"How did you prove yourself in battle?" Linda asked the Muggle.

"We did very well" The Muggle replied, adding: "My Lady, is there something you need to discuss?"

Despite the girl's efforts to get closer to the Muggle, she kept a distance between them, observing etiquette at the same time, and strangely felt exactly when Linda needed her help.

"I need your help. Can you remember the image I wore during our first meeting in the refectory?" Linda asked.

"How can you forget such an illusion!" The Muggle snorted: "Then I could barely restrain the desire to bow to you".

"Who was that image, Muggle?" Linda asked urgently: "I ask you not to evade the answer. I have serious problems, and this information is very important to me".

"These women once ruled our world. They could be compared to goddesses, but there were actually too many of them for this title. We called them assami. In our language, 'assa' means 'lord'. Each of them possessed incredible body strength and magic, capable of defeating a hundred Boers without difficulty. They did not obey us, they protected us like a flock of Boer sheep in the mountains of Vardia. One day, more than three hundred years ago, before our migration to this world, the Aces suddenly disappeared, leaving us alone. Our world has become poor and overpopulated, perhaps they have found something better".

"Do your claws protrude on your fingers?"

"How do you know about this, my lady?" The Muggle was surprised: "Such a sign is only released during hunting or feeding. We avoided showing our peculiarities in front of people, and now even more so..."

"Can you demonstrate them? It's important to me".

The Muggle's unusually neat fingernails began to mysteriously lengthen, although their size remained three times smaller than the claws with which Linda almost tore the head of the CGR.

"That's enough, please. You see, Muggle, now I've been able to become much stronger..."

Thinking about her plans, Linda barely tasted the dishes prepared by Haya. After eating lunch almost immediately, she hurried into the bedroom and from there went straight to the palace. Switching her vision to twilight, the girl found herself in the corner of the room and summoned the Beast.

"What more do you need?" The lizard inquired, looking around the empty room: "I've already done a lot for you! Are you going to ask for something again? I'm sorry to have contacted you!"

"Why are you so greedy?" Asked Linda: "Your friend is in danger from enemies who are all around her like leaves in a spring forest, and you behave as if you yourself have lost understanding after passing on knowledge! You helped me become stronger, but you didn't teach me how to control this power. And now I have a problem!"

"What kind of problems can the force cause?" The lizard asked in surprise: "On the contrary, troubles arise because of its lack".

"Before that, I easily created an illusion without risk, but now they have become a reality and are trying to capture my body!"

"Turn on your foresight, you're not a fool! This is no longer an illusion, but a materialization. Assa wanted her body back, which was created by you, not yours! You are safe due to the fact that materialization requires energy, which will run out after the end of the spell, and everything will return to normal! But if Assa had managed to take advantage of someone, you would already be gone. Do you understand?"

"So I won't be able to use this body myself?"

"It's too early for that. It is necessary to conclude an unbreakable agreement with the assa, to divide the union of two entities into one whole. Do you want this?"

"Why didn't you warn me about this?"

"How was I supposed to know that you would be contacting the assami? And besides, why do you blame your friend all the time?"

"I'm sorry. Listen, Scarecrow, what if I hadn't changed myself, but summoned a demon?"

"A demon, whether he is stupid or smart, will always strive for profit. In this case, the opportunity is offered to try to negotiate with him, since his death is connected with yours. You can convince him in exchange for your promise to keep him alive. However, such games are dangerous because the demon can turn to another source of energy. The demons are proud, and could probably avenge the humiliation inflicted on them by the magician".

"The next question is: what if you promise a demon a favor in exchange for something, and then don't keep your promise?"

The Scarecrow agreed: "It's possible, but after that, various problems may arise. Is there anything else you want to know?"

"Yes, I also want to ask you about the permeability of various bodies. Let's say a person wants to go through walls and other people's bodies without getting damaged by weapons. Is this possible?"

The Scarecrow squinted and asked suspiciously: "Why do you need all this?"

"I have a desire to reach an agreement with the priests, avoiding risks to my body, unfortunately I have it in the singular".

"A human is not capable of such a thing, but for a strong magician it is not a problem. Just think about it and imagine yourself materializing and walking through walls - and here you are already there. Just be careful. If the spell stops while passing through the walls, you may get stuck in the wall!"

Linda thought about it and decided: We need to try it right now!

