Mythology Rebooted-Chapter 337 - 166: Determining Superiority and Deciding Life or Death
Chapter 337: Chapter 166: Determining Superiority and Deciding Life or Death
Time rewound to twenty minutes earlier, ten o’clock in the evening.
At the Capital Grand Hotel, on the fourth floor, in a luxury suite.
The needle of the gramophone gently fell, rotating, and the lifting tune flowed into every corner of the suite.
Filomena Ursula tied her bathrobe and stepped out of the bathroom, her slender legs faintly visible beneath the robe, its neckline slightly open, revealing her delicate collarbone and fair skin.
She sat in front of the vanity mirror to apply night cream, her beautiful reflection undeniable, golden hair cascading over her shoulders, captivating and seductive.
Wayne had encountered the veiled older sister in the hotel restaurant—it was her.
Filomena Ursula!
The High Priest sent to Lundan by the Moonlight Church, a Golden Mage. Unless there was an unexpected turn of events, she would become the highest-ranking official in the Windsor District of the Moonlight Church, bearing the heavy responsibility of the church’s expansion in Windsor.
As a high-ranking Golden Mage, it made sense she only stayed in a luxury suite, not the best presidential suite. If Filomena was just any Golden Mage, any room would have sufficed. However, considering her status as a Regional High Priest and the nature of public expense accounts, it was natural for her to set an example by being frugal where possible.
The other mages were lodged on the second floor, in standard rooms, two per room, all to save money.
Looking at the mirror at her stunning visage, Filomena let out a small sigh; youth was fleeting, and every time she looked in the mirror, she felt herself age.
In terms of looks, Filomena was far from being considered old, her demeanor elegant and filled with mature charm, but she didn’t see herself that way. Even though she was a Golden Mage, with an appearance that could maintain its peak until death.
Filomena felt she was aging in spirit.
Magic kept her forever young, while the weight of responsibilities aged her day by day, a twenty-seven- or twenty-eight-year-old face matched with a decrepit heart, becoming less and less pleasing to her eyes.
Take, for example, her journey to Lundan.
The Windsor Royal Family had agreed to allow the Moonlight Church to expand its influence within their territory. The Windsor Magic Department and the Moonlight Church were in negotiations, during which several higher-ups from the Magic Department took the opportunity to demand favors.
It wasn’t for nothing, as after accepting favors, those higher-ups would facilitate the church’s military expansion in Windsor, ensuring smooth progress in the future.
Not giving favors was also an option since they were all people of status and weren’t likely to stoop to such pettiness. However, should an issue arise, apologies would follow, pleading unfamiliarity, and the church would be instructed to queue and follow procedures.
That was the way of magic!
Filomena and her entourage brought the requested favors and arrived in Lucerne City as planned—a small country with few people, aside from the Heavenly Father’s Court, no other religious power existed within the borders, making it suitable for a discreet trade.
The deal was private; once it concluded, the parties would not recognize each other, and it would never come to public discussion.
The location was set in the grand canyon for security reasons, to avoid losing the church’s resources due to deceit, and to prevent the Magic Department from taking it all and reneging on recognition. The Moonlight Church prepared numerous contingency plans in the canyon.
After waiting a week, the Magic Department still had not shown up.
Life is difficult, sighed the High Priest.
If this was how Windsor handled processes, she thought it was not a bad idea to offer some gifts to avoid future obstructions and delays in getting things done.
Filomena applied the night lotion to her legs and finished her preparations for bed. Before turning off the lights, she sensed some subtle changes in the air around her.
This unforeseen change was indescribable; Filomena noticed it but couldn’t put it into words. She trusted a Golden Mage’s intuition; if she felt something, there must be something amiss. She tightened the sash around her waist and stood by the bedroom window.
Outside the window, the moon shone dimly, and streetlights stretched along both sides of the road, with a few cars passing by leisurely, seemingly nothing out of the ordinary.
She narrowed her eyes, concealing the surprise within them, and waved her hand to open the window before her.
There was no starlight or moonlight outside the window, just a bedroom that mirrored hers. The only difference was that she was not in the reflection.
"A barrier, maybe?"
Filomena muttered, suspecting it was a trick of the Magic Department. She didn’t attempt to investigate the bedroom opposite hers but instead went to the wardrobe and took out a black briefcase.
"The reason a deal is called a deal is that both sides must be present. It’s theft without the owner’s permission, and robbery if done in front of them."
Filomena’s expression turned sour; the Magic Department was overreaching for favors without wanting to take responsibility, showing a distasteful greed.
Just then, a loud bang came from a corner on the fifth floor, followed by a series of deafening sounds, continuous explosions fading into the distance, their direction unclear.
Filomena sensed the presence of death, as well as Holy Light, creating a lot of confusion.
"It’s not targeting me?"
She was surprised, looking toward the chaotic magic energy. Judging by the level of magical eruption, the other mage was also a Golden Mage.
Two Golden Mages in a fray...
The mysterious barrier suddenly made sense. Another was the target of the ambush; she just happened to be staying in the same hotel.
"I wrongly accused the Magic Department!"
Thinking this, Filomena put on a coat over her dress, holding the briefcase as she stepped into the hallway. The lingering chill of death was everywhere, and the remnants of Holy Flame burned all around.
The ferocious battle between the two powerful mages had left the fourth floor in disarray. Luckily, the Golden Mages moved their battle further away, sparing any bystanders from getting caught in the crossfire.
Filomena saw several guests poking their heads out of their rooms, ignoring their attempts to chat, and headed down the stairs to the second floor. She needed to ensure her people weren’t harmed, to leave the hotel swiftly, and to avoid being an idle spectator.
On the third floor, Filomena paused and frowned at the sight of ’herself’ climbing up the stairs—a figure masked by a white robe, golden hair lackluster and dusty, cheeks so hollow the cheekbones jutted out, an aging appearance hidden under heavy makeup.