Cal stepped off the lift and took in the atmosphere of the busy port. That wasn’t strange in itself, but nearly all the workers were busy moving Sunfire Grains onto ships at the loading dock. There seemed to be far more ships than was necessary, but he knew little about the optimal way to ship the crop.
He scanned the port and couldn’t see Drex anywhere, which was a little disappointing, but that wasn’t the main reason he was here today. He spread his mana tendrils and sought the strongest presence in the port.
Cal expected the answer to be the administrative building where Brin had his office, but to his surprise, he sensed a powerful presence near the loading dock, hidden by a large crate filled with Sunfire Grains.
He made his way over, wondering if he should bring up the matter of the new hires. He wanted to be sure they would not quit randomly, but logic told him that was highly improbable. Bran was the wildcard, but his… enthusiasm meant the risk of leaving was still low.
Cal raised his brow when he saw Brin munching on a red grain variant. He was aware people of the Apprentice-tier could digest nearly anything, but to actually consume a crop in its raw form was unheard of.
“Apprentice Brin,” Cal said, announcing his presence. He hid his amusement when Brin spat out red kernels and tossed the unfinished Sunfire Grain from his hand, as if that would hide anything.
Brin cleared his throat and said, “Apprentice Cal. I wasn’t expecting you.”
Clearly. Cal’s lips twitched.
“Were you looking for Drex? I gave him the day off today, but you should be able to meet him in town.”
Brin’s awkwardness faded as he considered his words. “The Overseer left behind instructions to inform him if you need his help. However, I prefer to call him only if this is something urgent.”
Orrin’s sponsorship wouldn’t count as urgent, but getting the exemptions for his new hires could. The thin veneer of an excuse wouldn’t fool anyone, but it was enough to contact the Overseer, who was extremely lenient with him.
“You could say it’s urgent, I—”
“Then come back in the evening,” Brin cut him off. “The Overseer will be here by then.”
Cal opened his mouth to say that wasn’t necessary, but he said something else entirely. “That works with me. Seen you then, Apprentice Brin.” Cal got a nod before he left the port for the town.
Speaking to the Overseer directly would expedite things. He wasn’t sure when the next blacksmith test was, so getting Orrin the qualification to sit in one as soon as possible was important.
Cal intended to go to Orrin’s smithy and see what creations the kid came up with, plus tell him about the smithy planned on the farm. He expected resistance, but he was confident he could lure Orrin by appealing to his blacksmithing obsession. Seris living there would also help.
“Apprentice Cal! It’s been too long!”
Cal nearly jumped out of his skin when Nismus popped out of nowhere. He looked around suspiciously and saw no shadowy corner for him to hide in. He struggled to believe he couldn’t sense someone who he was wary about.
He reached out with his mana tendrils curiously. There was something muting Nismus’s existence to the level of a small rodent, making him instinctively disregard it since rats were far too common.
Cal stared at the gaudy emerald ring that was the culprit. It was a brilliant artifact.
“How foolish of me,” Nismus sighed exaggeratedly. “I forgot to take this ring off. I apologize for startling you, Apprentice Cal.”
Cal couldn’t hide his glare. His ability as a sensor wasn’t common knowledge. “Nismus, I see you’re as… interesting as ever.”
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“I indeed do my best to keep up with the times.” Nismus looked unphased by the glare. “Speaking of keeping up, would you like to join me for tea? I just received the most delightful blend!”
He would love to say where Nismus can stuff his invitation, but the man did everything to making accepting the offer mandatory. “I would love to.”
Cal somehow found himself agreeing to a private meeting with Nismus. He followed the shady man to his house with a barely concealed, unhappy expression.
Cal stared at the bits of rock floating in his tea, which meant the tea was denser, before looking at Nismus. “What kind of tea has dirt in it?”
“Isn’t it delightful?” Nismus’s eyes were bright. “It’s called Starseer Infusion, and there’s a rumor that drinking this allows a glimpse into the future!”
Cal slowly brought the teacup away from his face. Anything that claimed to tell the future was bad news, and usually came with side effects, exactly like the gem that miraculously boosts one’s power.
