Chapter 159

Chapter 159

Jacqueline had a pile of work in her laboratory waiting for her to complete, so she and Lorant parted ways at the edge of Sakkoran.

In reality, Jacqueline's talent for research was not particularly strong; it was her combat skills that were among the best in the Congress of Magic over the past few centuries.

Unfortunately, the witch herself was exceptionally interested in the study of exotic beasts, which is why she rejected countless offers from various factions and ultimately devoted herself to the Beast Tower.

For her, nothing in this life was more important than her research.

Her willingness to run around for Lorant was ultimately for the sake of the animal pets. In this regard, she was unexpectedly straightforward and sincere, making it very comfortable for Lorant to be around her.

Both parties benefited, without the need for pretense or hypocrisy.

Lorant and Lancelot did not leave Sakkoran right away. They hadn't come today just to complain to Jacqueline.

Today was the day Tang En and Lorant had agreed to interview the mages who were preparing to join the Animal Pet Shop.

All the mages Lorant had identified as potential recruits had set aside time to attend today's interviews.

Tang En's face was radiant, his entire demeanor glowing with joy.

"Tang En, what's going on? Has something good happened recently?" Lorant asked, giving Tang En a light hug upon meeting him.

Tang En patted the shoulder of his youngest employer a couple of times. Currently, forty percent of his work was related to the Animal Pet Shop.

Whether it was directly connected to the Animal Pet Shop, the Blue Star Trading Platform, or the Slime Ranch, everything was intertwined with Lorant.

According to current trends, most of the Beast Tower's industries would soon be linked to Lorant's personal enterprises.

This was a clear signal to Tang En.

Perhaps, the next head of the Beast Tower would be this young man who wasn't even a mage.

So perhaps he should treat the Animal Pet Shop with even greater seriousness.

Of course, the prerequisite was that he had to outlive Master Jacqueline.

After all, over the long years, Jacqueline was said to have chosen several successors, but none of them lived longer than she did.

Tang En thought silently to himself, a bright smile on his face: "Shop Manager Lorant, of course I have some good news. Watching the Blue Star Platform grow every day is like watching my son gradually mature."

"Of course, I imagine Shop Manager must feel even more strongly about it, right?" Tang En said with a knowing smile, looking at Lorant.

Lorant rubbed his nose awkwardly. To be honest, since setting up the platform, he had become a complete hands-off manager, hardly ever asking about its operations and leaving everything to Emma and Nia.

Now, these two pillars of the Animal Pet Shop were supporting half of Lorant's commercial empire, but this was not a sustainable situation. For Lorant, allowing one person to hold too much power for too long was not a good thing.

Power is a poison; even the purest of people can become irreversibly corrupted once they are immersed in it.

Never test whether someone can resist the temptation of power; human nature is unpredictable.

Once things stabilize, Lorant planned to implement a management system similar to a CEO model for his enterprises.

A reasonable system that could keep the beast of power caged would allow him to be a hands-off manager with peace of mind.

Seeing Lorant's embarrassed expression, Tang En stopped teasing him. He only joked around with close friends.

Tang En was a man of great tact, knowing how to get along with others.

Occasional harmless jokes could help bridge the gap between people, but overstepping boundaries was a form of disrespect.

Tang En always kept his identity in mind. He was the steward of the Beast Tower, and thus Lorant's steward, and he knew the respect and demeanor he needed to maintain.

Of course, Lorant was right; Tang En had indeed been in high spirits lately, walking with a spring in his step.

The main reason was that the Beast Tower, which had been dormant, was finally beginning to awaken.

Even now, emaciated as it was, the giant was still a formidable behemoth. Once it started moving, everyone would have to consider whether they needed to step aside to avoid being crushed.

And all of this, Tang En had to thank Lorant for.

Whether it was the Slime Ranch under development or the external sales of pet slimes, both had added some influence back to the Beast Tower.

Frankly, these ventures didn't make much money in the early stages, and even if they began generating revenue like the Slime Ranch in Mauplan after a short period of operation, it wouldn't be enough to support the vast financial needs of the Beast Tower.

Or rather, these revenues were merely drops in the bucket for the Beast Tower.

But their impact on the outside world was significant.

The Beast Tower was not just the mage tower inverted into the ground.

The Beast Tower also supported many ordinary people who depended on it for survival.

There were approximately as many people as a small town, all relying on the Beast Tower to live.

