291-300
Chapter 291 - The Head-Scratching Question.
Silva Duchy Capital...
Dane Residence...
Isabella Dane sat in her Study with her spy in front of her and his head bowed slightly having just delivered the news that he lost Hal which he did admit in a low voice had not truly been his fault since it was really about Hal having being kidnapped after a brief struggle at the Alchemist Organization,
"So he was kidnapped?" Isabella repeated not because she was hard of hearing but because she found it incredulous that such a thing would happen in a high-profile location like the Alchemist Organization.
That it was successful pointed to the fact that the one behind the abduction had been either powerful or influential. Most likely both.
Which begs the question of what they had to do with Hal who was from a 'Small city'?'
In fact, that was not the most head-scratching question, that title belonged to the question of why Hal was even at the Alchemist Organization in the first place when she had already established after his combat with Hugh that he was a Runemaster.
Isabella sighed and considered letting this go for now, after all, she was never truly a fan of Hal.
Now that he was abducted and might even be dead, there seemed to be no point whatsoever in being interested in his life or habits anymore...
That said, there was still curiosity and it was a sentiment she could not shake,
"I want you to find out why he was at the Alchemist Organization" she said suddenly and her spy looked a tad bit uncomfortable,
"I already did, or at least I tried to but the Alchemist Organization is going to a lot of trouble to keep it all under wraps while also pulling all the stops to search for him.
I did find out that he was there with someone. Well, two someones. Two ladies"
Isabella frowned and that feeling of curiosity seemed to have swelled instead of waned,
"The same ones he came here with?" She asked.
The spy shook his head and this seemed to be the reason for his uncomfortable expression,
"No these ladies were different and one of them is said to be a renowned Alchemist."
'A womanizer huh? Why am I not surprised?' She thought with a shake of her head before facing the spy once again,
"Very well, I would like to speak to her. The Alchemist I mean."
The spy cleared his throat just as he checked his Communication Talisman,
"Well that's easy because she is here" he said.
"What?!" The Patroness exclaimed.
"Yes, she's at Lady Melinda's residence" he said.
Without saying another word, the space around Isabella twisted and she disappeared into the void.
The spy sighed in admiration,
"That looks so cool"
...
Meanwhile,
Melinda sat in the hut behind her residence with Karmen and Arya as company as they had just delivered the news of Hal's whereabouts to her.
"So, you're saying Hal is on an initiative mission for Princess Tanya who also happens to be the lady who he met in Tretch forest and has on more than one occasion called by name. Is that what you're saying?" She asked.
Karmen and Arya shared looks as they wondered if there was any point to Melinda repeating what they just told her as well as what she already knew before.
All the same, they answered her question,
"Yes, that's what we're saying"
"Hmm" Melinda made a small sound before leaning back in her chair.
Was she worried?
Undoubtedly.
And to be fair, she had every reason to be.
While she had not heard a lot about Black lagoon, the little she did know was not good and if Hal was there and expected to accomplish some task on his own, then she hoped he knew to be careful and wary of the monstrous experts.
Then again, if Hal was anything, it was resourceful.
Eventually, she shrugged,
"He'll be fine" she said just as the space a few meters away from her twisted and out of it emerged her grandmother Isabella Dane with a bright smile on her face.
When she looked directly at Arya, the Alchemist was shocked to feel as though she was being scanned to the core and her every secret laid bare.
But that was mostly just the Patroness's intimidating nature which was impressive considering her expression was warm all through.
Melinda stood up and bowed a little to the only one in the Dane family she could actually stand being around and she even graced her with a bright smile of her own,
"Grandmother" she greeted.
Isabella held out her hands to her and they embraced just as she said,
"Yesterday was so eventful and I felt it was of the utmost importance I come to see how you are settling in" she said and now turned to eye Karmen and Arya.
Karmen was feeling a little bit uncomfortable, but not to the extent that she could not continue to look apathetic.
Arya, on the other hand, knew what she was feeling from the Patroness' body and, if her manipulation of space and sudden appearance were not informative enough, the unseen aura around her showed that it was power.
"Who are your friends?" She asked.
Arya introduced herself immediately,
"I'm Nadia, Alchemist Nadia" she said and Isabella's eyes widened slightly.
Clearly, she had heard of Arya's Pseudonym and was no longer as skeptical as she was before.
"So you are Nadia. Good to finally put a face to the name."
Arya, now on her feet together with Karmen, bowed deeply,
"I am honored the pillar of the Dane Family knows my name."
Isabella nodded in acceptance of her gesture before she faced Karmen who kept her introduction short and simple,
"I am Karmen" she said.
"Well, I would be remiss if I did not ask such an illustrious Alchemist such as yourself to stay over for a meal. I feel we have much to discuss. One of them being exactly how you know my granddaughter and where the connection was formed.
Bring them over will you, Linda dear. I'll be waiting."
With that, she stepped away from them and with the twisting of space once again, she was gone.
Leaving Arya and Karmen to share nervous looks while Melinda looked like she was actually enjoying herself.
Clearly, she was not worried about what her grandmother would ask.
Whether she would be totally truthful or not remained to be seen.
...
Black Lagoon...
Black Pub...
"To Hal Klint, the stranger who suddenly arrived in the pub and graced us with free booze" said a man in a loud voice and his glass raised.
"To Hal" the other men chorused and bumped glasses with the loud man.
Hal on the other hand was laughing hard,
"Oh, you guys are too much. You know what? For your gratitude, Bartender, more wine" he called out and the Bartender began filling more glasses.
The men on this table had been very welcoming of him since he joined the table and started buying them drinks.
Of course, he had not only done so to be on their good side but to also soften them up and make it easier to question them when he wished to.
And once the waitress brought over drinks and paused to take a long look at his handsome face before departing, he decided it was right about time,
"So, guys what is the situation with the purchasing of merchandise in the Lagoon.
I mean, since I have been here, I haven't seen open stalls selling goods which is a little disappointing. After all, this is the site for Black marketing." He said and somehow the drunk fellows followed every word he said.
The loud one who had toasted to him was the one who spoke first,
"Of course stalls are not opened. That is no longer the best way to make a profit" he said with a bit of a slur.
"Oh? Then what is the best way to make a profit?" Hal asked.
The loud man gulped more alcohol before answering,
"Simple, The Sheik's Auction"
Chapter 292 - Paradox Of Addictions.
So through the many drunken rants of these men, Hal had an adequate understanding of who the Sheik was;
'Sheik' was the title given to the one who governs the Black Lagoon and from what he had heard, Hal knew he was someone with an eye out for eccentricities as well as talent.
That said, he was not exactly who someone could call 'Benevolent' and one of the most common pastimes was to curse his name.
In private of course. After all, rumor had it that he was an Aurora realm expert.
Then again, the rules might not be as strict as they all made it out to seem, after all, here they were cursing his name in the daytime and the presence of an audience, albeit a very drunk audience.
After mentioning the Shiek's Auction, the loud man took another large gulp of alcohol and his words were barely intelligible after that.
Luckily, there was someone else present to pick up where he left off and this fellow was most definitely the least drunk of the bunch,
"The Sheik's Auction is the place for goods now. For the suppliers, it helps to garner all the wealthy individuals in one place thanks to the Sheik's connections and offer them a platform to get the maximum profit through competitive bidding.
As for the Sheik, he gets a percentage of every purchase and continues increasing his wealth." The man said before taking a marginal sip of his wine.
Clearly, much as he loved to gossip and drink, he still wished to keep his clarity.
Hal looked thoughtful as he thought on this before asking his next question. No longer bothering to try and converse with the others who had all but ignored him and the near-sober man in the midst of their drunken banter,
"And how would one go about attending. I'm guessing I can't simply waltz into the place." Hal said.
