The Strongest Wizard Becomes a Countryside Guardsman After Taking an Arrow to the Knee

Chapter 317 – Time to Meet the Man

So we would split as we left the trading company.

I would use the back exit, and wait.

After a bit, Cruz and the beasts would leave out the front.

Then would come Tokul, who would make his way from the front entrance as well.

Cruz and the beasts waited until Tokul made his way out of the capital.

They would go from stand to stand, pretending to looking around, while getting closer and closer to the exit.

It was my role to shadow him the whole way.

I told Tokul that I would take care of him.

「Even if you look for me, be sure that someone else will see me. If you try to find me, the bad guy will too.」

「Sure.」

「Just remember I’m beside you, so relax.」

「Al’s magic is awesome, so don’t worry.」

Cruz said, suddenly beside us.

Before we left, I said to Tokul,

「You should thank your father. Because of what he said, we decided not to use you as bait anymore.」

「...yeah.」

「Well, just relax.」

So I left out the back and cast a shadow spell on myself.

I didn’t have the wolf mask on either.

It would be good to hide my identity, but the mask would stand out too much.

With this fake beard and hair, I should be okay.

Before Cruz left, she changed as well into a common trader’s clothing.

「Shiggy, stay quiet, okay?」

「...ry...」

So the shadow spell hid us from being detected. To put the spell simply, it made the magic inside of you flow outward and blanket the space around you in shadows.

Every living thing has a little bit of magic.

Also, all living things can subconsciously feel the magic of others.

Well...not so much feel, because it’s not something you can actually sense.

It’s just that when there’s a lot of magic flowing from you, it’s easier to notice.

However, if you use the magic to shroud you, you become less easy to sense.

It’s quite a mysterious process.

And with that said, I waited for the young Tolf to emerge.

As I waited, Cruz left with the beasts, then Tolf.

「See you later!」

「Mooo moo!」

「Thank you for coming!」

Toril and the manager both saw Cruz out the door.

Then Cruz got on Moofy.

Femm just obediently walked beside the two.

「Okay, let’s go!」

「Moo moo」

Cruz glanced over at me for just a second.

Moofy looked over and then quickly looked away, and then looked at me again.

She knew the plan, and that was to not look at me, but there was no stopping her as she was nervous.

Femm glanced over once too and then walked along with it’s tail up.

A very smart wolf.

「Well, I’m on my way outside, father.」

After a while, Tokul left...saying good bye.

He looked rather awkward as well, looking all around him.

First I had to check if anyone was trailing him.

It didn’t seem like anyone was.

So I slowly followed behind him.

My knee still hurt, so it was good I didn’t have to run.

In the shadows, so that no one would notice, and slowly, with some distance.

Tokul showed his papers and left through the capital gate.

I either had to do the same or somehow pass over the capital walls.

I had an S-rank adventurer ID as well. They would let me out without question.

(What should I do?)

I didn’t want to leave much trace of myself.

Even so, I couldn’t just gravitate myself over the wall.

It would be too noticeable.

No reason to look suspicious.

I was concealing myself with magic, something I’ve rarely done.

Before, I did this to get past the gate with Vallimie and Rai.

Well, at least this was the time we suspected Vallimie being the one that was causing all the zombie magic.

I was already in shadow magic, so I would conceal my identity too.

I think I did a good job for not having done it for a while.

After casting it, I would have to take my time.

If I acted rashly, I would stand out as having cast the magic.

So I approached the gate,

「The Hero was in a hurry to leave the capital.」

「I bet she was on another grand quest.」

「Even so, why was she with a cow and dog?」

「Well...she’s the Hero...」

「Yes, she is.」

I heard the guards talking it over.

I simply walked right by them carefully. I was a little nervous.

They didn’t notice me.

And I was watching Tokul the whole time.

It would be better if they kept an animal with a keen sense of smell at the gates to prevent high-level magicians like me from just going in and out.

I guess Mulg was safer in that way.

There were loads of magical beasts in Mulg.

You could even say that Mulg’s defenses were far stricter.

I could see Cruz a bit away from Tokul on the left.

Femm and Moofy were with her.

(She’s gotten good at hiding too.)

All of them were moving slowly and in the shadows.

Before, Cruz would run around and everyone would notice her immediately, but now she’s gotten much better at not being noticed...she’s matured as an adventurer.

After a bit, Tokul left the road. He started walking along a thin trail, almost like one an animal would use.

Some time passed, and there was a small house ahead.

After Tokul hit the trail, Cruz did her best to quietly follow. We all met in front of the house.

『Strange place.』

『It is.』

I spoke to her in spirit speech.

It almost looked like an old hunter’s shack.

Well, it was made to look old, but it was quite newly constructed.

I could tell it had a variety of magic cast on it.

『Who’s going to come out of that?』

Tokul walked up to the door and called out,

「Excuse me. It’s Tokul Tolf.」

And as we were watching, the door opened.