It was early in the morning, the eighth hour of the new day, and the stars were still visible in the sky.
Keith and Rebecca left the Azvir Mansion, waking up before everyone else, and on the silent streets of the City that were blissfully serene, they walked hand in hand. Now and then, they stole glances at the two moons that hung in the sky, one silver, one blue, and it was a sight they were yet to get used to.
They came across several people on the streets who were getting ready for their day's business, and even some convoys that were leaving the residential district, heading out of the City.
Almost everyone, no matter who they were, greeted the passer-by with smiles. It showed how peaceful and well-cultured the City was, and the two of them were sure that the rest of the Cities of Sin were the same.
Compared to the rest of the City, where people were still waking up, Central Square was much more vibrant. It was not as bustling as it had been last night, but there were still a lot of people there.
Edithmont was busy as ever, and on the other side, the Cirian Gallery was entertaining some customers, mostly Aurors, who were preparing to leave the City on their journeys.
As soon as they entered the premises, an attendant walked over to them and bowed in greeting.
"Good morning, my Lord, my Lady. The Prince has been waiting for you in his office. Please, come with me."
"Lead the way." Keith nodded to her, and the attendant silently led them upstairs, to the floor where Ziar's office was located.
The Martial Prince was there with a few more, and an elderly man, whose wise and aged eyes glinted as soon as they landed on them.
Though they did not show it on their faces, both Keith and Rebecca were surprised to find that this man was powerful enough to not belong in the Lower Heaven.
He was suppressing his Aura Hub to the Peak of the Martial Overlord Realm to stay on Amaya, and by the look of things, the emblem on his coat, and the way he was sitting in Ziar's chair, he was likely an Ancestor of the Cirian Royal Family.
They could also make out a number of facial features that the old man shared with Ziar.
Both of them could sense that the man had seen right through their half-masks, and for someone as powerful as he was, these half-masks were simply transparent.
Everyone in the room was on their feet except for the old man, and Keith lightly smiled at him as he unleashed the pressure that suppressed the latter's Bloodline.
He had to take charge of the situation, and since Rebecca and Kiara were going to stay in Westesia for a while, it would not hurt to have some allies.
Ziar frowned when he saw the old man suddenly stand up as well, and his heart skipped a beat when he caught his Ancestor's right hand trembling.
"I am afraid I have never met someone as talented as the two of you." The old man happily smiled, not letting the turmoil in his heart show on his face.
"Neither have we." Rebecca playfully said. "I hope His Excellency will not tell people what we look like behind these masks."
"Please rest assured. I have no such intentions. My presence here is a coincidence, and I only came here to visit my great-grandson." His words were very polite, and this tensed the hearts of the people who were present in the room.
Some of them were outright sweating, trying to guess Argus and Abigail's real identities that could even humble the old man of the Cirian Family.
"My name is Azam Ciria. And I am an ordinary Alchemist."
"Argus. I am a Doctor who dabbles in Alchemy."
"Abigail. I am my husband's apprentice."
Azam happily smiled at their introduction, sensing their honesty and playfulness, and then asked them to take their seats.
"Let us get started with the business."
Keith did not indulge in any chit-chat and took out a piece of perfectly spherical Agaurum, the size of a tennis ball, and placed it on the table.
"Please, feel free to examine it," he said.
The two Alchemists Ziar had arranged for the examination and appraisal approached the table after receiving a nod from him.
They had brought along several pieces of varying qualities of Agaurum, and they carefully tested them against the one Keith was selling.
There was confusion at first, then wonderment, and by the time they finished their inspection, nearly half an hour later, there was just excitement left on their faces.
"It is the purest kind of Agaurum, Lord Ziar. There are no impurities, and it is the perfect conductor of both Aura and Mana." They gave their assessment, and the Martial Prince was very happy to hear the news.
"Great. You can receive your reward from Mala." He dismissed the two from the office, and they bowed to him and Azam before leaving the room.
The two Appraisers, who were Ziar's servants and were also present yesterday, left as well, and only after they were gone did the Martial Prince start the negotiation.
"I wonder how much you want for it," he politely asked.
"The seller can demand as much as he wants, but in the end, it all depends on the buyers and how much they are willing to pay for something they desire or need. So, tell us, Lord Ziar, what is the purest Agaurum worth in your eyes?"
The Martial Prince helplessly smiled when he heard those words.
She had not asked him about the market price of Pure Agaurum but asked him to tell them what the Purest Agaurum was worth in his eyes.
Some people would not understand the difference, but there was a very important distinction, clear to the Martial Prince who possessed an enviable acumen for business.
