Chapter 126 Trade District
"I'm right in front of you." Ikaris snorted in a bad mood.
Asselin's eyes bulged out as they zeroed in on the boy.
"Impossible!" His mind refused to accept it.
Malia and Ellie giggled as they watched the flabbergasted nobleman make a spectacle of himself. It took a long time to convince him that the devastatingly handsome 1.88-meter man in front of him was the puny pipsqueak of only nine days ago.
"Many things have happened since we parted ways." Ikaris groaned without explaining anything.
Even after Malia and Ellie's firm insistence that it wasn't a tasteless joke, Asselin continued to have doubts. It wasn't just a matter of appearance.
Now that he was taking a proper look at him, there was indeed a small, tiny resemblance to the teenager of a few days ago. Provided, of course, that he disregarded his explosive growth.
But it wasn't only his physique that had changed. His aura, his poise, the compelling color of his eyes, the perfection of his bone structure, and even his voice was different.
His deep, masculine voice now had a certain warmth, a natural suavity that was totally absent before. It was as if the sound was passing through a soundbox before coming out of his mouth, resonating through his bones and making him shiver, but in a good way. Asselin had little doubt that this Ikaris would have no trouble turning the hearts of all those female Overlords once he got to the Academy.
His new friend had become his fiercest competitor!
'But if I play it smart, he can also become the most perfect wingman.' Asselin thought to himself without revealing any of his schemes. 'With my eloquence and his natural charm all the damsels will fall into our arms...'
Seeing a dubious smile creeping across the blond man's face, Ikaris felt an ominous chill run through his body. He squinted his eyes. 'What the fuck this dude is plotting?'
Ikaris then introduced his own companions, but it had to be said that they didn't have as much flair as Asselin's retinue. Except for Malia and Ellie who wore decent sundresses, he and his other comrades all wore the same uniforms and sandals provided by the Welcome Pack. If it weren't for their incredible bearings and appearances, one might have doubted that they were part of a Stele Owner's retinue.
Lennart and Stefan, the two Vikings, were not condescending, having lived through some particularly hard times in their youth with the frequent wars and raids of that era. However, when they saw their clothes they felt a tinge of contentment and appreciation towards their Lord, realizing that they could have fared worse.
Toby was also sneering inside. Having been summoned to this world after Ikaris and Ellie, finding out that he was doing better than them was obviously a huge boost to his vanity.
Charlotte was " courteous ", following the etiquette of nobility that she had been taught, but it was difficult to tell what she was really thinking. The only one, whose indifference was utterly sincere was Irkan, Asselin's personal bodyguard. The only thing that mattered to him was whether they represented a threat to his Lord.
Asselin was understandably indifferent to the looks of others or he would never have run off to the Barren Bush with his parents when his grandfather had been murdered. Nor would he have befriended them while fleeing Hadrakin.
Still, their looks were indeed a problem in Tartarus Shade. If they were simply going to find a job there it would already be a minor inconvenience, as the city's population was fairly elitist and upper class.
But as a Lord and his retinue, they were going to join at least one of the academies and they would have to interact frequently with other Lords. Most of them were arrogant, wealthy people who looked down on anyone less wealthy than they were.
He couldn't let his friends walk around Tartarus Shade dressed like that. His own reputation was at stake, too.
"Hmm, anything planned right now before you register?" Asselin inquired as he let his gaze linger on their gray tunics. "I know the city well, I could be of help to you."
Ikaris understood his kind intentions and explicitly pulled on the collar of his own tunic and said,
"Before we register, I was going to give us a little makeover. These clothes are not very pleasant."
Asselin smiled, greatly reassured.
"In that case I am the guide you need. Follow me!"
Irkan, the Body Master Sorcerer did not object, but Toby displayed a slightly aggrieved countenance. Strolling around with these lowlifes was not good for his image and he would have preferred to head straight to the Scholar District where the huge campus housing the four major Academies of the city was located.
Tartarus Shade was divided into several districts: the Commoner District, Bourge District, Noble District, Trade District, Scholar District, Night District and Central District.
The first three districts were self-explanatory. They were residential areas representing different socioeconomic strata, with the Noble District being exclusively for blue-bloods.
The poorer the district, the farther it was from the center of the city. It was worth bearing in mind, however, that even the commoners of Tartarus Shade were equivalent to the upper middle class of most of the kingdoms and empires within the Forsaken Lands.
The Inner City incorporated the Bourge District, Noble District, Trade District, Scholar District, and Night District and was the heart of Tartarus Shade's activity. Most of the interesting things that happened in the city took place there.
That was where Asselin planned to take them. And fortunately, they didn't have to walk too far. The House of Morgunis manor was located in the heart of the Noble District, straddling the inner city and the core city. The Trade District was right next door.
As they made their way through the Noble District, they passed many impressive villas with different architectural styles but with an emphasis on black, as well as many stores with exquisite signs and windows reminiscent of the luxury boutiques of their former planet. With its dark stones and tiles, almost metallic looking bricks, gargoyles and pointed roofs, the entire city seemed perpetually decorated for the Halloween holiday.
Noticing Ellie and Malia's covetous stares at some of the dresses in the storefront windows, Asselin chuckled bitterly and told them that the Noble District did indeed have many high-end stores, but that high prices were unfortunately not the only obstacle.
"... I went there first three days ago with this same group when my parents joined me with all the Hadrakin treasury they could salvage. Together with Charlotte's Wylphine clan they managed to take millions of gold and platinum coins with them as well as all kinds of herbs, materials and magic ingredients with a high market value. I thought I was pretty well off when my father gave me my pocket money but when I proudly came to spend my fortune these stores slammed the door in my face. Can you believe this?! Cough, anyway. Without an official title of nobility recognized by Tartarus Shade or the Confederation, it's impossible to buy anything here, not even a coffee or a bottle of wine. Oh, of course the Sorcerers recognized by the Confederation are an exception, but Irkan is unfortunately not one of them or I could have brought you there..."
Ikaris and the others listened to the blond man's rant without saying a word and a few minutes later they formally entered the Trade District. Here the atmosphere was completely different. The place was livelier.
The streets were already crowded despite the early hour and they could see all kinds of races from the Warring Lands, but also more exotic travelers from far away.
Like the first day, Ikaris was surprised by the tallness of the inhabitants but in reverse. He was only a little over 1.6 meters 9 days ago and almost everyone seemed taller than him, including the dwarves and hobbits. At least now he wasn't the shortest. That role fell to Nardor with his 1.44 meters.
Several times they had to move aside on the cobblestone sidewalk to let humanoid giants belonging to some kind of troll or ogre species walk by. They also had to navigate through the many Tartarus Enforcers patrolling the streets and ensuring the safety of the district and its inhabitants. With these monsters in black armor, incidents were exceedingly rare.
The store fronts were not all high-end like in the Noble District, but there were some that were even flashier. It was a jungle of colorful buildings different from the Barren Bush where each business tried to stand out from its competitors and make a name for itself.
There were those who were looking for opportunities, had something to sell or were just like their group here to buy whatever they needed. Others were simply there to chill out and enjoy the various restaurants and local amenities.
"Here we are." Asselin said as he halted in front of a large, spacious store with a storefront outside that almost reminded Ikaris of "Zara" on Earth.
One could hardly do less discreet.
Nevertheless, taking a look inside, Ikaris changed his mind when he discovered the lavishly chic decoration and the high-end clothes, each of them being a unique piece.
The prices were not displayed.