The man turned to him and raised a brow which signaled Hal to what he hated the most about this situation.
The easiest to cajole were the drunk ones whose inhibitions had been significantly lowered up to the point it was practically none existent.
However, they also started losing the ability to be coherent the longer it went on and soon drowsiness would set in which for Hal who had a lot of questions was not the best-case scenario.
He could, of course, cut off their alcohol supply since he was the one treating them but that would not only leave them disgruntled, should they realize it was him, it could very well result in a conflict which would be detrimental to why he was here in the first place.
Then we have the near-sober guy who for the very same reason he is better than the drunken bunch also happens to be the reason he is worse as his clarity made him easily suspicious and hence ready to question everything.
The near-sober man eyed Hal for a while before,
"Why are you asking all this?" He asked.
Hal shrugged,
"I came here to purchase something and I wish to know the fastest and easiest way to do that" he said and it was the perfect excuse.
After all, this was a Black market trading site that readily delved into illegal trading, that Hal was here to make a purchase as well was not too far-fetched.
The near-sober nan seemed to think so as well as he nodded his head slowly,
"Of course. I get it. I live in the Lagoon but I can understand your plight and impatience as well as your craving for the good stuff" he said.
Hal leaned back,
"Whoa, ease up a little, you make me sound like an addict" Hal said.
The near-sober man chuckled,
"Are we not all addicts. Everyone is addicted to something. Even those who are clean of addictions are addicted to something. They are addicted to remaining clean.
I mean, what makes them different. Put in a situation where they feel pressured to take alcohol whether due to society or other factors, they will try their best to remain far away from such substances,
That sort of diligence is what you will find in a drug addict in his bid to find his next fix.
So the way I see it, it's a paradox of addictions where trying not to be addicted is an addiction itself" the man said with a proud smile.
Hal struggled not to roll his eyes,
"How deep" he said sarcastically.
'Hey, he actually has a point.' Grimoire piped.
Hal mind-shrugged,
'Maybe, but I don't need him telling me in some convoluted way that I am an addict cause I have come to terms with my addictions.' Hal said.
Grimoire sighed,
'I'm guessing this addiction refers to your obsession with lady parts' the Artifact said.
Hal grinned,
"Oh yes, the best addiction of them all" he said.
"What?" The near-sober man said as Hal had spoken aloud but Hal shook his head to signify that it was nothing.
At that time, the brown-haired man seated at the corner of the room who Hal had decided to be wary of, stood up from his seat, tossed a couple of gold coins on the table before exiting the pub.
Meanwhile, the near-sober man continued,
"Well, since you are here drinking with us in the pub as opposed to some expensive restaurant in some Hotel, then you are clearly not a dignified individual invited by the Sheik for the Auction.
And you cannot participate in the Auction without an invitation."
Hal frowned lightly and did not bother attempting to deny that all that the man had said was completely true.
Also, he now knew that if he ever had any hope of finding out who the supplier was, then it would be by participating in that Auction or at the very least being in the room when the Auction goes down.
He sighed and stood up from his chair before calling to the waitress and placing a pouch of gold in her hands which would more than cover the cost of the wine he ordered for the men as well as any additional they decided to order.
"Thank you" he told them with a light smile as walked out of the pub.
"Did anyone else notice he didn't drink at all? I mean all he wanted to do was *hiccup* talk" said one of them while another glared at him,
"Who cares? More for us"
"Hear, Hear" they all chanted with raised glasses and proceeded to drink themselves to a stupor.
...
Once out of the Pub, Hal took a deep breath and thought of his next course of action, and his thought process was not made any easier with Grimoire occasional inquisitive and amused questions,
'So what now?' It asked, as Hal began an instinctive walk to the grandest housing in the Lagoon whose landmass, was not up to a quarter of Sapphire city by the way.
However, that did not stop it from being seen higher up in social standing than Sapphire city since it had multiple Cosmic Phenomenon realm cultivators.
Hal shrugged,
"Who knows?" He said out loud and soon arrived before the building which clearly belonged to the Sheik.
The guards at the gate looked anything but friendly but Hal did not let that intimidate him at all as he made his way towards the gate but they stopped him with metallic batons that had runes on them.
Clearly of the same make as Rune daggers.
"Who are you and what is your business with the Sheik?" One of them asked.
Hal paused and thought better of forcing his way through even if he could. Or even making use of invisibility.
Instead, he said the first thing that came to his mind that did not sound overly foolish...
"I am here to entertain him."
Chapter 293 - Drew Conclusions.
"Excuse me what?" Asked one of the guards for fear that he might have heard wrong.
Hal smirked,
"Are you hard of hearing? I said I came to entertain him" he said and crossed his arms before his chest.
The guards eyed him up and down and especially spent more time staring at his face,
"You don't look like a jester" one of them eventually said.
"That's because I'm not. I'm something better. I'm a Runemaster" he said with a hint of theatrical flair.
The guards shared a look and their eyes were filled with wonder,
"Are you here with Runemaster Fenrir?" One of them asked.
Hal looked confused,
"Who the fuck is that? I'm Hal Klint and I am a solo act." He said.
The guard turned to the others who had of course not missed a bit of the conversation and asked,
"Did any of you know of a Runemaster named Hal Klint coming here to perform"
They shrugged,
"No idea. But then again, you know how the Lord's Advisor always loves to make decisions that make our lives miserable. What if we deny Master Hal's assess and it turns out he was truly invited, that could very give him an opportunity to clean house" said one of them, and the others nodded in agreement.
"We might as well let him in"
And with that, they moved out of the way with one of them volunteering to lead him inside himself while Hal shook his head at how easily they let him in.
Not that he was complaining of course because he was glad he did not have to go through too much trouble just to see the Sheik and request to participate in the auction, but he still could not help but feel those guards were a couple of dunces.
After all, how hard could it possibly be to simply have one of them go inside and request confirmation of Hal's identity and mission? It would not even take that long.
However, who knows? Maybe their hatred for the Sheik's advisor was not one-sided and they preferred to stay away from him.
Anyway, for better or for worse, Hal was making his way into the Sheik's beautiful residence that actually had so many maids and servants running around and tending to various matters.
It was quite a sight to behold.
The guard then stood before an open door but the view into what lay behind the door was hidden by a curtain, behind which Hal could hear the sound of merriment.
It meant either the Sheik was having a party which was a little unlikely since it was still quite early in the day. That said it could have been the type of party that lasts a whole day.
Or
The Sheik was entertaining a guest which would explain why Runemaster Fenrir was here.
He must have been called for that reason.
These were only speculations of course for all he knew, the sound he was hearing might have been to drown out the sound of despair and pain of torture victims.
"The Sheik is right behind this Curtain Master Hal" the guard said.
Hal nodded,
"Oh yes, I figured" he said and waited for the guard to leave so he could go in.
He had made it here already, after all, he no longer saw the need to continue the charade that he was here to entertain when he had no intentions of doing anything of the sort.
Especially since his lie would most likely fall apart in front of the infamous Advisor.
The guard seemed to have picked up on Hal not wanting him to stay but he did all the same,
"I'll introduce you" he said and pulled Hal's arm and before he could protest, he dragged him past the curtain and right into the hall where food and drinks rich in cultivation requirements flowed aplenty.
A middle-aged man with slightly grey hair stood before what looked to be a table of honored guests and looked to be in the motion of projecting Runes.
Behind the table were about five individuals with the one in the very center and on the grandest looking chair being the most extravagantly dressed of them all.
The Sheik looked so young as to be in his twenties and he was undeniably good-looking with his raven-colored hair held at the top of his head with a male hairpin.
His coal-black eyes eyed Hal skeptically but not in a manner that suggested he wished Hal to be tossed out immediately.
He looked to be a little curious.
