At a very different part of the world, Shirley hopped off the back of a wagon. Since she arrived in Presharvo Port with very little money, she had to hitch a ride from a travelling merchant. Thankfully, after a few days of travel, she managed to reach Firecast, the capital of the Zino Kingdom! At first sight, she was blown away by the majesty of the city. The title of the most beautiful city in the world was well-deserved! Compared to Lour Island, it was like comparing a desert to a rainforest. They lived in completely different worlds!
She came to the Zino Kingdom many years ago when the war was still ongoing. Her circumstances then were dark and brooding. It brought depressing memories to the surface. This time, she fully experienced the grandeur of this fledging kingdom! Her goal was simple: to scrounge enough money to buy a large supply of medication, convince a skilled physician to diagnosis her mother, and meet Freon. She only had a little under two weeks to accomplish everything, so she felt stressed. Where would she start?
Inari joined her side. Standing beside the girl, he seemed like a father with his daughter. Despite the vast beauty of the city, he remained unmoved. He was wearing simple and down-to-earth clothing, but it helped bring out his natural charm. He had a calm and casual demeanor that made everyone feel lighthearted. With his innocent smile, several young girls felt compelled to sneak a glance as they walked by. They shot thorny gazes at Shirley for standing beside him.
Shirley grunted in displeasure. She was about to tell them off when Inari raised a hand. "I'll be leaving here. I have business in Firecast," he said.
"We're splitting up?" Shirley was surprised. "How are you going to find me again?"
Inari chuckled. "You let me worry about that. Don't get into trouble while I'm away."
She watched the man nonchalantly whistle and leave. The girl felt exasperated. Inari's answer was equivalent to no answer. How big was Firecast? To locate her again in his massive city, was he a fortune-teller? Or just a plain idiot? Shirley felt inclined to believe the latter, so she chased after the man. But as luck would have it, he had already merged into the crowd and disappeared. Her eyebrows twitched uncontrollably, and she stomped the ground in anger. She decided to forget about Inari and focus on finding Freon first. After all, she was in an unknown city. Finding her way around, much less finding her mother's medication, was a dream.
Thinking this, she approached the young girls that gawked at Inari. Initially, they were displeased that Shirley came to talk with them. However, they changed their attitude when they thought of Inari.
"Excuse me… Do you know of Freon Adnire?" Shirley wondered.
"Adnire?" the girls exchanged glances. They were neither Arcanists nor well-connected in the city. Even so, Adnire was not a rare surname in the Zino Kingdom. There were probably several dozen families with the same in Firecast alone.
Shirley smiled wryly. "Then what about Nassandra Adnire?"
"Nassandra? That does ring a bell…" one muttered.
"Nassandra…" another repeated. "You don't mean Ten Dawn Nassandra from the Celestial Council of Magic?" she stuttered.
"Ten Dawn Nassandra?" the young girls were stupefied.
The name was all too familiar to them. They might be regular citizens, but anyone knew the power structure of the kingdom, especially near the top. At the top stood the Conquestian, the ruler of the Zino Kingdom. Beneath him was the Three Sages, and then the Celestial Council of Magic. The council was divided into two groups: The Ten Auroras and the Ten Dawns. Officially, the Ten Auroras administrated the kingdom, akin to the Royal Assembly. On the other hand, the Ten Dawns held little political power but monstrous personal capability. They were acknowledged as the most powerful Arcanists in the known world!
Meanwhile, Nassandra was seen with near-legendary status. The kingdom spared no expense in regaling this young girl's achievements. After all, a strong Arcanist was as strong as a deterrent as any. No one doubted her immeasurable potential. Think about it, most of the Ten Dawns achieved Low Condensed Drop Core Level in their thirties or forties. Some stood out by managing in their late twenties. They were the most accomplished, heralded as geniuses, and leaders of the almighty Engelsheft Families! A single thought from those families was enough to sway the entire kingdom.
But who was Nassandra? A no-name commoner without any background had completely crushed those achievements! She reached Low Condensed Drop Core Level in half the time. She was twelve for crying out loud! How ridiculous was that? Her status was practically on par with the Conquestian of the Zino Kingdom, thought to be the strongest Arcanist ever. Many believed that when Nassandra grew into her prime, the Zino Kingdom would be ushered into a new era. Therefore, Ten Dawn Nassandra Adnire was a household name in the kingdom, much less the capital city. Everyone idolized and revered the girl!
