Agent Axe was shocked after finding out that Vale had noticed his disguise.
Of course, he didn't intend to insult the Immortal in front of him. That would be foolish for a Second-Class Arcanist like him. But the reason he had to use his Transformation Art was also for his own protection...
After all, the missions he accomplished in the Bureau weren't all lawful. Most of them were tasks that disregarded the government laws and there were times when they'd anger the Arcanist Faction's Secret Orders in order to seize or confiscate some Magic Artifacts.
"I'm sorry if I have to look , Sir Immortal. I just wanted to make sure that our trip will go smoothly. I have to ensure no one identifies me." Agent Axe explained.
"What? Are you a criminal?" Vale asked as he knitted his brows. He hadn't doubted that this man was a member of the Bureau since he saw his badge a while ago.
However, he couldn't help but take a closer look as he didn't expect that the members of the Arcane Bureau had problems with the local governments or perhaps wanted by the police.
"It isn't like that… Our organization just wants to maintain peace in our world, but there are many people who don't idea." Agent Axe immediately explained.
Vale no longer bothered to respond and simply let the man escort him to their headquarters.
At this time, Agent Axe already prepared a carriage since he couldn't escort Vale using the secret path that members like him use on a daily basis.
Soon, they started passing through various streets and roads in the city.
Vale didn't pay much attention to the scenery, as he was lost in his thoughts. On the other hand, Lisa was had her eyes closed, but she wasn't sleeping... She was sharing her senses with one of her bats that was tailing their carriage.
As for Vale, he was simply wondering what the Bureau wanted from him.
After all, he didn't fully believe that they couldn't just pass the information to him. They must have other ulterior motives…
Nevertheless, he hoped that they would give him the information he needed and let him go. He didn't want to stay there any longer than necessary.
During this time, Agent Axe tried to make some small talk with Vale, but he soon realized that Vale was not interested in conversing.
At this rate, he wouldn't really get much information about Vale... Currently, he only knew that Vale had the ability to see through an Advanced Realm disguise.
He then glanced at Lisa, who was sitting beside Vale. She looked bored and sleepy.
Agent Axe wanted to speak with her, but Vale suddenly gave a stern gaze that made him immediately retract his plans. In the end, he had to stay quite for a long time.
After a long drive, they finally reached their destination.
Agent Axe stopped the carriage in front of a large and imposing building. He then got out of the carriage and helped Vale and Lisa to get down.
The building in front of them looked like a normal factory building, but it had a lot of security measures and hidden entrances.
Inside the building, there were a lot of shops. There are upholsterers, cobblers, haberdashers, tailors, and even confectioners.
However, Vale had a feeling that they were all working for the Bureau since they are all Combat Artists, at the very least.
After reaching a quiet room, they finally saw the third door guarded by a few security guards. This time, Agent Axe finally took out his badge and scanned it on a device embedded in an iron door.
The device beeped, and a voice said, "Welcome, Agent Axe. Please proceed to the elevator and enter the code 7-4-2-9."
'So it's an elevator? This place feels a bit more modern than I expected.' Vale thought as he continued to monitor the surroundings with his Magic Zone and Divine Sense.
He actually realized that most of the people in the building practice Transformation Arts, Summoning Arts, Combat Arts, or Elemental Arts.
Anyway, Agent Axe nodded after hearing the voice and turned to Vale and Lisa.
"We're here. We will be entering the Bureau's headquarters. Follow me and don't wander off. There are a lot of restricted areas and classified information here. It's also for your own safety since there are many Formation Traps installed in this place."
After saying this, he led them to the elevator and entered the code.
The elevator doors closed, and it descended to the underground level.
Agent Axe then spoke with a hint of pride in his tone.
"The Bureau's headquarters is located underground for security and secrecy reasons. There are many departments and facilities here, such as the Research and Development, the Intelligence and Analysis, the Operations and Enforcement, and the Artifact Storage and Management. We're going to the Artifact Storage and Management department, where the Director is waiting for us. He's the one who wants to talk to you, Vale. Ahh… He's not Director Virgo… You can think of him as the Branch Director instead… He may not be a Half-Immortal, but he's a Half-Spirit."
At this time, the elevator stopped and the doors opened.
"We're here. Follow me…"
He walked out of the elevator and into a long and dimly lit corridor.
He walked past several doors and windows, showing various rooms and labs. Vale and Lisa followed him, looking around with curiosity and awe.
They saw many Magic Artifacts, some of them familiar and some of them strange.
Other than that, they also saw many Arcanists and some of them seemed to be working on experiments related to Magic Artifacts.
'Interesting…' Vale commented in his mind as he saw many machines and complicated devices that were being used to appraise or even test the Magic Artifacts.
This place truly looked professional to Vale.
Lisa's eyes also widened as she saw a lot of things that she had never seen before.
She felt that they had entered a different world, a world that was full of secrets and mysteries!
However, Vale didn't seem impressed as he commented in a soft voice… "You guys obtained the technology, or maybe Arcana of the Immortals?"