Chapter 263.

In the past two years, the white half-mask had undergone numerous upgrades, as it was written "ver.7.8" under the right eyehole.

"There seems to be a halo flying above you, Commander-in-Chief!"

When I wore the white half-mask, Caradoc applauded. But its not that it seems, but there really was a halo.

"Ahem! I tried including a halo effect with this upgrade."

Honestly, it was really useless, but if it's cool, that's all that matters.

"Ohhh!"

Version 1's white half-mask only had a recognition interfering magic on it, while version 2's white half-mask had a strengthening version of the magic. Then with subsequent updates, I focused on adding additional features.

The value of mana stone and magical materials that went into it was astronomical, but it didn't matter. After I sold some aphrodisiacs through Big Mama Information Agency, I got a little more than a year's worth of finances for an average territory. Apparently, there was a demand for it in foreign countries, too. Come to think of it, a lot of things had happened in the meantime before version 7.8 was reached.

"Tell me right away if anything happens outside.

Caradoc nodded at my order.

"Yes, Sir."

I slipped right into the old temple, leaving Caradoc behind.

The temple seemed so old and worn out that it was abandoned. Still, because it was a temple, there were simple religious murals around.

As I went inside, I stopped in front of a large stone goddess statue.

"Hmm, is it here?"

The stone statue was as old and dusty as the temple. However, the thickness of the dust piled up on the nearby abandoned chair and the thickness of the dust piled up on the goddesss statue were subtly different.

Looking at the floor where the goddesss statue was placed, there was a little more dust piled up than the surrounding floor. And as if the dust had fallen, it was gathered by the pedestal of the goddesss statue. It was clear that the goddesss statue had recently been moved and that dust had fallen on the ground.

Drrrruk-!

Dust rose when I pushed the goddess statue lightly with my foot. There was so much dust that I felt lucky that I had installed a gas mask function into my mask.

When the goddesss statue was pushed back, a secret space was revealed on the floor. Looking at it closely, it was supposed to be lifted, not pushed. No wonder there was no sign of it having been pushed.

"Wow, who put such complicated security magic here?"

Even at a glance, the security magic that protected the secret space was not installed by any ordinary magician. The person who installed it must have at least been a madosa.

"But it's old-fashioned."

It was security magic that would have been popular about 120 years ago. Oh, perhaps the person thought it would be harder to deactivate it because it was so old.

The way the magic circle was designed was that the trap would trigger if it was broken through with force. It was so blatant that it felt as if it had been made on the premise that someone would just try to break through with brute force.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

"Its solved."

When the security magic was completely lifted, the door to the secret space opened by itself, and stairs appeared. I slowly stepped on it.

At the end of the stairs, which was not so far, there was an ordinary door with no magic on it. There were two presences that I felt inside, one was Palamuts mana, who I had become familiar with over the spar yesterday.

Caradoc and Tristan had pinpointed the location. Maybe I should reward them later.

However, the other persons presence also felt familiar. To start, I knocked.

Knock, knock, knock!

As manners maketh the man and knocking was a basic courtesy. I'm a gentleman, so I have to keep my manners. At the sound of the knocking, the presence inside approached the door.

"What are you knocking on the door for, uack!"

Kwang!

I kicked the door the moment the doorknob turned.

A burly man wearing a brown mask was thrown into the wall screaming along with the smashed door.

Thinking about it, I thought it would be fine not to keep manners for the kidnappers.

The scene inside the secret space was more peaceful than expected. Palamut, who had been kidnapped, came out with a puzzled look as he held a chess piece and looked back and forth between me and Brown Mask. He seemed to have been playing chess peacefully with the kidnapper.

"You're not on the same side? Palamut asked.

He didn't recognize me because I was wearing a mask.

Brown Mask rose, clutching the part that got hit. "No! Who are you!"

The man in Brown Mask was on guard against me, prepared to pull out his sword.

I took a liquid sleeping drug out of my pocket space and poured it on a handkerchief.

"What is that? asked Brown Mask.

I grinned, ran towards Palamut, and covered his mouth with the handkerchief.

"Uh! Uhh! Uhhh...!

He fell asleep in three seconds. To be honest, I was too lazy to explain. As expected, it's more efficient to put them to sleep.

I picked up Palamut and naturally headed back to the door I came from.

"What have you done to him?! Let him go right now!"

"I refuse! I will take this man!"

Listening to me and Brown Mask, who tried to block me, it seemed like I was the kidnapper and Brown Mask was protecting Palamut, but it was actually the opposite.

"What harm are you trying to do to him?"

"Youre the ones who must have done the harm! You kidnapper!

Brown Mask was speechless at my rebuke. Then he closed his eyes as if conflicted, and said, "That, that's no excuse."

Somehow, it wasn't the reaction I expected from a kidnapper. Since they had charged into the palace and kidnapped, I thought they would have been crazier, but it felt like I was interacting with someone reasonable.

The distressed Brown Mask pointed at me and shouted, "But seeing that you are also wearing a mask, you must not be an honorable person! You even have recognition interfering magic thats strong to the point of making me dizzy!"

"Ridiculous! Why don't you say that after taking off your mask?

"Ugh...!

Once again, after I hit the nail on the head, Brown Mask hesitated.

I quickly tried to get past him and exit through the secret passageway. However, he quickly came over to block me.

"You cant leave!"

He punched me in the face. At the same time as I d