing on their faces.

One more person came in. He was taller than ever, towering at almost 6’8. Despite his height, he was rather skinny and frail looking. Just going off appearance alone, the man seemed to be around his 50’s. His eyes were stern and wary looking.

“Greetings, Miss...um”

“Lusha.”

“Ah, I see, greetings Miss Lusha.” He sat down across from her. The other two task force members routed themselves to either side of him, while the third remained behind Lusha.

“May I ask the reason I’m here today? This is almost as if a meeting between a hostile envoy and a king.”

“We just merely want to ask you a couple of questions, yes? Then you’ll be on your merry little way now, young girl.”

Lusha’s eyes grew cold, and for the first time she held vehemence behind them. The very intent in the room dropped the temperatures by at least 20 degrees. This insolent old man….to even dare call someone such as her a young girl… to look upon a being older than himself and speak so condescending…

“Do not disrespect me, child. I’m older than I look.”

He ignored the threat. “My name is Villes Valkyrie.

With tensions rising more and more by the second, she had no doubt she could pluck the man’s head off before he even realized it.

But alas, she restrained herself and her temptation.

“I’m to understand you came here from the direction of the tremors we had sensed earlier, no? Our sensory division could pick up on a multitude of things including foreign energy, and highly volatile energy typical of demonic entities.”

“I have zero sensory capabilities, so do excuse my ignorance of the matter. I had just woken from a long nap and quite frankly, I do not appreciate being treated like a fugitive.”

“Very well. What city are you from?”

“A nearby village over in Roving.”

Luckily from the notes that Merlin had left, she memorized a majority of the villages and their locations.

“Hm...Roving.”

“You know, they no longer call it Roving, correct?”

“--...I grew up there for quite some time, so old habits die fairly hard.”

“I don’t believe you’d be one to have old habits at your age..”

“Sigh . . . do you really need me to reveal my real age to you? Has your own mother not told you to never ask a woman’s age?”

There was a slight moment of confusion before she finally responded. “I’m 54.”

Why that number? Just to be on the safe side. If Merlin had written those statements around 30 years back, it would surely be a sufficient age to go by.

They seemed even more suspicious then. Of course, she had expected this. “Of course, I can tell you all are fairly wary of my appearance, so I suppose I can show you all just this once.”

[Age Mimicry]. Slowly, blemishes began to appear on her face. Various wrinkles, crows feet, and laugh lines appeared on her face. Everyone in the room was completely shocked.

Of course, this was not her true form, just rather an illusion mimicking the effects of time on her face. It was not heard of for many magicians to utilize illusion magic. -And there were many ways to see through them.

This however, was something entirely different. It was mimicry. Her body took on the exact same effects of the image she had desired to portray. She could feel some restrictions set upon her movement, but it had not mattered much to her.

If she were to utilize too low of an ability, she’ll surely be seen through. The 8 mages in the perimeter would have easily seen through her disguise.

Even her voice had changed drastically.

The old man was stunned. “Y-you… can utilize flying arts, as well as illusionary arts to such a degree..- I had no idea Remonscape had anyone of such talent.”

“In that case, allow me to apologize for my earlier disposition. My eyes are not easily fooled. To have honed your craft to this extent is quite admirable.”

“Aye. Most of my family had died as of recent, so I’m now free to have sought my recent endeavors.”

“I’m sorry to hear. What might those endeavors be?”

“I’ve come to join the Adventurer’s Guild. By the looks of things you guys might have quite the need for my help.”

“Mmh . . . “ He nodded. “I’m certain you possess more capabilities than you are letting be known, so of course, your help would be much appreciated.”

“Before we leave, may I see your certificate of birth?”

This might pose a problem. The nation she was born into a millenia ago no longer exists. Even if she were to use the same certificate from 200 years back. She promptly undid her spell and fixed back her appearance.

“Sigh. . . I’m already losing patience. I think it’s best if we end this here then, shall we?” The now young lady got up and observed her surroundings.

Spells became charged and flared up instantly by everyone in the room, and the old man Valkyrie also stood up.

From all around, the 8 mages, as well as the mage before him prepared with a variety of elemental attacks. The leader held both a torrent of ice and fire in his hands, while the ones lining the perimeter prepared a range of Inscription, Target, Manipulation, And Elemental Magics.

The room stood completely tense for a second, but the look between Valkyrie and Lusha had never changed. Almost as if oblivious to all of the surroundings.

Undoubtedly, in the middle the two of them stood, exuding the most tremendous of pressures.