"Cough cough cough—"

After Costate let go, the old man started with a violent coughing fit.

He appeared to be in pain, then prepared to speak.

But just before the old man could get a word out, Ronald spoke first:

"Using a cough to mask spellcasting is quite clever."

"But forgive me for being blunt, let's not bother with such things. If I truly intended to take your life, you absolutely wouldn't have a chance to resist."

"..."

The old man widened his eyes in disbelief.

He was confident that his spellcasting technique was seamless, a fact that had been verified numerous times before.

Yet, in the eyes of this young man before him, it was seen through at a glance.

This not only required frightening observational skills but also a supreme level of magic power sensory perception.

First, it was a spell to reverse time, and now, this terrifying observation skill.

Did he just impulsively run into such an absurd situation?

The old man instinctively glanced at Costate beside him.

Actually, it wasn't just this young man, but the girl who had subdued him in an instant was also an unreasonable force.

This was a rare combination that he had never encountered in his lifetime.

And today, he just happened to bump into them? Could this situation be a mere coincidence?

The old man's heart was filled with doubts, and just then, Ronald spoke first once again:

"You don't need to doubt these things. The reason I chose to come here is that I sensed your presence."

Having his concerns explicitly stated, the old man's expression turned quite unpleasant:

"Mind-reading?"

Ronald shook his head:

"Only judged based on your emotions, I have no interest in prying into others' thoughts."

"Let's get to the point of the conversation now—I have a few questions for you."

"As long as you answer honestly, you can leave quickly, and I guarantee your safety."

Ronald made his stance clear, but the old man still remained silent.

Usually, Ronald might have explained a bit more, but seeing the situation today, he really didn't have the patience, so he directly began questioning:

"First, your name."

Upon hearing this question, the old man looked bewildered and somewhat baffled.

The person who trapped him here didn't even know his name; what kind of joke was this?

Just as he was about to rebuke the other party, the old man saw Ronald's gaze.

It was a serious and solemn look, devoid of any unnecessary emotion.

He immediately replied:

"Anthony, Anthony Bog."

Ronald continued to ask:

"Are you a Caster of the [Nine Commandments Society]?"

Anthony shook his head:

"I don't belong to them, currently, I am a free Caster."

Ronald did not question this answer, but he asserted a conclusion quite confidently:

"In this city, you are the most powerful Caster of the mysterious side."

"The strongest doesn't necessarily have to be one of them!" After a few questions, Anthony clearly realized Ronald's attitude towards the [Nine Commandments Society], and quickly began to explain, "Their strongest people are concentrated in the capital, engaging in activities around the 'Book of Interpretation'. You too are from the mysterious side, it's not difficult to understand this, right?"

Ronald raised an eyebrow and remained noncommittal.

The next time he spoke, it was already another question:

"Since entering here, I've noticed that the Casters in the city have a poor attitude toward ordinary people. Is this common here?"

Upon hearing this question, Anthony's expression also became somewhat uncomfortable.

He hesitated for a while, and finally said helplessly:

"Though I hate to admit it—young man, you're not wrong. This is indeed the situation here. And what's more serious is that people seem to enjoy such rules, and it's very difficult to change."

Ronald pressed further:

"Is there no one standing up to resist?"

Anthony regretfully shook his head:

"People cannot go against the mainstream, especially we who have always hidden our identities. Once the existence of the mysterious side became public, this trend of change became unavoidable."

In the Q&A, the old man was clearly on the weaker side.

But perhaps influenced by his usual speaking habits, after his responses, he began to comfort Ronald:

"Young man, I know what troubles you." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"But please forgive me for saying, this is already the general trend of social change, it's unavoidable. Although the [Nine Commandments Society] exhibits it very fiercely here, it's just that the pace is faster."

"One day, other places will also turn out this way."

Ronald's expression became subtle.

By this point in the conversation, he had actually been ready to let the old man go since he didn't have a reason to act against someone outside the main event.

But Anthony's subsequent opinions made him halt his original thoughts and instead asked again:

"Do you think this is right?"

Anthony still shook his head:

"Of course not!"

"But in reality, the roads people take aren't always correct."

"Young man, I know you're outraged by this reality, but forgive me for saying, accepting and adapting to the environment is the path to long-term survival."

"..."

Ronald did not refute the old man.

He merely waved at him before leaving with Costate, no longer acknowledging Anthony.

From a practical perspective, he knew that the other's attitude was understandable.

But Ronald did not think so.

Even if the hope was small, as long as there was a path to a beautiful ending, he still wanted to give it a try.

With such an encounter during the journey, Ronald naturally had no intention of staying in this city any longer. The conversation ended, and he took Costate and headed out of the city, intending to find a place to take flight, and directly fly to the [Nine Commandments Society]'s stronghold to deal them a heavy blow.

However, just after the two left the city, their pace slowed.

After walking roughly two kilometers, Ronald simply stopped, standing by the side of a pipeline with Costate, quietly waiting for the figure behind them.

That's right—Anthony had actually followed them!

The old man, who should have rested or said to be thankful he wasn't in danger, had immediately followed after Ronald and Costate left.

He even persisted all the way out of the city, with no intention of stopping.

It was just past noon.{/p}

Anthony seemed to have a spell to strengthen his body, making it not too tiring to follow the two. Only after catching up completely did he begin to take deep breaths, as if to demonstrate his physical state as inferior to Ronald and Costate's.

Faced with such an old man, Ronald didn't stand on ceremony and was the first to speak:

"So, why are you following us?"

"And a word of warning, if you can't provide a legitimate reason this time—you might run into some trouble."

"I don't know what you are planning to do." Anthony was quite confident at this moment, even suggesting something unexpected, "But on this land, you might need a guide?"

Ronald raised an eyebrow: "So...?"

Anthony raised his aged hand, pointing at his own face:

"So, what do you think of me?"