CHAPTER 106: REVELATION

"Here’s good!" The plump man noticed a prime alleyway as he was about to cross another intersection. This one was wider and even had a few people walking through in the distance.

He slowed his run abruptly to a leisurely walk as his body rapidly morphed into a different shape within a few seconds. Now he was a vibrant-eyed young man with blonde hair and blue eyes, looking like a rich playboy who had lost his way and was in a haste to get back to his soon to be leaving ship.

He timed his steps carefully and stumbled back into the alley based on the time he thought his pursuers would reach his position, hoping to bump into them.

"Oh sorr—" he paused abruptly.

The alley all the way down was empty.

"What?" His eyes narrowed and he became extremely alert.

"Hmm? You’re actually good, you know." A voice suddenly spoke from behind him.

He instantly dashed a few steps away, readying a few spell scrolls to activate at the slightest sign of movement from the new person.

"Calm down..." the voice chuckled from where he stood, leaning with his shoulder on the wooden shed closest to him. He had a leisurely air about him, like he wasn’t at all bothered by the fact that he had a spell model pointed right at him just waiting for the slightest trace of mana to be cycled through it to be unleashed.

"Ohh. A high grade spell model!" The figure snapped his fingers and pointed in amusement.

"Your speech is broken." The blonde haired young man noted. "You’re not from around here... A foreigner."

"I guess you could say that."

"State your purpose." The young man snapped.

"Relax." The hidden figure raised both hands up. "I come in peace. If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead already. To show my sincerity, I even took care of those guys for you."

"What do you want!" The young man barked, holding the mana scroll in a more threatening manner like he was ready to activate the spell model at any second.

"Sheesh... too hasty." The figure spoke. "Alright. Let me introduce myself. You can call me..." he paused for dramatic effect, "No.29."

The young man’s eyes narrowed at his words, deliberating whether this was actually someone like him. He didn’t show any of it on his face though, simply looking at No.29 like he was very confused. "No.29? Am I supposed to know what that means?"

The figure simply chuckled, not bothering to humor the young man. "I’m also a spy like you. Although I’m not from any organization you know—"

"Spy? What spy?! What organization?!"

"—I started tailing you a few days ago after I noticed those amateurs. Oh! By the way, that disguise artifact you’ve got is very handy." No.29 nodded.

"I don’t know who you think I am, but I think you’ve got the wrong guy...!"

"—even I have trouble telling it’s a disguise," he mused. "With you guys’ preset way of casting magic with spell models too... it must be a really modular spell with a shit ton of parameters for it to be this good..." No.29 whistled in approval.

"..."

At this point, the young man had stopped any effort at putting up a farce or trying to deny any longer.

"...What? Ready to finally listen?" No.29 chuckled.

"Who are you?" The young man asked more solemnly this time, straightening up but still cautiously watching No.29. If it were someone else, he would’ve attacked before they even started talking... but this man—No.29, made every of his danger senses tingle in alarm. The man was extremely dangerous, so if he could avoid a fight with him, he would.

"I need you to answer a few questions I have." Every trace of playfulness left No.29’s voice.

The young man scoffed, ready to refuse despite how strong No.29 seemed to be. It was one thing to listen to what he had to say, and it was another to give information away. That was something he was blood-bound never to do. It was a core tenet of being a Shadow.

But as he opened his mouth to refuse, the words that came out surprised him. "What would you like to know...?"

Even No.29 paused in surprise, taken aback, "Are you truly a spy?" He frowned, reassessing the young man. His lips were too loose for someone trained to never reveal secrets.

The young man was bewildered at first, before a chilling realization slowly dawned on him. This feeling of wanting to say one thing, but his body keeps refusing to comply— He had never personally felt this in his life, but he had heard descriptions of this exact feeling from other experienced shadows...

This only happened when speaking directly to a full-blooded Exalted. He realized in terror.

Who was this man?! An Exalted? Here? No. This man was a foreigner. His grasp of the local language was mediocre at best— But wait! Wasn’t it common knowledge that the Exalted had their own special language, brought by the Heavenly Ancestors, which only they speak among themselves?!

And also... what he muttered to himself earlier... that bit about you guys’ spell models...!

The young man immediately fell on his knees. "This Shadow pays obeisance to you Oh Exalted One!" He bowed with his head pressed to the ground.

No.29 watched with an unreadable look on his face as a myriad of thoughts flew through his mind rapidly before he responded, "You may rise."

The young man immediately complied, but still kept his head bowed, not daring to stare directly at No.29 again.

No.29 kept silent for a while, choosing his words carefully. "What has happened recently? I seem to be missing a bit of my memories..."

The young man, still with a tiny bit of wariness in his heart because of all the training he’d received, launched into a tirade of various happenings in the kingdom. Minor things mostly. Things that a true Exalted wouldn’t be bothered to care about, but would still actually know. He talked about the state of the vassal families. The Governors of the various regions and provinces. Reports of the weakening control of the Exalted at the farthest reaches of the world, and waited, listening carefully to hear what this ’Exalted’ had to say.

He couldn’t lie to the Exalted because of his blood-bind, that was for sure. But he’d mixed reports that had a lot of credibility with ones that were mostly ramblings and rumors—something a true Exalted would be able to pinpoint accurately.

No.29 paused for a while in thought, digesting the new information he’d gotten before he sighed, shaking his head, "The weakening control the further you get away from the capital and onto the opposite side of the planet is a normal thing. I’m sure those vermin might have even begun to practice their old, false religions again—"

The young man’s eyes widened. He knew?! He knew the crux of the matter and even spoke so openly about it! As expected of an Exalted. Anyone else who dared to speak about the old religions so casually risked spending the rest of their life never to be seen again.

No.29 spoke at length about a few other things— problems the young man also knew were festering among the Vassal families, and even some ’inside knowledge’ he never could have thought of on his own, further solidifying No.29’s image as a true ’Exalted’ in the young man’s eyes.

"Forgive me Exalted One!" The young man fell on his knees and groveled on the ground in remorse. He was a Pious like every other shadow was. So doubting an Exalted to this extent was near blasphemy. This was an Exalted in the flesh, seeking his help because of some unforeseen circumstance. Every pious must have dreamt to be in his present position where they could be of direct help to an Exalted, but here he was... doubting.

"Do not fret. I understand your caution," No.29 chuckled. "I may have lost a bit of my memories, but there are some things I will always remember."

The young man, eager to redeem himself quickly reported, "Exalted One! I bring very grave and vital news!"

"Speak."

"It seems the second higher Sentinel was never dead this whole time!" He reported gleefully. "They had found the location of the Freehold Sanctuary all these years and blended theirself into the populace there, rising up the ranks to a position where they can get more information!" His voice was colored with pure excitement. "Unfortunately they cannot reveal the true location of Freehold yet without revealing theirself... but they were able to send out a vital piece of information." His eyes burned with killing intent. "The Freehold Sanctuary now have a Pathfinder among them... A boy named Zephyr."

"...Oh? This is disturbing news. You must tell me more..." No.29 of the Umbral Tower. Smiling Devil, grinned manically.