Chapter 14 – Am I Suspicious?

Ivory Haven

The place was the pinnacle of exclusivity in Luminaris. Located in the highest district of the city, where the air smelled less of desert and more of expensive perfumes, the establishment served as a refuge for the powerful and influential figures of the city.

It was famous for being one of the only extremely secure places where the elite could meet

The service was also impeccable, and the banquets were prepared with delicacies that even the city’s main markets did not dare display.

“What a shitty night…” Elias, the night-shift receptionist, adjusted his silk vest for the tenth time, feeling the weight of exhaustion.

He truly hated this job.

His day had been a succession of arrogant adventurers complaining about trivial things and newly rich merchants who thought gold solved everything.

The worst part was that they really could.

“Why do I still do this?” Elias muttered to himself, snorting as he wiped an invisible stain from the mahogany counter. “Petty people don’t leave generous tips…”

Tlink!

The crystal bell at the entrance rang with a soft, harmonic note.

A new customer!

Elias immediately forced his best professional smile, the one he had trained to appear welcoming, but slightly superior.

However, when he saw who had entered, his smile faltered.

The figure that crossed the double doors wore neither expensive silks nor ornate adventurer armor. He wore common boots and trousers, along with a dark cloak that looked like it had seen far too much dust.

The first thing Elias noticed was not the face, but the complete lack of insignias or crests on his body.

Elias instinctively wrinkled his nose.

The figure practically screamed low-rank adventurer.

‘Another one who got lost on the way to the low-class inns…’ Elias sighed internally. Despite thinking that, he could already feel a sense of pleasure beginning to bubble in his chest.

Occasionally, dazzled newcomers tried to cross that threshold, drawn by the Haven’s imposing façade. They entered with curious eyes, unaware that the floor beneath their feet cost more than their ancestors’ lives.

For Elias, those were the best moments of his shift.

It was the only time when he, the “luxury lackey” could reverse the roles. He loved seeing the look of shame on the face of a strong warrior or an apprentice mage when they realized that, in that environment, they could not afford even a glass of water.

He was already preparing the standard dismissal line, polished enough not to break protocol, but sharp enough to leave a scar on the intruder’s ego.

Elias cleared his throat, straightening his vest, ready to deliver the verbal blow.

“Good evening, sir.” He began, his tone carrying barely disguised arrogance. “Ivory Haven is a members-only establishment, strictly by reservation. May I help you find your way back to lodgings more suited to your profile?”

That was his discreet way of saying “you do not belong here.”

He was very good at it.

“?”

The figure stopped, giving him a confused look.

Elias frowned.

Had he not understood his ‘polite cue’ to leave?

If the intruder was slow-witted, then there was no need to remain subtle.

“Sir, perhaps I was not clear.” Elias said, leaning slightly over the counter with a mocking smile. “This is not a place for those who count copper coins to afford dinner. Our reservation fees begin at amounts that would make an ordinary man pale. I suggest you leave before I am forced to call the guards.”

The man’s expression seemed to shift slightly. “I have money.” He replied with a simplicity that almost made Elias laugh out loud.

Money?

He looked again at the dusty cloak and worn boots. That man’s “money” was probably a few dozen gold coins.

Which would already be a lot for a common adventurer, but here, it would not even pay for a full meal.

Elias opened his mouth to deliver a final insult, but the sound that followed froze his tongue.

Clink! Clink! Clink! Clink! Clink!

Five bluish-white metal discs rolled across the mahogany, stopping right beneath Elias’s nose. They gleamed with a prismatic luminescence, emitting a cold glow.

It was impossible not to stare.

‘Platinum?’ The thought crossed Elias’s mind like lightning, followed by a silent curse he would never dare say aloud. ‘Holy shit!’

Elias felt his stomach lurch.

A big shot!

He had encountered a big shot!

Each of those coins was worth 100 gold pieces, or a staggering 10,000 silver coins. Five of them meant 50,000 silver. His monthly salary as a receptionist was 50 silver coins, which was already considered a good wage in Luminaris if you were an ordinary civilian.

To earn what was sitting on that counter, Elias would have to work for 1,000 months.

Or 83 years.

More than 83 years of work without spending a single coin. That stranger had just tossed the value of a lifetime of servitude onto the table as if discarding seed husks.

“Is this enough?” The man’s voice was calm, devoid of any anger.

Elias felt his face burn, a deep red rising up his neck. The air around him seemed to vanish. It felt like he had just been slapped across the face.

The “dismissal line” He had prepared now sounded like the barking of a stray dog.

“Y-yes… Sir…” Elias stammered, his voice faltering as his posture instinctively bent into automatic submission. “It… it is more than enough. I sincerely apologize for my… my insolence.”

Elias stared at the five platinum coins on the mahogany counter.

His hands trembled slightly. He did not dare touch them without permission, the prismatic shine of the metal seeming to burn his vision.

Mark looked at the employee and sighed inwardly.

At that moment, he only wanted the best hot meal and the softest bed his money could buy.

Despite the man’s attitude displeasing him, he did not bother reacting.

Using force would be disproportionate, so he used money.

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Even though he had been in Luminaris for only a short time, he understood that appearance mattered when entering and leaving places. Being misjudged by an employee had already been within his expectations.

Beneath the cloak, Pippin did not share his patience. Mark felt the creature stir, its tiny claws tightening against his shoulder in contained fury.

To Pippin, the employee’s insolence was a direct affront to his master’s dignity, and his desire was to leap out and teach the receptionist the true meaning of fear.

Mark simply pressed his arm against his body, a silent command for Pippin to remain hidden.

“Do I still need a reservation?” Mark said suddenly, his voice monotone.

Elias quickly snapped out of his daze. “N-no. A reservation is not necessary…”

Internally, Elias’s mind was screaming that he needed to fix this immediately.

Someone who carried a fortune and did not bother taking offense at an insult was the kind of person who could pull invisible strings to make him disappear from the city before dawn!

The fear of losing his job, or his own head, was what triggered his instant servitude.

He had struck an iron wall.

“Please forgive me for the disastrous reception, sir.” Elias whispered carefully, his voice now soft and servile, as he stepped out from behind the counter to stand beside Mark, keeping a respectful distance.

With a quick and extremely careful motion, he used a small silver tray lined with velvet to collect the coins from the counter. Elias kept them on the tray, holding it with both hands as if carrying a sacred relic.

“I will open an account for you immediately.” He explained, bowing again. “Tonight’s expenses, and however many nights you wish, will be deducted from this amount. The remainder will be kept in our vault, under total security and at your disposal at any time.”

Mark simply nodded, indifferent to the fate of the coins.

He had many.

“What would you like first? A private suite, or would you prefer to be escorted directly to our restaurant on the upper floor? We have the finest wine in the region!”

Mark looked toward the staircase, his ears catching the soft sound of music and conversation.

“The table with the best view.” he ordered. “Bring whatever is best.”

“Yes!”

“This building is entirely dedicated to our gastronomic wing, sir.” Elias explained, ascending the steps with light strides as he guided Mark.

“The Ivory Haven holds the Three-Crystal Seal from the Appraisers’ Guild. An honor that only two other establishments in all of Luminaris can boast. Each dish is a work of art infused with rare essences.”

“…”

Mark listened in silence, observing the details of the adorned walls.