From the day he killed someone, Galon had been waiting for any follow-up actions from that person. Or rather, he had been wandering aimlessly around his home and school. After scouting the entire area, he started to be on alert for the appearance of the owner of those red eyes.
Killing someone's subordinate, no leader should just let it go.
Drip...
The crisp ringing of the school bell suddenly woke Galon from his daydream.
He sat in his seat, shook his head slightly, and glanced around the classroom.
Some classmates were stretching in their seats, some were wandering around, and others were loudly asking people to buy things for them.
The whole class was noisy right after the class ended.
"Are you going to the competition, Galon?" Caledo, wearing a yellow-brown suit, ran down from the front seat and plopped down in the seat in front of Galon, squeezing the thin boy who was originally sitting there a bit further in, "Sorry, let me squeeze in."
The boy mumbled something but said no more.
Galon looked at him speechlessly.
"It's the archery and swordsmanship competition, right? I don't plan on participating, but my sister will be in the archery competition. I'll definitely go cheer for her. What about Fein and Jek? What are those two guys up to?"
"Don't know, they became all secretive as soon as class ended, no idea where they ran off to." Caledo shrugged, his unkempt and eye-catching dress making him unpopular for contact. Galon, due to his poor family background and cold personality, only found it easy to get along with someone as straightforward as Caledo.
Thus, the two of them were much closer than with Fein and Jek. Including Aifi, although they were a group of five, there were differences in closeness among them.
"I'm only going to watch the archery competition anyway," Galon said indifferently, feeling distant from these school activities as if they were far and uninteresting. Perhaps because of the killing, these competitions seemed as trivial as children playing house to him.
Caledo made a face as if he knew Galon would say that.
"Then you have time. I need your help with something." He looked around and pulled over Aifi, who was buried in her studies.
"What? I'm doing homework."
"Come over, and you'll know."
The three huddled together, and Caledo began to explain his situation.
A friend was coming back, and he planned to drag them both to a gathering.
Galon and Aifi, being his friends and close comrades at school, were naturally invited to join his friend's party. Fein and Jek couldn't make it due to their girlfriends participating in Xu Xiao's competition, causing a scheduling conflict.
"It's a gathering of my best friends, actually hosted by the big brother I admire the most. You guys have to give me this face! Consider it accompanying me."
"What do we need to accompany you to a party for!?" Aifi asked, puzzled.
"My family has found me an engagement partner, and I want you guys to help me take a look at this gathering..." Caledo was somewhat embarrassed.
"Engagement partner..." Both Aifi and Galon were speechless.
"You're only how old and already getting engaged..." Galon gave him a weird look.
"16, can't I get engaged at 16?" Caledo defended with confidence.
Galon pondered for a moment.
He had been wanting to get Grago to show him that book again, but the old man had become unusually stubborn, refusing to budge. It was also time for the monthly stipend for official students at the martial arts school, and an internal competition to determine the internal ranking was coming up.
He also had to be wary of the red-eyed man coming for revenge, as killing his subordinate wouldn't likely go unnoticed.
"It's lucky that the murder I committed didn't make the news at all. After the police handled the murder case on that street, the detective who came couldn't find anything... It's incredible how backward the technology is in this era. If it were Earth, they could have found my suspiciousness through surveillance footage."
Galon was relieved but also lamented the chaos of this era.
"Even on Earth, many murderers roam free, not caught. Here, with backward technology, it's unknown how many unsolved cases lurk in the shadows. No wonder great detectives like Tari Mercury hold such high status..."
He wasn't worried about the murderer finding his family. It was dark that night, and his face wasn't clear. Plus, nobody knew he went to the martial arts school, and the street was deserted. Without knowing his name or identity, finding a murderer among hundreds of thousands in Huai Shan City would be like finding a needle in a haystack, especially with the era's investigative capabilities.
Thinking this, he felt he should relax and gathering with school friends seemed like a good choice. Otherwise, he might drive himself crazy before the adversary even appeared.
