The Crimson Magister Chapter 14: V1-C14: The First Disciple of Mind

Read chapter 14 of The Crimson Magister by Okram on NovelPedia.

Azure learned not to question Aqua's techniques. After all, they were in enemy territory, and she would need to trust her abilities. But the power she sensed from the previously normal sword was insane; the seemingly ordinary steel blade was turned into a container of immense power that could be considered a national treasure. Enchants of this magnitude were unheard of, and yet her companion surprised her once again by calling them basic. And yet she did not care, no matter what kind of monster her new friend was; all that mattered was that she was lending her power to rescue Sheira. She looked over the blade with a satisfied look before wrapping it in a piece of cloth and loosely tying the great sword to her back. Once both Azure and Laura got their weapons, they were once again lost. They were equipped for a potential fight, and yet they had no idea where to continue looking. Most humans who passed them paid no heed to their presence and simply went about their business, though some still gave them weird looks as the trio frankly looked like lost sheep. "You ladies are members of Golden Rose, are you not?" A raspy male voice came from behind them, getting an immediate reaction from the trio. Laura was the first to answer; after all, she recognized this voice. It was the voice of the observer who was in their encampment. Finally, someone recognized them, Laura thought. If anyone knew why they couldn't find Golden Fang, or why most people seemed unaware that Golden Rose had passed through the city, it would be him. "Oh, it's you! Yes, I'm Golden Petal Laura. These women are Golden Petals, Azure, and Aqua," Laura said while giving a slight bow. The man looked over them with obvious suspicion in his eyes before answering, his gaze piercing through two disguised elves. "I haven't seen these two women at the encampment, but no matter. Follow me." As the old man started walking away, Laura tried to ask him, "Why does nobody know that Golden Rose passed through the city?" He cackled before answering, "No. Follow me now and stop asking unnecessary questions." The trio looked at each other before following the old man shortly after. The man led the trio through Eastern Street, his stride slow and unsteady. "Golden Fang is awaiting you, Laura," the man said as his cane hit the ground, providing support for him to stand. Why is he pretending to be weak? That was all Aqua could say about this man; while his charade could fool lesser eyes, it couldn't fool Aqua's. The sheer power he emanated dwarfed even the statue in the city center. He had cleverly hidden his power, forcing even her to put some effort into seeing past his concealment. The man did not use any illusions, and yet his concealment was about as effective as a master illusionist. Whoever he was, it was almost certain he would lead them to neither Sheira nor Golden Fang. It is a bad idea to follow a strange old man, but I'm quite interested in what he is hiding, Aqua mused as they quietly walked behind the man. She fully expected a trap, and yet neither Laura nor Azure expected a thing. Well, that is expected; he concealed himself extremely well. His apparent mastery of illusion-like magic was worrying, after all, the illusion wasn't something she had much knowledge of. While sufficient destructive power would be enough to remove the illusion, she knew she couldn't destroy the city, especially with Azure and Sheira being in this city, and to some extent, Laura. She had expected Laura, who was experienced in deception, to at least get a hunch that something was wrong. She couldn't say the same for Azure, who proved that she was still too naive and trusting. Perhaps this was a good test of the man's perception as she channeled power into two spells. Both Laura's and Azure's forms shimmered for a mere moment as [Heart of the Phoenix] settled in them, marking them with a scar in the shape of wings in the same manner as Sheira was. Aqua carefully observed the man, and yet it seemed