“Well, yeah. I wasn’t just going to take my pants off in front of everyone here.”

Looking at him with shining eyes, the girl stepped forward and grabbed his hands in an earnest manner. “You used those arrayments so easily. Are you from one of those sects in the west?”

He shook his head. “My sect’s based in the Dragon’s Tail.”

“So you are from a sect? In the Dragon’s Tail, though? I know there are some out there, but they’re not too well known so I can’t think of their names. Which one are you from?”

“How long are you going to hold my hand?”

“Ah,” the girl gasped, blushing as she retracted her grip. “Sorry about that. It’s just that, I came into my spiritual energies a few years ago, but Father refuses to find me a teacher. He wants me to focus on becoming a logistical manager for one of his businesses, of all things, but I don’t want to do something so boring. Being an arrayment practitioner is the obvious choice!”

“That sucks, sorry to hear that.” Snickering to himself, he added, “You know if it were me, I’d just do it anyway.”

“That’s why I came to talk to you. I know you’re not a member of the association, but are you perhaps headed to North Island as well? If you are and you don’t have a place to stay, why not come to the town we oversee and work as my instructor?”

“We met like a minute ago and you’re already inviting me to your place? I’ve gotta say, you really know how to build up a man’s confidence.”

“What are you thinking of?” Frowning, the girl shook her head in embarrassed denial. “I only invited you because you’re so young that Father would never suspect that I’d hired you on as an arrayment instructor. What you were thinking…I’m not that type of girl. I’ve never even—ah, what are you making me say?”

Nolan hid a laugh as he sipped at his drink. “What’s your name?”

“Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Melissa, but my friends call me Milly. We’re in town for the next few weeks while we wait for the profound shuttle to arrive from Frostport.”

“Profound shuttle?”

“You haven’t heard of it? It’s the airship that ferries CMA members between here and Frostport, and also from Frostport to North Island. Does your sect not have any?”

“Not yet, but I’m sure we’ll get our hands on some soon.”

Melissa went to say something else, but was interrupted by a girl from her group of friends. Sliding purple lily pads out of her way as she approached, Melissa’s friend came by and grabbed her hand, tugging at her impatiently. With short blonde hair and bright green eyes, the newcomer seemed a few years younger than Melissa.

“Pardon me,” said the girl, casting Nolan a momentary glance. “Milly, let’s go back. I think Kendal’s getting a bit jealous.”

“Uhg, he’s so annoying. Everywhere I go, he’s there. Even here in this pool. I don’t want to talk to him anymore.”

“Me neither, but this is his father’s villa and you’ve seen how he can be.”

Melissa fixed Nolan with a regretful frown. “I…I have to go back to my friends now. Um, what was your name?”

“Nolan.”

“It was nice meeting you, Nolan. I hope you remember what I said once you get to North Island. The town we live in is called Teiso, in the Kelden province. I do hope to meet you again!”

Looking over at the floating table, a long-haired young man was casting constant glances in their direction. Although he wore swimming trunks same as Nolan, he wore so many articles of star gold that he actually looked a bit foolish.

Nolan hadn’t thought of literary terms since he’d been relocated to Venara, but a sudden thought brought a slight grin to his lips. Is that what you’d call a fop?

“Hold on, I was enjoying our conversation.”

Melissa shook her head. “It seems the son of Chamberlain Daren has taken a liking to me. My father noticed this as well, and he’s been urging me to spend more time with him.”

“Is that what you want?”

She shook her head. “He’s rude and possessive even though we hardly know each other. I don’t like him.”

“Then he can suck a lemon.”

“Our family is subordinate to his, so I can’t just avoid him. You’re not from the CMA so it’s only natural that you don’t know how we operate. There are millions of members in our faction, and the ones with the most authority are the four merchant lords that founded it, along with their chamberlains. His father is one of those chamberlains.” Giving him a sad smile, Melissa adjusted her pretty brown hair and then made her way back to the other five people along with the girl that had come to fetch her.

Nolan wasn’t left with much time to think about what had just happened, for Welson appeared a moment later with the young woman in the white dress whose company Nolan had donated a fortune for. As with the other girls that had taken part in the auction, she wore a decorated sash of blue fabric.

“So this is where you wandered off to.” Welson seemed to have sobered up a bit, though he was steadily sipping on some spirits. “This is Ava, the girl from before.”

Ava looked at Nolan with vibrant blue eyes, smiling widely as she gave him a deep bow. “Thank you for your patronage, Young Master.”

“No problem. Actually, you should be thanking this guy. Of all the girls up there, he only had eyes for you. I swear I saw hearts in his eyes.”

Welson didn’t seem to like his input, the heavyset man making some excuses and then walking off with Ava to enjoy a meal at a different area of the grounds. Nolan was left laughing at the awkwardness he’d just thrown on the consul, thinking that if Welson intended to be true friends with him then he needed to grow accustomed to the occasional trolling.

Not long after Nolan had been left alone, Melissa reappeared at his side with an uncomfortable expression, this time accompanied by the other youths along with the floating table that one of them had dragged over. Aside from the guy named Kendal, there were no other males in the group.

“Hey there, friend. I couldn’t help but notice you speaking with the venerated consul there. Might I ask how you know him?”

“We’re business partners.”

Kendal’s laugh contained ridicule, his dark eyes housing a bit of humour. “Business partners? I knew that Welson had fallen into dire straits, but working with a young boy like yourself on equal footing? No offence, but that’s just too pitiful.”

Nolan shrugged, caring neither for the young man’s words nor his opinions. “So, how are you guys enjoying the party so far?” Nobody responded, all of the girls casting uncertain glances at Kendal. “That bad, huh?” He took out the small bottle of golden spirits that he’d picked up just after he and Welson had entered the grounds, topping up his cup with a relaxed expression.

Sorry, mouthed Melissa with a discreet frown.

He shrugged in response, waving an arm at the immaculate property. “This is a nice place. How much would an estate like this cost, you think?”

“Father paid over 60 million spirit stones for it. It’s nothing much, but it’s the best sort of accommodation you’d expect to find in a city like this.”

“That much, huh?”

“Why do you ask, Nolan?” said Melissa, before having an apparent thought. “Oh, everyone, this is Nolan. He’s part of the…um, I never did get the name of your sect.”

“He’s a disciple of a sect?” said the younger girl that had pulled Melissa away earlier. “No wonder I can’t sense your cultivation level. Hey, what kind of sect are you in? A martial sect? Or an alchemic one? You’re not from those islands, are you?”

Again with those islands. It seemed that the true powerhouses of this world resided within the archipelago to the west of the continent. Since Nolan’s lifespan would surely last for centuries, he wondered when he would eventually get around to visiting them.

“He told me before that he’s an arrayment practitioner. Hey, is there a chance that you’re from an arrayment-based sect?”

Faced with Melissa’s expectant stare, he said, “All of the above, I guess?”

Hearing this, the girls looked at one another with excitement.

“He’s only at the sixth level of Integration,” said Kendal, taking back a long drink of spirits. “If he’s from a sect, it’s not one of the ones on those islands. Am I right?” Kendal wasn’t too muscular, but he visibly flexed his muscles in an attempt to intimidate Nolan.

“I told you where we’re based,” he said to Melissa. “In the Dragon’s Tail.”

“Ah, so it’s some backwater organization.” Kendal summoned the bottle of spirits from Nolan’s side and began filling up the cups that were sitting atop the floating table. This annoyed Nolan, since there were four more of these bottles mixed in with the cups.