Chapter 324
Chapter 324
Just as Jonathan was about to get into the military car, Mabel stopped him. “This car is too eye- catching. Let's just walk there,” she suggested.
“Where to?” Jonathan asked.
It was clear that Mabel was being cautious. After inspecting their surroundings to make sure they were in the clear, she revealed her plans. “As you know, we're putting our lives on the line while we travel to Mapleton this time. The enemies are too strong, which is why we can't afford to make even the slightest mistake. We have spies in Mapleton, which means there is a possibility that Thymion has planted spies here as well. Hence, we have to be more careful. We can't let the enemies know where we are.”
Jonathan agreed with Mabel's conclusion. “Where are we going now?” he then asked.
Mabel whipped out her phone in response. “I'm gonna call a subordinate of mine to meet us at a hotel. Once we meet her, we'll disguise ourselves as someone else. We'll have to change our identities before taking the next flight to Mapleton.”
Nodding in agreement, Jonathan smiled. “That's a solid plan.”
He was impressed by Mabel's meticulous thoughts.
Admittedly, Jonathan was not thinking straight at the moment. His concern for the cacodemon had consumed every corner of his mind. He feared that the cacodemon was already a goner.
Twenty minutes later, Jonathan and Mabel arrived at a small hotel called Voyager Resort.
The two of them made their way to a standard room and knocked on the door.
The door flung open within milliseconds. A young lady that looked about eighteen years old stood behind the door. She was dressed simply in a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans.
The girl displayed reverence and immense respect in front of Mabel.
“Greetings, Ma'am! You're here!” the girl greeted.
Mabel nodded slightly in response. “Let's talk inside.”
Stepping aside, the girl welcomed Jonathan and Mabel into the room.
The first thing that caught Jonathan's attention after they entered the room was an exquisite black box on the girl's bed. Meanwhile, the girl reported to Mabel. “Everything's ready, Ma'am. We can start now.”
It was evident that the girl had a straightforward work ethic—quick and effective.
Jonathan swept a gaze over her and unintentionally caught sight of the black bra the girl was wearing beneath her white T-shirt.
If it was any other time, Jonathan would have teased the girl and flirted a little with her. At that moment, however, he was not in the mood to do so.
“Let's begin,” he stated.
The girl nodded.
Soon, the girl began helping Jonathan and Mabel with their make-up, gearing them for their disguises. At the same time, she gave Jonathan and Mabel each a file of documents. Naturally, the documents were not for entertainment. Instead, they contained information and details about the identities that Jonathan and Mabel were about to impersonate.
The identities that the girl had selected as disguises were actual people.
Thus, Jonathan and Mabel had to familiarize themselves with their new roles in order not to blow their cover.
Jonathan took the identity and appearance of a twenty-eight-year-old man called Weston Zeigler.
Mabel took the identity and appearance of Queenie Heuer, a twenty-five-year-old woman.
Queenie was Weston's wife.
The couple was heading to Mapleton, Thymion for a vacation.
Every part of the trip and their character were planned down to the last detail.
Before long, Jonathan's make-up was done.
As he stared into the mirror, the reflection of an average-looking man stared back at him. Yet, Jonathan's temperament could not be covered by make-up. His eyes were exceptionally bright and full of vigor.
As for Mabel, her new face was gorgeous. Coupled with her own formidable aura, she looked like a queen.
In the next second, however, Mabel lowered her eyes to conceal the aura. With that small movement, her majestic aura miraculously dissipated, rendering her a plain beauty.
Taking a deep breath, Jonathan did the same to conceal the look in his eyes. The two of them looked nothing more than average civilians.
Once that was done, Jonathan and Mabel got their passports and ID cards before leaving the hotel and heading toward the airport.
Their flight was scheduled for three in the afternoon.
After hailing a taxi, the two of them went to the airport in silence.
Once they had arrived at the airport, the two of them took a seat in a quiet corner as they waited for their flight.
“I don't think we can barge in by force this time,” Jonathan commented.
“My subordinate in Thymion has already discovered that the cacodemon is in Celestial Sky Sect. I believe that it's being guarded by the master of Celestial Sky Sect himself, but there's no telling how the cacodemon is doing.” After a brief pause, Mabel continued, “If the cacodemon is already gone, then all of our efforts would have been for naught.”
Jonathan's expression darkened. “No matter what, we have to give it our best shot. By the time we reach, if the cacodemon is already... gone, then at least we wouldn't have any regrets.”
“You're not wrong,” Mabel agreed.
“Where is Celestial Sky Sect located? Is the place heavily guarded?” Jonathan inquired.
“Celestial Sky Sect is extremely close to the royal family of Mapleton. They hold such a high position that they might as well be considered a sacred temple. In an ancient setting, the master of Celestial Sky Sect would be considered an imperial preceptor. The difference is that imperial preceptors in ancient times might be scammers, but the master of Celestial Sky Sect is legit. His juniors are already given the honorific status 'Lamas,' so just imagine the power held by the master himself!” Mabel pondered silently for a moment. “Under such circumstances, forcing our way into Celestial Sky Sect to rescue the cacodemon is straight-up impossible.”
Instead of being discouraged, Jonathan argued, “There are a lot of things that seem impossible in this world, but we still have to come up with an idea. As long as we come up with the right plan, there's nothing we can't do.”
