Arrival and Welcome of Guests
Morning mist still dusted Velmora's skies. At the estate's heart, Charlemagne Ziglar watched the crescent-forged gates of West Hill Manor open wide—a daily ritual. It embodied his family's theatrical legacy and marked each day's significant events.
Two silent sky carriages landed, each bearing the red lotus sigil of Vermillion Grace Hotel, signaling wealth and presence.
The estate's warding arrays flickered to life. Blue light shimmered across the sky, humming softly like a polite but firm throat-clearing. We see you. No funny business.
Lady Karina Velmar stepped out first.
Unity Realm Rank 2. Alchemy mage. Earth affinity. Crimson robes. Her presence mixed elegance with danger—every movement, a silent critique.
Trailing her was Lady Alina, manager of the Lotus Isles. She smoothed her skirt as she exited the carriage, then offered a tight smile, hoping the meeting wouldn't end in fire. Her hotel had nearly hosted Charlemagne Ziglar's funeral... again.
They were escorted down walkways lined with silver willows and lavish mana-fed fountains.
Destination: Silver Concord Hall—the infamous negotiation chamber of House Ziglar.
Meanwhile, in the war room of West Hill Manor...
Charlemagne Ziglar stood over the glowing sigils of his strategy table, just finishing a high-level meeting with his East Wing surveillance team.
"Ten infiltrators confirmed, three already sniffing around the staff corridors."
SIGMA buzzed in his mind. "Shall I tag them with kill priority?"
"Not yet," Charlemagne replied. "Let's give them time to incriminate themselves. Maybe write me a thank-you letter."
Just then, Manny, his perfectly uptight temporary butler and commander-in-training, entered with a bow and a voice that sounded like it had studied etiquette from ancient grimoires.
"Young Lord, the Vermillion Grace delegation has arrived."
Charles didn't even look up from the ledger he was reviewing. "Good. Lead them to Silver Concord. Five minutes. Start with the Celestia Tranquilium tea ceremony—full rites. Grace, elegance, and just a touch of existential awe."
One attendant bowed and hurried off.
Charles leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. The tea ceremony wasn't just hospitality—it was strategy wrapped in porcelain and ritual. Every gesture, every timed pour, every reverent silence would work like a blade wrapped in silk.
Guests lulled by serenity made the best audience. They listened, they relaxed, and, most importantly, they underestimated.
"Oh, and tell the kitchen: perfection only. Lunch should seduce the soul. Pair it with Crimson Nocturne. Something rich enough to humble a sommelier."
Five minutes later, Charles entered the Silver Concord Hall.
He made an entrance, because of course he did.
Slate-gray robes with violet sheen. Silver hair, short in a regal crop, freshly washed and swept aside. He looked like royalty who had just finished planning an assassination but still found time for grooming.
He sat casually on a high-backed obsidian throne, as if born to it. Wendy flanked his right, arms crossed and eyes daring challenge. Rob stood to the left, adjusting his blade, disappointed that no one had bled yet.
"Lady Karina. Lady Alina," Charles greeted, flashing that signature smile—a mixture of charm, power, and a dash of I've killed people, but I'm still fun at parties.
"I hope your journey was less... eventful than my last night at your hotel."
Karina's brow arched. "You say that like we scheduled the assassination."
"Oh, I know you didn't," he answered, smile deepening into mischief. "If you had, we'd be negotiating with fire."
Alina's hand jerked, and she nearly dropped her fan, quickly recovering as her cheeks flushed.
Karina smirked, unfazed, and took her seat at the negotiation table with deliberate poise.
The doors opened again as servants entered, carrying trays for the tea service.
Servants moved like poetry, robes impeccable, gestures practiced to perfection.
From crystal trays, they lifted porcelain cups etched with silver lotus motifs and began the ceremonial pour.
The lead attendant, Eris, stepped forward and bowed low.
He started with "Celestia Tranquilium. A mix of moonpetal blossom, silverroot bark, and jasmine that has been threaded with aether. Picked under the new moon to keep it clean. Brewed for peace, honesty, and clarity."
She filled the first cup. The steam ascended in curling whorls, giving the space a soothing glow.
"And mild hallucinations," Charles said easily.
Alina sniffed her carefully. "Does it show what's coming?"
"Only if you drink enough," Charles replied. "By cup three, some start seeing their childhood regrets."
Pleasantries followed, and tension unraveled like the ribbon from a noble's corset.
Karina sipped her tea and offered a rare, relaxed smile. "So. You survived eleven assassins. Again," she remarked, voice soft but edged with respect.
Charles nodded. "Yes. I've made a hobby of it. Think I'll start collecting their rings like commemorative tokens."
Alina blinked. "You're... very calm about it."
"It's hard to stress over failed murders," she said, "especially while having tea with people who might hire better ones."
Alina choked on her tea.
Karina laughed.
After that, Charles changed the subject.
