As the final blow of the auctioneer's gavel echoed off the walls of the hall, all the lingering suspicion and curious glances directed toward the fourth cabin solidified into a palpable silence. The Peak-grade Sage Formation now belonged to Mais. As the hall slowly began to empty, Auction Lord Regal entered the cabin with his usual detached yet respectful expression. The old man bowed slightly before Mais and said, "Congratulations. Acquiring such a rare piece requires not just wealth, but also great foresight."
Though Hideo returned the old man's gesture with respect, Mais maintained his sharp, unblinking gaze toward him from behind his mask. Even though no light entered his eyes, he could capture his scent, perceive his aura, and hear his voice. He was fully aware of the world around him. Something about this man was suspicious, and the unknown danger posed by Lord Regal was not the only problem he faced.
Purchasing the formation had been the easy part. There were very few people in the entire kingdom—or even on the planet 3rd Ferua—who could compete with Mais in terms of wealth. None of those people were in the Origin Heart Realm. The difficult part was starting now.
"I hope it is not inappropriate of me to visit the Sage Prince."
Before Regal could even leave the room, the heir of the Navan family, Luka Navan, appeared at the door. Peeking his head slightly through the doorway with an immensely noble demeanor, he looked at Mais's metal mask. His mustache was curled as always, and a sincere smile graced his face, but Hideo couldn't help but doubt the man's intentions. In Luka's posture, there was no sign of the ambition driven by the bid he had just lost; instead, it bore the false smile of a deep strategist. If even Hideo could suspect it, how could Mais not understand?
"Please, come in," Mais said, reminding them that they were still in his cabin.
"You might be surprised that I know your title," Luka began, his eyes scanning across Mais's mask. "Lord Regal told me that you introduced yourself as 'Prince'. These treasures are well-suited to such a grand name, Sage Prince."
Mais acknowledged the address with a polite nod of his head. Using the name 'Prince' might have seemed imprudent, but Mais had his own plans in mind, and he needed to sow the seeds for them early on.
This was, after all, the 'Prince's' first public appearance.
Luka had been raised since childhood like a master politician. He did not have to diminish himself while praising his counterpart. The calmness in his voice showed that the fortune he had just spent had not caused him the slightest excitement. However, Luka's true target was to expose Mais's identity, and Mais knew it. This old man thought himself cunning, but as the heir of the Navan Family, how could Luka possibly allow a stranger—a man about whose identity he had not the slightest clue—to obtain a peak sage formation? To achieve this, he had chosen the weakest link: Hideo. Without breaking his gaze for even a moment, Luka turned to Hideo. "Hideo, isn't it? I heard from my friends that you are a talented Core expert living in Yellow City. I also learned that your father recently stepped into the Sage Realm. This must be a great honor for your family, my congratulations."
Hideo paused in the face of this unexpected maneuver of information. But Mais had anticipated this. Hideo had been recognized. Initially, Hideo had been wearing a mask as well, but he removed it when they arrived in Plain City. Why? Did Mais not know what would happen?
Of course he knew, but there were three reasons why he had wanted Hideo to remove the mask.
The first was that these men were Origin Heart Lords. Mais's mask was special and could be considered a high-grade item. No Lord could see Mais's face. In contrast, Hideo's mask was ordinary and helpless against the advanced abilities of the Lords. Sages might not be able to see past a mask, but Lords were different. In short, the mask was pointless.
The second reason was that even if Hideo's face was visible, it was likely that none of these Lords would recognize him directly. Now, the only reason Lord Luka recognized Hideo was because there had been people in the crowd who knew him. He had utilized the information of others. Luka couldn't have done this while Hideo was masked, but that would have made the duo look more dangerous, and there was a very real possibility that Lord Luka would attack them without the slightest clue. Even if he didn't do it near Lord Regal, Luka would pursue them on the return journey and do even more. Now, though he might still pursue them, he would try to find out where Mais was going instead of trying to kill them outright. Hideo already hailed from Yellow City. If Mais separated from him, Hideo would survive, and Mais's destination would remain a matter of curiosity. It was highly probable that Luka wouldn't attack Mais immediately because Mais could be a pawn, and the power backing him might be a formidable family from the Gold State. In that case, the situation had to be handled more carefully, and if necessary, Luka would work with his family to completely eradicate their lineage.
