Walking through the busy streets, blending in with the crowd, the sage noticed a few individuals scouting various places. All of them were dressed as civilians. Unsure if they were the people the king had mentioned, he decided to avoid them to be safe.

It was almost night, the sun already setting. As he reached the castle gate and entered its premises, he was greeted by weapons pointed at him.

"State your business, civilian. Why are you here?" demanded one of the guards. They were on high alert, and a thorough inspection of any visitor was mandatory. Unknown individuals needed to prove their identity.

With his current face, the guards were wary. He partially removed his transformation magic, revealing his real face and a badge. Despite this, they still didn't let him in.

"Royal Mage! There's someone here with a badge. Please verify," called the guard into his communication bracelet.

A royal mage appeared, wearing a monocle. Channeling mana into the monocle, he saw through the transformation and recognized the sage, confirming the authenticity of the badge.

The guards allowed him to enter, though he retained his altered appearance. Inside the main hall, he was greeted by the king.

"Took you long enough," the king remarked. Glancing at the child, he added, "Follow me," leading the sage to his office.

"Place the child on the couch," the king instructed. The sage gently set her down.

The sage unfurled a map on the table and began marking eleven circles in different areas.

"That's all you could get?" the king asked.

"Apologies, my king, but I had to cut my infiltration short because of her," the sage explained, nodding toward the child.

"Explain."

After the sage explained what he had seen, the king couldn't help but let out an exhausted sigh. "Things are becoming more complex and troublesome."

He took something from his desk drawer and slid it towards the sage. "Trust no one. Even me. Make sure that the person you're talking to is real and not a fake," he said in a serious tone.

Suddenly, the king grabbed the sage by the neck, giving him no time to react. "King... what's the meaning of this?" the sage asked, confusion etched on his face as the grip tightened.

"You know too much," the king said, preparing to crush the sage's neck. Just as he was about to, the sage in his grasp exploded into a cloud of smoke.

"Tsk... a clone," the king realized, grabbing his sword. He overturned the desk and tore up the map marked by the sage. "Playtime's over, old stick."

In the cloud of smoke, a tall silhouette appeared. The king was quick to react, slashing at the shadow, but he hit nothing. Feeling a looming danger behind him, he evaded an attack from above, the sword missing him by a hair's breadth.

The sword triggered a tripwire. "What?" The king found himself caught in a trap. He thought he had the sage, but the moment the sage puffed into smoke, he had already failed his mission. He escaped by jumping out the window, crashing into the bushes outside.

Before he landed, another figure, identical to the king, appeared beside him. Grabbing the falling impostor by the head, the real king slammed him down hard against the ground. Teeth flew, and a loud crack reverberated through the air as blood splattered around.

The unconscious, beaten body lay on the ground. Soon, the skin crumbled, revealing a completely different person. "That poison you gave me was weak, just like you, two-faced bastard," mocked the real king.

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Good job," he said, looking up at the window where the sage stood, smiling. "I didn't expect you to figure it out at first glance. As expected of you."

"Such cheap tricks won't work on me," the sage replied, his confidence evident in his smile, a testament to his capabilities proven by time and feats.

The loud crash did not escape the ears of the guards, who quickly rushed to the scene. Seeing the unconscious body, they collected him.

"Drag him to the dungeon, strip him naked, and clean him thoroughly. Prepare the tools," the king ordered.

The soldiers saluted and roughly dragged the man away. "Sage," the king called. Nodding, the sage used magic to lift the king from the window.

Grabbing the paper the impostor had slid to the sage, it was revealed to be a fire magic scroll with a timed activation.

The sage easily canceled the time set and rolled the paper.

"Now, tell me everything," the king demanded.

Dispelling his transformation, the sage began his explanation, just as he had done with the fake king, leaving out no detail.

"I get the gist of the situation... Now that you mention it, Knight Evan woke up two days ago. He said there was a survivor in the village of Gunta and described the child," the king said, looking at the girl sleeping on the couch. "A girl with short brown hair."

Walking closer to the sleeping child, the king pried her eyelid open, revealing a beautiful golden-yellow eye.

"Everything checks out," the king said, observing her sleeping face. "Have you checked if she's truly human?"

"Not yet," the sage admitted, feeling a pang of pity for the child. A sole survivor who had narrowly escaped the Guardian Organization, her story sounded tragic, but her power was terrifying. If she could indeed control the mana in the air, she would be a walking catastrophe. Even knowing her identity, they couldn't just let someone like her roam free.

"Your mission here is done. Go with Knight Evan; he should be guarding a post somewhere near Ash Lake. I'll take care of the girl."

"Yes, my king," the sage replied, turning to leave. But before he exited, he snapped his fingers, and the pieces of shattered glass floated, reassembling the broken window.

"Wait," the king called, halting the sage. Turning around, the sage faced him.

"Are you aware of a giant monster that woke in the gurdians base where you were previously?" the king asked.

"I'm afraid I have no knowledge of any giant monster in the base," the sage replied.

"There was a commotion when that monster appeared, shortly after I was informed of your arrival. The townspeople described it as a giant floating castle with tentacles and giant eyes. Floating above the forest trees, and suddenly burning and dissapearing"

Hearing this, the sage was even more perplexed. "I'm afraid I have no knowledge of a giant castle monster, but I do know of a twelve-tentacled, one-eyed monster. There's a book in the Magus Library that records ancient beasts. If you'd like, I could request it and bring it here."

"Please do," the king agreed, ending their conversation.

He rang a bell that sat beside his armchair, and two maids soon appeared.

"Get that child dressed properly, wash her, and prepare a room for her," the king ordered.

Nodding at the king's command, the maids bowed and set to work. One maid headed to prepare the bath while the other carefully carried the child. Without a word of instruction, they knew their tasks.

The maid with the child searched for a suitable dress, weaving one with magic when she found nothing appropriate. After making a few sets, they washed the child and dressed her in clean clothes, placing her in a soft bed in one of the castle's vacant rooms.

The king entered the room, placing a small crystal hidden among the plants. "Tell me when she wakes up," he instructed before leaving.

The maid stayed in the room, waiting quietly for the child to awaken.

The king then headed straight to the dungeon beneath the castle. It was a torture room.

The impostor sat unconscious on a metal chair, bound hand and foot, unable to move.

"King, we found a pair of teeth with strong poison in them," a guard reported.

"Good, get rid of them," the king ordered.

"Yes, your majesty," the guard replied, quickly disposing of the suicide devices.

While waiting for the impostor to wake up, the king examined the torture instruments laid out by his servants.

"Fetch a lie-seeking stone and a recorder," he instructed. The servants promptly went to retrieve the requested items.

Placing his foot on the chair, the king pushed the unconscious man, but he didn't stir. Raising his hand, the king began slapping the impostor's face repeatedly, his skin slowly tearing from the force.

The man soon awoke in agony. "Graaarghh!! Stop!!"

The king, puzzled, asked, "How did you wake up with just a few slaps?"

After all, the impostor hadn't awoken when the soldiers extracted his poisoned teeth.

"Well, not that it matters," the king said. "You're going to spill everything you know. I suggest you speak quickly and tell me everything, if you want a painless death. Unless you prefer pain, then..."

Playing with a knife, the king stabbed the impostor's thigh, eliciting another agonizing scream. "AAAAARRRGGH!!!"

"I'm going to have a busy time with you," the king said angrily.

The impostor, writhing in pain, glared up at him, but the king's expression remained cold and determined.

"Now," the king continued, leaning closer, "let's start with your name and who sent you. Even better, who are you"