The head mage drew his head back and let out a low hiss as his eyes narrowed and glared at Ash, as if he knew he'd been insulted, but wasn't sure how to react to it.

"Are you threatening us?" He sounded as if the very thought of a mere unaffiliated mage doing so, even if that mage was Ash Atractas, was unheard of.

Ash raised a brow. He lifted his chin and smiled a cold smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Threaten? No, no...I may be a mage, but I'm also a merchant. You were hired to prepare an illusion. One that wouldn't actually harm our competitors, and you, the supplier, failed to do so. Therefore, think of this as...consequences to a breach of contract."

There was a slight glint of madness in Ash's eye that made Henry draw his lips in and look towards the Magic Tower mages, awaiting their response as one would a counterattack in the midst of a sword fight.

The head mage choked back his words as his mouth flopped open and close, trying to come up with a response and failing.

Mage Surapham grit her teeth. "I will go and inform the Invitational Council and Merhi of this." She took a step back, glaring at the Magic Tower mages. "If this is the quality of the Magic Tower's work, then I think we should reassess the work contracts."

"No!" Sure enough, hearing that a sizable source of income could go up in flames was enough to spur the Magic Tower mages to react. However, their immediate reaction only earned them the ire of the master mages who'd come to complain.

Grandmaster Helgorn crossed his buldging arms over his chest and glowered. "Then how will you fix this situation?"

The Magic Tower mages shot each other glances; their faces filled with uncertainty.

Grandmadam de Leone rolled her eyes and looked past them, at the officials. "While they're dealing with the illusion's technicalities, how will this affect lane four's competitor? It is due to forces outside of her control that she is now trapped inside an illusion and unable to move forward in the course."

"We...we need to discuss with the event coordinators," one official rushed to reply.

"Yes, while we understand that Carthage Harbor is facing technical difficulties, we also don't want to penalize the other competitors because of this," another official added.

That was a fair concern. Even with Nera involved and the one who was trapped, Henry thought the concern for the times of the other competitors was fair. After all, it wasn't their fault that Nera was trapped.

"Then, I suggest you decide on the course of action at once," Grandmaster Helgorn said.

Ash remained where he stood, his glare fixed on the head Magic Tower mage who'd stepped forward. "As soon as all the last of the competitors leaves the fourth course, I will take control."

"Won't that affect those in the fifth course illusion?" one of the officials asked.

Ash looked at him as if he were stupid. "They're all connected, but it's similar to how a chain is connected. Each course and rest illusion in between the courses are links in a chain. You can work on one without having to destroy the entire thing."

"Do you need us to do anything, Ash?" Grandmadam de Leone asked, her voice sincere.

"Please make sure that no other mage gets involved so I can concentrate and not worry that the illusion array will be affected while I'm working on it," Ash replied. The older woman nodded.

"I'll stay here and make sure these officials figure out how they are going to adjust Carthage Harbor's time," Grandmaster Helgorn told them, looking back at the officials, who had continued to stand there without discussing anything.

Under his sharp gaze, they immediately began chatting, talking about rulebooks and precedents.

Mage Surapham snorted. "I'm going to contact the Invitational Committee."

Mage Nodu glared at the Magic Tower mages. "This obvious and completely avoidable mistake cannot be ignored. I will also submit a formal letter to the Magic Tower about this. If this quality continues, the Adventurers' Guild will also have to put out a warning about Magic Tower products."

The Magic Tower mages sucked in sharp breaths. The Adventurers' Guild was a major source of revenue, as many basic magic products and tools were purchased through the Magic Tower. While they were the most convenient source with the widest array of products, there had lately been a push to seek products from unaffiliated independent magic product designers.

Ash had used the interest in independent magic product designers to gain attention for his alias, Guillermo von Sails.

As for why he didn't go as Guillermo von Sails at the Invitational, it was because they were in a merchant city, where Ash Atractas had benefits as a citizen, and because he would be front and center for the Exhibition. Many people there already knew his natural appearance.

"Ash, the second to the last person has left the fourth course," Hana said, pointing towards the score board and tracker. "There's only one person left, next to Auntie."

Ash nodded. He looked back at the Magic Tower mages. "Do I have your clearance to fix the illusion?"