The lady seated beside him on his left-hand side was incredibly beautiful and had Caramel colored hair and feline amber eyes that gave her an exotic look. Her Blue gown complimented her skin nicely and her breasts whose cleavage was teased by the low neckline of her gown were easily the largest he had seen to date.
He had to say they were quite attention-grabbing and took a little more effort than it should for him to look away and observe the lady's expressions.
As the Sheik spoke to her, Hal could tell she was bored and every smile she graced him with was only to be polite and humor him.
The Sheik was clearly aware but was not going to let that get him down in his aim to pursue her.
Anyway, when the amber-eyed lady looked at him, he could detect mild curiosity but that quickly made way for annoyance which stemmed from catching Hal's brief glance on her very ample bust.
That said, there was that little interest she could not get rid of in its entirety.
The one seated at the Sheik's right hand was a wise-looking middle-aged man with a thin black mustache that marched his black hair.
The other two, though Hal did not know it then were dignified men who were in Black lagoon to participate in the auction.
The Sheik turned to his black-haired advisor,
"Gavin, who is this young man?" He asked.
Gavin frowned,
"I have no idea my lord" his glare was incredibly penetrating to the guard who he blamed for this interruption.
"This young man came to the residence and claimed he was summoned here to entertain you, my lord"
The Runemaster who they had interrupted in the middle of his projection looked to Hal with furrowed brows,
"Entertain?" He said but Hal who had dislodged his hand from the guard's grip turned to eye him,
"I never said I was summoned here, I said I was here to entertain the Sheik. You drew your own conclusions." He said.
The guard frowned,
"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked.
"It means you are a dumbass who can't get his facts right even though he received them first hand."
Gavin suddenly stood to his feet and with it, he released a pressure that quelled the argument that was about to begin.
He and the Sheik had no interest in hearing it.
"Young man, who are you and where are you from? And don't you say Black lagoon because it is clear you are not a native"
Hal smiled,
"My name is Hal Klint and I am from the Silva Duchy capital. I only came here because I wished to participate in the Auction which by the way will not be a loss to you."
Gavin ignored the last part as he turned toward the Amber eyed Lady who looked thoroughly interested,
"Lady Lucile, you are also from the Silva Duchy, have you heard of this Klint family?"
Lucile eyes Hal for a short while before saying,
"No, no I have not." She said.
Gavin smiled lightly,
"Are you sure my lady?"
Lucile looked quite bored as she faced Gavin now,
"Yes, I am sure. I think I'd remember a family with such... distinctive features." She said.
Gavin nodded,
"That's good to hear. My lord, I propose we have this young man killed for daring to lie to you"
The Sheik looked at Hal for a long while with a peculiar expression on his face,
"I accept your proposal" he eventually said and Hal's eyes widened,
"Wait, what?"
Chapter 294 - A Private Affair.
Silver Duchy Capital...
Dane Territory...
The Patroness' Residence...
The architectural designs of the location while clearly dated retained a classic extravagance that was not second best to any other residence in the Dane territory.
And it was inside one of its halls, specifically the dining hall, that Isabella now sat with Melinda by her side and the two ladies Karmen and Arya as guests.
The kind smile on her beautiful face was to put them at ease but that was not exactly easy to do when their fiendish nature react to her golden eyes and they could not help but be paranoid of her immense strength.
A strength that guaranteed that should she wish to, they could be killed in seconds without even being able to defend themselves.
"This is nice. Just us gals." Isabella said in a natural expression and much as Melinda enjoyed her grandmother's company, she knew an interrogation was well on its way, and sure enough...
"So Nadia, how do you know my granddaughter and I am guessing by extension, the young man called Hal?" She asked.
Arya controlled her expressions white well and smiled lightly,
"I met them both in Sapphire city and upon noticing Hal's talents, I made him my apprentice." She said.
Isabella paused as this was turning into the sort of scenario she had not thought of and the reason for that was simple;
"Apprentice? I was under the impression that Hal was a Runemaster" she said with a confused expression and turned a little I'm Melinda's direction.
Melinda sighed,
"He IS a Runemaster, he's also aiming to become an Alchemist" she said.
"Actually, he already passed the test and is now a full-fledged Rank 4 alchemist." Arya put in.
Isabella's eyes widened,
"That's impossible. I pride myself on being knowledgeable and Astral sense and spiritual sense while similar have irreconcilable differences in the form of Astral energy.
Any mix of Astral energy with the process of Alchemy will result in an explosion. This is common knowledge" she said in a tone of disbelief.
Arya resisted the urge to shrug, seeing as it might be a tad bit disrespectful but she answered all the same,
"Well, Hal can do it. The only logical explanation is that he has both senses" she said.
Hal had long come to terms with the fact that he cod not completely hide his ability to both draw runes as well as refine pills. Somehow it was bound to get out and such was very risky.
If it was viewed as him somehow having both Astral sense and spiritual sense then he could be seen as a possible asset but if they ever got wind of it being with the possible use of an Artifact then they would be gunning for his life.
There was no way to guarantee which mindset they would go for and making mention of it would just draw attention to the peculiarity.
So he decided he might as well own it and hope for the best-case scenario while also proving to Runemasters as well as Alchemists that he was a talent worth keeping.
He went for Alchemy first because the proceedings were considerably easier.
Hopefully, should he prove a worthy enough asset, both factions would be aiming to keep him exclusively.
That could open a lot of leeway for negotiations and playing them against each other for his own interests. It could even result in him getting the support of two of the largest organizations on the Haron continent.
Then again, as nice as things would be in the best-case scenario, that was how bad things could also be in the worst-case scenario where everything blows up in his face.
Both literally and figuratively.
Isabella got a faraway look in her eyes,
"Having both senses, hmm, never would have I thought such a things as possible. But then again, the world we live in is one where people strive to make the impossible possible" she said in a tone that made it seem she was letting this topic go.
She was not going to comment on how helpful it would be to integrate Hal into the Dane family because she did not believe having the two senses, while it could possibly lead to honor and prestige, was enough of a criteria to be great.
After all, strength was what truly mattered.
Although to be fair, Alchemy opened up a road to good grade cultivation resources and Runemastering was beneficial in combat at the lower stages which were where Hal still was.
Maybe she needed to reevaluate how useful he could end up being but that would be for later and after much consideration.
She gestured to Karmen just as the meals were served and they began to eat,
"What of her?" She asked.
She was not completely letting go of her suspicions that Hal was a womanizer and if Arya/Nadia was his Alchemy master, then who was the other lady,
"I protect my Master" was all Karmen said and Melinda and Arya nodded slightly as that pretty much summed it all up.
Isabella was skeptical and asked with a smirk,
"You didn't do a good job though since he was abducted with you there" she said.
Karmen gripped her cutlery tightly as she was reminded of how powerless she had been but even then she looked up to the Dane Patroness,
"How did you know I was there?" She asked.
Isabella chuckled lightly as she took a dip of her cultivation resource-rich beverage,
"Is that not obvious? I had someone follow him around." She said.
Karmen turned to Melinda who she saw only sighed and continued eating. While she had not known of the spying, she did not find it the least bit surprising and only hoped Hal would be careful in his endeavors.
Karmen took a deep breath and went back to her meal, after all, this was beneficial to her cultivation and if there was something she wanted urgently now, it was strength.
"You are right, I did not do a good job but I assure you that all that will change. The next time someone tries to take my master from me... Well, let's just say a quick death will be me showing mercy." She said with a wicked grin.
Isabella's smile was kind and motherly, but also a little teasing,
"Strong words. It will be nice to see if you live up to them. Also, you except Hal to be abducted again?"
Karmen shrugged,
"My master is one of a kind. People just can't seem to stay away and be a little hands-off. It's safe to expect there will be another attempt at abduction"
Melinda eyed her grandmother and could tell there was a little herding involved in that conversation.
