A faint knock on the door interrupted the cleaning session, causing everyone inside the room to pause in unison.
Seviya frowned, puzzled. They had just arrived and had few acquaintances in Port Fran. Who could it be at the door? Could it be McKinley?
She signaled her companions to be ready and cautiously approached the door, gently opening it.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” she asked, surprised to find Ladi Sertia Gerard, the Azure Witch whom they had just met the day before.
“It’s me, but not just me,” Cierra replied.
Looking past her, Seviya felt her heart jump to her throat. It was the local lord and his guards!
She recognized Paul, having seen him before at the Customs Union inauguration ceremony.
“You’ve been tracking me and now you’ve betrayed me?” Fear and anger swiftly filled Seviya’s mind. Apart from being approached by the local lord, her fear also stemmed from being completely unaware of the Azure Witch’s tracking.
Paul’s guards, sensing the tension, immediately drew their firearms and pointed them at Seviya and her group, who, being new to the Northwestern Bay, did not understand the implications.
“Let’s not put it in such harsh terms, Miss Acitini,” Paul interjected in the tense moment, trying to display a friendly demeanor.
“I’ve come to visit you, nothing more. Please lower your guard. As a lord visiting in person, doesn’t that show my sincerity?”
Hearing this, Seviya’s furrowed brows relaxed slightly. She gestured for her companions to stand down, and Paul’s guards also lowered their firearms, unaware that the wizards had just narrowly escaped a potentially deadly confrontation.
Seviya stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter. “Please, Lord Grayman, come in.”
Cierra entered first, followed by Paul and his guards. Paul took a seat at a round table, with Cierra standing by his side.
“Firstly, let me clarify something. I welcome the arrival of talented individuals like you to the Northwestern Bay, ‘Alchemists’,” Paul said, extending his hands.
Unmoved, Seviya eyed Paul, trying to gauge his sincerity.
“I understand you’ve recently faced hardships in Horn Bay and thus harbor distrust towards everything around you. It will take time to bridge this gap.”
Paul continued, “To build trust from scratch between us, I assure you that as long as you abide by our laws and pay taxes on time, I will treat you as ordinary citizens, without any ‘special treatment’.” ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel·fire.net
Seviya understood Paul’s implication – he wouldn’t kill or expel them, but he wouldn’t treat them as esteemed guests, unlike some nobles fascinated with mysticism.
That suited her just fine. All she and her companions wanted was to live quietly. The proposal made to the Azure Witch the other day was just a spur of the moment.
“Thank you, Lord Grayman. I hereby vow to abide by your laws and not overstep my bounds,” Seviya bowed to Paul.
After all, she had already made a similar vow in front of Cierra Sertia. Repeating it in front of this lord was no big deal.
“Good!” Paul exclaimed.
Paul clapped his hands and continued, “Additionally, I hope you avoid using your… unique abilities in front of ordinary people. It could cause a commotion, which would be troublesome for me.”
Seviya nodded in agreement, “Rest assured, we have no intention of revealing our identities either.”
Paul seemed a bit uneasy as he added, “That’s good, but since you possess abilities others don’t, I would like…”
Seviya internally scoffed at this apparent contradiction to his earlier claim of not treating them specially.
“I hope you can report to my people in Port Fran once a week. If you’re planning to travel far, like back to Horn Bay, that’s fine, but do inform us in advance.”
After saying this, Paul felt anxious, wondering if Seviya and her companions would agree or if he’d have to resort to more forceful measures.
To his surprise, Seviya seemed more at ease. Despite the slight sense of surveillance, she began to trust this man a bit more. She knew the general perception of wizards and understood that a stranger’s unconditional trust often had ulterior motives.
After a deep sigh, Seviya discussed in a low voice with her companions in the language of Horn Bay.
“I think it’s reasonable. Given our nature, it’s understandable for people to be cautious.”
“But didn’t we come here seeking freedom?”
“Freedom? Would you prefer to live in constant fear and uncertainty elsewhere?”
“Right, sacrificing some freedom for a stable life seems worth it.”
After a lively discussion, they all agreed to Paul’s proposal.
Seviya returned to Paul, her voice now devoid of its earlier coldness, “Lord Grayman, my companions and I accept your proposal.”
“Excellent,” Paul nodded in satisfaction.
“You don’t need to go out of your way to report; that could draw unnecessary attention. You’re opening a shop, right? My people will come as tax officers.”
“Thank you for your thoughtfulness,” Seviya replied.
“This is just a temporary measure. If you gain my trust, you’ll eventually live like any other citizen of Alda.”
Seviya expressed her gratitude and bowed, “Thank you very much.”
“Well, that settles it. I should be going. I hope you integrate well into life in the Northwestern Bay.”
As Paul stood to leave, Seviya escorted him to the door.
“Take care, Lord Grayman.”
Paul reassured her, “I believe the day when you can walk freely among others will come soon.”
“If only other authorities were as enlightened as you,” Seviya remarked.
Flattered, Paul laughed heartily, “Haha, I do consider myself one of the most enlightened people in the world.”
Seviya, surprised by Paul’s self-assessment, could only cough in response.
As Ladi followed Paul out, she passed by Seviya and left her with a warning, “I hope our next meeting won’t involve any tricks.”