Under the intense gazes of the other master mages, the Magic Tower mages reluctantly agreed.

"One of you should come with us and inform your peers on the field," Mage de Leone said. "So, no one will stop Mage Atractas."

It seemed that the concern that someone would try to get involved and make matters worse while Ash was fixing the illusion was higher than Henry expected.

Naali, prepare to freeze anyone who uses magic near the fourth course, Henry thought as he watched one mage come out of the judging area and lead Ash and the de Leone grandmother and grandson to the field.

Yes, Master! Naali replied enthusiastically.

"Did they think no one would notice?" Hana muttered beside Henry as she scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. "I swear, the Magic Tower thinks it's the only organization with mages."

"They are what they surround themselves with," Henry replied, his eyes fixed on his brother. "But I want to know how they're going to arrange this considering that even if Auntie gets out, she will be behind."

A bell rang through the area, making Henry and Hana both stand straight and look around. They turned their attention to the stage with the scoreboard.

A glowing red dot had crossed the finish line.

They turned their attention to the far end of the field, where the exit point for the fifth course illusion was. The crowd began to cheer as a man emerged and took out his perfect vase from his bag triumphantly.

While Henry felt that the winner should've been Nera, as she had been leading the entire time, Nera's students weren't far behind, and it was somewhat reassuring to know that the winner was one of the competitors who called her master.

An official escorted him towards the stage under the shouts of the audience and the drumbeats. The man's face was flushed, but he was smiling from ear to ear.

Henry and Hana both clapped for him. If they didn't take Nera's estimated time into consideration, the winner made excellent time.

A moment later, another ringing was heard as the second-place winner emerged from the fifth illusion. An official was waiting at the end of the field to escort them back to the stage at the front.

Along with the posted time, the amount of final negotiation was also listed. It would be ranked amongst the others and then added to the total. The higher the final amount negotiated, the better.

Ash told him that the negotiation portion had a preset amount that the illusion was allowed to hit. Competitors didn't know what that amount was, but they would be presented with a lowball offer for the vase. The array for negotiation was based on counter offers and the competitor's ability to 'read' the purchaser. Particular movements and micro reactions based on what merchants usually faced were used as a basis.

This time, the first and second place winners had both settled on a price near 400 dinari gold standard.

Another bell rang before the second-place winner reached the stage. New numbers appeared on the scoreboard.

Hana scrunched her face. The third-place winner was cheated.

"Only two-hundred fifty?" She wasn't the only one disappointed. A collective groan seemed to go across the audience. Everyone seemed to acknowledge the low price.

A ding was heard and the last of the competitors in the fourth course illusion who could exit had emerged and was resting in the illusion between two courses. When a competitor was in a rest illusion, they were visible to the crowd.

The last competitor was cheered on as he stretched and waited for the last illusion to open to him.

Ash had reached the part of the field where the fourth course had been marked off. There were several purple-clad Magic Tower mages assigned to each course to stop anyone from rushing in and trying to disable or break the illusion. The mage who escorted Ash and the others was speaking to the mages on guard.

Even from their distance, Henry could see the indignation and refusal on their face. Grandmadam de Leone almost shoved the escort mage out of the way and began berating them. Henry couldn't hear exactly what she was saying, but he heard her anger.

"I didn't know Ash knew all these master mages."

"Oh, Ash knows a lot," Hana replied. "Magic academicians, grandmasters and madams from assorted merchant cities, guilds, niche-specialty-focused mages...." Hana listed them off her fingers as she spoke. "We need them for contacts when it comes to existing research on things. Also, a lot of them approached Ash because of the products he'd created so far."

Henry found himself nodding. While he knew Ash was a master mage, he also never bothered much with learning more about the magic world. Aside from things related to summoning and foundational level information, aspects beyond those such as the magic community, their general attitudes, hierarchies, and socio-politics never interested him.

In a way, he always associated those with Ash and therefore Ash would be the one in the family to take care of them.

"Do you two still need to advertise Moonflower with all his connections?" Henry asked with a slight grin.

"Brother, it's one thing for them to simply know, but it's another to make a big, flashy announcement to attract business from clients who are looking for high quality products," Hana told him. "As we increase the products we offer, we'll need to do proper product launches to gain attention, interest, and sales. We need to look into market share, competitors, pricing tiers, as well as get our brand out there."

