《The Sword's Wind and the Golden Blade Book 2 (BL Xianxia-based story)》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¡°Senior Drakkel! I made some food for everyone!¡± Mi-Mian said excitedly. She rushed into the room with a bowl in her hand, causing Drakkel to pause in the middle of his story. All the disciples in the room turned their attention to her. One of the minor disciples, Grise, said, ¡°Don''t you always say that? Then don''t we end up throwing out the food and wasting precious ingredients?¡± ¡°Not this time!¡± Mi-Mian pouted. ¡°Senior Aurien said it was edible!¡± ¡°Ha! Edible?¡± Kio mocked. ¡°You might want to listen to Grise! Senior Aurien is too kind! If he says it''s edible, it means it''s bad!¡± Mi-Mian¡¯s cheeks puffed up. ¡°Senior Drakkel?!¡± She whined. Drakkel was still trying to decide what to do when Leyon stepped in. ¡°I¡¯m sure it''s good. Mi-Mian is always practicing. Her food only gets better and better!¡± Another minor disciple, Miron, laughed. ¡°What''s so funny?¡± Mi-Mian asked. ¡°Probably that birds of a feather flock together! You already took Leyon as a sworn brother. With similar temperaments and looks, one would assume you two to be blood brother and sister! Of course he always protects you!¡± Kio answered. Mi-Mian turned her head away as she replied, ¡°Well at least I don''t cling to Senior Drakkel like a chick to its mother! I also don''t instigate disputes between disciples like some people!¡± Kio was taken back. ¡°Who are you talking about? Aren''t you the one who came in yelling and disturbing our peace?!¡± Mi-Mian approached Kio and stared him in the face before scoffing and walking towards Drakkel. ¡°You¡¯ll try my food, right Senior Drakkel?¡± Drakkel hesitated. Then he took the bowl from her hand. He looked up at her and she smiled expectantly at him. Drakkel couldn''t refuse his junior sister. He grabbed a spoonful of the lumpy porridge and lifted it up. As he did so, an odd, unpleasant smell drifted into his nostrils. Mi-Mian said, ¡°If you can tolerate it, Senior Drakkel, then I can give it to the two sick guests staying with us without worry!¡± Kirora, who was silently standing next to Drakkel, stepped forward. ¡°Enough everyone! Enough fighting!¡± He took the bowl from Drakkel''s hand and shoved it back into Mi-Mian''s. ¡°Obviously Senior Drakkel doesn''t want to eat it. But you know how he treats us. Don''t take advantage of his kindness. Try it yourself first and see if you would dare give it to anyone after that.¡± From the look on Mi-Mian''s face it was evident to all in the room that she hadn''t even tried her own cooking. She warily stared down at the bowl and then gazed around the room. Several eyes were trained on her so she knew she couldn''t refuse. She scooped a bit of porridge with her spoon, picked it up and pushed it into her mouth. Her face scrunched up in disgust, before she covered her mouth and spit the porridge out. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Aha!¡± Kio said. ¡°So you really tried to force Senior Drakkel to eat food that you hadn''t even tried on your own! You haven''t even surpassed master in cooking and you already want to have others eat your disgusting concoctions? How could¡­!¡± ¡°How could what?¡± The voice of Rodius Fowl came from the doorway. A few moments later, he stepped into the room. Kio immediately stopped talking, gazing at his angry master. ¡°How could what?¡± Rodius Fowl reiterated. ¡°Nothing, Master!¡± Kio hurriedly said. Mi-Mian rushed over to Rodius Fowl and said, ¡°Master! Kio said that my cooking hasn''t even surpassed yours and so is not fit for human consumption.¡± Rodius Fowl turned to face Kio. ¡°Is this true?¡± Kio vigorously shook his head, his face an image of fear. ¡°Drakkel?¡± Rodius Fowl called. ¡°Yes, Master?¡± Drakkel answered, looking him in the eyes. ¡°What truly happened here?¡± Rodius Fowl was known as the strongest Sword Fighter in the world so of course his sword sense was second to none. Because of this, Drakkel knew he had already heard everything. If he really wanted to punish someone, they wouldn''t all still be able to sit here comfortably. He cleared his throat. ¡°I was recounting a story when Mi-Mian came in to tell us about a new recipe she learned from Senior Brother. We were all going to taste it together when Kio asked how Mi-Mian could bring it in here without extra spoons or bowls.¡± Rodius Fowl raised an eyebrow. ¡°That''s all? Well, just bring more spoons and bowls! You had me worried for a second. You all know the number one rule of our clan!¡± ¡°Of course we do, Master. We should not slander each other.¡± Drakkel answered, slightly bowing his head. Rodius Fowl smiled. ¡°That''s good. It was getting noisy so I came to check what was going on. If you all are fine here, I won''t disturb you any longer. Enjoy your fun and remember, only 2 hours of break per day! The rest of your personal time should be reserved for training and cultivation!¡± All the disciples in the room bowed their heads and answered in unison, ¡°Yes, master!¡± Rodius Fowl smiled and stroked his beard, nodding while leaving the room. Once he was gone, everyone let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you for saving us, Senior Drakkel! If Master heard what we said, we would have been made to hold sword positions for three hours as punishment!¡± Said Zair, another minor disciple. ¡°Three hours? Make it four!¡± Kio exclaimed. All the disciples laughed. Then Mi-Mian cleared her throat. ¡°Sorry everyone. Sorry Senior Drakkel. I¡¯m afraid you were right. I still have a long way to go before I can even touch Senior Aurien¡¯s toes!¡± Leyon rubbed his chin. ¡°I don''t know¡­ if Master heard you slandering others, your dream to touch Senior Aurien¡¯s toes just might come true!