His footsteps were hurried and his expression showed a trace of anxiety — Lucian was putting on the act of a normal person encountering something like this for the first time. Of course, compared to the majority who would panic and grow frantic, he appeared far more composed, because during his exchange with that heretical priest via letter, he had already demonstrated his trademark cool-headedness under pressure. Acting too terrified or too agitated, just like being completely calm and collected, would arouse suspicion.
Lucian entered the focused state required for spellcasting. His soul seemed to hover above like a separate person, looking down upon his own body, carefully sensing the crowds around him. Rushing out so hurriedly toward the Nobility District was itself a test!
Unfortunately, the Sunday late-morning period was the busiest time of day in the Adrang District, and the other party's strength was far above Lucian's current level, so he detected nothing — nothing like the way he could use his spiritual perception, which far exceeded that of an ordinary person, to vaguely sense the thugs from the black gangs in previous encounters.
Although the city gate between the Nobility District and the Adrang District was open, it was remarkably quiet. Only a handful of the poorest laborers, those performing the most menial and grueling work in the noble villas, were hurrying through after finishing their Sunday services.
Two guards stood slouched lazily by the gate, watching the passing commoners with a faint air of superiority. Having lost their chance to become knights and joined the city guard instead, they had quickly been corrupted by the bustle and glamour of Altor, forgetting nearly everything they had once learned during knight training.
Suddenly, they spotted Lucian approaching in a hurry — dressed in a black formal coat and white shirt, of average height, with an air and attire that were clearly far from ordinary. Bewildered, they instinctively moved to block his path. "Sir, may I ask your business in the Nobility District?"
"Does one need to be inspected just to enter the Nobility District during the day?" Though Lucian had forced himself to calm down, the anxiety inside him was entirely real, and so both his tone and attitude came out rather poorly.
The moment Randall blocked Lucian, he realized he had made a mistake. Pressured further by Lucian's "arrogant and overbearing" demeanor, he quickly scrambled for an excuse to apologize. "I'm terribly sorry, sir. The recent crackdown on devil worshipers has us all on edge. Please forgive me."
Lucian gave a slight nod, about to walk straight through, when a thought suddenly struck him. He lowered his voice and asked, "I'm heading to the Nobility District to find my classmate Phyllis Hain. Her father is Urbain Hain, the clerk at City Hall. Could you tell me where her family lives in the Nobility District?"
" Clerk Urbain resides at Number 158 in the Nobility District, in a former villa belonging to the Hain family." Randall had a deep impression of Urbain, the clerk at City Hall who assisted the Prefect, because the Altor city guard was at least partially under his management.
Lucian said a brief "Thank you," then passed through the gate.
Once inside the Nobility District, there would be many powerhouses at the Great Knight level and above. That heretical priest would probably not dare to follow too closely. So it was better to let him know his destination in advance. If the priest still couldn't keep up and didn't know what he was doing, that would prove he had no means of long-term tracking or surveillance — and all Lucian would need to do afterward was find a way to shake him off, then carry out his preparatory work. If the priest could keep up, then the next step would be to probe the methods he was using for surveillance.
Watching Lucian's departing back, Randall grumbled, "That fellow dresses like a gentleman, but he doesn't even know where the Nobility District is. Don't tell me he seduced that Miss Phyllis with nothing but his looks?"
…………
This was Lucian's second time entering the Nobility District. Compared to that night of deep darkness and the approaching storm, the district looked far more beautiful now — trees lined the streets in verdant canopies, the fragrance of flowers filled the air, and the sprawling villas each displayed the architectural style of the era in which they had been built. There were the somber, opulent designs of the ancient Arcane Empire period, the imposing grandeur of the Church's peak rule, and the ornate, lavish "Trian" style reminiscent of Baroque that had emerged over the past century or so. Often, an entire road contained only a single villa.
Carriages rolled along the wide, patterned stone roads with a slow but graceful gait. Every carriage that passed Lucian cast a curious glance his way. Though he was dressed in formal attire and the quality of his clothing was impossible to judge from a distance, the fact that he was out and about without a carriage of his own meant he was certainly no noble.
Suddenly, a carriage pulled up beside Lucian. The window slid open with a clatter, and a noble young woman with wine-red hair, elegant and full-figured, held her black gauze hat in one hand, half-veiling her face. She grinned and said, "Would you be Mr. Evans? Last night's concert was absolutely wonderful."
Despite his anxiety, Lucian kept his composure on the surface and responded with gentlemanly courtesy. "Thank you for your kind words, beautiful miss. Might I have the honor of knowing your name?"
"Hehe, I'm Yvette Hill, a close friend of Phyllis. Mr. Evans, are you here in the Nobility District looking for her?" Yvette studied the eighteen-year-old musical genius with unconcealed interest.
The Hill family, together with the Hain family and the Lafati family, were the three great families of the Vorlite Principality after the Violet family, each holding a county with a baronial estate.
Only after hearing Yvette's introduction did Lucian recognize the Hill family crest on the carriage — a long spear paired with a ferocious bear. "Yes, Miss Hill. I've come to find Phyllis."
"Then I'm afraid you'll have to wait a while. Phyllis is still at the Golden Cathedral. Because of the success of Mr. Victor's concert last night, she requested a private prayer session to thank the Lord for His protection." Yvette smiled alluringly. "Also, just call me Yvette. I'm now a devoted listener of Mr. Evans."
Lucian forced a smile. "Miss Yvette, you may call me Lucian as well. I'll wait outside Phyllis's home for her return."
"Lucian, you're two years younger than me — truly an unimaginable genius." Yvette lowered her gauze hat, revealing her lovely features. "If you don't mind, allow me to give you a ride to outside Phyllis's home."
Then she signaled her maid to open the carriage door and, without the slightest concern for propriety or her reputation, invited Lucian to climb aboard.