'Alright…'
Grandmaster Conrad felt tense as he stood before the black mahogany door before him.
Despite the late evening breeze, he could feel a bead of sweat, or two, forming on his forehead.
Still, he calmed himself and took a good look at the building.
The Guest House wasn't very large. It was a two-story building that was a bit wider than normal in order to accommodate as many rooms as possible.
The ground floor consisted of a living room, a reception area, a kitchen, and all manner of facilities that could help guests settle in.
There was also a mini-pub in one of the building extensions.
The top floor, however, consisted only of the bedrooms.
Since their guest, Ralyks, had only come for visiting purposes, Conrad already knew where he would be.
—The Reception Area.
As the Grandmaster placed his hand on the knob, after refusing a guard to do it for him, he took a deep breath.
The pure white color of the building was dulled by the encroaching darkness, but lights generated from luminous stones made sure to banish most of it.
Conrad was also certain that the interior of the building was just as illuminated as the outside—if not more.
'… I'm ready!'
Grandmaster Conrad twisted the knob and opened the door steadily.
He was greeted by the inner beauty of the building.
Despite being very small, compared to the palace and the Otherworlders' living quarters—among other structures—within the Royal Estate, it made up for it with its charm.
The chandeliers on the ceiling glowed brilliantly, and the pure white allure of the building's walls and floors complemented the entire atmosphere.
It felt serene and pure.
"Right this way, Sir." The Head Guard interrupted Conrad's train of thought as he led him to the Reception Area.
That was where their visitor was.
Conrad strengthened his resolve and hardened his gaze as he followed behind the lively man in front of him.
He stole a gaze at Knox, and it seemed the old man was pretty tense as well.
However, compared to Conrad, who kept most of his apprehension hidden under a mask of charismatic confidence, the old man's disturbed expression was easy to see through.
'I wonder why he hasn't picked a successor yet.'
Conrad thought it was obvious that Knox wasn't as… able… as he used to be.
Rather than stressing himself with the burden of responsibility, it was better to choose one of his many children to take his place.
Conrad knew of one or two who would be perfect for the job.
'All he has to do is present one to us, and we'll review the successor before giving our verdict.'
Knowing Knox's standing in the Royal Council, if he chose a capable person, everyone would give a positive vote.
'Maybe I'll bring it up again. But first, I have to deal with this issue…'
The Reception Area was right around the corner, and the Head Guard was already standing in front of the door that led to it.
Conrad took this as a prompt to quicken his pace, but out of regard for the old man, he maintained his steady steps.
'I wonder what kind of man this Ralyks is…' Conrad regretted not asking for details from the Head Guard—or anyone who had seen him.
He was running in blind.
A few moments later, Conrad found himself standing before the pure white entrance to the Reception Area.
It wasn't a very large room, but it was more than enough to fit in a group of ten—perhaps twenty—who desired to have a discussion.
Considering the fact that only Conrad, Knox, and the Head Guard were going to be the ones inside—along with Ralyks, of course—that meant there was more than enough space.
The Head Guard opened the door for them this time, prompting Conrad, Knox, and finally the Head Guard to proceed inside.
The interior of the Reception Area was just as beautiful as every other part of the Guest House.
It had a small chandelier on the ceiling, with pure white visuals that occupied the senses.
The comfy sofas were purely white, and the center table that separated the two sides of the 'U' shaped Sofas was also pure white.
Everything in the room was this color… except one!
'A-ahh…!'
Conrad nearly jumped as he saw the dark stain on the purity of the room.
It came in the form of a seated man.
His entire body was wrapped in darkness, and his crimson eyes glowed underneath his skull-like mask.
The man was seated comfortably, resting his back on a couch while folding his hands.
He didn't even move an inch when Conrad entered.
Normally, when someone of the Grandmaster's standing appeared before someone, they would stand and greet.
Some even went as far as bowing.
However, this figure remained in his post as if Conrad didn't even exist.
Other than the movements of his glowing eyes, it would be impossible to tell if he even saw them enter or not.
"Greetings, Adventurer. Thank you for gracing us with your presence this lovely evening."
It was around 7:30 PM already, so it was pretty much drawing closer to night.
Still, Conrad stuck to his formalities.
He and Knox sat on the sofa while the Head Guard remained standing. Both of his hands were behind him, and his rock-solid posture was a given for a guard.
"Greetings, Grandmaster. Councilman."
The fact that Ralyks addressed them by their titles made it clear that he knew who they were, and the positions they held in the entire Nation.
So why did he remain so impudent?
The answer was simple—clear for anyone in the room to see.
This man known as Ralyks was strong.
"Haha! You can just call me Conrad. My friend here is Knox." Conrad gave a light, friendly chuckle as he tried his best smile.
"I'd rather not. Now, then, shall we get to the serious matters?"
As Ralyks said this—refusing a gesture of casualness—the air in the room quickly transformed.
The influence of his presence grew even stronger as he leaned forward and sat upright.
His crimson eyes were fixated on Conrad, and it seemed like they were pulling him into them.
However, before the Grandmaster could even process what was going on, his thoughts were interrupted by an imposing question.
"What do you want?"
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Thanks for reading.
Where do you see the story going? I wonder…
