He felt like the reason for Noah, or rather, Mr. White agreed to this mission, was because he already knew he could still easily hide his identity.
To Varis, everything about the mysterious arch magus’s behavior scread of an ancient, hyper-calculating master who always operated five steps ahead of everyone else.
The bald master magus was entirely convinced that the sudden change in disguise was a deliberate, tactical counter-intelligence play—a calculated maneuver designed specifically to neutralize any attempts to reveal his true identity.
He assud Mr. White had thoroughly researched the socioeconomic culture of Vale city weeks ago, purposefully selecting a black cat mask to blend seamlessly into the wealthy rchant crowds while keeping his real face hidden in absolute darkness.
What he didn’t know was that Noah hadn’t taken into account his identity when he first accepted the mission.
The reality behind the mask was far less dramatic and infinitely more fragile than Varis’s elaborate theories suggested.
He hadn’t spent hours analyzing the local dress codes or drafting complex counter-espionage protocols for his wardrobe.
He had simply gotten a second mask at the dying minute, realising his identity was in danger of being exposed.
He only got lucky that masks were a thing in the rchant world of Vale.
It was a profound stroke of sheer, unadulterated fortune that the culture of this sovereign trade hub treated anonymity as a standard business practice.
If Vale had been a local area like the central districts of Eidbale—where people don’t walk around with masks, his sudden change of mask would have triggered imdiate alarm bells among those who saw him.
Instead, he had stumbled blindly into a paradise of wealthy, eccentric traders who considered masked countenances a sign of high-stakes prestige.
It was a coincidence that had saved his entire operation from a catastrophic exposure.
He exhaled a long, silent sigh, his shoulders dropping by a fraction of an inch as the sheer gravity of his oversight hit his internal thoughts.
’I’m still too careless... hiding my identity cos first before anything. I need to rember that.’ he thought.
The realisation was a sobering slap to his confidence. He had been playing the part of a legendary arch magus so intensely that he had almost forgotten the fragile reality of his true situation.
He was still a young student under suspension, so he had no experience in matters like this.
If he allowed himself to get distracted by the raw thrill of his power or the administrative prestige of his S-rank status again, he would easily get exposed..
The black cat mask was a lesson written in luck, and he vowed never to rely on coincidence again.
The quiet of the side street didn’t last long, the damp silence of the stones interrupted by the rhythmic, hurried scraping of leather boots approaching from the opposite end of the lane.
After soon, another man ca to et them.
He was short, his head barely reaching the level of Varis’s broad chest, with scanty brown hair that clung to his damp scalp in thin, disorganized strands.
He wore the standard, mass-produced travel leathers of a common explorer, but his clothes were dusty and stained with the distinctive gri of Vale’s lower docks.
As he saw Noah, he froze completely in his tracks, his leather boots skidding slightly against the damp granite tiles.
The raw, heavy aura of an arch magus—even compressed beneath Noah’s tight restraint—was palpable, radiating a cold, ancient authority that made the short man’s instincts scream in absolute terror.
His knees trembled visibly, and he imdiately bowed his head toward the stone pavent, his body shivering as if he had just been plunged into a freezing winter draft.
"I... I take it you’re..." the man stuttered, his voice breaking violently as he spoke, the syllables catching in his dry throat like broken glass.
He kept his eyes locked firmly onto Noah’s boots, completely unable to raise his gaze to the matte-black cat mask. "...Mr. White, Sir...?"
Noah simply nodded, his features completely static behind the black mold, his arms folded loosely across his chest to maintain the aloof, unreadable persona of the master.
The sheer pressure of the silence was suffocating him. He was actually an adventurer also, an official mber of the global network, except he was based within Vale city, functioning as a localized scout and informational node for the regional administration.
He was only a C-rank though, an ordinary combatant who spent his days tracking basic wilderness goblins, clearing out low-tier cave infestations, or escorting minor rchant caravans through the safer trade routes.
For a low-tier explorer of that caliber, eting an S-rank like this was quite terrifying—it was the equivalent of a common foot soldier suddenly standing face-to-face with a living, walking legend capable of erasing an entire province.
The stories he had heard about Mr. White’s sudden rise to power had been intimidating enough, but the physical reality of the mana radiating from the masked figure was enough to turn his stomach into a tight knot of pure panic.
The short scout forced his trembling muscles to move, desperately eager to conclude his portion of the logistics so he could escape the crushing weight of the arch magus’s presence. He took a tentative, shaky step toward the front of the vehicle, his hands fumbling slightly with the leather leads.
"I’ll... I’ll be taking this horse..." the man said, his voice still carrying that thin, unstable tremor as he quickly climbed the massive mutated horse’s back, setting his small fra into the secondary saddle behind the driver’s seat.
He grabbed the reins with white knuckles, looking back over his shoulder toward Yuan with an expression of pure, pleading desperation. "...so when you’re done with the initial periter check, we’ll... we’ll et as planned at the designated safehouse, Sirs."
With a quick, frantic snap of the leather straps, the short C-rank adventurer guided the great charcoal stallion out of the alleyway, the massive chariot trailing behind the beast with a silent, fluid grace as they disappeared into the busy flow of the main avenue.
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