The silver-white public floater slowed as it came to a stop at the 56th-floor platform of the Zinan Commercial Tower.
Clad in a simple gray robe, Lynn stepped out with the crowd.
The station's passageway led straight into the bustling interior of the shopping complex. Shops lined both sides, filled with dazzling displays.
Pedestrians flowed ceaselessly, and the shelves brimmed with goods of every sort.
Lynn paused briefly, consulting the hovering signboards, before heading toward the address Daphne had given him.
Moments later, he arrived outside a large thaumaturgical shop on the 32nd floor.
The shop's name, Tilo, immediately reminded him of Daphne's surname, Lottie.
"Welcome. What may I help you find today, sir?"
A pretty saleswoman, smile bright and polished, stepped forward to greet him.
"I'm here to see Daphne Lottie," Lynn replied calmly, pulling his gaze away from the shop sign.
"Are you Lynn Kent, sir?"
"That's right."
"Then please follow me."
Her smile widened, a touch of curiosity flickering in her eyes as she led him upstairs.
After all, the shop's owner, Miss Lottie, had never before invited any male wizard here.
...
The Tilo store spanned two levels: the first floor carried smaller enchanted trinkets, while the second focused mainly on wizards' robes.
The saleswoman guided Lynn through rows of racks shrouded in protective warding arrays until they reached a semi-open lounge by the floor-to-ceiling windows at the back.
There, Lynn immediately spotted Daphne.
Today, she had abandoned her usual twin-bun hairstyle for a simple ponytail. Seated on a sofa near the window, she wore a smile polite and practiced, but also cold and distant.
Opposite her sat another apprentice wizard.
A man, perhaps in his forties. His features were decent enough, but his narrow, upturned eyes lent him a shifty air. Worse still, whenever he smiled, it twisted into something positively lecherous.
Lynn frowned as he approached, his voice low:
"You didn't tell me there would be someone else here."
"You came, Lynn." Daphne turned, her eyes flashing with a hint of genuine delight.
She didn't answer his complaint. Instead, she rose, addressing the man with courteous detachment:
"Lord Nelson, about that batch of robes, perhaps we can discuss it another time.
"My friend and I have some matters to attend to."
Nelson smiled broadly, his expression magnanimous.
"No problem at all. In fact, I have business to see to shortly myself."
He rose as well, his slitted eyes lingering on Lynn for a moment before he pressed two fingers against the Silver Ring badge on his chest in a formal gesture of greeting.
"Nelson Zack."
"Lynn Kent."
Lynn mirrored the motion, touching his badge in return. It was a common etiquette in the Silver Ring Academy both to show respect and to confirm one's identity, all while avoiding unnecessary physical contact.
With that, Nelson smiled again and departed, his bearing outwardly refined.
But as Lynn watched the man's retreating figure, his brow furrowed.
There had been something in Nelson's gaze, an odd, unreadable undertone.
...
"Let's go as well," Daphne said, her eyes running over Lynn before she leaned closer to add in a softer voice:
"But before we head there, you'll need a disguise, Highwind."
Lynn looked at her, expression calm. "No need. I have my own ways."
They were about to attend a clandestine gathering organized by the Black Moon Academy Exploration Society.
That was what Daphne's earlier message had been about.
And this shop, as it turned out, was the rendezvous point.
"Truly unnecessary? As thanks for helping me get out of that awkward conversation just now, I can gift you a top-grade Zero Ring concealment charm," Daphne offered with a faint smile.
Lynn gave her a sidelong glance, then returned her smile with one of his own. "In that case, my thanks, Lady Rose."
A gift offered freely was not something he saw reason to refuse.
Daphne seemed faintly surprised at his reaction, but she didn't go back on her word. Leading him toward the storeroom, she asked casually:
"Aren't you curious about my connection to this shop?"
"Knowing won't do me any good. So, no, I'm not curious," Lynn replied evenly.
Her steps faltered slightly. Then she said:
"As you can see, I'm the heir to this store. At least, for now.
