The horses pull the carriage away from the bright lights of the auction house, and they begin to travel deeper into the capital city. As they do, the atmosphere shifts. The vibrant city life begins to fade into quieter, more secluded streets.
Less rough and chaotic.
Aric leaned back in the carriage, his mind shuffling between his new knowledge of the weavers and his upcoming meeting. When he sits before the king and his council, whatever is done there would matter most. He needed to play his cards perfectly.
Lerai gazes out the window, his eyes zipping from one rising architecture to the next, while Serina was quiet and appeared contemplative, her mind just as deep in thought as Aric’s.
"There is something about this city, it feels... guarded," Lerai muttered.
Serina turned to Lerai then back at the window. "Yes, well, they have secrets to hide. I’d say it’s best we keep our wits to ourselves."
The carriage passes through several districts, each street lined by imposing buildings made of stone and wood. The glow of mana lamps offers some illumination to the main roads. The hum of distant voices and laughter filters in from open taverns and streets filled with revelers.
They were in the noble district, the dwelling place for the rich and wealthy.
Large manors loomed, boasting sigils of noble families. Perhaps the best spot for a wealthy businessman like Razid Heidz to build an inn. However, they went on further, and the streets began to become more narrow and gave way to quieter alleys lined with more businesses, inns, brothels, and shady establishments.
Rather than the more professional courtesans that found business in the imperial city, the streets were rampant with what could only be described as cheap whores.
Their clothes were loose and revealing, their bare bosoms catching wind as they bothered not to raise the lacking linen that failed at an attempt at decent covering, revealing plump thighs and all the other things that would incline one to indulge in their lust.
They swarmed any passing carriage while repeatedly calling out the same thing:
"Good sir, come have the night of your life for only 100 silver... I won’t disappoint."
As the prince walks further into the room, his eyes lock onto an unexpected sight: a large wooden crate, sitting in the corner near the window. Its surface, which was well-polished, gleamed under the light’s soft glow.
Aric, his curiosity now piqued, approached closer to the crate, noticing a piece of parchment neatly attached to the top. He pulls it off, unfolding it to reveal a handwritten note.
"I hope this invitation gift suffices. If you are ever in Migard, pay me a visit. —Signed, Lord Heidz."
Aric’s lips curved into a smile. He had expected a lot of the unfolding events, but this one had come as a total surprise.
’Invitation?’
The Lord of Heidz was not a part of the king’s council despite being the wealthiest and one of the most powerful in the kingdom. However, he was aware of the council meeting, which would indicate he had interest in the king’s affairs.
What this could mean is that Heidz might not be on amiable terms with the king, and if that is the case, then the lord’s usefulness to Aric might significantly increase. The Migard province where Heidz ruled was the most strategic location in the prince’s conquest.
Aric set the note aside, and although already knowing what was inside the crate, he opens the top, revealing C-rank mana crystals, stacked neatly inside.
Seeing no need to leave it in kept in there, Aric began to store away the crystals, safely keeping them until he would hand them over to Lerai back at the base. The value of the crystals in his hands was more than any could understand. They were now leverage in the complex game of politics and power he was preparing to play.
Standing by the window, Aric gazes out at the darkened street below.
"Things are falling into place faster than I expected. First the council. Then... perhaps Migard. What if the entire province was made a stronghold?"
Aric sighed, turning away from the window as he pulled out two books from thin air.
"But before that... how much stronger can I get with these techniques?"