Mage And Wolf
Chapter 128

Chapter 128: Chapter 128

The mine shafts are barely improved, tall enough to stand in, but just large rooms of rough stone. It’s a shame we don’t have an Earth Mage.

"There’s a big city an hour’s run from here" Devon informs us. "If you need anything, you can get it there, but peasants and the children of loyalist families are killed if they get near."

"So you can’t go to the cities at all?" Karl asks.

"A few of us do, we dress them up to impress and they sneak in as merchants. The merchants are mostly a few generations removed from their Noble lineage, it’s removed enough that with a forged writ of Nobility our spies can enter the city and not get noticed."

We should check out the situation ourselves. As isolated as everyone seems, the cities might not even know there is a problem.

"Mind if we check it out? Karl here has a spell that can disguise your face." I ask Devon.

"That’s possible? How long does it last?"

"About a day" Karl shrugs. "If I’m hiding my appearance I just refresh it every morning."

"Then we should head out in the morning. Get to the city early, as merchants usually do. I’ve got a few Monster Cores to pass off as our trade goods"

"Don’t worry about that, we’ve got trade goods enough to pass as merchants" I smile at him. "What respectable lady packs light?"

The night passes quickly in meditation, and effectively. I found just after getting comfortable that the most effective spot to meditate was as close as possible to Karl, where the gathered energy from our similar cultivation techniques would resonate, producing more than twice the result as the two of us cultivating alone.

I thought about bringing out the cursed urn, but with a mine full of angry humans, it might produce undesired side effects.

Instead, I spent an hour concocting incense pills. Not to eliminate the pungent aroma of this area, but sleeping incense with a lethal poison. Both myself and Karl carry antidote but anyone without it is unlikely to wake up from their slumber. An excellent defensive technique.

For today I’ve chosen a gold base layer under a sky blue Kimono with gold embroidery finished with a cream colored silk cloak. It’s not really cold out, but to the pampered noble lady I am playing, it would be, so best to layer up.

The mine has horses, not great ones, but they’ll do. Karl gears them up in freshly created decorative harnesses and saddles with silk blankets. It’s perfect, except for Devon, who stands out like a sore thumb.

"Your forearm tattoo is viable when you move, should we get you some gloves?" Karl asks.

"How about you make a page’s uniform for Devon with the tattoo as a crest on the chest? It will make him fit in better, and the air of fallen noble he gives off could be mistaken for noble servant."

Devon isn’t pleased with this plan, but he himself recognizes that he stands out as not fully belonging to either the nobles or the peasants.

It only takes a few minutes to get him changed, Karl casting a disguise spell to give him a very forgettable face with short black hair, very different from his sandy locks and strong features.

For the walk to town, he will be taking the lead. There is a Drakor Empire on this world, not a neighboring country, but nearby, so that is our origin story. Drakor City is the Capital, and their nobles are mostly human with a very few Dragonkin. They’re supposedly the only nation in the world that still believes in the old gods.

For a bit of a giggle, I insisted that Karl be the son of Kal’Elouet if anyone asks. Devon doesn’t know if the naming convention is still in use, but he’s heard similar names in his history classes.

Karl has good enough magical skills to pass himself off as a young dragon if anyone should get truly suspicious. At least, we hope so.

There’s a short lineup at the gates when we arrive. The guards have decided to fully search a merchant caravan from Drakon. This is a perfect chance for us.

"Follow me, I’m going to make this fun" I whisper to the others and Karl grins.

The guard is demanding the merchant’s guards remove their clothes to be searched for contraband when I ride up, drawing Qi into myself to make my eyes go black and my voice echo.

"Is every merchant we send here treated in such an abhorrent manner?" I roar, anger clear in the Booming voice granted by a Priestesses authority.

The merchants turn around, eyes wide and immediately drop to their knees "Highness, forgive us for impeding your path" the merchant simpers.