¡± The laughter continued as Drakkel thought about his early days when he would pull pranks on the guests staying in the manor. Washing his Senior Brother''s and Master''s feet were among the list of punishments he had to endure for his behavior. Attempting to keep his composure, he didn''t laugh with everyone else. But upon thinking back on his past faults, a small giggle escaped his smiling lips. ¡°Did you just laugh, Senior Drakkel?¡± Mi-Mian asked. Drakkel whose face had now returned to its previous indifferent demeanor shook his head. ¡°Don''t try to deny it, Senior! We all saw you!¡± Leyon said. Drakkel looked around, trying to find out if it was true. After gazing around, he settled his eyes on the always observant Kirora. Kirora¡¯s eyebrows were up as he glanced at Drakkel in surprise. Drakkel looked down, his face feeling a little hot. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Senior Drakkel ! You should laugh more! You''re always reserved! Reserved when you talk, reserved when you eat, and reserved when you laugh! Even when you smile, you''re still reserved!¡± Kio said. All the disciples nodded. One called out, ¡°Seeing Senior Drakkel laugh so genuinely is like watching an immortal descend from the heavens- a once in a lifetime sight! I must enshrine this moment!¡± ¡°When it comes to Senior Drakkel, you seem to have to enshrine every moment, Elisa! If you want to marry him, just say so!¡± Kio said. All the disciples laughed. Elisa yelled out, ¡°It''s not like that!¡± A wide smile spread upon Drakkel''s face as he stood up. ¡°Come on everyone, no more fighting. I didn''t even get to finish my story.¡± He thought for a moment, then an idea came to him. ¡°How about this? We can finish the story and then you all go back to training while I buy some snacks.¡± Several voices resounded in response, ¡°Really? Thanks, Senior Drakkel!¡± ¡°We appreciate it, Senior Drakkel!¡± ¡°Snacks? Yes please! Drakkel smiled. ¡°Now gather around. Let me finish up.¡± Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Drakkel opened his eyes and frowned. He was sitting atop a throne in a black fur robe, drowning out the sounds of those around him while staring at his master¡¯s pass. He rubbed his temple. He seemed to be developing a headache. He had discovered that after his master died and his demon poison was cured, he had advanced to Sword Epiphany. This only stabilized once he spent a few weeks cultivating alone in his bedroom. The demons spoke of the health of the citizens, the state of the city, and the morale of the army, but he ignored them, finding the news uninteresting. As always, the city was fine and running smoothly so why was his input needed? He sighed. His father, Demon Prince Fal-On, had tried to establish a good relationship with the clans after Demon King Fael passed. He approached one of the most influential ones at the time and had run into his mother, Shooting Star, Arcadia Luma. Arcadia Luma was there because she was set to be married to one of the clan members from the clan, but this clan member was a known womanizer and disliked by many. Of course she wasn¡¯t willing. It¡¯s just that the man had heard of her looks and skills and desired her beauty. Being a Sword Master, she could have run away, but she was an orphan and her clan was like her family. It was her duty to respect their wishes. If she did not, other Swords Clans would look down on her clan and she and her clan would suffer. But then, she met Demon Prince Fal-On who gave her the desire and strength to go against them. They spent a lot of time together and she fell in love with him. Later, Fal-On had struck a deal with the well-known clan. They said that the demons could be liberated in return for the guaranteed safety of the clans. However, the Clan only pretended to cooperate with Fal-On. In the end, they betrayed him and killed him. Around that time, the eighth demon lord and some of the demons that worked under him vanished. Since Fal-On kept them in the dark for much of what he was doing, the demons didn¡¯t know who truly killed him. Even when they tried to investigate by looking through the backgrounds of all the major clans including the Enchanting Fans Swords Clan, they yielded no results. The Enchanting Fans Swords Clan pretended like the talks of marriage didn''t happen. Afterwards, In fear for their own safety, they moved locations and that was how they came to be in this underground city. The demons were aware that Arcadia Luma was pregnant after their leader died, but she ran off before giving birth. Though they wanted to retrieve her and the child, they couldn¡¯t find them. She had disappeared and the baby¡¯s demonic energy was suppressed. That wasn''t until, at least, they felt a surge of royal demonic energy in Heaven¡¯s Path. demonic energy from a demon of the royal family was different from others. When one was in full control of it, it held the power to influence the demonic energy of others and draw other demons towards it. After recovering him, they found out that Drakkel''s demonic energy was suppressed because he was poisoned by a royal demon poison which was possessed by his father and passed down through his family. What happened at the Golden Peak Swords Clan caused him to output enough demonic energy for them to find him. Soon after he arrived, they showed him how to get rid of the poison. It could only be done by carefully circulating his unique royal demonic energy within his body until the poison was expelled. A large and burly man with a long black beard called, ¡°Your Highness? Did you hear me?¡± Drakkel''s attention returned to the Demon Lord of Punishment, Riyuk. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The man named Enzo has been brought into custody.¡± Drakkel¡¯s eyebrows went up. ¡°Has he? Then don''t waste time. Bring him here.