Toz was worried that the Representative might attack him if he refused, so while he thought about how he could tactfully decline the offer, Toz asked the cats to be ready.
"Since you aren't yet familiar with our teachings, maybe you need an incentive?"
The Representative smiled as he reached into a pocket inside his robes and retrieved a book. Toz looked on with curiosity and confusion. However, his feelings of confusion soon turned into ones of astonishment. When the Representative put down the book on the table, Toz sensed faint fluctuations of void mana. The book was a grimoire containing a spell of the void attribute.
"From my understanding, you possess several attributes, including the great void attribute. As soon as you declare your belief in the Great and Encompassing Nihiltas, this book will be yours. No need for any conversion rituals."
"Conversion rituals?"
Since Toz didn't want to make a rash decision, he decided to delay answering by asking a question instead.
"Yes. In order to become a true believer of Nihiltas, one must be able to connect with his greatness through the void attribute. However, not everyone is graced with Nihiltas' power from birth. But Nihiltas accepts all. To become one of us, one must first accept Nihiltas in their body."
The Representative didn't explain what the ritual actually was, but Toz could guess that it was the reason every cultist was a void mage.
"How do you know I won't lie just to take the grimoire?"
"There are no lies in front of the Void."
"I guess I won't bother trying then. Sorry, but I'm not interested in joining you."
"I understand."
Though, even after saying that, the Representative didn't seem to have any intentions of taking back the grimoire.
The two sat in silence for a bit since Toz didn't know if he should leave or not. However, the representative broke the silence first.
"What is the reason you accepted my request to meet, if not to join our brotherhood?"
"I was curious about why you wanted to meet me."
"Nothing else?"
Toz wasn't sure how much he should reveal to the representative, but since it seemed like he didn't hold a grudge despite Toz's refusal, Toz decided he could make a bold move and improvise his plans a bit.
"Well, now that you mention it, I have to ask. What kind of ambition do you have?"
A twisted glint flashed through the representative's eyes so fast that Toz barely noticed anything.
"Could you elaborate?"
Toz realized that the representative wasn't as emotionless and empty as he pretended to be. Even if he asked Toz to elaborate, it was obvious he already knew what Toz had in mind.
Like any religious leader or fanatic, as it was clear the Representative was, expansion and getting more followers was a natural goal.
Toz wasn't willing to give up the void attribute spell just like that, and he began convincing the Representative to give it up in exchange for something that should be more valuable to the Cult of Nihiltas than a single follower.
Eventually, Toz left the cubical building with a satisfied smile on his face. He hadn't gotten the grimoire just yet, but it wouldn't be long until he got his hands on it. He didn't know if the Representative could lie or not, considering his previous words, but if he tried to get out of the agreement he made with Toz, Toz would simply have to prove what happened when one lies in front of him.
Toz was slightly worried that the Representative would be able to tell if he lied or not, which was why he intentionally avoided outright lies. Toz used hints and half-finished sentences to conspire with the Representative. If it worked, it worked. If it didn't, Toz would simply have to use the backup plan.
The cats joined up with Toz on the way back to the Bunglehoppers' base, curious about what had happened. Toz told them, which immediately prompted Lucy to give Toz applause.
Toz only stopped at the Bunglehopper base shortly to let the others know he was alright before he turned around and headed to the middle market.
The Cult of Nihiltas and their Representative of the Void knew that Toz had the void attribute, and Toz wanted to know how they knew. He had used the void attribute in public, but he still wanted to make sure that was the reason and not something else.
Thankfully, he was acquainted with the resident expert on information in Pirate Haven.
Toz and the cats knocked on the door to Retsy's middle base. The same gruff voice Toz heard the first time he visited Retsy welcomed them in. However, the person who greeted them was a young man with a mellow voice, and there were no signs of the source of the gruff one.
Toz didn't care too much since he was pretty sure that Retsy could completely change his appearance. The young woman he met the first time, the middle-aged woman he met when he went with Wulf to initiate the first step of their plan, and the young man in front of him were all Retsy.
The cats looked around at the paintings as they followed Toz into the office, where Retsy greeted them.
"Welcome, Toz and company. What can I do for you today?"
Toz didn't bother wasting time and immediately cut to the chase.
"I want to know how the cultists knew one of my attributes."
"And what can you offer in exchange?"
"Take a look around you."
Retsy looked at the cats, not quite understanding what Toz meant at first. However, Retsy's thoughts clicked together when Toz put his right hand on the table and showed his symbol.
Retsy looked at Toz with wide eyes.
"You mean…?"
"Yeah."
"I see."
Retsy regained their composure as fast as they could and looked at Toz with a gaze that wanted to pry every secret out of him.
"I guess I don't have a choice. That information will be more than enough to give you what you want, so I guess I'll owe you.
"The Representative is extremely sensitive to the fluctuations of void magic. He probably sensed you as soon as you left the docks the other day. Do you want to ask anything else, or do you want to hold on to that debt?"
"I'll come back another time."
Toz was satisfied with the answer since it told him more than just how they knew about his attribute. It also revealed some of the Representative's abilities, which further helped Toz grasp the strength of the leaders of the big three pirate crews.