He gave her a curious look. "Will you two be able to handle all of that on your own?" He'd seen Ash do research and design. He'd seen Hana do research and design. The two could get lost for days working in a single project.

"Nope!" Hana beamed. "We're too busy, so we contracted a marketing team."

"...A marketing team?" They had enough budget for that? Then again, one needed to spend money to make money.

"One of my friends from Ise-con was a marketing specialist at one of the top marketing agencies in their previous...uh...situation." Hana let out a nervous laugh as her eyes darted to the side. "Anyway, she is working on a global team right now and we're one of her first clients."

"I see."

"Who did the branding for Snake, Scarab, and Sons?" Hana asked.

"Auntie," Henry replied. "She said stick to one color with two accent colors and a symbol that is recognizable from afar. Even if you couldn't read, she wanted you to be able to identify the teahouse."

Hana sighed. "Auntie worked so hard."

Henry nodded, looking back towards the field. It seemed that several Magic Tower mages from other completed courses had come, but with the combined influence of the master mages, as well as the threat of finding a new illusion supplier, the Magic Tower seemed to step back.

Of course, as they did so, they still remained looking unhappy. They were almost pushed back by Grandmadam de Leone and Ash. When the area around was cleared, Ash took out several slips. They began to glow in his hands, and he threw them out.

They made it several paces away before they seemed to be controlled and brought to specific locations, surrounding the area where the fourth course was. Henry could feel his skin tingle as a surge of magic filled the air.

He heard a low whistle behind him and looked over his shoulder. Grandmaster Helgorn shook his head, but wore an impressed look on his face.

"It's hard to believe with that much magic ability, he's only eighteen," the large bald man said. "He must've been learning since he could walk."

The corner of Henry's lip curled up and he held back a chuckle as he looked back towards his brother. Since he could walk?

His mother had started teaching Ash by speaking to him about foundational magic since Ash had practically come out of Nera's womb.

"He could write magic text before he could write the local language where we were born," Henry told him.

Grandmaster Helgorn almost groaned. "It shows. This should be as easy as one plus one for him."

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

Insert water, width ten paces, length twelve paces. Depth ten ji with a slop from the edges equaling the distance from the surface edge to the center. Current, none.... Ash stood in place, his eyes glazed over as he looked ahead of him, but not at the field before his eyes, but the magic that was moving in bits and pieces around him. His arms were out, and hands were moving as he manipulated magic energy, rearranging the magic array written with magic energy in order to make an exit checkpoint for his mother.

The theory of it was quite simple, but it still took time to do, as it needed to be specific and exact, which required a lot of detailed, complex work.

No matter how fast he was, which was fast compared to a regular mage, it still took time.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

However, the safety of his mother within the illusion took priority over speed. Besides, he was sure that once she got past the fourth course, she would speed through the last.

The more he rearranged text and drew out new characters, the more he felt that the Magic Tower was being overpaid. The effectiveness of magic text could deteriorate without additional arrangements. The older raw magic text was, the more it deteriorated. Usually, for important pieces, there would be an additional layer of magic to prevent, or at least slow down, deterioration.

The cheap Magic Tower didn't even bother to do that!

Ash could clearly see where some magic text had faded and was repaired by slapping another layer of magic text over it, as if filling a pothole in a Dareisol street. The mishmash of magic text patches was layered on over the year, almost obscuring the base array.

The more he altered the illusion, the irater he was at the shabby workmanship. He knew from afar that they were using base arrays and grids. That wasn't a problem, so long as they kept up its maintenance properly. In fact, a strong base could last indefinitely.

Dareisol's capital and the Merchant Cities all had exceptionally strong magic text base arrays and grids for the sole purpose of slowing down the deterioration of city infrastructure. Ash had gone the distance and added enough magic arrays around Snake, Scarab, and Sons teahouses and properties to ensure that normal wear and tear would not occur, as well as layers of magic for pest management, fire prevention, climate control, and sound proofing.

Henry had once joked that the teahouses could survive a city being razed.

There were imperial palaces that didn't have such complex magic woven into their foundation.

Ash didn't expect that from the Magic Tower's illusion, but at the very least, they could've kept up the maintenance. He'd seen the work order for the illusion. The amount the Federation paid for their services far exceeded the quality of service provided.

