As Lassim and Hallen left the stadium and headed back to their hotel, a certain man, dressed elegantly like any high-rolling wealthy individual, paid his respects to his companions in his VIP seating section before excusing himself as he stepped away from the crowd and into one of the nearby hallways.
After finding a quiet corner, he tapped the fancy gem on the earring that dangled from his left ear; twice in quick succession.
The gem lit up briefly before he whispered a few words, barely audible from the raucous of the arena, "Sire, I just witnessed sothing that I think the Masters will be interested in."
Waiting a few monts and listening to the other side, he then replied, "Very well."
Pressing and holding the gem for three seconds, he then casually walked away and left the arena.
All the while, he kept Lassim in his extended spirit sense as he walked towards a certain district within Durelia Town. His spirit sense could easily cover the entire city and several kiloters beyond, so he wasn’t worried about losing track of his target.
A few monts later he arrived at what appeared to be a high-end escort service and brothel establishnt. He ignored the front entrance with the enticing won trying to get him to co in as he walked to the side alleyway.
At the side-entrance door, he didn’t reach for the door handle. Instead, he tapped an odd sequence and rhythm on a section of different bricks next to it.
As he completed the final input, the door’s edges glowed with an eerie green light as he then opened the door, exposing the entrance that had turned into a portal.
The door automatically shut behind him once he stepped through and stopped glowing, returning to normal.
Roughly 5 minutes passed before the door began to glow again and out ca the sa man as before.
This ti, his deanor was incredibly more serious as he stepped into the alleyway.
Taking a deep breath, he adjusted himself and his tuxedo jacket as he turned his entire deanor and expression into soone who had a tad too much to drink.
Exiting the alleyway, a wobble in his step, his acting was immaculate as he locked back on to Lassim’s position with his spirit sense before slowly making his way in that direction.
~~~~
As they strolled back to their hotel, Lassim’s curiosity bubbled over, prompting him to inquire about the disc Hallen had just used. "Hallen, that disc you used earlier to communicate with the crew, is it similar to the jade bracelet I received from the academy?"
Hallen chuckled softly, his eyes twinkling with amusent at Lassim’s question. "Ah, you’ve noticed the difference, Young Master. Indeed, it’s similar in function but a more advanced version. It was built to be tailored specifically for managing the administrative tasks of running our branch of the Rohese Architecture Company," Hallen explained.
"Like the jade bracelet, it utilizes complex array systems and a touch of magical esoteric technology that even I find sowhat baffling," Hallen continued, a hint of admiration in his voice. "But rest assured, it’s quite effective and incredibly convenient."
Lassim nodded, intrigued by the blend of magical arrays and technology. "I see. When I left the academy they let keep the bracelet, but it’s a bit annoying to wear on my wrist all the ti."
"I could understand that," Hallen confird with a nod. "But you know, Young Master, these communication devices can take various forms. That slate device the announcer at the arena used, for instance, is another example. As long as one is willing to pay the price, anything can beco one of these devices that can be imbued with the necessary array systems."
Lassim’s eyes widened as he recalled his golden vault card. "Oh! That makes sense! I have another thing that I think works similarly as well. That’s pretty incredible. I wonder if I can learn how to do that soday," he remarked, a sense of curiosity in his voice.
"Oh, Young Master, with how talented you are, I’m sure you’d be able to do it if you tried to study it for a while. Once you reach the Lightning Sect, you can probably seek to join their array division. Most sects have a research and technology branch where things like array systems, alchemy, and battle art developnt take place.
Every sect is different, but if I recall correctly, the Lightning Sect’s array division is pretty remarkable and set the standard for a lot of the devices most people use. You should look into it once you arrive." Hallen said, encouraging Lassim.
As Lassim and Hallen approached the bustling activity at the inn, they could see the crew in full swing, organizing the carriages of the caravan out front and preparing to depart.
The crew worked to ticulously inspect the carriages, ensuring that every component was in perfect working order and everything was set, while the mbers of the guards of the caravan adjusted the saddles and bags on their mounts.
