Chapter 56: Eclipse Gate (6)

~Third POV~

After waiting for a few days and observing the area of Crocus and the castle Mercurius properly the day of commencing the mission has finally come in the morning with the two making sure of plans go well.

Mavis and Rou were both discussing the plan steps carefully ensuring no small detail goes to waste as his spider golems brought back with them pattern schedules and plans of the interior of the Fiore and Magic Council Government.

One of the spider golems projecting such plans as Mavis took careful planning on her end and spoke to Rou in a serious tone, "If we go through the underground by the end of the day will encounter the least amount of force required for this mission. Are you positive you don't need any physical help?"

Rou smiles and nods confidently to his fairy princess reassuring her as he replied to her, "No worries. All I need is surveillance and info updates. With you connected with my Spider Golem Archive viewing them from afar and giving me updates, this will go swimmingly. After all, we have our alibis right. With the headgear equipment for radio communication with no magic involve making sure they don't trace us back to us."

Mavis nodded as the two intentionally stayed the few days here on purpose to ensure an alibi for themselves if the event of them being called into question was an issue especially since the two members of the Magic Council Jellal and Ultear were still around.

Along with the pictures of Mercurius and floor patterns provided some earth technological communication earpieces and magic enchantment to hear each other.

Mavis nods placing her earpiece amazed by the work done with no magic needed as she sighs excited about it, "Sigh… I swear Rou the more you get into your work the more I'm getting less surprised these days. These are like Lacrimas except they aren't. Well except for the Enchants so not totally Lacrimas perhaps Magic Tools at best."

Rou just nodded in agreement as the two will be able to listen to each other with Mavis using her Archive magic to connect with the spider golems already inside acting like cameras inside to be all-seeing while giving Rou advice on where to go.

They already know where to find the Eclipse Gate located in the Castle Treasury beneath a few floor levels of the Castle's own Underground close to the prison.

Taking the moment, the two began to see the outside of the castle to see if there are any guards on patrol for the night with the spider golems providing eye-view reports.

To its left is a section keeping its height, topped by another going up high, which possesses a pitched roof, and behind which appears to be a structure reminiscent of ancient Greek and Roman temples, being highly similar to the real Parthenon, near which, to its upper right, sits apart ending in a small dome, topped by a prominent spire; two towers, possessing approximately the same height as the spire, are located on the back and right parts of the building.

To the entrance's right, several meters away from it, the building takes on an arched form, with the such part being reminiscent of a cylinder partially fused with the structure, soared above by a mildly small spire, almost placed in the back part of the building.

Topping the entire castle is a high, round tower, with its lower part, much more massive than the one above it, being adorned by elongated windows and ending in a dome, from which the thinner, top part appears and goes up several meters before ending in a pointed tiled roof.

Mercurius is surrounded by a lush garden, which, much like the rest of the city, is adorned by a large number of flowers, possessing flowerbeds and, in addition, artistically arranged plants and small, tidy hedges, which have square, hollow spaces on their edges, housing ornately decorated streetlamps, with wavy poles ending in large orbs, with circular objects surrounding them, seemingly floating.

The streets there are adorned by mosaics, which consist of a variety of small, flat rectangular stones arranged to resemble semicircles. In front of the palace sits a fountain, surrounded by a ground-level, round and shallow pool; water jets jut upwards from both the fountain and the pool, with the former also housing some plants, or possibly statues of plants, on its base.

Seeing a few Rune Knights on patrol following the patterns they obtained they nodded seeing this getting ready.

Like that Rou used Requip magic to change into his disguise with Mavis questioning it, "Rou… what exactly is that armor?"

In his gunmetal-colored steel armor body the helmet is adorned with a large, conical horn in the middle of the forehead, has a pair of parallel, horizontal vents beneath each half-moon eye hole, and a fang motif just above the protruding chin. The top of the helmet also sports a ribbon of white hair that hangs down to the small of the suit's back.

The trunk of the body also consists of a removable breastplate with a protruding, triangular shelf on the chest just below the throat guard, a high collar that extends out of the back and surrounds the rear and sides of the neck, and a large, circular leather patch on either side of the abdomen.

A breechcloth covers the groin and is painted as the armor body also appears to have a triple spike motif, as each shoulder is adorned with a trio of large conical spikes lined in a row and each elbow, knee, and foot carries small, spiky protrusions as well. The gunmetal armor also appears to have a white band around his right leg which holds up a small weapons holster.

Inside the empty armor is a curtain of chain mail for the protection of its former wearer as well as alchemical runes drawn around the armor with black and red zigzag lines that the wizards will mistake for Magic Runes in a different language only for Rou and Mavis themselves to know.

