Chapter 53 – Spy

"Jake. Glad to see you back." Said Guild Manager standing up from behind his table when Jake's team entered his office.

"Sorry, that we are so late. I thought it would be best if we report as soon as possible." Said Jake squeezing guild managers hand.

"Don't worry. I barely sleep these days anyway. So tell me your side of the story. The one that Margaret reported was so unbelievable, I could not wait for your report." Said guild manager beckoning them to sit.

"It was a real mess, Raimond. And just like we thought, nobles could not be relied on. If not for Sir Rowan's stubbornness and sense of justice, we might have not gotten any help at all." Said Jake sitting down on a chair in front of the guild managers desk.

"The corruption runs deep. City lord and I are currently thinking on how to solve it. Royal investigators would actually be a blessing of sorts in this just that they are more of a double edged sword and may harm both sides." Said guild manager. "What do you think about the spatial magic, you think it's true?"

"No other explanation, how an entire village just ceased to exist." Answered Jake.

"That's a big move they made. Gave out quite a trump card there. I wonder why they had to show their big card like that?" Said guild manager rubbing his chin in thought.

"I think they were in a hurry." Said Rey sitting on the chair near Jake. "The information of our coming was leaked indeed, but it's possible it was leaked only recently."

"That's logical." Said Raimond in thought, but saw a strange expression on Jake's face. They met eyes but did not say anything.

"What about our mystery boy? How did he show himself?" Asked the guild manager.

"Beyond what we expected of him. His giant alpha monster wolf performed just like we expected, but the kid himself was a surprise after surprise." Said Jake sitting back and leaning into the chair backrest while putting hands on its armrest locking palms in front of himself on his belly. "With what I've seen, it's hard to believe he did not notice our surveillance on him."

Rey looked at Jake with a raised brow.

"Yeah, I know Rey. But take into account that he actually was keeping an eye on you and Keena the whole time in the forest, without you both noticing. And I mean not just some basic info that tamers or summoners usually may receive from their companions through small distances. He literally had a full grasp of the situation on your sides. Also saw that the city walls were unmanned, before sending a wolf to check. His own ability is beyond E-level by far. Just for his spying skills I'd rate him B-class." Explained Jake.

"That's even more worrying. He is weak and can't fight well relying on the wolf, yet his abilities are high. There are even more mysteries about him the longer we investigate him." Said guild manager.

After that Jake reported the events of the evening to the guild manager once again. Adding some info to the report that Margaret did not know.

"Thanks, that's a lot of useful info guys, go take a rest now. But Jake, stay for a bit." Said guild manager, dismissing Rey and Kail that looked at each and then at Jake and at his nod left the office without a word.

"So what worries you, Jake?" Asked Raimond when the room's door closed behind Kail and Rey.

"The guy's are quite fond of him. No doubt he saved our asses there…"

"But you have suspicion?" Finished for him Raimond took out a file out of his desk drawer and opened it. On the top of it was written "Noah (McDaniels) Lewnred.

"The coincidences. He appeared just shortly after that event. Also we suspect him being in the area near the second event. The giant alpha wolf monster traces in both cases. Also the slaver team that strangely was not killed by the monster was no doubt connected with dark society, and led us to the village. As if beckoning us towards attacking it, before the third team we called from the other town arrived. As if pressuring us to put him in the team. Him having ways to prevent poison is a damn lucky coincidence. I may be paranoid. But knowing the specifics of his appearance it feels like someone is trying to push him into our ranks and make him gain our trust."

"I agree on the coincidences. But it does not make a lot of sense. If that's the plan he gave himself away in both if those eve…" Guild manager stopped when he heard the knock on the door and saw that it opened.

"Guild Manager." Said Miss Louriat entering the room. "Sorry, I am late."

"Miss Louriat? I thought you would not come back today. How was your date?"

"It was wonderful. However I heard that Jake's team returned and decided to come to the guild instead of going home. Was I late?"

"No, I just reported on the basics of the event and we were about to discus…"

"Ara ara, you two gossiping about my date behind my back instead of work? I spoke a lot with him in the last two days and I believe he explained all the suspicions to him, so I think we were too quick to suspect him, guild manager." Said Lina coming over to the table and closing the file. "I think he is clean."

"Is that so?" Asked the guild manager looking strangely at her. "I see maybe we were indeed too paranoid. However I want you to make a report on your finding Miss Louriat."

"Understood. Oh by the way Jake, while.you are here, the skill book you ordered came while you were on the mission." Said Lina "We can go to the basement vault for you to receive it."

"Oh, right!" Said guild manager. "I will accompany you." He put the file back inside the drawer and then touched a magic circle on it, locking it inside securely. After that they left the cabined with Jake having a strange look on his face.