There was something Isabella was getting at and sure enough...
"Hmm, I see and with them being so hands-on, how many partners does your Master have?" She asked with a glint in her light gold eyes.
Karmen paused and glanced a little in Melinda's direction to see that she was not remotely bothered.
"I am not at a liberty to say" she said.
Isabella frowned lightly and looked intimidating for a few seconds,
"What if I order you to tell me? At which point it would do you no good to protect your master"
Karmen shrugged and never stopped eating, it seemed to be turning into a way to cope with her anger at Hal's 'abduction', a situation Isabella was believing even less now.
For one thing, The ladies, Melinda included, did not look torn up at the news which made no sense as even with the Alchemist Organization searching for him, he could very well be dead.
Which meant they had nothing to worry about and most likely knew already that he was safe.
"You can kill me but I will never disobey him. Also, I am not defending him. He is not scared for it to be known, he just rather prefers to be private about it.
'A gentleman never kisses and tell' is what he says." Karmen told her and Isabella turned to Melinda who shrugged,
"Sorry Grandma, That's true, it's a private affair."
Chapter 295 - Hal Puts On A Show.
Black Lagoon...
Sheik's Residence...
Hal was wondering if he had heard wrong and maybe, just maybe he did not just hear the Sheik order his execution.
Then again, he had impeccable hearing and there was no way he had misheard anything.
"Will everyone just calm down, please. How can you base your decision on the word of one person? I mean, she can't possibly know every single family in the whole of the Silva Duchy capital. I mean that place is huge" Hal said.
The capital was more than three times the size of Sapphire city and with thrice as much population.
Gavin turned to Lucile whose expression remained disinterested but now Hal thought he could see a hint of a smile playing on her lips,
"Well, I may have missed some families" she admitted but Hal could tell it was an attempt to mock him.
"You are too modest my lady. I know of your network and if you say you don't know a Klint family then I believe it is so.
Although, it might be that the family is so low on the social ladder that they are not worthy of being known by someone as important as you." The Sheik said.
Hal mimed a barf in his mind,
'Tone it down, dude. Kiss ass much?'
Lucile nodded,
"That is quite possible. He might not be a liar, just a nobody." She said with a little mirth in her voice.
The Sheik and his advisor nodded,
"In which case, killing him will not garner any consequences. He will simply disappear" the advisor said and nailed Hal with his wise eyes and Hal felt a tingle at the back of his neck.
A tingle that did not put him at ease one bit.
At that moment, someone else spoke up,
"I agree that he should be executed. This young man barged in here with absolutely no respect for the fine art of Runemastering and I will be very displeased if he does not face punishment for his deeds" Runemaster Fenrir said and Hal rolled his eyes at him.
"Calm your jets, old man. I'm a Runemaster as well, so don't try to bamboozle me. Besides I did not barge in, that guard dragged me in. I was quite reluctant." Then he turned to the Sheik,
"Your lordship, since I am already here, why don't I proceed to entertain you, and in exchange, I get invited to the Auction where I can bid on the exotic and expensive products." Hal said with a bow.
The Sheik's eyes narrowed but before he could say a word, Master Fenrir was already addressing Hal again,
"You? A Runemaster? Very well, where is your rank token?" He asked.
Hal shrugged,
"I don't have it on me, but as long as I can cast runes, that should be enough to prove my claim right?" He said to the advisor who made a mild gesture to show that it was fine.
Master Fenrir gaped,
"I can't believe you are entertaining this nonsense when I, a Rank 4 runemaster stands before you. I see this as the height of disrespect to both I and my craft" he said in outrage.
'This guy is so melodramatic' Hal thought.
'Cut him some slack, he probably came here to gain favor before the Sheik, and here comes you barging in and being quite rude. How would you feel if you were in his shoes? Figuratively of course'
Hal mind-shrugged,
'If I am ever so insecure and also secretly questioned my abilities like he is doing right now, I'll give you an answer' Hal retorted.
"You're a Rank 4 Runemaster? What a pleasant coincidence, so am I" Hal said and projected a Rune that shone and gave off the energy signature of a Rank 4 Rune.
Fenrir's eyes widened and he looked Hal up and down again, taking in his very young-looking face and feeling completely inadequate and very hateful.
That said, he managed to hide his expression quite well as he sneered,
"Is this some sort of joke?" He asked in a menacing manner.
Here he was dumbing down the might of his craft to mere parlor tricks just so he could gain the favor of this Sheik and in comes Hal to mess everything up.
No, he had given too much already including his dignity, he had no interest in giving anymore.
Hal could not care less what the man was feeling.
After all, his display was for the Sheik and not for him.
The Sheik turned to his guests, not just Lucile but the other two who had so far been silent,
"Does it interest you?" He asked.
One of them nodded,
"We are not averse to seeing what the young man has to offer" he said.
The Sheik smiled lightly and clapped his hand,
"That's good cause I am curious as well" he said and with that Gavin sat down and requested Runemaster Fenrir to step back which the man did in a disgruntled manner.
Once the other Runemaster was gone and he now had space, Hal rubbed his hands together and was not a slight bit nervous.
What was there to be nervous about?
He seperated his hands and in the middle of them emerged not one Rune but eight, all projected simultaneously and with the right amount of Astral energy to keep them all active.
That alone had the full undivided attention the Sheik and his guests with Lucile's eyes widened slightly.
And yet, they did not truly appreciate the difficulty of the act, the only one who could, was Runemaster Fenrir whose mouth gaped as he witnessed what Hal had done.
Not to mention the ease and the casual manner with which it had been done.
Almost as though it was not a feat worth mentioning for him.
That level of Astral energy harnessing was not Rank 4 and yet he could tell Hal was not faking his rank and was solidly Rank 4.
Hal on the other hand was enjoying himself and felt this was right where he felt comfortable. Not standing by fumes and refining pills in some cauldron.
Runemastering was his passion.
That said, it did not hurt to be able to do both.
Anyway, the Runes came out and all had different functions before branching out and standing in mid-air doing nothing.
Then he projected eight sets of seven runes that went off to join those eight floating individual runes and formed eight Rune circles.
Which meant that in the space of a few seconds, Hal had projected sixty-four runes.
He had easily crossed the number of Runes that could be projected without a Rank 4 runemaster risking his or her life.
Anyway, the circles had been floating vertically but under Hal's control, they turned until they were on a horizontal plane and then slammed into the ground with a...
*Boom*
... sound and releasing Royal blue Astral lights that gave it a more exotic feel.
All those watching, including a reluctant Master Fenrir, agreed that this was impressive but Hal was not done.
Nowhere near done actually.
With him feeding the circles even more Astral energy through his still tethered connection with them, they all activated and out of them formed Royal blue life-sized holographic constructs.
The constructs were easily identified as humans with two looking dressed in heavy armor and armed with powerful weapons as they began to battle.
Whenever their weapons met or connected with their opponent's body, Royal Blue sparks flew and it looked very impressive.
The battling pair did not stay in one place but instead dashed all about the hall. Wherever they went, the Rune circles below their feet followed.
Then a second pair which were identified as male and female were dancing about the room with a sort of Royal blue radiance around them.
They danced specifically around Lucile, most of the time passing through her and she watched them completely transfixed.
Then a third pair also battled but it was with hand-to-hand combat and obviously light clothing to aid mobility.
Their moves were an assortment of all types of fighting styles from Hal's earth. Karate, Taekwondo, and even occasionally, wrestling.
The final pair were the ones that were stationary and were meant to represent intellectual battle as they balanced what looked like a chessboard on their laps and continued to battle with non-violent strategic means.
And all this Hal did and still controlled without breaking a sweat.
The beauty of {Equipoise}.
Chapter 296 - Born For The Corporate Life...