Nismus saw his revulsion and laughed. “It’s just a marketing gimmick, Apprentice Cal. Starseer Infusion contains Celestial Lavender, Oracle’s Sage, and crushed meteorite dust. Rare ingredients, yes, but ones with well-known effects. Or rather, no effects.”
Cal recognized those ingredients as the playthings for the wealthy. Those ingredients boasted grand names, but he always believed that this was done solely to create exclusivity. Other than the odd taste that was hard to replicate with anything else, they had no benefits or negatives, making them purely for status.
… Maybe I should look into growing these.
“I was never a fan of Celestial Lavender’s taste.” He placed the teacup back on the table. Those ingredients might have no known effect, but he had never heard of a tea brewed with all of them. He had no intention of taking a risk, no matter how nonexistent.
Nismus took an exaggerated sip and sighed contently. “I would agree with you, but the three, combined with the correct brewing method, change it for the better.”
Cal hid his impatience and shook his head. He watched Nismus take another sip before being direct. “Where did you find that ring? If possible, I’d like to buy one myself.”
“Ah, this bauble.” Nismus pulled off the ring, instantly magnifying his presence. “Is it for your lady love? Perhaps a different color would be better.”
Cal didn’t bother to ask how Nismus knew of Tavia. It was nearly public knowledge. “Maybe. Was there another bazaar I wasn’t aware of?”
“Nothing of the sort. I bought it off a young man about the same age as you. He had somehow gained the favor off a local jewel arcanist and sold it for him.” Nismus gained a teasing look. “Ah, the most curious thing was his claim to know you. I believe his name was Oleg.”
There it was. Nismus always had something up his sleeves, and Cal had naively thought it was that ring. That turned out to be a hook to draw him in.
Cal once again questioned why he left the man alive. It seemed to be more trouble than it was worth. However, the confidence Nismus showed always made him falter.
There must be some guarantee Nismus must have for his safety, or he wouldn’t speak in private with someone that could kill him with a flick of a finger.
“Using my name?” Cal asked to stall. He found that odd, since Oleg refused his help to find his own way.
“Hm, well, I suppose that’s an exaggeration. I thought Oleg look familiar and asked him if he knew you. Once I revealed we were friendly business partners, he was very open to speaking to me.”
Cal’s fingers twitched. “We are not friendly. Nor are we business partners. I think we’re done here.” He got up to leave.
“Not yet,” Nismus corrected with a smile. “You value this Oleg, so I looked to see if I could help him discreetly. Did you know he wanted to leave the Celestial Order and join the Harvest Union?”
Cal nodded with narrowed eyes.
“I have contacts on that side, and they are quite influential. If you wish, I can put in a good word for Oleg.”
He stared at him for a long second and sat back down. “And what do you want in return?”
“You make it seem as if I were an opportunist! But, if you would like to sell me some of your crops, I would be ecstatic.”
Cal could do this and offer Oleg a comfortable path. He had now gained the trust of not only the Overseer but also the Elder Council. Diverting a small portion of his crop to a shady merchant wouldn’t put him at risk. There was just one issue.
It feels like I’m about to make a deal with a devil.
“No, this transaction won’t be necessary,” Cal said, standing with an intent to leave no matter what. “Oleg can’t depend on me forever. If he wants my help, he can come to me myself. Good day, Nismus.”
He was almost out the door when Nismus spoke again.
“I hear you’re interested in gems. If you want those instead of me helping Oleg, that can be done.”
Cal’s heart skipped a beat as he turned. Nismus stared at him with an intensity that wasn’t there before. “You must have heard wrong.”
“My offer is open if you change your mind, Apprentice Cal.”
Cal left Nismus’s house as a chill spread through his body. He might have had thoughts of getting rid of Nismus before, but that was more in annoyance than any actual intent behind it. Now, the intent was there.
The gems were something he had to control tightly, and he even had vague plans to backstab Benan in the end. He didn’t intend for the Celestial Order to be razed like it had been in his last life. Not now, when he had settled into something comfortable at his farm.
Cal needed to find out more about Nismus. More than the superficial knowledge he currently possessed. Then he would decide how to deal with the issue of his existence.