The Innkeeper

"I believe there has been a misunderstanding," one of the men said, taking off his top hat. "Perhaps we could discuss this matter privately."

Of the five men, this one showed the most composure and was likely the leader of the group. Lex simply nodded and led them to one of his two private rooms on the ground floor. So long as they were in the tavern, he did not mind wherever they talked. But, at the same time, he could not let them know that his confidence was limited to the tavern.

While Lex himself maintained a psychological advantage, in the few short moments it took them to enter the room, the rest of the men also regained their composure. They were not inexperienced, nor did they share their children's spoilt and skewed world views. If they lacked aplomb, then they simply would not have made it this far in life.

The only reason their mindset was disturbed earlier on in the first place was because they were facing something new and unexpected. Lex compared their mindsets to the original 5 Nascent cultivators who ruled Earth. Other than Brandon, whose mental state could not be gauged using normal means, the rest were severely lacking.

"I believe we have not yet been introduced," said the leader, his voice calm and dignified. "My name is Reginald Maud, head of the Shipwrights Association, owner of most of the shipyards in the locale and founder of the Naval Research and Engineering facility."

The rest also introduced themselves, one by one, as well as their occupations. They truly did have the right to be arrogant, for the industries under their command were both numerous and expansive. From construction to agriculture to medicine and more, every facet of a normal people's life in Babylon was directly or indirectly controlled by these men. Moreover, they did not fail to imply that they were not the only nobles in the area, just the nobles close to Babylon when the darkness arrived, causing them to take shelter here.

Based on how one viewed it, their statement could be taken as a threat. Lex, however, was of the mind that he could use these 5 nobles to gain access to the rest. This was important to his plans, for while the Inn was one way of gathering energy, he did not want to give up what he established in the Crystal realm either.

He could use them to gain a deeper understanding of the region and develop a network of his own. There were many uses he could think of off the top of his head.

"I am Lex, the owner of the Midnight Tavern," he said simply. In this situation, a mysterious background was to his advantage.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lex. It is very unfortunate that our meeting was under such troubled circumstances, but I assure you that the intentions behind the 'incident' were not so nefarious as they appear. It is with great dismay that I must confess that our children are somewhat... unaccustomed to the ways of the world. But, at the end of the day, they are still just children, so it is not too late to educate them on proper decorum. I'm sure that between us, we can work something out to put this matter behind us, and look forward to a better working relationship."

Lex did not respond immediately, and spent some time evaluating Reginald. The man was definitely formidable. Not everyone who achieved great success could so quickly adapt to being threatened, and even look for a way to resolve the situation without getting even for the threat.

Naturally, there was still the possibility that Reginald was waiting till they saved the kids before plotting some revenge, but Lex didn't think it was likely. There was nothing to gain, and a lot to risk by further offending Lex. A business minded man like Reginald would not do something that offered him no profit while leveraging his safety and stability.

"If it really was just a simple mistake, and you are sincere in your attempt to make amends, then I see a simple solution that will satisfy everyone," said Lex slowly, as if testing them out. "You see, I have only recently opened this tavern, and am sorely understaffed. You, on the other hand, need your children to expand their worldviews, while at the same time disciplining them. This presents an opportunity for both of us. Everyone who was involved can come and work at my tavern for one week. The principal offender, of course, needs to be punished more than the rest, so he can work here for a month. This can both be a humbling experience for them, as well as reparations for their misbehavior. If you find this agreeable, they can start tomorrow."

On the surface it seemed like Lex was letting the kids get away with a mild punishment as a favor to the five gentlemen, but in truth, by increasing the amount of contact they had, Lex was hoping to develop a deeper relationship. At the same time, by letting the kids return once, he showed them that he was not afraid of them reneging on the deal, thus making it seem that Lex's confidence was inherent, and had nothing to do with the tavern itself.

During this time, Lex would also let the kids 'accidentally' witness some of the more profound aspects of the tavern for them to report to their parents, further increasing the mystery behind Lex.

Reginald did not delay, and immediately accepted Lex's offer. Lex unfroze the kids, allowing their parents to take them back home. This would give them time to recover and give the parents an opportunity to properly interview them about what actually happened.

*****

The serial killer licked the blood off his blade, relishing in the excitement of his latest kill. The darkness made it easier for him to perform his deeds in secret, but it would also speed up the decaying process. Soon people would discover the odd smell coming from the houses in this area, so he would have to find a new hunting ground.

Maybe he should make use of the dark and attempt a more difficult hunt. He chuckled as he walked out of the house, wondering where to go next. He was already bored of the poverty stricken portions of Babylon. Next, he would see if the rich bled differently from the poor.

*****

Midnight Inn, The Village

Miranda took in a deep breath as she looked through the curtains at the massive crowd in the auditorium. The turn out was good, but she didn't know if the results would be satisfactory either. The Earth Expo would last a month, and if they could get some solid backing or funding from some interstellar source, it would greatly speed up Earth's development.

The number of cultivators had grown exponentially lately, but even with the new Minor realm open, they could not hope to meet the demand for resources. Moreover, the Minor realm would only remain open for another 6 months, after which they would have to be self-sufficient. Colonizing the rest of the planets in the solar system would greatly help in this endeavor. For that, though, they need better technology and resources.

"Are you nervous?" asked Bernard, who stood behind her. He was one of the leaders of the Council of New Order, and was one of the main instigators behind deposing the previous five heads of the world.

"I just hope we have something to offer. The more time I spend at the Inn, the more I realize how insignificant Earth really is."

"So insignificant that a single beauty pageant from Earth has several planets completely hooked," he said in an amused voice. Bernard had a unique way of always finding opportunities in even the more dire circumstances. He was the one who kept the council from collapsing when the holographic woman Fernanda appeared, and the one who gained permission for this event from Fernando in the first place.

"Do not fret," he said, his voice as calm as ever. "We have overcome many challenges, and will continue to do so. Our destiny cannot be contained by Earth. It is simply the launching pad for our stories. Next, we will find a way to repair your meridians, and then you can start to cultivate once again. With your lifespan expanded, you won't need to worry about the speed of our progress. We will have all the time in the universe."

Hope and excitement flickered in her eyes, but she did not let it show on her face. When Miranda had work to do, she could not let anything else distract her. Currently, she had an Expo to begin, and then only a month to secure everything they needed.

Suppressing her excitement, as well as her nervousness, she walked through the curtain and onto the center stage. The opening ceremony for the first ever interstellar Earth Expo had begun.

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