It was these people, engaged in various industries, who continuously supplied the wealth that sustained the Beast Tower's extravagance.

The emergence of the Slime Ranch was like a shot in the arm for these people.

It meant that the Beast Tower, which had been stagnant for years, living off its old capital, was finally trying new things.

Even if there were no immediate returns, this was undoubtedly a good sign for them.

Not to mention that Jacqueline had been causing trouble for the Congress of Magic from time to time recently.

This was a signal to the outside world, and those perceptive individuals quickly picked up on it.

Especially those in the business world; they don’t care if the Beast Tower is an unreasonable fellow. All they feel is the Beast Tower’s strength.

Thus, they give way to the Beast Tower in every aspect.

Those who had been constantly squeezing the Beast Tower’s living space have no choice but to stop and seriously consider the Beast Tower’s current attitude.

If they continue as before, will they be attacked by that terrifying archmage?

They aren’t as resilient as the Congress of Magic; being attacked by Jacqueline would really mean death!

His success in business is the main reason for Tang En’s confident demeanor.

Personally, Tang En wishes that the first thing Jacqueline does every morning is to attack the Congress of Magic and turn that building into rubble!

This morning, knowing what his archmage had done, Tang En was in high spirits.

"Let's go." Tang En smiled and greeted Lancelot. He wasn’t that familiar with this Earl, and as the Beast Tower’s major steward, Tang En’s status was quite high.

If Lancelot and Lorant didn’t have that relationship, he would have the right to treat Lancelot without being overly deferential, not feeling oppressed by the Earl’s status.

"Those who came for the interview are all waiting inside," said Tang En as he walked in, addressing both of them. "Some of these people were suitable candidates I found later. After coordinating with Emma, we retained twenty people to participate in this interview."

"By the way, let me mention that the mage from last time has been registered on the blacklist of the Animal Pet Shop and the Blue Star Platform by Taya. We’ve also blocked all his social connections to prevent him from having any contact with pets."

Lorant nodded nonchalantly, having long since forgotten about that crazy mage from last time.

Not many mages have normal minds, and research mages are almost all madmen.

If they weren’t mad, they might not be able to become excellent research mages, Lorant couldn’t help but think.

However, understanding that someone is a madman doesn’t mean he likes such madmen. If they act up in front of him, don’t blame him for not showing mercy.

Lorant had already handed over the interview process to Tang En, so he had everything arranged well in advance.

The three of them sat in a prepared room, waiting for the mages outside to come in one by one for a chat to see if they were suitable.

Though it wasn’t as formal as the recruitment processes of large companies in his previous life, Lorant was already quite satisfied.

The first few mages were very ordinary. They weren’t young, their ranks weren’t high, and their research abilities weren’t strong. Overall, there was nothing wrong with them.

But at the same time, there was nothing remarkable about them either.

These people represent the average research mages, who are common in Sacol. They might not have the ability to lead a research project.

But for doing some odd jobs, like assisting other mages in the laboratory, they could do it quite well.

Lorant wasn’t interested in these people. He wasn’t planning to set up a large research lab, so he didn’t need these helpers.

He wanted talent, and if there was no talent, he’d rather not have anyone.

It wasn’t until the fifth interviewee that someone finally caught Lorant’s interest.

It was a second-level alchemist, a rank and profession that stood out among the mostly third- or fourth-level mages applying.

The alchemist wore a strange, tattered robe.

Initially, it must have been an ordinary robe, but after years of use, its owner had sewn layers of differently colored patches onto it.

This unique, puffed-up garment made the thin alchemist appear somewhat ‘sturdy’ at first glance.

As soon as he entered the interview room, Lorant caught a whiff of a bitter medicinal scent.

Bitter and refreshing, it reminded Lorant of traditional Chinese medicine shops from his past life.

"So, you are... um..." Tang En flipped through the roster in his hand, searching for the identity of the mage who looked like a bundle of rags come to life: "Ah, here it is, Mr. Monroe, right?"

Although Monroe was dressed in a bulky robe, he was actually quite slender, with a long face, much like the rest of his body.

After entering, Monroe had been looking around, but he turned back when he heard Tang En’s words: "Yes, Mr. Tang En, you can just call me Monroe."

Lorant was also observing Monroe, who perfectly embodied the stereotypical image of a mage.

Slender, peculiar, and somewhat mysterious.

The only issue was that he seemed to be an alchemist rather than a mage.