¡± Riyuk left and soon returned with a man whose appearance was far too familiar; his hands were bound behind him as he fearfully gazed up. Sweat dripping from his forehead, his eyes widened in realization. Drakkel gave him the friendliest smile he could muster and the man¡¯s face paled, his body shivering slightly. ¡°Let him speak, but keep him bound.¡± Drakkel said. Riyuk nodded and hit the acupoint that kept Enzo from speaking. Drakkel spoke as if he was greeting an old friend. ¡°Enzo, it''s been a while. What have you been up to?¡± Enzo shook his head, his expression twisting into one of terror. Drakkel narrowed his eyes, looking down at him with a scowl. ¡°Do you refuse to answer?¡± Enzo vigorously shook his head and bowed. With his voice slightly trembling, he answered, ¡°No, Y¡­Your Highness! You ethereal presence just gave me a bit of a shock!¡± ¡°Pfft! Ethereal?¡± He laughed. As no one else joined him, the room echoed with the sounds of his laughter alone. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. When he was done, he smiled. ¡°Always with the sweet talk, aye Enzo?¡± Enzo smiled nervously. However, the corner of Drakkel''s lips turned down abruptly, causing his expression to sink in response. ¡°How about you answer a few questions for me. You can do that, right?¡± Enzo nodded. Drakkel smiled again. ¡°So, what do you know about the demons who inhabited Shadowy Ridges?¡± ¡°Wouldn''t your venerable self know more than I, Your High¡­¡± Drakkel shot an angry glare at him and he began to sweat in response, quickly choking down the words that were about to come out of his mouth. ¡°I¡­ I m¡­mean¡­¡± He cried, ¡°I was only hired by Town Lord Tincaid as his servant! He didn''t tell me anything! Because I was only interested in making money, naturally I didn''t stick my nose where it didn''t belong!¡± Drakkel scoffed. He stood up, walked over, and leaned down in front of Enzo. The man seemed entranced at first, but shook his head, shifting his gaze down at the same time. As Drakkel sat, he could smell the nervous sweat wafting off the terrified man¡¯s body. He grabbed the hand that Enzo had used to caress his own a little over a year ago and started to gently rub it. Enzo seemed like he wanted to move, but was afraid of what might happen if he did. ¡°Are you certain?¡± Drakkel gently asked. Enzo shook his head. Drakkel took his hand and began to squeeze it tightly. Enzo let out a light scream. ¡°Alright! I remember! I remember now!¡± He quickly said. Drakkel released his hand. ¡°Lord Tincaid maintained contact with several people! These people were merchants who he used to contact all his clients! I didn''t see the list of his clients, but I did see the list of the merchants! They all live in Dragon¡¯s Dwelling! They are Mistress Fina, Master Tifu, and Master Som. If you want to find out who benefitted the most from the mines, interrogating them might give you some hints!¡± Drakkel patted the older man¡¯s head. ¡°Good boy.¡± He stood up. ¡°See? Was that so hard?¡± Enzo didn''t dare to answer. Drakkel turned around and walked back to his seat. ¡°Take him away,¡± he said. Enzo¡¯s eyes widened as he began to beg. ¡°I¡¯ve told you all I know! Please let me go! I¡­ I have a family!¡± Drakkel stopped to think before getting on his throne. Finally, he turned to Riyuk. ¡°Keep him in the dungeons for the time being. I have plans for him.¡± Enzo pleaded and begged to be let go as he was dragged out and Drakkel ignored it. The man was shameless. He had his people watch his movements for quite a while before he had them capture him. If he had a family, he had surely never visited them. ¡°Any additional news for me?¡± He asked. ¡°We have found the whereabouts of the man named Firo Fieren, but his location is difficult to infiltrate,¡± Illa answered. Drakkel was intrigued. Even for a demon lord, it was difficult? ¡°Why?¡± He asked. ¡°He¡¯s in a fortress close to Dragon¡¯s Dwelling. We were only able to discover it because we had sent one of our people as a spy. The problem is that he¡¯s in a hidden chamber deep within this fortress and that the place is protected by royal guards. Even some Sword Fighters have been sent to periodically travel there to assist in guarding it. They say the protection is for the demonic artifact that they have found, but it might actually be for Firo Fieren.¡± Drakkel''s eyebrows shot up. Now this piqued his interest. Maybe it was what he was looking for. ¡°It seems we''ll have to make an excursion to Dragon¡¯s Dwelling then.¡± He said. ¡°Everyone prepare to depart within a week. I will keep some of you here to protect the city. The only demon lords that will come with me are Fargos, Drion, and Shia. Illia will stay to maintain the illusion protecting the caves that lead to the city and the rest of you shall assist her. We¡¯ll travel there as Foreign Merchants and investigate what we must.¡± The demon lords bowed. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°You are all dismissed.¡± Drakkel said. The demon lords dispersed and left the room. Afterwards, Drakkel walked down the hall to the lavatory located near his bedroom. He nodded at a servant who had just replaced the water in it as he walked in. Standing in front of a water basin, he observed his cuts on his hands for a moment, before beginning to wash his face. Once he was done, he stared at his reflection in the water. It had already been a year since he agreed to take over as Demon Prince. His hair was now fully white and his appearance had changed as well. His skin was pale as the moon and soft as silk. His sunken eyes and slightly wrinkled face had disappeared, being replaced with a more youthful look. He looked like one of the Demon Lords. Continuing to gaze at his features, he thought back to what had happened during the past year. He was taught a few things from Re¡¯ila during his time as Demon Prince and even