Chapter 25 - Let me In

"... do I have to do this?"

"Yes, you told me you'd do anything to join the guild, so do half of my paperwork." Locki ordered as he looked over the completion documents in front of him.

Half of them needed to have their rewards updated since most of the mission givers seemed to have added more after Kagura did a good job. Logically, he knew that they did it because they liked to spoil the little girl whose guild had ties to the largest crime lord in Evermont, but he still resented them. They were definitely trying to kill him via paperwork. He was sure of it.

"This really wasn't what I had in mind when I joined a magic guild…" Ultear complained from her own corner of the room.

Locki's room, or more specifically, the guildmaster's room had been renovated with another small table for Ultear to work at. The woman, if she could be called that, draped herself dramatically over the table, spreading out the papers all over the place.

His first impressions of Ultear were rather tame compared to everyone else. Berrel and other patrons of his seedy guild actively called the woman "smoking hot" and "too beautiful for a mage." Even if the woman's figure was picturesque of the models that Sorcerer Weekly tried to fill their pages with, Locki was not one who paid attention to those things, especially when a more pressing screen had popped up in his face.

[Ultear Milkovich]

An escaped project, a lost daughter, a desperate girl who wishes nothing more than to be loved. She is on a mission from Grimoire Heart to pursue a small guild who is getting in the way of their plans for Zeref.

Best Abilities: [Lost Magic – Arc of Time], [Earthland Magic – Ice Make]

Mood: [Annoyed], [Bored]

Bond: 5%

Locki passed a glance at the woman he was alone with. Ultear's long, dark purple hair lay over the table as she rested her chin on her crossed arms. She stretched in a shoulderless white dress embroidered with pink and purple flowers around the edges, giving off the image of an innocent and kind girl who just happened to become a mage. The idle smile and relaxed body language was honestly so good that Locki held back the need to ask where she learned it.

It had to be an illusion or some application of her magic, Locki was sure of it. While magic that related to time was a very confusing piece of literature, Locki had read the theories that many mages came up with in regards to lost magic. Safe to say they were all crazy.

And in any other context, Locki would be ecstatic to have a mage with such potential in his guild. The second he saw her description, Locki knew he would need to squeeze this spy for all she was worth… so long as he figured out how Grimoire Hearts were connected to the Tower of Heaven while not getting killed in the process.

As if she sensed his thoughts, Ultear turned to him, offering a beautiful smile on her red lips. That was another thing. Gyutaro said she smelled young, and disregarding how the demon knew that, Locki couldn't help but see Ultear as nothing but a child who wore a mask. Like a little girl who pretended to be older.

"Can I help you, guildmaster?" She asked, turning from facing the wall to him.

"Yeah," Locki answered blandly. He took out a pen and notebook while his other hand stamped the miscellaneous documents. "I can tell you're bored, so [we'll do something entertaining after you finish your work]."

The purple-haired woman huffed as she turned back to her work. Locki frowned and quickly wrote down the activation of his magic. Was he using his newfound quirk of his personal magic to make a cultist spy do his paperwork? Definitely. If they wanted to kill him, they should at least make it so he wouldn't die from paperwork first.

As the two fell into a silence only cut by shifting papers and the soft sounds of breathing, Locki's thoughts drifted over to the notebook he had written in. Out of everything that had been dropped on him recently, from the movements for the Zeref Cults to the fact that a God might be behind his [Dimensional Guild System], Locki had fervently latched onto the idea that his once useless magic was suddenly something like mind control. Hakuryuu had come and gone like the wind, but Locki had sought out books about Charm magics and other magics that affected the mind as soon as he had free time. The once dead fire that was his interest in his personal magic had suddenly gained a new spark.

After all, for someone who had brainwashing as a key ability, he had attested to being unable to stop Locki's magic from working. That had to mean something. Locki desperately wished it meant something.

It was why he currently holed himself in his room with Ultear. He had been keeping track of everything, trying to pin down how his magic worked exactly.

"Are you sure this is what everyone else did when they joined your guild?"

