I created my own system

One of the robbers, however, darted towards Apollo, mistaking him for an easy target.

Just as Apollo prepared to react, a swift figure intervened. A tall man, dressed in casual attire, appeared out of nowhere, disarming the robber with a swift movement. The thief fell to the ground, clutching his arm in pain.

"Not in my city," the man said firmly, his voice low. He turned to Apollo and Alicia, offering them a smile. "You two alright?"

Alicia nodded, her hand still hovering near the dagger hidden beneath her cloak. "We're fine. Thanks for the help."

The man waved it off. "Just doing my part. You two should be careful, though. The city's not as safe as it looks, especially for tourists. There's been a lot of... strange activity lately."

Apollo raised an eyebrow. "Strange? Like what?"

The man shrugged casually, but there was a knowing gleam in his eye. "Just rumors. People disappearing, and odd happenings in certain districts. If I were you, I'd stick to the safer parts of the city."

He gave them a friendly nod before disappearing into the crowd, leaving Apollo and Alicia to wonder who he really was.

{That guy was skilled,} Jillian's voice chimed in through their earpieces.

{He took out that thief in one hit. Definitely not just some random citizen.}

{I agree,} Arabella added. {His movements were too precise for an ordinary person. He might be someone we need to watch.}

{That was... interesting,} Mckenzie commented. {Think he's one of the Church's agents?}

"I don't think so," Apollo murmured. "But something about him felt... off. Let's keep an eye on things."

As they continued their tour through the city, Apollo and Alicia knew they couldn't trust anyone. The Revolutionary Church's gods were lurking in plain sight, and the next step in their investigation would bring them even closer to the heart of the conspiracy.

They just had to be careful not to get caught.

Their so-called tour continued after that small incident however this time they visited smithing shops and apothecary stores. The aim is to look for any clue for their mysterious alchemist that tries to use the fragment of the world tree, and the blacksmith who was able to create copies of the sacred sword Excalibur.

And so the two went to each of the famous blacksmith stores and shops that sell well-known medicines.

{Apollo, I felt something different about this shop}

Blair suddenly voices his concern through the communicator, as soon as the two walk inside the smithy.

"I could also sense it as well, a tainted mana," the boy thought so while a notification alert solidified his thoughts.

"Apollo I could sense an impure energy"

"It seems we are on the same page Alicia"

Apollo smiled as he said those words, and then without hesitation, he approached a simple-looking man who quietly cleaned the daggers on the shelf. As he did so the surrounding space obeyed his command and sealed the area. Then Alicia spread her power to add another concealment in case someone can detect the power of authorities.

"Excuse me" the boy called sounding like a normal customer.

"Yes, sir is there anything I could help you with?" The man immediately put down the daggers at his hand and hurriedly addressed Apollo.

The lad just smiled his red hair swaying a bit as he activated the power of the Mystics.

"Tell me, sir, are you a member of the church or the Monastery?" He asked like it was a simple question, however, instead of being suspicious of the question of the customer the man just answered.

Without any restrain he spoke naturally "I belong to the great Lord Nirvana, he shall rise again from the ashes like any other God and punish those who defy his will"

"Based on his answer I can say he is one of the remnants of the Monastery" Apollo concluded while thinking of another question to use.

"Do you know any gods here?"

The man just nodded making the two smile.

"Where?"

"Unfortunately I can't give such information since I am bound by oath. I will die as soon as I disclose anything to you"

Apollo felt it was only natural to have such measures since the church is always known for being cautious. So he decided to ask a different question, one that hopefully would help him.

"Then is there anyone I can ask for this information, one that isn't bound by oath or by anything"

The man just stares for a bit seemingly deep in thought, and then as if he recalled something he begins to speak again.

"There is someone like that here! However, he isn't someone easy to find. I only heard rumours about him, a person who can see everything in this city. I don't know if he is one of us or part of the church, but he is capable of seeing things no one can easily do, due to his ability even the king couldn't just dispose of him.

Find that man among the people on the streets and you might find the answers you are looking for"

The man's words were the most comforting words for the two since they didn't want to return empty-handed. They have a lead at last and could finally continue gathering information.

"How can I meet this person?" Apollo asked again and immediately the answer to his question was answered.

After a few rounds of question and answer, Alicia and Apollo finally left the shop after making sure no one knew what had transpired there. They felt glad they finally got something to start on, however, as they walked they felt something watching over them.

Apollo glanced sideways at Alicia as they strolled through a crowded street lined with food stalls. "That man from earlier… I can't shake the feeling he's watching us."

Alicia's expression was as sharp as ever. "He's skilled, no doubt about it. Could be a player in this game we didn't see coming. But what bothers me more is how he was able to escape my senses when he appeared."

"So he escapes on you as well? I thought it was only on me turns out he slipped on you too"

"This damn artifact is to blame for this, I can't do more since I might accidentally destroy it"

Apollo nodded to Alicia's words as he spoke as well. "I am also restricted due to the same reasons as you, and destroying that thing will only cause chaos. Something we don't want to sire. As for that man, we'll add him to the list of people to watch. For now, we will stick to the plan."

They decided to visit more shops and ask more people about the mysterious man they needed to find, fortunately, they got more stories. Although some are just farfetched claims it was still helpful to construct the right information for the person they are looking for.

When they both felt they had gathered enough, the two arrived at a quiet corner of the marketplace, where a small, unassuming shop sold trinkets made of glass and wood. It's the one that the man from the smithy had told them. And to make things interesting the place was one of their marked locations, one of the suspicious places where a god was supposed to be hidden.

This hideout disguised as an artisan shop is now their target.

If they are lucky enough and play their cards right they could finally meet the person who had information on the gods living undercover.

They stepped inside, the bells above the door jingling softly. A hunched, elderly woman stood behind the counter, carving intricate designs into a small wooden box. Her hands moved with an odd precision for someone her age.

The two were already prepared and knew the steps to achieve their goal, and so Alicia approached first. "We're looking for a special kind of art—one that tells stories through hidden details."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The woman's hands stilled for a moment before she slowly looked up. Her eyes, sharp and calculating, belied her frail appearance. "Not all stories are meant to be told. Some should remain hidden, for the safety of those involved."

Apollo stepped closer, lowering his voice. "And some stories need to be revealed before they bring more harm. We're here to see the Artisan."

The woman studied them both for a long moment before nodding toward a door at the back of the shop. "The Artisan is waiting. But be careful what you ask for. Some truths cannot be untold."