"So, now that we are here, whom do we get the information we seek from," Mane looked around and admired the bustling scenery. People moved speedily and efficiently, as traders tried to get passersby interested in their wares. Blacksmiths hammered already crafted masterpieces on their strong anvils in an effort to maintain their great conditioning and pull weapon lovers nearer. Several Magical Beast carcasses were displayed on large tables, with many curious children surrounding them and asking questions. After all, Magical Beasts weren't easy to kill so it was no wonder that the young children were fascinated by their gigantic and strong bodies.
"Ivor the Tattler," Lam pointed towards one of the more isolated shops and said in reply to Mane's question.
"Seems awfully quiet," Mane remarked as he, Lam, and Lily walked towards the shop Lam had pointed out.
Mane looked towards the area that Lam was pointing at. Unlike the bustling excitement around the centre of the square, the area Lam was leading Mane to was quieter and more serene. And this wasn't a good sign for any trader. After all, every trader's dream was for his/her shop to be surrounded by eager customers curious about his/her wares with the intent to buy.
"That's because he is an information broker," Lam explained.
"Oh I see," Mane nodded his head in understanding. In a village like this where those who were curious about the outside world like Lam were few and far between, information brokers weren't highly sought after. So it actually made sense that this shop was devoid of anyone else but the trader.
"Hello?"
Once they reached the entrance of the shop, Lam walked ahead of the group and rang a small bell situated at the entrance. The bell hung on a rope and was closer to the ground than it was to the floor.
Mane looked doubtfully at Lam, waiting for an explanation as to why the bell was hung so low.
"Well most of those curious about the outside world are children," Lam explained with a slightly reddened face. He was a bit embarrassed that he patronized a shop frequented by children when he was very well meant to be the next head of the village.
His words were enough for Mane to understand the strange architecture of the shop. Since children were smaller than adults, the bell was hung low so that they would be able to reach it without much difficulty. It was attention to the needs of one's customer population, and Mane was impressed with Ivor the Tattler for identifying his target audience.
"Who is it?" A grumpy voice responded to the bell after a few seconds, and a large potbellied man with a wily expression appeared before the group. Mane's first impression of the man was this: He is clearly someone who has swindled more than his fair share of people. For although he tried to act displeased by the disturbance, the light in his eyes flashed greedily when he saw Mane. He clearly was familiar with Lily and Lam, and saw Mane as a potential purse to be exploited. Mane noticed his excitement, even though the man hid it quickly, and was certain that this man was very canny.
"Hello Ivor," Lam greeted the man cheerfully, despite his disgruntled demeanor.
"Oh it's you Young Lam. My, you have grown into a more charming young man since the last time I saw you," Ivor smiled and walked towards Lam. Due to the excess amount of fat on his face, his smile caused his eyes to disappear as they were covered by a thick layer of skin. He gave the young teen a friendly pat on the back and spoke with a voice that was filled with sincerity.
"How can that be when you saw him just yesterday? You are still as flattering and scheming as ever Ivor." Lily giggled softly when she heard Ivor's praise. Mane was a bit surprised seeing her act this way. Although he hadn't known Lily for long, she didn't act freely around anyone but her family. This was the first Mane had seen of her showing such friendliness to someone outside her family. Which meant she had known Ivor for quite some time and was close to him.
"Ah, the brilliant and beautiful Lily. The flower that is as joyful as it is mesmerizing. How lovely it is to see you again." Ivor the Tattler didn't answer Lily's question. Instead he started to heap praises upon Lily and praise her beauty. This guy went on for about five minutes, explaining why Lily was the most beautiful woman in the world. Lam had to stop him from continuing.
"Instead of answering my question you try to flatter me too and think you would get away? Not a chance!" Although Lily said this, her reddened ears and slightly bashful expression meant that Ivor's flattering had worked fine.
Ivor was a bit surprised by Lily's reaction. He had known the twins since they were 8, when they were still naïve brats. And he had never been able to get this kind of reaction from Lily. Looking at the handsome golden haired boy standing at her side, Ivor's eyes flashed in understanding as he finally understood that his words weren't the difference here, but the new member.
"Interesting. Our young princess likes someone." Ivor thought silently to himself as his eyes flashed even brighter.
"Of course I know that my words would have no effect on our princess. After all, a person is rarely daunted by the known truth. It is the unknown that shakes our souls to their very core." Ivor smirked and said.
"Who is your friend? I haven't seen him before." Ivor pointed to Mane whom he had been ignoring all this while and asked.
"Oh sorry!" Lam quickly apologized for his lack of tact and pulled Mane into the shop and closer to Ivor. Now that Mane was standing in front of Ivor, he realised that the man was bigger than he thought. He was half a head taller than Mane, and was twice his size!
"I am Mane. It's good to meet you Sir Ivor. I finally understand why you carry the moniker of the Tattler." Mane put on his friendly face and extended his hand for a handshake.
"Hahaha! You are interesting kid. No need to call me by honorifics. Ivor will do just fine!" Ivor laughed boisterously and took Mane's hand. But once he took Mane's hand his expression shifted and his eyes bulged in surprise. But he wasn't the only startled one. Mane looked like a clown with his widely opened mouth and comically bulging eyes. He looked nothing like the elegant Supreme of the True Universe; rather, he looked like a man who had just come across a very shocking piece of information.
Since Mane had his back to the twins, they weren't able to see his expression, and neither were they able to see the expression of Ivor who was facing Mane. If they had, they would have realised that something was wrong.
"Who are you?"
"Who are you?"
Mane and Ivor asked at the same time.
"Oh Mane is Sir Dan's nephew," Lily who couldn't see the faces of the two men thought Ivor was just asking of Mane's background and replied. Due to Ivor's largely outspoken nature, his voice overshadowed Mane's so it sounded like he was the only one who asked the question.
"Oh I see," Ivor nodded his head in understanding as he let go of Mane's hand. "You truly are unordinary," Ivor laughed as he let go of Mane's hand.
"You just met him yet you have already started flattering him," Lily scolded from behind, thinking that Ivor was just up to one of his trick again. She had no idea that this time his statement was genuine.
"Neither are you," Mane replied with a smile once his hand left Ivor's. However, Hildegarde who was seated on his shoulder felt a chill go down her spine when she heard Mane's words. The danger within Mane's words were indiscernible to the twins, but she could feel Mane's body contort and his muscles grow taut momentarily before everything returned to normal. This only happened when Mane was going into battle against Dan, yet by just holding this man's hand Mane's body instinctively grew alert. The discovery was startling. She took another look at the bulging belly of Ivor the Tattler and wondered who this unassuming man really was.
"You don't need to follow him Mane," Lily pulled Mane away from Ivor and remarked, thinking that Mane was only being polite. Mane smiled and said nothing, allowing her to pull him away.
"I'm guessing you have come because of the Grand Tourney?" Ivor smirked and asked Lam.
"Yeah," Lam didn't bother denying. He had been coming here to watch the Tourney since it began, so there was no need to pretend he was here for some other reason.
"Then come in," Ivor ushered the group into his shop, taking the lead and walking beyond the curtain that separated the outer chambers from the inner chambers. Lam nodded and followed him, with Mane and Lily in tow.