When the mysterious carriage arrived at the archway, a man stepped out. He was tall, dressed in a heavy leather coat over black pants, and had medium-length hair framing a short sideburn beard. The man looked directly at John and Carmilla, giving them a curt, light nod before walking toward the castle with purposeful strides.
"Who is that guy?" John asked Carmilla, watching the imposing figure disappear through the main entrance.
"That is Carlos Decker," Carmilla replied, folding her arms. "He is a business partner of Grandfather Leonidas. He comes here every now and then to discuss business, usually involving shipments or large-scale acquisitions."
"Oh, by the way, where is Grandma? She was supposed to be here," John asked, curious about the delay.
After a couple of minutes, the sound of light footsteps announced her arrival. Anna came out, escorted by four fully armored knights and two attentive maids. Her hair was impeccably styled, and her formal attire was elaborate.
"What took you so long, Grandma?" John asked, his voice casual.
Anna smiled at John's questioning, her eyes twinkling. "I have to get myself ready, dear. Don't you know that it takes time to put on make-up and style the hair? Now, come child, get into the carriage."
"Grandma, can I also come along?" Carmilla asked.
"Of course, honey."
Anna, John, and Carmilla got into the luxurious, black carriage. Following Anna's earlier instruction, Elena joined them. The four of them—Anna, John, Carmilla, and Elena—were the only occupants as the carriage began its two-hour journey down the winding mountain roads to The Town.
The town was huge, full of all kinds of people, buildings, and market stalls stretching as far as John could see. His eyes were shining brightly as he took in the bustling life, the unusual architecture, and the small bridges with cool, ornate designs.
The carriage later came to a stop in front of a fancy, imposing building—a restaurant that looked fit for nobility.
"Elena, Carmilla, please show John around the town. I have a meeting here with an old friend," Anna instructed them, her tone professional.
"Yes, Lady Anna," Elena said, giving a light bow.
John, Carmilla, and Elena were soon walking through the town, which was truly brimming with life. Merchants yelled, carts rumbled, and crowds of people—including lizard-men, elves, and humans—moved with busy purpose.
Suddenly, John smelled something incredible. It was rich, savory, and instantly mouth-watering. He didn't hesitate, immediately following his nose to a nearby, unpretentious-looking restaurant.
"Hey, what is that smell?" he muttered, quickly stepping inside.
The interior was welcoming, not overly fancy, and filled with a diverse clientele. John went straight to the girl who looked like a waiter.
"Excuse me, shawty, but can you tell me what that delicious smell is?" John asked, beaming.
The waiter smiled warmly at John's foreign slang. "You must be new, sir. What you are smelling is the meat from the 4-eye white pig. Would the mister like to taste?"
"Oh, don't call me Mr., shawty. Call me John. And how much does the 4-eye white pig meat cost?"
"It is about 10 silver, Mr. John," the waiter said.
"Then I would like to buy some."
Just then, Carmilla and Elena rushed in. "John, why did you run off so suddenly?" Carmilla asked, slightly annoyed.
"Oh, I almost forgot," John said, turning to them. "Carmilla, Elena, do you two also want some 4-eye white pig meat?"
Carmilla shook her head. "No, I am not hungry."
"What about you, Elena?"
"No thank you, young master. I will watch you eat."
Carmilla looked at John with puzzled eyes. "John, how are you able to eat so much meat while you are supposed to be thirsty for blood?"
John paused, considering the question. He thought about telling Carmilla that he was a hybrid and probably needed both blood and food, but he changed his mind, deciding to keep that detail a secret for now.
"Probably because I am weird," John shrugged his shoulders.
All three went to a nearby table. When the steaming plate of meat arrived, John's mouth watered visibly. "This smell is amazing."
He ate the 4-eye white pig meat like a hungry lion, devouring it in massive, satisfied bites. "Wow, I have never had meat tasting this good! I wonder what other delicacies are in this world, I can't wait to try them all."
After John ate, they continued their tour, visiting different stalls that sold impressive weapons, intricate paintings, and various strange foods. They walked for a few minutes until they arrived at a small, unassuming storefront that advertised magic items.
"Let's take a look inside," John suggested, pulling out his two companions.
John went in first, followed by Carmilla and Elena. He went straight to the counter, where he saw a small display of stones of different colors.
"Wow, these stones look beautiful," John exclaimed.
"Those are elemental stones, young man. Do you probably want to buy some?" the old man behind the counter said with a faint smile on his face.
"This is my first time seeing elemental stones. Can you take them out so I can get a better look?"
"No problem, young man."
"Don't call me young man, Old man. Sorry for not introducing myself, my name is John Crimson."
The old man's eyes went wide. The surname Crimson carried immense weight in this world. "Sorry, my Lord, for not knowing who you are," the old man said, giving a light, respectful bow.
"This old man is called Clarence."
"Nice to meet you, Clarence. Let me see dem stones."
Clarence quickly took out the stones and positioned them neatly on the table. John picked up a red one, holding it carefully. He immediately felt a surge of raw, contained energy—the magic power that flowed through the stone.
"How does this work, Old man Clarence?" John asked while putting the stone back on the table.
Old man Clarence looked confused. "Does Young Lord not know how an elemental stone works?"
John shook his head. "Please explain."
"You just have to absorb the power that is in the stone and then release it. It's a temporary store of a single elemental spell, easy for anyone to use quickly."
John looked at the stones on the table, calculating. "How much does one cost?"
"50 silver, but I can give the Young Lord a discount."
"No, are these stones powerful?"
"It depends on who the Young Master is fighting. These stones will be highly effective against a weak opponent, but this is a low-grade batch," Clarence admitted honestly. "There are stones that are higher grade, but they will cost much more, and honestly, I don't think master can absorb and control those kinds of stones yet."
"Okay, then give me four," John said, making his selection. "I want the two red ones that I assume is fire. I want a lightning and a wind stone to go with that."
After John bought the stones, he put all four in his storage ring. Elena and Carmilla, who had been glancing around with expressions of mild boredom—everything they saw was clearly not high quality in their eyes—came over to leave. John wanted to look around more to see if there was anything else he liked, but he left the store with the two girls, a satisfied smile on his face and the raw magic of four elemental stones safely tucked away.