As the crew worked, Hallen stepped forward, noticing so of the expressions of the mbers were a bit grumpy.
Diffusing away the irritability, Hallen explained with a slight authoritative tone, "Hey now! Away with the sad looks! You lot wouldn’t have even had more than a single evening in this town before we moved along if it wasn’t for the Young Master wishing to see the Martial Tournant. He’s returned after just beating this month’s Spirit Growth Champion and you greet him like this?!"
The crew turned to look at Lassim and each began to congratulate him on his victory, instantly improving the slightly sour mood from before.
"Hey! Congrats!"
"Wow, a champion! I always lost the Spirit Growth division when I was your age. It wasn’t until I got to the Spirit Transformation that I could break into the top 2!"
"Congratulations Young Master!"
Lassim blushed a bit and thanked everyone back.
Hallen continued, "That’s more like it! Now, our esteed champion wishes to avoid so of the attention he’s brought on himself so it’s ti to continue our journey so that we can make it to our next destination. We’ll go straight ahead to the Aetheria Kingdom next, which will take a few days of travel to reach the border crossing.
After that, it’s directly off to our main destination, the Royal Capital of the Aetheria Kingdom—Etherys—where we will spend the next several months working on the Royal Family’s commission. Now, hurry and prepare the remaining carriages while I go see to the inn’s staff and pay our bill."
With Hallen’s declaration, the crew roared back their affirmation and doubled their effort to finish prepping with renewed enthusiasm.
Hallen, with his usual finesse, approached the inn’s maitre d’ to settle the bill for their entire party’s stay.
Yet, he briefly bumped into a young child that was running around the lobby. Hallen quickly apologized and the child’s father ca to apologize profusely for his son’s behavior.
Brushing it off, Hallen continued his conversation with the maitre d’ and paid the sum with a nod of thanks, acknowledging the inn’s hospitality.
As they prepared to depart, the inn’s staff, eager to show their appreciation, gathered around.
The maitre d’ led an entourage of attendants and maids, each carrying baskets of provisions and supplies. They were offerings from the inn, a gesture of goodwill for their esteed guests’ journey and a late minute bid to curry favor using good hospitality. This strategy always helped insure repeat business.
The additional supplies included fresh fruits, bread, cheeses, and wines, carefully selected and arranged in al packs for convenience. The maids handed over the supplies in magic pouches emblazoned with the Golden Goblet Inn’s emblem, flashing smiles and exposing their cleavage as they cheerily bid farewell to the crew.
With the final preparations completed, Hallen signaled for Lassim to join him in their designated carriage.
Lassim felt a sense of relief once he settled into the comfortable carriage. He still had that nagging feeling he was being watched, but it lost its intensity once he stepped inside.
The caravan, now fully ready, set off with a rhythmic clatter of hooves, paws thumping and the creaking of wheels as they made their way through the bustling streets and out of the city gates.
The sun was still in the mid-afternoon sky, but would soon begin its descent as it cast a warm golden hue over the landscape.
Lassim gazed out of the carriage window, watching as the remarkable betting city gradually disappeared in the distance and the path ahead gave way to an open paved road and sprawling countryside.
~~~~
As caravan and Lassim left the city, a man and a child stood across from the Golden Goblet Inn.
The man was speaking to the child in a strange transactional manner, where the kid was informing him of so of the details of the caravan, like who it belonged to and what he overheard as their next destination.
Thanking the child by tossing a handful of low-grade ESS at him, he pretended to stumble away towards an alleyway before disappearing into the shadows.
In a flash, he appeared at a fancy mansion in one of the residential areas of Durelia Town.
He quickly called out to his Coachman, "Daniel, we have an unexpected business trip. We need to leave imdiately to Etherys."
"Yes, M’lord." The older gentleman nad Daniel replied as he stood up from his stool near the wind horse stables where the coach was parked.
The elegant man fixed his tuxedo jacket before he hopped into the carriage. They imdiately left with haste as his spirit sense was still firmly locked in on the direction of the caravan’s departure.
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