The location of Kain’s mission was the second most populous city in the eastern region, Moonstone City. Fortunately, it was not too far from Dark Moon City, and after meeting with Barret and opening the beer barrel, Kain was able to arrive the very same day after only a few hours of travel by train.
The second Kain left the train station he noticed the stark difference in the local architecture from Dark Moon City. While the gothic-style of the cities remained similar, the buildings in Moonstone were largely made from locally-sourced moonstone, which gave off a soft, iridescent glow under the moonlight that gave the entire city a dream-like quality.
By the time Kain arrived in the city, the sun had already fallen therefore he was able to see the glow of the city in all of its glory.
Walking away from the train station, Kain entered into the central plaza which featured a grand moonstone archway, which served as both a beautiful architectural centrepiece and a symbol of the city’s identity for tourists like Kain.
In the center of the plaza stood a tall moonstone fountain, its cascading water catching the light and creating an enchanting sparkling effect that further added to the dreamy quality of the city.
The surrounding streets were lined with moonstone lamps that provided both illumination and aesthetic charm, casting a soft glow that guided visitors through the city.
Since it was late, Kain decided to book a hotel room at one of the nicer hotels in the city before meeting the individual who issued the mission tomorrow.
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The next day Kain headed towards the address provided on the mission information while munching on Moonstone Scone—a local specialty.
Contrary to the stone in their name, the scones were light, airy, and melted in his mouth. They were also sprinkled with a white edible glitter that the worker called “moonstone dust,” but really was probably something much more normal.
He eventually arrived in front of a sprawling manor that sat behind large wrought-iron gates.
Kain wasn’t given any other means of contacting the issuer of the mission and so just pressed on the intercom button next to the gate. After a brief moment, a cold, detached voice came through the speaker.
“State your purpose,” the voice demanded, its tone stern and unyielding.
Kain took a deep breath before responding, “Hello, I am Kain Newman. I’m here regarding the mission about the Glimmering Salamander. I received the mission to investigate its evolution issue.”
There was a pause on the other end, followed by a skeptical tone. “And who might you be? Another admirer of our young lady’s residence, perhaps? You seem rather young for such an important task.”
Kain’s eyebrows furrowed at the misinterpretation. “No, I’m not here for that. I’m here to address the Glimmering Salamander’s evolution issue. I have the official mission form right here.” He pulled out the form from his space ring, ensuring the intercom speaker could hear the rustling of paper.
“I assure you, as an Evolutionary Planner major at Dark Moon College I’m equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge for this issue.” Kain decided to exaggerate his skills and neglected to mention that he was a first-year, but that’s not important.
“Even if I can’t solve the issue, you won’t lose anything by letting me try.”
The voice hesitated, clearly grappling with the unexpected nature of Kain’s response. “Very well. Please wait at the gate. I’ll inform the young lady of your arrival.”
The intercom clicked off, and Kain waited patiently as the gate slowly creaked open. He followed a stone pathway embedded with moonstones. It’d probably make a mesmerizing site at night as the path to the manor lit up.
Inside, the manor exuded an aura of understated luxury. The entrance hall was expansive, with high ceilings and large, arched windows that let in an abundance of light from outside.
The floor was a shiny polished marble that reflected Kain and the butler’s figures as he was escorted to the waiting room.
The room was furnished with velvet armchairs and sofas arranged around an antique wooden coffee table. The furniture was a deep, midnight blue, complementing the moonstone accents in the room. Along one wall, a grand fireplace crackled softly, its warm light providing a cozy contrast to the cool-toned colours of the room.
Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with neatly arranged volumes bound in leather. Many of the books Kain could tell were several times older than himself. And the occasional antique item on the shelves between books for decoration also hinted at the family’s refined taste.
A large, moonstone-framed painting dominated one wall, depicting a serene night sky with a silvery moon casting its glow over a tranquil landscape.
Kain took a seat in one of the armchairs, his mind racing with thoughts about the mission ahead and the impression he needed to make. He had already anticipated the butler having doubts about his ability, but this mission required for the issuer to confirm that Kain had found the solution. Even if he does find the solution, how would he get them to believe him?
Judging from the scale of their home and the age of many of the items Kain saw along the way, he could assume that this was probably a relatively old and prominent beast-taming family.
They probably already called upon many more established and experienced evolutionary planners prior to each try at evolving.
In particular, after the first failure, they probably had dozens of planners examine the Glimmer Salamander to no avail. Why would they trust the words of a first-year college student?
Especially, when this time, should the evolution fail, it would likely spell the death of the Glimmer Salamander.
After waiting for what felt like an eternity, and finishing all of the refreshments and snacks provided, the large doors leading to the waiting room were finally opened and the butler re-entered followed by a smaller figure dressed in white holding a burnt orange bundle in their arms.