He'd already been intrigued by Hana's suggestion of a virtual course with drones that recorded and played back the competitors they followed on a giant screen. Cameras were something that Hana had been working on for some time, and while she couldn't use magic, she could write out magic text that she thought would work to have him try it.

And now there was some technology from the Cloud Continent he'd found at the haunted estate that he could dissect and replicate. He was sure they could do a much better job, and be just as immersive.

It's just that he already had so much to do. Projects continued to pile up.

How much more did the Magic Tower want him to resent them? Every time they clashed, it was as if Ash needed to do more to make their lives worse.

Are they trying to frustrate me to death? He thought to himself as he swept his hand in front of him and finished a complete base script to go over the patched base array. It was like putting a new floor over an old one since he didn't have time to rip it out.

Once the base was settled, a ripple of magic energy went through the defined fourth course. The figure of his mother wrapped in magic was much clearer.

Nera was sitting on the ground, her legs crossed, and her eyes closed, as if patiently meditating in a temple. Ash narrowed his eyes. How long had his mother walked inside the illusion. She had been the first to enter the fourth course and now she'd be the last to exit.

Indignation filled him. Part of him knew that whatever the officials decided, it would be unfair to his mother.

Ash gritted his teeth and continued working on the illusion. An oasis appeared not a few steps away or beside Nera.

It appeared underneath her. One moment, she was sitting on the ground, the next, she had sunk into a small pool of water surrounded by desert vegetation.

He heard Mage de Leone chuckle behind him. "Smart."

A ding was heard as Nera appeared in the rest area. She was still seated, but once she appeared, the crowds began cheering. Cheering, but then quickly falling into confused murmurs. Lane four was Carthage Harbor – Nera Atractas.

Anyone who was paying attention knew her rank and now she'd appeared last, and there were mages who'd come to her course. The audience realized something was wrong.

"Shall we spread the word?" Mage Nodu asked with a slight chuckle. "To…clear up any confusion?"

His underlying message was to let everyone know the Magic Tower messed up, and did so in a way that was so suspicious, they may have actually been trying to sabotage the event.

Ash sealed the fourth course. His arms lowered to his sides and the glassy look in his eyes cleared. "By this evening, everyone should know what happened."

Grandmadam de Leone laughed. "Even if the officials aren't fair, the rest of the Invitational should come to their own conclusions and make their own decisions."

She spoke loud enough for the Magic Tower mages to shift uncomfortably around them.

Ash kept his eyes on his mother. Nera rose to her feet and turned her head, as if looking for someone. Ash was sure she couldn't see him, but Nera stopped when she faced his direction.

"I'm fine, my son." She spoke in a calm, even voice to reassure him. Ash closed his eyes and released his tense breath.

He stood in place and waited until his mother entered the last course. He then turned to the others. "Let's go back and wait. She'll be out soon, and I want to know how the officials will do to make up for this."

They walked back towards the front of the field, but they hadn't yet reached stage area when the final ding came out.

Ash looked over his shoulder and saw his mother step out. She cradled her vase in her arms and showed it to the officials waiting at the end to confirm that it was intact. When she raised it in the air, it signaled that she was clear and completed the event.

"She's out already?" Grandmadam de Leone's eyes had widened with surprise. "She'd just entered."

"Well, to do as much as she's done in just few years requires more negotiation skill than most," her grandson replied. He looked at Ash. "Should we be concerned when Moonflower launches?"

"It's not Moonflower you have to be worried about," Ash said with a slight grin. "Momma's heir to Snake, Scarab, and Sons is Effie."

Mage de Leone let out a small hiss. "The little girl who conned me out of the last frozen fruit drink?"

"When did Effie do this?" his grandmother asked with a slight scoff. "She is an angel."

At this, both Ash and Mage de Leone laughed. "Grandmother, you don't know what that little mind of hers can do. You know she recently acquired some property across from the Snake, Scarab, and Sons in Solyek?"

Grandmadam de Leone sighed. "She is the daughter of a merchant empire. Her buying property is not a surprise."

"She didn't buy it," Ash told her. He saw the older woman give him a confused look. "It's the property of Lord Duncan. He's in debt to Effie. The property was collateral."

