Zeke studied the group blocking their path.
He had previously noticed that the young man leading the trio was a Grand Mage with a Fire affinity. His two guards, in turn, were also at the Grand Mage level. However, he didn't believe they could win against Vulcanos or Gravitas, not even by fighting together.
Zeke had noticed that the upper echelon of Korrovan preferred human guards over Chimeroi, even if they were weaker. He was sure there was some prejudice there, undoubtedly linked to status. It was utter foolishness. However, he wasn't one to complain about an opponent leaving an opening.
He sent a mental message to Gravitas. "If they make a move, I want you to take action."
Gravitas glanced at him before nodding fractionally. It seemed she had noticed that Zeke wanted to hide his identity and status. She was quite perceptive. On the other hand, Vulcanos was staring at the opposing trio, his face hard. He seemed to be prepared to pounce at the slightest provocation.
Zeke also instructed him mentally. "Make sure to protect the old man if a fight breaks out. You don't need to concern yourself with offense at all."
Vulcanos was startled momentarily but quickly hid his expression and stepped closer to the old man.
Good. Now that the stage was set, it was time to see how this would play out. It was unlikely that the group from the Firebrand school would actually start a fight, but it was better to be prepared. After all, you never knew how somebody else might react if things didn't go their way. That was doubly true for spoiled brats like that.
"Didn't you hear me, old man? I asked what you are doing right now?" the young man repeated.
Mohan scoffed. His demeanor had changed entirely compared to their earlier meeting. Instead of acting meek, he was now filled with pride and confidence. "And who are you to question me, Jaihar? Does your Firebrand school own this place or something?"
Hearing Mohan speak so domineeringly, the young man was taken aback. After all, he had personally witnessed the old man's tenacious side being worn down over the past months. However, it now seemed he had returned to his previous state in the span of a few hours.
Jaihar narrowed his eyes. "What did you just say?"
"I told you to step aside, kid. I have places to be."
The young man's face distorted upon being so casually disregarded. Even worse, it was by somebody who could only grovel before him not too long ago. Mohan had even dared to call him a kid. By now, many people were focusing their attention on their confrontation, making the humiliation much worse.
"It seems you have come to a decision regarding our offer," Jaihar said, his voice dripping with malice. "I would like to hear your answer."
Mohan smiled and raised his voice so everybody could hear. "Yes, I did indeed come to a decision regarding your marriage proposal to my granddaughter — I refuse."
Jaihar's face distorted, but he still retained his composure when speaking. "Is that so? Very well, I only made that offer on a whim anyway. But now that you have made your intentions clear, I have to demand that you pay your debts immediately."
Mohan nodded, taking out a satchel. He had prepared the exact amount beforehand. "Here you go," he said, tossing the coins while shaking his head. "Is it really worth making such a fuss about a few coins? Right now, you look no different from a highway robber, the way you block my path and demand payment."
Zeke noticed that many of the surrounding people also had frowns on their faces. It seemed Mohan was pretty good at swaying public opinion. However, the young Firebrand wasn't making it very hard either. Who would approach a business partner and demand money in such a fashion? And at such a high-class event no less?
It seemed that Jaihar had also noticed the unfavorable situation. However, he clearly didn't know how to resolve this predicament. Without any way to reverse the situation, all he could do was step aside and let them pass.
However, just as they walked past, he spotted Zeke trailing the group. He was still covering his face, which was quite abnormal for a servant. Upon noticing this fact, something seemed to click in the young man's mind.
"Wait a moment!" he called out. "You! Who are you?"
Despite the young Firebrand shouting at him, Zeke didn't stop. He acted like he didn't hear him and kept walking without even turning his head.
"Are you deaf? I told you to wait, bastard!" he yelled, and Zeke could feel him gathering Mana. With a sigh, he came to a stop. Zeke had hoped to be able to resolve this incident without any further conflicts, but it now seemed that had been wishful thinking.
He turned and faced the young man. His group had also come to a halt, with Vulcanos and Gravitas now standing behind him on either side. "Do you have business with me?"
"Yes, I do," Jaihar said. "I want to know who you are."
"I don't think that is any of your business."
"No?" he asked mockingly. "Very well. Then maybe you can tell me something else. How come a veiled foreigner starts following that old man around on the same day he mysteriously acquires an enormous fortune?"
Zeke cursed inwardly. Even though he had covered his face, he couldn't hide every speck of exposed skin. It was easy to notice his pale hands if somebody were to observe him in detail. It was rather inconvenient that Jaihar turned out to be perceptive at this crucial moment.
Now, Zeke was forced to make a choice. If he remained silent now, people would discover that the Nair family had found a foreign investor. This might lead to his true identity being discovered sooner rather than later. However, if he wanted to deny the statement, he would need to provide another reason for why he was following around the family head.
With another sigh, Zeke started to uncover his face. "You shouldn't be too surprised," he said, removing the last bit of clothing hiding his visage. "After all, your Firebrand family has enemies all around."
"You are… Blood Dragon?" Jaihar said. "So, the Lion's Den was involved after all."
Zeke just smiled at him, neither confirming nor denying that statement. After all, that was a misunderstanding he had created on purpose. "If that is all you wanted, I'll take my leave now."
"Who said you could go?"
Zeke was seriously getting fed up with the young man's domineering attitude. 'Do it."