Locki glazed at Ultear as she distracted him from his thoughts. The purple-haired mage was still buried in her own papers, but she had time to fish for information. Idly, the teen switched from his work to write in his notebook. She still seemed to follow along with the order he gave even if she acted with her own agenda.

"Yes, they did work in their own vein of expertise to get their place in this guild." Locki answered easily. However, he felt a knot tie up his insides when he talked with Ultear.

He knew she was a spy, and he needed to find out how she had ties to the Tower of Heaven. Sure, she could be from a different Zeref Cult, but he found that very unlikely. In the first place, her presence as a spy was just too coincidental for how soon he had stirred things up with the cults. Secondly, it seemed like the Tower of Heaven seemed to have a good grasp on Fairy Tail's movements or else she would instead be a cultist member after his head.

Locki just needed to know just what kind of information she was after. After that, then it would be easier to manipulate her into believing what he wanted her to.

"Why can't I just go on a mission or something, guildmaster?" Ultear said, almost whining. "I might not be the strongest, but my Repair Magic is pretty handy. I can easily take on some missions relating to that."

Locki held back a mirthful laugh at the statement that she had "Repair Magic." Ultear had tricked no one in her ruse when she repaired a broken mug and proceeded to pretend to say she couldn't do anything much larger. Sure, everyone in the room had complimented her, but Berrel wouldn't have worked for Locki's grandfather if he couldn't spot a lie. Gyutaro and Daki would believe him if Locki just said she was a liar, and Kagura was oddly perceptive when it came to people. Even if Locki couldn't understand what the little girl meant when she said that Ultear was a "mismatch of a bunch of metal that desperately needed support."

All that meant that everyone in his guild knew Ultear's motivations were something she hid. And it made it rather gratifying when everyone went along with his statements that his guildmates needed to earn their place in his guild.

"I can't let you do that." Locki said apologetically, trying to seem concerned for her. "You said you just became a mage recently, and I know that a lot of young and new mages are tricked easily while on their jobs. I hope you can glean how not to be scammed from these completion documents."

"Right, thank you, guildmaster." Ultear said with a smile that Locki hoped was fake. She was really too good with making it reach her eyes. "Ah but, I noticed that a lot of these missions mentioned another girl who helped complete them. Is there another cutie like Kagura running around?"

Instantly, the clues clicked for Locki. Of course, everything came back to Fairy Tail. The Tower of Heaven probably needed to figure out what his relationship to Fairy Tail was before they did anything too drastic. It didn't hurt to also check on the weaknesses of their supposed enemy as well.

Locki would applaud their plans. They probably would have worked if she arrived earlier, but now Locki was in a position where any and everyone interested in him had some goal. Even without the [Dimensional Guild System], the teen would have figured her goal out eventually.

Locki quickly schooled his features, making a show to look around conspiratorially. Ultear quickly caught on that it was a serious issue, but chose to look as serious as he did.

"I'm sure you already know how things are in Evermont." Locki started, continuing when she nodded. "The thing is, right now we are allies with one of the magic guilds in the city, but I am in talks with guildmaster Makarov in Magnolia."

"Makarov? That name sounds familiar… wait? Is it–"

"He is." Locki cut her off. She was too good at acting, and he didn't really need to see her act like she had just figured out a big conspiracy. "We can only move during the night to not get too much attention, but there's safeties in place should I get found out."

"This sounds… and forgive me for my words, rather absurd, guildmaster. I just wanted to join a magic guild I could get along with and not join a conspiracy that could get me killed." Ultear said angrily. "If this is how you treat new mages, I can see why not many have joined you lately."

Locki chuckled mirthfully. "I suppose that makes sense. Its why I like to tell everyone who joins. I want them to understand what they're getting into."

Locki watched her reaction closely. He knew she had been acting, but he had almost tried to console her that their situation was not so bad.

"I had wished you told me before I got involved with this mess." Ultear slumped, dropping her shoulders and reaching up to cup her face in her hands. "Now I can't even leave if I wanted to. No one is going to accept me if I want to join another magic guild nearby."