However, the Lizard warned her, as if he had read her thoughts: "Take your time, think about the consequences. The idea of how to breathe or talk in this state is very important to you. I'm telling you, you're still completely stupid. Be careful not to become a victim of your own stupidity. Check the spell carefully: it will turn you into anything, but remember - you don't belong in this world".

Remembering with a kind word his useful, but stupid, in his opinion, friend, the Lizard disappeared into thin air. Having cast a spell and filled it with magical energy, Linda approached the wall and stretched out her hand. The hand pierced the stone without difficulty. Filling her lungs with air and closing her eyes, she took two steps forward and found herself in the hallway. The bright lighting blinded her, forcing her to swear and urgently turn off her twilight vision. Well, bad luck! It's also good that I managed to close my eyes! Now she had to check whether any magic would be able to work on her when she was under the influence of this spell or not. Having made a decision, she was going to take a chance and show up at school right away, and she did so.

Linda thought: "No one can hurt me anyway". She decided to check if her protection was activated. After walking through the empty corridors, Linda quietly approached the director's office, where Ekar was not there. She had to wait until the end of the lesson. Avoiding sitting down, she stood for fear of falling through the chair.

"You've been coming to see us a lot!" The director was surprised to see Linda: "What's the case?".

"Try to take my hand" Linda suggested: "Don't be afraid, I don't bite anyone. Take my hand at last!"

The director's attempt to grab the girl's hand was unsuccessful, and he retreated, turning pale: "Help me find out if some magic will work on me or not" Linda asked: "Please be careful, I'm afraid I might fall".

After conducting short experiments, it turned out that no magic works on Linda, except for mind magic. After saying goodbye to the director, Linda returned to the palace.

"It turns out that you just need to have protection, and it's impossible to harm me" She mused, heading for the king's apartments: "Now I can safely meet with the priests. But before that, we need to finish things here".

Linda entered the first room of the royal apartments, ignoring the secretary, and walked past him through the wall. There was a crash behind her, Linda turned around and saw the fat man lying motionless. She did not remove the transparency because she wanted to estimate the duration of the spell. The complete transformation did not last long, perhaps only a minute or two, but apparently the change in body properties required less energy and lasted longer.

Pausing in front of the living room door, Linda considered knocking, but changed her mind: "Vadish!" She shouted through the door: "I need to talk to you, can you come out?"

Perhaps the king was in his bedroom, because he did not hear. Linda went into the living room and shouted again at the bedroom door. Her screams were followed by female screeching and loud male swearing. The door opened slightly, and a very dissatisfied Vadish appeared in front of the girl, dressed only in one nightgown.

"My kind attitude does not give you the right to do whatever you want!" He began to reprimand her: "Why did you come here on your own? Why didn't Mara send it?"

"That's exactly what I did last time" Linda replied: "Who's to blame that he fainted when I appeared? And how can I just knock on the door now? And if you shout through two doors, you risk losing your voice!"

"Why can't you just knock?" The king asked: "What is so difficult about it? And I didn't understand what happened to Mar, why did he lose consciousness?"

"Try to touch me yourself".

"Okay, I touched it" The king said, putting his hand on Linda's chest.

"Please stop acting on your own" She exclaimed, staggering to the side: "It turns out that the spell has disappeared, and it might be unpleasant if you touched me. I accidentally walked through your secretary".

"Why would you do that?"

"I was thinking a little bit and didn't notice him, and besides, he didn't leave the road himself".

"What do you want from me?"

"I need a safe place in your palace".

"Is that all you need? Invite Mara to solve this issue. Next time, please let me know you're coming, especially if I'm busy talking to a lady. Otherwise, misunderstandings may arise, and you risk taking her place!"

She chuckled and, in accordance with a newly acquired habit, tried to leave the room through the door, banging her head loudly against it. The king looked at the irritated Linda and went to his girlfriend's bedroom to finish the sex he had started.

When Linda appeared in the waiting room, cleaning the lump on her forehead, Mar had already begun to show signs of life.

"Can I help you?" She leaned over to the secretary: "Hey, Mar, don't faint again!"

"What do you want from me?" He muttered, trying to move away from the girl: "Please don't touch me with your hands!"

"I need a safe room in the palace. His Majesty told me to contact you. And if you tell me where I can find the Prime Minister, I will be very grateful".

