Chapter 114: The Gathering of Puppet Masters (2/2)

***

“Come this way,” Mauro said, leading us toward the center of the cavern.

There, a long table stood.

It was old, cracked, and looked as though it could collapse at any moment.

I frowned slightly at the sight.

“This will be our meeting place. A bit shabby, isn’t it? But we don’t exactly have the funds to afford anything better,” Mauro said, stroking his beard.

He laughed heartily.

“Renting a place is difficult for us. If we didn’t have this space, our group might not have been able to gather at all in the city.”

I had a feeling that was the case.

Looking at the table, I let out a dry chuckle.

Any lingering expectations I had were now gone.

I should have realized sooner based on where the organization was located—deep in the lowest district of the city, shoved into an isolated corner.

It was the cheapest part of town.

I had already suspected that this group wasn’t wealthy.

My prior research had indicated as much.

But I never imagined they were so impoverished that they had to use a cave as their meeting place.

“This place is the very essence of our group. It’s also a hidden sanctuary. Even the university doesn’t know about it,” Mauro said, winking.

The gesture didn’t quite match his normally dignified face.

Seeing his antics, I felt my tension ease slightly.

‘Well, what can I do? I’m already here.’

Still, something else was bothering me.

“It’s a bit… lacking to be called a sanctuary,” I muttered, trailing off as I ran a finger over the dusty table.

Mauro seemed to catch my unspoken words and nodded.

“Yes, it’s a little rough around the edges,” he admitted, stroking his beard again.

His gaze shifted toward the magicians huddled in the corners.

He shook his head slightly.

“Since no one maintains this place… they only know how to handle dolls, not how to tidy up. We’ve tried cleaning up a few times, but it never lasts. Over time, it ended up like this.”

I let out a sigh and slowly looked around.

The massive cavern was brimming with an unusual magical presence.

The source of this energy was the tangled roots embedded in the walls and ceiling.

Under the light Mauro had conjured, I could see the intricate patterns formed by the roots, weaving together to create a magical circuit.

‘A concealment spell, perhaps?’

It made sense why I hadn’t noticed this place from the outside.

The spell was so advanced that even while observing it, I struggled to fully comprehend it.

“What do you think? A spell I crafted in my prime,” Mauro said, following my gaze to the roots.

I glanced at him.

‘So he was once capable of creating such magic…’

My curiosity about his past grew.

Of course, there was something far more pressing at the moment.

I felt something stirring deep within me, and my magic rippled in response.

The sheer mess of this place was unbearable.

Even if I wasn’t staying long, the least I could do was make it look somewhat livable.

“May I clean up a bit?”

“Clean up? I don’t see why not,” Mauro said absentmindedly, nodding.

I bowed slightly in thanks before releasing my magic.

From my spatial pouch, several dormant dolls awakened.

The dolls spread out into the cavern, smoothing the ground first.

They inscribed circuits onto the surface, then erected pillars that extended to the ceiling, serving as anchors for a magical array.

As I channeled magic into the circuit, the dampness and earthy smell gradually faded.

This was an environmental optimization spell—a magic I had frequently used both on my journey here and even now.

I dispersed the lingering magic, took a deep breath, and felt the fresh air fill my lungs.

The stifling heaviness in the atmosphere had lightened considerably.

‘Should I enhance it further?’

‘No, I couldn’t.’

Clicking my tongue, I assessed the cavern’s magical structure.

This was the limit of the spell’s allowed capacity.

Unless I tampered with the concealment spell, I couldn’t increase the available magic any further.

What a shame.

All I could do was purify the air.

The dolls, having tidied up the surroundings, returned to me.

Now, they focused on the crumbling stone table in the center.

It shattered to dust in an instant.

I gathered the dust and traced a spell upon it. “Perfect Table” magic.

A new table rapidly took form, restoring itself to its original, pristine state.

The completed table emanated a soft glow, radiating a solid presence.

The dolls placed several chairs around it before returning to my pouch.

I nodded in satisfaction.

At last, the place looked somewhat livable.

It still wasn’t perfect, but it would do for now.

“Oh-ho! Impressive,” Mauro clapped lightly.

The magicians who had been watching me in a daze also seemed impressed.

I gave them a slight nod.

I hadn’t cleaned up just for the sake of it—I wanted to earn some favor with them.

‘Why didn’t they bother cleaning up themselves?’

I was tempted to voice the question but held back.

There might be a reason I wasn’t aware of—though I doubted it was a particularly good one.

“Well then, just wait here. Everyone should be arriving soon,” Mauro said, sitting down in one of the chairs I had prepared.

He leaned his staff against the table and smiled.

“Oh, this chair is quite comfortable. What kind of magic did you use on it?”

I sat beside him and explained the enchantment on the chair.

He seemed delighted as he traced the spell in the air.

And just as he had said, people soon began trickling in through the entrance of the cavern.

The dolls I had stationed at the entrance naturally guided them to the table.

Even the magicians who had been hiding in the corners joined in.

Within two hours, the room had filled with people.

I estimated there were around thirty of them—enough to occupy half the table—engaged in quiet conversations among themselves.

“How many have gathered so far?”

I whispered softly to Mauro.

“Just a little over half,” he replied.

‘So this was only half?’ That meant there were about fifty people in total.

Fifty puppet masters… This was the first time I’d seen so many gathered in one place.

***

“Ahem, hmm. Some are still on their way, but shall we begin?”