Needless to say, none of those on the scene looked at Hal with the same eyes anymore while Runemaster Fenrir racked his brain to know exactly how Hal had done all this.
This was not only an abundant use of Astral energy, it was also abundant use of multitasking.
Hal needed to at the very least remain in control of those constructs so that they did not fizzle out or falter.
This was incredible.
There was no other word for it.
Well, there was another word for it and that word was impossible.
There was no way Hal could have done it. Surely he must have been using some means of cheating but the older man could not just put a finger on it.
Eventually, after about ten minutes, Hal slowly let the constructs fade while he deactivated the Rune circles to the applause of all those present.
Even Lucile could not completely remain uninterested.
This young man might just have a lot more than meets the eye.
Not to mention that he had quite nicely used the Sheik's love for talent and eccentricities to his favor.
"That was marvelous. Simply marvelous. And ingenious as well. I have never seen such before. Of course, you are invited to the Auction. In fact, why stop there. I want you to be a guest in my home." The Sheik said and his advisor Gavin nodded in agreement.
The show was nothing short of impressive.
Then the Sheik turned to Master Fenrir who had been staring at Hal with a very annoyed expression,
"Master Fenrir, will you please grace us with a performance" he said.
It was clear that the Sheik could not care less about how the Runemaster was feeling at that moment.
Since Fenrir had promised entertainment then he needed to deliver.
"I... Of course my lord" he said.
Fenrir frowned and walked forward to stretch his hand and project when he paused and looked back at Hal who had stepped back to give him room.
"You know what? I don't want to" he said suddenly.
The Sheik looked mighty displeased and frowned,
"You said what?" He asked in a menacing voice.
Fenrir waved his hand to placate the Sheik,
"I meant I don't want to do it this way. I wish to entertain you my lord but I feel it would only be pathetic to try and follow what... Runemaster Hal has done so splendidly so why don't I do things a little differently?" He asked.
The Sheik relaxed although he was still frowning,
"What do you propose?"
Fenrir turned towards Hal,
"In an attempt to entertain you, my lord, I challenge Runemaster Hal to Rune Duel, where we can decide who the better Runemaster is.
I believe he will not turn me down before you." Fenrir said with a smirk.
The Sheik addressed Hal,
"What say you, Master Hal?" He asked.
Hal shrugged and smiled lightly,
"I don't see why not"
The Sheik grinned,
"Wonderful, then we will adjourn to my arena where you can battle to your heart's content."
...
A Rune Duel was quite as it sounded. It occurs between two Runemasters and the use of Cosmic or any other energy apart from Astral energy is prohibited.
Rune Duels regularly don't go on for too long since there was a limit to how long normal Runemasters could keep harnessing Astral energy through their bodies and as such there was a need to plan ahead and end it all in one fell swoop.
When they arrived at the Arena and Master Fenrir began to stroll about the combat grounds casually, Hal knew he was laying down the foundations for his attack... and while it's well within the rules of a Rune Duel, there was a need to subtle and hide the locations of those traps from your opponent.
Fenrir's mindset was easy to understand. He must have thought Hal had gone all out in entertaining the Sheik and his guests and as such could no longer attempt many projections.
And to be fair, he was actually quite right and Hal had indeed used up all the Astral energy he had stored in his body but he could still harness Astral energy like other Runemasters; which was to sense it with his Astral sense and let it pass through his body for infusion or projection.
Even then, he did not have enough to lay down imprecise traps like the ones Fenrir was laying down.
He needed for his attacks to be with absolute precision which was going to be hard since Fenrir was going to be focussing on herding him to his laid down traps.
Traps that Hal could not sense even if he wished to as they had not been placed by him.
Of course, he could still sense in a general sense that there was Astral energy in action in the Arena but considering this was a Rune Duel, that information was useless and he might as well have not known anything.
Fenrir saw Hal standing in place and staring at the ground with furrowed brows and sneered,
"It's nothing personal, young man. I just really need the Sheik's approval." He said and took on a battle stance with his hands stretched and ready to cast runes.
"Why?" Hal asked.
"Why what?"
"Why do you need his approval?" Hal clarified.
Fenrir sighed,
"Being a Rank 4 Runemaster is not exactly lucrative since there are so many of us. The most important job I'm likely to get is handling Teleportation circles if I don't rank up.
But I don't want to Rank up and I don't want the pressure of needing to Rank up.
I also don't have passion for all that 'Become the strongest crap'. However the Sheik is on the lookout for a runemaster to keep by his side and if I prove myself, that could very well be me.
It's stable and I can do it until the day I die."
Hal's eyes widened slightly,
'My goodness, this guy would be perfect for a white-collar job on earth. I mean, he does not have any ambition and is only looking for stability.
He's a boring and lazy fellow just begging for the corporate fat cat life which, to be honest, would still require a bit of ambition but he can handle that much.
Too bad he was born in the wrong world.' Hal thought.
'What are you going to do?' Grimoire said.
'Well... There was never a certainty that I would win the Duel especially after the amount of Astral energy I already used for my astral constructs.' Hal said in a suggestively lazy voice.
'So... You want to throw the fight?' Grimoire asked.
'Why not? Besides if I don't have the Sheik's approval already after that show I just put on, then winning this stupid duel is not going to do it.' He said.
Grimoire paused,
'You know what? You've still got some goodness in you.' It noted.
Hal rolled his eyes mentally,
'Yeah, I need to drown it out with some Evil deeds later. How does swooping in and wooing the lady the Sheik has his eyes on sound?'
'It sounds just like something you would enjoy'
'Immensely so' Hal said with a vigorous mental nod as he now focused his attention on Fenrir.
The Arena had seating for spectators and under the honor tent sat the Sheik, his advisor, and his guests who looked down into the combat grounds with expectations.
The Sheik raised his hand with a smile,
"Begin" he said and Hal felt a bit like a gladiator.
Fenrir immediately projected Runes (Fist) which predictably morphed into green fists that slammed towards Hal who projected a Rune of his own (shield) which merely expanded to receive and block the runes.
The Fists did not dissipate but continued to bear down on the Rune shield and by consequence pushed Hal back before he sidestepped suddenly and the first went over to slam into the wall that surrounded the combat grounds.
*Bang*
Hal did not look back to see the impact or the damage as after he sidestepped he was already swinging his arm and tossing the Rune shield which doubled as an attacking tool, at Fenrir.
Even if he was going to throw the fight, he was still going to make it believable.
This was his first Rune Duel after all and it might very well not be his last.
He needed to get a feel of it.
Chapter 297 - Rune Duel Winner.
Fenrir's eyes widened as the rune shield spun towards him and the action was mostly born out of his surprise that Hal still had enough to pull that off.
With commendable grace, he managed to evade the shield just so it could slam against the wall and dissipate.
Then he grinned in Hal's direction and ducked to slam his palms against the ground which Hal took as him activating his laid down traps.
And sure enough...
From the point his hands touched the ground, Green astral energy flowed to form a circle around both him and Hal.
This explained the grin. Fenrir had been ecstatic that he would not need to herd Hal into the trap as Hal was already inside the trap.
Seeing how wide the circle's range was, Hal had to admit he was actually impressed but also knew it was far from over.
After the appearance of the circle came that of numerous runes that swam around within the circle and especially where Hal was standing.
When he made to step back, he found that he could not as the circle also served as a boundary line for a semi-transparent rune dome.
Once again, he was impressed.
And so apparently was the Sheik and his guests who nodded appreciatively at the display as Fenrir put on a gloating expression,
"I got this idea from your little show by the way" he said to Hal as the runes came alive and formed different large weapons that locked into Hal in a second.
'Oh, this has to be a joke' Hal groaned in annoyance.
'Look at it this way, if you slip up, you won't need to throw the match' Grimoire said with a nasty smile.
