The following few days were a blur of intense training of the body one day followed by intense training of the mind the next. The days blended with the nights, and sleep came and went as fast as a blink of an eye. Eventually the days turned into weeks and most likely would have continued to do so if Cyrus had not taken time out of his schedule to continue to act out his role as a young master with Fauve, frequenting various hidden dens throughout the city and slowly but surely setting up his information network.
Not only that, but upon returning from the warrior temple one day Cyrus was stopped by the postman of the lodge and was handed a letter. Curious as to who would send him something, he took the letter to his room and opened it.
"Dear Cyrus,
It has been awhile since we both succeeded in our examinations and I believe we both have long adjusted our mentalities to accommodate for the changes that occurred as a result. Knowing that you reached out to me through my close aide, I have sent you this letter to invite you to come and meet one another in person once again. Perhaps we will hit it off once more and start a mutual partnership full of bountiful benefits and profits. The location and its general area are enclosed.
Best regards, Imran Mercator."
"Imran, huh. It seems the impact my other half's plan had on him was not small at all. While I do feel mixed on the fact that I played him like a fiddle to warm up to me, the opportunity here is not a small one" thought Cyrus as he looked at the enclosed location that was bound with the letter.
"Thinking of the benefits that others can bring me is a useful one that my other half is familiar with, one that I will adopt as well. However, if the relationship can be maintained by benefits then it can be enhanced with mutual respect and empathy… I hope."
He sighed at the thought of this, the difficulty of merging his two sides with one another once again crossing his mind.
"Imran is an opportunity to have connections with the mercantile factions in the city and will also allow me a new perspective on the Empire. Not only that but we will both going to Glacies together and it would do well to have an ally within it from the get-go. I have no illusions that my Academy life will be a pleasant time of studying the theoretical in safety and luxury… no… I am quite sure it will be almost the opposite at this point."
Cyrus then put the letter away and stored the directions to the meetup in his sack. He then walked over to his wardrobe and opened it, looking at the pitiful amount of clothing contained within.
"All I have is my gaudy 'young master' outfit, clothes I have long outgrown, and my travelling outfits… not exactly what I can wear to a proper gathering. It would be simple if I went with my mask on, I doubt I would care about something so superficial. Alas, I must quash my inexperience of interaction with my peers early on before it becomes some kind of mental scar" thought Cyrus, mentally motivating himself up for his coming trial. After which his wardrobe took his attention once more…
"The question is… what the hell do people normally wear? Now that I think about it… in my memory what people wear is essentially just a blur with only the specific markings that belay identity or membership of the organization they belong to actually committed to memory" thought Cyrus worriedly, as he was made aware of sudden flaw of his while gazing upon his barren wardrobe.