“You’ve got potential, but potential alone won’t get you far on this expedition. Head to the third station. Walk straight and then turn right, you will see the sign.”
Lucavion inclined his head at Edran’s directions, but the faintest furrow creased his brow. His sharp memory immediately recalled the path the blonde girl and her companion had taken earlier.
They turned left, he thought, the detail standing out like a ripple in still water.
For a moment, his mind turned the observation over, questioning its significance. Edran had directed him to the third station—straight ahead and to the right. Yet the pair from earlier had clearly gone left. Was it a coincidence? Or had they been assigned to a different group entirely?
Lucavion kept his expression neutral, offering a faint smirk as he responded. “Understood, Captain. I’ll head there right away.”
Edran gave a curt nod, his focus already shifting back to the papers on his desk.
Turning on his heel, Lucavion strode out of the chamber, his steps deliberate but unhurried. Vitaliara’s voice brushed against his thoughts as he exited into the bustling hallway. [Something bothering you?]
Enjoy more content from empire
Not particularly, he replied his tone calm but edged with faint curiosity.
Lucavion walked with purpose, his dark eyes scanning the hallway as he approached the next guard station. He inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment to the guard, who stepped aside without a word.
Instead of turning right as instructed, Lucavion smoothly veered left, his steps unhurried but deliberate.
[Where are you going?] Vitaliara’s voice chimed in, her tone suspicious. [Didn’t he say to turn right?]
Lucavion smiled faintly, his tone light. Well, let’s say, I don’t like following orders.
[Oh, I know you don’t like following orders,] Vitaliara retorted, her glowing form shifting on his shoulder. [But you’re also not someone who’d go against them just for the sake of it.]
Lucavion chuckled softly, his smirk deepening. Heh… What are you implying, my dear?
There was a pause before Vitaliara replied, her voice quieter but sharper. [That girl… Are you following her trail?]
Lucavion’s face didn’t falter, though a glimmer of amusement sparked in his eyes. Wherever did you get that idea?
He continued down the left hallway, his eyes scanning the signs along the walls. The passage was quieter here, with fewer adventurers milling about. His gaze caught two signs at a junction ahead: Fourth Station and Second Station, each pointing in a different direction.
Lucavion slowed his pace slightly, his expression thoughtful. Which one did they go to? he wondered silently.
[Fourth,] Vitaliara answered for him, her tone confident. [While you entered, I looked for that girl. She went this way.]
Lucavion raised an eyebrow, his smirk softening into something more contemplative. You’ve been busy, haven’t you? he thought, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.
[Someone has to keep an eye on your distractions,] Vitaliara replied with a flick of her tail. [Now, are you going, or are you going to stand here pondering like an idiot?]
Why mad?
[I am not MAD!]
Mad?
[…..]
Lucavion adjusted his coat and stepped into the room marked Fourth Station. The space was modest, filled with neatly arranged desks and shelves stacked with scrolls and ledgers. At the far side of the room, a man sat behind a heavy wooden desk, scribbling notes into a logbook.
Lucavion’s sharp eyes scanned the man briefly, taking in his composed demeanor and the faint but unmistakable air of discipline. Hmm, from the looks of it, this guy is also a knight, he thought, noting the upright posture and the faint scars visible along the man’s forearms.
The knight glanced up as Lucavion entered, his expression neutral but observant. “Can I help you?” he asked, his tone formal but not unfriendly.
Lucavion offered a polite nod, his smirk faint but present. “Luca,” he said smoothly. “Captain Edran sent me here to register for the expedition.”
The man raised an eyebrow slightly, then set down his quill and gestured toward the desk in front of him. “Take a seat.”
Lucavion complied, sliding into the chair with an effortless grace as he placed his ID on the desk. The knight picked it up, his eyes scanning the details quickly before setting it aside. “Name: Luca. Adventurer rank: D. Occupation: Swordsman. Is that correct?”
“Spot on,” Lucavion replied with a faint smirk.
The knight gave a curt nod and began filling out a form with practiced efficiency. His quill scratched against the parchment as he asked a few standard questions—emergency contact, prior experience, and whether Lucavion had any medical conditions that could affect the expedition.
Lucavion answered each question with his usual nonchalance, keeping his responses concise but cooperative.
It didn’t take long before the knight set down his quill and rolled up the completed form. He tucked it into a cylindrical holder before turning back to Lucavion. “Your registration is complete,” the knight said, his tone businesslike. “You’ll receive further instructions at the briefing. Stay alert and prepared.”
Lucavion inclined his head slightly as he stood. “Understood. Thank you.”
The knight nodded once more before returning to his logbook, his attention already shifting back to his work.
As Lucavion stepped out of the station, Vitaliara’s voice drifted into his mind. [That was surprisingly uneventful.]
Sometimes, my dear, efficiency is its own kind of art, Lucavion replied, his smirk deepening slightly as he adjusted his coat.
