Above the mage

Chapter 361 Identity Disguise

"Children, I'm taking our guests inside for a bit. If anyone offers to help, please remember to thank them politely," Dr. Danica said, turning to the children.

"Yes, Aunt Danica!" the children replied in unison.

Dr. Danica then led Gao De into the orphanage behind them.

With a creak, she pushed open the peeling paint door, revealing a small garden.

Even though the orphanage was so poor that they couldn't even get enough to eat, the small garden was still full of flowers.

Most of them are small flowers, which look somewhat thin and withered in the cold winter wind, but still exude a faint fragrance.

In one corner of the garden, there are several slightly old swings, their ropes worn and their color faded.

Walk through the garden, along a path paved with irregularly shaped stone slabs, and at the end stands a two-story building.

That was the main building of the orphanage. The walls had cracks, but there were no stains.

Dr. Danica led God up the stairs to the innermost room on the second floor and gently knocked on the equally dilapidated wooden door.

"Mother Danica?" Anna's voice came from inside the room.

"It's me, Miss. You have a guest," Dr. Danica whispered at the door.

The next moment, the wooden door creaked open.

"Brother." Little Anna wore a tall hat with the brim covering her hair, revealing only a black line at the edge. She looked up at Gao De with joy on her face.

Elsa stood beside her.

Compared to Anna's undisguised joy, Elsa simply gave Godd a deep look, her eyes conveying a complex and inexpressible emotion, perhaps something like "Finally here" or "I can relax a little," before saying, "Master Godd."

"Miss, you two talk first. I'll go check on the children at the entrance; they're still collecting donations there," Dr. Danica said respectfully.

"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Aunt Danica." Elsa said with one hand on her chest and a slight bow, her movements elegant and graceful.

"You're too kind, Miss."

After Dr. Danica left, Elsa stepped aside, gesturing for God to enter the room.

The room was filled with an old, musty smell, and several faded paintings hung on the walls, their frames slightly warped.

The ground was covered with a worn carpet. Although it still felt soft underfoot, you could clearly feel the unevenness of the ground.

I sat down at the only table in the room.

"Are you getting impatient?"

"It's alright." Whether she was genuinely alright or not, Elsa had to maintain a "calm and unhurried" demeanor.

She straightened her back slightly, a faint smile on her face, though her tone revealed a hint of relief.

"Acquiring Harland Shipyard requires a huge amount of capital, so it will take some time to prepare," Gao De explained.

"Venerable Master Gaode, may I know your surname?" Elsa asked after a moment's thought.

In her understanding, only a few nobles, apart from trading companies, could come up with enough money to buy a shipyard in just a few days.

And Gaode is so young, yet he is able to control such a large sum of money.

This can only mean two things: first, Gao De's background is extraordinary, and he is very likely from a noble family; second, he is highly valued at home and has considerable influence.

Although she had already decided to trust Gao De and accept his suggestion to flee to the North, she still hoped to learn more about him before doing so.

After all, the current situation is that God knows she and Anna are royal princesses of the Duchy of Westden, while they know nothing about God except his name and his identity as a sea sentinel mage.

"I might disappoint you," Gao De said, understanding Elsa's intention. He spread his hands and said honestly, "I don't have a surname. Of course, if you're okay with that, you can use Gao as my surname."

"No surname?!" Elsa's pupils contracted slightly, and a look of surprise finally appeared on her previously calm face.

This answer was clearly unexpected.

In her mind, even if Gao De was not from a noble family, he must have come from a wealthy family or a family of mages. How could he not have a surname?

Surnames were initially a privilege reserved for nobles and the wealthy; ordinary people had no need to use surnames.

However, with the progress and development of the times, the population continues to grow, and with the needs of law and administration, surnames have gradually become more widespread.

Even ordinary people have begun to use surnames to facilitate record management and identity differentiation.

Nowadays, people without surnames are generally only found in the lower strata of society, such as serfs, urban poor, and slaves.

But as a sea sentinel mage, Gao De seems to have no connection with the lower classes of society.

"Actually, I am just like you. I came to the Plantagenet Dynasty after the fall of my kingdom," Gao De said, not minding revealing his origins. "I was originally from the Duchy of Sien."

"The Duchy of Sien?!"

"Yes," Gao De laughed, "that is, the current Xin Province of the Holy Empire."