"Lady Karina," he said, his voice full of that familiar dry humor, "I hear you're leaving us. Was it the Stellaris Magus Conservatory?"
She grinned as she looked over the edge of her teacup. "Yes. Seat for one. In three weeks, I depart.
Charles raised an eyebrow. "Well, I hope Aldora is ready."
Karina sipped with grace, and her sneer was sharp enough to cut glass. "I want to leave behind a legacy of beautiful explosions and chaos."
Charles laughed and raised his cup in a fake salute. "To ambition."
Karina said yes to his toast. "To dangerous women who have alchemy licenses."
Alina lifted hers last with a wonderfully timed smile. "To contracts that are well-insured."
Their teacups touched with a delicate chime. The real negotiation hadn't started yet. But Charles had already won the most important part.
Controlling the room.
The Negotiation
Karina swirled her wine with precise indifference.
"So," she said, her voice calm as mountain stone, "you're still interested in buying the Lotus Isles of Vermillion Grace Hotel, I presume?"
Charles didn't hesitate. "More than ever."
He reached into a velvet scroll tube. He unfurled a shimmering moonweave parchment across the obsidian table. It glowed faintly with mana seals, the ink reacting to the ambient energy in the room.
"Especially now," he added. He tapped the scroll with one polished finger. "It's become historically significant. The site of a bold assassination attempt, a heroic heiress defending a noble, and the sudden deletion of a rogue mercenary cell."
Alina choked lightly on her tea.
"Technically," she said, forcing a smile, "we replaced all the East suite bedding and cleansed the blood pools by sunrise."
Charles nodded with a serious look on his face. "Very professional. I really like how you handled the crisis." He leaned forward, his eyes shining.
"But people still remember it as the place where Lord Charlemagne Ziglar almost bled to death in a silk robe while assassins screamed."
Karina raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly are you offering, Ziglar?"
Charles flicked the parchment once, and golden text rose like molten script:
Acquisition Offer
Property: Lotus Isles of Vermillion Grace Hotel – Velmora Branch
Price: 100,000,000 gold coins
Status: Liquid. Pre-cleared via Stellar Bank VIP Tier-3 account.
Lifetime Founding Partner status for Lady Karina Velmar in SIGMA AeterPharmaceuticals
Exclusive first access to 3 prototype alchemical elixirs:
- Moonpetal Vitae Tonic for Full qi restoration
- Verdant Bloom Salve for High-tier mana flow enhancer
- Celestine Spark Elixir for Zero-side-effect vitality enhancer for timeless skin & stamina
20% royalty share on all Vermillion Grace-branded hotel chain profits under Ziglar Holdings
Karina's lips opened. Just a little bit.
Alina gasped a little, then coughed hard to hide it.
Charles leaned back and let the silence last just long enough to feel good.
He said in a smooth voice, "You see, I don't just buy property." I turn brands into legends. You made a beautiful thing. I plan to turn it into a crown.
Karina reached out and touched the edge of the scroll with her fingers. When she touched it, the mana pulsed gently under her fingers, like a heartbeat.
"And what if I say no?" she asked, her voice almost too calm.
Charles smiled, showing off his teeth and style.
"Then I replicate your enchantments. Buy the land directly across the eastern channel. And build a near-exact twin."
He paused, eyes glinting.
"With a bronze statue of myself in the lobby holding a wine glass and a dagger—inscribed: 'The One Who Was Denied.'"
Wendy audibly snorted. Rob made a strangled noise that might've been laughter or agony.
Lady Karina slowly sat back and laughed softly.
"You are outrageous."
"And you," Charles replied, "are intelligent enough to know this is the best offer you'll receive in three lifetimes."
He stood then—slowly, deliberately.
"The Lotus Isles will thrive under my empire. You keep your name and legend. I simply give it wings."
Karina didn't answer immediately. She weighed the pros and cons silently, her fingers tapping the table, then she turned toward Alina to signal her next move with a sharp nod.
"Fetch my sealing stamp."
Alina blinked. "I—You're—What?"
Karina's tone brooked no delay. "Stamp. Now."
Alina scrambled, her hands rifling through her spatial pouch before she withdrew a gleaming jade cylinder etched with a phoenix crest.
Karina pressed it to the contract. With a bright flare of crimson-gold mana, the scroll glowed, then sealed itself with a crisp snap, curling shut into an official binding scroll.
"Done," Karina said, rising. "The Lotus Isles is yours."
She looked Charles directly in the eye.
"But be warned, Ziglar—your empire will invite more assassins than my hotel ever did."
Charles grinned.
"Good," he said. "I was getting bored anyway."
They shook hands, and mana flowed through the air in a visible ring of divine recognition. A deal made with silk, power, and a little bit of wine-fueled sarcasm.
Karina turned smoothly, and her red robes swayed like flags in the wind.
"Alina," she said. "Get the full ledgers and access stones to me by sunset. Let the staff know. We've been purchased by a maniac."
