Damian immediately noticed how everyone quickly began to get themselves after Conrad's foot stomp.
'That's an unnecessary gesture just to release your aura pressure,' Damian thought.
"I'm Damian, Damian Throne," Damian answered, as he shook Conrad's hand.
"Such a nice name indeed," Conrad said, while turning to face Cassie. "And I presume she's your sister, Cassie Throne."
Cassie was in awe of the man's presence. She had immediately felt the chill of death at just the slightest hint of his aura. And that name, Conrad, she knew it, but who doesn't? Anyone aspiring to be a hunter must have heard of Conrad, the Phoenix Lord, one of the few people in the whole of the Green Azure Kingdom to cultivate at the seventh rank, already capable of affinity-based attacks.
"It's an honor to meet you, sir," Cassie greeted as she gave a slight bow.
"That's enough with the formalities," Conrad said, as he slowly walked toward Cassie. "I heard about what you did in the Hollow Creek, the numbers of Dire Wolves you were able to kill. That has to be a new record."
HA! HA! HA! HA!
With another rich laugh, Conrad continued, "No need to form your own party. You're already part of mine! And to top it up, if these two companions of yours pass the trials, they will also join my party. What do you say about that?"
Cassie was speechless for a while, but who could blame her? Conrad, arguably the best hunter in the whole kingdom, had not only acknowledged her skills but had also asked her to be part of his party. She immediately agreed to the offer.
"It's an honor, truly."
"Uhhhhh... Sir Conrad," Rahni began, clearly frightened by his presence. "Not to sound imposing, but your... your party is already full. It has 20 full-time Hunters. Red Claw mandates a max of 20 per party."
Then, Conrad turned and gave her a fierce gaze, yet surprisingly, he didn't react the way she expected him to. He gave her a slight tap and said, "Pretty please, can you do this for me, Rahni? I promise to not ask again."
Rahni was surprised at first. She had expected him to lash out or even worse, to kill her on the spot. But those thoughts were due to the feeling of Conrad's aura that had made her immediately forget what kind of person he truly was. He was not a brute, but someone who treats people with respect, even though he was clearly at the top of the food chain.
"I'm not the one that will do it," Rahni said, replying to Conrad's request with a soft smile. "But, I will try and convince him to allow it."
'Him?'
Damian quickly took note of the use of the word, 'him'.
Was there someone stronger than Conrad?
That wasn't the case. The 'him' clearly meant the Guild Master*m, the person who financed its operations and made the rules. Damian wondered who the Guild Master could be, but there was no need for him to dwell much on that thought.
"Okay, I'm sorry I'm the only normal person here, but Cassie, you do know we have until sundown for the trial, right?" Agnes asked.
HA! HA! HA! HA!
Conrad let out another rich laugh as he said, "Trial? You have registered them as recruits already?"
"Yes, she did," Rahni answered.
"Cassie," Conrad said. "I will follow you and your companions to Hollow Creek, I would like to see you in some action."
Conrad's decision to follow Cassie wasn't all about going to see her in action. His intrigue about Damian hadn't disappeared, he truly wished to see what Damian would do in Hollow Creek, for Damian to be capable of withstanding his aura meant that Damian was a cultivator and that his aura was bigger than his.
"It will be an honor to have you witness my lowly skills," Cassie said.
"Once again, enough with the honor and formal stuff," Conrad said with a wide smile.
****
As the hours passed, Cassie, Damian, and Agnes were waiting at the Upper Quinlaris Street, as instructed to them by Conrad earlier.
"Are you sure he didn't forget about us?" Agnes finally broke the silence, tapping her foot impatiently on the stone pavement. "He's an important person, Damian, maybe a thousand things came up. I mean, we're just... waiting. We should have just grabbed a carriage!"
Cassie stood rigid, her eyes fixed on the sky, a slight, eager tension in her shoulders. She didn't spare a glance for Agnes, as she was quietly anticipating Conrad.
And Damian, he just let out a small, knowing smirk, but remained silent. He found the optimism in Agnes's voice endearing, but he had sensed Conrad's genuine interest.
"Cassie?" Agnes tried again, nudging her.
"Shh, Agnes," Cassie whispered, a rare edge of excitement in her voice. "He's the Phoenix Lord. We wait for him, not the other way around, besides, I'm eager to show him my kill-rate. I am not going to let this opportunity slip."
"Right, kill-rate," Agnes muttered, crossing her arms. "I'm just hoping he brings a fast carriage."
Just as the last word left her mouth, a tremendous shadow swept across the street, accompanied by a sound like tearing wind. A powerful, sulfurous scent hit them, and a great whooshing heat washed over the trio.
Looking up, Damian saw an enormous, winged beast descend, landing with a ground-shaking thud directly in the center of the street. It was a medium-sized dragon, it scales a vibrant red that shimmered in the late-morning sun. Smoke curled from its nostrils, and its eyes burned like embers.
Conrad, still clad in his silver armor, dismounted from the dragon's back with the easy grace of a rider long familiar with his mount.
"Apologies for the delay," Conrad announced, petting the dragon's snout. "She had to finish her afternoon snack. This is Ru," he introduced the beast with casual pride. "She's a Fire Dragon, a beast I defeated and tamed."
He looked at the three of them, a triumphant grin on his face. "Hop in! I will fly you to Hollow Creek, It will be much faster."