Although Grimoire was not exactly being supportive, it was actually right as this was no longer a situation where Hal could afford to be cavalier.
It would appear that this 'born for the corporate life' opponent of his was not averse to killing him or at the very least incapacitating him badly to earn the Sheik's favor.
And while Hal had indeed gained the Sheik's approval and would most likely have the fight called off once things looked to be getting too far, he doubted he would be able to do it in time before he got skewered.
The fact that he could still see the young Sheik and his advisor smiling down into the combat grounds only gave this thought more credence.
With the deadly-looking weapons pointed at him, Hal began to do all he could to defend himself without involving cosmic energy which would get him disqualified in which case Fenrir would win by default...
But wait, what if that was the answer...
'Hey Grimmy, what if there was a way to punish this idiot for even entertaining the idea of defeating me?'
Grimoire sighed,
'We were so close. You were about to do a selfless deed and now you are entertaining the thought to throw it all away." The artifact said.
Hal rolled his eyes mentally,
'First off, it was not a selfless act as I was not really sacrificing anything. A young man losing to a more experienced fellow just shows that talent and youth are not everything.
And second, I am still going to help him cause technically he's still going to win since I just want to make hurt him.
And third, which is just a point I decided to add, you will definitely not like it if I start to perform random selfless acts of good deeds and quite frankly, rather than do 'good deeds', I'll just kill myself.'
Grimoire sighed even more heavily,
'True, True, True and finally disturbing but true. That third point was a sort of two in one'
Hal began to project multiple shielding runes that were well up to the task of holding back the projectiles...
*Bang*
... and once they made contact, they destroyed each other and all that was left was flakes of Astral energy as well as the cloud of dust that had been unearthed by the colliding astral attacks.
Fenrir's grin, If possible, grew even wider as he planned to put an end to all this when his hair suddenly stood on end as he felt something moving towards him at an incredible speed.
The attack contained two distinct energies one of which was undoubtedly cosmic energy while the other was... Evil?
There was no time to be precise about what it was as he unleashed his late-stage Cosmic phenomenon realm cultivation and quickly condensed a Cosmic attack of his own and tossed it at the attack from Hal.
*Booommm!*
His cosmic attack canceled out Hal's with an explosive sound but it did nothing to the other energy which looked no more than a thin thread but a thread that was so versatile, it did not attack with a frontal assault.
But in a wily fashion that even if he could damage or cancel it out, Fenrir could not get a good enough hit.
However when that thread-like attack hit, it was with a force that far surpassed any cosmic attack he had ever felt,
*Smack!*
It hit him right in the face and in the process, Fenrir felt immense fear that caused him to reevaluate the young man before him but the attack was not done and...
*Smack* *Smack* *Smack* *Smack*
... only after four more consecutive hits did it dissipate.
At which point the Sheik and his advisor, Gavin were on their feet as the Sheik called out,
"That is enough. I might not be well versed in the ways of Runemastering but I still believe I am knowledgeable enough to know this is a violation of the rules.
Master Fenrir wins this duel!" He announced.
Hal shrugged with a -if you say so- expression before he bowed slightly and everyone turned towards Master Fenrir who looked like he was close to a mental breakdown and looked nothing like a winner.
While he only received five hits from Hal's Devil attack, it looked like a thorough thrashing from the look on his face.
Not to mention that he was wide-eyed as he faced Hal and wondered what the hell he was just smacked around with.
It was a vicious attack though.
The spectators were puzzled as well.
Hal had kept the attach a mere thread so he could keep its devilish effects between him and Fenrir, such that those watching had no idea what the attack was.
'Think you overdid it a bit?' Grimoire asked.
'Nah, this is just right. If the Sheik still does not want him then that is not on me' Hal said with a shrug even though he knew that in that scenario it would still have been his fault.
He raised his head,
"My lord, I got lost in the moment and in my bid to defeat my opponent, I flout the rules. I hope you do not rescind my invitation to the auction for this little mistake of mine." He said with a deep sigh worthy of someone who regretted his actions.
'Here we go again with the bulshit' Grimoire said with the mental appropriation of an eye roll.
'Shh, I'm trying to sell it' Hal cautioned just as the Shiek chuckled and shook his head.
"Of course not. We all make mistakes. We are all slaves to our bodies. I will not hold that against you.
In fact, before the auction tomorrow, I will be holding a gathering at the residence and all those who visited the lagoon for the auction will be present.
I would like you, Master Hal to be present as well"
Hal took a chance and decided to be bold,
"What about today, was that not a party?" He asked with barely a glance at Lucile by the Sheik's side who caught his glance and rolled her eyes at him before turning away.
"No, it was more of a private gathering. I will see you tonight. And Master Fenrir, let us talk. When you can... stand upright again of course" The Sheik said as he led the way out of the arena.
'What are the chances that by private gathering, he means 'party with Lucile'?' he asked with a mild chuckle.
'Oh gee Hal, if it's not one hundred percent then I don't know what is' Grimoire said before adding,
'Dude is completely smitten'
Hal sighed,
'As am I Grimmy. As am I"
Chapter 298 - Too Violent And Flashy.
Getting invited to the Sheik's gathering that night meant Hal was successful and so he decided not to overstay his welcome. Especially since the Sheik still seemed interested in keeping his intimate gathering of guests going so that he could continue putting the moves on the big-breasted and very beautiful Lucile.
While Hal's conversation with Grimoire had seemed to indicate him being more forward in his pursuit of Lucile, he was actually not that willing to go after her.
At least not for now.
He was here for a mission and he decided going after her right now could prove detrimental and he did not want that.
Fenrir stood to his feet shakily and while Hal had turned away from his direction, the sound caused him to turn and face the battered Runemaster who was stealing furtive glances at him and looked incapable of making eye contact
"W-w-who the hell are you?" He asked in a shaky voice.
Hal grinned wolfishly,
"Since you were so polite, I'll tell you" he said and moved closer to the frightened man who found himself incapable of moving away, to speak into his ear,
"It always gives me a thrill to introduce myself but today, I'll let you take a guess" with that he leaned back so his face was in view before it morphed.
Black horns grew out of his head and his face turned crimson while his blue eyes turned black and released small bursts of fog of the same color occasionally.
In fact, Hal's entire head was releasing Devil energy and Fenrir's eyes bulged and turned Blood red as he yelled,
"DEMON!!!" and immediately fell unconscious.
Hal shook his head and shrugged just as he returned to normal,
"Close enough"
And with that, he left the Runemaster in the arena.
He had a party to prepare for.
He seemed to be attending a lot of parties recently. Although to be fair, it was only two so far.
It must have been a high society thing.
...
Hal found his way to the gate and on his way out, he glanced at the dumb guards who had let him in, or more importantly, he looked at the guard who had led him inside and was now staring at him in awe.
Hal's show must have had a large impact on him.
"I'm so sorry that I was hostile inside. I was just being thorough with security." He said and Hal chuckled,
"Yeah, I figured that. After all what better way to be secure than to let an unknown fellow into your master's home and then act hostile when said stranger is in front of his target?" He asked.
"Was that... Sarcasm?" The guard asked.
"What do you think genius?" Hal asked and contained his walk and only turned back once completely out of the compound,
"Anyway, Keep up the terrible job guys. And that I say in total honesty" was the last words he left them with before boarding a carriage back to his hotel.
When Hal was in front of his hotel room door, he could detect with Astral perception that there was someone waiting in the room and he even knew who it was,
"You know it's my fault you are here. I should have had my room sealed with Astral runes. I'd like to see you get your perverted self in here then" he said the moment he was inside the room.
But he said it with a nonchalant expression while flicking his wrist as though he was withdrawing clothes from the spatial ring in his finger when it was actually from his inventory.
"You are right about locking your room with Astral runes. That you did not do it, was careless of you." Ehrlich said and stood from the chair he was sitting to cross his arms in front of his chest.
