The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

People shouted over each other, clamoring for the next customer to look at their wares. From fine seashells of beauty to the fillets of fish resting on ice, the goods of the markets were akin to unveiling the ocean to the land, letting many glimpse the splendor of the depths. Rather than taking a boat, Demon ventured on foot. A boat didn't give him a firsthand glance into the city. His height attracted a few gazes, but since he reigned in his oppressive presence, they merely took quick peeks rather than glare in terror.

Rowdy noises of dozens of conversations reached him from the right, coming from a building, its sign bearing the mark of an ale mug. Entering the tavern, Demon was greeted by a waitress who smiled widely and welcomed him, the vibrancy and energy in her words garnering endearment from a few onlookers sipping their cups, a red flush on her cheeks either from her or the alcohol. The waitress brought him a cup of water at his table and waited for him to order. He ordered some food and a mug of ale to keep up pretenses. Once she left to put in his order, he closed his eyes and focused on the conversations around him.

Most of it disappointed him. Taking a break, the fisherman spoke about their best catches of the day, bragging and comparing the sizes and weights. Laborers from the city complained about their bosses running them ragged and how these projects were taking far too long to finish. He had Erden, who hid in his robes, listen to the mundane topics of the populace while he turned his attention fully on the Exalts, a mix of mercenaries, wanderers, and disciples of some faction.

After sifting through most of their idle topics of complaining about their progress, discussing the rewards from yesterday's job, and laughing about their love life, Demon finally picked up on an interesting conversation.

"....the Lunate Continent lost many leaders. In a week, fifteen Marshal Exalts were killed." A large man whispered to the lady across from him.

'Fifteen?' Demon counted the three that Marcus killed and the two leaders of the Reed Cartel he slew. What happened in his absence? He guessed a few stragglers must have retaliated after hearing about the deaths of the others. Tapping his finger on the hardwood table, Demon considered letting it be. Santen was there, so there was no need to worry about the aftermath.

"Who killed them?" The lady asked, leaning forward.

"No one knows for sure. They suddenly appeared on everyone's doorsteps demanding a tribute a month ago. Many powers are interested in them, but…no one knows who's behind the group." The large man rubbed his chin. "Everyone's suspicious of each other. It's quite a riot. I've also received a few requests to investigate."

"Are you going to go?" The lady showed concern.

"Hell no. Like I can sneak amongst Lower Marshal Exalts." The large man stuck his tongue out and laughed. The rest of their conversation went to other topics, and Demon lost interest. He stealthily fed Erden the ale and food to avoid leaving a full plate. Once the plate was cleared of food, he paid with a gold coin and thanked the waitress for her service, asking her to keep the change and leaving while she stammered out her thanks, her hands trembling while holding the coin.

'At least we know that we're attracting attention.' Ignyres twiddled a stick of fire around his fingers. 'Once a flame starts, it spreads until all is consumed. Your actions will continue to fan the fires until they engulf you. Are you prepared for that?'

'Needless to worry. If all goes south, I can start over.' Demon roamed down the street.

'Bastard.' Erden cursed from underneath.

Ignoring Erden's remarks, Demon glanced around, unable to find what he wanted. For a large city like Belnicce, finding lodging shouldn't be so hard. As he turned a corner, he came to a stop in front of a small stone building two stories high. Inside, the floor creaked under his steps, and the walls lacked a fine coat of paint. It was shabby compared to the more luxurious inns, but it fit his purpose of staying lowkey in his Duality body. The receptionist welcomed him and gave him a rusted key after he paid a small price of a few copper coins. Climbing up the bendy, unstable stairs, Demon entered his room and rested on the only piece of furniture inside, the small bed.

"Is she finished?" He returned to his body, still sitting in the Alchemist Guild. An hour had passed since he switched consciousness to the Duality clone, and Helen hadn't come out yet. His eyes scanned the clean interior of the guild's mansion, the tavern and inn being a far cry from the conditions here. Wherever his gaze traveled, the alchemists shuddered and hurried away from him, a few weak-willed others fainting, foaming at the mouth.

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"Not yet," Auren answered, yawning while reading a dense book, a thousand pages long. He sipped from a straw and gulped the sweet-smelling drink in satisfaction. "I asked, but they politely refused to answer. I wish I could smack them across the face. Why are they so arrogant? Living with sticks with their–"

"Oh? What do you have to say about alchemists? Please continue, Auren." Helen finally reemerged from a hallway, accompanied by the Branch Head of Belnicce, an old lady, suggestive of her advanced age as an Exalt, who walked with a hunch, using a stick to support her.

