Once Kieran confirmed that Hamon and Sorcia had agreed to meet with him to discuss his offer, Kieran's expression became peculiar.
Not only did he seem enthused by their agreement, but his expression also emanated a cunning vibe.
'Meeting with them at this very moment won't make my offer enticing enough to where they can't help but join my campaign. I must make one additional move before I begin the meeting,' Kieran thought.
A second later, Kieran extended his elbow in a hook shape. "Shall we, my fellow mystic?"
Agatha looked at Kieran in silence for a moment before understanding what he was insinuating. She chuckled softly with a dramatic rolling of her eyes, but she played along nonetheless.
Agatha hugged Kieran's arm and approached the Merchant Association's branch building rather than the open market located in the center of the twin edifices.
The sight of a riveting beauty holding the arm of a handsome young man caused an immediate disturbance. Players and NPCs alike stopped and turned toward Kieran and Agatha as they nonchalantly sauntered through the street.
Everyone gawked and rubbed their eyes after performing a double take.
"Hold on. Isn't that Aatrox?! Who is that beauty by his side? Is that another player? This must be why his level has dropped rapidly on the leaderboard. His downbad ass was too busy courting a woman!"
"That is certainly not a player. I haven't heard of any such player possessing such a natural air of elegance while feeling insurmountable. It must be... an NPC! It has to be!"
"Wait, they're not wrong. She lacks the symbol that indicates a person as a player! That lady is undoubtedly an NPC!"
"Wow... this guy has managed to pull what can only be called a beauty capable of dazzling the sun. Why is life like this? I hate myself!"
"Hmph, Daedric was correct. The limelight shall no longer belong to Aatrox. I can't believe he has relinquished the throne for a mere female. What a simp..."
Kieran listened to comments birthed from a place of envy and jealousy and smirked.
'Infamy and fame are two facets of one thing--popularity. The only difference is how the public reacts to the popularity. You want to steal my limelight, Daedric? That's impossible because I have far too many options.'
Kieran expected this kind of backlash from the public once they realized his identity.
Many of his stream viewers monitored his placement on the Zenith Leaderboard on a day-to-day basis. Hence, when his placement began to plummet, his following was outraged.
How could he let his influence slip?!
So many Rankers, High Rankers, and Titled Rankers were beginning to reach Lv.50 and conducting preparation to tackle their Class Advancement.
Meanwhile, their idol's level was frozen at 45 for many days. They wanted, no they required an explanation.
Agatha glanced in Kieran's direction before silently inspecting the crowd they moved through. 'Some of these people are resentful of the Mystic Light but some of them seem thoroughly disappointed. I wonder... what his renown is like amongst the humans for him to garner such a reaction?'
Seldom did Agatha get involved with kingdoms as they were beneath her status, so she wasn't aware of their situations.
Aside from making a mental note, Agatha didn't press the matter, simply following Kieran's lead.
Since Hekaina named him the Mystic Light, Agatha found no issue with deepening their relationship, especially if she was being conditioned to adopt the position of the next Enchantress.
...
A few minutes later, Kieran entered the Merchant Association alongside Agatha and inspected its luxurious yet somewhat minimalistic structure.
It resembled the residence of a scourge who would only spare substantial expenses for things they adored.
'Not too bad, just as I remembered. Though it doesn't compare to the more established branches, it's a cut above what you'd expect to see within Aeredale City regardless,' Kieran thought.
At the same time, Agatha pursed her lips. "Countless times inferior compared to the Mysteria Citadel. But... I suppose should lower my expectations within such a place."
"You... sound like a spoiled brat who's incapable of appreciating the little things," Kieran commented, giving Agatha a smug smirk.
"Spoiled brat...?" Agatha scoffed with widened eyes.
After glaring at Kieran for a few moments, two magical constructs manifested around her fingers in the shape of two large bee stingers.
Ssst!
Kieran inhaled sharply after feeling a sharp pain in his arm. Agatha had pinched him hard enough to break past his pain threshold, but it wasn't at a level capable of reducing his Health.
The spot on his arm throbbed as Kieran sighed afterward. "You're violent!"
"And you're rude! How can you call a lady a spoiled brat?!" Agatha said exasperatedly.
The two bickered for quite some time. The behavior was reminiscent of a younger and older sibling butting heads after realizing that their personalities created a volatile environment.
Deciding that it was best to ignore Agatha for the time being, Kieran approached the desk in the center of the building's lobby.
