Leaving the Town:
Maximus and Aqua were calmly walking in between alley's with white and blue robes he created once within the city. Their cover gave the impression they were from an unknown religious order. Their hoods were over their heads and a cloth was covering their faces in order from being recognized. They turned a corner and saw a wanted poster on the wall of a building. Maximus took it down and began to read it.
"It seems someone has manipulated information about us after all. This is calling for us to be arrested and the reward is a generous amount for anyone needing it." He said to himself.
She glanced down and noticed the reward amount for him. "Whoa, they are rewarding anyone Thirty Million Eris for your capture!" She said with amazement and took hold of it. "How much are they asking for me, I'll bet it is a significantly higher due to me being a Goddess and all." She looked down and saw the amount for her was only Thirty Thousand Eris. "What? Why are they asking a significant amount for you and no where near enough for me? I'm a Goddess, I should be worth more than you!" She felt jealous and began to cry.
Maximus placed his hand over her mouth after noticing a few people down the street looking at them with a curious gaze. They shouted for the attention of the Towns Guard to investigate. Before they could finish shouting, Maximus and Aqua were already out of the area. He had teleported them to a nearby alleyway in a familiar part of town.
"Are you trying to get us captured?" He snapped at her.
"I'm sorry, it's just your bounty is more than mine." She said feeling sad for upsetting him.
"If you have a lower bounty, then that means they will be looking for me more than you, it has nothing to do with popularity. Be thankful they are either extremely accurate in the danger you pose to them or they are underestimating you. He said and stopped when a group of the Towns Guard were marching past.
He held her close with his left arm around her and his right hand ready to cast a spell. The guards continued to move along not noticing them as they passed by.
"We need to remain silent until we can find a place to hide and I believe this place will provide it." He said and moved out with her close to him.
They reached the street where Wiz' shop rested and Aqua recognized the area.
"Wait, this is where Wiz' shop is, what are we going here for?" She whispered.
"I know it is a gamble to come here, but I was curious to see how far this influence has spread. So far, it only appears to be on several people and everyone else seems to be going with the flow or just ignoring it." He quickly answered as they kept on moving toward the shop.
The two arrived at the door and he quickly motioned her to wait as he began to use his magic. She saw the wonderous way he was employing his magic and watched with great interest. The next moment he nodded down to her and the two entered. Maximus kept himself ready in case the worst should result. The bell rang to indicate to Wiz she had customers.
"Oh, welcome to my shop." Wiz called out from the back.
Maximus and Aqua removed their robes and face shield and Wiz saw them as she appeared from the back.
"Maximus, it's been a little while since we last saw each other. How have you been and why were you wearing those robes?" She asked with a sweet smile.
"She does not appear to be under any influence at all from what I can tell. I think she is alright, don't you Maximus?" Aqua said taking a step towards her.
"Oh, Lady Aqua, sorry I did not take the time to notice you are here too." Wiz said in a welcoming manner.
Maximus noticed something was off yet he could not put his finger on it. The aura within was faint but it had the same feel as Maxwell had. "Wiz, I need to ask you,"
"About what is going on through the town? Yes, I noticed some people were saying you two have done something horrible to a town north of here." Wiz said before Maximus could finish.
"Yeah, they were so mean they called me a witch." Aqua began to cry a little and latched onto Maximus. "Why would they do such a thing to me, a Goddess?"
Maximus wrapped his left arm around her to give her some comfort and looked down for a moment before turning back at Wiz.
"Have you noticed anything weird going on in town recently? Any shady individuals that might set off warning signs to you?" He inquired readying himself for anything.
"Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing a man earlier today which was giving off a disturbing feeling when I was walking through town earlier." Wiz said after thinking for a moment.
"Did he happen to look like him." He inquired showing the same image of Maxwell in the palm of his right hand.
"Yes, he is the one I saw and sensed the strange presence." Wiz informed him.
"What do you think it could mean?" Aqua inquired sniffing her nose and wiping her tears.
"I do not know, but this is looking bad for the two of us right now. We will probably have to deal with him and his master soon if we are to salvage this whole ordeal. Both seem suspicious enough to warrant further investigation." Maximus replied and thought further on the situation.