They all exited the room and walked down the stairs from the second floor all the way to the basement. When they opened one of the rooms, Miss Louriat entered it first and pressed a magic circle on the dark wall lighting up a magic lamp in the center of the room. The dark room with no windows in it lit up showing the black walls inscribed by the intricate magic circles. When they all entered, the guild manager closed the door shut and all the magic circles on the walls, floor and ceiling lit up with a gentle blue light.

"So what is going on Miss Louriat? Why the need for an anti-system room?" Asked the guild manager.

Jake looked at the guild manager with raised brows and then tried to call up his system window. However, to his surprise nothing happened.

"Don't bother, Jake." Said guild manager seeing his strange expression. "This is a special room that gives us the highest level of privacy. The systems and skills are entirely shut off in this room. There is no way to stay inside it while all the magic circles are active."

"Did not know we had it in the guild. Why not put it in your cabinet?"

"Too costly to make and uses too many magic crystals to use it any time I wish to."

"So what's the reason for using it now?" Asked Jake, looking at Miss Louriat.

"I think someone was spying on us in the office."

"Rey did not feel any….oh was it Noah?"

"No I don't think so." Said Lina. "Yesterday when Margaret came to report I saw something strange. It was just for a split moment, so I thought I was seeing things. But now I am sure of what I saw."

"What did you see?" Asked Jake with a strange expression.

"Lina has a bit of a special system, Jake. She's the one that figured Noah's true identity through his disguise and whatever means be used to falsify the scanning result in our guild's magic scanner."

"I see." Said Jake rubbing his own chin.

"Well, '' said Lina. "To put it simply, I can mark any person that I meet. This mark is special to every person so there is no way to confuse them. When I meet someone, the system gives me an option to place a mark."

"Ok. So you met Noah before he came in disguise, that's why you saw through it. So what happened there in the office?"

"When I entered the room, my system gave me a notice to mark a person. But the two of you are already marked. So I marked that third unknown person and it worked. There was a mark put on someone that was not there. Someone was standing in the shadows behind the guild manager and trying to read the report."

"Holy shit." Said Jake. "What kind of skill can do that?"

"What worries me more is who is this person working for? How much they spied on us?"

"Are you saying they might be behind the leak of information?" Asked Jake.

"Yeah maybe their plan was intricate and they even sent someone to keep an eye on that boy Noah." Said Raimond.

"Actually…I really do think we were a bit too paranoid of him. He did indeed hide his identity but we investigated the true reason for it and the result corresponds with his answer."

"Hold on. What answer?"

"McDaniel family Madam, tried to kill the son of the late Count from his second wife. Count had only daughters with the Countess, so as his only son Noah Lewenred or Noah McDaniels, what he is really called is the legitimate heir to the McDaniel house. However he had problems with his system. People say he could not awaken it even at the age of 18. When the latest that was ever recorded for the awakening system is 17 years old. People called him defective and even an imbecile. I guess that Countess had enough of this and as soon as the Count died, she attempted to assassinate him, making it look like it was an accident in the Great Tree Labyrinth."

"That bitch. So he awakened his system after all and was trying to hide from his step-mother?" Said Jake

"It looks like that." Answered Raimond. "However this does not explain his connections with the demon events."

"Unless there was no demon." Suddenly said Lina, with a thoughtful face.

"Explain?"

"He awakened his system in the Great Tree Labyrinth exactly when the first incident happened. He trained his skills in the North hunting ground when the second incident happened. These are the only things that actually connect him to the incidents. What if there were no monsters or demons in those incidents? He is Tamer and we now know that the wolf is not his only companion. There are strange slimes that no one in the world even heard of. What if there is something else in his possession too."

"Hold on! That would make a lot of sense." Said guild manager. "That's why Dryads were trying to hush it. They found out that it was not a mindless demon but a human with strange ability and decided that having human owe them a favor for destroying their forest is better than killing him. Also the strange monster that attacked the slavers left the newbies untouched, as if its goal was to save them. If we look at these events in this key. Then there are other monsters that may be his companion. Very dangerous monsters that he currently can't control well, so he uses only the wolf."

"I see. That must be some strong system. If he just awakened he is low leveled, yet can control a Monster Alpha Wolf. Any other tamer would barely be able to control a rat at low levels."

"Indeed. Also if you don't know yet Jake. The slime made a furor in the country. The Crown Chancellery sent people to grab him."

"We must poach him then. He'll be a useful ally in the guild's struggles against nobles."

"I agree." Said guild manager and looked at Lina. "So how did the date go?"

"I am not answering that. I did not go on a date with him to spy on him, alright? So please don't even think of using me to make him lean towards us." Said Lina and walked out of the room breaking the magic circles effect.

"Tsk." Voiced guild manager

"He is a smart guy, Raimond. Honey traps would not work on him." Said Jake and also went out.