“I have to offer my gratitude for the assistance, Miss O’Connor,” said Mother Magdalene later that night when the two walked back towards their respective resting areas after the meeting. “This would not be the first time I have been part of a mission that led deep into enemy territory, but it is definitely the first time I have full confidence that we will be able to overpower whatever obstacles we run into.”
“Not this many volunteers usually, I take it?” asked Alissa to the old matron.
“Oh, volunteers are aplenty, but those who are strong enough to truly matter? Those are much rarer. The most I’ve had before in such a mission was four fourth tiers, for over two hundred of us in total,” replied Mother Magdalene with a scoff. “The bastards are quick to come if there are benefits being handed out, but are the first to shy away when there’s danger at hand. At least, that’s the case with many of the fourth tiers from the temple or the inner Kingdom. Those out here are the brave ones.”
“Ah, I see,” noted Alissa with a nod. While she herself had only been exposed to the daring warriors and knights who risked their lives at the front lines so far, she had not doubted what Mother Magdalene said. Given the Kingdom’s population, they definitely had more fourth tier combatants on hand, and the inner regions were definitely not left undefended either. That many of those who lived away from the frontlines fell to their own greed and other base desires was far from unexpected.
After all, the Kingdom definitely treated their fourth tier combatants with respect and recognition, at the very least, even the ones who remained behind the frontlines. Alissa knew that it was far too easy to get drunk on one’s own perceived importance from such acknowledgement, however. She had seen it for herself, how some people changed when they were recognized for something as minor as a high school athlete team.
All too often, it was not poverty that broke people, but plenty that did it instead. People who received accolades and treatment that seemed to affirm that they were special, beyond the average person, often found themselves lost in a perception of self-importance they developed on themselves. Given how grand the treatment a fourth tier combatant in Ephemera must be receiving, it was all too easy to imagine them falling prey to their own egos.
Doubly so when they were not inclined to risk their lives in the frontlines to begin with.
“With the [Heroes]’ party accompanying us, we would not face any serious risk unless we alarmed a demon army of our presence,” added Mother Magdalene after she noticed that Alissa wasn’t saying more in reply. “My people and Edrigo’s have specialists in infiltration that will help ensure that such a situation would not happen. That said, if possible, I would like to ask your group to temporarily discard any piece of equipment that is too conspicuously related to the Kingdom or the Temple for this endeavor. It will help.”
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“Right, the temple guards amongst my party wear gear that pretty much screamed their affiliation with the temple, I get that. Would the royal guards amongst my party need to change their armor too?” asked Alissa to be certain. She believed that the matron from the temple of all places would likely have good reason for making that request.
“If they change their surcoats for more neutral ones, that should be plenty. None of them are silly enough to wear armor engraved with the symbol of the kingdom all over,” replied the old matron with a grin on her face. “Have a good sleep, anyway. We will be departing tomorrow so I hope you’re all prepared by the time the sun rises.”
“We will, Mother, thank you.”
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The next morning, at dawn, Alissa saw that Mother Magdalene’s group and that of her former protege Edrigo’s were already gathered and having their simple breakfast by the time she got out of her tent. Unlike the day before, the priests and temple guards wore simple tunics, plain gambesons, and unadorned chainmail instead of the robes and armor that bore the sigil of the temple they usually wore.
Similarly, those who used shields swapped their usual shields – ones decorated and adorned with the temple’s emblem and other icons of faith – for plain, unremarkable ones, though there was no need to switch their weapons since most were unadorned. Alissa had thought that some of the priests or temple guards might grumble about it, but the group before her seemed used to it.
The people in her own party – the few who needed to do so – had done the same and similarly switched their equipment to neutral-looking, unmarked ones of similar quality, which was fortunately not an issue since they captured quite a few from the demons they defeated. None of them seemed to fuss over using such equipment either, though some clearly had questioning looks in their eyes.
“The sort of camouflage skill we’ll be using works by modifying the perception of others who see us. Basically, the closer we are to what they expect to see, the more effective the skill will be. It won’t hold under close inspection, but should be good enough until that point with the equipment we are wearing now,” said Mother Magdalene when she saw them coming, likely having anticipated the unasked question.
“So by wearing more neutral outfits we would be easier to keep camouflaged, more effectively then?” Alissa asked, having caught on to the old woman’s explanation.
“I like the smart ones. Yes, the difference between camouflaging someone in full vestments and someone in neutral wear is quite noticeable, around twice the mana needed, if I remember right,” confirmed Mother Magdalene. “As it is, with us being in neutral wear the skill only needed to disguise us into demons, but if it had to deal with our equipment as well, it would take up quite a bit more effort for them to handle.”
“That said, I hope you all are prepared for what we will have to do in the demon territories,” added the old matron with a somewhat wistful sigh. “I honestly wished that such work could be left solely to those who have prepared themselves for it, like me and mine, but such is the way things are. We will have to do things you might find unsavory during this mission, [Heroes].”
“And I sincerely hope that you have prepared yourself to do what needed to be done.”