inquired about some additional things on his own. Once she finished teaching him the basics and was assured he would be fine by himself, she returned to Waterfall''s End. He recalled some of what she had told him. Demon Lords were the most powerful demons, being equal to or above Sword Masters in power. Like humans, the higher that Demons rose in cultivation, the longer they lived. However, demon cultivation wasn''t the same as humans. They had several ways to cultivate. One was to devour meteoric stones, another was through fighting, and the last was through killing. The third way was the best method, but it was also the most frowned upon. Ever since Demon King Fael had died, most of the demons wanted to live peacefully; only the faction that split off from them didn''t agree. He wiped his face with a cloth that hung from the tall basin. After placing the cloth back, he touched his birthmark. It no longer brought him physical pain, but he couldn''t say it brought him no pain at all. Once he was done cleaning up, Drakkel walked over to the memorial hall. Standing at the entrance, he couldn''t bring himself to walk in. Finally, he shook his head and decided to go to his chambers instead. Before these events occurred, he was so naive. The thought had crossed his mind that someone was manipulating things in the dark, but he hadn''t foreseen the circumstances of ignoring these doubts. Now everyone he loved was gone and he regretted it. Back then, if he had acted when his doubts appeared. If he had told his clan, then maybe¡­ The doors to Drakkel¡¯s chambers came into view. When he got in, he settled into a lotus position on the bed and began to cultivate. Two energies now flowed within his body and balancing them proved difficult. Sword Energy and demonic energy were not meant to be together as the medicine Demon Lord Lif had told him. He suggested completely expelling one of the energies. He said that for Drakkel''s current body, demonic energy would work best and could be efficiently utilized directly unlike Sword Energy, which could also be used by the body but would severely weaken the strength of the energy. But Drakkel didn''t want to let go of the energy he trained with- especially now that he was the only surviving member of his clan. Demonic energy could not be utilized through weapons. If he expelled it, he would never be able to practice his sword skills again. So, although it was dangerous and severely drained him, he decided to keep a hold on both energies. In the dark landscape where only the remnants of a fire lay, swaying back and forth without the presence of wind, he resolutely held his sword. When he swung it, the fire turned to ash. Using his sword energy, Drakkel leaped forward, performing a sort of dance with his clan¡¯s sword moves: Glistening waves, Gusting winds, Fierce Tiger, Divine Moon, Eternal Torrent, Illustrious Sun, Blazing Moon, Immortal Ring, Jade Dragon, Soaring Phoenix, Sword heart, Sword Soul. However, just as he was in the middle of rising into the air to perform Soaring Phoenix, he began to cough profusely. Righting his stance, he gracefully descended and opened his eyes. A line of blood had dripped down his lips and for a few moments, he found it hard to move and laborious to breathe. When he regained the ability to move, he wiped the blood from his mouth as he continued to catch his breath. Yes, because Sword Energy and demonic energy were not meant to be together, he had a stall in his cultivation. But even with the stall, he could still face his enemies. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 While studying with Re¡¯ila, Drakkel learned that the demons had amassed a large amount of money. This was good for him as to keep up the act in Dragon''s Dwelling, he would need all the money he could get. He had spent the next days organizing the funds he would need and a week later, half of them had been traded for paper cash while some were used to buy expensive attire of the latest designs. The morning he was set to leave, he called Fargos, Drion, and Shia over to the throne room. The four then left to get ready before they departed. They sat in a room located in a separate wing. The room was situated close to Shia¡¯s chambers and within it was the new clothing they had bought along with several different types of makeup. Shia sat them each in a chair and changed their appearances, darkening their skin and changing their hair and eye colors. Afterwards, she even modified some of their features with her demonic magic. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. As Drakkel gazed into the mirror, he surveyed his new looks. Still handsome, but different. His long white hair had been replaced with blonde and his deep black eyes had taken on a different shape and turned an azure blue. His soft face had grown stronger, the lines of his jaw and nose becoming more pronounced. As he gazed at himself in the mirror, he smiled. Then he turned his attention to Fargos and Drion. The two appeared much more human than before and even themselves looked like handsome foreign princes. Fargos¡¯s pale complexion began to darken and glisten and his short black hair had lengthened to his back. His eyes had also been switched from a dark brown to a hazel brown. Meanwhile, Drion¡¯s straight dark brown hair had developed some curls, slightly lengthened, and taken up a more even color. His facial features had changed as well, also accentuating his nose and jaw line. Shia herself was fine. It was only that her eye and hair color were too unique. She switched her yellew eyes to an ocean blue and her white-streaked blonde hair to a dirty blonde. After changing their appearances , the four went into separate dressing chambers to put on the clothes that were provided. When they came out, they really did look like rich foreign merchants who were both beautiful in appearance and confident in gait. Drakkel was pleased. ¡°Good job, Shia,¡± he said. Shia silently bowed. Drakkel faced a mirror, viewing his foreign yet beautiful appearance. A corner of his lips turned up, reflecting the look of an irresistibly charming and handsome young man. They were sure to draw attention from those in the capital and like moths to a flame, with their eyes distracted, their minds would be easily manipulated. