"Early tomorrow morning, we've agreed to meet at the other party's office," said young Abel, then poured Lanen some more tea.
"Who is the other party? I haven't been briefed yet... Is there anything I should be aware of?" Lanen asked.
Lanen had a clear understanding of his role in this negotiation—Abel would undoubtedly take the lead. His participation in the discussion served three purposes: to bolster their presence and inspire confidence in the other party, to learn from the experience, and to step in if any decisions required his approval. As for the negotiation itself, there wasn't much he needed to do directly. Otherwise, given his novice status in the business world, he'd likely end up being taken advantage of. So, it was best to let the trustworthy Abel charge ahead while he cheered from the sidelines.
"There's still plenty of time now. You can rest for a while—train rides are exhausting... When I arrived here the afternoon before yesterday, I slept straight through until the next morning," Abel said.
Lanen nodded in agreement.
"And if you're interested, you can visit the night market outside in the evening. The station is less crowded at night, so it won't be as chaotic. The night market here is quite nice. We'll meet at six tomorrow morning, have breakfast, and then set off."
"Sounds good."
With that, he drained his cup of black tea and bid Abel farewell.
Then... it was time for a nap.
The train ride had indeed been tiring, though Lanen was young enough to handle it.
...
When he opened his eyes again, the sun was already touching the horizon, its brilliant sunset hues painting the sky in a final burst of splendor.
Squinting at the ceiling, Lanen gradually regained his energy.
After getting up to wash up and donning his robe and pointed hat, Lanen leaned back in his chair and sipped some water. Then he remembered Abel's suggestion.
"Might as well go out and take a look... and I'm a bit hungry too..." Lanen mused before making up his mind.
The nightlife of the capital was indeed incomparable to that of a small town.
Even as evening fell and the lanterns lit up, the streets were bustling with activity. Despite the absence of station crowds, the liveliness was no different from daytime.
On the contrary, as night descended, the magical colored lights on the shop signs flickered to life, resembling dreamlike rainbows after a storm, a dazzling garden in full bloom, or a shower of multicolored fireworks scattered across the mortal world.
Every shopfront and roadside stall was illuminated, lighting up the entire street and casting a glow on the pedestrians lining the sidewalks and the vehicles moving down the center.
Unlike his hometown, magical vehicles were not uncommon in the capital.
Powered by potent mana crystals, these vehicles were fast, convenient, obedient, and affordable to operate.
Many articles in the newspapers predicted they would soon replace horse-drawn carriages (Lanen agreed with this). Though many upper-class individuals still considered carriages the quietest and most elegant mode of transport, the relentless push from the Magic Association had everyone ready to embrace progress. The only obstacles were the high purchase cost and steep learning curve, which deterred many.
Lanen had read numerous analyses, and the future of magical vehicles remained uncertain due to ongoing debates over development paths.
Currently, there were two mainstream approaches to magical vehicle design:
The first was direct mana propulsion, where an engine composed of magical runes converted mana directly into mechanical motion. These runes were advanced, silent, and precise, offering quick starts and stops with a smooth ride. The only drawback was their complexity, which created bottlenecks in power output and reliability.
The second was indirect conversion, primarily using mana to boil water, generating steam to drive a steam engine. These vehicles were noisier and suffered from significant energy loss during conversion. However, they could easily achieve higher power outputs, and the technology was mature and reliable. There were also niche methods, like wind-driven turbines, but these remained experimental and far from mainstream.
Each approach had its pros and cons, and their respective proponents clashed endlessly in the press, each adamant about their superiority.
Lanen was enjoying his meal.
Rather than dining at a proper establishment, he had bought snacks from various stalls that caught his eye, eating as he strolled.
The night market near the capital's station was vast, featuring delicacies from across the kingdom and even other parts of the continent. Halfway down the street, his stomach was already full. Glancing at the array of food stalls ahead, he forced down the last of his snacks, feeling the frustration of being too full to eat more.
He then willed himself to look away from the food and focus on the dazzling array of goods and entertainment.
Abel hadn't exaggerated—this night market near the station was clearly one of the capital's premier commercial districts.
Massive quantities of goods were distributed wholesale here, while just as many were sold retail to the endless stream of shoppers.
In every magic supply store and stationery shop, Lanen spotted his own abacuses, priced at three silver coins each on the shelves. He even witnessed one being purchased in full.
There were so many tempting items that he had to grip his right hand tightly to keep it from reaching for his coin pouch, resisting the urge to splurge.
"This year's latest Bolmont bicycle! Top brand, now at a steep discount! Affordable models for everyone!"
Hearing this, Lanen pushed through the crowd.
"Wow, it's so cheap—just twenty silver coins! I need to save up for one. I've always wanted the previous model, but it was too expensive..." "Don't worry, we can afford this price easily. We might even dip into savings to get it for you now," he overheard a young couple whispering nearby, exuding affection.
He approached the clerk and asked, "I own a Bolmont 342, bought not long ago. Why is the new model so much cheaper?!"
The clerk seized the opportunity to address the crowd: "After evaluation, Bolmont Company concluded that the current design is sufficiently lightweight. Thus, they decided to remove the Feather Fall enchantment from the new generation—the Bolmont 343 you see here. By eliminating this expensive magical feature and streamlining production, costs plummeted, leading to this dramatic price drop."
Turning back to Lanen, the clerk added reassuringly, "But sir, your Bolmont 342 is still a great value. It's the last model with the Feather Fall enchantment, making it a rare collector's item. Plus, the lightness of an enchanted bike is unmatched by later models, so its utility remains high. No need for regret."
"..." Lanen had nothing to say and quietly walked away.
The night market was a treasure trove of other goods as well.
Lanen spotted over a hundred styles of magical robes alone. Novel clothing, accessories, furniture, materials, food, drinks, daily necessities, machinery, and books left him dazzled. Even someone as worldly as Lanen felt a bit like a country bumpkin.
As he idly flipped through books at a secondhand stall, he suddenly noticed a familiar-looking slip of paper tucked inside one.
Curious, he unfolded it and read the first line: "To my friend Clown..."
Lanen froze.
Coincidence? This had to be some bizarre twist of fate.
He discreetly pocketed the letter and slipped away before the stall owner noticed.