[Efficiency?] Vitaliara’s tone carried a note of teasing. [I’m sure you were just hoping to see her again.]
Lucavion chuckled softly, his pace unchanging as he moved down the corridor. You really are mistaking it.
[If you were me, what would you think?]
Lucavion chuckled softly as he adjusted his coat, his pace unhurried as he moved through the corridor. If I were in your position, my dear, he began smoothly, I’d likely think I was following that girl too.
[See?] Vitaliara shot back, her tone triumphant but laced with curiosity. [So, you admit it.]
Lucavion’s smirk deepened, a flicker of mischief gleaming in his dark eyes. Ah, but that would only be the case if I were a normal guy.
[And you’re not?] Vitaliara’s glowing form flickered as she tilted her head, her voice carrying a note of skepticism. [Last I checked, you can bleed like everyone else.]
True enough, Lucavion conceded, his tone light, but we both know I’m not normal. Right? If I were following her, it wouldn’t be for the reasons you’re assuming. It would be… for something different.
[Then what might that reason be?] Vitaliara pressed, her glowing eyes narrowing as her tail flicked lightly against his neck.
Lucavion’s face softened into something more enigmatic, his gaze flickering with amusement. As I said before, my dear… that’s for you to figure out.
[I really can’t remember how much I say this but, you are impossible] Vitaliara muttered, her tone exasperated but tinged with reluctant fondness. [You know that, right?]
Lucavion laughed softly, his dark eyes scanning the hallways ahead as he continued toward the briefing. And yet, you still can’t help but stay curious. Isn’t that why we make such a perfect pair?
Vitaliara huffed, her glowing form settling back into its usual perch on his shoulder. [Perfectly infuriating, you mean.]
Lucavion didn’t reply immediately, his smirk lingering as his thoughts wandered. The truth, of course, was far more layered than he let on. But for now, letting Vitaliara chase her own theories was half the fun.
Lucavion exited the camp, the city of Stormhaven opening before him in all its vibrancy. The salty breeze from the ocean teased his senses, mingling with the scents of freshly baked bread, sizzling meats, and tangy spices wafting from street stalls. The rhythmic clinking of metal from blacksmiths’ forges blended with the hum of voices bartering, laughing, and occasionally shouting in the market square.
For a brief moment, Lucavion stood still, taking it all in. His hand lingered near his collar as a faint smile crept onto his lips. Ocean, chaotic yet soothing in its way.
‘A coffee would be nice,’ he mused, the thought bringing a touch of familiarity to the foreign surroundings. It wasn’t a grand request, but there was something grounding about the idea of a steaming cup of coffee amid the city’s bustle.
[Coffee? Now? In all this noise?] Vitaliara’s voice chimed in, a touch of amusement laced with skepticism. [You really are an odd one, Lucavion.]
He chuckled softly, his dark eyes scanning the streets. “Odd, am I? Or just a man who knows what he wants?”
[Oh, please. You’re about as simple as a twelve-piece puzzle made of glass.]
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” he replied with a smirk, his voice low enough not to draw attention as he moved deeper into the market. But try as he might, no enticing aroma of coffee wafted through the air. Instead, he found himself drawn into the maze of colorful stalls and wandering merchants, each one promising something rarer or more exotic than the last.
Among the crowd, he noticed a small booth tucked into the corner of the square, its wares shrouded in shadow beneath a tattered awning. Intrigued, he approached, his gaze flickering over the items laid out with care: vials of swirling liquids, charms inscribed with runes, and small pouches of herbs that seemed to exude a faint, otherworldly glow.
“Well, well,” he murmured, his fingers brushing against the edge of a charm. “And what treasures do we have here?”
The merchant, an older man with sharp, piercing eyes, looked up from his seat. “Only the finest, traveler. These are no ordinary trinkets—they’re crafted with precision and blessed by the artisans of Lorian.”
“Lorian, you say?” Lucavion’s brow arched slightly as he turned the charm over in his hand. “Yet I don’t see their mark. Odd for something blessed by such renowned hands.”
The merchant hesitated, a flicker of nervousness crossing his face before he quickly recovered. “Ah, but that’s because these are rare, made for the discreet buyer. Their value lies in their secrecy.”
Caught you there. Lucavion set the charm back down, his smirk never faltering. “Discretion has its price,” he replied smoothly, “but so does honesty.” With a slight incline of his head, he stepped away, leaving the merchant to sputter excuses to the next curious passerby.
[You could’ve called him out more directly, you know,] Vitaliara teased, her tail flicking lightly against his shoulder. [Why let him off so easily?]
“Because, my dear, the best way to disarm a liar is to leave him wondering how much you know,” Lucavion replied, his tone casual but laced with amusement. “Besides, I’m still on a mission.”
[A mission for coffee? Truly noble.]
“Where will you find such a noble guy such myself?”
Vitaliara’s face twitched at that remark.
‘If you were a noble, everyone would be one…..’
Though she didn’t say this part.