Ethan followed the circus troupe as they headed towards the City Lord's mansion.
Before long, they arrived at an imposing castle. Gothic spires towered above, with layers of walls and a moat surrounding the structure.
The castle had only three gates, each guarded by men clad in silver armor.
These guards were no mere sentries; they were local nobles and knights, with levels of at least 20.
Nearby, a group of players was gathered around the guards, hoping to trigger some quests through conversation.
However, their levels were too low, and they had barely any reputation to speak of.
No matter how hard they tried, the guards wouldn't even spare them a glance.
If they irritated the guards too much, they might even get attacked.
The circus caravan stopped at one of the castle gates.
The leader went ahead to negotiate with the guards, and soon enough, the gate opened, allowing the caravan to roll inside.
"Look, look! There's a player going in!"
One of the players outside spotted Ethan and shouted in surprise.
"No way! Who is he? How did he get inside the City Lord's mansion?"
"He went in with the circus! If I had known, I'd have done the same. That guy is so lucky."
"It's not just luck, dude. If he didn't have any skills, the circus wouldn't have taken him."
"That's true."
The group continued to gossip, their eyes filled with envy and jealousy.
In a distant corner, Golden Hand was also watching.
Seeing Ethan enter the castle, he spat in frustration.
"Damn it! If he hadn't stolen my spot, I'd be the one going in right now."
Golden Hand was fuming, muttering curses under his breath.
Now, he'd have to climb over the walls to sneak in.
The problem was, the castle walls were protected by magical barriers, and guards patrolled the top.
Getting inside was going to be a lot harder than he had anticipated.
"Sigh... looks like I'll have to use that one-time-use item. Damn it!" he muttered.
---
Inside the castle, the circus troupe was first led to a garden.
Soon, a plump butler dressed in a tailcoat, with greasy hair slicked back like it had been licked by a dog, approached.
Wearing white gloves, he cleared his throat and addressed the group with an air of arrogance:
"Consider yourselves lucky to be invited by the City Lord. But remember, this is the City Lord's mansion, so there are a few rules you must follow.
"First, no loud noises. If you disturb any guests, there's nothing I can do to help you.
"Second, you are not allowed to wander about. Other than during the performance, you must stay out of the main hall, and you are absolutely forbidden from entering the ladies' quarters.
"Understood?"
"Understood," everyone replied, nodding in agreement.
"Good. Follow me!"
With his head held high like a pompous rooster, the butler led them through the garden, down a vintage hallway, and into the main hall.
The hall was vast and filled with light.
Crystal chandeliers lit by whale oil hung from the ceiling, and the windows were adorned with intricate stained glass.
The polished wooden floors were so shiny that they reflected the guests, and the furniture, made from rare and expensive wood, exuded wealth.
In front of the hall was a stage, half a meter tall, with large red curtains completely concealing it.
"Alright, hurry up and get ready. The guests will be arriving soon," the butler said to the circus leader before stepping aside to supervise.
"Yes, yes, of course," the leader replied, before beginning to set up the stage.
The troupe worked quickly, assembling equipment and doing a final run-through of the performance.
It wasn't until the evening that everything was finally ready.
Ethan, along with the other performers, waited backstage in silence.
Before long, the sound of voices filled the hall.
Though the heavy curtains blocked their view, it was clear from the muffled conversations that Winterhold's most prominent figures were arriving.
"Toot!"
A small trumpet sounded, signaling the start of the event.
"It's starting!"
The circus leader grew excited, turning to give the troupe one last reminder.
"Stick to the routine we rehearsed. Don't mess this up!"
As the red curtains slowly parted and the music began, the performers started to take the stage one by one.
Tightrope walkers, fire hoop acrobats, aerialists, performing bears, and juggling clowns...
One act after another dazzled the crowd, drawing polite applause from the high-ranking guests who watched with smiles.
They clapped lightly, maintaining an air of grace and poise.
"Dustwalker, it's your turn!"
At one point, the leader patted Ethan on the shoulder, reminding him it was time to go on.
"It's your first performance, so don't be nervous. Just show them what you're good at," he encouraged.
"Don't worry," Ethan replied with a grin as he picked up the cane the leader had given him, something to make him look more like a magician.
On stage, Ethan quickly surveyed the audience.
There were both men and women, with the men dressed in black tailcoats, exuding an air of reserve and authority, while the women wore corseted gowns, their hands holding dainty fans.
In the crowd, Ethan spotted several familiar faces.
Ares Church's High Priest Ores, Harvest Church's Chief Priest Dylan, Selene Church's Holy Knight Arnold, as well as Baron Allen, Marquis Cavendish, Count Monte Cristo, and Grand Duke Ferman himself.
Even Winterhold's protector, the Flame Tyrant Gonir, was present.
These were some of the most powerful and influential figures in all of Argoth, people who occupied the very top tiers of society.
Performing magic in front of such people felt a bit like showing off swordplay in front of Guan Yu.
Fortunately, most of them seemed more focused on chatting with each other rather than paying attention to the performance.
Only a few bored noblewomen watched Ethan with mild curiosity.
"Thank goodness they aren't paying much attention. Otherwise, this would be embarrassing," Ethan thought, exhaling a sigh of relief.
He calmed his nerves and began his performance.
He showcased fire magic, made doves appear from his hat, performed card tricks, and even displayed his knife-throwing skills.
By the end, it felt more exhausting than an actual battle.
"Look at his hands, they're so quick! The way he moves... amazing!" one noblewoman whispered.
"Yeah, and he's so handsome. I wonder if he's just as... impressive," another added with a giggle.
"Once he's done performing, I'd love to have a more *intimate* conversation with him."
Their whispers carried up to the stage, and when Ethan glanced down, he saw a group of middle-aged noblewomen watching him intently.
His face darkened.
He had heard rumors about Winterhold's high society women and their scandalous private lives.
Apparently, the rumors were true.
"What the hell? Getting all excited over a magic trick?"
Ethan sighed internally, finishing his performance quickly and heading backstage as fast as he could.
"Not bad, no mistakes," the circus leader complimented him.
"It was alright. I'm going to take a break," Ethan replied, eager to escape.
"Fine, but don't wander too far."
The leader turned back to watch the next act.
With a sly grin, Ethan slipped away.
It was time to get down to business.