After waking up Chad, Vale confirmed that the man only needed some rest and wasn't seriously injured by their training session.
Then, he informed him of Denise's message.
"I don't want to meet those people. I want to visit Master Orden and get Ryzoir underground. I'm thinking of asking them for more Dragon Blood." Chad said. He disliked the idea of meeting other representatives of Organizations that could possibly be against Dark Arts Practitioners.
In any case, he wasn't the one they wanted.
"I doubt that they'll agree to that. You have to gradually improve your physique before you can handle more Dragon Blood. But, you can try and ask them... Right, if they could help you train your Dragon's True Sight, that would be better." Vale advised.
"Alright!" Chad said as he left the training room.
Meanwhile, Vale decided to change his clothes before meeting the visitors.
The air was filled with tension as Vale made his way to the reception hall.
After some consideration, he decided to wear the White Mask that he had obtained from the treasury of the Ruri Kingdom.
It was an item on the same level as the Black Grimoire that he used to fight against Sage Merlin and the Pontiff, who were currently away due to a mission he had given to them.
The atmosphere was heavy as Miya and her companions from the Church of the Lord of the Secrets, Ceres and her Personal Knights from the Milton Kingdom, Sir Roland and Lady Elara from the Knights Faction, Sir Geoffrey and Lady Isolde from the Combat Arts Faction, and Master Thorne and his apprentice Melisa from the Rune Arts Faction, as well as representatives from the Shadow Consortium and the Brotherhood of the Scarlet Serpent, stood in the hall.
They were actually quite surprised that they barely saw anyone around the castle.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThey expected this place to have several strong knights guarding each door and First-Class Arcanists patrolling the surroundings.
However, as they entered the Immortals Territory, they weren't stopped by anyone, and they literally didn't see anyone aside from Denise!
Of course, that was because they didn't count the animals around the castle and the golems who were currently in the mode of being a statues.
Creak~
As the grand doors slowly swung open, all eyes turned towards the figure of the Masked Vale, the Shadow Immortal, as he entered the room.
His presence commanded the attention of the entire assembly, and a sense of awe and reverence filled the air.
The visitors, representing diverse and influential factions, were captivated by Vale's appearance, and the hall fell silent in deference to the enigmatic figure before them.
"So this is what Divinity feels like…"
They all had the same thoughts after the Immortal released his strength in front of them.
Of course, they weren't offended by the Immortal's decision to hide his face. They were already satisfied to meet him in person.
Nevertheless, Vale himself was actually surprised.
As his Divine Sense swept over the gathered guests, he immediately recognized two familiar figures among them - Ceres and Maya.
Ceres, the third princess, had left a lasting impression on Vale during their encounter in the competition. On the other hand, Maya had been a fellow student in the Academy, and both of them delved into the same course, the Ritual Branch of Dark Arts.
'Maya looks different, but I can't be mistaken… Is she concealing her identity? And why is she aligned with that suspcious church?'
Vale mused inwardly, choosing to withhold his inquiries and maintain his shrouded guise.
Addressing the assembly with a low, commanding voice, Vale spoke.
"I understand you wish to meet with me."
"Ahem… Yes, they all have different reasons for coming here... Since I already brought them here, I'm going to continue on my task." Denise, having played her part in bringing the visitors to the castle, quickly excused herself, leaving Vale to engage with the diverse group of representatives.
As soon as Denise left, the tension in the room mounted.
This time, Ceres sought to address the Immortal, but her words were interrupted by a sudden laugh from an unexpected source.
Master Thorne, the representative of the Rune Arts Faction or the Order of the Prime Wisemen, spoke in an amused tone.
"It seems the rumors were true - the Masked Devil Incarnate is indeed the Immortal."
His revelation sent ripples of surprise through the assembly, sparking murmurs and questions about the notorious figure.
"Masked Devil Incarnate? Isn't he a criminal?""The adversary of the Church of the Three Paragons?"
"Master Thorne, I think you shouldn't offend the Immortal."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe whispers and inquiries swirled through the room, echoing the notoriety of the elusive figure that had drawn the ire of the Church of the Three Paragons.
Beneath his mask, Vale smiled at the reactions, opting not to refute the claims.
Well, he's already an Immortal, and he doesn't really care if he reveals his other identities at this point. He was simply wearing his mask right now as he felt that he should shroud himself with a bit of mystery and to gain more respect.
Furthermore, his young, handsome face might also be too much for them and they might start worshipping him.
Vale shook his head a little with this random thought…
After collecting his thoughts, he spoke. "Ho~ You recognized my other identity? How did you do it?"
Master Thorne stepped forward, his presence commanding attention as he introduced himself.
"Ahem… I'm Thorne, an old Runecaster of the Order of the Prime Wisemen."
After saying this, he explained that his Runic Fate Eyes had granted him the ability to perceive the fate of individuals, even after they underwent significant changes.
Despite Vale's transformation and ascension to immortality, his fundamental fate remained unchanged. Thorne recounted an encounter from the past, when he had observed the Masked Devil Incarnate in action from a distance.
This event had occurred during the failure of the Blueglades Mercenaries to deliver the Formation Nodes to their Faction.
At that time, Thorne had been present at Coulston Castle and had witnessed the Masked Devil's actions. However, he clarified that he had not been assigned to apprehend the culprit at that particular moment, so he didn't show himself.
"So it was like that…" Vale wryly smiled beneath his mask upon hearing Thorne's account, acknowledging the resilience of fate.
Nevertheless, he maintained his posture while observing the Demon Saint, who had disguised himself to enter his castle.