Brookland Avenue Construction Zone. This place always seemed to look the same.
When Sean pushed open the door to Scoville's Shop, he saw Claude moving things around inside, while Esmeralda was fiddling with something at the counter. In the central resting area of the shop, a guest sat there...
"Brother Sean?! You're back." Claude hadn't seen Sean in two or three days. After he left that morning, they didn't receive a letter from the Count's estate until evening.
"Yeah, how's the shop been these past two days?" Sean greeted him, then glanced at Esmeralda, who was still tinkering with a firearm at the counter.
"Same as always... Oh, by the way, Brother Sean, I couldn't find that fruit-selling girl you asked me to look for in your letter, but I did run into the wizard you were looking for." With that, he nodded toward the guest sitting in the shop.
The wizard he was looking for?
Sean suddenly remembered he had indeed mentioned this to the siblings before. They'd said there was a regular customer they were familiar with, so he'd wanted to use that connection to chat with the wizard, mainly about ranks.
But now, since Ignia had already explained things to him, there was no need to go over it again.
Still, since the man was sitting right there in the shop, Sean couldn't help but look at him curiously...
From the back, he seemed like a man of average build, with shoulders that weren't particularly broad, but his clothes were loose-fitting, suggesting he might be a bit stout.
Ever since Sean entered the shop, the man had been staring at Esmeralda, who was calibrating her firearm, with a gaze that screamed [Utter Focus!]...
"Lord Vigor?! You're back." Esmeralda looked up and noticed Sean had already come in, along with Ignia standing beside him. A [Suspicious!] status immediately popped up over her head.
"Yeah, I came from the Count's estate today, so I thought I'd check on you all."
"The Count's estate? Could it be the Baron Vigor who's been rumored to have saved the entire town of Tyremian recently?" At that, the man, who had been sitting with his back to them, finally turned around.
[HP 9000/90000, MP 4500/4500, Neutral]
Sean's eyes widened. This guy was actually a Level 9 Order Keeper! A whole level higher than Lucille and Bachler.
He didn't look that old. Though he had a bit of stubble on his chin, his facial features were sharp, giving off a handsome older-guy vibe—probably in his mid-thirties, not yet forty.
"..."
"Is that Master Wiseman?" Before Sean could ask, Ignia beside him blurted out a name.
"Oh, and you are?"
"I'm Ignia, a wizard from Elinta. My mentor is Eshu." Ignia said quickly.
So this guy was a big shot, huh.
"Eshu, so you're his disciple. Then this must be Baron Vigor." The man said with certainty this time.
"So the Baron of Tyremian has been summoned by the Count as well. What business do you have here?"
"We..." Ignia glanced briefly at Sean, waiting for his answer.
Before coming, Sean had repeatedly warned her not to tell anyone about what they'd discovered, or he wouldn't bring her along. She'd nodded countless times before following him.
"Scoville's Shop—someone from town told me to come here. I stayed here for the first few days after arriving, so I thought I'd drop by." Sean said casually.
He still hadn't figured out how the man had confirmed his identity. Was it because of Ignia's status as a wizard from Elinta?
"I see." The man nodded.
Just then, Claude came up from behind and started introducing the man, saying he was the wizard Sean had been looking for.
"Baron Vigor was looking for me?"
Uh...
After knowing them for days, Sean felt for the first time that this overly respectful young man sometimes talked too much!
"Yeah, I was just curious about wizards when I first arrived. Plenty had come through town before, but I didn't know any of them. So when I heard there was a regular customer at the shop, I wanted to make an acquaintance." Sean made up an excuse.
But then Ignia popped up again out of nowhere.
"So that's why you were asking me all those things before?!"
Heh~
For a moment, Sean suddenly felt like these two were quite the pair.
"Hahaha... If Baron Vigor wants to learn anything about magic, feel free to come by my place. I live near the academy on the west side of Koga City. Just ask around, and you'll find me easily." Wiseman didn't seem bothered by Sean's awkwardness; instead, he invited him over for a proper chat.
"I've got some business at the academy today, so I can't entertain the Baron properly."
Sean noticed that the man's status hadn't changed at all—not even his favorability.
It was then Sean realized that maybe he'd been too tense, always on edge from seeing stats and statuses. Relaxing a bit, this was just how ordinary strangers meeting for the first time went.
"Alright, I'll definitely come by next time." Sean finally managed a smile.
Just then, he saw the man pick up a firearm from Esmeralda...
"Does Master Wiseman like firearms too?" Sean asked suddenly, since he'd heard Ignia call him "Master" and followed suit.
"You mean this?"
The man held up the exquisite firearm—the best type Claude had shown him before.
"Just a hobby, same as you... It's a perfect blend of alchemy and craftsmanship, the result of a bold experiment. It's changed quite a few things since it appeared."
"Of course. Technology is productivity." Sean added.
"Technology is productivity? That's the first time I've heard that conclusion. Maybe we'll get along, Baron." A thoughtful expression crossed his face, but there was no emotional shift inside.
At that moment, Sean felt a bit relieved that the first wizard he'd met was Ignia, not this guy. Otherwise, communication would've been tough.
Clearly an old fox!
The man picked up the adjusted firearm and was about to leave, but stopped at the door to ask Ignia one more question.
"Is Master Eshu back yet?"
"My mentor went north to give lectures. He hasn't returned yet!" Ignia replied.
"Then it should be soon. I hear a big shot from the north is coming. You might get to see him in a few days." With that, he left without looking back.
"Master Wiseman always seems to know everything happening in the city. Everything he's said has come true." Claude suddenly remarked.
As if remembering something...
"Oh, Brother Sean. That seedling you asked me to take care of is still alive. It looks like it's sprouted."
"Good, that's great. But I actually came to ask you both something. Where's the nearest place to mix gunpowder around here?" Sean looked at the two of them, waiting for an answer.