Greatest Legacy of the Magus Universe

Chapter 2013 Filthy Little Secret

Two simple words were spoken.

But the atmosphere quickly grew tense.

The adventurers in the vicinity instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons, but none of them made a move. They were not fools.

Adam was a Mana Seed Magus.

Even if they outnumbered him, rushing forward without orders would be nothing short of suicide for the first wave. Their gazes shifted toward Gregor instead, waiting for the councilor to decide what to do.

Gregor, however, was no longer the same cautious Paladin who had spoken with Adam inside the castle.

This was City Hall. His territory. Here, he was not alone.

Gregor slowly turned his head and looked at Adam. The faint smile that had been on his face moments ago had disappeared. He was confident. Very much so.

"Magus Bucca," he began in a righteous tone.

"Without rules and regulations, how are we any different from monsters? And if we're to break them for a single man, won't these fine people begin to lose faith in us? From the lowest Apprentices and Squires to the highest Magi and Paladins, everyone must follow the rules."

Adam was only one person. Luca was unconscious and could barely move, let alone fight.

But Gregor could call upon three other councilors of comparable strength. He knew they were already aware of his arrival.

And beneath them stood hundreds of adventurers stationed within City Hall. Five hundred, perhaps more. Most were weaker than Adam, but numbers still mattered.

When ants unite, they can carry an elephant, as the saying went.

This was why Gregor had been so willing to bring Adam here. He had no intention of provoking a Mana Seed Magus — a powerful Illusionist at that — inside the castle, where the situation was uncertain and he could have easily lost in a direct battle.

But here?

If things went wrong, he could simply summon reinforcements. Three more councilors, hundreds of adventurers. This was a veritable army!

Gregor's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought to himself, What are you going to do now, Magus?

The surrounding adventurers seemed to understand the situation as well. None of them dared to underestimate Adam, however. Their time in this secret plane had at least taught them that much. But neither did they appear frightened.

They were standing on their own turf. What was there to be afraid of?

Adam, meanwhile, remained completely still. His grey eyes swept across the guards and adventurers before finally settling on Gregor. He could almost see the man's confidence. And he understood why Gregor was doing this.

He doesn't want to let me walk into City Hall and immediately start throwing my weight around, he thought with mild amusement.

This was a warning.

Back at the castle, Adam had spoken however he pleased. He could speak of disregarding their rules, questioning their decisions, even insulting the councilors without suffering any consequences.

But this was City Hall. Gregor wanted to remind him that the power dynamics had not changed simply because Adam was a Mana Seed Magus, and that Luca was a Templar Paladin.

He's telling me that I can't be as willful here, hmm? Adam snickered inwardly.

But even that was not the most important reason.

If Gregor had merely wanted to establish authority, there were countless other ways he could have done so. This was about trust.

More precisely…

They don't want me finding out about their little secret, Adam thought.

The collusion between City Hall and the vampire court. That was the real reason Gregor was testing him.

Before they could bring Adam any deeper into City Hall affairs, they needed to determine whether he was someone they could trust. They could not simply reveal something as important as their alliance with the vampires to every powerful outsider who happened to wander into the city.

Too much depended on that secret.

So this was a kind of test for Adam. He almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Gregor wanted to see how he would react when confronted with the authority of City Hall. Whether he would immediately cause trouble, whether he would challenge their rules, and whether he could be controlled. Or at least, reasoned with.

A Mana Seed Magus and a Templar Paladin would boost their strength when all was said and done. So, if the councilors could help it, they would naturally want Adam and Luca to ally with them.

For several moments, neither side moved.

The more Adam kept quiet, the more unsettled Gregor became. In the end, he couldn't help but speak up again, "So what's it going to be, Magus Bucca?"

Adam glanced at him and faintly smiled.

You want to know whether I'm someone you can trust with your filthy little secret? he mused.

Unfortunately for you…

I already know it.

He reached out for the Morning Star, alerting the nearby adventurers.

"Calm down," Adam said. "I'm just handing over my weapon."

While he unfastened the whip, he wove a covert hand seal and sent Gregor a mental transmission.

'I heard something very interesting in my recent travels,' he said.

'Apparently, the leaders of City Hall have been working together with the vampires across the mountains. Something about… trafficking women for a ritual, was it? I wonder what would happen if I were to divulge that to everyone right here, right now.'

"There you go," Adam said, handing the Morning Star to Gregor. "I request that you keep this with you until I speak with the rest of the councilors."

He paused as though recalling something. "Oh, and since my brother is unconscious and in need of immediate medical attention, I hope you can hold back on safekeeping his artifacts for the time being. You can always take them later. What say you?"

Gregor did not say anything.

He glanced at Adam with trembling eyes, as though he had seen a ghost. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, unable to utter a single word.

"What's the matter, friend?" Adam asked with concern as he pushed the Morning Star toward the Paladin. "Come, come. No need to be so surprised that I'm complying with the rules of this fine establishment. I'm not my little brother."

Gregor snapped out of his stunned stupor as Adam pressed the whip against his chest plate.

"Ah." He swallowed subconsciously. "Right."

"Shall we head inside then?" Adam asked.

"…Yes." Gregor nodded in a daze. "Please follow me."