Nathan

Year 2850 | Month 1 | Day 24

When I make it to the front, I find several children walking through the barrier with it opening up around them. Something I’d allowed at some point purely because I got sick of constantly opening the stupid thing for everyone and simply added their mana signatures and biological signatures to the spell along with mine.

Meanwhile on the other side of the barrier, before they can finish passing through, I find a familiar face standing outside.

What’s he doing here?

Xavier looks vaguely confused when he sees me, likely wondering why I look a few years old than the last time we met. Since we haven’t actually spoken since my last lesson with him months ago. But he seems to put that to the corner of his mind as he lightly bows his head to me and says, “Good day, Undying Magician.”

“Morning,” I answer before crossing my arms and asking, “why are you here in person? You could’ve just sent a messenger like all the other magicians are doing.”

He quickly gets an awkward look on his face as he answers, “Unfortunately, that is not an option right now.”

Wait… what?

“Explain,” I tell him, uncrossing my arms in the process.

And so he does, basically confirming my theories about the magicians.

Looks like Falkner really is going for me now. He’s set up a massive blockade around my cave starting several kilometers away and isn’t allowing anyone to see me. Except apparently magicians, probably because the soldiers stationed there can’t exactly stop a magician from going by if they want to. Especially when said magician is the leader of a city.

“And you’re here because…?” I ask, not really sure why one of the city leaders would actually try to help me – the foreigner. Much less a vampire foreigner.

Which as this point, I’ve just gotten used to being called a vampire. After all, that’s close enough to what I am on that side of things at least. Just that I’m not only a vampire. I’m an immortal one.

The man begins to sweat slightly as he looks directly into my crimson eyes before calmly answering, “Because I don’t advocate the ways the other magicians have taken to conducting themselves since the kingdom’s fall.”

I raise a brow at that.

“So it’s because you don’t like them? Or because you like to think of yourself as a good guy while they’re the evil doers?” I ask, briefly tapping my chin in the process. And he nods. But I just shake my head and ask, “What’s the other reason?”

His heart skips a beat at that question, proving that my suspicion is correct. That he does have another reason.

Something I’m very thankful for learning is how to read people with my new senses. Since it makes it rather easy, whether that’s seeing the slight sheen of sweat that might appear on their neck, hearing the way their heartbeat might skip a beat here and there, or even see the minute movements of their muscles tensing up ever so slightly.

A very useful ability for sure.

“All of the other magicians are still plotting against New Hope, and I’ve already worked with you once before and come out on top of the other magicians,” he answers after a few seconds of silence, making me nod my head in understanding.

Makes sense. After all, better the devil you know at this point.

Not that I’m a devil. I am who I am, which is far from a devil. Even if my eyes say otherwise.

And he’s right about the other cities still targeting him. I know that simply due to overhearing some conversations by some of the messengers who didn’t realize I was outside of my cave at the time hunting and could hear them when they were talking a ways away from my home.

In fact, the other cities are planning on dealing with him in the upcoming months, if I remember correctly.

He seems to hesitate for a second before he asks, “I would also like to make a trade route between New Hope and the Undying Caverns, if you don’t mind.”

I raise a brow at that and repeat, “The Undying Caverns?”

The man looks surprised for a moment as he answers, “That’s what everyone else is calling your growing city of refugees. Since it’s lead by the Undying Magician, and no one else is allowed inside.”

Hmm. Interesting.

They’re really going all in on this ‘undying’ shtick of theirs, aren’t they?

“In that case, you can take it up with Carol,” I tell him while glancing at a few more refugees who’re arriving right about now. Most of the people she’s been bringing are children, likely because the adults are more needed in the cities, but there have been plenty of new adults as well. And they’ve been a big help to her from what I can tell in regard to managing the kids. “She’s the one dealing with the logistics of the village inside.”

Well, amongst other things. Considering she’s basically the one running the place at this point. Just with her deferring to me during important decisions when I’m not busy.

Never really expected to make my own faction, if I’m being honest.

Before the guy can say anything else, I continue, “I’ll bring her out here when we’re finished so that she can talk to you.”

Seeing as he can’t actually enter my caves himself unless I allow him to. And I’m not letting a random magician enter my caves, regardless of if I’ve worked with him before.

He nods his head, showing his appreciation.

“Now then,” I ask, putting my hand on my sword’s pommel, “is it safe to assume you didn’t come here with information alone? Because it wouldn’t have been too hard to learn about that blockade myself.”

Wouldn’t be surprised if my own people started vanishing a little before I learned about it, which saves some of their lives, but we still would’ve found out in the end. But I doubt that’s all they brought with them if they’re wanting to make a more solid alliance with us.

“You’re right,” he says with a nod before pulling out some sort of box that I’m wondering where he was carrying. “I also have these, which I’ve heard you’ve been searching for.”

My eyes widen at that, only for my mouth to part open ever so slightly when he opens it to reveal the molds for sniper rifle bullets of my exact sniper rifle’s model. Or at least ones compatible with my model, seeing as they don’t use magic rounds.

With a mold, I should be able to experiment until I figure out how to craft the magic rounds compatible with my sniper rifle.

Something I’ve needed for a while now but couldn’t find anywhere, no matter how many cities I asked.

Although in hindsight, a lot of them were probably holding back purely because they didn’t want to supply me with ammunition that I could use against them in the future. Which makes sense.

“I’m open to discussion,” I tell the man, a smile forming on my lips.