Most alchemists start as magic apprentices with insufficient initial mental energy.

After many years of persistence and struggle, they are forced to accept that they lack the talent to become a mage and thus switch to becoming an alchemist.

Like the alchemist uncle in Mauplan’s town, who provided materials for Lorant when he was at the Knights Academy.

Speaking of which, that uncle was probably the first person outside his family to show great confidence in Lorant.

At the time, he even offered to take Lorant as his apprentice.

For someone without mental energy fluctuations, this was undoubtedly a good job.

Alchemy doesn’t actually require mental energy; it merely demands a high level of knowledge.

To put it bluntly, anyone could become an alchemist, but all the information in this profession is controlled by mages, making it unattainable for ordinary people.

This is the information blockade imposed by professionals on ordinary people in this world, cruel but effective in maintaining their authority.

However, at that time, Lorant’s beast breeding was almost complete, so he politely declined the uncle’s offer.

Later, when Lorant’s family moved away, they still occasionally kept in touch with their former neighbors. Ruth often went back to visit, catching up with people they were close to, and Lorant returned a few times to bring the uncle some of the fine wines he always boasted about drinking.

Lorant looked at the paper with Mr. Monroe’s introduction, lost in thought.

"Mr. Monroe, I see in your records that you are a second-level alchemist. Could you tell us why you want to become a research mage at the Blue Star Pet Shop?" Lancelot asked.

While he had no prejudice against the profession of alchemists, it was indeed rare for an alchemist to aspire to become a researcher.

Most alchemists preferred to compete with priests for work.

Given their limited talents, earning more money and living a carefree life as a wealthy man was what mattered most to them.

Monroe clearly came prepared. Though he looked a bit odd, his words were well-organized and made him seem far from a madman.

"At least his voice doesn’t sound like a lunatic," Lancelot thought.

"I am here for this interview mainly because I want to seize the opportunity to study pet beasts," Monroe began, noticing Lorant frown slightly, seemingly dissatisfied with his answer, but not panicking.

"Of course, I do not mean killing pet beasts and studying them like exotic creatures. I oppose all forms of dissection on intelligent beings." He had done his research beforehand and continued, "Currently, the pet beast I most want to study is the Flower Spitter."

Lorant raised an eyebrow; this was the first person to explicitly state which pet beast they wanted to study.

He didn't dislike the previous candidates who spoke about wanting to study pet beasts; he didn't object to non-invasive research on pet beasts.

After all, even Lorant himself knew too little about pet beasts. He needed more people to help him with his research to gain a deeper understanding.

What mysterious principle governed the birth of these creatures? If one day Lorant could figure this out, he could more easily simulate more pet beast entries.

Just like how once you understand a mathematical formula, you can apply it repeatedly.

However, after interviewing four people who spoke grandly but couldn't answer any questions, Lorant was growing tired of such empty talk.

"Oh? Tell me more, why the Flower Spitter?" Lorant propped his chin on his hand, intrigued.

Monroe immediately launched into a detailed explanation: "During the Flower Festival, I noticed that each flower spat by the Flower Spitters had a completely different appearance, which piqued my interest."

"During the Flower Festival, I observed the Flower Spitters near the flower carts every day. They spat out at least five types of flowers I had never seen before."

"As an alchemist, I consider myself to have some expertise in plant beasts, so I became even more curious."

Monroe continued, "I believe many of these undiscovered flowers must have unique properties. If we can figure them out, we might discover a new type of plant beast."

His eyes gleamed as he looked at Lorant, breathing heavily, "Perhaps the Flower Spitter's variety could encompass all the plants in the world. If so, we wouldn't need to send people deep into the Black Forest to gather plant beasts. We could cultivate them through this miraculous pet beast!"

Seeing the sparkle in Monroe's eyes, Lorant instantly recognized a passionate researcher, much like those at the Beast Tower.

Regardless of whether his ideas would come to fruition, Lorant was willing to give him a chance.

At least this guy had genuinely observed the subject.

Lorant raised an eyebrow, "Your idea is quite impressive, and it aligns with mine."

"However," seeing Monroe's suddenly brightening expression, Lorant tempered his enthusiasm, "there is a prerequisite: the flowers from the Flower Spitter must be preserved to proceed with further research."

Monroe deflated, his face crinkling as if blending with his tattered clothes, "Yes, I know. But I'm just an alchemist, and I've tried various methods without success..."