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"I'll help you find a room" The chubby man agreed: "The Prime Minister is on the same floor, but in a different part of the palace, he has his own residence".

After a short time, Linda received the key to a small, but bright and rather cozy room on the ground floor. Wasting no time, she headed for the Prime Minister's office, where a guard of two guards was on duty at the door.

One of them turned to Linda: "My Lady, are you expected?"

"No" She replied: "Mr. Prime Minister is expecting my visit, but we did not agree on the exact time. Give it to the secretary to clarify".

The guardsman disappeared into the Prime Minister's office for a while, and then returned with an invitation: "Please, my lady, the Prime Minister is waiting for you".

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Linda. The short, stout secretary of the Prime Minister greeted her: "I am the administrator of my Lord Duke. The Prime Minister is waiting for you, please come through this door".

"You are charming as always, Marchioness" The Prime Minister told her, getting up from his chair: "Have you come about the same topic that Your Majesty mentioned, or do you have any news that I am not familiar with yet?"

"That's exactly what the Duke is talking about" Linda replied, sitting down on the couch and ignoring the chairs at the table: "The king hinted that you have the opportunity to find performers yourself".

"All day yesterday, my people were closely watching the temple. About fifty priests came out of there, and almost as many returned. They went out for different purposes, all of them under the protection of magic. Now we need to decide exactly where to commit the kidnapping. This operation can be performed in the city or during trips to other temples. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. The chances of unnecessary noise are increasing in the city, but the priests in this place do not expect an attack and are less armed than when traveling. It's easier to attack on the road, but we only risk getting dead people. In addition, we need not just henchmen, but Temple priests, who rarely leave the city. They're always in plain sight in the city. I have specialists who are ready to organize both scenarios, and only you will choose".

"Do they go to entertainment venues?"

"Why did you immediately think about it?" The Prime Minister asked, smiling at the slightly embarrassed girl.

"Because I was mistaken in the Temple for some frivolous whore woman. If they invite such women to their place, they should visit such places themselves" She explained.

"Yes, they visit them" The Prime Minister nodded: "My agents have been following some of them. They visit two of the most luxurious entertainment venues. However, unfortunately, they do not take off their amulets there either, so it will not be easy to do this without attracting attention or using violence".

"I was promised help in this matter" Linda replied: "With this tool, you can stun and then put the priests to sleep".

"It is important to approach the capture with the utmost caution in order to exclude the possibility of linking the disappearance of the priest with the royal authority. The King, who accused the Temple of violating the laws, has no right to violate them himself. Do you understand me, Mrs. Linda?"

"If someone finds out about this, I will take all the blame on myself" Linda replied: "It will be the easiest thing for me to do".

"Now I will introduce you to a person who will work on my behalf. Only through him will all communication be carried out. Where are you going to send the priest after the capture, if there is one?"

"It's best to send him to my castle right away. It is located far from the capital".

The Prime Minister took a bell from the table, called the secretary and said:

"Invite Aden to my place".

The fat man rushed out of the office faster than the wind...

"Is your secretary really a relative of Mara?" Linda asked.

"Yes, he's his brother. He will now summon Chevalier Aden Nara. This chevalier may seem like a conqueror and a womanizer to women, but in difficult situations he is a real master. That's why I keep him. He will tell you the right connections and help you with everything".

The young man who entered the room did not meet Linda's expectations at all, formed after the Prime Minister's words. He had a serious and intelligent face, modest but elegant clothes, elegant and well-mannered customs.

"And this is the same womanizer and the helicopter?" She thought in surprise as she stood up to meet the man: "Perhaps the Prime Minister has too high standards for people?"

"The lady is considering the possibility of setting up an ambush in a cheerful house" The head of government remarked, addressing his assistant: "What do we have on these points?"

"There are two of them" The Chevalier began his explanation: "This is the "Dream of an aristocrat" and "Skillful and persistent". Both houses are considered beautiful, but the cost of services is sky-high..."

"Have you been in them yourself?" My Lady interrupted him.

"Unfortunately, no" Admitted Chevalier: "But I think it would be very useful. Please allocate funds and I will try to visit both houses. It's not an easy task, but for the sake of the common cause..."

Having settled matters with the Prime Minister, Linda headed home without further ado. Immediately after exiting the portal into the corridor, she ran into a gloomy Jenson, who clearly had something hidden in his heart.

