Lawrence watched outside the moving carriage, the streets were both unfamiliar and extremely familiar at the same time, he hadn't explored them but he wanted to, all he saw was outside the carriages.
Their destination was a popular market from where materials coming from the Fog were distributed to various buyers.
Their business there was just buying some ingredients, they were needed to prepare something that Lawrence didn't disclose to Evelyn.
As they arrived and got out the carriage the streets were filled with people entering and exiting the plaza, the towering buildings were linked by streets between them higher than the ground.
Many smells could be smelled from inside them, meat, flowers and other substances.
They went towards the central building before getting stopped by the guards at the entrance that crossed some halberds, they were dressed in black trench coats with some helmets that were adorned by wings.
Lawrence sighed and took out a golden emblem resembling his family crest, and the guards hurried out of the way letting the trio walk inside the building.
The interior was made of black stone and dark oak, it was illuminated by lanterns cascading down the ceiling, two staircases were in the sides of the entrance converging on the next floor to then diverge and reconvene on the next going on till the last floor.
Lawrence made way to the third floor, from there they took the left suspended street compared to the entrance, the building they were approaching seemed to be drenched in a faint glow, an oily smell emanating from inside it.
Once inside there many vendors, all of lantern oil, the many variants were tinted of a slight secondary colour after their mainly black tint, this secondary colour was faint in lower quality ones and more bright, it was presented as an outline of the black liquid itself.
Some may had similar colour but they were distinguished by either the quality or the shade.
Lawrence looked from a distance to the various oils, till he spotted ones that could be what he was searching he wouldn't dare come closer or show interest in some way, Evelyn noticed it silently thinking of why he seemed so calculated compared to normal.
She smirked softly feeling slightly happy at noticing a crack in his sweet innocent boy facade, she was so pleased that she didn't notice a girl that seemed lost.
Lawrence walked towards her, Lloyd followed closely behind and Evelyn was left a bit more behind them from her smugness.
"Hello miss you seem lost could I help you?" Lawrence asked kindly with a soft smile, the girl looked at him slightly surprised before her soft cheek were painted slightly red.
Her brunette hair cascaded over her shoulder under her yellow hat and onto her dress shoulder pads, her hazel eyes looked at him like looking at a precious and beatiful painting.
"Uhm yes... m-my father sent me to look for StormNight oil a-and i can't find it" the girl muttered shily as she fidgeted with her fingers and averted Lawrence gaze.
Both Evelyn and Lloyd were getting annoyed for different reasons, Lawrence kept his warm smile to reassure her.
"They are higher grade so it should be on the fourth floor at least better chances on the fifth if you search a lower price" Lawrence explained politely at the young lady in front of him.
"O-oh thank you sir?" The lady asked fumbling her words a bit as she finally looked at him just for her blush to deepen.
"Lawrence Floro, you miss what's your name?" Lawrence replied innocently as he stepped back slightly to give the girl extra space, but it left the girl expression slightly sad.
"Lerane... Lerane Jackine" the Lady answered shily before averting his gaze again.
"Then good day Ms. Lerane" Lawrence said innocently before leading the way for Evelyn and Lloyd as they followed closely behind.
"Do you have to charm all the girls you see around?" Evelyn murmured in Lawrence earlier with a slightly annoyed tone.
"I was helping a lost girl, quiet cynical aren't you?" Lawrence retorted innocently as his gaze dropped to a vendor merch scanning them before stopping in his track.
He stepped near the vendor tables looking at the oils of gray shade, the colouring was faint for the ones near him and brighter for the ones near the merchant.
"This is fool's silver oil right?" Lawrence asked politely pointing to a flask of oil with a slightly bright gray outline of the black liquid.
"Oh yes you seem to an eye for it kid, 12 sparks and it's yours what do you say?" The merchant offered confidently as he took one to prepare it for the kid in front of him.
"Mhm... what do you say if I buy two at 10 sparks?" Lawrence counteoffered to the merchant with a polite tone and a warm smile.
"I would gain more at selling them to you at full price so why should I?" The merchant rebutted with a sly smirk and a polite tone.
