Mona carried his small painting off to the side of the patio, leaning it against the wall before wiping the sweat away from his brow. Ever since he thought of painting a paintbrush against the starry sky he had been in a trance of enlightenment, bringing him to feel no fatigue as his hands danced across the canvas, painting the enigmatic brush with the color of the moon against the deep darkness of the cosmos.

Is this a Saint ranked Painting? Looking at the work of art he had called Of Arts, he couldn't tell whether or not his art was of great skill. Although he couldn't find his usual signs of amateur oil painting, he didn't think it was only in a few days he would become a Saint ranked Painter. The average wielder of the paintbrush could take years to hone the art, and even geniuses would take some time to improve their paintings.

All Mona could tell was that as he painted, it felt far more than magical; it felt divine. A sense of deep calm had erupted and permeated throughout his body, wiping away any lingering thoughts that obstructed him from painting. His Lunar Tattoo seemed to flicker to life, appearing on the back of his hand. Although it didn't glow, Mona realized that through painting he could activate the Lunar Tattoo. Now that he had a means of activating it, he would attempt to resonance with it each time. Perhaps that could lead to a greater understanding of the mark.

"Compared to Lucid Night, this painting is more complex." Mona looked at the painting, noticing his own craftsmanship. Somehow he had given the brush a realism, as if it could be held in his own hand at will. The color of the brush reminded him of the Aurum cloak as he wore it during his ceremony. Could the two be linked?

Almost as soon as Mona finished putting his supplies back into his satchel, a sturdy knock came at the door. He slung the satchel onto his shoulder, leaving his painting in the patio as he returned to his room to enter the door.

In front of him stood a tall figure with a large chest, in one hand his weapon of choice a spear. Near the tip was a bit of cloth, written on it what seemed to be Runes. He had a strict air to him, as if he was a general preparing to train new recruits. His other hand was outstretched, within it a small scroll of parchment, sealed with Eric's sign in blue wax.

"Young master Faulkner wishes to see you, Sir Mona." The guard spoke distinctly to Mona, a trace of respect within.

Mona nodded, following the soldier back to Eric's office. Along the way he was greeted by various servants, taking care of cleaning the numerous paintings and statues. The soldier lead Mona up two floors before stopping in front of a pair of large doors. Each of them were solid dark black, handles of a metallic luster and color.

Mona opened the one of the doors, shutting it behind him. Eric sat behind a desk, looking at a book. The room seemed very tidy, with nothing but maps hanging on various walls. Two maps specifically hung behind Eric, one revealing where the Leafwind Kingdom once stood, the other showing the Great Basin Province as part of the Alberdan Empire.

I see. Taking notice of the new name given to his homeland, Mona memorized it in his heart. He

planned to visit it one day, not only to help Jaspen's daughter gain a fitting burial but also to see if it still stood after the war. Eric, upon seeing Mona, placed the book down, gesturing for Mona to sit in the only seat.

The cushion felt firm yet soft, as if to take away the intimidation of being in Eric's presence. Mona handed the scroll to Eric, waiting to receive another. Eric had long ago devised this method to prevent spies from learning precious information. Those he wished to have an audience with would receive a false message with a wax seal of his name. If the guard or soldier that was delivering the message was a traitor, they would have difficulty understanding what was written within.

Of course, the importance of the mission was told by the wax seal. The color of the seal was what denoted importance. The lighter the color, the more serious the circumstances. As Mona had seen blue, he appeared in front of Eric without channeling Aura. As Eric's assistant, he had to be willing to throw down his life if necessary.

"A mission?" Mona spoke first, looking into Eric's eyes. The young master of the Faulkner family had traces of joy on his face as he heard Mona's question.

"Yes, a mission. I need you to go to Alduin, a major city a bit further away from Morosbo about 15 miles northwest. You will reach there by noon given the transportation I have reserved for you. I need you to buy me a few items, as well as go to the Continental Financial Union's auction house to bet on a few items in my name. Unless any opposing parties are also of nobility, you should not have much difficulty in securing those auctioned items."

"Here is a purse of 200000 Madrags, and here are the two lists. The first has the items you can find in stores, and the other lists the time of the auction, location of the auction house and the key items I desire." Eric pulled out a velvet blue purse that seemed to have only a few coins. After receiving the two lists, Mona placed his hand in the purse, pulling out a several yellow coins. 200 of these are 200000 Madrags.

In the world of the Madrag continent, Madrags were the standard currency of the land since eons ago. They were held in purses, spatial objects that could only hold coins of varying value. 200 yellow Madrag coins was worth 200000 in total.

