The First Legendary Beast Master

Chapter 960: Hidden Issues

There was a fuss in the street, and the Dwarf tossed open the door to yell at the troublemakers, only to find that nothing looked the way it should.

Cara had been gleefully nullifying parts of the illusion as she went, looking for hidden treasures and the source of the spell. So random buildings all along the street, including the outside of the Inn, had returned to their actual appearance.

But more notably, so had a large portion of their population, and there were oblivious undead wandering the streets, unaware that anyone saw them as anything other than Dwarves.

If Rae wasnʼt laughing so hard at the chaos her sister had caused, she would have likely started a riot already by hunting the Undead who the locals believed were beloved friends and neighbours.

Going on a murderous rampage right now would probably be a bad idea, Rae realized. So, she stopped watching her live action drama and transformed into a humanoid to go find her people.

On the way, she was flagged down by a decomposing Trollish man in a surprisingly fancy suit.

”Miss, would you be interested in our clothing? I can see that you are a lady of great taste.” The undead asked her.

Only, it wasnʼt speaking, the words went straight to her mind.

Interesting.

”Sure, I do love to experience the fashions of each new city that we encounter.”

The shop that he led her into was falling apart, both outside and inside. But the goods were all brand new, and high quality.

Rae was learning a lot about how the illusions in the city worked. They made things appear new, even though they werenʼt. But they didnʼt preserve anything.

Clothes that were only a few months old were obviously fine. However, the stand they were on was falling apart. The cobblestone streets were rutted, but functional. The vegetables in the Inn had all rotted, while the ones in the market were mostly fine.

It was a brilliant bit of magic, and Butterfly was eagerly drinking in the knowledge that Rae and Cara were recovering for her.

Rae examined the outfits and picked two dresses in styles that she didnʼt have, then paid the undead man, and went back out to the street.

[The Undead here are strange. They really think that they are alive.] She informed the others.

Remi had a realization. [I think that they were. When the spell was cast, they were alive. So, it preserved their appearance, but not their actual bodies. Theyʼre undead and being kept that way by the illusion that is keeping the city looking like it does.

Go check the first few buildings that Cara examined. If Iʼm right, theyʼll be back to normal again.]

Rae turned in that direction, then frowned. [Wait, how am I supposed to know, when I canʼt see the illusion?]

Oh, the people, she realized. They were now wondering why the building had looked ruined for a while, and thought that was the illusion. Even the Innkeeper was staring at the outside of his building in confusion.

He was obviously seeing it as new again, but couldnʼt understand what was happening.

It wouldnʼt be long before a few of the more powerful mages in town put two and two together, though.

[Cara, if you find the core of the spell, you probably shouldnʼt borrow it, or youʼll kill a large portion of the city before we find a solution.] Karl warned the badger.

[Theyʼre actually kind of polite for undead, and itʼs creeping me out.] Cara replied.

Rae nodded along. It was definitely creepy how they didnʼt know that they were dead. But she wondered if there was a safe way to find out if the undead could be brought into her space to decorate it the way that the dead-dead could.

Like an interactive exhibition.

There should have been some sort of guidebook with these spaces. Having to find out all the rules as you went was just unnecessary. Look what happened to Hawk. He picked the wrong lunch special, and it became his sister.

Rae stepped into the Inn, and nodded politely to the Innkeeper before joining the rest of the group.

”Where did Lotus go?” She asked.

”In the kitchen making new vegetables. Their stock had some issues.” Tessa explained.

That made sense, with what Rae had seen in the city.

Lotus came out of the kitchen a few minutes later, and a few very stressed looking guards came in the front.

”Hey boss. I donʼt suppose that you have food that is edible, do you?” One of the guards asked.

”Yeah, the Green Dragon Cleric just refreshed our stock. What is going on in the city? Do you have any news?”

The Guard nodded. ”There is an illusion all over the city, Once we had the mages start casting specialized detection spells, they could see through it. I donʼt have all the details, but everyone is looking for the City Lord, so he can make a decision. Itʼs not like him to go missing during an emergency.”

Rae looked their way. ”Heʼs with his mistress and son right now. Itʼs the boyʼs birthday, and theyʼre doing dinner.”

The Guard choked on his drink. ”How the hell did you know that?”

Rae shrugged. ”I was exploring the city earlier.”

That didnʼt really explain anything, but the Guard was eager to change the topic before anyone else noticed.

”Wait, what is this about a mistress and son?” A Totem Ranked Dwarf sitting in the corner asked.

Too late.

Rae looked at the guard. ”Can I tell him, or are you sending guards over to pull him back to work?”

The Guard Captain sighed. ”I will ask them to bring him here. Heʼs got some questions to answer. Especially about the city. It was his initiative and his contractor that did the renovations of the city. Now that the whole city knows itʼs all fake, heʼs going to need to come up with something before there are riots.

Besides, the Councillor is likely calling the rest of City Council here now.”