Locki nodded internally. She had gotten her character well enough. There would be no way any guild nearby would accept her if they caught wind that she had joined him; they would just assume she was a spy or something in the current climate of Evermont.

"I can pay for someone to take you elsewhere, if you want." Locki offered, trying to sound as polite as possible.

"Do you think they'd accept someone with no talent like me? I'm a loser who can only repair things with my magic. Aren't mages supposed to, I don't know, blow up buildings or summon fire… I'm stuck with only going for below average magic guilds to hope I can support myself!"

Hey, hey, there's no need to insult people like that! Locki almost rose to the insult, but he took it in stride to keep up appearances… and put it down in his notebook for reference.

Still, he could tell what she wanted him to do. Ultear was playing up the angle of a distress mage who found out she was in over her head, using terms like "no talent" in order to tug at his heartstrings. Well, jokes on her. He had lost those long ago.

The point was, she wanted to know his relationships. Her response was tailored so that Locki could offer her a way out through his "connections." And even if her acting was impressive, Locki found her wordplay utterly boring. She had skill and some information but no real way to leverage it.

Maybe Gyutaro was onto something when he called her young.

"Don't think you can play me like that." Locki accused, causing the woman to freeze momentarily. "I have played this game for too long to see someone trying to goad me into things."

"W-what do you mean?"

Locki scoffed, layering his own acting on thick. He knew he had plenty of secrets that would ruin him. His [Dimensional Guild System] would easily allow a guild to pump out strong members in a short time with missions, and he could see a future where Drumlowe took advantage of it, constantly keeping him under the old mage's thumb as a little gopher who supplied combat power. On the other side of the spectrum, Gyutaro and Daki had deadly weaknesses in the fact that they died in literal sunlight. If the Tower of Heaven found out, he'd be screwed big time.

As such, he needed a ruse to distract Ultear. A big conspiracy to take her attention away from the fact that Gyutaro and Daki stayed inside all day, and a way to push her to think that, while he hadn't found out about her secret identity, he wasn't that dumb in order to slow down her constant, and very blatant, probes for information.

"You probably already heard of my relations to Fairy Tail and hoped to earn a recommendation to smooth your transition from my guild to theirs, right?" Locki said, smiling as if he saw right through her. It was risky if she acted out against him, but if she believed what he wanted her to believe, then he would be able to move easier.

Idly, he tapped his desk, sending a signal to Gyutaro who had been listening in on the room. The second she tried anything, the demon would come barreling through the door. In addition, the shadows of the room darkened momentarily, letting him know that Max had also been paying attention.

"W- why would I do that, guildmaster?" Ultear quickly tried to deny him. Instead of an unreadable face, Locki could see her face had changed to panicked and worried.

Another ruse to make it seem like he was actually onto something. Gods, he hated mind games.

Nonetheless, Locki played along. "Perhaps you heard about my connections to Mermaid Heel and thought you could get in easier if you had my word backing you up? It would certainly make sense since no one in their right mind would want to join a magic guild in Evermont when they can simply try their luck elsewhere. And please don't pretend to not know; everyone and their mother knows just how messed up this city is if they've spent more than a few hours in it."

"Fine, you caught me." Ultear relented with a sigh, and Locki nearly tried to hide his smirk. He showed it mainly to let her think he was overconfident in his assessment and that it was his only thing he found out about her. "I admit, I had heard rumors, but I didn't think that this… city." She spat the word as if it were a slur. "Was so bad. So what are you gonna do? Kick me out? I have nowhere to go; is it so wrong that a talentless mage like me strove to be greater."

Locki held back the need to roll his eyes. If he heard that someone with Lost Magic continually said they were talentless any more, it would be too soon. Even if he knew it was for her act, he still cringed a bit every time.

"I don't really care much for why you joined my guild." Locki lied easily. "You see, Evermont almost entirely operates on a give and take. I can give you what you want. As such, [you must work with me on a few things]. Of course, I will not make you do anything untowards. We are, after all, a respectable Fiore magic guild."