Mabel looked at him. “Do you have any solid plans?”
“There is a strategy stated in The Art of War: to relieve a besieged ally by attacking the home base of the besiegers. Since we can't face Celestial Sky Sect head-on, then let's attack from the sides. Can you think of anyone whom the master of Celestial Sky Sect is fond of or cares for deeply? If we capture this person and hold them hostage, the master of Celestial Sky Sect would have no choice but to give in,” Jonathan proposed.
When Mabel heard that, her eyes lit up. She admired Jonathan's quick-thinking skills.
She then began to think.
After a brief moment, she chirped in excitement, “I got it! The master of Celestial Sky Sect has a daughter! She's twenty-two this year, and it's her fourth year studying at Mapleton University. If we abduct his daughter, he'll definitely surrender.”
The new piece of information piqued Jonathan's curiosity. “Isn't the master of Celestial Sky Sect a Lama? Are they not sworn to celibacy? How does he have a daughter?”
“You might not know this, but there's a certain degree of freedom to his cultivation as the master of Celestial Sky Sect. Celestial Sky Sect focused on the purity of the heart and soul, not so much on physical abstinence. In other words, it's what's on the inside that counts!”
“But if he's pure in his soul and heart, how come he still slept with a woman, causing her to bear him a child?” Jonathan questioned.
Jonathan was rather curious about the situation, perhaps because he was interested in gossip.
Mabel shrugged. “I don't know the details, but if I'm not mistaken, the master predicted his own fate and found out that he'll get involved in a relationship in this mundane world. His predictions came true, and naturally, his child was brought to this world.”
Realization dawned upon Jonathan before he immediately said, “You suggest that we kidnap his daughter and threaten him with her life, but I don't think that's a good idea.”
“Why's that?” Mabel asked.
“The master of...” Jonathan stopped mid-sentence, not used to the title. He asked, “What's his name?”
Mabel answered, “His name is Galad Methendriel, otherwise addressed as the holy master!”
“The holy master? All right, then let's call him that.” Jonathan nodded before continuing, “Surely the holy master is someone highly trained and educated. However, he might not place heavy emphasis on relationships. Is he close with his daughter? I'm afraid he might just give up on his daughter at the most crucial moment.”
Mabel shook her head. “Not necessarily. According to the information I have, the holy master adores his daughter, to the point that he spoils her, even.”
“But the holy master knows the importance of the cacodemon. If word got out that he gave up the cacodemon for his daughter, his reputation would take a huge hit. If he were to weigh the pros and cons, he might not care about his daughter anymore,” said Jonathan.
“Your concerns are valid. What you say might happen,” Mabel concurred. “Nonetheless, we should at least try. This is our only plan right now.”
“I don't think capturing his daughter is a safe guarantee. But what about the princess of the royal family? Didn't you say that the holy master is close to the royal family?” Jonathan suggested.
“Absolutely not!” Mabel objected immediately. “Both of our identities are intricately linked with our country. In the past, they didn't kill us because of these connections. If we were to kidnap the princess of Thymion, our country would be viewed as cruel and unjust if word ever got out.”
Jonathan paused, acknowledging the point that Mabel had made. He instantly crossed out that idea.
Yet as he did so, another idea popped into his brain. At any cost, we must force the holy master to give in.
The two continued to chat. In the blink of an eye, it was almost three o'clock.
Jonathan and Mabel got ready to board the plane.
At three in the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly.
The plane heading to Mapleton of Thymion took off into the clouds. Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.
Jonathan and Mabel were seated next to each other in the economy-class cabin.
After all, they were disguised as two normal white-collared workers. It would have looked suspicious if they were to be seated in the VIP cabin.
Mabel had not rested much for the past few days. Seeing that there was nothing they could do at the moment, she closed her eyes to get some sleep.
Even when asleep, her posture remained as upright as usual and her demeanor remained as austere as ever. She would not allow her head to rest on Jonathan's shoulder while she slept.
Jonathan, on the other hand, could not fall asleep. His mind kept wandering back to the cacodemon and its safety.
However, Jonathan quickly lost his cool.
Mabel was wearing a casual white shirt. As such, he merely had to tilt his head a little to be able to peek at her fair skin and cleavage as well as the black laced bra that she was wearing.
It was indeed a feast for his eyes.
To calm himself down, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Even though he was a lustful person, he would not have any inappropriate thoughts when it came to Mabel.
He cherished the pure friendship he had with Mabel and did not want to taint it.
Thus, Jonathan kept his eyes closed throughout the journey.
At eight in the evening, the plane landed at Mapleton International Airport.
The climate in Mapleton was that of a typical tropical rainforest—hot all year long with frequent rainfall.
Jonathan and Mabel entered the arrival hall.
Mapleton International Airport was illuminated brightly and bustling with life.
The headlights of countless cars on the street painted a beautiful picture of the night.
Within minutes, Jonathan and Mabel exited the airport. Lowering her voice, Mabel whispered to Jonathan, “We've reached Mapleton. The number of informants and spies Mapleton has against us makes us an easy target. Remember, we're supposed to be a married couple on vacation. Don't give our game away.”
As she spoke, Mabel suddenly reached out and wrapped her arm around Jonathan's.