"Are you saying your sister, who is still in primary school, targeted Lord Duncan's property?" she asked.

"She said property in central Solyek was too expensive, so she had to find another way."

"What is she going to do with the property?" Mage de Leone asked.

Ash shrugged. "She hasn't said. We're just letting her do what she wants. As long as she's not hurting or exploiting anyone."

"She did cut off a piece of Lord Duncan's flesh."

"Then maybe Lord Duncan should've paid his loan on time."

"I didn't realize Effie was getting into banking."

"Honestly, I don't know what she's getting into," Ash said. He wore a proud grin regardless and looked at Mage de Leone. "But she has assured me that if Moonflower doesn't work out, she can support me."

Mage de Leone gave him a disgusted look and clicked his tongue. "Have you no shame? Depending on the wealth of your little sister?"

Ash pretended to scoff and raised his hand to his chest. "Can I help it if I'm loved?"

Mage de Leone's expression became even more disgusted, amusing his grandmother and Mage Nodu. They passed the stage, where most of the competitors were now waiting after completing the courses.

Ash heard the confusion in their discussion as he passed. Even the competitors expected Nera to be waiting for them when they came out. The officials were trying to explain that there was a problem with lane four's illusion, which only aggravated the contestants considering all the problems they'd faced recently.

To Ash's knowledge, no other event had such problems.

The equipment was fine and there was nothing wrong with the prepared event locations. For some reason, it was only the all-around that suddenly had boats falling apart, poor quality weapons that were damaged with two hits, and horses that went crazy. In fact, Ash still didn't know if they'd found additional horses for the chariot race at the end of the week.

The problems that arose should force the event staff to triple check the equipment for the chariot race as well. If one of those leather straps broke or buckles shattered in the middle of the race, the results could be dire, if not fatal.

"Do you think it was a saboteur?" Mage Nodu asked as he walked beside Ash. "I heard about the horses yesterday. This has never happened before. The Invitational uses many of the same suppliers the Adventurers' Guild uses. If this is a sign of things to come, we'll need to reassess."

"Part of me is hoping it was simply negligence or poor equipment for embezzlement," Ash replied. "Rather than someone targeting the event, as then it's premeditated harm."

Mage Nodu narrowed his eyes, and his lips pulled into a tight line. "The highest placed bets are always on the all-around. It could be event-fixing."

Mage de Leone snorted. "Who would dare? This event is almost sacred to the Federation. Who's stupid enough to risk themselves for someone's bet?"

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Mage Nodu told him with wide eyes carrying disappointment. "For a quick few gold, some people can sell their families."

The corner of Ash's lip twitched. With his birth father, he knew that much.

They reached the side of the field where the official's booth was. Ash gave his brother a nod. "Have they decided?"

"They're going to announce it when all the competitors are done," Henry said. "They will only change Auntie's time."

"The amount of time to get from the entrance to the oasis without distraction would've been forty-five minutes," Hana told him. "Auntie walked in a straight line the entire time, according to the tracker, so she would've made it in that time, if not less, but they said to make it 'fair', they would add a fifty percent buffer time."

Ash snorted once more and rolled his eyes. "It's my mistake, but I'm still going to penalize you. What else should we expect?" he grumbled with sarcasm.

"At the very least, Auntie had the shortest time in the fifth course," Henry said. He shook his head. "She must've been in a hurry to leave, as the time matters more than the final negotiation."

Ash turned around to look at the scoreboard. Nera had the fastest time getting out of the fifth course. If the amount she negotiated for was low, it could be understood, as Henry was right. In ranking, time weighed more than negotiation amount.

Hana let out an impressed whistle. "Four hundred ninety-five dinari gold standard."

"Auntie made the illusion bleed." Henry laughed.

Ash stood up straight and puffed out his chest in pride. "As expected of Momma." The trio remained there until the final competitor emerged and the final scores were given. Part of the reason was to ensure that Nera's score had followed the agreed upon arrangement.

On the stage, the competitors were standing in a row, looking up at the score board and talking amongst themselves. Several people had surrounded Nera, with her students red-faced and appearing upset as they motioned to the fourth course.

