Yui wasn't afraid of facing the Cursed Mask again.

They have several Arcane Magic that they can use to restrict the Mask and this time, they'll make sure not to fall on its same trick again.

​​

'Odette... Are you still not done speaking with Reiji?'

'Wait... I'm just confirming something...'

'Hey, don't tell me you're asking for his help again? That's embarrassing!'

'Why would you feel embarrassed in front of a Sentient Arcana? That's fine...'

'Haa~ Do what you want...'

The young girl then went to the corner of the street as she knows that Odette is still taking her time speaking with Reiji...

'Mhmm... Why would they visit the north, anyway?'

As far as she knows, Rufus' expertise lies in his talent in crafting Magic Items... The northern region, on the other hand, isn't a place where you can practice such skills since there are no facilities here that could equal the ones inside the Tower.

Nevertheless, it's not her concern so she just waited for Odette to get back to her...

***

Reiji and his group left the previous town and didn't wait for the members of the Night Brigade to come looking for them again.

Whatever the result of their investigation about the Cultists, it wouldn't matter that much to them. What matters is that they can leave the place and reach Torsen City as soon as possible.

The group arrived at night outside the City and thought that they could still enter it without any problems. However, they found out that the city is already closed so they'll have to wait for the next day.

They just set up a tent outside like the many others and waited for the next day.

During the night, Reiji decided to use his Arcane Sensitivity and found 10 other Arcana around him... One of them was even Blessed...

'Mhmm... Is it quite normal to encounter Blessed Arcana? I wonder if I can get a skill to learn their ranks...'

Reiji pondered after noticing the 10 unique Mystical Energy in the surroundings...

If he knows whether an Arcana is Unique, Epic, or perhaps Mythical Rank, he'll be able to somehow gauge the power of its Arcane Magic and be very useful during battles.

Nevertheless, he immediately canceled his Arcane Magic to avoid being traced back as he concealed his aura...

The Blessed Arcana that he felt must be a Sentient One as well considering all the Blessed that he met has a mind of their own.

Of course, he wasn't too surprised to find them here since this city is huge. It would actually feel appropriate if he finds others like him around this area.

For now, he didn't want to get involved with them and wanted to find something else. He wanted to find an appropriate place that he could call his base, home, or his property.

Although he likes to travel or roam around this strange world, he wanted to leave something behind in each of his travels…

Perhaps the best thing to leave is his teachings about the kendo… By creating various dojos, not only will his students have a place where they could gather, but he could also let them teach other students as long as they reached the 5th or 6th-Dan in his eyes.

Anyway, once a practitioner reached this level, they only require some time and continuous practice of the discipline to advanced to a higher degree.

Time quickly passed and they were already allowed to enter the city…

Finally, they already settled the issue…

They boarded their carriage and got into the line of people… Rufus' identity as an Arcanist of the Tower will surely allow them an entry without any problems. As long as they have money to pay the guards, no one can really stop the young man and his companions from entering any city.

'Hey… Reiji! Long time no see! It's been a long time? Was it three months?'

A familiar voice suddenly connected to his mind…

'Odette? Where are you?'

Reiji finally realized who was the Blessed Arcana that he felt a while ago, unfortunately for him, he still can't identify the Arcana without seeing them directly. He can only feel its presence…

"We're already inside the city… Why are you guys here? Are you scared of the war and fleeing here?"

"What? No, Rufus has a mission here…"

"Oh well, it's not really important to do missions... Right, does he know that we're acquainted?"

"My student? No. However, he's aware that I know someone within the tower after you kidnapped me the first time."

"Haha… We're sorry about that… Well, you guys have to be careful, the Cursed Mask run off to this city after slipping through our restrictions…"

"What? That Cursed Arcana?"

Odette then explained the possibility that a massacre occurred within the city because of the Mask… That was why it was closed off for a while.

"Hey, several months had already passed, so you haven't finished dealing with it?"

"We're almost done… We've already taken three-fourths of its power. Anyway, that mask is already weakened and perhaps any Arcanists can deal with it. However, the problem is that it might trick an Arcanists into wearing it. It can regain a lot of power if it managed to consume a Rare or Unique Rank Arcana…"

"Tsk… How about the Common Rank?"

"It won't help him that much… The Mask is at the Legendary Rank…"

Reiji knows that it wasn't his problem but the existence of the Cursed Arcana can cause various problems in any environment. The closing off of the city was just the tip of the iceberg…

"Very well, we'll keep that in mind…"

"So, in case you found the Mask, just let me know?"

"Huh? How can I even contact you?"

"Once Yui found a place to stay, I'll let you know… In the meantime, I left a marker on you so I know your location. It will only last for three days. Don't worry, the tracer is safe, I can only use it to an allied Blessed Arcana…"

"So we're allied now?"

"Not really… It's your deity that blessed you and my deity that is allied… So, I guess we're forced to be allied. If they decided to break off their agreement... Then that magic won't work on you..."

Odette answered without thinking much.

Reiji can only smile wryly at this. Since the Arcana doesn't mean any harm, he'll just forget it.

Then, he informed his followers about the loose Cursed Arcana that is perhaps roaming around this city.

"Master… Do you think it's similar to the Class S mission posted in the tower? It says there something about the missing Mask, right?"

"Ohh… Maybe… We haven't actually seen it yet."

Reiji answered they finally entered the city.

The place seems prosperous with stone pavements and wide roads that even four carriages can fit in. There's a lot of people walking around but the things that he noticed were a huge part of them was quite gloomy…

It was perhaps due to the problem that the Cursed Mask had caused.

'Master… I'll be looking for an inn where our carriage and horses can also be taken care of.'

Rufus suggested after looking around the bustling city.

'Alright… I'll let you handle it…'

It took about half an hour for Rufus to find a good place. They rented a house that was recommended by the Arcanists Association within the city.

After confirming Rufus' identity and his mission from the Tower, they willingly assisted him and found a place where all six of them can stay and even have a space for their carriage and horses.

They would have to rent it for 5 gold coins monthly or perhaps purchase the house itself for 7,000 gold coins. It is quite expensive for a humble place… If this is in the other rural towns, that price can surely purchase a huge mansion already.

Nevertheless, although the house wasn't that large, it seems to be clean and safe…

They were also away from the crowded streets as they were sent to the residential area somewhere at the corner of the city walls. No one passes by here and the house is all looking the same.

It wasn't that bad to own a property in the city but they decided to just rent this place for a while.

'Master, I'll set up a barrier.' Rufus said after the servants left to arrange their things and settle their horses on a small stable.

'Ohh… I'd like to watch…' Reiji replied curiously.

He wanted to see how the Arcane Circles are made and get a feel about these barriers…

He has already encountered many types of barriers but this would be his first time seeing someone set it up and activate…

Then, the young man brought out a stone disk with markings of the Arcane Circle…

It was somehow similar to the Magic Item that the Chaos Knights brought when they visited the Jarnae Village.

The young man dug the ground using the training swords that he brought and buried the stone disk. It wasn't that deep and perhaps it would only reach Rufus' ankle…

Then, he poured a silver liquid that he brought with him and formed another Arcane Circle similar to the markings on the stone…

Reiji waited for Rufus's incantations or perhaps calling the name of the Barrier Deity or anything that would trigger its activation.

Unfortunately, the young man just smiled and spoke to him…

"Master, it's done…'

It was anticlimactic but he finally learned how to create and activate a barrier from the observer's perspective.