"Yes," Ultear rolled her eyes, relaxing from her previous posture to lay out in her chair. "Respectable… please tell me that the child I saw with the sentient sword is not also in my position, too."

Locki regarded the mage. They locked eyes wordlessly as Locki paused long enough to let her imagination run. Max had seen the interaction and the helpful ghost had decidedly darkened the room from its previous midday light. The shadows in the room circled around her, and for once, Ultear's face lost its previous composure. Whether it was an act or not, she got the message.

Locki cocked his head, and Max dissipated the illusion made from an energy that only a Wizard Saint could detect. "Make no mistake, Ultear, we are working for our own goals. Not together. I don't care what you do with the information you get from my guild, but I will not let you think you can come in here and spread things to the other magic guilds in my city. So long as you take care, I will allow you to be one of my guildmates."

Ultear's face scrunched up noticeably, and Locki pursed his lips at how often his magic began to work, proving that some of his conjectures had been right. And as if it were magic, which was fairly apt, the woman nodded slightly.

"Very well, guildmaster Locki. You certainly are not like many rumors have you out to be."

"No, no I am not." Locki grinned as he held out the guild stamp for Ultear. She took it easily, turning it over in her hands as she carelessly stamped her left hand.

There was no other fanfare. No impressive display of magic or feeling that his magic had taken effect, but Locki didn't need them to see a change in Ultear's posture. The teen grew a little pensive as she seemed a little more relaxed than before. Her status still showed that she was a spy for Grimoire Hearts, but there was another concerning line added in her description.

[Ultear Milkovich]

An escaped project, a lost daughter, a desperate girl who wishes nothing more than to be loved. She is on a mission from Grimoire Heart to pursue a small guild who is getting in the way of their plans for Zeref. She seeks to figure out the secrets of her guildmaster, Locki.

Best Abilities: [Lost Magic – Arc of Time], [Earthland Magic – Ice Make]

Mood: [Intrigued], [Bored]

Bond: 6%

He hoped it meant nothing, but he still noted it in his notebook.

"Now onto more interesting matters." Locki started, gathering her attention. "How would you like to join me to screw with one of the magic guilds in Evermont?"

Ultear's following smile was perhaps the most genuine one throughout the whole conversation.

...

[Earthland Magic — Enchanting Speak]. That was Locki's personal magic that he gained when he became a mage. He hadn't really given much thought to it when he was little, and perhaps that was only because he was inundated with the idea that magic should be flashy and powerful. As such, he had shelved it without much thought, thinking it was only a useless emphasis on his words.

And he wouldn't be wrong to think that even it had been working. After he began to document its effects and activation requirements, Locki had noticed a very stark trend.

For one, he needed his listener to believe what he said was possible. At the same time, he couldn't simply order people to do his bidding; they needed to at least be slightly agreeable with his words, and should he break that, they might act differently. Perhaps that's why he hadn't noticed it until Hakuryuu had pointed it out; he had simply thought that he was that persuasive since he only noticed it when he had been trying to convince people.

It was a little complicated to think about, but Locki found that as long as those requirements were met, his words were absolute. Locki personally thought of his words as a magically binding deal; so long as his listener felt that the terms were agreeable and possible, they would do them without fail.

The new problem came when Locki thought about deals in general. If he applied his deal theory to his magic, then that came with the caveat of when did the deal expire? Or, most worryingly, did his magic persist so long as the terms weren't crossed?

Locki felt a little lost as he thought about it. He had used his magic unknowingly throughout his entire life, so he had gotten used to it. However, at what point did people do things for him that weren't spurned from his magic? If he followed the previous line of thought, at what point did people fall under him simply because his magic was just... there, persisting like a plague that took over their thoughts.

He didn't really want to think about those implications when it came to Kagura.

Luckily, the teen didn't need to think too hard about it. Ultear was the perfect test subject, and so far, she still had her free will. Max had even spied her sending information through an unknown communications Lacrima when she went somewhere else.