It seemed that the officials had told them what happened, and they were not pleased. After all, it had never happened before and it was such a low-level mistake, it almost felt as if it were done on purpose. They were already on edge with suspicion. This incident only made it worse.

In the end, Nera's overall score was raised one spot. It wasn't as high as they'd hoped, but at least she didn't go down. When they returned to the booth, Effie was sitting on the chair, hugging Prince Muran as if he were a stuffed animal, and pouting.

"I know it doesn't seem fair, but at least Auntie went up one," Henry immediately went to placate his little sister. Effie squeezed the toddler, who was happily hugging his own plush toy.

"If I were organizing this event, I'd fire the Magic Tower," Effie said in a decisive voice.

"Oh, I wouldn't be surprised if they did," Hana said as she sat down beside Effie and stroked her hair back. "This is such a poor product. And your brother found so many things wrong with it when he was fixing it."

Effie grumbled. "They should be fined, too."

Ash's brow's shot up. "You're right, they should be fined. I'm going to write that in my complaint."

Prince Tae let out a heavy breath. "Since the event is over, let's go get something to eat." He seemed to see Effie turn to him with a spark in her eye and quickly cut her off. "Not Pancake Café."

Effie's shoulders sank as her face fell. Hana chuckled and stroked her hair back once more to comfort her.

"Tomorrow, I need to treat the mages who helped today," Ash told them. "Any idea where?"

"They helped Momma?" Effie looked up. Ash nodded. She slid out of her chair and shuffled over to Prince Tae in order to hand the toddler to him. "Then, we owe them our thanks. I'll take care of it." Once the baby was handed off, she brought two fingers to her mouth and whistled.

Ash looked around, but none of the ravens came. Effie turned her attention to the table where there was a stack of papers and coloring sticks.

"Effie, here." Terry prepared a pencil, from where Ash didn't know, and some paper. She then pulled out a chair for Effie to take a seat.

Ash raised a brow. His sister was eight and she already had a more competent assistant than he did. No, he didn't even have an assistant yet. How did he get to be so lacking?

"Who are you writing to?" Prince Tae asked with some amusement.

"Yiyi."

Henry's brows shot up. "The Liyun daughter?"

Effie nodded as she sat down and took the pencil. "She said to tell her if I need to eat at her place."

Prince Tae threw her a sympathetic look. "Effie, you can't just take the mages to someone's house."

"Who said anything about a house?" Effie said without looking up from her writing. "I'm reserving a room at Gardens at the Fortress. Second Brother, how many people?"

"Six, including myself."

Ash watched Prince Tae almost choke on his words with glee. The royal looked at the child with shock. "Gardens at the Fortress which only takes reservations months in advance?"

Ash squinted. "You look like you don't want to believe it."

"It's not that I don't want to, but it's hard to believe."

A squawk came from the balcony and Ash turned his head to see Donut, their messenger hawk, waiting. Effie finished writing and lifted up her note. "Done! Terry!"

"Got it!" Terry numbly folded the note and then went to stuff it into the message canister on Donut's leg, as if she'd done it many times before.

"Donut, go to Yiyi's, wait for a response." Donut squawked back an answer before flying off.

Prince Tae's vacant eyes watched the hawk fly away. "She hasn't even invited us there."

"My baby cannot yet eat too much rich food," Effie said, reaching for Prince Muran. As she hugged him, she kissed the top of his head. "When you are older, Sister will take you to eat all the delicacies in the world."

"Yes!" The toddler readily agreed, and Prince Tae glared at him with envy.

Ash patted his shoulder. "I'm sure if you ask, Effie can help you." Prince Tae sent him a glare.

"What are we eating tonight?" Effie asked. All the talk of food seemed to make her hungry. Hana beamed.

"My cousin reserved a private room for us tonight. He and his wife opened a seafood restaurant here a year and a half ago, and you get to pick your own live seafood to cook!" Hana told the children. The little ones looked intrigued by this.

"Is Talam going to come?" Prince Tae asked. "We have some news on the Ashtari delegation."

"Oh?" Henry raised a brow. "Then we should invite him."

"I can go," Ash said. "I need to let the mages know about tomorrow. Hana, can you lead them to your cousin's?"

"Yes! My brother should also be meeting us there."

