Mage Manual
Chapter 504 - 412: Domination! (Thanks to the new Alliance Leader ’Illusory Moon Azure Sky’)_2

Chapter 504: Chapter 412: Domination! (Thanks to the new Alliance Leader ’Illusory Moon Azure Sky’)_2

Hanna and the others, why were they subtly coordinating with his actions?

But what’s more important is, how did he seize the highest authority of Belladett, and how did I, the Family Head, end up being dominated by him?

Could it be that I became the Substitute, and he is the real Igula Belladett?

The incomplete combustion of confusion teased the blue-haired girl, making her suspect whether her father had once ventured to the Kingdom of Blood Moon and left behind Meiwa as his illegitimate child.

"Lady Blue Rose, we have come to a full understanding." Yvalin’s silence was useless, as Ash spoke for himself, "Your orders are their Fate!"

He returned to the sequence of the Funeral Ceremony, where everyone except Banjee, who was busily nibbling on a hand, including Alice, Hanna, and Liss, watched him. Hanna’s eyes, however, were bright, seemingly unsurprised by everything that had just occurred.

"You knew all along?" Ash asked, his voice low.

"I still say the same thing, we only had a consensus," Hanna smiled, "I didn’t expect Igula to play such a big hand."

"Can anyone explain?" Alice, sitting cross-legged on top of a coffin, scratched her head and asked, "What exactly happened? And what is this consensus?"

Ash answered, "The consensus is why did the young lady bring us to Mongfera? What was it for?"

"Eh? To escape Vatican Mura, and also..." Alice pondered, "to prepare for the next list?"

"Although because of the ’Family List,’ we were caught by Yvalin upon arriving in Mongfera, even without the ’Family List,’ my status as a fugitive would have been leverage. Yvalin would still propose a trade, offering asylum in exchange for our stay," Ash looked towards Hanna, "which means, the young lady must have foreseen what would happen next before coming to Mongfera—after all, she understands both Belladett and Yvalin."

"She knew that Yvalin would try to turn us and even knew that Yvalin would definitely betray us in the end."

"So, what was she bringing us to Mongfera for?"

Liss immediately replied, "To have us experience being turned and betrayed!"

"More precisely, to have us step into Yvalin’s deceit," Ash said, "The young lady deliberately kept us in the dark about it, watching us step by step become Yvalin’s prey... Although ’ignorance’ made us prey, ’ignorance’ also served as our Protective Color."

"In a world where Gospel can detect lies, only the ignorant can lie," the Cult Leader looked at Purple Moth, "Igula might not have guessed that the third list was the Deceit List, but through the young lady’s actions, he vaguely grasped the crux of this Mongfera journey—voluntarily falling into Yvalin’s deceit and then using our ignorance to deceive Yvalin in return!"

Pretending to be deceived by Yvalin, then deceiving Yvalin in turn?

Liss and Alice both looked blankly at Hanna, as if asking why make things so complicated? Are you too full?

Hanna shrugged, "It’s not that I deliberately concealed it, but if you couldn’t even comprehend that much, you wouldn’t likely be recognized by the Deceit List."

"Actually, I wasn’t planning for you to deceive Yvalin, that was just a bonus question. In my mind, as long as you realized what I was concealing, the Deceit List should judge you to have the potential of a Swindler—clearly the only one who qualified was Igula."

"But I originally thought Igula would at most cheat some money or something, I didn’t expect him to try to swallow Belladett whole..." She spread her hands helplessly, "What does he need us to do?"

"Bully others with power," Ash pointed to the group of Mages who lay squirming on the ground behind him.

Hanna got it immediately, "Brilliant... that way they will focus all their hate on Belladett, and even if we escape, they will only suspect that Belladett has hidden us away!"

"Sounds like something I’m good at," Alice stretched lazily, "Just as long as we don’t kill them, right?"

"Liss isn’t good at bullying people," the white-haired girl scratched her head.

Ash picked up Banjee, "Here, use this water gun for support. It’s sure to leave a heavy shadow on their tender minds."

"Does Senheiser need to be a part of this too?" Hanna suddenly asked.

