BXBX NOVEL Chapter 185 Astia
Chapter 185 Astia
The quiet sounds of raindrops hitting the ground created a pleasant and relaxing auditory backdrop, allowing him to focus on his thoughts. The world was gray, and there weren\'t many people on the streets. You could barely notice some residents hurrying to get to work or to a cafe to seek shelter from the rain. It was 8 a.m., the beginning of the day for all the workers and children.
"Ha-ha-ha!"
"The rain is falling! Lina, come here, come here!"
"Stop dragging me by the hand, Aminoris!"
"Hahahaha!"
Children\'s laughter echoed through the empty streets. These children were dressed in the school uniform of Sedion City and were running, occasionally stepping on puddles, sharing an umbrella. Today was Monday, the busiest time of the week.
"What a cozy atmosphere," Adam thought, taking a cigarette from the inner pocket of his jacket. The cigarette case had a square shape with a clasp, and it featured an image of a woman eating grapes while a sunset adorned her back. It was a recreated form of the Goddess of Truth and Justice, Veridia.
In most of his products, Adam preferred to use her image as a logo or a special trademark. This led to numerous issues with the Church of Light, which protested, claiming that depicting goddesses was a grave sin. To this, he only shrugged and sent them on a wild goose chase with the words, "I do as I please." Faced with such audacity, the church was infuriated but couldn\'t do anything about it.
Click. Click. Fsh-sh-sh...
Adam lit a cigarette, which he had previously taken from the cigarette case, using the engraved picture of the woman, or more precisely, the grapes. Small particles of fire shot out of the engraving and ignited the cigarette.
F-f-fsh...
"Ha-a-ah... a few cigarettes in this weather won\'t hurt," he mumbled, closing the cigarette case and putting it into his inner pocket.
The city was silent, which was understandable, as it was morning, and the weather wasn\'t particularly good. Many people simply didn\'t go out in this weather, and Adam didn\'t quite understand them, as he believed that rain always made for the best weather for walks.
"I love the smell of rain, and its sound helps me calm down," he muttered, inhaling the smoke.
To the onlooker, he appeared as an oddity, standing on the sidewalk, smoking a cigarette, leaning against the wall of a laundry, as carriages of the rich passed by noisily. Meanwhile, many young ladies, without needing to hide their gaze, stared at him with admiration.
"Milady, what are you doing?"
"James, c-can I invite this young man into our carriage?"
"What?... Milady, I didn\'t quite understand your question," Adam raised an eyebrow, lighting another cigarette and exhaling smoke. He looked up and saw that a lavish carriage had stopped in front of him. The massive wheels were adorned with silver and gold, and the carriage\'s base was made from a special wood known as the "White Wood." On the golden-adorned doors, there was a coat of arms belonging to an aristocrat. It was an eagle holding a knight\'s sword in its claws, with three suns above it.
Usually, suns were depicted on the coats of arms of aristocrats ranking from viscount and higher. Therefore, the presence of three suns gave Adam the notion that this was an aristocrat from the vassal kingdom of Rulisia, a marquis.
The curtains on the windows were drawn, and he could see a lady inside, gazing at him with adoration. For some reason, she looked familiar, but Adam couldn\'t quite recall who she was.
Soon, the carriage door opened, and an old man with short gray hair and brown eyes stepped out. He was dressed in the uniform of a butler and had a stoop. A magical aura formed around him, providing shelter from the rain. He approached Adam.
"Sir, I apologize for the abrupt request, but my lady would like to meet with you. Would you spare us your attention?" He suddenly said with a respectful tone, but there was a hint of suspicion in his gaze as if Adam appeared to him as some sort of criminal. However, the old man sighed and explained, "I understand this sounds quite unusual, but she sees potential in you and would like to discuss the opportunities she can offer you."
Adam didn\'t say anything and just exhaled smoke, taking out his cigarette case. Out of politeness, he extended it to the old man, gesturing that he could have one, but the old man politely declined, citing health issues. Although Adam saw that he was healthier than many young men, he didn\'t comment on it in any way.
"As you wish," Adam replied, shrugging and putting out his cigarette. He returned the cigarette case to its place and put on his white gloves. On the right glove, in the area of the thumb\'s extension, were the initials "VeR," which the old man noticed. He raised an eyebrow.
