[You have completed Quest: Luminara's Lantern]
[You have gained 1,500 reputation points]
[You have gained 4,090 lumens]
Lucien clutched a bag of coins in his hands, a lecherous grin splitting his face.
He was practically glowing with satisfaction.
'I'm so rich, and I'm getting richer. So much money.'
Lucien dismissed the pouch of coins and focused on the final quest of the day.
Evening had descended upon Vel'Rhameir, and workers were trudging home, making the streets considerably more crowded than when Lucien had first wandered through.
Men in crisp suits and hats strode with briefcases toward their homes, while others wore peculiar ensembles—flowing robes and scarves tied around their long hair.
Ladies glided in gowns, some long, most short, and a few sported pants with swords at their hips.
Lucien glimpsed the Wardens from time to time as they patrolled the streets.
Vel'Rhameir was neatly divided into seven districts.
The Azure Ring housed the palace and high governmental officials.
Civitas Ward contained player housing and the Adventurer's Guild extension estate, along with estates for renowned clans.
Crystalis Forum buzzed with marketplaces and auction blocks. Warden's Row housed the Military Academy and Barracks.
Scholarium was home to the City Library, several smaller bookshops, lore halls, and street-corner magicians scattered throughout the district.
The Drowned Steps housed the canal docks and ferries, with the canal connecting to the eastern wall where the slums sprawled.
And the Luminous Vaults contained banks, trade ministries, wealth registrars, and merchant guilds.
These were all seven districts of the capital city. Lucien was currently walking along Meia Street, heading toward the Azure Ring to meet with the Noble Lady whom the quest concerned.
After cutting across the street and entering a narrow alleyway that led uphill, then crossing over the archway that bridged the canal and its luminescent waters, he reached a garden that led to an ornate gate.
Lucien approached the gate and knocked. Barely three seconds later, a young boy sprinted toward the gate and bowed.
"State your business, sire."
Lucien studied him for a moment before speaking.
"I am Player Cien and I have…"
"Oh my days! Player Cien! You are most welcome! Our lady's prayers have finally been answered! Oh good gods! The gods are alive!"
Lucien wasn't confused. Perhaps the first time this happened, he'd been baffled, but these days he wasn't anymore.
While he despised the burden of fame, it spared him from having to clarify his identity as an Adventurer. All he needed to do was drop the name Player Cien and every NPC eagerly offered him quests.
'I guess this is the blessing of high reputation.'
The boy hastily opened the gate and led him into the compound. Flanking both sides of the estate were gardens bursting with vibrant, colorful flowers.
They climbed a staircase to a building supported by two imposing white columns.
Then the boy pushed open the polished brown wooden door. The mansion's interior sprawled before Lucien's eyes, leaving him utterly awestruck.
He was so stunned that he turned to question the servant boy.
"Young sir, I apologize… who exactly is Lady Varlyeth?"
The boy whirled around with a shocked expression.
"Wow. There's nobody who doesn't know Lady Varlyeth. I guess Lord Cien must truly be busy slaying monsters, as the canal whisperers say. Remarkable! Mighty indeed."
Lucien's face went stone cold.
He wished he could throttle the servant boy—and those damned Canal Whisperers too. They just sat in their ferries gossiping about gods knew what!
"Lady Varlyeth is an extremely important figure throughout the entire Federation. She's the backbone of Federation finances, one of the three Scepters in existence, and also the Merchant Queen."
Lucien's eyes narrowed in disbelief.
It wasn't that he was being cynical—it was just that if such an important person existed, why would players ignore her quest?
"I'm finding it difficult to believe your words. How is this the first time I'm hearing about this? Someone this important has an assignment, she's a Scepter, and the city doesn't know? The Adventurers don't know?"
"I'd rather keep it that way…"
Lucien turned toward the center of the parlor, watching as a charming, lithe lady gracefully descended the stairs. She suddenly stopped, perched on the railing, and slid down the rest of the way.
This stirred conflicted feelings within Lucien.
She landed playfully and smoothed her fluffy gown.
"I understand your skepticism. Compared to the other Scepters, I prefer to remain hidden. Most of my branch companies don't even recognize me when they see me. Yet I am the Overseer of all Merchant guilds, president of Rhamira Banks Limited, and I own several private companies. I'm also the wealthiest citizen in Rhamira."
She glanced away for a moment, her voice dropping to a lower tone.
"I don't know about the continent at large, so I can't claim that distinction."
Lucien continued studying her with a skeptical expression. While he didn't want to believe her claims, he examined her mansion once more. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel⚑fire.net
The space was a symphony of silver and ice-blue hues, where luxury whispered rather than shouted. A sweeping sectional sofa curved around a glass table, its surface pristine yet inviting, like the calm center of a storm of elegance.
Above, two grand chandeliers shimmered like frozen rain, suspended from a ceiling that arched as if aspiring to touch the sky.
Sunlight poured through floor-to-ceiling windows, flooding the living room in crystalline light that danced across the marble floor like liquid glass.
Every detail—polished stone, mirrored accents, cascading light—felt deliberate, as though the room itself breathed opulence. It wasn't just a place worthy of existing in a game; this house put several real-world homes to shame. It bore some resemblance to the pristine and uncanny architecture of Halo's place, although the exterior wasn't quite so extravagant.
'Could this also be her handiwork?'
He didn't need to ask—that wasn't the point of this meeting. The entire place reeked of luxury and made Lady Varlyeth's words believable.
"Then why are you telling me all of this? If you wish to stay in the background, you just spilled most of your secrets to me…"
The lady smiled. Her smile wasn't warm… it was warm enough. It was the kind that made Lucien wonder whether she was amused by him, or whether she was being sly and cunning, already plotting something several steps ahead of him.
"I need your help… and you are a very renowned Adventurer… shouldn't I throw in a little extra steak so I can have the dog extra energetic for the mission ahead?"
Lucien's expression went blank.
'Did she just call me a dog?'