A lot of people could offer the market price; Keith and Rebecca would find dozens of them in this City alone. However, what they wanted was to find a buyer who was truly interested and understood the good's true worth, and who would be willing to bleed a little to secure the deal.
Ten Megagrams of the Purest Agaurum was a lot, and his Gallery could create thousands of armours, battle suits, defensive fabric, and weapons out of it. This amount would be more than enough to equip several elite platoons.
And if the finest of the right Magical Treasures were created, then selling them would earn his family profits in excess of hundreds of millions of Stones.
Ziar did not rush to answer and took his time as he came up with the right price. He had to come up with a price that would also show his goodwill.
"Two and a half million Stones for a quintal of this Agaurum." He finally said, and became a little nervous when he saw the smile on Rebecca's face.
Thankfully, she did not raise the price, and Keith nodded his head in satisfaction.
"That is a fair price. Do you want all 100 quintals?"
"Yes," Ziar replied without any hesitation. "Two hundred and fifty million Stones for 100 quintals is my offer."
"We accept it." Keith smiled and nodded his head. "We will complete the trade tomorrow in the afternoon."
"Deal."
"Deal."
They both reached forward and shook each other's hands.
"Well, this calls for drinks." The Martial Prince happily said, intending to make friends with them, but both Keith and Rebecca excused themselves, stating that they had a promise to keep.
Thus, they accepted the Spirit Fruit, which Ziar had prepared for them, and they left the office.
Neither Ziar nor Azam insisted that they stay. The former did feel a little helpless because it was not every day that he met people who did not show any serious interest in becoming friends with him.
Even his great-father had appreciated and acknowledged their talent, and he felt like he was failing to secure a friendship that would prove very beneficial to him and his family.
"Upset that they are not making any efforts to become friends with you?" He heard the old man speak.
Azam was now holding the ball of Agaurum in his hand, which Keith had not taken away with him. And the old man was carefully examining it.
The Martial Prince did not speak until a smile crept on his great-father's lips.
"Not upset. I just feel a little helpless," he honestly answered. "Is there something wrong with it?" He casually asked, not in the least doubtful about the metal's authenticity.
"No. There is nothing wrong with it. This metal is indeed the purest Agaurum, and it has been refined by a brilliant Alchemist."
"I figured it was not natural." Ziar nodded his head.
"Does not matter. It is better than any natural Agaurum that you can find in this world," Azam said, and melted the metallic ball, using an enchanting blue flame that suffocated his great-son.
He then started playing with the liquid metal, transforming it into different shapes and figures.
It was clear that he was lost in thought, and Ziar did not say anything. He did not dare disturb his great-father's thoughts.
Besides, the bells of crisis that had started sounding after seeing that blue flame were still ringing in his head.
A short while later, he found himself burning with curiosity.
It was the first time in his life that he had seen his old man act so politely in front of someone.
"How many Martial Princes have you seen who were around three decades old?"
The sudden question stunned him, and Ziar felt cold chills run up his spine.
"He is a Martial Prince?"
"No. But he is only a step away from it."
"And the girl?" he nervously asked.
"She did not reveal it, but she is definitely not a Peak Stage Martial Master either," Azam lightly said, and seeing the confusion on his child's face, he smiled. "Yes, I could not see through either of them. I only know what he showed me."
Ziar nodded to him, frowning at his words.
"Magical Treasures?"
"Yes." The old man confirmed.
"His talent should not be the only reason why you showed so much respect to them." He voiced his curiosity, and the answer he received left him dumbfounded.
"Had your people not been in the room, I would have shown even more respect to them." The old man seriously said, wearing a light smile on his lips. "They are Nobles, child. Even the people in the Heavens would bow to them. I am no different. My blood is the lesser one. It is just that they do not wish to keep too high of a profile because it would spoil their fun, and I dare not be disrespectful."
The more Ziar listened to Azam's words, the more tense he became. He knew how strong his great-father was, and how powerful their background was. So, for his old man to put himself below Argus and Abigail was something that would shake the entire world if the words got out.
"I wonder which Power in the Heavens or beyond has sent their children to Amaya..." The old Ciria mused and then stood up to take a walk. "Inform the children of the Family to never stand against them. They will not bother you unless you provoke them. And you must not do anything to provoke them. Understood?"
"Yes, great-father." The Martial Prince obediently nodded his head and followed his old man out of the office.
However, just when he stepped out of the door, Azam was gone. He was not even on the premises.
Expanding his senses, he located his old man entering the Tower of Loki, and though he was curious why he went there, Ziar decided to head to the Capital to speak to his cousin, who was the Emperor. He had to deliver the message of their great-father.