***
In the carriage... Adam sat in a chair across from a woman. In terms of appearance, she looked to be around twenty years old. She had long, wavy pink hair and bright blue eyes. She was dressed in a beautiful, closed dress, belonging to the "NYR" brand, in a shade of blue. Her face bore a tender smile, and her figure was beautiful and enticing.
"Hello, sir. I hope I haven\'t disturbed you," she said, initiating the conversation. Her face reflected positive emotions, and her soft smile gave a sense of relaxation and serenity.
"Hello, milady," Adam greeted her politely, returning her kiss with the back of his hand. He gave her a gentle smile and responded to her question, "Of course, you haven\'t disturbed me. I was just taking a leisurely walk in the city, enjoying the weather."
The butler entered and closed the door behind him, instructing the coachman to start the journey. Then he sat down next to Adam, watching his every move as if Adam were a dangerous criminal preparing to attack.
Adam regarded these two unusual individuals with suspicion. They had introduced themselves in a highly suspicious manner and had chosen a route that avoided as many guards as possible. It seemed as though they were hiding from something, even though the carriage selected for the journey was not particularly inconspicuous.
The lady in front of him was named Astia, and she was a talkative young woman. Every minute, she asked him about the city, fashion, or recent news related to the Veridia brand. Of course, Adam didn\'t reveal many details but shared surface-level information that ordinary city residents would know.
He was also intrigued by the route they had taken, which led directly to his estate. Moreover, the woman seemed eager to learn about him, although judging by her appearance, she hadn\'t realized that he was the mayor of the city. So, Adam decided to play along.
"Ah, your name is Sir Leonid? What a splendid, manly name. Truly, a glorious name," Astia said, complimenting Adam, who had chosen a name at random. Then she asked, "You know, I\'m very interested in this city. I\'ve never visited it before, but I\'m already drawn to its atmosphere and sophistication. It feels like, in many ways, it rivals even the capital!"
"Indeed. Well observed, milady. They say the city\'s layout was designed by the finest masters, and every district\'s location is meticulously crafted," Adam replied, stating a fact often boasted about in tourist agencies.
"Marvelous!"
During their brief conversation, Adam noticed a few hints. First, her style of speaking didn\'t resemble those of vassal kingdoms. For example, in Rulisia, aristocrats often used a peculiar form of speech, replacing the usual "I am" with a more pompous "I, as [title], believe..." However, this young lady used the common conversational style of Avalonia.
Moreover, the butler\'s behavior was unusual. It seemed that he was sending signals in the direction of the west every few seconds, and in response, there were occasional answering signals. It was something akin to GPS but in the form of magic. The problem was that only the highest authority used such a method for location notification.
"Fascinating," thought Adam.
Suddenly, the carriage stopped. They were right in front of his estate, and at the entrance, Ekaterina and her maids awaited them.
"Oh? Have we arrived already? What a pity, I was enjoying our conversation, Sir Leonid," Astia said with disappointment as she rose from her seat. She smiled at Adam and added, "Sir Leonid, would you mind waiting for me in the carriage? I promise I\'ll finish my business as quickly as possible."
Adam got up from his seat and smiled at her. "Of course. Let me help you down, then."
He jumped off the carriage and extended his hand to Astia, who smiled warmly and accepted his assistance. Behind him, Ekaterina\'s expression had turned gloomy, and three maids behind her raised their eyebrows.
"Thank you very much."
Accepting Astia\'s gratitude, Adam turned his gaze to the butler, who was already in conversation with Ekaterina. He was behind Astia, wearing a mischievous smile, feeling like a child who had played a prank.
Astia approached Ekaterina and greeted her with a sweet smile. "Hello. I\'ve come here as an ambassador from the Branks Company. We had arranged this meeting, and Sir Adam personally approved it. Here\'s my invitation," she said, signaling her butler to hand over the invitation.
Ekaterina accepted the envelope and examined it. When she saw Adam\'s seal, imbued with his magical energy, she nodded and looked past Astia, saying, "Master, you have guests."
The butler turned around, and he was shocked to hear Ekaterina address "Sir Leonid," which was the name Adam had used, as "Master." There was a brief silence.
***
The guests were escorted to the dining room. It was ten in the morning, and today\'s guests, represented by Astia, who turned out to be none other than Duchess Anastasia, were slightly subdued. Remembering their shocked expressions, Adam couldn\'t help but smile, feeling that his day had become a bit more enjoyable.
To be continued...