And as soon as the odd handshake between the two beautiful women concluded, the trio took their seats at the table. Elara couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of shock at the casualness with which Elysar and his mother included her in their little gathering. Sitting at the same table, on the same level, was a stark departure from her previous experiences. It left her questioning everything once again.
'Are they crazy?', Elara pondered inwardly, her mind filled with doubt, 'Or are they really plotting something against me?', Ravenna Valthoren, with her enigmatic presence, sent shivers down Elara's spine. There was an undeniable danger emanating from her, suggesting that there was more to her than met the eye. The way Ravenna deftly handled their first meeting, while also ignoring her vampire identity completely, only reinforced these suspicions.
Elara couldn't shake the feeling that Ravenna harbored countless secrets, perhaps even more than Elysar himself, 'Or am I just thinking too much? For nobles on their level, why would they care if they were harboring a vampire? After all, who could do anything to them? Vampire or not, maybe everything doesn't matter to you once you reach that level of power...',
Her gaze drifted between Elysar and his mother, who laughed and engaged in casual conversation across the table, seemingly oblivious to Elara's growing unease. But something about Elysar seemed off. It was as if he too lacked complete confidence in his mother.
Elara detected a hint of pretense, a subtle difference in his behavior when he was with Ravenna compared to when he was alone with her. It sparked a sense of curiosity and intrigue within her. Could Elysar be suspecting something in regard to his mother as well? Was he more genuine in his interactions with Elara than he let on in front of his mother?
These thoughts swirled in Elara's mind as she observed the two of them, sipping tea and engaging in lighthearted banter. The air around the table felt charged with secrets, and Elara vowed to herself that she would uncover the truth, no matter the cost. After all, she was now in the same boat as this eccentric household. She needed to be prepared for everything.
However, the conversation came to a pause, and Ravenna offered a heartfelt apology for unintentionally neglecting Elara's presence. Her eyes focused intently on Elara's striking features, particularly her captivating 'blue' eyes as if she held a deeper understanding. It was a gaze that seemed to penetrate through Elara's facade and into the depths of her being.
With a warm smile, Ravenna spoke to Elysar beside her, expressing her admiration for acquiring such a remarkably talented subordinate. The unexpected twist came when Ravenna said, "Elysar, you have truly impressed me with your choice. Elara possesses great potential and her vampire bloodline seems to be strong, much like one of my closest female subordinates. It seems that you really changed and are taking your future into your hands.",
She was really grateful that Elysar woke up from his paranoia. The previous Elysar would never do such a thing. But, she already checked on the girl's background and felt that it was quite fine for her to follow her son, and that there weren't any big issues with her past. And the one who carried the check, was her own vampire follower precisely. Not only was she very powerful, but she was also one of the highest ranking managers of her business empire, 'What!? The previous owner never knew that she had such a follower!', Elysar was surprised.
"Now that you have firmly decided to rise up, it is time for you to learn about many things. Her name is Isadora and she is one of my closest assistants in regards to running my organization. Maybe you will meet her in the future. That's why I was not very surprised when you found a similar subordinate yourself... I value her quite a bit, so be nice to her.", Ravenna smiled as she said as if reading his mind.
And while Elara and Elysar were still shocked by her previous words, Ravenna still continued speaking, "Anyways, now that you are about to officially start managing and overseeing our operations there are many other things that you should know, Elysar. And, without further ado, here is the information I gathered that you asked me previously...", Ravenna smiled graciously as she pulled some kind of paper out of her purse and then gently placed it into Elysar's hands suddenly. However, there was a hint of enigmatic glint inside her black eyes at that moment accompanying her warm smile.
Elysar didn't reply as he then urgently scanned over the paper the moment it got into his hands. His hands were even trembling a little in excitement as his eyes read it word by word.
'T-This is amazing! She managed to somehow find two of them in just a few short days after I asked her! This intelligence-gathering ability... The difficulty of it and the speed at which the information was acquired and at which precision... I'm afraid it is too much even for the strongest business organization in the world... I was right, she is definitely hiding something else from me... She has to have some kind of relations to the underworld and the black market, there is no doubt about it anymore...', Elysar realized after a few seconds of looking into the paper containing all of the information about two people who were probably first "Sons of Luck" that Elysar think he will meet in this world. With just a few prompts to his mother, about what to look for, she managed to find these two closely matched individuals.
That was why he acquired those magical drugs before. He used them to try to get into the deepest unconsciousness of his brain and recall some specific information from his past life's literary works. He remembered a couple of stereotypes, wrote it on paper, and then gave it to his mother a few days ago in hopes of her finding someone and then informing him back.
Despite his reservations and the knowledge of his mother's hidden agenda, Elysar found himself cornered into a difficult decision. Months of fruitless searching had led him to dead ends, leaving him with no other viable options.
Even within the city, the manual approach had proved futile, and the prospect of blindly scouring the entire world for their whereabouts seemed insurmountable—an endeavor akin to finding a needle in a haystack, a task bordering on the impossible.
Without his own intelligence-gathering agency, Elysar begrudgingly acknowledged that he had to rely on his mother's assistance, however untrustworthy she may be. It was the least optimal choice, but it remained the only one within his reach. He held a glimmer of hope that the secrets she concealed wouldn't bring him harm, and that her professed affection and regard for him were genuine. His intuition was telling him that it was somewhat real or else he would be looking at her like an enemy now as well. But, she wasn't that in his opinion now.
However, Elysar still resolved to lay the groundwork for his own intelligence-gathering capabilities in the future. He recognized the importance of having his own network of informants and sources, independent of his mother's influence.
Certain matters pertaining to the Fatewearer's Amulet, Fate's Gaze, and the enigmatic individual who had introduced him to these arcane intricacies, in the first place, were too sensitive to be entrusted to anyone, even his own mother. Elysar harbored a burning desire to personally uncover the identity and origins of this mysterious figure, and to track them down.
However, for that to happen, he first needed to build his strength and prestige even more. Only then would more capable individuals be willing to join his boat and work for him and be assured that he actually had a chance at winning the position of the next Valthoren head. And that was still far away from the current him. It is the only reason why he asked his mom.
Thankfully, his mother seemed unaware of these particular aspects, or perhaps she simply chose not to inquire further. In any case, the lack of probing questions allowed Elysar to breathe a sigh of relief. It provided him with the necessary space and freedom to pursue his personal quest without arousing suspicion or drawing unwanted attention.
They reached a mutual agreement—Elysar would appear to be going on a trip to inspect her sprawling business empire's various branches to the outside world. On the surface, it would appear as though he was merely fulfilling his obligations, for the Valthoren heir competition, and attending to matters of importance. However, in reality, he would seize the opportunity to discreetly search for clues, seeking out those elusive individuals with great fate and luck.