She did not look at Mapulon, but he could imagine a grin as if she was expecting it for some reason and a sigh, that was what he sometimes see when she thinks he wasn't looking directly at her. Whatever the case was, his father was currently being held hostage, the rest were secondary concerns.
"Mapulon, I know you are smart. What gave you the idea of making a deal like that?" she said it casually, but it seemed control, it's better to be blunt and honest then.
"He was being kidnapped and my spells might likely harm my dad if I attempt to remove the demon and So I did what was best" he said calmly
"And, so with the deal. What are you going to do now?" she asks calmly again and it seems more frightening that ever.
"Obviously we'll just go to the location and beat the culprits and take back Dad" he said confidently
"That seems reckless", she comments
"Do you have any better plan than what I have? And since they have an unknown motive and unknown number of motives, why plan when we could simply beat them all up through the ladders until the culprit", Mapulon said
Marisa eyebrow seemed to have rose higher and she simply sighs and took a chair beside him, she pointed a chair beside her and she said, "If that's all done, then preparation would be the best thing and research about demon folklore here in the Philippines, While I consult with my contacts then"
It seems that the conversation was over and he wasn't expecting it to be that calm though.
"By the way, if this is going to pattern. I might spontaneously want to see how your prowess as a mage has been, wouldn't want to be rusty in a incident are we?" she said calmly.
He felt his hair rose and he realized that she was a bit scary as he felt his hand shook at the moment. Maybe looking at the market for totems about wards for specifically against demonic creatures might be significant investment and totally not because of a person.
OxO
As he sat in the chair, he looked over to see a bundle of tomes that his father used to own. It was various kinds of books of local demons that are known here in the Philippines.
If that were to start off then, he would start off towards of why demons? As someone of a mage capable of those feats and the ability to take control the strain of controlling the demons is a feat in itself. And if that were listed out, what kind of purpose would it be used?
It can't be for capturing territory as demons in the level that he has fought with aren't exactly controlled and the fog which might not be mostly from smog from the fire. Which he guessed might not exactly best for a mage as it can be used to disrupt wards and magic in general, so would your own magic.
Complex warding would be needed to counter the demon's unnatural aura, and that would be noticed quite very well. And if he were to recall his last visit on the town, he had noticed that the warding was quite strong too.
He felt his hair rose at that, there's no way someone would just simply summon demons and command to attack the place it's on as it risk the chances of getting yourself uncovered and the demon itself getting freed, it is a creative scheme itself but the risk of failure would be too high.
He grabs another tome as he overlooks at the title as it reads as A Small of History of the Warlock "Ferdinand Marcos".
"Atrocities and the many things the Warlock did in his lifetime"
He sighs as the book was surprisingly large, and that it would be best to start working then that it might likely have most of the details obscured.
OxO
And just like that, with all the rest of the book finished. There wasn't much as he expected and it was quite heavily edited and not much of a useful in the way of actual demon description as most are creative descriptions of demons with next no description of abilities or weaknesses, though pieces of important like a watch or a cross can repel them.
Though they can be defeated by other means. it would require that the mage would be stronger 3 times than the demon and that the mage in question abandoned any attempt of survival for the defeat of said demon.
Which is something he did not want to do, it would probably would have been okay if he were just a remnant of a demon and on it's own, But It had a summoner who controlled and would notice.
Attacking directly was a bust and it was on a accident, if that was the problem, then don't. The only people who could do damage would be the enforcers…
He was so focused on how to deal with demons and their weakness by his strengths and warding schemes, that he failed to take account the enforcers. He doesn't know how to talk to them but his mentor does and so he planned.
OxO
He was sitting over at a chair, looking over at a simple contract he made and a few overt changes displayed as it is, it was best to be polite when requesting aid for things as demon extermination and a hostage taken.
He gave it to Marisa, and so she read.
"I was expecting you to be more reckless…"
He looked at her and made sure his eyes bored as if saying "You've known for quite a long time, and you can't read me?"
A sheepish grin was all he got and he knew the answers. It was reminder that caution is must with dealing with his Mentor, though short may time it be but at least he got the basics down despite his magic expressing in a different way.
"Well, considering at least you didn't attempt to contact them directly and hospital you were in" , she said chiding.
He looked downward as he wondered who paid the bill as the alchemist was a bit to busy dealing with the results she checked on the matters earlier and other things other than paying the medical bill for the guard as he would be compensated for it.
