“He's a cultivator! Just look at his robes! Not even a poor person would would wear something this shabby, so he must be a hidden master!”

A young girl around fifteen years of age had stood up to support Thurain. While the young cultivator was thankful for her help, there was no reason to be this rude about his clothing. He looked down at the long sleeves of his frayed, white cloth. Although the robes might have been old, at least they were clean. Even more, they were also made of spiraled cotton, a rare, qi-conductive material. Not even the rich man's watch would be enough to pay for it. What poor man could possibly afford something of such value?

“Is that true? You're a master?” the rich man asked, now in a much more conciliatory tone. While the girl's argument was ridiculous, someone from a business family would have much better eyes for the expensive cloth, or for the posture of a true master.

“Well, to be blunt: I didn't get onto this wagon by accident, and I wouldn't spend my entire savings on a single ticket either.”

“Maybe he sneaked in,” the alcoholic's wife insisted. Even her husband was getting embarrassed, as he pulled her back by her elbow to make her stop.

This time, Thurain offered the wife a sidelong glance, though it only made her glare back.

“If I tried to sneak in, I would not be wearing robes that make me stand out right away,” Thurain countered, as he pulled out his ticket and handed it to the rich man for inspection. This way, he could check Thurain's claims for himself. Although it was a bit humiliating to be questioned like this, the proof should accelerate things and prevent more conflict.

“Rather,” Thurain continued towards the alcoholic family, “If I tried to pretend I was part of the upper class, I'd be wearing something cheap, old and superficially suitable for the occasion. Much like you, fellow travelers.”

“You brat, how dare you-”

“The ticket is proper,” Mister Aubert interrupted the woman's outburst. With an encouraging nod, he handed Thurain his ticket back and shook his hand. “I am very sorry about all of this, Master Vaine. Please don't take my earlier suspicion as a personal offense. I feel honored that such a great personage would be willing to help out the Aubert family's troubles.”

For a moment, Thurain was confused at the way he had been addressed, but then he remembered that Vaine was the fake name he had specified when he bought his ticket. After all, he had undertaken his journey to Heliana incognito. There were too many unknown variables at his location, and he wouldn't travel with a giant target on his back.

“Please don't worry about it, I'm glad to help,” Thurain answered in a confident voice. In response, the rich man shook his hand around even harder, as if he was grasping at literal straws.

“No no, it means much to me. Please let me repay you for your services. If you can find the thief and help me regain my lost family ring, I promise to leave this watch with you instead.”

“That's not necessary.” Thurain raised his hand in defense after he had finally broken free from Aubrey's grasp.

“But-”

“I didn't intend to help you for the money, and it's rude to assume I would,” Thurain explained. “I only want to help because I understand your troubles. Something important was stolen from me as well, and I have also come to the city because of a family member's death.”

“Understood,” Mr. Aubrey said, his voice now a lot more muted. Short-lived families like the rich man's were always excited to get involved with cultivators, but their excitement would soon dim when they understood that most proper cultivators couldn't be bought with any amount of their money. Most cultivator's weren't short of normal currency, and it wasn't any different in Thurain's case. For now, he just wanted to get the man's ring back and restore peace in the compartment. That way, he could do some good and get back to his meditation sooner.

“Please tell me exactly what happened, and describe the object you are looking for in detail,” Riven said.

“Understood, Master Vaine. First off, I should properly introduce myself. My name is Tenedor Aubrey. My family is well-known in the area, we run several factories and plantations in the surrounding cities. Maybe you also had an Aubrey plantation in the area you come from, master. The largest factory from among our family's holdings is an end-producer of yin-infused metal appliances in Heliana's industrial zone. We make everything from railway tracks to garden bells. Up until a few days ago, my cousin was in charge of this most profitable factory. However, he passed away in an accident that was as sudden as it was tragic. The family sent me to attend the funeral and to take over management of the business in his stead. However, I need to identify myself as the family's representative in front of the factory's accountants. Otherwise, I won't be able to take over even if I can prove my identity in another way. Family rules, you see.”

“That proof is the family ring you mentioned,” Thurain surmised.

“That's correct, master. These rings are symbols of our house and were designed at a time when our clan didn't have today's money or status. All we had back then was hope and ambition. It looks fancy, but in fact is made from very cheap materials. Just now, I took a short nap in my private compartment, for no longer than an hour. When I woke up, my ring had been taken away. I left it on the nightstand next to my bed, so it would be the first thing an intruder would have seen upon entry. They have also taken some money, but that's of no importance to me, not so long as I get my ring back.”

“And you think the culprit was one of the people here?” Thurain asked again.

“No master, I know it has to be someone on this compartment. I have already talked with the train's personnel and they see it the same way.” As he spoke, Aubrey looked back and forth between the two clerks who had been blocking off either end of the first-class compartment ever since Thurain had opened his eyes. If Mr. Aubrey's self-introduction hadn't told the young cultivator that his family was a big deal in the short-lived world, the serious look of the clerks-cum-jailers certainly did.

“What about the other passengers further back?” the young cultivator still inquired. While Aubrey seemed adamant in his conclusion, that didn't do Thurain any good.

“Master, it can't be anyone from the value compartments,” the clerk closest to them replied.

What a nice name for a cargo-hold crammed full of pour souls, Thurain thought, though the clerk continued, unaware of his cynicism.

“All compartments of this train are strictly separated In fact, there are arrays between each compartment to ensure the usual comfort, quality and security our Spiritbridge trains are known for. The arrays guarantee that no one from the value compartments can cross over to the luxury compartments in the front.”

How nice of you, to keep the rich men isolated from the rabble. Again, Thurain disliked the clerk's attitude. However, he would neither voice it, nor did he have time to.

“But it can't have been anyone in this room,” the girl who had defended him earlier spoke up again. “Ever since we came here, not a single person here has left for the front of the train. Only a few people left their seats, and only towards the back, to get into their sleeping cabins, or to reach the... facilities.”

As the girl spoke, Thurain tried to walk towards the back of the compartment, where he would find the toilets and overnight cabins. However, the clerk who had talked to him before still stood in his way and wouldn't move at all.

“In that case, is it fine if I go look at the cabins in the back?” Thurain asked to force a reaction. Rather than answer, the clerk looked past the young cultivator, towards the rich Mr. Aubrey. Only when the magnate indicated a nod did the clerk reply. Maybe this was the limit of the respect a big company's representative would show to a young, unknown cultivator.

“Of course.” The clerk pretended servility, before he made way and followed Thurain and Mr. Aubrey into the back compartment of the first class train.