From MC’s perspective:
I recorded the names “Peter Brown” and “Sean Horton” in my memory. I believe interacting with these two individuals would bring no benefit.
I noticed disdain in Peter Brown’s eyes, then after glancing at Sean Horton, I walked towards the front desk.
Peter Brown felt familiar magic from Sean, who he recognized as a sword wizard. This made him relax his brow.
The Royal Force Academy and the Weapon Palace have non-hostile relations, so Peter approached Sean to greet him.
Sean was initially surprised to see wizards from two different academies at the same location, but he soon realized the Treasure Pavilion was behind it.
A gloomy glint appeared in Sean’s eyes, which Peter quickly noticed.
“Ahem, I understand your thoughts, but the Treasure Pavilion is a crucial partner for all three major academies in our city, so they can’t afford to neglect any of us,” said Peter with a laugh.
Sean frowned but chose not to respond. He then looked to see the wizard from the Yellow River Academy, but couldn’t find him. So he ignored Peter and walked past him to the front desk.
Pete’s eyes lit up with surprise. The Weapon Palace wizard appeared unusual. He then shook his head and followed behind.
I had already arrived at the front desk, where I saw many guards standing around. Most of them were level-3 wizards.
I nodded in approval, pleased to see that they would provide security rather than serve as cannon fodder.
As I scanned the area, I spotted three older men dressed formally. My gaze was drawn to the rings and jewelry around their necks, which I recognized as magical artifacts.
These people were wealthy, and their serious expressions told me they were likely high-ranking members of the Treasure Pavilion. By the time Sean and Peter Brown arrived, we had already attracted attention.
The staff approached the older men and spoke to them in hushed tones. Before I could speak, Pete and Sean stepped forward to meet with them.
I raised my eyebrows slightly, wondering why they were in such a hurry. “Why so eager?” I muttered under my breath.
The Three elders were the leaders of the Treasure Pavilion. After hearing the report from their staff, they looked at each other and then at Pete Brown.
Usually, the person giving the mission would provide more information before it begins, but the situation at the Treasure Pavilion is more serious than they anticipated.
They are uncertain if a level-4 wizard’s combat ability is sufficient. Their strange expressions made it clear to me that something was wrong.
At the same time, Pete asked for more information. One of the elders, with a long white beard, spoke in a serious tone.
“According to the latest intelligence, the rogue wizards have entered the city and are headed towards our Pavilion.”
Pete was surprised, “Too fast.” He couldn’t help but look at the elder. He thought this information should have reached them sooner.
Feeling Pete’s gaze, the elder felt displeased but didn’t show it. He responded, “Young wizard Pete, we were also taken aback by the news, so don’t misinterpret our expressions.”
Sean Horton interrupted the conversation and asked, “How many are coming towards the Pavilion?”
The old man with a long beard sighed and answered, “Young wizard Sean, unfortunately, we don’t know the details. Our only task is to protect the Pavilion.”
He added, “We expect three of you to guard the underground chamber and leave the rest to our guards.” The two other old men echoed the same opinion.
Hearing their conversation, I felt something was off, thinking it was too easy for rogue wizards to enter the Capital City undetected. I believe there was a hidden agenda.
I think it’s better to avoid any mishaps and leave immediately after the mission is completed. I didn’t want to get involved in the affairs of the Treasure Pavilion.
The old man with a long beard instructed the staff to guide the young wizards to the underground facility.
I then followed along, deep in thought, but realized I would not get any answers from the Treasure Pavilion’s higher-ups.
I have to patiently wait and guard the chamber.
The gazes of Pete and Sean were unfriendly and they kept their distance from me.
I smiled indifferently. Then we descended to the underground facility which was filled with rooms and metal doors. Sean Horton said, “Treasure Rooms,” with a hint of greed in his eyes. ｂ𝚍ｏｖ𝚕．𝚝
I was surprised by Sean’s sudden words and after scanning the rooms, I realized that only one room was unlocked.
I think it was for the goods that would arrive shortly.
Pete Brown said, “For this one big room, two people are enough to protect it,” with a snort.
The staff remained silent out of fear, but I knew that Pete was indirectly targeting them. Ignoring Pete’s words, the speaker walked into the big, empty room.
The walls were heavily built to protect the treasure. As long as they deterred outside forces, the goods would be safer.
The staff quickly left the underground facility due to the tension he saw between the academy wizards. Meanwhile, Pete Brown noticed the staff’s departure and turned to the wizard from the Yellow River Academy.
“Hey, what’s your name again?” he asked.
Sean Horton also turned towards me.
“Hi, I’m Vincent Carey,” I replied with a smile, though they didn’t know much about me. I decided to keep my knowledge of the Sub-Taboo Power to myself.
Pete grew impatient and decided to complete the mission alone for the potential benefits. He expressed his greed through his eyes.
“Vincent, you’re only a level-3 wizard, so it’s best for you to guard the entrance,” said Pete with a smile. He then turned to Sean, “We, as level-4 wizards, can easily handle the rogue wizards. So, let’s not be hindered.”
“I agree,” Sean added coldly, showing his disdain for lower-ranked wizards.
Their words only fueled my inner anger and my eyes shone with determination.
“I know this is not the time for a fight. The mission’s details are unclear, so it’s best to proceed with caution for now. I responded with a smile and both parties relaxed.
I stood at the entrance, where I saw Pete and Sean discussing something. It was obvious they wanted more credit for the mission, but since I’m only level-3, I’m not eligible to join them.
Shaking my head, I continued to wait. Pete and Sean decided to wait by the underground chamber’s entrance, as they believed this was a safer location to ambush the rogue wizards.
The treasure pavilion’s guards were standing in formation, waiting for the goods to arrive. The old man let out a sigh, muttering, “We were wrong. They’re not after the goods, but our pavilion.”
He continued, “If they were after the goods, they would have taken them during the journey. But now the goods are close to their destination, and there’s still no sign of the rogue wizards.
The wizard groups from the Yellow River Academy were frustrated. They had been monitoring the Treasure Pavilion building all day with no sign of Vincent Carey leaving.
Clifton Cox sighed, happy that the plans of the other two Halls had also failed.
He had no choice but to change his plan and confront Vincent on his way back to the academy, as causing a commotion at the Treasure Pavilion was not an option.
After a moment of contemplation, Clifton decided to wait for Vincent’s mission to end.
Eugene Beard and Roberto Noel were also not in good spirits. They had expected to easily test Vincent Carey’s limits, but he had not left the Treasure Pavilion.
Unlike Clifton, they were not determined and had other commitments at the academy, so they gave up monitoring Vincent and left with their followers.
Rogue wizards quickly surrounded the Treasure Pavilion, attracting the attention of the higher-ups. However, they couldn’t intervene as the goods were yet to arrive. They waited patiently.
An hour later, several flying beast carriages flew into view and caught the attention of wizards in the city. Upon seeing the symbol on the carriages, they realized they belonged to the Treasure Pavilion.
The flying beasts reached the pavilion in the blink of an eye and slowly landed in front of the building, followed by other carriages stopping one after another.
The atmosphere turned solemn as the long-bearded old man and two others appeared outside when the final flying beast carriage came to a halt. The old man instructed the guards to move.
The Treasure Pavilion guards collected the goods while the rogue wizards watched in the shadows, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. A hoarse voice then gave them instructions to let the guards transfer the goods and attack when there was a signal.
The rogue wizards acted as puppets, breaking out in a cold sweat as they followed the orders given. Meanwhile, the Pavilion guards began to transfer the goods and other staff were moved to a safe room.
The confrontation was imminent and was expected to be extremely severe.