Lorant then changed his tone, "Of course, we can overcome difficulties together. What matters is your idea, Mr. Monroe. I find your proposal very interesting. Please wait for our notification at the address you provided. We will inform you of the final decision promptly."

Seeing Lorant ultimately affirm him, Monroe perked up again and left the interview room with a light step.

As he pushed open the door, Lorant vaguely saw a tall figure casually put an arm around Monroe, and they left together.

In the subsequent interviews, Lorant gradually selected a sixth-level mage and two fifth-level mages to join the Blue Star Pet Shop as researchers.

For now, a small team of four mages in the Mage Tower would focus on researching the Flower Spitter and recording data on other pet beasts.

Once the Blue Star Trading Platform stabilized, he could consider expanding the current scale.

The sixth-level mage had left her previous Mage Tower specifically for the Blue Star Pet Shop.

She appeared to be a relatively young woman, around thirty or forty years old, though it was hard to judge the age of professionals. Those who cared about their appearance often looked very young.

Even without Jacqueline's eternal youth, one could purchase potions to delay the signs of aging.

These potions were highly effective and came in various types, such as wrinkle removal, whitening, spot reduction, and face slimming, among others.

Ruth's bedside table held several bottles of different topical potions.

This was how noblewomen in this world maintained their skin.

If these products could be brought back to Lorant's former world, many would envy them.

Such genuinely effective products would make beauty enthusiasts pay without hesitation, provided they could afford it.

Thus, Lorant found it difficult to determine the real age of the sixth-level mage.

But she was certainly not over a hundred.

This mage was a fortunate owner of a Dream Weaver.

On the day the Dream Weaver was released, she learned about its existence and availability, and the next day, she rushed to the pet shop to bring one home.

The Dream Weaver's remarkable performance sparked her immense interest in pet beasts. When she learned that the Blue Star Pet Shop was hiring, she left her previous Mage Tower without hesitation to join.

She was very confident in herself, believing she would pass the selection and become part of the Blue Star Pet Shop. Her departure from her previous Mage Tower was swift and decisive.

And she had good reason for her confidence.

As a sixth-level research mage, she held dozens of patents. With these magical patents alone, she could live comfortably for the rest of her life.

Her current greatest interest was in researching pet beasts.

This is also the person Tang En strongly recommended. Researchers of this caliber are almost impossible for a small organization just starting out to pick up.

Larger Mage Towers generally cultivate these researchers themselves, taking them in when they are young and of low rank, and gradually nurturing them within the tower.

Researchers cultivated this way are usually more specialized, excelling particularly in the research conducted by their Mage Tower.

As for other fields, some may never have been exposed to them at all.

The best among these can spend their entire lives working in the Mage Tower, eventually rising to become part of its upper echelons and carrying on its legacy.

Therefore, a fully trained High Mage like her is rare and hard to come by. Naturally, Tang En would advise Lorant to keep her.

After chatting with her for a few moments, Lorant found that she indeed had some unique insights about the Dream Weaver, which seemed to make sense.

For example, she suggested improving the living environment of animal pets, providing additional toys to stimulate the potential of a Dream Weaver, which is typically kept indoors for long periods.

Lorant looked at the small toys she had made for his Dream Weaver and the detailed experimental information she had compiled, finding it quite valuable.

The other two Level 5 Mages were much simpler.

They belonged to the group of people who were not highly regarded in large Mage Towers.

If Lorant were to categorize them, he would consider them the backbone of the Mage Tower.

Their research capabilities were not bad; they could lead a small project but lacked innovation.

Fortunately, both had their own thoughts on animal pets, making them more valuable compared to other job seekers.

So, in the end, Lorant decided to hire all four of them.

He left the remaining work to Tang En, as the Animal Pet Shop had already prepared research labs for these Mages, and they could start their positions at any time.

After settling this major task, Lorant and Lancelot took a stroll around Sakkolen. On Lancelot's recommendation, they found a restaurant with a cozy ambiance and enjoyed a lunch there.

During the lecture on the Dream Weaver, Lorant had distributed a travel guide for Mauplan to the attendees. Many still kept it, and it gradually spread within a certain circle.

The recommended restaurants listed in the guide continue to attract many Mages and Priests.

This gave Lorant an idea of a business opportunity.

Just like the Michelin Guide from his previous life, Lorant wanted to create a Blue Star Restaurant Guide.