"Something on your mind, guildmaster?" Ultear asked curiously from his side.

She had changed from her previous dress to a pair of white pants and black blouse that cut off around her midriff. A brown belt was wrapped around her waist and a pair of heeled, black boots clacked noisily on the empty street. Locki had commented on that earlier when he asked her to dress in case they needed to get into a fight, and the woman had the audacity to say that he and Gyutaro would protect her if it came to that.

Said demon had placed himself slightly behind Locki and Ultear, standing silently in her blindspot as they walked. Ultear didn't comment on it; mainly because her cover wouldn't realize it, but Locki did see how she turned her head every so often to talk to him, letting Gyutaro fall into her peripherals.

"Nothing much." Locki finally answered. "Do you understand what you have to do?"

"Yeah, yeah, pretend I have some form of revival magic…" Ultear rolled her eyes, and had done so when Locki had proposed his idea to her. Though, he couldn't deny there was a little bit of malicious intent behind his thoughts.

He had told her to pretend that her repair magic reversed Gyutaro's healing, effectively scaring off the Rose Tyrants into thinking his guild was stronger than they thought. Of course, he would frame it as a version of time magic…

Max thought it was funny, at least.

Which is why the trio found themselves in Evermont's commercial district. Locki had looked upon Rose Tyrant's guild hall once before, and even now in its supposed downfall, it still held a sort of majesty.

The place was built right in the middle of the commercial district over an old military training grounds. It was perhaps the largest of the four big magic guilds in Evermont because of that fact.

Rose Tyrant's guild was surrounded by a large stone rampart fit with raised towers at the corners and either side of the entrance with manned guards that were on lookout. Locki could see several normal humans from the light of Lacrima embedded within the towers, and unlike other normal people's reaction to mages, they just stared at him from above. The front gates of their guild was similarly styled; built with wood and strips of metal that were riveted to reinforce it. In the middle of the door, hung the guild's insignia, a metallic rose.

"Stop! Don't come any closer!" When they were no more than twenty feet away from the doors, a voice shouted at them from above.

Locki eyed the man who appeared. He was scarred –was that a common thing among Evermont's mages?- with a large burn scar that was slightly visible from his right side on the exposed sections of his clothes. Like most of the Rose Tyrant's mages, he wore a piece of armor: his were a pair of thick, chitinous vambraces. Both of them gleamed within the light of the Lacrima built within the tower.

"Tell guildmaster Wonnifel I have a proposition for her!" Locki shouted confidently, and waited as the mage looked at him, pensive. Locki smiled to himself as he saw the mage turn to look at someone unseen, before they turned back to him.

"Tell me your deal first, and then we'll decide later!"

Locki shook his head, knowing it would go nowhere in that case. He had gone here for a couple reasons. Ghost had mentioned using his new member, who he now assumed was Ultear, to leverage his goal to the Rose Tyrants. He had first thought to just toss out the spy to them, but thought over all his information.

One, their S-rank was dead, and while they had a couple mages to stay afloat, they could only buy off the other magic guilds for so long. If they believed Locki had a mage who could heal them or resurrect a supposedly dead mage, then they might just bend over backward for him.

The problem lay in how Locki went about it. He needed them to believe he could give them what they want, and his newfound application of his magic was perfect for the job. As long as he gave them evidence that such a thing is possible in their eyes, he could fulfill one condition for his magic.

The other reason, they currently were on their own. Initially, the four magic guilds were in a stalemate. Drumlowe had the strongest high ranking power, but his forces were smaller. The Steel Hawks and Jade Serpents were allies, but they would stab each other in the back if it really came down to it.

Lastly, Rose Tyrants were something of a middle ground. They had the most members, but that was due to the sheer amount of normal humans who populated their ranks. However, if it came down to a fight, the Rose Tyrants could field hundreds of normal people with armor and magic items. After all, they had the money to squander due to their relations with the merchants so close to their territory.

Without their S-rank, they were just a force that bled out slowly. Either from the other three who took shots at them in the dark or from people who left after they realized things weren't going well.