"Mhm well buying this oil is just secondary on our list, so why should I get it now?" Lawrence questioned innocently with a polite smile and sweet voice.
The merchant chuckled lightly, then looked at the people behind the kid that was making such statements, judging them it showed that one was a simple Valet and the other one was an actual Essence user and one on the verge of reaching the yellow stars.
The merchant smiled calmly and prepared two flasks of oil, "okay, I'll give it to you both for 20 sparks but the lady must buy something herself" he said calmly as put the flask Lawrence asked for between his fingers and shook his hand.
Evelyn was momentarily stunned, this little sly merchant was stingy, stingy as the banks themselves, she looked down at Lawrence seeing him maintaining his innocent facade, then she looked at the various flasks in the direction of the green shades one, looking at the flasks she needed she had an idea.
She could use this merchant offer to gain further favour by Lawrence maybe helping her making him consider trusting her more before she could reject his offer once she stopped being his bodyguard.
And she could also asks back her money from him as compensation for this help to him.
She took a closer look at the green shaded flasks of black liquid, she looked at the slightly brighter ones then the gray shades Lawrence brought, her eyes landed on a light bright green shade, it was Emerald Grass oil.
It was used normally to help with toxins healing fumes of certain lantern holders, it could also be mixed with some venomous insects parts to create antidotes.
As she pointed at the oils she choose she stopped to think for a second, the oil Lawrence choose was normally used to make special coat for circuits or to make elettric type fire for lanterns.
He said he was a spark weawer byt she thought the fire one not the elettric one, this changed somethings why wouldn't he just use the electricity to deal with pushy girls? A small shock from his body wouldn't let him touch him.
She didn't stop thinking for long before buying the oil for 13 sparks, Lawrence took the two bags with the flasks and lead the way again after saying goodbye politely.
As Lawrence led the way he could feel Evelyn gaze on him, it was starting to bother him by how intense it felt.
"Ms.Evelyn do you want to ask something?" Lawrence questioned innocently as they arrived to a staircase near the wall of the building.
"Yes, you didn't specify you were an Elettric Spark Weawer, so we are to help you buy something for your rank up?" Evelyn scoffed slightly annoyed as she stepped closer to Lawrence her gaze looking straight in his to try and catch something.
And so she did finding a slight uneasiness in the deeper part of his gaze, she was about to speak before Lloyd cut her off.
"The young master came here for you too, we have prepared to pay for your eventual acquisitions for a potential rank up" Lloyd explained calmly stepping between Evelyn and Lawrence.
"Eh? Why the hell..." Evelyn muttered surprised at Lloyd words as he took out an envelope with paper pounds, there were 20 paper pounds notes inside it.
"I need oil to perform my advancement, you need weapons" Lawrence commented innocently as stepped out from behind Lloyd, looking up at Evelyn as she looked at him coldly.
"Then do you plan on me using this money to buy the weapons I need?" Evelyn scoffed finding the idea laughable as she put the money away.
"Warrior types Essence find the way to unlock their wall and surpass it, you need at least a practice weapon good enough" Lawrence confirmed innocently before he lead the way on the next floor and to the street that led to the next building.
It was filled with armors of many cultures, the floor they were in housed the Plated armor mostly.
The vendors had both mannequins and hooks holding the armors on show, others like gauntlets were laying on the tables.
Lawrence acted like earlier, he didn't dare show interest to any piece of amor or vendor that didn't catch his gaze.
Evelyn on the other hand was scrutinizing every armor they passed by like searching for the ideal piece.
The building was also filled with warriors or warden types, they were all scouting for cheap but good armor, even if it wasn't possible theoretically speaking.
Lawrence led towards a more secluded part of the floor, a simple vendor there with a tent like every other one.
But he smiled like he was expecting Lawrence and Lloyd, he took out a wooden box with metal details, upon it the Floro family crest.
Lawrence smiled innocently and made a sign to Lloyd to check the box as Evelyn watched from the side with a cold expression but deep down she was puzzled and even curious what this box contained.
"It's all like it was ordered young master" Lloyd confirmed to Lawrence before he passed both a note and an envelope filled with money.