Bairon examined the gold coin in his hand, his expression curious.
Seasoft continued, "I've compared it with the gold coins humans use. Mine are clearly of greater weight and purity. Is their disdain because of the different face on the coin?"
Bairon nodded, "Exactly, you're quite astute. The coin you're using was minted during the Montari Empire era, making it an antique from over a thousand years ago."
Seasoft's mouth opened slightly in surprise.
Now Bairon understood why Seasoft seemed so poor; she was wealthy but couldn't spend her wealth.
"Do you have a lot of them? Hand them over to me. I'll exchange them one-for-one with coins issued by the Provincial Alliance," Bairon offered.
"Why a one-for-one exchange? My coins are obviously of higher weight and purity than yours!" Seasoft retorted.
Bairon chuckled, "Then go ahead and spend your coins. I guarantee in less than two days, all of San Sorus will know there's a half-Elf wandering the city, and she's a bit of a fool."
Although Provincial Alliance law dictates that Elves have equal rights within its territories, if a law isn't executed effectively, it becomes merely a piece of paper.
To date, Bairon had never seen or heard of an Elf or even a half-Elf walking openly in human cities.
Seasoft might be the first, if she didn't hide well enough.
"Deal, oh devious magus!" Seasoft grumbled, gritting her teeth.
She had kept her gold coins hidden in the seam of her waistband.
As she untied her belt in room 204, pouring out the coins, Bairon took a cold shower in room 205.
Ten minutes later, Bairon possessed fifty gold coins from the Montagne Empire era, while Seasoft had fifty from the Provincial Alliance.
"This is your own money; spend it as you wish," Bairon comforted.
Seasoft, her delicate face wrinkled in frustration, replied, "Fifty gold coins won't get you far in the countryside, let alone in a big city."
At times, she's not so clueless...
Bairon thought, pocketing the coins.
"I need to step out. Please look after Evelyn. You two can wander around, eat, or buy trinkets. If Evelyn needs something, use the money she has."
"Where are you going?" Seasoft eyed Bairon suspiciously.
"If I wanted to capture and sell you, I could've done it the moment we docked at White Gull," Bairon said, picking up a map. "I'm visiting an elderly person on Maple Lane."
...
At sunset.
66 Maple Lane.
A carriage came to a halt outside.
Bairon descended from it, settled the fare, and then regarded the house before him.
It was a two-story building with a small courtyard.
He checked the address once more, confirming number 66, before stepping up to knock.
Soon after, the door was opened by a middle-aged woman dressed as a maid.
She looked Bairon up and down and asked with a hint of confusion, "A magus?"
By now, Bairon had donned his gray magus robe.
Until he formally withdrew from the White Tower, he remained a member of the magus guild and was mandated to wear the robe.
Bairon gave a slight nod. "Greetings. I'd like to see Mrs. Howard."
The maid paused for a moment, her expression solemn. "She passed away a week ago."
Bairon's face stiffened.
Both the red-robed magus Olga and Donovan Linton had warned him that Mrs. Howard was a very elderly woman.
He hadn't expected to be too late.
"May I ask your name? Are you a relative?" The woman inquired.
Shaking his head, Bairon replied, "I'd like to meet the new owner of this house."
"The young mistress isn't home, and she doesn't take kindly to strangers," the maid's tone grew cold, and Bairon even detected a hint of hostility in her eyes.
"Please convey to the new owner that I wish to acquire all of Mrs. Howard's belongings. We can discuss a price," Bairon added.
With Mrs. Howard no longer alive, her possessions and those who had been closest to her during her final days were his last leads.
Bairon offered the middle-aged woman a slight smile.
However, she suddenly burst out angrily, "You young folks today are so impudent! The lengths you'd go to get close to the young mistress!"
Bairon blinked in surprise.
She had mistaken him for one of the young mistress's suitors.
And from her tone, it seemed there were many such aspirants.
Bairon momentarily wished he had brought Seasoft along.
Though the half-Elf lady's intelligence varied at times, her beauty was unquestionably top-notch, a perfect inheritance from the Elves' stunning appearance.
