Published at 4th of February 2026 7:16 am

Chapter 1470 Mysterious Backer

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

Adam followed the carriage at a steady distance as it left the Baron's manor and merged into the city traffic.

Before coming to Springdale, the Faceless Mask had already allowed him to change his appearance at will. He could become another man, another face, another build. That alone was dangerous.

But after years of training in the Brotherhood, the Mask was no longer his sole tool for tradecraft. He no longer relied only on magic to hide.

He adjusted his pace to match the crowd, and changed sides of the streets without thinking. Passed the carriage, fell behind it, then reappeared through a different lane.

When the traffic thickened, he became a merchant. When it thinned, he had become a porter. And when guards appeared, he became a bored bystander.

No one looked at him twice.

His training filled the gaps the Mask could not. He knew where eyes naturally drifted. He knew when to slow, when to stop, when to vanish for several minutes, and rejoin the trail later. Reflections in windows told him when the guards turned. Noise patterns told him when the carriage changed speed.

The Mask made him faceless.

And the training made him invisible.

By the time the carriage reached the edge of the Trade Ward, Adam had already changed identities three times, without a single person realizing he had been there.

Goodness arcana, how cautious are these people? He thought to himself as he leaned against an iron lamppost, pretending to read a parchment advertising jobs.

He had been following the carriage for over an hour now, and in that time, it had made several detours to ensure that it wasn't being followed. Even the guards stationed outside the carriage vigilantly scouted the surrounding area.

At last, the Baron's guest stepped out of the carriage and headed for a nearby tea house.

Adam's pupils constricted.

Is he finally making a move?

The man took a seat in the outdoor seating area and ordered a cup of tea. He then took out a stack of papers, put them on the table, and started scribbling notes. A few minutes later, the tea arrived, but the man continued to work on his notes.

Adam changed his location a few times, pretending to buy groceries. But his senses never left the man, nor the guards who had blended in with the crowd and were scanning the area for potential danger.

Almost ten minutes later, the man gathered his stack of papers, put them away in his satchel, and got to his feet after paying the bill. The tea remained untouched.

Adam frowned.

He saw the man enter the carriage and then leave. However, he did not follow. Instead, he remained in his position, still observing the table the man had sat at.

Because just before he had left, the man had stealthily folded a piece of paper and slipped it under the table.

Don't tell me…

Adam thought of a possibility.

And only a few minutes later, another person passed by that same table and, with a flick of his hand, swiftly took the folded paper hidden beneath it.

As I thought, Adam mused, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light.

His target changed at once. Instead of following the Baron's guest, he now tailed the new man carrying the note.

He followed the man for another hour, never at a fixed distance and never along a straight path. He let crowds separate them, used shop windows for reflection, and changed positions whenever the streets grew thin.

When the man paused, Adam paused elsewhere. When he turned suddenly, Adam vanished and reappeared minutes later along the same route.

At last, the man crossed into the High Ward and slipped through a discreet back gate of a two-story lavish manor.

Adam, wearing someone else's face this time, stopped across the street and memorized the crest above the door.

He knew the insignia at once. As part of his training, he had memorized the major and minor noble houses of Springdale, along with the city's wealthy and influential merchants.

The crest belonged to House van Booth. Its patriarch was Henrick van Booth, a Mana Vortex Magus and a Marquis as well.

Adam didn't linger on the street a moment longer. As soon as he confirmed the noble house, he turned away and headed back to the Trade Ward.

On the way back, he couldn't help but think solemnly:

So Herick van Booth is Baron Veyne's mysterious backer? Now the question remains, is this the Warden Lebu was telling me about? If so, then which faction does he belong to?

This is going to take longer than I thought…

Developing an asset deep inside Baron Alan Veyne's manor had taken him some time. Now, how long would it take him to infiltrate a Marquis's house? Not to mention, this was a Mana Vortex Magus and quite possibly a Warden inside the Brotherhood.

As a Mana Core Magus, Adam could naturally get answers quickly if he employed more… crude tactics. However, that would naturally alert his enemies, and then all his hard work in the past couple of years would have gone to waste.

Patience, Adam thought with a grim look.

I need to be patient. A month should be enough, I think.

This is the only way I'll uncover the identities of all the Cult spies that have infiltrated the Brotherhood.

Old Man Acadia… rest assured. I will catch every last one of them.

I won't let them sully the secret order you dedicated your life to.

***

House van Booth's manor.

Marquis Henrick van Booth had neatly kept brown hair and steady blue eyes. His trimmed beard and mustache gave him a composed, authoritative look.

He wore fine, noble attire, simple but expensive, befitting his rank. In his private study on the second floor, he sat at a polished desk, quietly writing on a sheet of parchment with a feathered quill, fully absorbed in his work.

Knock! Knock!

"Master, may I come in?"

The voice of his stalwart butler came from beyond the door.

Marquis van Booth put the quill down and leaned back in his chair. "Enter," he said.

The butler, Sebastian, was a thin, gray-haired man in a spotless black uniform. His posture was straight, and his movements precise.

Surprisingly, this man was also a Mana Vortex Magus, and the fact that he worked for the Marquis spoke volumes about the trust between them. It also spoke much about the latter's strength.

He entered without a sound, bowed lightly before the Marquis, and held out a folded note with both hands.

"This is?" Henrick asked with an arched brow.

"Baron Veyne's vetting results," Sebastian respectfully said.

Henrick unfolded the paper, read its contents, and then burned it to ashes.

"Good," he said with a nod. "We have another trusted supplier now."

"Yes, master." Sebastian nodded. "He is efficient and discreet. The perfect pawn for your work."

Henrick massaged his temples and sighed. "Ever since Ironridge was destroyed all those years ago, everything had become chaotic. Now, at last, things are starting to stabilize."

Suddenly, he recalled something and turned to his butler.

"The Lord is returning next month," he said. "Begin making preparations."

"You mean…" Sebastian murmured, his eyes flashing with slight unease.

Henrick nodded solemnly.

"Yes. I mean… the Blood Lord."

Share