Upon the sight of Devisha, we immediately stepped through the portal.
I quickly closed the magic pathway behind us since opening it for long was consuming too much mana.
Once the gateway was shut, I observed the place Devisha had picked for us.
A narrow turret attached to one of Tsuchi's city hall wings.
The structure allowed us a clear view of the Tamelan Square beneath us, which was overflowed with people in white robes. All were centering around the pyramid-shaped stage called the Tamelan Rise.
Soon I noticed three bloodied corpses were littering the floor of the turret.
The bodies wore armor and cape of the Jherendal soldiers.
"I had to clear this place from its occupants first. I doubted they would let us stroll into here openly."
Devisha explained while nudging the corpses with her boot. The woman's pair of daggers in her hands were drenched in dark blood.
That would explain her skill levelling up earlier.
I nodded to the former assassin and returned watching the festival's proceeding below.
"Any sign of our rescue target?"
I asked the veil-cladded woman.
"No. I believe they are inside the city hall, which is heavily guarded. It would be very hard infiltrating the building."
Devisha replied.
Darius nodded with her while observing the Tamelan Square below.
"As well as getting out. Twenty soldiers stationed at each entrance of the city hall. Forty on the main doors. Double those numbers on the square's three gates. And archers posted on every turrets and rooftops. Let alone the army patrolling inside the building."
[Human Knight Lv.13 x67]
[Human Soldiers Lv.11 x489]
"Can those archers on the other turrets and rooftops see us up here?"
Shanny asked with wary gaze.
Devisha shook her head reassuringly.
"Don't worry. I picked this turret specifically since it's the highest vantage point. The archers in the other turrets won't notice us from those angles. The structures are designed to observe what's below instead of each other."
As expected of a former assassin, she knew where to find the good hiding places.
"Even though the city hall is well-guarded, we still needed to rescue our target. We have to find a way in somewhere."
Jonah stated while eyeing the ocean of guards below.
It was then a horn blared.
"I believe we won't have to get into the city hall."
I said as the building's main entrance swung open.
A grand procession soon streamed out of the huge city hall and made its way toward the Tamelan Rise at the center of the square.
It was then that I began to prepare several sets of complex spells in my mind. Thanks to my Multicasting skill, I was able to formulate multiple spells at once.
Hence I watched the procession with magic formulas running through my head.
A hunched old woman garbed in splendid white robe led the procession while carrying a serpent-shaped staff.
"Make way! Make way! For the Descendant of the Great Pioneer walks the land!"
She announced with a resounding booming voice.
Sound-amplifying spell. Simple sorcery but yet complex enough to show how skilled the woman was.
Three more people dressed in similar robe and holding similar staff behind the old woman repeated her words with their own booming voices. Sending great echoes throughout the Tamelan Square.
They were the servants of the Serpent's Order.
It was their responsibility of holding Serpent's Festival throughout the world. Reminding the people of Dunia the might and wonder of the Eternal Serpent and its creations.
Following the servants were rows of Jherendal soldiers.
They were all escorting someone at the center of the procession.
It was a small figure, cladded in white robe, the cowl was hiding the figure's face. And in contrast to the servants of the Serpent's Order, this figure's robe was plain and without any adornment.
The figure was also walking bare-feet on the paved path toward the rise at the center of the square.
The only other thing that was with this person was a lit white candle, meant for the commencement ritual.
And so the escorted figure walked at the center of the procession while carrying a burning candle, just like the people of Tsuchi celebrating the festival.
The Jherendal escort soldiers then scattered around the pyramid-shaped stage while the cloaked figure continued their way up the steep steps.
The armed escorts lined themselves around the pyramid, posing themselves as barricades and preventing anyone from getting closer.
The escorted figure eventually arrived at the top of the Tamelan Rise where the Order's servants were waiting.
The concealed figure then kneeled at the center of the rise and pulled their cowl back, revealing their face.
A youthful boy who must had just turned fourteen.
His hair was as dark as midnight. But a glossy white streak encircled through the locks at the top of his head.
The pattern made it as if a crown was nestled on the boy. Or rather, a halo.
It was an appearance distinct to one particular bloodline.
A family which wielded the greatest power in the empire. In all of Dunia.
Despite his low hierarchy in that distinct House, not even the million people that were present in Tsuchi right now could overthrow the presence of someone with such ancient lineage.
The boy I was looking down to right now was the most important person in the entire city. Perhaps in the entire region.
"There he is. Our target."
I declared to my comrades.
They did not find it hard to believe me.
For as the boy raised his white candle to commence the Serpent Festival, all the Jherendal archers stationed around the Tamelan Square began nocking their arrows and aimed their sharp-tipped projectiles toward the center of the Tamelan Rise.
If not for those archers, then the notification window that appeared next definitely convinced my comrades.
[Mission Objective has been updated!]
[Floor 15]
[Mission Type – Guard]
[Objective – Protect Radjah Tsang Manusha!]