With the arrangements made, Ash first went to track down each of the mages who assisted him that day and informed them that he'd send confirmation messages for dinner the next night. A few insisted that it wasn't needed, that they had helped him out of principle, and the de Leone mages tried to reject and reschedule as they had another meal planned, but when they heard it was at Gardens at the Fortress, all five mages confirmed with vigor.

Ash silently thanked his sister for her hard work and impressive networking.

He then headed to Snake, Scarab, and Sons to find Talam. He handed the reins of his horse to the guard who was escorting him and entered through the front doors of the full tea house. The manager greeted him upon arrival and Ash lifted his hand.

"I'm just checking on our guest," he said.

"Second Young Master, he has not yet left. Meals have been delivered to him and his party, as instructed."

"Good job, thanks. I can go up by myself." Ash gave him a satisfied nod and then made his way up the stairs to get to the private room they'd allotted Talam. The soundproofing was the best in the city, so Ash had to give firm knocks.

The heavy thuds sounded, and Ash waited. The door slid open just a bit and one of Talam's escorts peeked out. His eyes widened and he opened the door further.

"Second Young Master."

Ash gave him a nod. Bo, the escort, stepped aside to let him in. Upon entering, Ash had to restrain his surprised expression. Along with Talam and his two escorts, there were six old men around a round table. Their hair were all white and gray, if they weren't bald beneath their worn Ashtari headdresses.

Their clothes had once been made of the finest fabric, but now looked dulled and worn with wear. Their weathered faces turned to him, with some curiosity and unexpected recognition. Ash felt his heart jump as their gazes settled on him.

"I didn't expect you back today." Talam smiled as he pushed his seat back and stood up to welcome him. "I hope I didn't overstay my welcome."

Ash put on a winning smile and shook his head. He responded in Ashtari since Talam had greeted him in it. "No, not at all. I came by to invite you to dinner, but it seemed that you're busy tonight."

Talam opened his mouth to reply, but the raspy voice of one of the old men spoke out. "Young Lord, who is this?" That voice trembled with expectation. Ash focused on keeping his expression politely distant. Perhaps he shouldn't have responded in Ashtari.

He didn't know who exactly those old men were, but considering their age and clothing, they were likely some clan elders from Ashtar who'd been sent into pseudo-exile. He knew his mother had spoken to a few to forge allies for them, but didn't know who exactly they were. Nera had also made it a point to keep them hidden to avoid the elders clamoring at the brothers to get involved before they were ready.

Now several old men were staring at him.

Talam didn't seem to sense anything out of the ordinary. "This is Madam Atractas' second son, Ash Atractas."

Ash gave the old men a respectful bow of his head, but at once, four of them shot up to their feet and held out their arms to stop him. In Ashtar, nobles could not afford a bow from the royal family. Ash held his breath. It looked like some of them suspected him.

Ash let out an awkward laugh. "No need to stand," he said as he stood up straight. "You're all welcomed guests of my family's guest. Please, sit down and enjoy yourselves."

"Your Hi-"

"Please! Call me Ash, or Second Young Master, if you elders don't mind," Ash quickly cut him off. A few slips slid between his fingers. "Everyone back home, in Carthage Harbor, calls me Second Young Master." He stressed the name of the city, hoping they'd get a hint.

Two of them seemed to stand down, understanding that he didn't want to be identified. However, the other two remained standing, looking at him with eager eyes.

"Se…Second Young Master…your name wouldn't be short for something would it?" one of the men dared ask. His eyes were red, as if he were ready to cry at any moment.

Ash almost threw a slip at him to silence him. He kept a smile on his face. "No, it's just Ash."

"In Ashtari do you use the character 'shan' with the three points?"

Ash twitched. He already told the old man no. And also, yes, his Ashtari birth name, Ashan, did use the character 'shan' with three points, but he wasn't going to admit it.

"Oh!" Talam, blissfully ignorant of the tension in the room, laughed. "That's the same character in my uncle's name. The 'shan' with three points."

Ash's head almost snapped his head towards Talam, his eyes wide. "What."

"My uncle's name is Enroshan, and the last character is 'shan' with three points," Talam smiled warmly, appearing not to notice Ash's sudden horror. He seemed to look at Ash more kindly than before, as if he felt that their meeting was meant to be. "What a coincidence that you share part of his name."

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