Mauro stood up as he spoke.

With him, a wave of magical energy resonated through the table, reaching everyone.

The murmuring subsided, and all eyes turned to Mauro.

“How many meetings has it been? The five hundredth? The six hundredth? Now that I think about it, it’s been exactly six hundred years since I became the head of this guild. When I first took over…”

And so, Mauro began to tell his story.

His speech continued for a long time—long enough for three more people to arrive while he spoke.

The others paid no attention to Mauro’s words, each preoccupied with their own distractions.

They seemed accustomed to this.

Even Mira yawned softly and leaned against me.

After talking for a long while, Mauro lightly patted my shoulder.

When I looked up, he was gazing down at me.

He gestured lightly—telling me to stand.

“Now, that concludes the topic of the meeting. We also need to introduce our newest member. I believe we mentioned it in the last gathering. Evron, step forward. Everyone, take care of him.”

I felt their gazes shift toward me.

Carefully, I stood up and slowly bowed my head toward the magicians before me.

I could feel strands of magic reaching out like threads, making contact with me.

They flowed faintly over my body, observing me.

I remained still, allowing their magic to do as it pleased.

It was cautious, even carrying a sense of goodwill.

Soon, the magic receded back to its owners.

“Hello, my name is Evron. I am the newest member of the Puppet Guild. I have only recently reached the second floor, so I would greatly appreciate any guidance from my seniors.”

As I spoke, I lifted my head.

The others responded with light applause.

Meeting their gazes, I nodded slightly in greeting to each of them.

And inside, I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

So this was why no one cleaned the cave, why everything was left in disarray.

They were clearly uncomfortable with the newly tidied space, fidgeting as they glanced around.

They were… well, to put it nicely, they were exactly what one would expect from puppet masters.

Just as the world perceived them.

Each of them clung to a puppet as if making it clear who their teacher had been.

Their dolls came in a wide variety of forms.

Seeing them filled me with admiration.

Strong and beautiful magic flowed within those puppets.

Just like Mauro, they were advancing toward a realm I couldn’t yet reach.

It was clear how much they cherished their puppets.

But as for themselves, it seemed they cared little.

They looked utterly unkempt, as if they never even considered their own appearances.

No wonder they didn’t care about the cave’s condition.

To them, nothing else mattered except their puppets.

Truly, they embodied the essence of puppet masters.

I sat down, maintaining a bright smile on the outside.

***

“We can discuss the rest after the meeting. We all have plenty of time,” Mauro said.

“Now, let’s get back to today’s agenda. There wasn’t anything specific planned, but Evron, who recently attended Professor On’s class, has brought a letter.”

With that, Mauro pulled an envelope from his robes and set the papers inside it on the table.

It was the letter I had delivered to him before coming here.

“It’s from Madam.”

With a touch of magic, the words scattered from the papers and floated in the air for all to see.

Everyone’s attention was drawn to the writing.

I was no exception.

Well, she said a lot of kind things. But the important part is this—

[In two years, the Grand Assembly will be held. So, everyone, prepare yourselves.]

At those words, the puppet masters’ previously drowsy expressions hardened.

I could feel the magic within them stir and pulse more intensely.

Amid that shift, Mauro and I locked eyes.

“You might not know about it,” he said.

I nodded slightly.

“It’s the day when all twelve guilds in the city gather. Professor On and Madam will be attending as well. You could say it’s a grand festival for our guild.”

The Grand Assembly.

I had read about it before.

Just as puppet masters held smaller gatherings like this, the Grand Assembly was the day when all the city’s puppet masters came together.

It only happened once every twenty years.

“I see. I didn’t know that.”

I nodded.

I truly didn’t know the details.

I hadn’t realized that Professor On and Tiena would also be attending.

Mauro was about to explain further when—

A powerful surge of magic suddenly rippled from beyond the cave’s entrance.

A voice followed.

***

“Ugh, are you really still holding meetings in this filthy place? Can we try living like decent people for once?”

I instinctively nodded.

I hadn’t expected someone else to say exactly what I had been thinking.

Through the entrance, a group of people filed in.

They were all impeccably dressed, a stark contrast to the ragged robes of the puppet masters inside.

Mauro spread his arms wide, smiling.

“Oh! I thought you wouldn’t come. You’ve made it after all. Have a seat.”

“Sit? In this filthy hole? Where would we even—hmm?”

The man who had spoken, a plump-faced young man at the front, blinked in surprise.

He glanced around the cave.

His gaze settled on the table where we sat.

“What’s this? You’ve decorated a little. We only came to check out the new recruit, though.”

He patted his large belly and smacked his lips.

Then, he strode toward the table, still surveying the room.

When his eyes landed on me, he momentarily hesitated before shifting his gaze to Mira, who was leaning against me.

His eyes gleamed.

He casually patted my shoulder.

“Oh-ho, she’s beautiful. Absolutely stunning. You must be her master. Hey, why don’t we do business together? I’ll take six, you take four. What do you say?”

I blinked.

‘Business? That was new.’

Especially coming from another puppet master.

As I met his gaze, a strange sense of familiarity washed over me.

“Fufu, Evron, you have the exact same expression as when you think about points.”

Mira giggled.

I looked at her.

‘Did I really look like that?’

She nodded slightly.

I turned back to the young man, taking in his greed-filled, glimmering eyes.

‘Did I really have such a look in the past? Perhaps I needed to reflect on myself a little.’