Chương 77: Special Guests

"What do you think his core ability is? Does he even have one?" A woman's whole body vibrated with excitement as she asked the man beside her.

"Obviously," he snorted.

"How else would he have been in all three boxes at once?" A third voice interrupted.

"But the Mayor didn't find any mistake at all! I was sitting in the front row, and I also didn't feel a single fluctuation from any of the tricks!"

"So it's really true?" The woman gasped.

"I've heard some people can hide their aura, so it was probably just that. It also could have been some sort of Energy contraption." The doubtful man pointed out.

"You're underestimating the Mayor if you think he would fall for such a trick. The ferrum badge is not to be taken lightly."

"I once heard that Ultor experiments on children to try to get them to awaken their power from birth. Maybe he ran away from it all and has such perfect control that it can even fool the Mayor!" Evel caught the tail end of their debate as he brushed past them, a faint smile touching his lips. Leaving the gossiping crowd behind, he headed straight for the VIP room lobby at the request of some VIPs interested in meeting The Oracle Hand.

When he arrived, most of the exclusive guests had already left, leaving just three behind. In the corner, enjoying his drink by himself was a short man who was clearly… well-fed. He wore a high-quality woollen beret and had a wide smile plastered on his face. Further, Mateo was entertaining the other two guests. An enchanting white-haired woman wearing an intricate gown that reached the floor, and a muscular man with deep eye bags trapped in a sharp suit.

The short, round-bellied man's eyes lit up the moment he saw Evel enter the door.

"Ah, you must be The Oracle Hand! What a performance! My name's Moe."

"Unfortunately, the performer is uninterested in meeting guests." Evel offered a smile.

"I'm just the owner of the business, Eth." Moe reached out and yanked Evel's arm forward, vigorously shaking his hand.

"I don't know how you managed to find such talent, but never let him go! The performance was magnificent!"

"The entire crew will be delighted to hear such praise."

"That's just the start of it!" Moe looked side to side, then leaned in.

"I'm quite the artist myself, and had a few propositions to make it even better… I've got 'em all written down here, so take a look when you get the chance." He whispered.

"We're n—""Just don't steal the ideas. When you decide to use the performances, I want a role in each act!" Before Evel could reply, he placed the notebook in his hand, then turned around and waved to the two Prachar soldiers.

"You can expect me back here in two weeks! Unless you make me disappear like one of your card tricks!" He burst into booming laughter as he walked away. An attempt at a joke, probably. Evel briefly flipped through the pages of his notebook. Mostly, it aimed to convince him to branch out into plays as well. And Moe had given him some of his original stories. The Shepherd Who Fed the Wolf, No Curtains for the Crown, The Gardeners' Debt.

The titles sounded more like children's fables than something he'd expect to show in the mystical setting Evel was trying to create. He wasn't fully opposed to the idea of the circus moving in that direction, though. There was a lot of potential for plays, but it all depended on the talent of the performers. The ideal future was one where he wasn't needed at all, the circus fully self-reliant without him.

In that scenario, he'd be able to listen in for information at all times and spend the rest of his time training and getting stronger. That future was still far away. Evel turned to the two other guests, maintaining his same, polite smile.

"Thank you for taking the time out of your busy days to watch our show." Zephyr stepped forward, leaving Erden to talk with Mateo.

"Your performance was quite impressive. I'm Zephyr." Evel met her hand, giving it a firm shake. Zephyr squeezed tightly, her silky hands providing a surprising amount of strength. If she was trying to assert dominance, he didn't mind. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"I'm just the owner, Eth." Evel clarified.

"Eth… Sure. I'll keep things short." She began.

"I work for Prachar, and in some ways represent their goals for this city. I'm sure you've read some of our newspapers or have even been to one of our many shows."

"Of course, I catch every nightly paper. A city is incomplete without your papers."

"Oh?" A glint appeared in her eye.

"So you aren't from Ichoris?" The warmth in Evel's smile remained, but his eyes cooled.

"I'd rather not discuss my past. I've left all that trouble behind me."

"I have a lot of contacts in various cities. I'm sure I can help fix whatever 'trouble' you were having, wherever the city may be." Evel sighed, a soft, self-deprecating sound.

"If only it were that simple. Unfortunately, it's not the type of trouble money or power can fix. People are just too complicated. But truly, let's not sour such a lovely evening with my past. I insist." Zephyr didn't push. She gave a faint, knowing tilt of her head.