"You should make your way back before day's end. Feel free to spend on anything you may need, but make sure the final item at the auction is bought. I await news of your return." Eric smiled briefly before returning to his book. He seemed to be quite engrossed in what he was reading. Mona left the room, greeting the guard goodbye before returning to his room. He looked at his two paintings, Of Arts and Lucid Night, deciding to take them with him to the carriage.

Standing as he expected was a carriage of a small size, simplistic and unadorned with any signs of wealth. Only the sign of the Faulkner family was present on each door, a dark black mark

against the dark red wood. The driver was a stout fellow with whom Mona exchanged pleasantries before both made their way to the city of Alduin.

Mona looked outside through the only window, seeing as the city of Morosbo disappeared from sight, leaving him to gaze upon the endless plains. His paintings stood in the carriage, both of them signs of Mona's great skill in Painting. In the far distance, he could see the peaks of mountains barely standing beyond the horizon. If I could paint the vastness of those summits...

"The Alberdan Mountains are truly high to be seen from so far." A record of the Alberdan Mountains returned to Mona's mind, telling him of how few humans and many Beasts made the region their home. Myths of a great Beast sleeping there existed, a Beast that made the mountains itself. If such a thing still lived, its strength was truly terrifying to be able to carve the landscape.

"Sir, we are almost here." Mona heard the voice of the stout driver, a bit light and cheery from the other side. Turning his gaze Mona could see the edges of Alduin slowly entering his view. From afar the city carried a trace of elegance refined in each of its buildings. The tallest of all the buildings held a brass bell, the first thing Mona could see.

Reaching the edge of the city, the driver was greeted by a set of guards. To enter the city, one needed to be of nobility or pay a fine. After seeing the insignia of the carriage, this set of guards had appeared to escort it in, drawing curiosity and envy from the citizens entering Alduin. The drivers bade the guards farewell upon entering Alduin, the carriage disappearing amongst the traffic.

Mona looked at the various shops lining the streets, seeing vendors and merchants alike yelling out sales on goods. A few won even Mona's attention, giving him a desire to find out more.

"A book of the great Madrag! Only 1000 Madrags, or an equivalent item desired."

"Have ailments with indescribable causes? Try Grinded Wyvern Flakes. Two pouches for 550 Madrags."

"A lost book on making Pills. Only 599 Madrag coins. The writing is barely legible, but seems to hold great value."

When these sellers found Mona giving them attention, each of them rushed to show him their wares. The insignia of the Faulkner family usually meant the person with had a fortune, and each merchant desired to have a share. However, even under the constant pleadings of the carriage to stop, Mona told the driver to continue forward. I'll look for information on these dealers before I buy.

The carriage slowly came to a stop at a small building, nearby which were other carriages. The

stout fellow opened Mona's door, letting Mona see the name of their arrival. This place was similar to a station for drivers, allowing passengers to take care of their business while drivers waited for their return.

"I'll be going off. Be sure to watch the carriage." Mona seemed to understand the desires of the carriage driver, leaving in the directions of the shopping district in Alduin. Behind him the stout driver repeated his thanks for having Sir Mona be his passenger. The driver was apparently told to take Mona elsewhere, but had brought him to the Alduin Station to rest. The driver felt grateful because Mona was willing to overlook this.

Mona walked among the people on the streets, looking at the list in his hands. Here were the names of various items, all of them present in only two shops. Lifting his head, Mona came upon one of the stores, heading towards its entrance. Merielle's Medicine Shop. This is the place.

Upon entering, Mona saw the once bright light of outdoors was replaced by the dimly lit store. What little illumination this shop had came through the small cracks of the curtains or from lamps hanging on the walls. No one was present except for an old lady, whose shriveled skin meant she was nearing death. Her Aura level was that of a Mortal Level 5, and lingered close to her closed eyelids.

A few tables and chairs were laid out in this shop, enclosed by a wall of bookshelves and drawers holding items. Turning towards these items, Mona could see liquids of various forms, herbs of differing ages, and pill bottles all set for display. The prices were written on cards placed in front of the merchandise, carefully written with the name, price and effects of each.

Mona made his way in front of the old woman, her gray hair disheveled. He looked at her feeble frame, only for her eyes to open back towards him. Unlike the rest of her body, her brown eyes seemed to carry the totality of her youth.

"Yes?" Came a sweet and young voice from the old woman, Mona a bit confused. Seeing opposites, he didn't know what to think as he looked at her. The old woman proceeded to smile and then laugh, relieving Mona of his actions.

"You're an Aura Mortal Level 9, and you have never heard of a Metamorphosis Art? Hehe." The old lady spoke, looking into Mona's eyes before looking to the list in his hand. "Did the young master Faulkner send you?" She blinked her eyes twice in succession.

Mona nodded, passing the list to the old lady. For some reason he felt he could trust her with his life, his life to a total stranger.