"Hasd was killed" He told the girl: "He went to the market for groceries, bought everything, even managed to hire a cart - and that's it. However, some guy decided to steal his wallet, and after Gasd caught the thief by the hand, an unknown person stabbed him twice in the back. The guards could not stop the villain, but the driver managed to deliver the old man still alive. Fancor summoned a medical magician living nearby and rushed to the royal palace to find you. But the medic could not help: both wounds, in his opinion, were fatal from the very beginning. He also suggested that the knife was covered in poison".

Her heart was shattered. From the very beginning, Hasd loved her the way he could love his child or granddaughter. He didn't serve for money, and with Haya and Linda, they were like a real family. Although she could not admit that she also fell in love with the old man, she was deeply attached to him. She knew that his death would kill not only her, but also Haya: their bond was too strong.

"Where is he now?"

"He's in his room".

"And Haya?"

"Haya is there too, sitting next to him".

"Let's go, I want you to help me move it".

The entire female half of the mansion was in Gasd's room. The old man's body was laid on a table with a blanket. Haya was sitting next to her, crying, and a little further away, Dina could be heard sobbing, who was hugged by a Muggle. Linda went up to Gasd, bent over the old man and kissed his cold forehead. Then she hugged Haya and addressed everyone present:

"I have a premonition of who is behind his death, and I solemnly promise that they will not go unpunished. Now I want to take his body and bury it next to his mother. They have spent their whole lives together, let them stay together after death. I strictly forbid you to go to the market for groceries. Do not touch the products purchased by Gasd yet. Upon my return, I will check everything. In the future, we will arrange food supplies from the villages near my castle. When Fancore arrives, I don't want him to go anywhere else, I have business with him".

She opened the portal a crack and let Jenson carrying the body into it. Dicter went back to Dert on business, and the castle was already filled with a squad. It didn't take Linda long to find her captain.

"Nice to see you again, my lady!" Bantar said, making a bow: "I am completely at your service!"

"Your help will be needed, Vram. My servant was viciously killed by enemies, and I would like him to be buried near my mother's grave. Did Dicter give you the location of Lady Helena's grave? I have already shown that it is good. The keys to the mother's rooms are with the manager, and I don't let anyone into mine, so send for the vigilantes to take the body. Do you know when Dicter plans to return?"

"According to him, by tomorrow evening, my lady" The captain reported.

"Please tell him to go to the village in the morning for groceries and buy more of them. Also instruct me to buy live rabbits. I'll pick them up myself in the afternoon".

When Linda returned to the mansion, she was told that Fancore was not in it, and she went to her chambers.

"They will not get away with this!" Linda thought as she sat down on the bed: "I already have a revenge plan. One of the Scarecrow's gifts turned out to be useful, and I'm going to use it. But before that, I need to catch the priest. Besides, I have to assemble my squad of experienced warriors, and the Vram veterans will guard the castle-that's enough for them. I definitely need to find a strong magician to share the responsibilities, because I'm tired of doing everything myself. It is not difficult to protect yourself from betrayal. I am grateful to the Beast for his gifts, and I am sorry that Helena wanted to dissuade me from making friends with him. If I can extract as many spells from it, then I can live in peace, because I won't have any rivals in this place".

Maglai's voice came from behind the door: "My Lady, Fancore has arrived".

Linda gratefully replied, going out into the hallway: "Where is he now?"

"He took the stallion to the stable. Your groom is afraid to approach him because of his biting temper" The Muggle replied.

"And the products that were brought?" Linda asked.

"They stayed on the cart. The driver was paid, and he was told to pick up the cart tomorrow. I only took the rabbits" The Muggle replied.

"You shouldn't take them for food until I do a check" Linda warned: "The animals could have been fed something harmless to them, but dangerous to you. The priests of Mashun are becoming more adept at killing our fellow citizens. Later, I will create an amulet capable of detecting any threat to you".

"I've never seen such amulets" Bura shook her head skeptically.

"I have a lot of information that no one here has heard of".

When the girls left the house, Fancore came up to them.

"We couldn't change anything, everything happened too fast" He told Linda and added: "Everything happened unexpectedly and too quickly".

"Have you heard yet?"

"The groom informed me. Where is Hasd's body?"