"I didn't mean to pry, let's cleanse our pallets with some good news. On behalf of Prachar, I'm extending an offer to you, as well as the Ichoris Legerdemain, for a partnership. I believe it could be quite beneficial for both of us." Evel narrowed his eyes. If he wasn't careful, this could escalate beyond his control.

"What would Prachar be able to offer?" Evel countered.

"We appreciate the offer, but we've sold many tickets, and I have no doubts many more will come." Zephyr smoothened out the silk of her dress.

"What about after?"

"After?" She extended her hand outward, and after a few movements, a glowing, blue orb appeared just above her hand.

"A small construct for a bit of privacy, I hope you don't mind." Evel shook his head and allowed her to continue. The orb expanded, instantly swallowing the two of them within round blue walls. They were now fully isolated from any prying eyes or ears.

"Eth, I believe you know a lot more than you may let on." Evel kept his breathing steady. If Zephyr knew something, he needed to run. From within the confines of the orb that sought to protect him, he could no longer make out the outside world. The orb of protection had turned into a prison. Mateo was just talking with Erden…

"Of course." Evel smiled.

"Owning a business requires many skillsets." The corner of Zephyr's lips curled upward.

"A lot of interesting things have been coming out of the slums recently. Your circus for one, but also some very interesting information." Evel's blood turned to lead. Zephyr continued.

"You wouldn't have happened to hear anything about that, have you?"

"No," Evel managed.

"But now I'm dying to know. Something positive, I hope."

"Very." Her smile widened.

"But that isn't exactly what I wanted to talk to you about." He remained silent and let her continue.

"You've found some success here in Ichoris, and based on that performance, you will continue to find even more. So then I'll ask again, what about after?"

"After we're successful?"

"If you define success as popularity in a single small city, then sure, after you're successful." Her smile lowered, and her voice grew more serious.

"What Prachar offers is simple. We'll help you expand into other cities with ease and allow you to replicate your success. Prachar will only take 30% of the profits, or even less, should you be able to provide relevant information." Evel exhaled, masking his relief with the guise of considering her offer.

"We'll be able to expand on our own." Evel countered.

"Within a few months, we'll have all the money we need to go into whichever city we desire."

"I've always been good at reading people, Eth." Zephyr extended her arm at hip-level, her palms facing the ceiling.

"And I've pegged you as the intelligent type. You should be fully aware of the benefit of having a Banner back you— a Reaper at that." Her palm collapsed into a fist. At the same time, the isolating orb disappeared. Erden paced over, Mateo by his side.

"Were you able to come to an agreement?" He asked.

"Nothing short-term, but I believe there's a lot of potential in this relationship moving forward." Zephyr waved at Evel with one last smile.

"I enjoyed the show, but I likely won't be able to make it in the future. I look forward to your response, Eth." The two figures exited the room. Evel's eyes remained fixed on the door long after it clicked shut, his polite smile lingering far longer than necessary. The offer was good. Amazing, even. Expanding into a new city wasn't easy. From something as simple as the large distances between cities to the inner politics within them, each city would provide a unique challenge.

Not every city had a 'slum' and an 'upper'. Some cities had violent gangs or aggressive competitors. In fact, should they refuse, then Prachar would be one of their most prominent competitors in every city. The only reason the circus currently had a shot of having continued success was that Prachar let them. What about the future? Agent was backing him as Evel, not Eth, and he stood no chance against the full wrath of a Banner. The terms were too beneficial to refuse. Why wouldn't he accept?

The 30% they take would pale in comparison to the potential earnings of multiple shows in multiple settings. The only excuse he could come up with was that the Oracle Hand could not be duplicated, thus the circus would never succeed in other cities. Or maybe I claim I'm not interested in expanding at all? The biggest problem was how much Zephyr knew. Had she already figured out he worked for another Banner?

Did she really know that it was he who had sold the information, or was she making a bold guess in hopes of a reaction?

"What was the offer?" Mateo interrupted his thoughts.

"They want to help us expand into other cities in exchange for a cut of the profits." Evel shook his head and turned to face the round-faced man.

"So soon? We've only been performing for…"

"35 days." He offered.

"Four performances in the slums, and one up here." Mateo's eyes widened.

"And we started working and preparing even before that… it's already been so long?" It really was difficult to believe. With each day constantly busy, and so many things always on his mind, the time just slipped by. And we've only just expanded north. Evel's eyes wandered back to the doorknob. Zephyr hadn't given him time to think it over, so he'd do just that. He'd think it over for as long as he possibly could.

His mission couldn't afford getting involved with another Banner, especially not one that would be watching him so closely. He sighed. Hopefully, by the end of his stalling, a better solution would present itself.