Maven Quo: He's Filthy Rich

The six of them had just been dropped off in front of Maven Quo's mansion. Well, the mansion was more of a miniature palace. They were still staring in awe when a man dressed smartly walked out. "Hello, hello," the man smiled. "I'm Maven Quo. I've been expecting you. Please, do come in."

The inside was just as amazing. The hallways were so wide and the ceilings were so tall that a full-grown elephant could walk down the hallway without any trouble. The walls were decorated with colorful and vibrant tapestries, brightening up the hallways. Gleaming chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow.

"Wow," Daphne whispered. "You must have spent a fortune on this. This shouldn't be called a mansion, it should be called a palace. I'm sure royalty could sleep here and be extremely contented."

Mr. Maven seemed to like her praise. "Oh, this is nothing, really. Originals are basically royalty, and they love staying in my summer mansion. I often rent it out."

"Rent it out?" Seraphine repeated. "Why would you want to rent out such a beautiful place? Where would you stay if you rent your home out?"

"Oh," Mr. Maven waved his hand carelessly. "This is one of my summer mansions."

"One?" Saltavore asked incredulously. "And for summer? Those that mean you have more than one house for each season?"

"Yes," Mr. Maven smiled. "I have a villa in a private beach I own, a hotel, a couple more mansions, literal castles, and much more."

"How do you even have the money to buy so many properties? And how are they all so amazing?" Loki wondered.

"Women often like to give me money or expensive things that I sell," Mr. Maven shrugged. "And I can't help but want to buy beautiful things."

"Well, you've definitely accomplished your mission of buying beautiful things," Daphne said.

"Think about it," Mr. Maven slipped in casually. "If you take over your family business, you'll be seeing a lot of me and my properties."

Daphne immediately stiffened. "Did my parents set you up to convince me? How much did they pay you to do that?"

Mr. Maven gave a small laugh. "You can't blame a man for trying. And your parents offered quite a big sum."

"I'm surprised you just admitted it," Terrence commented. "Most people would just deny it."

"If I did, it'd just make you more mistrustful of me, no?" Mr. Maven said. "I would hate for my guest to not trust me, especially since you're staying here for a few days."

"Wait, we're what?" Seraphine exclaimed.

"Did your parents not tell you? They asked me to let you stay in my mansion for a couple of days. They even sent over your suitcases already."

"They what?" Daphne yelled. "They never told us! I can't believe them!"

"Daphne, calm down," Saltavore patted her arm. "You're making a scene."

"As I said, your parents asked me to let you stay until the end of the week. I've already had my butlers set up your rooms. I'll be holding a few events during your stay, and I do hope that you can attend those events. In the meantime, enjoy. I'll be off to work now."

Maven left them in the hallway, adding, "You can explore my mansion for now. My butlers will come to show you to your rooms later."

Once Maven left, Seraphine turned to the others. "Why would he openly let us explore his mansion?"

"Honestly?" Nishan sighed. "From what I've heard, Maven is more of the playboy type of person. He's known for one-night-stands, but the women he slept with would never talk about what happened. I'm sure that Maven knows something about The Snakes and our parent's involvement, but I don't think he knows how deep it runs, or some of the things The Snake does, like killing people."

"It would definitely explain a lot," Loki sighed. "If he pays The Snakes to get rid of his records of scamming women, I'm guessing that it means after sleeping with a woman, he steals their money and belongings. He doesn't seem like a hardened killer, more like a charming thief."

"I don't think we'll find that much in his mansion," Terrence sighed. "Especially if he doesn't usually stay here. But we might as well do some exploring. Maybe those events he'll host will have more clues. How are we going to get to our rooms if we don't know where they are?"

"Excuse me?" Saltavore called out. "Can anyone bring us to our rooms?"

A few moments later, a butler appeared and started leading them towards their rooms.

Once they reached the sixth floor, the butler bowed and said, "The first room on your right is for all of you to share. I hope you enjoy your stay with monsieur. I shall take my leave now."

Loki pushed open the large double doors and gave a small gasp of astonishment. The room they were sharing seemed to be able to fit 20 people. There were six large beds with dividers in between them.

"Wow!" Seraphine plopped onto the bed that a suitcase containing her things was next to. "These beds are so soft! I think 4 people could fit onto one and sleep comfortably!"

"This reminds me of Aranea," Nishan said. "Except that there are no magic stones draining away our lifeforce."

"No wonder your parents asked Mr. Maven to take us as guests for a few days," Terrence commented. "Apart from the fact that he's not deeply involved with The Snakes, he's stinking rich. Hell, if I were you, I'd be tempted to join the dark side."

"Ugh," Daphne groaned. "My parents are doing a pretty damn good job at this. Still, I know that most people I'll meet if I join The Snakes will be like my parents. Meeting people like Maven is refreshing, but even he's a thief and liar."

A butler poked his head in. "Monsieur would like you to know that he is hosting a party to celebrate his 4th anniversary."

"4th anniversary for what?" Seraphine looked up from her bed.

"The 4th year he's owned this mansion," the butler replied. "He asked if you would attend. It is optional, but he hopes to see you there tonight."

Once the butler was gone, Saltavore asked, "So, are we attending?"

"Yes," Loki said. "We'll learn more from the parties he hosts than exploring a castle as big as this. I still want to Inspect him, because I might figure out more about what he's like by doing so." As he was saying this, he gulped down some water, bringing his Xp to 1140/1200.

"Well then," Daphne sighed. "I guess it's time for us to dress up."