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 As it had been one year, Drakkel had already learned the layout of the labyrinth surrounding the city. In the midst of teaching him demonic history and politics, Re¡¯ila had used any free time they had to take him on a tour around the labyrinth. Afterwards, he had studied a physical map on his own time. So, he took the lead in walking as they made their way to Dragon¡¯s Dwelling. Because they didn¡¯t have Illa¡¯s lieutenant with them, it took a couple of days to reach the capital. Standing outside of an abandoned temple, Drakkel had to block his eyes from the sun. Even as he did so, the light of the bright object hitting his eyes made him wince. He had hardly gone out in the past year and had become unused to the sight. Luckily, along with their funds, they had brought a few other useful items- veiled bamboo hats hung upon their necks. Drakkel placed his hat on his head, blocking out the bright sunlight and Shia, Drion, and Fargos followed along with him, doing the same. The place they had exited was behind an abandoned temple in the deep forests of Shiorina, an area consisting of a small mountain and it''s surrounding forest, located near Dragon¡¯s Dwelling. Shiorina wasn¡¯t a particularly bad place, it''s just that it was one of the four routes one could take on their way to Dragon¡¯s Dwelling. To get to the capital from here, one had to travel South. However, North of the Capital was a border town called North Guard. Beyond it was a vast desert and beyond that desert was a Kingdom- The Kingdom of Araba. Not many people lived in North Guard. It was mainly inhabited by soldiers from the army and their families. Because they needed to remain stationed there in case the Kingdom of Araba decided to attack, hardly anyone walked the route of Shiorina Mountain. Of course, supplies from the capital were delivered there once a month, but besides that, seeing even one person a week was a rarity. The four had arrived to Dragon¡¯s Dwelling within a few hours. Because they had left the abandoned temple so early, the sun still hung high in the sky by the time they arrived. Dragon¡¯s Dwelling was the most prosperous city in the Empire. The walls were so tall, they seemed to nearly reach the heavens. The gate was heavily guarded and required a permit to get in. Drakkel was of course prepared for everything, He and his entourage bypassed the line and he gave the guards his permit. After seeing it, the guards showed him the utmost respect, even apologizing for delaying his travel. But this wasn''t unexpected. After all, the permit he gave was no ordinary one. Inside Dragon¡¯s Dwelling was a lavish setting, People walked around leisurely. A group of children ran around shouting and screaming with glee. The occasional carriage rode across the busy streets, causing the crowds to part like water when a ship cuts across the waves. The roads were straight, clean, and organized. Stalls were set up at the roadside selling expensive items such as makeup, accessories, and exotic fruits. Even those who seemed to not have much money, still sold their products at high prices. These same products were able to be bought at other cities for nearly half the cost. The buildings were also decent and tall- all being made with pricey and sturdy material. Those decorated, such as brothels, accessory shops, and restaurants, were adorned with the most exquisite items one could find. Familiar portraits of Drakkel hung on walls around the city. He stopped at one large sign and saw the words, ¡°Turn in for reward,¡± written on the top. Right next to the portrait on the sign, was a list of current Sword Outcasts. As Drakkel gazed at it, he almost wanted to laugh. But in the next moment, the corners of his lips curled down and he couldn''t stand to look at it anymore. He made a slash and quickly destroyed the thing with a thin line of demonic energy. Then, he continued on his way. As Drakkel and his group walked around, they noticed the eyes of many discreetly darting to their figures. At the entrance gate, they were made to remove their hats, so their appearances could be clearly seen. But Drakkel was neither embarrassed nor nervous, as this was, after all, his intention. Looking around, a smile spread on his face. ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s seek out an invitation to a private event.¡± ¡°How will we do that, Your Highness?¡± Fargos asked. Drakkel glared at him. ¡°Don''t call me that here. Refer to me as ¡®Young Master¡¯. We shouldn¡¯t reveal who we are.¡± Fargos bowed. ¡°Apologies, Young Master.¡± Drakkel nodded and then continued, ¡°To seek out an invitation, we must approach someone who is looking for assistance.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. His eyes drifted around until they finally landed on a particular shop. This shop was situated near the middle of the capital. It was grand in design, bearing intricate decorations and a red wood signboard which hung above its entrance. The signboard read, ¡°Hidden Valley''s Goods.