Ash glanced at her, "Drawing hate is something one Belladett is enough for, do you really want to add a Senheiser to the mix?"

It was then that Hanna realized her mistake—Senheiser had already attracted enough hate by insisting on protecting them, and now, if they treated Senheiser favorably, wouldn’t that announce that Belladett, Senheiser, and the Funeral Ceremony were all in cahoots?

That wouldn’t do, all of the Kingdom of Gospel’s hatred should be poured onto Belladett alone, without dispersing it to Senheiser.

As the people of the Funeral Ceremony approached the Mages, Rein and others all had a bad premonition.

"What do you want to do... Ah!"

"You... I am a Holy Sanctuary Mage..."

"Gu..."

The Funeral Ceremony attendees hadn’t intended to be too harsh, but these people had been chasing, beating, and threatening them all night long, and until just moments ago, had been trying to separate and imprison them. If it weren’t for Igula’s last stand, Ash and the others would have already been torn apart from their families... Thinking of this, even though they hadn’t struck with cruelty, the Technique Spirits seemed to fly out on their own, as if eager to work overtime.

"This is what you get for offending Belladett!"

"Wail, scream, repent!"

"If you feel happy, clap~ your~ hands~"

The scene gradually became too horrific to withstand, but with the medical miracles at hand, as long as the mages didn’t die, they could be saved. And so, Ash let them be.

After double-speed beating up a few pursuers with his Substitute, Ash, with a clear spirit and invigorated air, looked for new targets, only to accidentally kick a soft body.

Ash looked down, locking eyes with Qinna, who lay on her back. Even though she was pinned to the ground, unable to move, Qinna remained proud and frigid, her gaze devoid of panic. In fact, it was Ash who subconsciously dodged her look.

Wasn’t this the area Hanna was responsible for... Ash turned his head and saw Hanna skipping over Qinna, pretending to chastise Qinna’s aunt.

Ash quickly understood the conflicted thoughts running through Hanna’s mind. Despite how the Purple Moth cursed her mother through gritted teeth, now when she had the chance to legitimately hit Qinna, Hanna chickened out, leaving the mess to Ash.

What a troublesome mother and daughter.

"Ash," said Qinna calmly, "do you dare to touch me?"

"Of course I dare!" Ash shouted in anger, sitting right on top of her: "I’ve disliked you for a long time, don’t forget, on the future list, you are just my maid!"

"This is for not respecting me!" Slap!

"This is for not calling me master!" Slap!

"This is for not wearing my ring!" Slap!

Qinna watched as a hand flew before her eyes, her hair flustering with the wind of each slap – but it didn’t even graze the tip of her nose. Instead, it was Ash’s Substitute behind him, slapping his own thigh hard to mimic the sound.

"I am wearing it though," said Qinna suddenly.

Ash paused, looking down to see Qinna indeed wearing the Mist Spirit ring - he had thought such a ring symbolizing a humiliating future would be opposed by the Clan Leaders. After all, most Clan Leaders were Holy Sanctuary Mages, and the ring’s effects were insignificant to them, wearing it was too shameful.

As Ash’s gaze shifted away, Qinna suddenly bit down on Ash’s finger. Ash was startled, fearing he might be counterattacked. But perhaps because her spirit was under control, Qinna’s bite was weak and harmless. Ash didn’t feel any pain; it felt more like his finger was being held in her mouth.

Noticing that Hanna seemed to be looking their way, Ash had a stroke of genius and used his left hand to perform: "Daring to bite my finger! Let go! Are you seeking death! Tonight, I will show you who the real master is!"

Slap! Slap! Slap! Slap!

The Substitute slapped his own thigh very loudly.

...

...

Up on the second-floor garden of the Belladett family mansion, the door to Yvalin’s office quietly opened, and a red-haired girl in a Deacon’s outfit walked in.

Behind the desk sat the future revivalist of the Four Pillars God Sect, the first Swindler stamped and certified by the Gospel, the human calamity soon to rival ’Ghost King Harvey’, Igula Bokin. He sat with his eyes tightly closed against the chair, seemingly taking a brief rest.

"Sorry, have you been waiting long?" asked Anfeier.

"Not at all," Igula shook his head.