This meant he would try to track where Mais returned to. Because he knew who Hideo was, he had no need to try and kill them directly. At this point, Mais knew he had to separate from Hideo for a while. It would be difficult given his blindness, but he had his own methods to evade Luka.
The third reason was an investment in the future. Mais knew he would clash with them in the future. He was giving these men a chance to know about the formation in his possession. Yet, Mais already knew what information they held, and moreover, it was highly probable that he wouldn't even have to use this formation in the future. It was an unknown fact that Mais did not lack high-grade treasures, thanks to his Treasury Palace.
The heir of Orveth Navan might be moving on the right path, but this right path was highly predictable and had been manipulated by Mais.
Luka wasn't just offering a congratulation; he was attempting to reach the underlying truth by digging into the connections around Mais. Trying to maintain his composure, Hideo bowed his head and accepted the congratulations in silence. Mais intervened before the tension could escalate further.
"Thank you for your courtesy, Lord Luka. However, speaking of Yellow City, I would also like to express my sorrow for your youngest brother, Yahut Navan. Your loss must be grand."
These words instantly changed the air in the room. The professional mask on Luka's face faltered slightly upon hearing his brother's name. Considering they were only four brothers, Yahut's death in Yellow City was a heavy blow to the family. That stubborn brother had refused to return home and insistently remained in Yellow City. Especially after his wife died, he had lived as if he were just an ordinary Sage. Luka knew that the Sage Prince was actually throwing this condolence back at him as a defensive maneuver, masked as a polite gesture. Even so, he couldn't help but let out a sigh.
Luka noticed the surprised look of Lord Regal. This old man had only recently arrived in the Gold State. It was natural that he didn't fully know what had happened.
"Yahut... was my brother, my father's youngest son," Luka said, his voice cracking for a moment. "He... died. His son Malehit had displayed impressive potential as a genius. His potential was so high that we were all certain he would one day become an Ascended. He established a bond between us and the Gama Clan in the capital. But we lost them along with his father in the False Dragon Inheritance, during their struggle against the Drunken Sage Wuma." Luka paused for a moment, strange emotions swirling in his voice. Mais thought he looked sad, but he couldn't be certain. "His other child, young Evra, disappeared after that day. He left Yellow City. No one knows where he is. My father wants to bring Evra home after Yahut's death, to keep the family together, but it seems my nephew has already left the state."
Mais weighed Luka's seemingly sincere, sorrowful words internally as he listened. Evra had taken a share of the False Dragon's inheritance. No one knew how large his share was, and Evra was nearly at the Sage Realm before he left. Depending on his inheritance, it wouldn't be surprising if he had become a Sage by now. Given his age, Evra was talented. Instead of risking himself in the outside world, he should have stayed home. Because of this, Mais understood Orveth Navan's reasoning. Perhaps the State Lord truly cared for his grandson and that was the only reason he wanted Evra to return, but Mais didn't know the State Lord. Therefore, he couldn't be sure.
"For Wuma to have done such a thing... ahh... is not unexpected."
Unlike all the other people, Lord Regal left only this trace of emotion toward the situation. He knew Wuma. And he had no trouble drawing inferences as to why he had done it. Just like Baro. The difference between them was that Baro had utilized it.
