CH287 Winding Down
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Drake nodded, not the least bit surprised that Alex had already pieced together his plan.
"In that case, I suppose I wonât be bidding at the auction," Alex said dryly. "Iâm guessing the auction money youâll be giving me is actually going to be your investment in my Interplanar excursion, right?"
"Of course," Drake replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Iâm sacrificing my chance to attend a world-shaking auction for your sake. Why should I then pay extra for items that will only end up in your hands anyway?
"Youâre an adult now, Alex. Itâs time you bought your own toys out of your own pocket."
"Youâre being petty, father. But very well." Alex shrugged, lips twitching.
He wasnât truly bothered. After all, he was the owner of the Golden Palace. If he wished, he could keep every auction item for himselfâthough, of course, that was far from the truth. Still, it was enough to soothe his pride against Drakeâs pettiness.
Drake leaned back. "The auction is still some time away, but itâs best you head to the Dragonspine Mountains early. Settle in before both the auction and the negotiation. I also reckon youâll want to return to that Enclave of yours.
"Considering recent events, you wonât be able to leave for the familyâs head agoge as we previously planned. Too much risk of someone connecting the dots. Instead, Iâll have the campâs top candidates sent out to you under the guise of a mission. You wonât get the full roster to choose from, but itâs a small price to pay. Youâll still be getting the best cards."
"Understood, father," Alex replied.
Drake continued, "I also know youâve set Udara to train under Allen. This will disrupt your plans, so Iâll have Allen accompany you to Dragonspine. But rememberâheâs there solely to train that shadow guard of yours. Donât expect anything more. His presence must remain minimal. Attracting too many eyes defeats the point of all this."
"I understand. Thank you, father," Alex said with a nod.
"Lastly," Drake said, his gaze sharpening, "Iâll have the resources needed to open a spatial gate smuggled quietly into the Enclave. After that, itâll fall to you to find and employ a spatial mage capable of activating the Interplanar gate. That shouldnât be too difficult at Dragonhold Enclaveâespecially with that lass, Zora, at your side."
Alex nodded once more, accepting the weight of the task.
"Alright. You can go now. You should leave within three days." Drake shooed him away with a wave of his hand.
Alex rose to his feet. Just as he reached the door, he hesitated and turned back.
"Is this the last time weâll meet before I leave for my... âsabbaticalâ?"
"Most likely," Drake said with a small nod.
"I see." Alex muttered softly. Then, in an uncharacteristically formal gesture, he bowed deeply, the weight of proper etiquette laced into every movement. "Thanks for everything, Father."
"Thatâs enough. Get out of here already." Drake flicked his hand dismissively.
A pulse of energy projected from his fingers, lifting Alex upright. For a fleeting instant, Alex felt the warmth of an embrace wrap around him. Before his mind could register or question it, the sensation was goneâhe now stood outside the study doors.
âIt couldnât be... right?â Alex frowned, doubting his senses. Shaking the thought away, he strode down the hall.
He intended to head straight back to the Back Mountain Lodge, but halfway there he stopped abruptly.
âIf I go back, Iâll just end up working on something again. Iâm about to be buried in responsibilities for the foreseeable future. Might as well take this rare chance to relaxâto actually touch some grass.â He chuckled.
The problem was that there werenât many places in the Virellian Empire where one could unwind without consequence, at least not in a way Alex wanted to be associated with.
The kitchen? Out of the question. Cooking was relaxing for him, yes, but barging in would only disrupt the cooks who worked tirelessly to feed hundreds daily.
The library? Also no. He knew too well heâd just spiral into research or some new project. The novels here failed to grab his interest; heâd rather plagiarise stories from his past life, release them under his name, and actually make money.
âMaybe I should consider it. Tech isnât the only thing I can bring from my old world. Entertainment, fashion, even simple luxuriesâthis world is starved for them.â
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. But soon enough, he sighed and shook his head. Once again, his mind had veered back toward work.
Resolutely, he struck the library off his list.
âNo matter how I look at it, if I step in there, Iâll just end up drowning myself in another project.â
That left only one option.
âThe castleâs training grounds. I can at least watch some spars.â
There was nothing like watching a good wrestling or boxing match to get the macho blood pumping.
âI can also use the chance to collect the cameras I planted around the area. Iâve already gathered the data I needâitâs better not to leave them lying around while Iâm off in another plane.â
With that in mind, Alexâs feet carried him straight to the training grounds. Just in time tooâsome soldiers, high on testosterone and ego, had decided on a five-a-side duel.
While everyoneâs attention was locked on the fighters, Alex quietly retrieved a couple of his cameras before dropping himself comfortably onto a bench.
A few soldiers noticed him, but Alex silenced them with a simple universal gesture of an index finger pressed to his lips.
Soon enough, the two teams drew their fistotovs and kickotovs, pounding the daylights out of each otherâwithout causing any permanent damage, of course. Their comrades, the bystanders, and Alex himself cheered louder with every punishing blow.
It was proof that no matter how "civilised" humans claimed to be, deep down we were still savagesâwhether it was one delivering the beating or watching someone else deliver it.
The thrill of violence was infectious. After the first match ended, more soldiers leapt into the ring for their turn. Before long, a queue had formed for the so-called "spars."
Even Alex wasnât spared. The excitement dragged him in. He traded blows, dished out a few, and took more than a few himself before people realised who he was. But Alex brushed it off, downplaying the entire incident.
To his surprise, the Fury soldiersâsimple folk at heartâfollowed his lead and treated it as nothing more than good fun. The spars carried on without pause.
Alex ended up getting his arse kicked more often than he won, but that wasnât the point. The result didnât matterâwhat mattered was the atmosphere.
And without even trying, Alexâs approval among the soldiers soared higher than ever.
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