The morning sun had risen, illuminating Lazavis City with comfortable warmth, chasing away the remnants of the night's chill.
At the Altavis family mansion, the morning breakfast session had just ended. Empty plates had been cleared by the servants, leaving a clean dining table that still held the warmth of family conversation.
Without needing much discussion, they immediately dispersed to carry out their respective agendas that had been planned beforehand.
Elisa, with a motherly yet firm spirit, immediately asked Allen and Arken to get ready. The three of them left the mansion heading to the Adventurer Guild to take care of administration and official registration as new adventurers. Enthusiasm radiated clearly from the faces of Arken and Allen, who couldn't wait to start a new chapter in their lives.
Meanwhile, in the backyard of the mansion, Alvin appeared surrounded by Kazien's two sisters, Raliana and Ritalia. Alvin spent his morning teaching them the basics of magic and mana control. Laughter and cries of amazement could be heard faintly as Alvin demonstrated his beautiful wind element magic.
On the other hand, Kazien was tidying up his black clothes. He had urgent business matters that had to be resolved as quickly as possible.
With a steady stride, he walked leisurely toward the trade center of Lazavis City. His main destination was the Merchant Guild.
The door bell rang with a loud 'Cring' as Kazien stepped into the magnificent building of the Merchant Guild, Lazavis branch.
The atmosphere inside the guild was very lively. The hustle and bustle of bargaining, the sound of quills scratching on parchment paper, and the clinking of coins filled the air. The distinctive aroma of ink, metal money, and old paper immediately greeted his sense of smell, a scent identical to wealth and transactions.
Behind the main reception desk stood a young man with a very charming appearance.
That man was Leonard. He had a sturdy posture, a firm jaw, and dark hair neatly styled back, displaying his forehead and masculine facial features. The sharp and intelligent look in his eyes was clearly visible to anyone who looked at him.
Leonard was not a new person to Kazien. That handsome man had once handled large transactions Kazien had made in the past, long before Kazien was officially engaged to Alvin.
Leonard also knew very well Kazien's business style, which disliked beating around the bush and stated his purpose for coming to the merchant guild directly.
Upon seeing the figure with silvery-white hair enter, Leonard immediately recognized him. His professional smile instantly changed into a warmer and more familiar smile.
"Good morning, Young Master Kazien." greeted Leonard with his friendly yet authoritative baritone voice. "Good to see you back here. It's been quite a while since our last transaction. Is there anything I can help you with today?"
Kazien nodded briefly, returning the greeting with a faint smile. He walked closer to the reception desk, feeling comfortable being served by someone who was no stranger to him.
"Morning, Leonard." answered Kazien casually. "Let's get straight to it, I need your help. Does the merchant guild currently have a list of houses and land for sale, but the distance is quite close to the Altavis family residence?"
Leonard raised his eyebrows slightly. His hand deftly took a quill pen and was ready to take notes. Requests for property in elite areas were not unusual, but the specification 'close to the Altavis residence' narrowed the search significantly.
"Of course there are a few, Young Master. The area around the Duke's mansion has always been a favorite and the turnover is fast." answered Leonard fluently without needing to open a book. His memory of property assets was very sharp. "May I know, approximately how many units do you need this time? One? Or maybe two?"
Kazien looked at Leonard flatly, then answered in a casual tone, as if ordering bread.
"Twelve!"
The charming smile on Leonard's face froze for a moment. The pen in his hand stopped moving on the paper. He stared at Kazien to ensure his hearing wasn't wrong.
"Pardon... twelve units?" asked Leonard to confirm, his eyes widening slightly staring at Kazien's sapphire blue beads. "Twelve units of houses along with the land in that elite area?"
"Correct, twelve units of houses along with the land. The closer the distance to one another, the better!" emphasized Kazien without doubt. "I need it as soon as possible. Today."
Leonard took a deep breath, then smiled in admiration while shaking his head slowly. His professionalism quickly took over his surprise.
"You are always full of surprises, Young Master. Very well, please wait a moment. I will check availability in my personal archives first so it won't take long."
Leonard invited Kazien to sit on a comfortable waiting sofa, then rushed to a room behind the reception desk.
Inside the archive room filled with tall wooden cabinets, Leonard went to a special buffet. His hands deftly sorted through files. He checked the zoning map carefully, ensuring the location of each house Kazien wanted was truly within a close radius of the Altavis mansion and its status was ready for sale.
A few moments later, Leonard came out of the room carrying a stack of thick documents. He placed them carefully on the table in front of Kazien.
"Young Master, I have collected them." said Leonard confidently. "All these documents are houses that are quite close to the Altavis family residence. Their condition is still very habitable and the land is quite spacious."
Kazien glanced at the stack of documents briefly, not intending to read them one by one. He trusted Leonard's performance.
"What is the total price for all the houses?" asked Kazien.
Leonard opened the summary note he had just made. "Each house has a different price, Young Master, depending on the land area and building. However, I have recapped everything."
"Just tell me the total! Including taxes and other fees. Later, I will overpay so the process is faster and there are no administrative problems."
Leonard nodded in understanding. "Alright. If totaled, the pure property price is 14,849 Gold Pieces. Royal tax and guild administration fees range around 1,484 Gold Pieces and 900 Silver Pieces."
Leonard paused for a moment, confirming the numbers. "So, the grand total is 16,333 Gold Pieces and 900 Silver Pieces, Young Master."
A fantastic number. However, without the slightest expression of shock, Kazien moved his hand in the air. His storage dimension space opened.
Cling! Cling! Cling!
The melodious sound of precious metal clinking filled the room. He placed money amounting to 16,360 Gold Pieces on the table.
"Here is the money, Leonard!" said Kazien casually.
Leonard called two of his colleagues to help count the pile of gold. Although used to seeing large amounts of money in the guild, a cash transaction of this size was still a mesmerizing sight.
After the calculation was finished, Leonard looked at Kazien with a slightly furrowed brow, a bit confused.
"Young Master... this is 16,360 Gold Pieces." said Leonard. "The bill is only 16,333 Gold Pieces coins and 900 Silver Pieces This is an excess of about 27 Gold Pieces and 100 Silver Pieces. Did we miscalculate?"
When his colleagues were about to recount for fear of making a fatal mistake with their client, Kazien raised his hand, stopping them.
"You didn't miscalculate!" said Kazien calmly, looking into Leonard's eyes. "I deliberately paid more. Just use the rest as a bonus for the three of you. Consider it a token of my gratitude because you always serve me quickly and precisely, Leonard."