Berti and Enzio were stuck between losing face or paying 1000 gold coins. Which was a daylight robbery. The duo looked at each other and didn't have the time to prey on each other's misfortune.
The crowd looked at the two most powerful families in Xina in daze. Perhaps, they don't have 1000 gold coins. The people thought in dismay.
The young maidservant continued to stare at the two middle-aged men with her radiant smile. At the corner of the room was Donald, watching the event with amusement.
Enzio gnashed his teeth and said to the young lady forcefully. "Lead me to where your best items are."
"Please follow me."
"Who is going to attend to me if you leave just like that?" Berti snorted and followed Enzio.
After a couple of minutes, Enzio was led to the third floor by another maidservant. Enzio was furious. Just to check if the Long-Fall Pass had any hidden master, they had to spend 1000 gold coins for nothing. Perhaps, not for nothing, but the coins still make his heart bleed.
'If you don't have any elite mage. I will make you regret coming to Xina city.' Enzio vowed in heart.
Creak!
Meyla's office door opened and the maidservant led Enzio into the office.
"Ma, Sir Enzio has arrived." She bowed and reported.
"You can leave." Meyla waves her hand, smiling at the butler.
She sat on her favorite chair, crossing one leg over the other while raising her shoulder high. The haggard Meyla had transformed into a noble woman under her clothes and make up.
"How may I help you?" She asked, not standing from her seat.
Enzio didn't answer Meyla immediately. His eagle eyes scan the room for any hidden expert but he found none. Besides, the woman in front of her was just an ordinary rank 3 novice mage.
'Is this for real!?' He didn't believe anything he was seeing.
"Are you the leader of this store?" Enzio asked, his voice dropping an octave. While the snare in his eyes was obvious.
"Do you find anyone in the room apart from me?" Meyla asked in disdain.
She may be reduced to her weakest state, but she won't lower her head in front of an ordinary butler of a small city.
Hearing the disdainful voice of Meyla. Enzio fury boils. He wanted nothing but to incinerate this wretched woman with his flames. Yet, he controls his anger.
"Do you receive permission from the city lord mansion before you open your store in this city?"
"Why didn't I know of such a law before?"
"Now you know. You must close your store immediately and wait for a permit from the city lord. If you dare to defile this rule. You can forget about your store. Don't say I didn't warn you." With that, Enzio storms out of the room.
Since he had accomplished his mission. He need not fear a common novice mage. He, a respected beginner mage won't bow in front of such a person.
'But what happened to the Viper gang? They just can't disappear into thin air without no one escaping. Even if these people have beginner mages in their group. I should see traces of fight but everywhere looks clean.'
Enzio was lost in thought when Berti walked past him. He heard an indistinct voice but he was absorbed in his thought that he failed to hear Berti ridicule.
"The Razor family and City lord mansion came to the store just now." Kako reported.
[What do you think?]
"They came to probe us." Kako replied after reading Al Casendra's question.
After spending a couple of hours with the prince. Kako began to understand what sort of man Al Casendra was. He want people to understand things without being told.
Al Casendra nodded and wrote.
[Since they didn't find any powerful mage in the store. They won't attack us immediately. They would probably wait for a couple of days before they launched an assault on us.]
He paused for a moment and thought before he continued.
[But we don't have time to waste. We will attack all their stores tonight.]
[Since they plan to rub and kill us…. What would a soldier of Long-Fall pass would do in this situation.]
"Return their action to them in 100 fold." Kako answered immediately.
Al Casendra nodded.
[Tonight is for robbery and killing those that may try to hinder our path. Tomorrow night. We deal with the Razor family. Then… the city lords.]
Kako nodded. He already expected such an outcome. Moreover, he was expecting Al Casendra to mention the issue of Normen and Hadden. Yet, the prince didn't seem to care about them.
'To know the thoughts of the prince is really difficult. But I know the prince won't let them off freely.'
Kako was right. Al Casendra was planning the best pain to inflict on those two but he had decided yet. 'Enjoy your day while it lasts.' He thought.
Both the Razor family and the city lord mansion breathe a sigh of relief when they discover there wasn't any powerful mage amid the group. Though they wondered where their men could possibly disappear to.
That was a worry for another time. The two families were planning how to subjugate the newly rising power. The city lord was trying to curb the power structure of Xina city.
He knew it was only a matter of time before Long-Fall Trading center became the fourth powerful organization in the city if he didn't do something now.
While the Razor families couldn't accept it lying, they weren't subjugated to inferiority while Berti had a personal grudge with one of their guards.
The sun set on the horizon and the bustling Xina began to get quiet. Stores closed their doors while peddlers returned to their homes. Visitors leave the city or find a hotel.
In the middle of the night, two powerful beasts zoomed in Xina air space for a couple of minutes before one of them went to a particular location.
Shortly, 13 people jumped out of the bloom hotel and disappeared into the cover of the night. This day was bound to be remembered in the history of Xina city.
****