Walking through the busy streets, blending in with the crowd, the sage noticed a few individuals scouting various places. All of them were dressed as civilians. Unsure if they were the people the king had mentioned, he decided to avoid them to be safe.
It was almost night, the sun already setting. As he reached the castle gate and entered its premises, he was greeted by weapons pointed at him.
"State your business, civilian. Why are you here?" demanded one of the guards. They were on high alert, and a thorough inspection of any visitor was mandatory. Unknown individuals needed to prove their identity.
With his current face, the guards were wary. He partially removed his transformation magic, revealing his real face and a badge. Despite this, they still didn't let him in.
"Royal Mage! There's someone here with a badge. Please verify," called the guard into his communication bracelet.
A royal mage appeared, wearing a monocle. Channeling mana into the monocle, he saw through the transformation and recognized the sage, confirming the authenticity of the badge.
The guards allowed him to enter, though he retained his altered appearance. Inside the main hall, he was greeted by the king.
"Took you long enough," the king remarked. Glancing at the child, he added, "Follow me," leading the sage to his office.
"Place the child on the couch," the king instructed. The sage gently set her down.
The sage unfurled a map on the table and began marking eleven circles in different areas.
"That's all you could get?" the king asked.
"Apologies, my king, but I had to cut my infiltration short because of her," the sage explained, nodding toward the child.
"Explain."
After the sage explained what he had seen, the king couldn't help but let out an exhausted sigh. "Things are becoming more complex and troublesome."
He took something from his desk drawer and slid it towards the sage. "Trust no one. Even me. Make sure that the person you're talking to is real and not a fake," he said in a serious tone.
Suddenly, the king grabbed the sage by the neck, giving him no time to react. "King... what's the meaning of this?" the sage asked, confusion etched on his face as the grip tightened.
"You know too much," the king said, preparing to crush the sage's neck. Just as he was about to, the sage in his grasp exploded into a cloud of smoke.
"Tsk... a clone," the king realized, grabbing his sword. He overturned the desk and tore up the map marked by the sage. "Playtime's over, old stick."
In the cloud of smoke, a tall silhouette appeared. The king was quick to react, slashing at the shadow, but he hit nothing. Feeling a looming danger behind him, he evaded an attack from above, the sword missing him by a hair's breadth.
The sword triggered a tripwire. "What?" The king found himself caught in a trap. He thought he had the sage, but the moment the sage puffed into smoke, he had already failed his mission. He escaped by jumping out the window, crashing into the bushes outside.
Before he landed, another figure, identical to the king, appeared beside him. Grabbing the falling impostor by the head, the real king slammed him down hard against the ground. Teeth flew, and a loud crack reverberated through the air as blood splattered around.
The unconscious, beaten body lay on the ground. Soon, the skin crumbled, revealing a completely different person. "That poison you gave me was weak, just like you, two-faced bastard," mocked the real king.
YOU ARE READING
Fiction Forger
Fantasy> is a beloved story about a young hero that captivated many. But then, inexplicably, it vanished from the face of the earth. All traces of its history and existence disappeared, leaving no memory of it-except for one person. A young aspiring noveli...