The old lady revealed her light green Aura, the strands moving throughout the room. She lifted various items using her Aura like appendages, bringing them swiftly back to the table. She looked to Mona with another smile, placing all the items in a small wooden box. She passed a small

sheet of paper to Mona along with his list.

"That will be 2500 Madrag coins. The map of Alduin is free of charge. You might get lost, you know?" The old lady spoke, receiving Mona's payment and returning change. Mona placed the box in his satchel, leaving through the front door with map and list in each hand.

That was strange. Mona inwardly made sure that when he was looking through the Faulkner Library he was to learn of this Metamorphosis Art. The knowledge could come in handy.

Mona eyes widened as he looked at the map. The difference between Alduin and Morosbo in terms of shops were too great. "They have a craft shop for artists," Mona looked up, turning his head right, "just a few blocks away. But Eric's items..." Mona sighed, wondering when he could make a living of his own to buy what he needed.

After three narrow streets and two blocks, Mona stood in front of another store. The people walking on this street were great, and he had to stand just before the door to make sure the name was right. The sun cast his shadow on the ground. It was already the afternoon.

Entering the shop labelled Salazar's Scrolls and Formations, Mona found himself the audience of a scene. Scrolls of various forms were strewn all over the floor, a few shelves toppled to the ground. Maps were hanging off center on the walls, and whatever items were on display for passerby were damaged. In the center of the store stood two figures, the man Mona presumed was Salazar and the other his wife.

The man named Salazar was holding a scroll, his dark black Warrior level 4 Aura fighting against the Warrior level 3 Aura of his wife, which carried the color of a light red. The man had a long moustache, as if he never shaved it in his life. Atop his head was a square hat, and with his free hand he sent various Arts at the lady.

At this point in time, Salazar sent out an attack of a hammer made from Aura. It made its way to Erina, preparing to strike her. Erina followed in turn, activating an Art that built a shield around her body, collapsing from the attack of the Aura hammer.

Salazar's wife had an expression of anger, having to face the slight disadvantage with greater amounts of Aura. She dressed her thin body with modesty and care, but her displeasure with Salazar could not be hidden from her eyes. She sent out Arts as well, maintaining a defensive position for the time being. This Art resembled a tidal wave, only to be split apart by Salazar's Three Swords of Man Art with three large greatswords preventing the wave from inching closer.

"You monster! How could you!" She looked at Salazar with a face of sadness, anger, and pain. Salazar seemed to have done something unforgivable, as she quickly sent out an Art that made innumerable snakes. Salazar dodged left and right, using his Aura to kill these animated Beasts with caution in every step.

Mona shook his head at this battle. Out of all the shops in this city, I have to buy from a couple with marital problems. Mona really wanted to finish his time here to go back to the craft shop. In about an hour the auction house would open, and then he wouldn't be able to go check out the painting supplies Alduin had.

Salazar looked to his wife as if he was accused of having affair. His voice was steady as he sent arrows made from Aura at the woman. "You have to believe me, Erina. This is the best chance yet! Let me explain, and stop with the Arts!"

Salazar activated an Elemental Art, a blue ball of flames split into five smaller orbs headed for Erina.

Erina looked at Salazar, her rage released. "First our home, then our land, and now my dowry. You and your gambling is tearing our family apart!" Erina activated a stronger Art, sending a large Gryffon made from Aura at Salazar. It absorbed the five fireballs, only to get destroyed by Salazar's pure Aura attack.

"Ahem." Mona coughed, looking at the two figures. He couldn't wait for the two combatants to finish their bout to buy his supplies. There were only thirty minutes left before the auction would begin, and by then Mona would have to be present in the auction house.

Just as Mona expected, Salazar and Erina turned to Mona, realizing a customer was watching their fighting this whole time. Salazar's face fell when he noticed the insignia of Faulkner on Mona's robes, as if he remembered something important. He was the first to stop his Arts and Aura, his words echoing his desire for forgiveness.

"Messenger of the House of Faulkner, forgive me for making you wait and for displaying myself in this way. I have the young master's order ready, please give me two, no one minute to prepare it." Salazar apologized as best as he could in the moment, hurriedly going to the tilted shelves to retrieve formations and Scrolls. He went behind his desk to reveal a book, placing the contents in a small bag with the store's logo printed on front, a single scroll with the name "Salazar" written along it lengthwise in crimson.

The lady named Erina followed in Salazar's footsteps, retracting her actions from earlier. Like Salazar she tidied up the area with speed, trying to make it appear that she and Salazar were not involved in a brawl. Within time, the entire store was spotless, with both Salazar and Erina behind the desk, giving to Mona what Eric desired. Mona checked his list, finding all the items he required already received. Just before he was about to pay, the man named Salazar began to speak.