Gravitas didn't hesitate and extended her hand. With her palm facing toward the ground, she lightly pressed down. It didn't even seem like she had done anything, but the moment her palm moved, the three people from the Firebrand school collapsed with a groan. Their arms were quivering from exertion, trying to keep their body from getting pressed flat against the floor.
Zeke was in awe. So, this was why Akasha insisted she was worth that price, and he had to agree. Her innate Magic seemed to allow her to manipulate gravity at will. In the blink of an eye, she had subdued three Grand Mages like it was nothing. Zeke gave her a pleased nod. This was enough for a display of power.
The power bearing down on the Firebrand trio vanished like it had never existed. A breath of relief could be heard as they shakely rose to their feet.
"If you want to order us around like servants, then you should first ensure that you can bear the consequences."
Jaihar glared fiercely but didn't dare to speak. Even he must have realized that anything he said right now would only result in getting slapped down again.
"Interesting…" A cold voice said. "Let me return those words to you, Blood Dragon. If you want to attack my son, then you should also first make sure you have the capability to bear the consequences."
Zeke turned his head. There, he found a middle-aged man leading a group of Chimeroi. This had to be the master of the Firebrand school and Jaihar's father. As expected, the man was an Arch Mage. Zeke could feel the atmosphere heating up just from him gathering a bit of mana. He must have had a Fire affinity as well. The pressure he exuded was so intense that Zeke instinctively knew he couldn't win, even if both Vulcanos and Gravitas went all out.
Just as he was beginning to sweat under the pressure, a second voice cut in. "And what makes you think he doesn't have that capability? If Blood Dragon didn't take your arrogant brat down a peg, I would have."
Zeke recognized that voice. Turning his head, he found exactly who he had expected: the master of the Lion's Den — Ravi. At his side were all five of their strongest Chimeroi, alongside Sunil and two other Mages at the Grand Mage level. They had arrived in full force.
Now that the two rival schools were properly facing each other, any hope of deescalating the situation had practically vanished. The pressure in the air was getting suffocating as both groups gathered Mana.
Zeke glanced at the guards, but they didn't seem keen on interfering. Not that they were in any position to stop the Arch Mages anyway. Surprisingly, the onlookers hadn't backed off either. It was a true testament to their pedigree that they were confident enough to stay despite the atmosphere.
Just as the tension reached a boiling point, a calm voice could be heard. "I think this is enough."
Despite not speaking loudly, the languid voice managed to cut through the tension like a hot knife through butter. Simultaneously, the Mana returned to its previous calm, but Zeke felt something different. The very air seemed to be charged somehow.
As one, everyone turned in the direction of the voice.
There, Zeke found a man with black hair and dark eyes who looked no older than thirty. His skin had the typical olive tone of a Korrovan native, and his sharp features gave him a handsome appearance. However, when Zeke looked at the man, his hair stood on end. He felt an unprecedented sense of danger emanating from him despite his smile. There was no doubt in his mind about the identity of this person.
He was the palace's owner: Bijal Raja — Lightning Exarch and king of Korrovan.
After the momentary shock wore off, everyone dropped to their knees, and Zeke was no exception. As a foreigner, he didn't necessarily have to bow, but he would most likely be seen as disrespectful otherwise. And since he was the one causing trouble in the man's house, he wasn't willing to risk it.
The Lightning Exarch didn't speak and instead swept his gaze over everyone present, pausing on the two leaders, Mohan and eventually Zeke. His expression didn't change, but Zeke still felt an agonizing sensation when their eyes met. After he was done taking in their faces, he vanished just as fast as he had arrived, leaving only a single word behind.
"Behave."
The room came to life soon after, with everyone breaking into hushed whispers. From their words, Zeke gathered that meeting the king didn't seem to be a common occurrence around here. Now that he thought about it, it had been the same in Tradespire and the Empire. Why was it so hard to meet an Exarch? Was there a reason they all hid themselves away?
"You got lucky today," the master of the Firebrand school said before turning to leave.
Jahid, on the other hand, remained rooted to his spot, glaring at Zeke. It was as if he endeavored to murder Zeke through the weight of his gaze alone. It seemed today's humiliation had hurt his pride quite severely.
Zeke found the man's antics quite cute. Somebody like that, who couldn't even control his temper in crucial moments, would never be a worthy adversary in his eyes. Zeke winked at him before walking toward the group of the Lion's Den.
"Thanks for the help, Ravi. That might have ended badly otherwise."
"Don't mention it, boy. However, do you mind telling me why you are with the head of the Nair family? I didn't know you two were close."
"It's all a misunderstanding," Zeke said with a bitter smile. "We just met for the first time today as well. The reason we are together is that Mr. Nair asked for my help with picking out capable fighters. As a matter of fact, we were just on the way to the Lion's Den." Zeke's eyes fell on Ashen Wolf, who was standing close by.
Ravi followed his gaze, and a smile immediately spread across his face when he saw where Zeke was looking. "Haha. Well done, boy. Not only did you manage to humiliate that Firebrand brat, but you even managed to bring such a big client in. You truly know how to be loyal."
He then turned to Mohan and beckoned him closer. "It has been some time, Mohan. How are you doing…"
As the two started catching up, Zeke blended into the background again. He had somehow managed to get through the incident unscathed, but not without drawing attention from the Firebrand school. It seemed he would be unable to stay out of this conflict in the future.
His mind was already whirring with possible ways to deal with this troublesome family.