Mais shifted his focus back to Luka. Regal's elderly, emotional back-and-forth mattered very little. In contrast, Luka's emotions were important. Did Luka Navan truly miss his nephew, or was he afraid that the talents Evra gained after the inheritance would pose a threat to the future race for the State Lordship? This was important. Mais wasn't sure if Evra was an ally, and relying on him seemed difficult. Still, the thoughts of the future State Lord were important in other aspects as well. Just like Bekko's older brother, Suiren, in Bosua, Luka was perhaps seeking a purge for the survival of his dynasty.
Which would be quite difficult for him. After all, unlike the Bosua family, a few members of the older generation of the Navan family were likely still alive.
Just then, Bekko appeared at the cabin door. Hideo didn't know why they had to encounter everyone inside the cabin, but they were thoroughly cramped now. Looking at Mais with a suspicious smile, the young man from Bosua, whose face was covered in freckles and whose hair shifted between red and brown, said, "You truly possess a deep treasury; life would be much more beautiful if I had this much money." He made no move to hide the jealousy in his words. Although he wasn't excessively rude, he displayed his harsh attitude against someone he didn't need before these lords. Then, turning to Luka, he bowed respectfully and extended his condolences for Yahut. Mais was displeased by his disrespectful demeanor but did nothing against it.
"Well, it seems I will be the first to depart. I want to speak with the City Lord about a few things. See you again."
Following Bekko's departure, Mais murmured as if he had never experienced the conflicts in his own past: "A sad situation. Family conflicts turning brothers against each other; there is likely a version of the same story everywhere on the planet, but it is still sad."
In truth, Bekko's situation didn't matter to Mais in the slightest. He was merely annoyed. He acted as if he pitied him because he knew Bekko could still hear him.
As Luka looked after Bekko, he nodded his head as if confirming Mais's observation. The schemes and rivalry taking place in his own home, inside that magnificent Navan mansion, were not actually much different from the world Bekko was fleeing from.
Shortly after, Merchant Samuel also dropped by, uttered a few polite business phrases, and left. However, the final visitor to the room was City Lord Uzai. Standing before Mais with his usual arrogant and inquisitive demeanor, Uzai asked, "What do you plan to do with that peak formation?" His voice was no different from a command. His aura spread outward, pressing down threateningly upon Mais. Hideo had already shrunk back in fear. Luka watched as if he had nothing to do with what was happening. Though Regal stood there calmly, any physical intervention was impossible in his presence. Even if the other two among these three Lords combined forces, they couldn't defeat Regal. This was the power gap created by an old Lord. Moreover, Regal's resources were far above what Wuma possessed. Who knows, perhaps he even knew peak Origin Heart Techniques.
"That is a matter that concerns only me, Lord Uzai," Mais cut him off. He stood with his head held high, unaffected by the aura. He might only be a Sage. Yet, he was Mais—the Third Prince of the World Empire, the deserving emperor, and the only true leader. How could he bow his head to this ignorant fool who was a mere realm above him?
"You should watch your words. Even if not for today, they could bring trouble upon your head tomorrow."
"Doesn't the same apply to you?"
The threatening expression in Uzai's gaze flashed and faded for an instant; then, throwing a disdainful smile, the lord left the room without saying anything further. As Uzai departed, Mais wondered inwardly whether he had made a mistake. He planned to send Hideo to Red River City soon, but with the eyes of such powerful men upon them, there was no guarantee they wouldn't follow Hideo.
Before stepping out through the massive doors of the auction house, the Lords felt something strange. Even Luka's calm expression changed, and each assumed a serious look. The familiar dry heat of Plain City had given way to an unexpected coolness. Fine drops of rain were falling from the sky. Falling upon these arid lands, and completely out of season at that, the rain was like a miracle for the city's populace; however, for Mais, this was not just a weather event. He had felt the change in the Lords' demeanors and wasn't sure if there was something amiss within the outdoor rain. Amid the rhythmic sound of the rain striking the earth, he heard a far more ominous sound. Approaching from afar, through the hazy veil of the rain, came the sound of bells, jingling in a rhythmic and joyless manner.