Leilin pulled the doorbell beside the entrance, and a pleasant chime rang out, followed by the sound of hurried but rhythmic footsteps.
"Good day! May I ask who you are? Do you have an appointment?" A immaculately dressed man who looked every bit the butler appeared in Leilin's line of sight.
"Leilin Farell, here to pay a visit to the owner of this house!" Leilin smiled.
The butler's expression clearly showed some difficulty. "Sir, as you may know, my master Meierfeile is a renowned scholar. His schedule is quite full every day, so I'm afraid…"
Just then, a young maid hurried over on light feet and whispered a few words into the butler's ear.
The butler's expression changed at once. He bowed deeply. "The master invites you to the drawing room!"
Leilin gave a slight smile and retracted the mana fluctuations he had been letting out.
Inside the building, a corridor lined with all manner of artwork stretched before him. Oil paintings, specimens, and other artistic pieces hung on the pale yellow walls, creating a rather pleasant atmosphere.
He made his way to the drawing room, a spacious and airy chamber.
The furnishings inside were carefully chosen as well. There was no gaudy gold, silver, or gemstones, yet the room was steeped in a sense of history — an understated kind of luxury.
Beside the fireplace in the drawing room stood a deep crimson reclining chair, and on it lay an old man whose eyebrows and beard were both white.
His face was deeply lined with wrinkles, and his eyes were cloudy, though occasional glimmers of wisdom still flickered within them.
The old man spotted Leilin, and his nearly shut eyes brightened. He rose to his feet and made a welcoming gesture. "Welcome, my young friend!"
Leilin stepped forward and gently embraced the old man. "It's a great honor to meet you as well! Here is a gift — I hope you'll like it!"
Anna promptly handed the beautifully ornate fur hat to the butler.
"I'm fond of nightjar tail feathers — they represent peace!" The old man waved his hand. "Riel, you may leave. Let me have a proper talk with this friend."
"You go on as well," Leilin said to Anna.
The maids and the butler bowed and withdrew, closing the door behind them. Soon, only Leilin and the old man remained in the spacious drawing room.
"Well then, let me introduce myself properly! Meierfeile, Third-rank Apprentice. I've been settled in Polar Night City for three years now…" A look of reminiscence crossed the old man's eyes.
"And you, my visitor from afar — what about you?"
"Leilin Farell, Second-rank Apprentice. A wandering Wizard. I've only recently arrived in Polar Night City and am considering settling down here for a few years." Leilin smiled and performed the customary greeting between Wizards.
"I can smell the scent of youth on you. To advance to Second-rank at your age — that's quite impressive talent!" Meierfeile praised.
"Just a stroke of luck…" Leilin hastily deflected the compliment. Although the old man's body had clearly decayed, the unmistakable fluctuations of a Third-rank Apprentice radiating from him made it plain that he was not to be trifled with.
"Chip, scan!"
"Meierfeile: Strength 1.5, Agility 1.4, Constitution 2.9, Spirit 8.5, Mana 8. Status: Healthy. Evaluation: Third-rank Apprentice — relatively dangerous!"
The Chip faithfully relayed the data to Leilin.
As a Third-rank Apprentice who had wandered for many years, Meierfeile certainly commanded far more spells than Leilin himself, and he almost certainly possessed some trump cards for self-preservation. He would be very difficult to deal with.
However, Leilin had come today with good intentions. According to the Chip's preliminary scan, very few Wizard Apprentices resided in all of Polar Night City, and this Meierfeile was the strongest among them in terms of energy fluctuations.
After a few rounds of polite conversation, Leilin finally got to the point.
"Here's the situation. I'd like to settle down in Polar Night City and open an herb shop. As you know, all the paperwork involved is quite troublesome, and you need a local guarantor…"
"So you came to me?" Meierfeile smiled and took a sip of the red tea on the table.
"Frankly speaking, as a Wizard with aspirations toward truth, gold coins shouldn't hold much temptation for us. I don't know what inspired this idea of yours — momentary boredom, or something else? But for me, it really is just a small matter."
"By coincidence, I happen to be on good terms with the lord of Polar Night City. One of his sons takes lessons from me. Besides, no lord would ever refuse a request from a mysterious practitioner. Your settlement paperwork and the business license for the shop — they'll come through very soon," Meierfeile assured him.
"Then thank you very much!" Leilin nodded with a smile. "If there's ever anything you need from me in the future, please don't hesitate to ask!"