"So, tell us what you need," Mathias got straight to the point, holding a cup of tea in his hand, as did Nathan, who was sipping his drink with relish.
"I never thought you'd bring out your most valuable tea," Nathan said, clearly pleased.
Meanwhile, Apollo looked down at his cup, which contained only milk. "Why do you two have tea while I get milk?"
"You're a Wanderer pretending to be a kid, right?" Mathias smiled. "Wouldn't drinking tea disrupt your Way of Cultivation?"
"I suppose you're right," Apollo replied, finishing his milk in one gulp. He knew only the basics of the Way of Cultivation that the Helflick family head spoke of. Essentially, it's about cultivating by following one's beliefs and fate. If someone aims to become a sword master, they have to immerse themselves completely in the way of the sword— It's not about f*cking a sword and using it as a d*ldo, but by deeply understanding and focusing their cultivation toward mastery of the sword. The concept is abstract, relying heavily on spirituality and fate.
Apollo couldn't exactly reveal that he didn't fully understand this Way of Cultivation.
"So, let's hear it," Mathias prompted.
"But first, I need to reveal something else," Apollo set his cup down on the table. They were seated in Mathias's study around a rectangular table. "I'm actually the Personal Disciple of Headmaster Axton."
Nathan, in mid-sip of his tea, nearly choked, some of his drink spilling onto the floor and table. Embarrassed, he quickly used the surrounding Qi to make the spilled liquid disappear.
"Oh?" Mathias raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So, the battle for Headmaster has begun."
"Anyway, about what I want—wait, what did you just say?" Apollo asked, wide-eyed.
"The battle to become the next Headmaster… don't tell me he didn't mention it to you?" Mathias looked at the beggar in surprise.
"He didn't," Apollo said, shaking his head in frustration. That damn guy! He's trying to pile more responsibility onto me! Once I'm done with this mission, I'll give up my position as Personal Disciple!
"I'm not surprised," Nathan remarked. "He's the type to say 'don't do this or that' but secretly do it himself."
"Anyway! This concerns him as well, and also that fat mayor of ours!" Apollo said, raising his tone to steer the conversation back on track.
Mathias's face darkened at the mention of the mayor. He waved his hand, and a transparent dome formed around the room, while Nathan sat up straight, now eyeing the beggar with great seriousness.
"If it's about the mayor, I think I have an idea. Has he finally decided to make a move?" Mathias asked.
"Yes, and I was sent to investigate," Apollo nodded. "Axton will need to send an official request to act against the mayor, but I don't know how long it will take to get a response from the main branch. That's why I'm asking you two to assist me with my investigation."
Mathias didn't answer immediately. Instead, he exchanged a glance with Nathan, and as he did so, the atmosphere grew tense, the Qi vibrating in subtle, synchronized frequencies.
This time, the beggar didn't eavesdrop on their conversation.
"So, you're saying Axton is ready to make a move, but he's being held back by the treaty?" Nathan asked.
"Yes," Apollo replied. "Klown has a plan—a hideous one he's hiding. And that's what I'm trying to uncover."
Apollo was determined to finish the mission as quickly as possible, and if they could provide him with information, he hoped to complete it in no time.
"What have you found so far?" Mathias asked, taking a sip of his tea. "We're also preparing to act. Maybe we can join forces."
"Certainly," Apollo nodded, before revealing a piece of shocking information. "I went to the Callum family, interrogated the family head, and found out that all the great noble families have already sided with the mayor—excluding you two, of course, and the deceased Leones."
Nathan, who had been reaching for his cup, froze, his hand shaking. They had suspected that some families were aligning with the mayor, but they hadn't expected that all of them were already on Klown's side! What shocked him more was that the beggar had actually met with Aaron Callum and extracted information from him.
"Are you responsible for his death?" Mathias looked directly into Yoma's eyes.
"Maybe, maybe not," Apollo shrugged, neither confirming nor denying. "Anyway, Klown is also behind the theft of Techniques from each Martial School. He's made these stolen techniques public, which is a strange move, to be honest."
"Yeah, that's very strange," Mathias murmured, rubbing his chin as he regarded the beggar with intrigue. "You keep surprising me, Yoma. I think we'll make a great team in bringing Klown down."
"I've been craving pig lately," Apollo chuckled.
"Hmph, anyone could have killed Aaron," Nathan remarked, finally lifting his cup and feigning indifference. "Did you find anything else?"
"Yes, it's disturbing—he's eating people," Apollo frowned. "He's also expanding the wall, though Aaron didn't know why."
"So it's true," Nathan and Mathias exchanged a look, realizing the rumors they'd heard were indeed real.
"We've noticed his work on the wall," Mathias said, leaning back more comfortably. "What's his reason?"
"He wants to be the sole ruler in this city. He thinks the cultivation schools limit his authority," Apollo explained, a mocking smile on his face. "Quite ambitious, isn't he? He'll probably crave more power once he succeeds with his plans."
"You know a lot," Mathias commented. "Do you need more information from us?"
"Yes," Apollo answered. "Any information that might help with my investigation."
"But what if Axton isn't able to act?" Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Will you join us in taking down that clown?"
"Of course," Apollo smiled. He already had an idea of what his third mission might be, so he was preparing for it in advance.
"I see. That's good to hear," Mathias said as he stood up. He walked over to the bookshelves, took out a book, then returned to his seat and slid it across the table toward the beggar.
"What's this?" Apollo picked up the book and read the title: Demons' Historic Rise.
Nathan looked at the Helflick family head. "You still think this is the reason?"
"Yes, and after this new friend of ours confirmed my suspicions, I'm even more certain," Mathias replied, his eyes glinting.