Hearing Rhodes' words, the witches from Oz were utterly dumbfounded. If this were true, why would a legendary figure like him come to associate with witches like them?
"Are you sure that's true?" the purple-robed witch asked, narrowing her eyes.
"Of course," Rhodes nodded.
He was a transmigrator, but he was also a genuine person of Chinese descent. Being a "Descendant of Yan and Huang" and a "Scion of the Dragon" couldn't be more true. Furthermore, there was no way for them to check his background.
Just as he expected, after a brief exchange of whispers, they indeed couldn't find any flaws. Of course, even if they had time, they would never be able to dig up anything.
"Your origin is truly incredible. If that's the case, why haven't we heard of you before?" the purple-robed witch marveled.
People who walked the underworld for a long time usually developed a title or a reputation. Even the Hero Faction was like this. Even though it was a nascent organization, everyone at least knew that the leader who established the Hero Faction was Cao Cao. He was the one who inherited the name of his ancestor, the great hero of the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Mengde!
Rhodes smiled slightly. "It's normal that you don't know. I've always been a low-profile person."
The crowd fell silent. But in the end, they temporarily accepted Rhodes' presence. After all, he was a member of the Hero Faction. Of course, acceptance was one thing; trust wasn't something built overnight.
It just so happened that they would soon be conducting a special operation against the Five Principal Clans. This would be a perfect opportunity to test the sincerity of the Hero Faction. If their sincerity was sufficient, they could collaborate in the future. If not, they could be used as cannon fodder.
Coincidentally, Rhodes was thinking the same thing. He never intended to have a substantial cooperative relationship with the Khaos Brigade; he just wanted to complete his missions. These witches clearly weren't good people. While Rhodes' moral baseline was flexible, he wouldn't actually side with terrorists.
The Eastern Witches of Oz weren't exactly a formal organization, so the questioning of Rhodes ended quickly. Rhodes was told to stay for the time being, as they had a major event coming up.
"If you perform well in the upcoming operation, our cooperation with the Hero Faction might go a step further." The elderly purple-robed witch was named Augusta. "If you truly are a descendant of the Flame and Yellow Emperors and a Scion of the Dragon, then prove it to me in the upcoming battle."
"Once the matter is settled, perhaps I can teach you personally. Based on what I see, your magical potential is quite good. In time, you could grow into a proficient mage."
Rhodes looked serious, his eyes resolute. "Then I shall do my utmost, Miss Augusta."
Hearing how Rhodes addressed her, the expression between Augusta's brows became quite pleased. She offered a satisfied smile and said, "Very well. Next, I will have my disciple, Walburga, introduce you to our people. I have only one requirement: be ready as soon as possible."
"No problem, Miss Augusta," Rhodes agreed with a nod.
Augusta exchanged a few more pleasantries before turning and leaving. As the leader of this Walpurgis Night, she had much to do.
The one left behind was the blonde girl who had been standing by her side. She wore a purple Gothic Lolita outfit. Despite the lack of sun, she carried a matching Gothic-style parasol. With her petite and youthful frame, she looked like a handcrafted doll. Her face was lightly made up, and her lips were painted with purple lipstick. From her appearance, she was a quite beautiful girl, but that beauty carried a sense of eeriness.
"Well then, please take care of me from now on... I don't know what the Hero Faction is like, but you give me a very interesting feeling." After Augusta left, Walburga skipped forward happily. Her curious gaze lingered on Rhodes; her innocent-looking eyes held a hint of coldness. Clearly, the girl's personality was nowhere near as simple as it appeared on the surface.
However, this had no effect on Rhodes. He had seen plenty of madmen and fools; he was long since immune. If he used Super Acceleration, they would all behave.
"Let me introduce you to the others, so we don't accidentally attack allies once the fighting starts."
How do you know I won't be hitting 'allies' on purpose? Rhodes silently nodded. "Indeed, it's better to get familiar first."
Under Walburga's guidance and introduction, Rhodes began to understand why these witches, who usually operated in Europe and America, had come to this island nation.
Walburga's master, Augusta, had two goals. One was to research the Sacred Gears appearing here, and the other was to recreate the Three Great Magic Beasts of Oz. The three beasts were the Lion who lost his courage, the Tin Man who lost his heart, and the Scarecrow who had no head.
Hearing this, Rhodes realized he hadn't seen these things in the original story. But on second thought, aren't these three beasts literally from the novel The Wizard of Oz?
"In short, Master's goal is those three magic beasts, and along the way, she wants to research how to develop Sacred Gears. That's why she chose to cooperate with the Divine Child Watchers~~" Walburga's voice was light and cheerful, as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her. "Of course, to be accurate, it's with a Fallen Angel who betrayed the Divine Child Watchers~~"
One had to admit, Griselda's intelligence was very timely. She even knew that a traitor from the Divine Child Watchers had fled here. It made one wonder if Heaven had planted spies among the Fallen Angels.
"He seems to be called Sathanael or something; the name isn't very easy to remember." Rhodes wasn't familiar with Sathanael, but the name "Satan" was known to everyone. As the most famous demon in Hell, he had a resounding name before his fall: Lucifer. However, Lucifer was one of the Chief Demon Kings of the Underworld, so it was highly probable that Sathanael was not the same person.
Regardless, Sathanael's strength was not to be underestimated. Rhodes estimated him to be at least at the level of a Fallen Angel leader, comparable to individuals like Baraqiel, Azazel, and Kokabiel. Furthermore, the leader of the witches, Augusta, was the possessor of the Longinus "Purple Flame Wall of the Sacrificial Stake."
If a conflict broke out, Rhodes would be hard-pressed to fight them all alone. But just then:
[Mission "The Abyss Walkers" completed] [Reward: Hero Faction Reputation +10, Item: Rho Aias] [Equipment: Rho Aias. Also known as the Chrysanthemum Shield. A defensive Noble Phantasm used by the Archer Emiya's projection. It takes the form of flower petals, with seven in total. Each petal's strength is comparable to an ancient city wall. It is said to possess invincible defensive power against throwing weapons. Note: Remove the 'invincible' part.]
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (74 Chapters – Ongoing)
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