Chapter 30 – All Eyes on Him

Mark remained still, his eyes fixed on the empty corridor where Isolda’s silhouette had just disappeared.

East…

That was fast. He hadn’t expected Isolda to return with a mission already lined up — and one headed east, of all places.

Which meant he would have to leave Luminaris for a few days.

Mark stepped back and closed the door. The click of the lock had barely echoed when a shadow peeled itself from the corner of the room.

“The audacity!” Pippin hissed, his eyes glowing with fervent indignation as he sprang from the darkness.

“That female has no notion of the lineage she dares insult. If my lord permitted it, I would rip out her tongue before she could utter another insolent sentence!”

Mark didn’t respond.

He slowly walked to the edge of the bed and sat, letting his shoulders sag ever so slightly. His hands, still holding the scroll, rested on his knees.

He didn’t look at the servant; his eyes were locked onto an invisible point on the floor, pupils widened in silent trance.

“Innocence.” Mark murmured the word to himself, and it sounded strange in his own mind.

Isolda’s words had acted like an unwanted mirror.

It had only been a few days since he left behind the logic of an entire lifetime on Earth, and that encounter made it clear that the behaviors of his former existence were still visible.

Deep down, he still expected the world to operate on a moral scale of cause and effect, a relic of his previous life where the law was — at least in theory — for everyone.

But things looked different now that he was no longer on Earth.

And he couldn’t be blamed for still thinking that way. Ever since waking inside his fortress in an unfamiliar world, Mark had been trying to adapt. His goal in coming to Luminaris was to learn about the world directly, and then return to the Ziggurat.

Maybe Isolda was right in the end.

His hesitation, in the eyes of this world, was the biggest sign that he was a foreigner. It was impossible to detach himself from everything he once was in such a short time.

Maybe he should seek an outside perspective…

Thinking of something, Mark looked toward Pippin.

Pippin was still grumbling, gesturing wildly as he kicked a table leg.

He still seemed irritated by Isolda’s offense.

“Pippin,” Mark called.

The servant froze instantly, crouching on the floor with his ears lowered. “Yes, Sovereign!”

“What do you think of humans?” Mark asked, his voice calm.

“?”

Pippin blinked, clearly confused by the question.

What did Pippin think about humans?

Pippin tilted his head, letting out a short nasal sound. “I think they’re loud, my Lord. And soft. They’re like sacks of water that scream when squeezed too hard.”

“…” Mark stayed silent.

Sacks of water was something he had never heard before.

“Well,” Pippin continued, scratching his chin with a short claw as he pulled a memory from deep inside.

“In my old Winged Clan, the elders especially liked young females. They said their blood had a floral taste, far superior to the males’.”

The servant let out a giggle, as if remembering an old childhood joke. “The strong eat, the weak scream. That’s why you are above all, my Lord!”

Mark’s expression remained impassive, but he began to understand. There was no hatred or malice in Pippin’s words — only the brutal, indifferent logic of a predator describing its favorite dish.

Mark shifted his focus back to the scroll resting on his lap.

He didn’t want to think too much about these things now.

Two hours.

That was the time Mark had.

A party made of Gold Rank adventurers suggested something far beyond a simple assignment, which intrigued him.

Ever since he left the Ziggurat, he’d been hearing about the “East” more than he wanted to. In taverns and on the streets, the borders were a circulating topic from the lowest to the highest layers of society, and Mark had treated it all as background noise while trying to understand the rules of this new world.

But now, the conflict was knocking on his door in the form of an official mission.

And he had accepted.

Not out of submission to Isolda or fear of the Guild.

It was simply convenient. Technically, the empire might now be aiming at his Ziggurat, and going to the conflict was a way to learn about it and prepare. If the Ziggurat were discovered and announced to the world, his time in the city would be over.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Mark tightened his grip on the summons scroll.

He turned his attention back to Pippin.

“Pippin, get ready.” His voice was firmer now. “We’re going on a little trip.”

“Yes, Sovereign!”

***

On the ground floor, the atmosphere of the Ivory Haven was a mix of forced relief and lingering tension.

The manager — the same white-haired, impeccably composed man who had managed to calm the crowd the night before — now stood alone behind the marble counter.

His fingers tapped lightly on the cold surface, matching the rhythm of his breathing.

He saw Isolda cross the lobby. She didn’t stop to speak to anyone; she simply walked through the doors, leaving a trail of confused looks behind her.

The manager let out a long sigh.

“Is it over?” Elias asked, emerging from a side room.

The receptionist still looked like he hadn’t slept. His dark circles were deep, and he held a stack of reimbursement forms with trembling hands.

“For us, yes,” the old manager replied, not taking his eyes off the door through which Isolda had exited. “The Guild has taken custody of the incident. They’re calling it a ‘mana calibration test.’ Officially, the Ivory Haven was merely the stage for an authorized demonstration of strength.”

“Authorized?” Elias blinked, confused.

“But you saw the resonance panels. That thing almost fried the hotel’s connections. The damage to the cellars and the crystals was—”