"The competition starts in a few days. Just to be clear, I only have time for the swordsmanship competition."
"It's just those few days, don't worry, it won't delay you from watching your sister's competition." Caledo looked at Galon sympathetically, with an "I understand" expression.
"I'm fine with it, just let me know when to go," Aifi agreed after thinking for a moment.
"Great, by the way, Aifi, can I borrow your physics homework to look at?"
"Why don't you ask Galon?"
"His handwriting is too ugly."
"Go to hell! Your handwriting is even uglier and you have the nerve to say that!!" Galon retorted.
Not just Caledo, but he often borrowed homework from Aifi as well, especially in subjects he struggled with, like foreign languages, learning the once dominant Montia language. This language, with its intricate pronunciation and rapid rhythm, accompanied by bizarre syllables, was hard to memorize.
After multiple attempts, Galon gave up after consistently scoring around 30 points and has since been 'helping' Aifi. As the only girl in their group of five and a beautiful one at that, Aifi was the academic core of the group, the go-to person for study-related issues.
Three days later...
In the evening, Galon and Aifi followed Caledo to a hotel in the central area of Huai Shan City.
"This is the place." Caledo led the way, with Galon in black casual clothes and Aifi in a light red dress.
The hotel sign read: Mira Nightstar, illuminated by more than ten bright yellow electric lights below. Electricity wasn't widespread in this world due to the cost and difficulty of laying lines, usually only affordable for well-off families.
Cars stopped by the rectangular entrance frequently, with a steady flow of guests.
"My big brother is a good person. I'll introduce you when he arrives. He's a powerhouse who has built his own industry in Donghai Province with his strength!"
"You look so excited; people might think you're meeting a lover..." Galon commented dryly as they walked in. Aifi chuckled softly beside him.
"Can't you say something nice?"
Once inside, a waiter greeted them, checked their names, and led them to a beautifully ornate hall on the second floor
Entering the hall, Caledo greeted the young men and women inside, appearing quite popular for a moment.
"You go ahead and mingle. We'll manage on our own," Aifi suggested, seeing Caledo overwhelmed.
"Alright, I'll come back later. Help yourselves to drinks on the table..." Caledo was dragged away by a short-haired young man before he could finish.
Galon shrugged, observing the hall thoughtfully. From the moment Caledo entered, becoming the center of attention, it was clear his background wasn't as simple as he claimed.
"Let's just wander around; this place seems nice."
"Okay."
In a corner stood a man with fair skin and a balanced figure, looking somewhat feminine in a white fitted suit, exuding a luxurious charm. He was quietly chatting with a few young men and women.
"Caledo, haven't seen you for so long, and you don't come to greet us? Who used to follow me around calling me 'brother' when we were kids?" The man approached, jokingly punching Caledo.
His friends chuckled along.
"Weima brother, I'm here, aren't I? I rushed over as soon as I got your telegram, not daring to delay..." Caledo made a face.
"Alright, stop pretending. I know you too well! Let me introduce." Weima turned to his friends, "Caledo, the only son of Count Stron. The others are old friends, but I should introduce the two new friends."
He pointed to a blond young man and a girl with yellow eyes.
"William, his father, General William, is close to Uncle Stron. The other is Jessie, her family owns the Kaifei International Hotel chain."
When introducing Jessie, he winked at Caledo, making it clear she was the engagement partner his family had arranged.
"Since you're friends of Weima brother, you're my friends too. If you need anything in Huai Shan, just let me know! I'll help if I can!" Caledo boasted.
William nodded silently.
"Looking forward to your care in Huai Shan." Jessie smiled flirtatiously at Caledo.
"No problem."
"Aren't you going to introduce your two friends?" Jessie glanced at Galon and Aifi not far away.
"They're my classmates at school, the purple-haired boy is..." "Alright, let's all have some food first. I'll go greet the other friends, you guys chat." Weima interrupted, smiling as he picked up a blue drink and walked away.