¡± Drakkel thought that it was truly hidden, at least in the eyes of those in the capital. As it sat in one of the most popular areas, yet only a handful of people went in and out. When one looked across from it, over a bridge in which a water channel ran under, one could see why. Another place, named ¡°Hidden Treasures¡± laid there. Unlike Hidden Valley¡¯s Goods, this place had many more people frequenting it. ¡°Let¡¯s check these two stores,¡± he said. Drakkel had a rough idea of the situation. Because it was advertised, he knew what these two stores sold, but he had to find out exactly how they were different, so he started with ¡°Hidden Treasures.¡± At the door to Hidden Treasures were two beautiful women waiting to welcome them in. Drakkel could feel the two giving them a glance over as they walked past and stepped into the building. When they entered, they saw that within the lavish exterior, was an even better interior. The place was organized into three sections: one for makeup, one for accessories, and another for robes. The place had two floors: The first held cheaper items that were still quite fashionable while the second most likely carried the more expensive ones. As they gazed around, a man came up to them. With a bright smile, he said, ¡°Welcome to Hidden Treasures, You seem like newcomers. Would you like some help locating anything?¡± Drakkel returned his smile. ¡°Not at all. Just looking around.¡± The man nodded and turned to leave when Drakkel had a realization. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Have you changed your mind, Sir?¡± The man asked. Drakkel replied, ¡°Actually, I would like to see the products on the second floor.¡± ¡°Those items are made of the most precious materials we have.¡± The man said. ¡°In order to look at them, I''m afraid you would need proof that you¡¯re able to afford them.¡± Drakkel pulled out the permit that he showed at the gate. ¡°A Gold Business Permit?¡± Drakkel smirked. Travel Permits were organized into three categories: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The Gold business permit was reserved for royalty, nobles and very rich merchants. The Silver was used by those merchants who were doing ok, but weren¡¯t extremely wealthy. Finally, the Bronze was used by merchants who weren¡¯t making a lot of money or had just started out. The merchant Wold, although wealthy, was only good enough for a Silver permit. The man bowed. ¡°I will call someone to help you right away, Young Master. Please head upstairs.¡± Drakkel nodded and headed up the stairs with his group in tow. As they walked, Drion asked, ¡°Is there a purpose to this, Young Master?¡± Drakkel smiled. ¡°Wait and see.¡± When they reached the top of the steps, they saw an even more grand display than what laid on the level below. Instead of dark brown wooden shelves, the products were carefully kept within red wood shelves lined with a shiny coating which likely protected them from fire. With the small amount of light that leaked from the slitted windows, the robes glistened in the dimly lit room. As Drakkel gazed at them, Shia shot a demonic energy-enhanced message at him. ¡°Something is wrong.¡± Soon after she said it, a man came up from the stairs behind them. He moved the screen that covered the windows, causing more light to shine through. Then he walked around their standing figures and turned to face them. He was a handsome man with long dark brown hair tied up in a bun and an innocent face. Many would probably find him so attractive, that they might just listen to anything he said. When he opened his mouth, a calming and kind voice came out. ¡°I heard you fine people, need some help. I am the manager of this establishment, Kal. I would like to take this opportunity to personally show you our finest products.¡± Drakkel gave a half smile. ¡°Show away.¡± The man beckoned them all to take a seat on chairs near one of the side walls as he personally showed them the cloth that he just got in stock. However, Drakkel wasn¡¯t really paying attention, because he already got what he was after. Once the man finished, Drakkel stood up. ¡°Are there any fabrics your esteemed self would like?¡± He asked, expectantly staring at Drakkel. Drakkel didn¡¯t care which one he picked. He casually pointed to a bolt of brocade that sat on a lower rung of one of the shelves. It was navy blue in color and embroidered with a unique design. ¡°I¡¯ll take one bolt of that,¡± He said. Kal slightly tilted his head as he rubbed his hands together. ¡°Only that one, Sir?¡± Drakkel¡¯s smile grew even wider. ¡°Of course that won¡¯t be my only purchase. But you see, before buying a product, I must test it out.¡± He placed a hand on Kal¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Surely, you understand?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Kal said. ¡°Then, Sir, if you like this, you can just send someone to order more. I¡¯ll make sure to get it to you quickly.¡± Drakkel nodded. ¡°Thank you. And, where did you say this product came from again?¡± ¡°Oh yes!¡± Kai exclaimed. ¡°You¡¯ve seen a lot of products today so you may have forgotten. The fabric was procured from the best cotton and silk farms in Dragon¡¯s Dwelling and the embroidery was done by foreigners who came here from other Empires for refuge. These foreigners are exceptionally talented in embroidery and actually have their own way of doing it, so these designs can¡¯t be found anywhere else!¡± His voice dropped to a whisper, ¡°And between you and me, we help the refugees get settled in their new environment by offering them well paying jobs and in return, we get their talent. I don''t tell this to many, so please keep this a secret.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Drakkel responded. ¡°What you''re doing is honorable. I will consider it while looking for suppliers.¡± Kal excitedly nodded. Drakkel continued. ¡°Then, wrap that one up for me and I¡¯ll take my leave. Thank you for showing me your collection.¡± Kal bowed. ¡°No problem, sir! And thank you for your patronage!