Locki grinned up at the mage. "Don't be so quick to send me off. I come because I think the two of our guilds can team up. Allies should be on the same footing, after all."

The mage clearly bristled at Locki's insinuation. "If you think for a second that the two of our guild are even close to each other, we will show you the meaning of why you should fear us! We'll–"

"Then, attack us and let me see it." Locki said confidently and walked forwards with Gyutaro confidently behind.

He had patiently waited to do this. His reputation was at its peak; everyone knew he had fallen in with Drumlowe, and by proxy, that meant the Rose Tyrants would not think of only Locki's retaliation.

In their position, any loss was magnified. Locki knew that even if he failed in his supposed attack, they couldn't afford it if Locki actually dealt damage to them. At the same time, if they really attacked Locki, they could draw eyes back onto them that they didn't need.

"You cocky mother–"

He stopped and looked back once again. The forgettable mage frowned and glared at Locki as he turned back around angrily saying, "Guildmaster Wonnifel has chosen to see you."

Locki smiled as he internally wiped the sweat off his brow. In the end, his actions were a gamble. Whether they cared more about their pride or their continuation, and even if Berrel gave Locki all the information on guildmaster Wonnifel and her actions, Locki wasn't completely sure she would agree to it.

Locki and his group walked through the now open gates of the ramparts, opening up to the main parts of the Rose Tyrants guild.

The insides of the walls were a large yard filled with training areas, ranges for magic items, and several large buildings. The teen noted a large storage area where several normal humans moved crates of supplies back and forth constantly. Locki found the majority of training areas were packed with people and mages, but instead of training, they all had their eyes on the trio.

And in the middle of it all, on the path straight from the gate, was a lone table that had been set up. Atop the table was an expensive tea set that Locki knew was imported from some other kingdom as Fiore didn't make things as nice as that. Two chairs were set on either side of the table with guildmaster Wonnifel occupying the one opposite of him.

Locki paused momentarily as he stepped through the gates and took everything in, but he wasn't concerned or scared. He had already passed the scariest part, and all that was left was if he could sell his idea enough. No, he had paused because a new translucent screen had popped up in front of him.

[Guild of people hostile to guildmaster "Locki Wyn" has been entered]

[Generating Optional Guild Quest]

[Guild Quest]

Optional

Rank: B-A-rank

Subdue or Eliminate enemy mages!

Reward: one Tier 1 Blue Prism, Tier 1 Red Prism, and Tier 1 Gold Prism for each mage subdued or eliminated

Penalties: Being lame and boring, possible death and dismemberment

Locki took a moment to register that information in his head, and then promptly ignored it. He knew he would focus on it too much if he thought about it hard now, but the teen couldn't help but feel the corners of his lips twitch at the quest. It had been so long since he got a [Quest] issued by the system that he had forgotten about it. He supposed this one was pretty good since it didn't have a supposed time limit attached.

Carefully, Locki took the seat across from Wonnifel, taking in the older woman. Contrary to what he thought, the other guildmaster wasn't that much older than him. Her skin was smooth and flawless as she brought her tea up to plump, red lips and took a sip. Her face was round, making her features softer and emphasizing her piercing green eyes. Long, brown hair was pulled up in a ponytail that hung on the right side of her head.

Her clothes and looks suggested she were a merchant more than a combat mage as she wore a long, red dress that exposed her back and shoulders. A dusting of makeup accentuated her face as she waved her hand and a gust of wind signaled the use of her magic. Locki looked around to see that the air was slightly blurry as if he were looking in an opaque mirror.

"There, I have shielded us from Zeronu's eyes. Probably until he comes to check." She said simply as if disclosing a way to interfere with Zeronu's clairvoyant eyes was nothing.

Of course, Locki also saw it as a threat. He can't see what's going on, so don't expect timely help. At the same time, she wanted to know if he would talk differently when he knew he couldn't be caught.