From one star to five stars, and even more prestigious blue stars, he aimed to establish a formal rating system for restaurants.

This would also provide different discounts and benefits for his Blue Star Trading Platform, allowing him to distribute these booklets regularly to VIP users and collaborate with merchants to join the platform.

By offering convenience to his customers, he could also provide them with a steady stream of clients.

To realize this idea, Lorant and Lancelot have been venturing out to try different places more frequently.

Unconsciously, the time they spent together has also increased.

After lunch, they didn't return to the Animal Pet Shop directly. Instead, they headed to the Lopulo Mountains from Sakkolen.

Upon arriving in Pokara again, Lorant still found it difficult to adjust to the intense, unfiltered sunlight.

He felt that under such sunlight, a person could be dehydrated and baked alive.

It was like being inside an oven, dry and scorching.

Lennart and Leon Rist, the brothers, were waiting obediently under a canopy near the teleportation array.

They looked a bit tanner, and their already imposing figures seemed even more exaggerated after some time.

There was no time for catching up; they quickly entered a nearby small tavern.

The tavern was naturally empty during the daytime, but the four of them breathed a sigh of relief upon entering.

Outside, it was simply too hot!

Lennart went to the bar to fetch drinks, and four mugs of ice-cold ale effectively cooled down the overheated humans.

Lorant took a large gulp of the icy, almost tasteless ale, feeling much better.

Being exposed to such air was a torment every second. He had felt like he was being roasted within ten minutes of stepping out of the teleportation array.

Lancelot smiled at the two, whom he hadn't seen in a while: "How did you two get even bigger? At this rate, the Windbreaker Horses won't be able to carry you."

Lennart was proud; for a Shield Knight, a strong body was one of their greatest assets.

Being stronger than others meant they could wield heavier and larger shields, which was the fundamental strength of a Shield Knight.

He believed that he and his brother were among the strongest of the new generation of Shield Knights.

Of course, all Shield Knights thought the same.

"Hey, no problem!" Lennart heartily finished his mug of ale: "My Yellow Sand is tough. Even if I grow as big as my teacher, it won't be an issue!"

Leon Rist nodded in agreement.

Windbreaker Horses were not to be underestimated. According to Taya's estimates, these massive animal pets could easily carry the weight of a full-grown, large-sized Beastman.

They were born to serve these physically imposing professionals.

Lancelot shook his head with a smile: "Alright, you're tough. How about the matter I mentioned earlier?"

He was referring to the military service.

Although Lindbergh had clearly indicated that Lorant could exploit the loophole by purchasing exotic beasts from the Lopulo Mountains to easily gain military merit, it still required someone to help with the transactions.

Lorant and Lancelot naturally couldn't spend every day guarding the Lopulo Mountains.

So Lancelot thought of these two brothers.

After all, they weren't officially part of the military; they were essentially free-roaming adventurers who just happened to be relying on the Cavendish family's connections to train themselves in the Lopulo Mountains. No one would interfere with what they did.

These two brothers might appear to be members of Lancelot's adventuring party, but in reality, they were Lancelot's loyal followers.

They had started following Lancelot when they were very young, which was why Lancelot could trust them enough to have their backs in battle.

Just as his father Lindbergh had the loyal follower Pang De, Lancelot's relationship with the Lennart brothers was quite close.

"Of course it's all set, don't worry. With the old man's word, nothing will go wrong," Leon Rist replied confidently. "This is Pokara! As long as the old man is here, you're the prince of this place."

"Just give your orders, Prince," the brothers chimed in, each adding a teasing remark.

Lancelot looked at the two with a helpless expression, feeling that they had become even more mischievous since the last time he saw them. He should have urged Pang De to beat them a bit harder when they were being cocky.

If not, he would tell Pang De next time; these guys really needed a good beating.

Lennart was completely oblivious to the danger he was in. Seeing Lancelot's silence, he felt a sense of victory.

"But to start collecting military merit, you need to register here first. Only those registered as Lopulo Mountain adventurers can exchange their merits with the military," Leon Rist added.

Lorant nodded; he had come here for exactly this purpose.

The "Lopulo Mountain Adventurers" that Leon Rist referred to were not the adventurers registered with the Pokara Adventurer's Guild.

"Lopulo Mountain Adventurers" was a general term for anyone who had registered with the garrison at the Lopulo Mountains.