"I ordered the servant to be buried next to his mistress. And now I have a suggestion for you. I'm going to form a squad and I want to invite you to lead it. The members of the squad must be experienced fighters. I will reward them generously and provide them with weapons from my world. However, I want to make a mandatory condition: everyone, including you, must give me a magical oath of allegiance".

"What kind of oath is this, Rinda? I've never heard of such a thing before".

"No one in this place has heard of this spell before. My Beast brought it to me from far away places. The essence of it is that you must swear allegiance to me until the end of the deadline or until I release you myself, and this spell will monitor your fulfillment of the oath".

"What happens if I break that promise?"

"It would be good if you didn't do that. You will not be able to harm me, but you will only harm yourself".

"And if you want to kill the king?"

"I can make an exception for you in this by accepting your oath on the condition that in this case you will be free. You can trust me. I won't let you stab me in the back. I want you to understand me correctly. I'm not completely going to cheat on the king, unless he does it to me himself".

"I have no objection to staying here in the service, only if the king allows it" Linda said.

"I will definitely talk to him about this topic. Now let's check the groceries" She added, heading towards the food cart parked on the road near the gate. Thanks to the spell, Linda quickly became convinced that there were no dangerous additives in the products.

"All these products are safe for consumption" She confidently informed her companions: "Take them, and later I will protect them from spoilage. Fancore, can you help me move it? We need to hire an extra servant tomorrow, since Haya can't do it alone. Where are the rabbits?"

"The rabbits were put in a cage in the stable, where the horse food is stored" The Muggle replied.

Thus, Linda demonstrated her determination and care for her companions, preparing for new challenges and adventures.

Linda, inspiring confidence with her appearance and words, asked Buru to give her a drop of his blood. This was necessary to conduct an analysis and identify a potential danger to their species. With soothing words, she assured that the injection would be completely invisible, like a little girl's.

When the rabbits were tested, the result was in their favor - they were fit for consumption. Linda stated that all tasks have been completed for today and it's time to rest, asking Fancore to ask Golder to help with groceries and comfort Dina. She noted that she should not be expected for dinner.

The next day, Linda woke up refreshed and full of energy. Without waiting for breakfast, she went to the exchange room to get the gold. After carrying the bags to the hangar, where it was cooler than usual, she greeted the guys dressed for the season and was surprised by the amount of cargo.

"In my opinion, there should be only two boxes of grenades, and you have as many as two dozen of them. Are they all meant for me?" Linda asked Frank, embodying confidence and determination in her actions.

"Your ordered products were delivered today, both for you and for the king".

"Then take what is intended for the king to the portal along with the grenades, and we will transport mine to another place. Has the gas been delivered yet?"

"Not yet, but I've passed on your request".

"Be sure to hurry them up, Frank. How's it going with my record, I mean with the dragon scale?"

"Even a diamond drill bit can't handle your plate. We sent her by plane to the capital to sort it out there. We have also prepared a batch of mirrors. When will you pick it up?"

"I don't need mirrors right now, let them stay with you for now. If the gas and protective equipment don't arrive tomorrow, then don't worry about the mirrors anymore. In this case, I will have to take risky measures using local resources. Unlike you, I don't have the opportunity to stall for time, such delays can be too expensive for me. Yesterday my servant was killed, tomorrow they can get to each other from my circle or to me personally".

"Lindik!" One of the mover guys came up: "We're all done! What should we do with the remaining boxes?"

"Please wait a bit" Linda said, closing one of the sales and opening another near the mansion itself: "Put the bags on the ground right next to the portal. Frank, as soon as they take it out, I'm leaving. The gold in the bags is only for weapons, the payment for food will be later".

Then Linda closed the portal, walked around the stack of boxes and saw the entire population of the mansion, with the exception of Hai, standing on the porch.

"What were they delivering today?" Jenson asked as he came closer.

"The products are in the boxes. And what do you do?"

"Next time, we should immediately unload it into the house so that we don't have to carry it. And we are... we were preparing for the trip and waiting for the appearance of the king's men, and then an interesting episode happened. It's not every day you get to see people jumping with boxes out of thin air. Your portal is almost invisible because of the sun. Linda, I have some bad news. Haya has fallen ill and does not seem to recover. And your magical abilities are unlikely to help. She's tired of life and wants to leave, and I think it's better not to bother her. Dina made something quick for breakfast, so we won't stay hungry. And here are the Guards approaching. We're leaving, and you hold on and try not to do anything stupid".