¡± Drakkel signaled for his group to follow him as he made his way down the stairs. They were rung up by the cashier and paid five gold for the bolt of fabric. Then, with the bolt in Shia''s hands they left. As they walked over the bridge, heading to the place called Hidden Valley''s Goods, Drakkel asked. ¡°Shia, you said something was wrong. What was it?¡± ¡°Young Masters, it seems that something was wrong with the items we were shown. The needlework is not as perfect as it appears. Although the designs are beautiful, if one looks closely, the stitches are uneven and erratic. One with the skill necessary to create these designs shouldn''t have any trouble stitching evenly. Perhaps¡­¡± Drakkel finished for her, ¡°Perhaps those who are making them, are not doing so voluntarily.¡± As Drakkel and his group arrived at the entrance to Hidden Valley''s Goods, a sly smile touched his lips. ¡°Very interesting.¡± Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Hidden Valley''s Goods was not nearly as organized nor as clean as Hidden Treasures. No one stood at the door to greet them as they went inside and within the building was a lone cashier and two other workers on the floor. This was all too visible as the place had only a few people currently looking through its items. The items were placed in a random manner with no directions or signs leading to where each one was. The prices were also more expensive than what was sold on the first floor of Hidden Treasures. Drakkel immediately went to the cashier to seek out the owner. The cashier wore a bored expression on his face as his eyes seemed to stare into the distance. He didn¡¯t even notice Drakkel¡¯s group in front of him until Drakkel loudly cleared his throat. Upon hearing it, he snapped out of his absent-mindedness and stared curiously at Drakkel¡¯s group, before speaking. ¡°Hello, sir. Would you like to check out?¡± Drakkel¡¯s eyebrow twitched in annoyance. ¡°Call the owner out here. I would like to speak with them.¡± The man took a moment to measure the request. However, Drakkel didn¡¯t have the time. He flashed his permit and upon seeing it, the man apologetically bowed several times before rushing off. As the four stood there, Drakkel couldn¡¯t help but remark, ¡°How disrespectful. I can see why the place is in its current state.¡± No one answered to what he had said but Drakkel wasn''t surprised. The three behind him were demons after all and had already lived a long time. Because of this, they developed a somewhat insouciant attitude about most things. Not long after the man left, a woman approached them from one of the back doors. ¡°Hello young gentleman and guests.¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯m apologize for making you wait. I heard you called for me?¡± She spoke in a respectful manner, her hands drawn together and her countenance open and welcoming. Drakkel smiled. Now this was what he was expecting. He turned his body around to face her. ¡°Yes. I see that your store isn¡¯t doing well, so I have come with a proposition.¡± The woman¡¯s face fell, her lips forming a grimace. She took a step forward. ¡°No!¡± Drakkel¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to hear what I''m going to say first?¡± ¡°No need.¡± She said. ¡°Your people have come here several times requesting to buy my business, but my answer will always remain the same!¡± Ah! Drakkel understood immediately. Being more popular than Hidden Valley''s Goods, Hidden Treasures had probably tried to buy up their only competition in the area while also securing another building for their sales. Likely, the owner was getting harassed by the people working for them to persuade her to sell her business. Drakkel¡¯s smile widened as he attempted to exude a friendly air. ¡°I¡¯m not with those people and I don¡¯t want to buy your business.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The woman asked, appearing skeptical. ¡°Yes.¡± Drakkel replied. ¡°I only wish to enter into a deal with you. One where I invest into the business and attain some of its shares.¡± ¡°But sir.¡± The woman said, her face now fraught with worry. ¡°I¡¯m sure you see the state we¡¯re in. Aren¡¯t you afraid that you¡¯ll be throwing money away?¡± Drakkel reassured her. ¡°No. On the contrary, I may have some ideas that will help you regain some customers. How about you tell me how this situation with Hidden Treasures came about and we discuss our business plan afterwards?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes widened. She hadn''t mentioned her situation but he already saw through it. She figured that if the man in front of her was not from Hidden Treasures and already knew so much, it wouldn''t hurt to take a chance on him. She nodded. ¡°Alright then. Please, follow me.¡± She led the four to a backroom and sat them down on a plain wooden table. Then she left to retrieve some tea. When she returned, she served each of them a cup before sitting down and taking her own. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. With everyone seated comfortably around the table, Drakkel took a sip of tea and said, ¡°I believe we should introduce ourselves.¡± The woman nodded. He continued, ¡°I¡¯ll go first. I am a foreign merchant that has just come to Dragon¡¯s Dwelling. I¡¯m looking into several business opportunities with the most important being to set up a business here where I can buy some local goods and sell them to my homeland.¡± The woman smiled. ¡°I see. Your use of our language is good, I¡¯m afraid I can''t tell where you''re from. Could you enlighten me?¡± Drakkel nodded. Moving his hand to his chest, he answered, ¡°I¡¯m from the Kingdom of Boray.