The office of Mathias inside the Mayor's Mansion was spacious enough to host a small party.

But despite its size, only simple furniture decorated the area—a desk stacked with documents and books, a bookshelf, a table and chair, another bookshelf, and a round table in the middle of the room with twelve seats.

Inside, a grave atmosphere filled the place.

Each person seated wore a serious expression.

"We're dealing with another Devil," Mathias sighed heavily, massaging his forehead. "This is bad."

"More than bad," Axton said, closing his eyes to take a deep breath. "One Devil after another. What is wrong with this city?"

"Nothing," Elmo chuckled bitterly. "We just have bad luck."

"Bad luck is something," Nathan said. "Why don't we go find that Devil and kill that son of a b*tch? We've got plenty of manpower, and we can request backup from the Middle Continent. They'll want in—these are Devils we're talking about."

"This cockroach is right. We should kill that Devil before it makes a move," Master Popo nodded excitedly, the temperature in the room rising along with his mood.

"Cockroach? What do you mean cockroach, you firefly?!" Nathan glared at the Fire Shrine Headmaster.

"Firefly?! How dare you insult me?!" Master Popo shouted back, flames erupting around him as he stood up, ready to fight.

"Enough, you two," Mathias slammed his hand on the table, his gravity Qi forcing the two hotheads back into their seats. Shaking his head, he turned to the Beggar, who was happily eating his meal. "What should we do, Yoma?"

Because of his small frame, only Apollo's head and small arms were visible above the table.

He had been craving food after everything that had happened. Though he wasn't hungry, he still wanted to satisfy his palate.

With his mouth full of Winged Cow meat, the Beggar looked up at the Mayor. "Play it safe. We don't know much about our opponent. If worse comes to worst, everyone should run. Better to be alive than a slave to a Devil."

"Run?" Mathias gave a bitter smile. "That's not happening. But we're not clueless. We know their plan. They might change it, but one thing is certain—this city is their target."

Maybe I'm the reason, Apollo thought as he devoured his meal. Monster meat was always delicious, even if the cooking wasn't exceptional.

"So it's really just a wait-and-see scenario, huh?" Master Popo asked.

"No," Mathias nodded. "Just like Yoma said, they want to infiltrate this city and influence it from the inside. They might have already started—we just don't know it yet."

"We look out for spies," Elmo commented.

"Elmo's right," Mathias said with a nod toward the Headmaster. "Our enemy won't stop. One way or another, they'll get in. So we need to stay alert."

Axton, who had been silent until now, stared at Apollo. "Yoma, do you think this is the first time they've done this?"

Apollo took a big gulp of milk before answering. "Nope. It'd be weird if this were their first time. I suspect that Devil's influence is already working in another city, hiding in the shadows like Klown did. Maybe it's just another puppet. Maybe it's the Devil itself. Who knows? Though I doubt the Devil would move on its own."

"Not yet," Axton said, the mystery of another Devil hanging thick in the air. "And probably not. Records show they never move directly—always from the shadows."

Silence lingered.

The Headmasters, Nathan, and the Mayor all drifted into their own thoughts—until the silence was broken by a burp.

All eyes landed on Apollo, who didn't seem to care that a hidden threat loomed over them.

But unbeknownst to them, he was the most worried about this matter—engulfed in silent fear, in fact. However, there was nothing he could do besides figure everything out, find some clues.

That's why he wanted to talk with these people.

"From where I found him, what's the nearest city?" Apollo asked, his gaze sweeping around the room before landing on the Mayor.

At his question, realization dawned on them.

Eyes flickering, Mathias answered, "The Manida Land… You think this fake Devil came from that place?"

"A possibility," Apollo nodded. "And we're not even sure if we're dealing with another Devil, or the same one Klown is worshipping."

"It's better to be the same one," Master Popo said.

"It's better than two," Nathan added.

"It's better if there's nothing," Apollo muttered—but it didn't earn any laughter from them. "But that's also a higher possibility. Two Devils in one region? The Main Continent isn't going to stay idle."

The threat of Devils was immense. From all the scriptures and books he had read, Devils were always listed as the top priority for eradication. Even one sighting should've made the Main Continent move with haste. But it had been a few days since the Investigation Team left the city.

What's causing the delay? Apollo wondered, doubt creeping into his heart.

"You're going to the Manida Land, right?" Axton broke into the Beggar's thoughts. "Are you going to investigate?"

"Naturally," Apollo nodded with a small smile.

Hearing this, they heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Yoma," Mathias stood up, cupping his fist with a deep bow. "You're just a Wanderer following his own path, yet you decided to stay in this city. We are blessed by your presence. I am grateful beyond words."

"What's with the sudden formality? You know I hate that kind of thing," Apollo waved his hand. "Sit down."

Although he was just a Beggar, to those around him, he was an expert far above them.

They may speak as if they were equals, but deep inside, they regarded Apollo as someone higher—a Senior. Still, they knew the Beggar despised formality, so they refrained from expressing it outwardly.

Yet their hearts held deep reverence, especially knowing that Mr. Yoma was kind-hearted, a true follower of the righteous path.

"When are you going to leave?" Nathan asked.

"I was planning to leave tomorrow, but I guess I'll go in just a few hours," Apollo replied. Then, as his eyes glanced around the room, he let out a heavy sigh. "But the journey might take a long time, and I don't know when we'll see each other again. As for that Devil? His attention is probably on me now. This city will be safe as long as I'm far away."

The heavy atmosphere in the room grew even heavier at the Beggar's words.

"I see," Mathias said after a few seconds of silence. "My daughter will also be heading there. Please take care of her."

"If she decides to stay close to me, then I will," Apollo nodded. He didn't mind if Bel wanted to tag along, as long as she didn't try anything funny. Having a beauty around wasn't bad at all—though, from the perspective of a child, it didn't look very good.

Besides, considering all the tragedies and enemies they had faced—and the fact that the Headmasters, Nathan, and the Mayor hadn't antagonized him—Apollo already considered them friends. This small favor wouldn't hurt.

Thinking about it, Apollo couldn't help but feel fortunate to have people like them supporting him. Though some still had mysteries surrounding them, he didn't care—as long as they stayed on his good side.

"What about your Disciples? Are you just going to leave them?" Axton asked, eyes gleaming as if struck by an idea. "Why not hand them over to me?"

Apollo chuckled, catching on to what the Great Serpent Headmaster was thinking. "I've decided to create my own sect—unofficial and small."

"That's going to be a long process," Mathias said, surprised.

The others were also shocked by the Beggar's words.

"I'm fully aware of the process and the consequences," Apollo said as he stood up, smiling at the people around him. "I better get going. I still have a lot to do."

"We won't take up any more of your time," Mathias exhaled, then smiled in quiet acceptance.

"Thank you."

With that said, Apollo hopped off his seat and strode toward the giant door, which automatically opened upon sensing his presence.

The Headmasters, Nathan Kleinford, and Mayor Mathias watched Mr. Yoma's small frame disappear, the door closing behind him with a bang.