"Well, I could help you out. This fellow said he was going to drop by my shop later on for something. Perhaps we could get some information out of him if we were to capture him." Wiz said to offer them assistance.
"That could be worth looking into, also, we will need to find a place to stay until everything gets situated and all the wrongs righted." He said.
"Why not go back to the castle?" Aqua inquired.
"Sorry, that's not a good idea, they will be expecting that and most likely have something set up for us when we arrive." He replied.
"But, it's our home, we cannot give it up so easily, especially after all the hard work I put into it." Aqua complained.
"I know and believe me I hate the idea of abandoning it, but I have a strong inclining they are waiting for us there already. When that guy from earlier was there, I believe his only objective was to meet with us and set a trap for when we arrive back." He explained.
"But you said any magic which is employed outside your own would be cancelled out." She said to remind him.
"True, however, you do not necessarily have to set it up inside, you could set it up outside the bounded field." He said and wondered for a moment.
"Which means we will be walking into a trap the moment we get home?" She asked.
Maximus nodded his head and she began to feel depressed for the situation.
"I do have a way to see if there really is a trap or not, but first we need to settle this debacle in order to clear our names." He said and she nodded her head painfully hoping they did not have to go through with this.
"Great, so we are all in agreement? If that is the case, I believe we can capture Lord Alderp and Maxwell with ease. Then everything will go back to normal." Wiz said as she walked towards the door.
Aqua was about to join her when Maximus took hold of her arm and she turned around.
"Wiz," He paused for a moment remembering he had not said any names to her. "How do you know their names?" He inquired as his senses were starting to go into an alarming state.
He soon sensed Wiz was beginning to employ magic a little more as he readied himself.
"I cannot believe I let it slip so soon, I only needed a few more moments before trapping them." She said to herself. "Well, you see, I," The next moment she turned around instantly raising her hands. "Cursed Ice Prison!" She shouted and a wall of ice extended forth entrapping the two of them within.
Wiz walked up to them with a somber look on her face and anger in her eyes.
"Of all the things many can do to people, the worst is when those who trample on others who cannot defend themselves are counted within the ranks of the most vile and unforgivable. Those villagers bore no threat to you, why did you kill them all?" She asked as her glare towards them intensified.
The next moment the door opened and when she turned around, she saw a hand placed over her face. She instantly felt a small amount of Anti-Magic flow through her that had a sharp feeling run deep into her body. Her eye that was uncovered saw Maximus before her and she was not sure how he had broken free from her spell.
She quickly noticed his grasp was loosened and took hold of his arm. With lighting fast speeds, she spun around and launched her left leg upon the back of his head, forcing him to the ground. Pulling his arm back she began to feel dizzy as Maximus caught himself with his left-hand slamming against the floor. Momentarily she fell to the floor unconscious and Maximus stood up to look down upon her.
"To think they got to someone as powerful as her and if she is anything like Leech was along with her prestige of being counted among the highest ranks of the Demon King's army. I would have hated the idea of battling against her within the city." Maximus said removing the same blue and white robes.
"It is a good thing you listened to your instincts to employ such a tactic. Who knew she would fall for it?" Aqua said as she walked up to their doppelgangers. "You are quite talented when it comes to creating the, what was it you called them, oh yeah, Magical Dolls to set a trap. Not to mention you got every detail about me down to the T. I, the Goddess Aqua, give you my stamp of approval." She said with a thumbs up and a smirk.
Maximus smiled back. "Well, I have been close to you for some time now, especially after last night's hurrah. Besides, if they were not exact, she would not have fallen for such a trap."
"So, what are we going to do with her?" Aqua inquired, walking up to him.
"Well, we can either take her with us since it might be a possibility her identity may be compromised or we could wake her up and have her stay here as a way to keep an eye on things while we make a run for it." He suggested and thought a little more.
"Or you could just get it over with and find this Lord Alderp guy and force him to change things back." Aqua suggested with a smile, closing her eyes and folded her arms while she nodded her head.
"That is the end goal, however he is not here yet. None of my familiars have seen him yet and I have them all placed around the town and the gates. No man that fits his description from what few people know about him. Then again, Maxwell did say he was on his way from the Capital." He paused to think for another moment.
