The owl instructed them to find a place to sleep and pass the time, as he needed to make some preparations for a mission that would take place in a month. Lara was visibly frustrated with such behavior and turned to Light, expecting him to protest. Strangely, ever since he had received that letter, a broad smile was plastered across his face.
They walked through the city, stopping several times to ask for directions from the locals who found the duo peculiar. After some time, they arrived at a sort of bank. As they waited in a line longer than hell itself, Lara melted from the heat and exhaustion.
"Next" an irritating goose called out.
"Hello, sir. I am the legal heir of Ito, and I have come to claim my inheritance." Everyone around them froze for a moment. Lara was confused,who the hell was Ito? Light promptly handed over a document that had come with the letter, which the goose verified for validity.
"Indeed, everything is in order." He promptly fetched some documents that required a signature, and afterward, he handed a box to Light.
"Ito possessed a large number of assets. The relevant documents are here, and the monetary value can be withdrawn as needed, or if you prefer, I can transfer it to one of the properties." Light decided to take only a small portion of the monetary value.
"If you'd like to check out the main residence, I can provide a carriage free of charge on behalf of the bank."
"I would appreciate that."
"The preparations will take a little while. Please wait in the VIP room next door." A chameleon promptly guided them to the room. As soon as they arrived, they were served wine and some expensive sweets... Until then, neither of them had seen anything but meat in this place, and sugar was certainly extremely expensive here.
"The manager is coming to meet you shortly." Light nodded as he enjoyed the drink. This royal treatment suited him well; it was the reason he took so many risks from the start! He had entered this cursed place with the promise of living like a king!
cof cof
"Who was Ito?" Lara looked at Light, completely surprised by the treatment as she choked on the sweet cookies.
"I have no idea..." His eyes deepened, as if contemplating a distant past... Ito, isn't it?
When the manager arrived, he would have been human if it weren't for his completely red eyes, horns, and spines along his spine.
"It's been a long time since we've been expecting you, Mr. Light! Ito told us a lot about you" he offered a soft handshake, which Light accepted without much thought.
"It's been a long time since I've heard that name. How was he before he left here?" Light tried not to reveal how little he knew about Ito, trying to probe whether Ito had died or had left this place.
"He was the same as always; that man could send chills down anyone's spine with his demeanor. Although he was a warm person, he could be cold as steel."
"What were his last words?"
"A man like him was a man of few words; he ended up silencing the world with his silence."
'How the hell does that sentence even make sense?'
"I wanted to know more about his time here and his legacy. Could you tell me about him?" The manager put a hand to his collar, sweating rivers, his eyes narrowing slightly as he returned a polite smile—or at least tried to.
"I'm afraid that will have to wait for another time. My current interests lie in investments. I would like to offer you some ways to triple your entire fortune." He tried every possible way to push investments, promising a brighter future. Still unshaken and happy with his newfound wealth, Light continued to converse calmly with a smile on his face. After promising to return another time to discuss the terms better, the carriage was finally ready.
By this point, several hours had passed since their arrival, and both their faces were flushed from the alcohol. The mansion where they were dropped off was immense, seemingly made for a giant to live in. Its gardens had various beautiful sculptures of exotic, tropical women. Several servants waited at the entrance and greeted them in unison.
"Welcome, young master." A butler quickly guided him through the mansion, showing everything in minute detail. The mansion was called the Red Chess. Its colors alternated between white stones that shone a pure white and black rocks that absorbed all light.
Even after Ito's possible death, this place remained impeccable. His servants had been paid before he passed to continue their service for thousands of years. Such was his fortune that even the servants' children already had guaranteed jobs.
The new residents, at this point, were already stumbling while still being courteously escorted to the dining room, where an imposing table extended for dozens of chairs with a high-backed chair worthy of a king.
The food was the best they had ever tasted, prepared by some of the best chefs in the city. The two didn't notice the strange absence of the meat that was so common outside. The food served was tailored to Ito's taste, mainly consisting of pasta, which was rarely consumed by the inhabitants of Aegon.
At some point during the meal, both were asleep at the table. The servants grabbed them and took them to the master bedroom, which was gigantic and fit for a king. A massive double bed stood in the center, made of feathers from extremely rare and expensive creatures; the bed itself could comfortably accommodate ten people with room to spare.
The residents were resting without any worries while the servants outside didn't stop whispering about the situation. After all, was this Ito's heir? Everyone had heard of Light in the past, but compared to what was said about him, he was small and weak—he was only an Initiate and, even worse, a complete beginner. His mastery over mana, his main attribute, was minimal.Not to mention that he is a glutton and an alcoholic.
Some of them gathered and began to whisper, whispers growing louder and louder, almost shouting about what they would do next.