"You took a job for a researcher, right?" , she said
"Indeed, as information was the reason I was down there. It was a deduction I've made and as I've face a creature like that it was a risk I can take against" , he said calmly despite that his heart was beating.
"So-" he cut off her off and said, "Yes, that was something I did not take account to, and that I've realized that plans will not go the way they go… "
Her eyebrow rose as he interrupted, but for some reason she did not chide for that and instead said, "I suppose It would be important to give you a lesson but you seemed to have learned them the hard way".
He did not pointedly look at her and instead focused on her nose, and so they went back to the contract.
"A good contract, I suppose I could commend the fact that you remembered about the enforcers" Marisa said and he couldn't suppress the small smile at the compliment.
"However, just because I said that it was good move in your part. Doesn't necessarily mean that I will be handling most of the negotiation, creating ties with them as you are the contractor, you should be showing up as it's good to know who your fellow mages."
Mapulon felt himself rigid at that reminder, he did not like to do it but it was necessary. He still does remember how efficient the work they solved with incidents, it was something that created a fear within him.
It seems some of that fear show at his face as she then said, "And they're not that bad at all, and the fact that they're good at their job considering the state when you last visited capital town".
She then continued, "I vouched for you, and they are not as bad as their reputation says so".
He did remembered and it was was quite safe and despite the "shady" part of the city, it wasn't really what you call shady as if he concentrated he could imagine a few guards in disguise patrolling there.
It was just a meet-up and he remembers a advice, he remembered his father once said that, "Rumors they may be, they do contain a sliver of truth in them. After all, how can you create a story from nothing?"
Mapulon understood that but doesn't mean that he has to like it just to ask for assistance, and he had the off-chance that they would be communication with them more frequently too.
It still sucks though…
OxO
Mapulon walked through the gates, and felt like his legs were lead. It didn't help that his mind was busy making up different kind of scenarios where he was being tortured for the efficiency of trying to solve an incident.
And it did not well for his health.
The walk was too short for what supposed to be what Marisa remembered the headquarters of the enforcer's. All he hoped that this would resolve fine even if he had to-
He was barely to the entrance when someone tapped him in the shoulder. It was moments that he nearly sucker punched the fellow as he looked to see a foci on the figure as it was brimming with magic.
She even seemed to be amused, which he might take it as a sign of acceptance as he preferred that way rather than the suggestion of rumors.
He tightened his hold on his bag which coincidentally was where most of his talismans where, it would have looked like an attempt of aggression.
Whether the woman noticed it, he could not tell.
"Your Mapulon right? I have heard that you are apprenticed to the western witch" she said with a tiny bit venom in the tone.
Mapulon was barely getting started and he was already in hot waters, and a wrong word could might start a fight he did not want, and so he said he planned his words and said, "Indeed, My mentor told me with the recent attacks, and I have heard news about the enforcers' might against demons".
The woman looked at him as if in consideration and said, "That is not yet concrete and further evidence is needed-
'He could feel something of lie was in there but he felt that pointing it out might worsen the situation. The woman continued not sensing the line of conversation inside Mapulon's head.
-however as all cases, it would take a week for us to to help you as enforcers are all-time busy with the attacks".
He barely said and all hope was lost, he can't exactly enact the plans he wanted without support something that Marisa coached with. She wasn't what you could call someone normal but he trusted her judgement when she helped her.
It was something of an instinct that he discovered that she was decidedly a little less human. He doesn't need to worry about the details but she taught well and so with her blessing he said, "Demon, right?"
Marisa might have not liked his next words and might chide him but she wasn't here and he was here.
"I have evidence to prove that and my father had been kidnapped by a demon cultist, " he said bluntly
The woman just blinked there for a few moments and just shook her head and said, "The last of the demon cultists were slain after EDSA revolution took place", she stated as if disbelieving tone emphasis on demon cultists.
"That is true, however plausibility of my claim, I have evidence and at least that if my evidence falsified. At least is a confirmation than knowing a demon cultist was on the loose". he stated calmly, a calm that he didn't know that he had.
"You will pay for this, Apprentice of the Western Witch. If this is false" she states.
Mapulon heard the words but the woman said something of a different language and a door opened or rather shimmered before him. His heart increased yet despite the deal he got, to him the battle wasn't finished yet and despite that he felt a smile bloom on his face.