Hal however did not seem to notice as he continued to scrutinize the clothes he had on the bed with a puzzled expression.
"So you went to visit the Sheik. While it was good progress, it was also careless and dangerous. I also doubt it actually bore fruits" he said.
Hal had his right index finger on his lips as he contemplated,
"Hey, Ehrlich, which of this do you think will look better on me?" He asked.
Ehrlich looked confused,
"What?"
Hal sighed,
"I know, I know. Everything looks good on me. But I need to look extra good today. I might be in a conversation with a beautiful Lady and if on the rare occasion, she looks away from my face, I'd like for the rest of my body to be very appealing." He said and stroked a green robe with elaborate designs.
"What are you...?" Ehrlich began to ask but Hal interrupted,
"I know you are a virgin, but your input will still be useful, after all, I might have to battle tonight. So let's just say I'm going for sophisticated but subtle and lethal" he said.
"What? I'm not a v... Will you shut up for a second?! Do you think this is a joke?
I am here to supervise you and so you need to clue me in on your proceedings. Remember you answer to me and I answer to the princess. Now I don't give a crap about your wardrobe choices so will you just tell me what you are doing next?!" Ehrlich practically yelled at Hal who did not give any indications that he could hear.
Then he turned to him once the rant was over,
"Oh I'm sorry, did you say something?" He asked with an innocent voice.
Finally, Ehrlich knew how the Elder must have felt as he swelled and prepared to give Hal another talking to, only for Hal to interrupt whatever it was he wanted to say,
"If you took some time to actually cue into my attempts to converse with you, you will notice that I am picking out clothes fit for an occasion.
And then you Might, emphasis on the 'might' since you actually seem like a really dumb individual, deduce that I was invited to a gathering planned by the Sheik tonight.
At which gathering I will scour for information on the supplier of that troublesome technique and finally be done with all this.
Now I ask you once again, which of these clothes will be perfect for tonight?!" Hal raised his voice a little towards the end of that sentence.
Ehrlich looked a tad bit embarrassed but covered it up well as he pointed to a red robe.
"Go with that one, it looks quite classy" he said in a mellow voice
Hal nodded,
"Thank you for your input but it was a horrible choice since red is much too violent and flashy for tonight. If you had been listening, you'd remember I said I was hoping to go for subtle and lethal.
Now get out of my room and let me plan my next step" Hal said and tossed the red robe away from selection.
Ehrlich glared at Hal for a while before turning towards the door and walking out without sparing Hal another glance.
Once out of Hal's room and inside his own next to it, Ehrlich withdrew a communication talisman out of his spatial ring on which he dialed a Rune and waited until his contact spoke out of the talisman,
"What is it, Ehrlich?" Asked Princess Tanya's voice out of the talisman.
"Your highness, I am sorry to disturb you but I felt it was paramount I tell you I do not believe this Hal is who you want" he said.
Tanya was quiet for a while before saying,
"And where do you get that? Or even feel you have the right to advise me?" She asked in a level tone.
"I apologize for my imprudence but I do not say this blindly but instead based on my careful deductions" he said.
"Oh, is that so? Then why not start with how the mission is going so far?"
Chapter 299 - Narcissistic But True.
"The mission is going very well. He seems to have found an in and might actually be closing in on the supplier." Ehrlich said.
"So what is the problem?" She asked.
"Him. He is the problem. He is incredibly narcissistic and always has this nonchalant air about him which coupled with his arrogance makes for a terrible combination.
I mean, even if he proves to be very talented and capable, it will not erase how his nature and character are. Not to mention his lack of loyalty for the Haron empire or you. From what I've seen so far, this is the kind of person that is ready to go to whoever will pay him the most." Ehrlich said.
"So what?" Tanya asked.
"So... If he succeeds and you continue to have him working for you, you are practically putting your secrets into someone who will readily sell it to the highest bidder." He said.
Tanya sighed,
"That might very well be true. But I believe it is erroneous to believe he has no loyalty because Hal has those he cares about.
Who knows? It might be risky but for now, if he succeeds with this initiation task and subsequent tasks, that he does it well will be reason enough for me to always be the highest bidder.
I can see you coming to me was out of loyalty and it is why I entertained it for this long but I will tell you now that I want to hear nothing of this nature again."
"But.." Ehrlich began before he was interrupted by Tanya,
"That's the last I want to hear of this" and with that, Tanya disconnected.
Ehrlich stared at the Communication talisman for a while before he gritted his teeth and stowed it back into his spatial ring.
He could not help but wonder if the princess really saw that much potential or there was more to this young man than meets the eye.
Or could it be that the Princess had been charmed by his looks?
No that's not possible, he thought and shook his head to get rid of those sort of stray thoughts.
...
That night,
Hal was in a dashing green robe as he boarded a carriage that took him to the Sheik's residence. The journey was actually quite short but he preferred to arrive in style and not like the bumpkin he was.
When he descended and made his way past the gate, he noticed the guards were different and not the ones he had met earlier in the day and while it was possible that they were simply no longer on duty, Hal felt it was far more likely that they had been relieved of their jobs.
'Hmm, maybe, just maybe the advisor is actually quite serious with the Sheik's security' he thought as he walked in.
The party hall was well decorated and everywhere Hal looked, he saw quality which was on a level, the Baron's residence in Kirsten could not hope to compare with.
Although he was there alone and not with Eva like back in Kirsten, Hal could not help but feel a slight case of deja vu with how similar the situations were. Including the stuffy guests.
He was here for a reason and staying apart from those same guests was not going to help at all. He could clearly tell that it wasn't just purchasers that were present but suppliers as well.
In fact, many of those present were here to do both.
He scanned the room with his eyes and quickly pinpointed Lucile all by her lonesome and being the only one on the scene he could not peg.
Her disposition did not look as though she was here to purchase and neither did it look like she was here to supply. Her posture told that she was not here to mingle and she would not be here if she did not need to be.
Of course, Hal could very well have been wrong which was why he decided to get some first-hand information by getting closer to her.
Lucile had a glass of wine in hand and occasionally took sips as she observed the hall's tapestry and painting infused with Cosmic energy that somehow inbued them with a quality that seemed unfathomable.
Hal personally had never been a total arts fan who could watch and watch a painting for hours but even he agreed that the painting intrigued him.
Lucile heard his footsteps and looked behind her but when she saw it was Hal, she rolled her eyes and looked back to the painting.
Hal smiled lightly and walked over to her side all the same,
"Would you rather I begin with a cheesy line on how you are the only one who really grabs my attention in the room, or that I say something honest?" He asked.
Lucile turned a fraction in his direction,
"Isn't that in itself a line?" She asked with a slight frown.
Hal shrugged,
"Not really. The first part while cheesy is actually true. Look around, other than the servants, you are the only other female here. This must not be a popular scene among your gender" he said with a slight shake of his head.
"So, I only grab your attention because I'm the only female here and hence have no competition? Do you realize how demeaning that sounds?" She asked with a calm tone and Hal raised his brow,
"Demeaning? Is it demeaning to monopolize the market in regards to a certain product? Of course not. You, my fair lady, are a monopoly and you should be proud" he said.
"Well, I'm not." Lucile said and looked away while working to fight back a smile.
"So which do you choose?" Hal asked.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm asking which would you rather I start with, the cheesy line or the honest one?" Hal asked again.
Lucile shrugged and her breasts trembled,
"I don't care" she said.
"Okay then, I'll choose for you and I pick the honest line. I apologize for staring at you earlier in the day" he said with a sincere voice that Lucile did not buy one bit.
"Is that the honest line? An apology?" She said with a brown brow raised
Hal shrugged,
"It's the only thing I have that Is both honest and humble. If I start talking about myself, it comes off as proud and narcissistic" he said with a sigh.