¡± The woman''s eyebrows went up. the Kingdom of Boray was a Western Empire inhabited by people of different ethnicities. The Empire of Lironte where they currently were, also contained people like that, but not in as great a number as the Kingdom of Boray. The Kingdom of Boray was known for housing talented individuals in terms of scholarly pursuits. Its court system was solid and corruption was minimal only because the current ruler was wise beyond her years. She was just in her lower thirties, but had eliminated all corrupt officials as well as hostile heirs to the throne and had placed competent individuals in their place. Those who weren¡¯t hostile heirs were either deemed useful enough to be offered a seat in the court or married off to other Empires. In fact, one of the Emperor of Lironte¡¯s, consorts, Royal Consort Song, actually came from the Kingdom of Boray. Because of their general reputation and good dealings with The Empire of Lironte any who came from the Kingdom of Boray were looked upon favorably. However, in the past, this wasn''t the case and it had only gotten better in the last decade or so. ¡°I hope you understand.¡± Drakkel continued. ¡°I would prefer to keep my exact identity a secret until we have turned your business around. For now though, you can call me Sylas. Those who are with me are my assistants.¡± He gestured to Shia, ¡°This is Shia.¡± Then he gestured to the rest, ¡°This is Drion and this is Fargos.¡± Because their names weren''t known like his, Drakkel saw no reason to hide them. the Kingdom of Boray itself, as it held many ethnicities, was also not so particular about the types of names its citizens were given. There were names given with no particular origin and names influenced by other countries. One could call them a Empire of immigrants. The woman bowed her head. ¡°First, I would like to apologize for how I treated you. You didn''t deserve that.¡± Drakkel smiled. ¡°It''s not a problem. I understand. You must be having a hard time.¡± The woman nodded, clenching her fists and looking down. ¡°I won''t say it''s been easy¡­ ¡° She looked back up, ¡°But I thank you for your understanding. Let me start again.¡± She bowed her head. ¡°It''s nice to meet you, Sylas and company. I¡¯m Palta Stone.¡± Drakkel bowed his head in return. Palta Stone continued, ¡°Then, since we¡¯ve handled the introductions, I will elaborate on the current state of my business.¡± Palta Stone took a breath. ¡°Hidden Valley''s Goods has been around since my father''s time. It''s around thirty years old now. Back when my father ran it, it was prosperous. This was because he made connections with poorer locals. Those who had no skills but were talented in learning embroidery were taught how to do so by my father. They were given free classes which were later paid with part of the salary they were offered when they began to work for us. The classes took around ten percent off their paycheck for the first three months of working with us. Afterwards, they owed nothing else and could move around as they pleased. But most chose to stay.¡± She sighed. ¡°The arrangement worked and back then, we grew so large that other businesses in the area had to either move or close down. These businesses were owned by rich merchants. We thought that nothing could go wrong, but¡­¡± Drakkel could guess what she was about to say next. ¡°My father died after a while and although my mother tried to keep the business going, she was too stricken with grief over the death of my father. She was pregnant at the time too and I was only a year away from being an adult. As time passed, the stress caught up to her. When she was finally due, she couldn''t handle it. She and my baby brother died.¡± Palta Stone paused to wipe a tear falling from her eye. ¡°I was alone with my father''s business and I was young and incapable. Because my father had no other heirs, he taught me about embroidery and running the business. But, his death was unexpected. I hadn''t learned everything I could. With the help of my managers, I was doing fine for a while and catching up with what I missed. Profits were stable and everyone was happy. That was at least until¡­¡± She paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°The restaurant across the street was bought five years ago. Then, Hidden Treasures was opened up. I was assured at the time that our business would be ok. The people in the capital had trust in our clothing quality and we had already built a reputation for ourselves. But, upon opening, Hidden Treasures offered a discount that never went away. Their clothing was unique and beautiful and also cheaper than ours. Soon, they began to look for embroiderers. Somehow, they offered more pay than us even though their clothes were cheaper. Half our embroiderers flocked to them. Those who didn''t were older and still loyal to my father and my family. But, we were still losing funds. In the end, I was forced to close my embroidery program as people would use it to learn the skills then transfer to Hidden Treasure after 3 months. As we began to lose more and more money to Hidden Treasures, my managers left one by one until it was just me and one other. Now we¡¯ve come to the point where our savings are drained. I want to realize my father''s dream of making our store the most popular one in the capital and maybe even expanding it to other cities, but¡­ I¡¯m at my wit¡¯s end. I apologize for all this. It would be reasonable if you didn''t want to help me. ¡± She lowered her head. Drakkel understood. How powerless she felt, it was something he was familiar with. This was why he knew something about her story was off. So many negative events happening at once, it would be rare for it to be a natural occurrence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that all of that happened to you. After hearing your story, how could I refuse to help?¡± He reached out a hand. ¡°Your days of being stepped on will soon be over. We¡¯ll show the capital that Hidden Valley''s Goods isn''t beaten yet.¡± Palta Stone stood up and shook his hand. Smiling, she said, ¡°Thank you.¡±