"But that is almost a month away, how did Maxwell get here so fast? If that trip is a month's journey from here could he have lied to us?" Aqua asked.
"It is possible to consider that Lord Alderp is hiding himself for now. Maxwell also could have had someone teleport him to here or do that himself and that is if he knows how to. Still, something is at play here and I do not like it." Maximus replied and soon began to think a little more.
The next moment Wiz began to wake up and Aqua was unsure what to do and stood behind Maximus. She looked around and noticed she was on the floor feeling a little hazy. She turned to see the two before her.
"Maximus, Aqua, when did the two of you get here and why am I on the floor?" Wiz wondered.
She was about to stand up when Maximus held his hand out to aid her.
"Not long ago." He replied.
She soon realized the ice wall within her shop and began to panic.
"Oh no, when the ice melts inside, it is going to ruin the entire store. How am I going to get rid of this without damaging some of the products in here?" Wiz said out loud feeling worried.
"I can easily,"
"I can help, I feel like I haven't done too much lately with you always stepping in. So, you should just leave this to me." Aqua said with a cheerful smile before Maximus could go on. Her fist was imbued with fire and she began to employ a spell. "Force Fire!"
Wiz began to panic. "No, Lady Aqua, please do not,"
Before Wiz could alert her, Aqua fired the spell upon the ice wall and the sparks dashed off. They spread throughout the store and the next moment the entire shop erupted. The loud sonic boom echoed throughout the town, vibrating the buildings violently. Many sets of furniture rumbled so much they fell over and many dishes had fallen on the ground, shattering into dozens of pieces.
Kazuma saw the mushroom cloud rising on the other side of town. "I would stake my reputation on the idea they are over there." He said running towards the cloud.
Meanwhile, the three of them were floating in the air, both Aqua and Wiz were tucked in each of Maximus' arms. The two ladies were coughing from the smoke and Maximus was feeling a little annoyed the three of them almost died. He also wondered why her shop exploded and began to come up with ideas for such a thing.
Wiz cried out seeing her shop nothing more than rubble. "Lady Aqua, I really wish you would not have done such a rash thing. The reason is because one of the items I have in my shop reacts to fire in a negative way. That item's explosion mixed with a couple of other powerful potions made this even worse."
"Do try to think a few steps ahead before doing anything from now on." Maximus sighed a little as he looked down upon her with no emotion.
"But I was only trying to help." She said on the verge of crying.
"I know you were, but next time, know your surroundings and the important circumstances we are in." He said with a smile to comfort her and looked at the shop's debris. "I cannot believe we almost died because of her, not to mention everyone in town is going to come looking around here to see what has transpired. Also, she might as well have posted a sign that says 'Hey, we are here, come get us'. Man, she really needs a lot of oversight and I almost forgot how much exactly until I was reminded again at this moment." He said to himself as his annoyance he was hiding began to build up. "In fact, it is better you do not attempt anything like that again without first inquiring me, is that understood." He said looking back down at her.
"Okay." She said hiding her face from him.
Moments later, the three of them were within another part of the city in new disguises he had made. He and Aqua were wearing black robes with red linings which made them look more like cultist of some demon or monster worshipers.
"So, what are you two going to do now?" Wiz inquired, worrying about their safety.
"We are going to leave the city for now. Once Lord Alderp is found by my familiars, we will be back and see about why the sudden move against us. Afterward, work on removing whatever influence is upon some of the people." Maximus informed her.
"Will you be okay, are you sure about not coming along?" Aqua inquired.
"I believe it best I should stay her for now and see about aiding you from this side of the game. Besides, you two are closer and would hate to be a wedge during your time together. Also, do not worry about me, I am not so easily tricked a second time." Wiz said with a smile.
"In that case," Maximus paused to hand her a crystal cube. "Take this, it will keep you in touch with us. When you happen to see Maxwell or, more importantly Lord Alderp, call out my name and it will act as a communication method. Shortly after that, we will return as I will use my magic to teleport us back to your shop, which is being reconstructed quickly by my familiars. I swear I will repay the damages you have suffered and hope this helps as a down payment towards that at least." Maximus said feeling sorry about the unfortunate situation.
"It is alright and I will hold you to that." Wiz said. "Farewell on your journey." She finished and waved goodbye.