Seeing Bairon lost for words, the woman abruptly shut the door with a decisive "bang."
Standing outside, Bairon's gaze drifted up to the second floor and the courtyard.
If necessary, he had other means of gaining entry.
The surveillance of the magus web wasn't infallible; there were ways around it.
Bairon knew at least one such method.
"Perhaps I should wait until the magus academy's autumn recruitment concludes," he mused, then shook his head.
With a good stock of medicine to delay Greyscale's onset, there was no immediate urgency.
Besides, this was San Sorus, the largest city in the southern lands of Röntgen Continent.
As long as he had gold coins, he could purchase the needed medicine.
Casting a final glance at the house at 66 Maple Lane, Bairon flagged down a passing carriage.
Inside the mansion's main hall, the irate middle-aged maid stormed in.
"What's the matter, Leona?" asked a young girl, her face half-concealed by a black veil.
The veil obscured her upper face, revealing only a finely sculpted nose, pale rose-tinted lips, and golden hair tips cascading onto her alabaster neck.
"A young man attempted a rather coarse approach to get close to you, Miss," the middle-aged maid sighed.
"He's but a gray-robed magus. He ought to employ a more genteel manner suited to his standing."
"I'm sorry you had to deal with that," the veiled girl said to her companion.
The girl beside her was of a similar age, a touch shorter, with snowy white hair and sea-blue eyes.
Both were squatting on the ground, sorting through some old clothes.
Once everything was tidied up, the girl with the black veil stretched languidly, gazing at the evening darkness outside.
"Vivian," she began with a hint of concern, "shouldn't you be heading back?"
"Yes, someone from the church will be here soon to fetch me," the white-haired girl responded.
The veiled girl gently cupped Vivian's cheek, sighing, "It might be a while before you can come out to play again."
Vivian whispered, "The bishop promised. On Grandma Howard's memorial day next year, I can visit again."
...
The carriage pulled up outside the Goethe Hotel.
Bairon paid the fare and entered the establishment.
The door to room 204 was ajar.
Seasoft and Evelyn were squatting on the floor, engrossed in some task, so much so that they didn't notice Bairon even as he stood at the threshold.
"What did you two buy?" Bairon inquired curiously.
Seasoft jumped, clutching her chest in feigned anger. "All things young ladies would fancy. None of your business."
Bairon rubbed his nose.
This was the second time today he'd been spurned by a woman.
He began to wonder if he had exhausted all his good fortune on the White Gull.
Was this the work of the Equity Scale?
Bairon frowned, deciding to delve into the Dark Tower world that evening for answers.
"How did your errand go?" Seasoft asked, genuine concern in her voice.
Bairon had not hidden his destination from Seasoft, so during Evelyn's shopping spree with her, she had shared Bairon's purpose.
He sighed, "Not great. I should've taken you with me."
"So, you intended to introduce me to the seller, didn't you?!" Seasoft's eyes flashed with mock outrage.
Choosing to retreat, Bairon stepped out of the room, saying, "I'll take a bath and head to bed. Order whatever you'd like for dinner, the front desk can assist."
Back in room 205, Bairon sat at the desk, pulling out a piece of paper to glance over.
Mrs. Howard had passed away a week ago, an unfortunate yet anticipated turn of events.
Thankfully, it wasn't under mysterious circumstances, and her belongings should still be intact.
His next move would be to extract any clues about curing Greyscale from her possessions or those who were closest to her.
Bairon channeled a pulse of Mindergy into the ring of the Dark Tower.
After a fleeting sensation of familiar dizziness, he found himself in the world of the Dark Tower.
"I detect the scent of numerous magi," Old John remarked.
"We're in San Sorus," Bairon replied, glancing at the golden knight, bound by marshland weeds.
The Golden Knight, Edmund Stanley, would certainly recognize the name of the legendary magus Soros (as San Sorus city was named in his honor).
Yet even at the mention of an "old friend," the knight remained silent.
Shrugging, Bairon cast Levitation and headed towards the steps of the Dark Tower.