Lucile turned to him and this time she was smiling lightly,
"Oh really? Tell me those kinds of true and narcissistic statements"
"Okay then, well, let's see, I am incredibly good-looking and have a great physique. I also always smell nice.
I am very talented both as a Runemaster and as a Cultivator.
Which among all these sounds narcissistic to you?" He asked.
Lucile nodded with a smile,
"All of it" she said.
"And yet... By now you know they are all true"
"Maybe" Lucile said in an obvious attempt to not concede to any of the previous statements especially those complimenting his looks.
"I'll take that as a yes. You see, it's my curse." Hal said with another fake sad sigh.
Lucile took a deep breath,
"I know why you are doing all this and let me just tell you upfront that it won't work. Besides, we both know that you are not really here to participate in the auction." She said and turner to walk away from the tapestries.
Hal followed,
"Oh really, then what might I be here for?" He asked with a smile. Not in the least bit worried that Lucile knew of his mission.
"I'm not totally sure but something about all you said to the Sheik does not feel right. Then again, it's not my business so I won't be involved.
Of course, that is as long as you don't go out of your way to converse with me, in which case I might have to be involved." She said.
"That reminds me, about the Sheik, what is the story there?" Hal asked in a would-be casual tone and almost like clockwork...
"Master Hal, so you've arrived, come over here"
...the Sheik spotted him and called him to his side.
Chapter 300 - A Gut Feeling.
"Oh Lady Lucile, I lost sight of you for a second, please come closer as well" the Sheik added, and after an eye roll hidden away from him, Lucile walked over to his side much to the admiration of the men on the scene.
Hal chuckled to himself and followed after her, picking a filled wine glass from a servant's tray on the way.
Soon he was with the Sheik who began to point and introduce the important fellows on the scene after Hal mentioned that he was not exactly sure who all these people were.
It did not raise a red flag as the majority of those on the scene were not from the Silva Duchy capital and those who were from there while wealthy, were not well known enough to be household names.
The Sheik started with the two who had been his guests besides Lucile,
"This are the Gaug brothers and they are a major power in the Cruz county where together they run a mercenary guild.
If you ever have any task needed to be done, whether shady or orthodox, they are the right ones to go for"
Hal raised his brow,
"Oh, is that so? I was under the impression that people as distinguished as them would send emissaries" Hal said further playing on how clueless he was supposed to be on this issue.
The Sheik laughed boisterously while his advisor, Gavin sighed with a bit of impatience.
Clearly, there was something the Sheik should be attending to.
"Hahaha, oh Master Hal, you really do amuse me. No one sends a representative for my auction. If you want something so badly and possibly illegally, you come by yourself or not at all.
Think of it as a personal edict of mine"
"Ah, I see" Hal said with 'sudden understanding' while noting that Lucile was watching him closely with her eyes narrowed. Clearly, his acts were not fooling her one bit.
That all those who were here were leaders of their various organizations or families was something Hal had already discerned even though he had not known it was practically a rule.
The Sheik must wield even more power than he had previously guessed.
For the first since he had arrived, mostly because the Sheik had not really been open with his pressure,
Hal used Grimoire to assess his cultivation which turned out to be at the peak stage of the Cosmic Aurora realm and actually close to the early stage of the Cosmic Pagoda realm.
His advisor, Gavin, was at the late stage of the Cosmic Aurora realm.
Seeing as he was already inspecting those close by, Hal assessed the Gaug brothers who were both at the Late stage of the Cosmic Aurora realm as well.
The surprising of them all turned out to be Lucile who was at the Early stage stage of the Cosmic Pagoda realm and white close to the mid-stage. Based on her prgress, she was even stronger than Emily!
Of course, that was in terms of cultivation and when it came to battle prowess, Hal was willing to bet on Emily to be victorious but the fact that Lucile was so strong spoke volumes.
Also, while he had not known the Sheik's cultivation, he was quite certain Lucile knew that he was weaker than her and the Sheik must have been aware as well.
It took away any possibility that she needed his help or at least she did not need his help in terms of anything that required strength.
Anyway, The Sheik continued,
"So why not get in and meet people. This is the perfect opportunity for you to form connections."
Hal smiled,
"Actually my lord, I wanted to inquire something from you."
"Oh really? Go ahead" the Sheik allowed as the Gaug brothers went off to mingle but Lucile stayed behind looking bored as usual and using the Sheik as the reason she needed to be there.
Hal however knew she just wanted to hear his question. He didn't mind and asked anyways,
"So, there is something in particular that I wish to purchase at the auction but j don't really know much about it or how available it is. All I have heard so far have been rumors.
Apparently, it is a body strengthening technique with the tendency to create monsters."
Even before Hal was done, the Sheik was nodding in understanding of what Hal was here for and he did not seem to find the question out of place which was a relief for Hal who after he started had begun to worry that he should have been more subtle.
"You are speaking of the main event of tomorrow's auction. The mutating technique. Ah yes, it is understandable that you have only heard of rumors. They were spread for the sole reason of getting prospective buyers here." The Sheik said with a proud smile.
Hal wondered how the Sheik would feel if he ever found out his rumor-spreading actions were what brought the scrutiny of the Princess and by extension (possibly, since he suspected Tanya was going solo) the imperial family.
Then again, he was the one who was sent and was not exactly posing a threat so maybe he wouldn't have cared either way.
"In fact, that is what this party is actually really about. To finally give the potential buyers the chance to see the mutating technique in action. If you are really serious about purchasing it, then I hope you have a lot of Blue gems because, after tonight, the price will skyrocket."
With that, the Sheik burst into laughter while he thought of the profit he was bound to make from the sale while Gavin went over to give an announcement.
As Hal watched Gavin began, he had to admit what a nice business tactic it all was and he was not really a sympathetic fellow and could not care less about the lives of some random fellows as long as those close to him were not hurt.
That said, it was his mission to find the supplier and maybe, just maybe, he might complete it tonight when the supplier comes for the demonstration.
The advisor stepped on top of the platform and the Sheik moved to an area of importance a few meters away from where it was clear to all who looked up that he was the one running the show.
Seeing that the Sheik was no longer in closer proximity, Hal took many quick steps backward until he was by Lucile's side.
"Why didn't tell me you were here for the mutating technique?" Hal asked.
Lucile frowned,
"First, I don't see why I should tell you anything. And second, I don't know what you are talking about." She said.
Hal nodded with a sigh,
"Of course you don't. Of all those on the scene, I am sure you are the only one who genuinely does not care about that mutating technique or any purchase whatsoever but you are not a supplier either."
Lucile looked him in the eye for a few seconds before she narrowed her feline eyes,
"What makes you so sure?" She asked
Hal shrugged,
"Just a gut feeling" he said.
Lucile took a deep breath,
"Alright kid, I'll bite. You obviously are not here to bid for that technique but you still ask for it anyway. You could be an elaborate window shopper but I doubt that. You are after something, I just don't know what it is yet."
"You sound so sure" Hal said with a smile.
Lucile gave a shrug of her own and Hal did not miss the trembling of her breasts,
"Just a gut feeling" she repeated his own line.
Hal chuckled. All through their conversation, Gavin was already giving his announcement but Hal only caught a few words.
Lucile had his total attention and she really intrigued him especially with those feline amber eyes of hers which made it seem like she might be a Dystopian but he could also detect beyond all doubt that she was completely human.
"Do you want me to tell you what I am here for?" Hal asked. "All you need to do is ask"
"If you tell me, I'll just tell the Sheik" Lucile said and focused on the stage where Gavin's announcements continued.
Hal grinned,
"You won't" he said.
"What makes you so sure?"
"Is it not obvious? The Sheik is smitten for you and you are smitten for me. It's an imperfect love triangle"