Both Maximus and Aqua waved back as they approached the caravan. They sat down and noticed they were fortunately alone. They both removed their hoods and began their journey southeast to a town most noted as a resort. Aqua went ahead on removing the robe completely and leaned against Maximus, resting her head on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her.
"Do you think the others are going to be alright?" She inquired worrying about them.
"Darkness and Megumin have been informed of the situation. I had sent a familiar carrying a message to inform them about what has transpired. I hope they agree to stay away from town until everything settles down. I would hate for them to get wrapped up just as quickly as Kazuma did. I will say that little spell I placed upon him was not strong enough to break whatever curse or spell that was influencing his judgement." He replied and thought a little further. "It is so odd that things are happening so fast. What could this Lord Alderp hope to gain as a result from all of this. He has no reason to fear me as I have not made myself that much a threat to any noble. This is truly a troubling situation with so many variables left open to figure out." He finished his thought.
"I know this may sound odd to say, but in some way, it is great we are going on a type of vacation. I just wish it were under better circumstances." Aqua said drawing circles on his chest.
"Yeah, so do I, but let us try to enjoy it as much as possible." He said and she looked up at him and nodded in agreement with a smile.
"By the way, how did you secure our passage to our destination?" She inquired.
"I told the Carriage Master I would act as security for the caravan should the need arise. So, he gave us a discount, on top of that I also gave him what little money I had to spare. We should be fine though, not too many bandits populate the roads or are active this time of the year from what I am told." He explained to her.
She looked out the side window and could barely see the tip of the tower where their home was sitting.
"I wish we could stay there, but I know we cannot because of the idea they could have set trap for us." She paused for a moment as she began to whine. "This is so not fair; I finally get to have you for one comfortable night and day and now it is all taken from me." She stopped momentarily, sitting up clenching her hands in anger. "If I could, I would teach those jerks a lesson from this fabulous Goddess!" She raised her voice.
Maximus chuckled a little and thought how that would go for her. The next moment she planted her face upon his chest and began to cry a little and looked up at him.
"Please tell me we will live in that place again." She said with tears in her eyes.
"We will, I promise you that. It just might be a few days until then." He said and placed his forehead on hers. "Oh, Goddess Aqua, may you bless our journey with fantastic delight and fortune. Amen." He prayed to her and she had a smile on her face.
"I am glad you still pray to me even if you do not have to anymore." She thanked him.
"You never did set a limit on how long I should anyway. Besides, I knew it would pick you right back up. Also, even if no one will believe you are The Goddess, I will always believe in you no matter what happens." He said.
The two opened their eyes and turned out the window seeing the countryside. She sat her back upon his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. The caravan continued to roll on towards their destination as the town was shrinking in the distance.
Meanwhile, Kazuma was walking around the area and noticed nothing was out of the ordinary.
"That is so odd, I could have sworn the explosion erupted here. Yet, there is no visible damage. I wonder if he was able to repair things well before I arrived here. This scares me to no end on what he is capable of." Kazuma shivered with a little fear.
The next moment he felt a sharp pain in his head which forced him to the ground. He began to see old memories of when he and the others were together going on various quests. The images ran through his mind and he began to remember everything.
"What am I doing, why am I chasing after Maximus and Aqua? Something is not right with this whole thing and I wonder what it could be?" He said to himself and soon noticed his clothing was not his usual attire. "Wait, when did I get these clothes, and where is my track suit?!" He shouted and began to run around town, frantically looking for it.
Meanwhile, within one of the buildings of Axel, a middle-age obese man with blonde hair and red and blue clothing with gold lines was watching the latest event with Kazuma and Maximus unfold. He had a dissatisfied look on his face and a little anger in his eyes.
"Well, that did not go as planned. This is only a minor hiccup for they will soon be under my employ. Both of them will be back in town after some time, even if I have to take drastic steps to ensure that." The man said.
"Mi Lord Alderp, they are waiting for your presence at the meeting." A butler knocked on the door and called from the other side.
"Good." He said and looked back at the crystal ball which showed him an image of Kyouya and Maximus when they were at the Guild Hall. "The two of them will be a welcoming addition for my ultimate goals and these two will help me even if I have to torture those who they hold dear." He finished with an evil grin.