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Auren laughed weakly, unable to meet Helen's playful stare.

"Is our business concluded?" Demon asked, rising to the muffled gasps of the frightened alchemists.

"Not in its entirety….I'll explain when we find rest. Lady Sophia has given us a luxurious suite in the finest inn for free." Helen introduced the Branch Head and bowed to her in gratitude, followed by Demon and Auren. The old lady lazily nodded and turned away without a word, but he felt a powerful power hiding in her.

Helen led them outside, and the three of them headed deeper toward the city's center, where a great palace towered over the rest, masts of great white sails rising from the roof. They walked to one of the notably large estates nearby, the reputable inn that boasted the finest service for the finest residents. Inside the marbled reception room, where crystal chandeliers glimmered above their heads, Demon noted the guards at the entrance and attendants noting down the customers on their log books.

Going to a lesser inn was worth it to avoid the hassle of signing in and potentially risking anyone following his footprints. Demon waited, ignoring the wary stances of the guards. Helen gave a letter to the manager and was hastily led to their accommodations by a circular pad that elevated them to the highest floor. Compared to the straining room where his Duality body rested, this room had enough space to handle forty people. It had doors to other smaller yet large rooms with beds big enough for five people. Couches strung from the softest threads stretched across the room, circling the fireplace.

Glancing out the wall-sized window, he took in most of Belnicce City, noting his Duality's position. Contact between them would be hard. At most, Erden could act as the liaison, but he preferred to keep the beast nearby his fake in case an unexpected situation occurred. Demon waved over at Auren and asked, "Have you read through it all?"

"Almost everything. There's so much information, my head is pounding." Auren rubbed his head, and Demon flicked it hard, knowing it was a joke. The tiny bit of information in Charlotte's notes was a mere droplet compared to the wealth of knowledge in Auren's head. Auren shrieked in pain, then recovered and said in a flat tone, lacking the immaturity of before, "From past studies as well as related events, I have judged that a few individuals have the potential to be a greater talent than their predecessors."

"Write them down." Demon gave him a piece of paper and a pen. Auren wrote so fast his hand blurred, but clean words, almost too perfect to have been written by a human, perfectly lined the paper, consistent in size and straight as an arrow. Demon looked at the five names and stored the paper away.

"Do they satisfy you, my Lord?" Auren returned to his lively self. The former golem-like expression was lost as if it were a dream.

"Well done." Demon rubbed his head as Oscar would have done if he were here, shaking the boy's tiny frame around. Auren was terribly undergrown for a sixteen-year-old, almost as tall as a ten-year-old body, a cause of concern for the others in the group. It seemed he had to increase the portions for Auren's meals or forcibly shove it down his throat. Helen returned and sat down, sweating and breathing a great sigh, tired from today's affairs.

"I managed to purchase an essence of darkness for Restel and ordered several grade-four elemental elixirs, but lightning and metal were not on the table. Sophia mentioned we should wait for the auction later this week since they're on the list." Helen rubbed her temple. She held up a finger and wagged it. "Before you ask, I spent almost 240,000,000 gold."

"That's a one-month tribute. And those will work…for six months?" Auren counted on his fingers. "We also need elemental elixirs. Why do we need so much?! What should we do, my Lord?"

"We came here to participate in the auction as well. I didn't expect we'd be down the entire month's tribute just on two essences…." Pondering, Demon paced around the room. He still had the wealth from the Reed Cartel, around 750,000,000 gold, but he believed he needed more. Having no idea, he slowly retreated to his room and said, "Rest for now. Tomorrow, I'll have a solution." Resting on his wide bed, he blinked, his vision shifting from the chandelier to a broken wood ceiling.

In his Duality body, he rested until night and quietly exited the inn, floating to avoid awakening the snoring receptionist. He wandered the dark streets, stuck in thought. The money would be replenished and grow over the years, but he had delayed training for a while now. His group needed to gain strength before the other powers descended on them. Should he steal from the auction?

A small series of steps reached him from across the street. He stopped abruptly and turned to the stranger, clenching his hands without knowing. She wore a black crystal hat with a veil that covered her face down to the neck. Dressed in a black dress shirt and a long black skirt, she walked under the bright moonlight before turning into an alleyway and disappearing into the darkness. Despite her being covered and hidden, Demon could not mistake that person and muttered, "Avril?"

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