This registration needed to be done at the military post at the entrance to the mountains, the same fortress where Lorant and Lancelot had gone before, where Lindbergh was stationed.

At the outermost part of the fortress, there was a dedicated registration point.

After registering, one would not only receive certain discounts when purchasing items through official channels within the Lopulo Mountains but also get one free entry and exit per day through the Lopulo Pass.

Otherwise, if one wanted to reach the front lines like Lorant and Lancelot did last time, they would have to pay an additional fee.

Though it was just a few copper coins, the military charged this to show they weren't providing free services to adventurers.

But everyone preferred to save money and avoid paying extra.

With the help of the teleportation array, the group quickly arrived at the fortress.

Thanks to Lindbergh's advance notice, Lorant completed his registration smoothly.

Under normal procedures, registration required identity verification and confirmation that one possessed at least the strength of an apprentice practitioner.

For someone like Lorant, an ordinary person, this would usually be difficult to pass.

Mo'er had tried this before but failed and ended up joining an adventurer team as a meat shield.

Holding the finger-sized crystal that belonged to Lorant, the group headed to the entrance of the Lopulo Mountains.

It looked the same as when Lorant had been here before, a familiar campsite. However, Lorant noticed that although they took the same route, the makeshift tents around them were entirely different.

Seeing Lorant's curious gaze, Lancelot intuitively explained, "A few weeks ago, the entrance was overrun by exotic beasts. The current campsite has been rebuilt."

Lorant was surprised, "Overrun? What happened? Was there a beast tide?"

Lancelot shook his head, "No, it wasn't a beast tide. If a beast tide occurred in a place like Pokara, even a minor one would put immense pressure on the entire Lopulo front line."

"It was just a normal fluctuation in the number of exotic beasts," Lancelot said, looking into the distance with a nostalgic expression. "As you saw when we went out before, under ideal conditions, the goal is to keep the exotic beasts about a kilometer away from the fence."

"This requires a sufficient number of adventurers to work alongside the military to achieve this."

"However, adventurers are unpredictable, and their numbers can't be fixed. The military doesn't have enough personnel to fill the gaps perfectly, so there are always a few days when the number of adventurers is too low, and the military's pressure increases dramatically."

"During such times, it's easy to lose control of the front line."

"Generally, the military will choose to 'release the tide'—similar to what happened during the Black Forest beast tide—allowing the exotic beasts to break through the defenses and enter the inner defensive line, making it easier to kill them."

"This is a common regulatory measure here, a result of years of experience in defending the Lopulo Mountains."

Lorant nodded, understanding Lancelot's explanation.

However, if the stability here was this precarious, establishing a permanent Blue Star Trading Platform outpost and having the devouring frogs here seemed challenging.

But moving the frogs elsewhere wasn't practical either; even the fortress wasn't that close.

Unless they had wind horses for transportation, the enchantment effects would wear off by the time they walked from the fortress to here.

Lorant didn't hide his concerns and shared them with Lancelot, who knew the area much better and might have some good ideas.

Sure enough, upon hearing Lorant's worries, Lancelot smiled, "Don't worry, Lorant. Before each release, the garrison here will give advance notice."

"Everyone who wants to evacuate will have enough time to do so."

"If we want to establish a permanent Blue Star Trading Platform outpost here, it might be a bit challenging, as any building here would seem very fragile."

"But placing the devouring frogs here is absolutely no problem," Lancelot said seriously.

"That's a relief," Lorant felt a weight lifted from his mind. "Then, let's set up a tent and place a few devouring frogs here!"

Lorant couldn't help but chuckle at the image of a few large, not-so-pretty frogs squatting under a makeshift tent, with a queue of adventurers waiting to be enchanted.

Lancelot's expression softened as he watched the young man's joyful face. He turned his head and looked at Lorant with gentle eyes as the latter excitedly described the kind of shelter he wanted for the devouring frogs.

There should be a sign for the Blue Star Pet Shop, and next to it, a machine for swiping crystal cards dedicated to the Blue Star.

A small beverage stall could also be set up here...

Lennart and Nat followed behind, their faces filled with confusion.

Was it just their imagination, or did their young master seem a bit odd after some time apart?

Was he always this considerate and gentle?

Did he used to turn his head so often to look at the person beside him?

Was he?

The two brothers exchanged glances, seeing the same bewilderment in each other’s eyes.

Something definitely seemed different!