"Unlike you who are royalty, I was born a beggar and was taken in as an apprentice by an old mage, which led me to the path of a mage by chance."

"So, I don't have a surname." God looked at Elsa with a calm expression.

A beggar child, who doesn't even have parents, how could he have a surname?

That's perfectly reasonable.

But how could a little beggar from the Duchy of Xinen become a sea sentinel mage of the Golden Flower Dynasty and have such a huge amount of money?

However, Elsa didn't need to think about it; Gaode immediately provided the corresponding explanation.

"Fortunately, I have a good talent as a mage, so after arriving in the Golden Flower Dynasty, I passed the selection test for the Sea Sentinels very smoothly and successfully joined them. As for why I was able to acquire the Harland Shipyard..."

Gao De thought for a moment and said seriously, "I guess I'm pretty lucky. I've gained the favor of a powerful force, and they're willing to provide me with support to the best of their ability."

While it is true that one should treat others with sincerity, Gao De certainly did just that.

However, one should always be wary of others. Given that the other party knows that Elsa is carrying a large sum of money and is just a beggar, Gao De dares not say that Elsa will not have any malicious intentions.

The opponent's mage level is at least second rank; if they really fight, he won't be able to withstand it.

In Gao De's view, the uniform of a sea sentinel mage alone was not enough to intimidate Elsa, so he had to put on another layer of tiger skin for himself—that is, the so-called "respect of a major power".

However, he wasn't just bluffing.

Zhenbing Tribe can be considered a major force, by all accounts.

Elsa listened quietly, but her heart was in turmoil. She couldn't help but exclaim, "You say Anna is a genius, but you are the real genius!"

Having come from a royal family, she understands all too well how difficult it is to go from a beggar to the Sea Sentinel Mage she is today; the mage talent required for this is by no means something that can be achieved simply by being "good" or "not bad".

"You do have some talent," Gao De didn't deny it, but he quickly changed the subject and asked with interest, "You seem to have known Dr. Danica before?"

Judging from their behavior just now, it's clear that Elsa and Danica have a very close relationship, and it's definitely not just a simple stay-at-home arrangement.

Moreover, even if it was to evade pursuit, choosing Ronggu Courtyard as a place of refuge was a very unconventional thing to do.

"Mother Danica was originally from our Duchy of Xidian. She was a noblewoman and a close friend of my mother."

Elsa spoke slowly, lost in her memories, "Among nobles, it is common to arrange marriages as a means to consolidate the power of a family, and Mother Danica was arranged by her family to marry into another noble family."

"The other party was a notorious nobleman who was addicted to wine and women. Mother Danica had heard many stories about his evil deeds and was filled with fear and resistance."

"But the family's honor and interests come first, and no matter how much she resists, she cannot change the family's decision."

"But Sister Danica was very opinionated. She didn't want to be a sacrifice for the family's interests, so she tried every means to escape this arranged marriage. But how easy is it for a woman to break free from the family's control?"

"In the end, my mother secretly helped her out and arranged an escape route for Sister Danica."

"With her mother's help, Sister Danica left the Duchy of Westin and came to the Plantagenet Dynasty. She then changed her name and joined the Whisperers, starting a new life as a nun in Lagos."

"My mother told me about this shortly before the fall of the Duchy of Xidian, and told me that if I ever needed anything in the future, I could try to find Aunt Danica, who would definitely be willing to protect me."

"That's true," Elsa said slowly, biting her lower lip. "Mother Danica took me in without hesitation, and even when I didn't have enough money to buy a ship, she sold the necklace her mother left her to make up the difference."

"The orphanage is already in such a bad state; the children need this money too."

"I see." Gao De lowered his head and fell into deep thought.

After a moment, he looked up and said, "Perhaps I can help Dr. Danica and the Orphanage, but that can only be discussed after the successful acquisition of Harland Shipyard."

Elsa's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"The reason I've come to see you today is because I need your help with something," Gao De said, getting back to the point.

"What is it?" Elsa sat up slightly.

Gao De raised his hand and took out five ice crystal boxes containing ice jade phoenix leaves, placing them on the table in a row: "I need to sell them for Golden Bird Flower Coins."

"What is this?!" Elsa raised her eyebrows slightly, her face filled with surprise and doubt, her eyes fixed on the several ice crystal jade boxes.

Although she didn't recognize the Ice Jade Wutong Leaves, she could still sense their extraordinary nature.

