’What happened in there?’ Ning wondered. He regretted not eavesdropping on the conversation, but quickly sent the thought away.

”I’ll go check on brother,” Ori said and left. The young girl sprinted away, leaving behind the old woman with the two of them.

”So, where was I? Right, where are you two from exactly?” the woman asked.

Ning gave a weird look to the old woman. “Your step-son just slammed the door and ran away right now, and you don’t seem the least bit surprised,” he said.

The woman smiled. “I would’ve been surprised if it didn’t happen,” she said. “It was within my expectation that he would run out in anger. I’m actually more surprised he didn’t show even more of a reaction. He really has grown a lot.”

”You expected this to happen?” Saphandra asked.

”Yes,” the woman said. “After all, I would doubt anyone would take this sort of news lying down.”

”What news?” Ning asked.

The woman smiled. “You shouldn’t poke your nose in other people’s business, now should you?” she asked.

Ning gave a rueful smile and went back to drinking his juice.

The woman kept them company for a bit longer while asking various questions about where they were from and what they did before this.

She all but asked what their ranks were and whether they had dyed their hairs or not.

The woman was a bit surprised when she learned that they were from the eastern side of the world.

It was well-known that the east was less developed than the west, and that spiritual energy didn’t reach there as much as it did in the west. No one knew why, but this was quite well known around the world.

And somehow, Ning and Saphandra were both from there? The woman had to doubt even more about their hair now.

She left not long after and let them go to the guest room as the light outside was starting to fade away.

Shining pearls hung around the mansion, illuminating it entirely in every hall and corner. Even the lamps outside had multiple pearls to give a glow to the servants working outside.

There was a bath available, so Ning didn’t hesitate to wash himself off. Having swum in the ocean multiple times and walking through the streets of Ranadar city, he desperately needed a bath.

While he could clean himself with the system, it just didn’t sit right with him until he felt the clean water fall on his body and the soap wash away the sweat, dirt, and grime that more than likely was not on his body.

He changed into a fresh pair of blue shirt and black pants that he had bought from one of the stores in Ranadar City.

The outside was now fully dark and Sena had already shown her face in the sky.

He laid down on the bed in the room and thought with a wry smile about what to do next.

Given that he was here only to bring over Trevain’s possessions, he should quickly get it brought out and get his quest signed off. But he didn’t feel like it was the right time to approach Trevain with such stuff.

’Well, I’m in the duke’s mansion. It’s more than fine if the quest gets delayed,’ he thought to himself.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door and Ning went out to open it. On the other side of the door was Ori, the youngest daughter of the duke.

”Hey Ori, how can I help you?” Ning asked.

”Sir Ning, would you like to accompany us for our dinner?” she asked shyly.

”Dinner?” Ning thought of the last time he had eaten. Aside from the drinks a little earlier, he hadn’t eaten anything since the morning. “I would love to accompany you to dinner.”

”Really?” The girl was a little surprised as if she hadn’t expected him to accept.

”Yes,” Ning said. “Also, don’t call me sir. Just call me Brother Ning.”

”Y-yes, brother Ning,” the girl said and bowed before walking up to Saphandra’s door and knocking on it.

She asked the same question and Saphandra looked at Ning’s smiling face before accepting the dinner invitation.

Ning and Saphandra both walked behind Ori before arriving at a brilliantly lit dining hall with low-hanging chandeliers that were filled with at least a hundred different pearls.

There was a long dining table at the center of the room with a chair each on the short side of the table and 4 different chairs on each side of the long side.

Trevain sat on one of the short sides, while on the other end of the table was a middle-aged man with a few gray hairs wearing a black shirt and pants. 𝒩𝑜𝒱𝓁𝐞xt.𝒸𝐎𝗆

He looked to be about 50 years old, a little older than the stepmother that sat on his right.

Ning understood that this was most likely the duke, Grecian Hegalhorth.

On his left sat a young man, a little older looking than Ning, but not by so much. At most, he was 25 years old. He looked at the spitting image of the Duke and his wife.

Ning understood that this was most likely the Duke’s and the Duchess’ son.

Ori sat next to her stepmother on her right, on the longer side of the table.

Ning walked up to the chair next to Trevain and pulled it to sit down, but before he could do it, the Duchess spoke up.

”Young man, you should sit here,” she pointed at the seat next to Ori.

Ning shrugged and walked to the other side to sit next to Ori. At the same time, the older son of the duke walked out of his chair and bowed toward Saphandra.

”My lady, I am Lucius Hegalhorth. Pleased to meet you,” the young duke’s son said.

He pulled the seat next to him, and Saphandra sat down on it with a slightly annoyed look on her face that she was unable to hide.

Ning looked at the sitting structure that weirdly left out Trevain and realized that he was most likely being punished.