The man receiving the coin bowed, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "Thanks, sir." With that, he turned and left, and Cassian, still feeling a bit unsettled by the man's white eyes, closed the door behind him.
Turning to Katherine, he asked, "My lady, what was that home delivery thing all about, and how did that person know my name?" He placed the food on the table.
Katherine approached, pulling out some steaming buns. With a satisfied smile, she wiped away the steam and said, "As it sounds, home delivery means getting things delivered to your home."
Cassian was still confused as he took a seat and grabbed a bun for himself. "I get what home delivery is, but why would someone deliver stuff to our home?"
Katherine tore her fluffy bun in half, and a spicy aroma wafted out, revealing a meat filling that made her smile. But upon hearing Cassian's question, her expression shifted to disappointment. "Of course, it's for money. Can't you guess such a simple thing?"
Cassian shook his head, still puzzled. "It's not that, my lady. Did you go out and tell someone to deliver this stuff here?" He took a bite of the bun and continued, "Or how would he even know my name?"
"Do you remember me telling you I sent a message to Rowena?" Katherine asked, taking small bites of her bun, just enough to maintain her elegance while she spoke.
Cassian didn't care about that; he took big bites and nodded, still remembering the bold, somewhat rude, violet-haired woman from the Alacio family.
"Well, I used something like that to do it," she said, pointing to a small wooden board hanging by the door. Attached to it was a small quill and an ink holder. Words were written on the board, with his name prominently displayed.
In the middle of the board, a metal plaque fit snugly into a cavity, engraved with the words "Rosy's Morning Kitchen," the same name the man had mentioned as the source of their food.
"What is that, my lady?" Cassian asked, a confused expression on his face. How could a small wooden board possibly be related to whatever message Lady Katherine was talking about?
Katherine sighed, finishing one of her buns before picking up a second. Cassian grabbed another bun as well, eager to listen.
"That wooden plank is called a message relay board. It uses some magical constructs to send messages to other places. In Magesteria, every home and shop has one, which has allowed the city's residents to start all sorts of creative businesses. One of those is home delivery for anything you might need, for an extra fee, of course."
But from what Cassian understood, magical items tended to be quite pricey, whether it was spell books or enchanted goods. "Isn't it expensive to have them?" he asked, realizing he had never seen such a board in the castle. He was sure the Ven Dyke Duchy was at least as wealthy as the common folks here, if not more.
"It is, but the price can be lowered by quite a few factors. For instance, at Scarlet Castle, we have a few of them, but they're designed for long-distance communication, while these boards can only send messages within the city or a few kilometers beyond it.
Another reason they're costly is due to regular maintenance, which takes time and costly labor as mages—something not many people are willing to pay for in their territory. My mother is one of them," Katherine explained, finishing her second bun and reaching for a third. "But in Magesteria, it's different.
There are many low-level mages who work for lower wages, and they only charge a few bronze coins a month to keep these boards active. That way, the city ends up making a profit instead of losing money."
Cassian took a moment to process Katherine's explanation, biting into his bun as the savory flavors exploded in his mouth. He could see how such a system would benefit the bustling city of Magisteria, making life easier for its residents.
But Lady Katherine wasn't finished yet. She continued, "When I first arrived here, it wasn't as widely available as it is now…"
With that, she began explaining how to use the system. Each person had their own unique address, which could be remembered or represented by small metal or wooden planks that fit inside the message relay boards. Businesses had their names engraved on these, while common folks were assigned numerical codes that could simply be carved onto the small wooden planks and inserted to send messages.
She also cautioned against sharing sensitive information through this method, as the messages could be intercepted and read by others if the boards were tampered with.
While she was still talking, another knock echoed at the door, interrupting their conversation. Cassian raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is there another home delivery you ordered, my lady?"
Katherine shook her head, her expression shifting from confusion to alertness, mirroring Cassian's curiosity. Just as they both began to wonder who it could be, they saw something slip under the door—a sleek envelope that seemed to shimmer slightly in the light. Cassian and Katherine exchanged a glance filled with intrigue and caution.
With a silent agreement, Cassian approached the door and carefully opened it, peering outside. However, to his surprise, there was no one in sight. "I guess they didn't want us to see their faces, my lady," he remarked, closing the door behind him.
Katherine, still focused on the envelope, took a step closer. "What could it be?" she mused, her eyes narrowing in thought. Without waiting for an answer, she extended her hand toward the letter, murmuring, "Laghim..." Instantly, the envelope began to open, its seal breaking as if responding to her command.
The letter slipped out, unfolding gracefully in mid-air, revealing elegant script written on parchment.
Their caution felt unwarranted for something so simple, yet both Katherine and Cassian knew better than to ignore it. Katherine had a target on her back that was likely bigger than she realized.