When he finished Requip into the new armor Rou gazed at Mavis with a voice modifier similar to the original Alphonse voice, "This is my gun-metal armor. With some modifications changing the metal into more carbon base material transmuting to Graphene. Graphene is one of the strongest metals I know. Works best with the materials being carbon-based. Graphene is like 200 times stronger than steel and stiffer than diamond."

Mavis shakes her head helplessly thinking of the poor suckers that have to fight off against Rou Graphene armor, "Oh those poor Rune Knights. I pity any sucker that tries to go after you but there is the concern of the Kingdom's black ops unit. I mean the entrance point is on their turf near the prison."

Rou understands what Mavis was talking about releasing his armor to his normal default form and muttering, "Yeah. You're talking about this generation of the Garou Knights. I'll deal with them accordingly."

The Garou Knights is an independent unit of Knights serving the Kingdom of Fiore from the shadows. They guard the Abyss Palace as executioners and execute all criminals who are sent there.

The two only know of them as they have been used in The Second Trade War from the time when the interest of the war came to the Fiore Kingdom interest as the two have knowledge of them.

Sighing at this shaking his head Rou replied to Mavis with a confident grin on his face, "Yeah… but I have to wonder if they are better than the old ones. But I'll be careful regardless."

Mavis sighs at this but smiles contently with the two agreeing to be cautious of the underground of the Castle but till then they only waited by wasting the day in the morning normally before the day comes to nighttime…

/////

~Rou POV~

*Clank*

*Clang*

Walking down the destination of the underground caverns using my Alchemy to dig my way down in my Al Armor.

I have Mavis talking to me through my earpiece and my golem spiders giving her the data to see through her spot in the hotel room.

The clanking sound of my armor doesn't exactly make my stealth mission here any easier but a whole lot worse than it looks.

[Mavis: By your steps and location you should be near the underground of the Castle. Be safe.]

[Rou: Roger. Roger.]

Replying back to my earpiece quietly going through the caverns of the Underground of the castle as my backup follows close to me carefully.

Although my steps aren't making my entrance all that much better.

But it will definitely do its job getting attention drawn to me that's for sure.

Because of this stupid King, the future was fucked all because he didn't listen to the time traveler from the past to destroy that it wouldn't make any hiccups.

And yet if he didn't, I would've died protecting Mavis with the plot not changing much because of a future Dragon God I died to the Wood one at that.

I'm conflicted on how I should feel about this, but I guess it wouldn't matter once I destroy the Eclipse Gate the promised future with Mavis would finally be realized after I take care of any issues I have to deal with.

Any conflict if it is humans, wizards, demons, slayers, gods, or dragons. I'll beat the living shit out of them if they dare harm my lifestyle or any of my children in the process.

A father is willing to do anything and go to any lengths to keep our children safe.

Although with my Philosopher Stone, it should be more than enough honestly. This stone is a god-level cheat item after all.

Although it would be interesting to see if even Acnologia would be affected by it or not. Maybe enough to bypass his stupid OP plot armor of scales he carries around.

*Clank*

*Clang*

Still would probably feel better if I chose a different disguise is it too late to change –

"Paaaan… Splash!!"

Whoa!

*Bloosh*

Dodging the sudden attack with my Spider Golems scurrying away hiding moving with my attention towards the man.

The man with a large build and overly-muscular arms, which are wrapped with bandages at the wrist. Compared to the rest of his body, he has disproportionately smaller legs. His eyes are narrow with a triangle-shaped nose, and his eyebrows are constantly furrowed. His hair is stylized in a spiked pompadour which spreads out onto his face in wide, arrow-shaped sideburns.

His attire consists of a light-colored shirt with light-coloured fur at the collar, which he wears under a dark vest. This is all covered with a sleeveless jacket that is designed with fur around the neck, with the words "ACID RULE" written on the back.

Right, that guy's name is Neppa the Acid Magic Caster. Soon after that, I see plants starting to pop up suddenly…

Ah…

Nostalgia huh?

Gazing my eyes and looking around in my armor suit one by one they come out of the shadows taking precautions against the Garou Knights of this generation.

The Garou Knights are noted to have executed criminals sent to the Abyss Palace without mercy and are the reason why the cavern is inescapable. In addition, their Magic is said to be specifically designed to kill people efficiently.

This will be an interesting experiment. I do hope they keep me somewhat entertained than the previous ones I worked with during the war. At the very least the previous old generation leader would be scary in the past.

Let's see how this group does eh?