"As for Nelson, he's merely a supplier of robes."
"I see." Lynn nodded faintly, offering no further comment.
Their conversation ended with Daphne handing Lynn a bracelet, an artifact capable of concealing the Light of Knowledge surrounding one's body.
Through extrasensory sight, or with certain detection methods, one could normally see the spiritual mist shrouding the mind, or the radiance of one's knowledge.
In most cases, the spiritual mist looked nearly identical from person to person.
But the Light of Knowledge was different. Subtle variations appeared depending on one's rank and personal qualities as a wizard, making it possible to identify both power and identity through it.
In a way, this was also one of the drawbacks of using Senseless Potion when advancing to First-Rank Apprentice.
Because once a wizard fully mastered extrasensory vision, they could deliberately blur their Light of Knowledge into a "chaotic" state, effectively concealing their true self.
But ever since Senseless Potion was invented, that ability was delayed until the First Rank.
Still, the benefits of the potion far outweighed its flaws.
...
Half an hour later, with their disguises in place, Lynn and Daphne arrived at the meeting site.
Lynn had expected the gathering to be in some shadowy basement or an abandoned tower.
Instead, Daphne led him to a lavish establishment, the Crystal Mark Club, where they were shown into a large private room on the third floor.
No sooner had they entered than a man wearing a crow mask approached.
He glanced briefly at Daphne, then fixed Lynn with an unreadable look, speaking in a hoarse voice:
"Rose, is this the helper you brought along?"
"That's none of your concern, Black Crow," Daphne said coldly.
"Don't be so heartless, Rose. I was the one who introduced you to the Society, remember?"
His voice softened as he leaned closer, lowering his tone. "Have you forgotten, Daphne?"
Daphne's eyes turned icy. The moment he leaned in, she had already stepped back and cast a soundproofing charm around them.
Only Lynn, standing nearby, heard Black Crow's last words.
"How long do you think you can keep running, Daphne?" he murmured before casting her one last glance and striding away.
Daphne exhaled lightly. Looking at Lynn, she suddenly asked:
"Did you recognize who he was?"
Lynn frowned slightly. "You told me you didn't know anyone's real identity within the Society."
"That's true, I don't know for certain," Daphne admitted. "But I suspect Black Crow is Nelson… or at least connected to him, Lynn.
"About half a year ago, both of my parents, mere First-Rank Apprentices, and my uncle, a First-Rank wizard, all died in an accident.
"The shop you visited earlier was their legacy to me."
Her tone grew heavy, her eyes faintly reddened.
"A mere First-Rank Apprentice, owning such a store… of course, it drew greedy eyes. Even with my uncle's old friends protecting me, many coveted it.
"Nelson or Black Crow was one of them.
"That's why I pulled you into the Society. I'm sorry, but I need your help, Highwind."
Lynn nodded, his expression calm and unchanged. Gazing at the figure of Black Crow seated not far away, he asked evenly:
"If Nelson really is tied to Black Crow, doesn't that mean Black Crow already knows who I am?"
"Yes. But Black Crow has long known my identity. Even if Nelson and Black Crow were unrelated, sooner or later, he would learn about you as well," Daphne replied.
She studied Lynn's still, unreadable face and felt a faint irritation.
This apprentice from the Horsens School acted nothing like the warm, loyal young man she had heard described back in Emerald Forest City.
Finally, she couldn't hold back and asked:
"Is this because of the assassin? That was just the Society's rule. I faced the same trial before joining.
"I am truly sorry for that, Lynn.
"But remember, during the mission with the array core, I was the only one who didn't strike against you.
"I thought… that made us friends.
"If you're still holding a grudge over the assassin, I'm willing to offer compensation."
Lynn finally turned to look at her, and the faintest smile curved his lips. His voice was calm:
"Compensation? Very well… let's talk about compensation.
"Lady Rose, for the sake of the past you just mentioned, I'm willing to discuss benefits with you.
"As for anything else… let's leave it at that."
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