The girls were mesmerized by the name and quickly their eyes shined with admiration. Their gazes toward Shirley changed tones just as fast to curiosity. One asked slowly, "Everyone has heard of Ten Dawn Nassandra. Why do you ask?"
"I'm looking for her brother. Can you point me in the direction of their home?" Shirley said, surprised at the reputation of the little Nassandra. She never understood the true weight of this inconspicuous girl.
"Their home?" someone sneered. "Are you trying to cozy up to them? Don't bother. You wouldn't be the first."
"What?" Shirley frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"I should be asking you that. Who are you?"
"I'm their friend. I came to Firecast to ask for their help…"
Before she could finish, the young girls pointed fingers and laughed uncontrollably as if they heard the funniest thing in the world. Nassandra was a living legend and far, far above their status. They would be smiling from ear to ear if they saw her. It would light up their entire year. The girls looked at Shirley with derision.
Shirley was wearing poor and patchy clothes that seemed a few sizes too small. It helped accentuate her curves and chest but sang of her poverty. Her halberd and sword were wrapped up on her back and waist respectively. Since it was illegal to carry weapons in public without being related to the city guard or military, she had to cover both in cloth. Therefore, her appearance was odd to say the least. The young girls never once thought Shirley knew the Ten Dawn. Even peasants from the lowest district in Firecast wore better clothes than she did. After all, this was the capital city! Every bit of land was worth gold. So, they thought Shirley was a mere country bumpkin.
Shirley was standing there baffled. "I'm really not joking…" she tried explaining.
"Right and I'm the First Sage's granddaughter," one laughed. "You shouldn't make such funny jokes here. No one would believe you."
The next few attempts at gathering information ended much the same way. No one seemed that convinced Shirley knew the Ten Dawn. Their looks were filled with disdain and contempt. After asking the eighth group of people, she managed to get some vague information. She gradually headed to the lower districts of Firecast, asking more people along the way. However, no one could give a concrete answer. That was not entirely unexpected. The Engelsheft Families and Ten Dawns lived in luxurious mansions at the heart of the city. Freon and Nassandra were the odd outliers, choosing to mingle with the commoners. So, their exact residence was a mystery to many.
Shirley became increasingly frustrated. Some would say the west, others the east, then the north and the south. Her head spun in circles trying to navigate this tricky city. No one really knew where the siblings lived, and every building looked similar. She spent hours already, travelling up and down the streets and weaving through alleyways. Before she knew it, the morning hours disappeared, and the afternoon came. Yet, Shirley still felt nowhere closer to Freon. She never understood the sheer scale of Firecast until now.
As she was grumbling under her breath, she saw by a middle-aged man with an extremely noble air. Even with the bags underneath his eyes, the dimming luster of his skin, and the dirtied clothes, he stood out from the crowd like a sore thumb. Here, in the lower district, he was practically a beacon, attracting animosity from everyone. Shirley glanced at him in passing and raised an eyebrow. The man was clearly not from around here. She wondered if he was a bigshot from somewhere else. Little did she know, the man had garnered quite a reputation for himself after being arrested once or twice…
The two passed each other when the man whispered, "Where are you, Freon and Nassandra?"
Shirley doubled back and rushed up to the man. "Excuse me, sir. Are you looking for Freon and Nassandra as well?"
"Hm?" the man was surprised. "Yes, I am."
"Then why don't we search for the two together?" Shirley suggested.
"Who are you?" he asked suspiciously.
His vast Magic Perception crept out of his body, enveloping the young girl before him as well as the surrounding buildings and streets in an instant. But that was not all. A very faint Martial Perception also leaked out of him. The two perceptions merged into a single sense! A vast and boundless aura surged out like a storm granting the man near omniscience of everything around him. Regardless of whether there were walls or earth, his sense pierced into all things. He could see things from a bird's eye view, hear things as if he were next to them, and sense every living creature around. The unimaginable prowess of this man was undetectable.
Shirley noticed nothing and cocked her head. "My name is Shirley Adonina. I'm good friends with the two. Is something wrong?"
The man's sense retreated as he smiled. "Nothing. Since you seem sincere, I don't mind accompanying you."