Locki smiled and relaxed into his chair. His back had to have been covered in sweat, but he took the time to fill up one of the presented teacups with some tea and take a sip. "Let's not dance around the subject. I have something you want, an offer of sorts, and I want your assistance in return."

"What do you think you have that I would want?" She said without a hint of hesitation. It made sense. She was the guild at the center of commerce in Evermont; they certainly had enough money to buy whatever they wanted.

"That depends on your assistance." Locki said without an explanation. He lazily waved over at Ultear. "One of my mages has a particular magic that some might consider wildly powerful: Time Magic. And while she can only do fairly simple things, I think one would be rather interesting for you. Resurrection."

Instantly, the woman's eyes narrowed, looking from him to Gyutaro and Ultear who stood a little ways away. Guildmaster Wonnifel raised an eyebrow and carefully set down her cup. "Show me."

Locki had expected a bit more skepticism since, well… resurrection wasn't that commonplace if possible at all. The ability to cheat death had evaded mages countless times, and there had been not one record of a mage coming back from the dead without horrible sacrifice involved. Even then, the one resurrected was never the same or even the right thing brought back.

"Gyutaro," Locki said after a moment of hesitation. "Cut your neck."

The demon had been prepared for this order, and he calmly took out his [Ausauchi] before he brought it to his neck and cut in one swift motion. Everything happened so fast that even the stoic Wonnifel hadn't expected it. She leaned forward slightly as Gyutaro collapsed on the ground, bleeding from his throat.

"Wait, let my men inspect him first." She said, signaling the mage who had stopped them at the gate. The man approached slowly, staring at Gyutaro as blood soaked the grounds. He paused momentarily to crouch down and place a hand under the demon's nose and one of the demon's chest.

The mage's face fell more and more into a frown as he looked up at Locki, and the second they made eye contact, he looked away with a slight tremor. Shakily, the burned mage stood up and shook his head, face going slightly green as he turned away.

"I hope this is not an attempt to frame me for murder, guildmaster Wyn. Though, I wonder if I should be worried about the loyalty of your members."

Locki smiled thinly. He had gotten through the hard part, and he nodded over the Ultear and released his Curse's hold on Gyutaro's body right as her magic looked like it came into effect. A green glow surrounded the demon as Gyutaro controlled the blood to stream back into his wounds and seal back up in the blink of an eye. At the same time, Ultear played her part, swooning slightly and falling into the demon's arms.

Gyutaro immediately dropped her.

Ultear complained from her position on the ground, but Gyutaro simply showed off the fact that he had seemingly risen from the dead. Locki took the time to study Wonnifel's features, and he clenched his fist as he saw a flash of greed pass by her face.

"Girl, how much would it cost for you to use that magic again?" She asked, earning a frown from Locki as she ignored him immediately.

Ultear smiled at her and shook her head before she turned to Locki, and the blonde teen smiled at the brown-haired woman. Wonnifel immediately stilled, knowing she had let her greed take over long enough to screw her on the deal. From Gyutaro's actions, she had mistakenly assumed too much.

"How much?" She turned back to Locki and said through gritted teeth.

Locki knew right then and there that she believed him fully and would accept any deal. All he needed was a distraction to pull the attention from the Steel Hawks and Jade Serpents so that he could work in peace. They had been testing just how far Drumlowe would go to protect Locki, and the teen knew he needed something more than his own forces to occupy their mages. At least long enough to give him time to grow.

"How about [we make a deal]?" Locki said with a smile as he felt his magic catch. It proved his point, and so long as she believed that Ultear could bring back her men, guildmaster Wonnifel would be at his mercy. Locki almost wanted to thank her for her kind charity.

Because he was definitely going to rip her off.

His training arc had started, and for the first time since he thought of the idea of continuing the Scarlet Hand, Locki had a goal to reach. So long as he got the information about the Tower of Heaven from Ultear, all he wanted to do was finally strike back at the four magic guilds that had been messing with him since the beginning.

Of course, he will console their losses with the Prisms that mysteriously appeared with their completely natural and tragic untimely passing.