The Silverton Family, whose power came from their mastery of metallurgy and weapon crafting, had a different perspective. Lady Evangeline Silverton, a woman whose beauty was matched only by her ruthless business acumen, saw the situation as a potential threat to the established order.
"An unknown individual had appeared from nowhere and immediately captures the city's attention."
She said to her assembled family members and concluded:
"This needs thorough investigation. We know nothing about this masked figure, not his background, his loyalties, or his intentions."
Her eldest son, Marcus, nodded in agreement.
"Should we approach him directly? Offer partnership or persuasion?"
"Patience."
Evangeline counseled, then added thoughtfully.
"First, we gather information. Then we decide how to proceed."
…
The Thornwick Family, masters of agricultural production and food distribution, saw Mama's Pastry as a direct challenge to their dominance in the food sector. Lord Garrett Thornwick, a pudgy man whose jovial exterior concealed a sharp mind, was less diplomatic in his assessment.
"This upstart threatens our market share."
He declared to his sons, then coldly added:
"If his products are truly superior to ours, we need to either acquire his methods or eliminate the competition."
"Acquire how, father?" His youngest son, Thomas, asked. He already understood the meaning behind his father's words, but he sought confirmation anyway.
"By whatever means necessary."
Garrett replied grimly.
"We've worked too hard to build our position to let some masked stranger undermine it."
He continued.
…
The fourth family, the Ravencrests, approached the situation with the cold calculation that had made them the city's premier information brokers. Lady Isadora Ravencrest, an elegant woman whose age was impossible to determine, gathered intelligence with the efficiency of a military operation.
"I want to know everything about this masked shopkeeper. Find out about his real identity, his background, his resources, and his weaknesses. Everything."
She instructed her network of spies and informants.
"And if he proves to be problematic?"
Her lieutenant, a scarred man named Viktor, asked.
"Then we'll have the information necessary to make him less so."
Isadora replied with a cold smile.
…
While these machinations unfolded in the aristocratic quarter, another conversation was taking place in a luxurious mansion on the outskirts of the city.
Damien Blaze stood in his room, a communication artifact glowing softly in his hands. The device, crafted from rare crystals and inscribed with intricate Thaumaturge symbols, allowed for long-distance conversation across vast distances.
"You're certain it was him?"
The voice that emerged from the artifact was deep and authoritative. It was Lord Roderick Blaze, Damien's father and current head of the Blaze Family. Previously, Elias's father had held this position. However, after his untimely death and Elias's loss of his Thaumaturge Sigil, the family had unanimously chosen Lord Roderick as their new head.
"Absolutely certain, father."
Damien replied. Recalling his encounter with Elias, he added:
"He has indeed changed. There's something different about him, but it's definitely Elias. He's been missing for three years, and now he appears in Sun City with some commoner girl, acting as if nothing happened."
A long pause followed, filled only by the soft humming of the communication device.
"I had hoped the boy was dead, but he persistently clung to his pathetic life. His continued existence is... inconvenient."
Roderick finally said, his voice heavy with disappointment.
"What would you have me do, father?"
"Watch him for now. Learn what he's been doing these past three years, how he's survived, what resources he has access to. The family's reputation has finally begun to recover from the embarrassment of his failure. We can't afford to have old wounds reopened."
"And if he tries to reclaim his position in the family?"
"Hahaha!"
Roderick's laugh was cold and humorless.
"Someone who lost their Thaumaturge Sigil has no position to reclaim. But monitor him nonetheless. If he becomes a problem, we'll deal with him as we would any other threat to the family's interests."
The communication ended, leaving Damien alone with his thoughts. He had never liked his cousin, even when they were young. Elias had always been too idealistic, too concerned with concepts like honor and justice that had no place in the harsh realities of noble politics.
But there had been something different about him at the inn, a confidence that hadn't been there before his disappearance. In the past, Elias had been soft-spoken whenever they talked. Now, he had displayed a look of complete indifference when meeting him after all these years. If Damien hadn't seen him with his own eyes and had only heard him speak, he would have assumed Elias was a different person entirely.
"What happened to you, cousin? And what are you planning now? You'd better stay in your lane, or I won't care about our blood relation and have you dealt with."
Damien murmured to himself, a cold glint in his eyes.
…
Back at Mama's Pastry, Elias and Selina were unaware of the attention their success had attracted and the machinations unfolding behind the scenes. They worked late into the evening, planning for the next day's operations and discussing the need to expand their staff.
"We'll need at least two more people to help with serving customers."
Selina said, reviewing the notes she had taken throughout the day.
"And someone to help with cleaning and restocking."
She continued.
"Agreed."
Elias replied, his mask set aside now that they were alone.
"But we need to be careful about who we hire. Our success will attract attention, and not all of it will be friendly."
He added.
"What do you mean?"
Selina asked curiously.
Elias looked out the window at the darkening city. "In my experience, rapid success often breeds resentment. There will be those who want to understand our methods, and others who want to eliminate the competition. We need to be prepared for both."
Selina frowned, deeply in thought.
"You think someone might try to hurt us?"
She asked tentatively.
"Exactly. I think we should be ready for anything."
Elias replied, then added confidently.
"But don't worry. I have no intention of letting anyone threaten what we've built here."
…
As night fell over Sun City, the various factions began their preparations. The Goldmere Family dispatched agents to sample Mama's Pastry and report on its quality. The Silverton Family began gathering information about the mysterious masked proprietor. The Thornwick Family started planning ways to undermine their new competition. And the Ravencrest Family activated their network of spies and informants.
Meanwhile, in the slums, the elderly man who had been their first customer sat in his ramshackle dwelling, staring thoughtfully at the ceiling. His true identity remained unknown, but his interest in Elias and his remarkable pastries was genuine.
"Interesting times ahead. Very interesting times indeed."
He murmured to himself.