"Please take the items, free of charge, as my apology for making you wait. " When Salazar spoke this, a trace of shock appeared in Erina's eyes before fading from view. Mona nodded to Salazar's request, taking the items outside the store.

I have 197500 Madrag coins to use for the Auction. When Mona was closing the door behind him, he heard the lady named Erina speak. Her words carried sadness that knew no end as she spoke between her sobs. "...And now what little father has left for me is going to be ruined because of you, too!"

Mona shut the door behind him, sighing. He wasn't feeling sorry for the young lady named Erina back in the store. From the sight of the sun and the change in how the people walked, he could tell that the auction hall of the Union has opened.

I missed my best chance of seeing Kronuts Crafts & Supplies! They were having a sale on Paints! Looking at the map in his hand of Alduin, Mona found it had another ability: owners of the map could tell through Formations of various sales around Alduin. He had lost his best chance of getting those Saint ranked Painting items for cheap.

Accepting his loss, Mona made his way back to the carriage to retrieve his two paintings. Holding the two in each hand, Mona followed with the crowds making their way to Alduin Plaza, the location of the CFU Auction House. At one point, Mona placed the paintings carefully into his satchel before he checked his map for the directions once again, seeing the peak of the Auction House from far away. With the nearby buildings, he wasn't able to see its true size.

The Alduin Plaza was the central hub of the city, and the location of the city hall of Alduin, the Union's City Branch and Auction House, as well as other notable buildings. Mona watched as the pedestrian traffic grew as the streets became wider, the throngs of people looking to the Auction House with awe.

When Mona's group reached the plaza, the mass of people continued forward, leaving Mona behind to marvel at the buildings. Each building here was of great importance to cities and towns nearby, and their sizes were comparable to Eric's manor. The city hall had an ancient air, gaining the respect of those nearing it.

Standing in front of the auction house, Mona basked in its greatness. The entire building was sitting on a raised pedestal, and the masses flooded into the large pair of crimson doors. The house was largely cylindrical in shape, and seemed to encompass an arena near its end. The majority of people made their way to this area, among them ostentatious merchants and nobles from various bloodlines, as shown by the clothing and groups that followed at their every call.

Mona seemed a bit strange to the surrounding people as he continued to watch the scene. Some saw the symbol of the Faulkner family on his clothing and quickly swallowed back their words. These people feared the retaliation of the House of Faulkner if their words became known.

Mona paid the gawkers no mind, thinking instead of the possibilities. Could I sell my paintings here? Mona looked into his satchel for his paintings Lucid Night and Of Arts. If he was able to

submit his paintings for auction, he could make a decent profit to keep to himself for future use. Maybe he could even buy supplies for painting, or books that held knowledge on things like Arts and Techniques. Money was always useful to have.

Mona understood he had his two best paintings, but was willing to sell them. His special signature, a leaf with his initials written inside, was distinct on each painting. He knew the benefits included not only money, but also possibly a relationship with the CFU and also his name as an artist being known. Through this he could gain commissions to use towards better materials, and further understand the secrets of his Lunar Tattoo.

Mona pulled out his two paintings, looking at his skill. He was now sure that his painting of the night sky was at best a Warrior ranked Painting, whereas his paintbrush piece was at least of a Saint rank. A Saint rank was sure to sell at least for ten times the price of even the best Warrior ranked Painting. Not only was the skill within worthwhile itself, any Painter could study the painting to learn how to make their own artworks better.

His paintings revealed, the people that made their way to the auction house began to slacken, many looking at his two paintings. Merchants imagined hanging one in their bedrooms, nobles having one among their prized possessions. All of them had the same thought in mind. Who is this Painter, and is he selling these in the Auction? A few buyers with understanding eyes could see the potential in the two pieces, and were willing to negotiate to have what could be a prodigy's first creations.

Before anyone could approach Mona, the sound of a rapidly approaching carriage came from behind him. Turning around, Mona looked into the eyes of an Eight Tailed Scorpion, coming to a halt before him. The beast looked at Mona with displeasure when the driver stopped its tails from striking Mona. The crowd held their breaths at seeing the insignia labelled on the carriage with a magnificent air, a raven with its claws outstretched.

Mona could hear as an angry maiden's cold voice arose from inside, the driver worryingly opening the door. Out walked a young maiden, who stared at Mona as if he was trash. The crowd knew this Aura Warrior level 5 was a beauty, but retreated from having fantasies. Her heart was renowned to be terribly cold, inconsiderate of any except the one she represented. Those that dared to dream and try for her hand had only met an early death.

Mona looked at the maiden with a furrowed brow, as he heard her icy words. "Who are you to dare block the messenger of Sirelec Wessor?" A few creases grew on his brow as he heard the arrogance that accompanied her voice. His Aura was silently channeled with the Primal Fold Technique, readying his body for battle.