Alina blinked. "At least he gives tips?"
Charles smiled at her in a way that made her feel good. "Generously. But only if you make it through the week."
The Sovereign's Table
Ceremonial staff in embroidered livery threw open the twin doors of the Silver Concord Hall just as the obsidian negotiation table was starting to cool down from Karina's sealing stamp.
"Lunch," Charles said simply, grinning. "I promised excellence. I lied. You're getting divine gluttony."
The aroma hit them first: earthy spices, sizzling oils kissed by mana, and the unmistakable rich taste of roast Flameback Basilisk —a rare treat found only during lunar eclipses in the Emberdepths.
Alina staggered slightly. Karina's eyes flicked up, suddenly alert like a predator catching the scent of something rarer than gold.
A procession of servers emerged, bearing polished levitating trays etched with sigil arrays that kept every dish at the perfect serving temperature. Atop them were plates sculpted from starlit stone, each bearing delicacies that shimmered faintly with qi-reactive ingredients.
"Welcome to the inaugural tasting of Ziglarian Royal Fusion Cuisine," Charles said dramatically, hands raised. "A culinary rebellion."
The Menu – Curated Personally by Lord Charlemagne Ziglar:
- Roasted Flameback Basilisk Thighs, seared in celestial ember-oil with ruby garlic glaze
- Skyvine Salad: Aether-kissed greens paired with pickled Sun Lotus petals, sprinkled with powdered Amaranthe root
- Moonfang Serpent Stew, slow-cooked with glacial bell peppers and infused with dreamroot broth.
- Mana-Basted Cloudquail, stuffed with crushed Lavendust pearls and obsidian fig paste
- Driftleaf Flatbread with magma-butter and shimmering void honey drizzle
- Crimson Nocturne Wine: Smooth, dry, and alchemically aged in Voidwood casks
Lady Karina narrowed her eyes as she took her first bite of basilisk. Then stilled.
"I'm chewing fire and poetry."
"I infused the meat with ground storm pepper and stabilized it with crushed mistwillow seed," Charles said nonchalantly, slicing into his own quail. "It was either that, or it exploded mid-bake."
"Why does that not surprise me?" Alina muttered, half-laughing as she reached for the serpent stew. "Are you even a lord or just a chaos elemental in formalwear?"
"Why not both?" Charles winked.
The air lightened. Wine flowed. Laughter found its way between bites. Karina leaned back in her seat, studying the bread crust shimmering with honey.
"You know," she mused, "you could dethrone several noble chefs with this menu."
"Don't tempt me," Charles said, waving a fork. "I've already considered franchising a gourmet battle-themed bistro chain: Mana & Marrow."
Alina choked on her wine. "Gods, please no."
Wendy leaned over. "Honestly? That name slaps."
After the fourth course, Charles stood, brushing imaginary crumbs from his sleeve. "Now then. Gifts."
Karina gave him a suspicious sideways glance. "This wasn't enough?"
Charles snapped his fingers.
A servant walked in carrying a velvet-lined silver case.
"Five custom Voxen Plates," Charles said. "Advanced communication charms. Seamless long-distance call resonance, automatic routing to personal arrays, and—he thought of SIGMA—shockingly easy-to-use voice controls. A big leap from your current mage orbs."
Karina held one and tinkered with it. "It's... sleek. Slim. How does it work?"
Charles said, "It listens and adjusts to your voice pattern. It also works as a short-range scanner and has a built-in alarm spell against magical tampering."
SIGMA whispered in his mind conspiratorially.:
[ Encryption confirmed. Surveillance protocol active. Remote scan thresholds set. No detection risk within normal parameters.]
Charles clinked his wine glass to hers. "Now you'll never lose contact with anyone... unless they want to."
Alina raised a brow. "You're... oddly generous today."
"I'm building a family of excellence," Charles replied. "And a proper family needs to share tools."
Then he looked at Karina more seriously and made a gesture. Rob came out with a long ebony staff case with protective runes on it.
Charles said with reverence, "This is Earthcall Sovereign. One of the great artifacts from the heart chambers of the Dragonspire.Powerful."
When he opened the case, Karina's breath caught.
Inside was a beautiful mage staff made of obsidian rootwood, with spirals of basalt infused with mana. It is crowned with a crystal that pulsed like a miniature faultline. Faint echoes of tectonic murmurs resonated from it as if it breathed in the presence of an earth mage.
Charles's voice got lower and softer:
"Calls forth mountains, commands stone titans, and splits the battlefield like a faultline."
Karina was shocked for the first time that day and reached out with respectful fingers.
"I... All I've heard about Dragonspire relics are stories. "Why would you—"
Charles said softly, "Because legends should wield legends. And because I want my friends to have weapons that are good enough for their goals."
She met his eyes. The smirk she wore earlier faded. Replaced now by something deeper.
Respect. Possibly awe. Definitely danger.