"Ice Jade Wutong Leaves, when steeped in water and drunk, can increase a mage's maximum mental strength. For example, a first-ring mage can increase their mental strength by about 30 points. Of course, this effect only occurs on the first use." Gao De briefly introduced the Ice Jade Wutong Leaves to Elsa.

"You have so many of these precious things, and you're going to sell them?!" Elsa's eyes widened.

She was a discerning person, so after Gao De's explanation, she immediately realized the value of the Ice Jade Wutong Leaf.

This is something every mage dreams of.

"I have more, this is just a small part, so I don't mind selling it." Gao De was still telling the truth, so his expression was very calm.

Elsa was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.

"Lagos City can afford these Ice Jade Wutong Leaves, but they are quite valuable and might cause some trouble, so I hope you can help me save face," Gao De continued.

"That's no problem, but how do you want me to help you?"

Gaudy paused, not answering Elsa's question, but suddenly asked, "Would you mind telling me your mage level?"

"Late stage of the second ring." Elsa hesitated for a moment, but still gave her answer.

"Have you mastered the [Levitation Technique]?"

"Um."

"Okay, that's enough for now," Gao De nodded, smiled slightly, revealing his white teeth, "You just follow me, pretend to be my servant, and then take my orders."

"Okay," Elsa readily agreed, showing no "princess airs" whatsoever.

Fifty Ice Jade Wutong Leaves, with a total value of approximately 15000 Golden Bird Flower Coins.

This number could be astronomical for an individual.

However, for a city of this size, 15000 gold coin is not much.

Although the economy of Lagos suffered a severe blow after the Spirit Marrow Fever, and has greatly declined, its former prosperity is no more.

However, the Plantagenet Dynasty was one of the two most powerful nations on this continent, and Lagos City, backed by this mountain, was still bigger than a starved camel.

Therefore, Lagos City can easily handle 50 Ice Jade Sycamore Leaves without having to go through the trouble of selling them in other cities.

However, it's still best to avoid selling all the Ice Jade Wutong Leaves at once to prevent being unfairly bargained or targeted by powerful forces.

Gaode's idea is to break down the 50 Ice Jade Wutong Leaves into 5-10 transactions and sell them at different locations and times.

In addition, disguising one's identity is also necessary.

If he were to sell these Ice Jade Wutong Leaves directly under Gaode's identity, it would be difficult for him to explain the origin of the Ice Jade Wutong Leaves once the Sea Sentinels noticed, and he might be mistaken for a "spy".

As for how to disguise it, there are actually only two points.

First, there's the camouflage of the background; second, there's the camouflage of the appearance.

The former has been resolved; as for the latter...

Gao De stood up.

Under the watchful eyes of Elsa and Anna, his body underwent a miraculous transformation in that instant.

His originally slender figure gradually expanded, his waist became rounded, forming a slightly protruding belly that rose and fell with his breathing.

As his physical form changed, Gaode's facial features also subtly changed.

The once sharp, angular chin is now covered by a layer of soft, flabby flesh, the skin on the forehead has become loose, and the once thick hair has become sparse and oily, hanging down on the scalp.

His clothes also changed, becoming a magnificent robe embroidered with exquisite patterns, showcasing the owner's wealth.

In the blink of an eye, Gao De transformed from a thin young man into a portly middle-aged businessman.

"Brother is so amazing!" Anna exclaimed, her mouth slightly agape, expressing her shock in a clear, childlike voice.

"Disguise is just a small spell," Gao De laughed. His voice had become deep and resonant, typical of a middle-aged businessman, with a smooth and sophisticated quality, as if it came from the depths of his chest.

A week has passed since we obtained the spell recipe for [Disguise].

Even though Gao De's schedule was very packed, he still managed to create a model for the [Disguise] spell and master the spell on his way from Phoenix to Vallar Bay yesterday.

After allocating points to "Wind Spirit Moon Shadow," the [Disguise Technique] undergoes some minor changes.

[Disguise+] (Illusionist, 1st Ring):

You change yourself and everything you carry, including your clothing, armor, and weapons.

Additional: While using disguise to change your appearance, you can simultaneously simulate a voice that matches your current appearance (adjustable timbre and accent), but you cannot imitate the voice of a specific person; you can freely choose whether to emit certain basic smells (such as the salty smell of fishermen or the smell of tannery), but you cannot choose the body odor of a specific individual.

(End of this chapter)