The desk was fairly large and it was manned by a young man with soft features.
After giving the young man another look, Kieran blinked and asked a question. "Are you of any relation to Dillon Coventry?"
The attendant nodded. "He is my father. A pleasure to meet you. I am Junior Advisor, Max Coventry."
"Pleasure to meet you, Max. I won't beat around the bush--I would like to purchase a property. May I see a list of available plots?" Kieran questioned.
Both Max and Agatha were startled by Kieran's request.
'Even if this a lowly kingdom, Aatrox commands enough wealth to afford a property? He must be more well off than I gave him credit for,' Agatha mused, watching silently from the sidelines.
Most Intermediate Beings, unless they belonged to a powerful family couldn't afford to own property or land. Sometimes it wasn't a matter of wealth but strength.
Could they protect their livelihood once it was established?
The threat of owning property in this world far exceeded Earth. Ignoring the activity of criminal organizations, an outbreak of financial competition could be just as dangerous.
It all boiled down to whether or not one could shoulder the burden of price-gouging and competitive markdowns.
"Owning property isn't a decision you should make lightheartedly sir, especially if your personal strength is somewhat lacking."
"Lacking strength?" Kieran muttered, his tone thick with amusement.
Rather than trying to relay his message with words, Kieran simply lifted his hand that bore the War Crest of Champions.
Upon seeing the crest, Max's pupils contracted and his jaw dropped. "My apologies, great personage of the War Deity Council. I should have never questioned your strength. Please hold for a moment as I compile the proper information."
Max moved his hands rapidly, amassing all of the free property deeds on hand. As he did this, a screen popped up before Kieran's eyes.
┌───────────────────
«Property List» -
«Residential Area»:
Total Free Lot(s): 37
Price Range: 11,405 - 44,590 Gold
Property Grading: E - C+
«Commercial Area»:
Total Free Lot(s): 9
Price Range: 55,395 - 132,299 Gold
Property Grading: C - A-
«Central Commercial Zone»:
Total Free Lot(s): 4
Price Range: 157,966 - 315,999 Gold
Property Grading: B - S
└───────────────────
'Not as many lots as I expected, but it'll suffice. The residential area is completely out of the equation. The commercial area is good but the traffic doesn't compare to what the Central Commercial Zone experiences,' Kieran thought.
With his current personal wealth, Kieran could afford the most exorbitant property within Aeredale City, but Kieran had to consider his options and judge whether the property's ultimate worth justified its large price tag.
'Even though I went on a shopping spree inside Vizcarra, I barely made a dent in my wealth. Not to mention, the warehouse I'm renting is stocked with so much material it's hard to gauge its true market value. I could undoubtedly recoup my losses, but do I require short-term gains?'
As Kieran contemplated what property he wanted, Max stole glances at Agatha, finding her face unusually familiar. The longer he thought about it, the most confused he grew.
'This lady... I swear I've seen her face somewhere. Was it when I visited our empire? Maybe...'
Before Max could arrive at an answer, Kieran pointed to a deed on the counter. "Could you tell me more about this property?"
"Ah, it'd be my pleasure. It's a 4-story property with an impeccable ability to attract the eyes of many. It's pre-furnished and renovated but if you want additional modifications, that can be arranged. It was previously owned by the Brotherhood of the Forge but they have vacated the premises."
"I see," Kieran answered, incorporating Max's description into his selection process.
'The Brotherhood of the Forge as I remember is a large Forger coalition stationed within several empires. If one wants to hone their skill as a Forger, it's undoubtedly a location they should visit. This would mean the building should possess an exemplary forge.'
"How quickly can I obtain ownership if I decided to purchase it?" Kieran answered.
"As long as you get the Mayor to legitimize the property deed, the association can transfer ownership to you immediately. Please be reminded, it is up to you to remain afloat and handle the legal expenses. The association will not dispense any emergency funds," Max reminded, giving Kieran a brief disclaimer of the association's policy.
"That's all? If so, I'll take this property," Kieran decided.
The property he decided upon wasn't the best as there were two better options to choose from, but Kieran couldn't justify the enormous expenditure. Not when it could be place elsewhere.
"Understood, Lord Aatrox. If that's the case, your total will be 186,785 Gold."
Kieran unhesitantly paid the fee, which made Max's hands tremble. Even an affluent merchant would recoil when parting with such a large sum of money.
"Once you bring the Property Deed to Mayor Lowe and have him legitimize it, you will be listed as its proper owner."