"I’m waiting for an answer, peasant guard" I snarl at the gate guard and an armored man in much more ornate armor comes into view from inside the city, running for the gates.

’who are you?’ sounds in my mind, the merchant looking at me intently.

’Katrina, second rank High Priestess of the Death God’ I send back and he shudders at my smile, backing his assistants away discretely from me and the guard.

"What is the meaning of this?" The guard captain asks, slightly out of breath.

"This insolent peasant refuses to answer questions from their betters" I inform him in a cold tone.

"And who is she?" The guard captain quietly asks the merchant, not wanting to cause more trouble if I outrank him significantly.

"That’s second rank Princess Katrina, daughter of the Black Dragon." the merchant whispers to the guard causing him to visibly clench in panic.

This is way more fun than I was expecting to have today.

"Perhaps you can tell me instead" I ask the captain "Is it common practice that peasant guards demand our merchants and travelers disrobe?"

"I’m no peasant!" The guard shouts "My third cousin is married to the Count Winters"

"Which makes you what exactly?" Karl asks with a curious tone.

’That’s 3rd rank High Priest Karl, also serving the Death God’ I inform the merchant silently.

"That would make him untitled nobility by marriage, Your Highness" The merchant informs Karl.

"Really? They elevate even third cousins to nobility upon marriage here? Interesting" I muse out loud.

A deep laughter sounds from inside the guard tower. "You are as bloodthirsty as your sire Young Miss" the voice says. I don’t recognize it though, who could it be?

"Jun, city guardian assigned by the Sacred Thunder Sect. At your service." The man bows, stepping out into the open.

Wait, are we in that same world I went to last time, just another continent? If so, that is great news. Perhaps I can see the Elders again?

"Greetings Disciple Jun. I must say I wasn’t expecting to be recognized so soon."

"Sacred Thunder Sect tracks all True Transmission tokens that enter the continent. We’ve known you were here for a day already, and ask that you not interfere in secular affairs."

"They’re cultivators. If not competent ones. I’m almost certain the Sacred Thunder has no rules against killing cultivators that insult their betters?"

I can see his eyebrow twitch rapidly as he tries to form a response. Everyone else just looks like they’d rather be anywhere but here. Including Devon.

"Can we take this to a private location?" Jun asks. "Some things are forbidden to the public in this world"

I motion for him to lead the way, and we walk to another section of the city, to a well appointed inn with a mermaid on the sign. In fact, I’ve seen very few words on signs anywhere.

"Tell me Jun, can the nobles here not read? I see no writing anywhere."

"Mostly, no. After the secular world drove out the Dragon Priests a thousand years ago, nobody took over teaching the children in the aftermath of the Great War. Within three generations it was all but forgotten outside the Sects and the remaining nation of Drakon."

"Morons" Karl mutters.

"You have no idea" Jun sighs "It’s part of why we exclude them. They’re not ready to know."

Devon looks intrigued, this is all new information to him. The stories he knew only covered basic things.

Jun takes us to a private dining room and locks the doors. "First up, you’re no longer on the Prime world where your token was made. Immortals can’t ascend here, so very few exist. Your Sect isn’t active here, but we are in communication with our branches on that world, who warned us about your potential combat power."

"That’s kind of them. What exactly did they tell you?" I wonder how bad my reputation is now that I can’t defend myself from slander and rumor.

"That you’re a necromancer capable of raising thousands, and that you were the personal disciple of the Divine One Po."

That’s not bad. Could have gotten much worse.

"They also said you butchered an entire city to have an orgy with your own personal army of dual cultivators. But that seems less credible, having met you"

Ouch.

"I’ll have you know there was no orgy."

"But you do have an army of dual cultivators and you did wipe out a city?" Jun laughs, clearly thinking it was all made up by his superiors.

"There’s only 30 of them, and it was a small Sect, of barely four thousand, not a town." Karl adds helpfully.

"Long story" I laugh, thinking of how the ladies are now resort staff.