Rebirth of the Phoenix God

"This… Eh, nevermind. If you are willing to go to the north, then unless you are suicidial then you should be confident in your own abilities. Just please, do not thing that the ability to conjure fires alone will ever be enough to prove your capabilities. So, do you have any way of showing how potent you are, so that you won't be treated as nothing more but a meatshield during the journey north?"

From the disappointed look on the announcer's face it turned clear to the young man that creating this small fire on top of his finger didn't seemd to phase the man at all. Even though if he were to gaze deeper into it he could see how actually intricately complex it was to the point of easily becoming the greatest arcana that Fen ever controlled while being fully in control of his actions, it seemed like to the people outside of the strict arcanist community, the bigger one's flame meant the stronger someone was!

"Let me put it in this way. I can either create something as complex as I just did, or I could burn this entire city trying to go for the size or killing potential. You should understand why I picked the first option… but well, if that's still not enough to convince you, then maybe this will."

With a sudden idea appearing in Fen's mind, the young man quickly reached to the small pocket added to the inner part of his robes, only to pull out the token that Firo passed to him during their last meeting. 

"Is this…"

From the look on the announcer's face that instantly changed once he saw the intricate patterns carved into the extremely hard material that this strange-looking coin was made with, Fen realised that this item alone was enough to prove his worth. Once again, the young man was swept by the feeling that everything that continued to happen around him was in reality a part of some greater scheme of people who knew far more about him than Fen knew about himself!

"Yes. To put it short, I happened to… apparently insult one of the people that couldn't be insulted back at my academy. That's why, for the past few months I'm roaming the empire in hopes of reaching the place where that fucking noble's revenge won't be able to strike me down."

All Fen had to do to cause his entire body to shudder was to recall the ugly face of the fat inquisitor that caused his first demise. Even though the young man had the moments where he actually wondered whether he shouldn't be actually thankful to that bastard for changing his life, the fact that his face remained deeply connected to Fen's trauma coming from those events from the past still stood.

"I understand…"

Saying those simple words with a deep sigh, the announcer looked at Fen with something that could be only called as a dose of pity and sympathy.

"Listen… To take the road north form here in order to cross the border… Only the strongest are capable of doing so. I'm telling you this only because I lost my wife to one of those bastards, so you can consider it a sign of favour between two victims of the same group."

When the man mentioned the bit about his past, his hands clenched into fists, instantly scaring away the other two people that approached the two of them as they were talking. While they kept the respectable distance guaranteeing that they wouldn't be able to hear the content of their discussion, just the sheer aura of killing intent that momentairly appeared around the announcer was enough to make them reconsider their life choices and turn around.

"Fuck…"

Noticing the unfortunate results of losing his wits for even the slightest of the moments with just a single glance to the side, the man in front of Fen only muttered slightly while releasing a pained groan.

"Thanks for the advice, but even right now I have to fight off the urge to constantly look behind me. I would much rather face the enemy in an open clash on the road north, rather than keep losing my sanity while looking for assassins everywhere around me for all the time that it would take to take the long route to Kinar."

At this point, there was no reason to keep the ultimate destination of his travels in secret. Even if Fen was still chased by the inquisition, even if they managed to learn that he already left Birkaz, even if they were already en route to Kharag where he was right now… Once Fen would set his foot up on the northern path, there were huge chances that instead of following him there, the chase would actually keep pursuing him through the imperial road, hoping that he would actually take the long but safer route!

"I see. Well, I won't pressure you to leave this matter aside if you are so desperate to leave the country. Either way, we will be departing after the dinner if I won't fail to fetch two or three more arcanists for our journey, so take your time to properly rest. Now, get lost before I will lose even more potential candidates because of you!"

Adding the last part with a wide smile on his face, the man simply patted Fen's shoulder before decisively moving his sight away from the young man's face and directing it towards the very same well that drew Fen's attention when he first appeared on the plaza.

On the other hand, when the topic of resting the night in the city was brought to Fen's attention, the young man's eyes inevitably hovered over the same, pink-coloured building that caught his attention before. 

For some reason, the thought of actually seeking the comfort of a woman himself seemed to be far better than passively receiving it from one of the many maids and female servants that would smell the chance of earning a quick buck through his bed. Additionally, after spending his time with Kaisha all the way back in Akhaz city, Fen could tell that his urges awoke, constantly putting a slight pressure on his mind to satisfy them once again.

With his mind buried in those kind of thoughts, Fen found himsel standing right at the doorstep of the building, with one of surprisingly devcently dressed maids instantly approaching him!

"Good sir, how may we be of service?"

Gracing the young man with a kind and innocent smile, this girl proved how skilled she was at her trade, instantly getting a rinse out of Fen even without doing anything extravagant.

"I'm looking to spend some comfortable night here."

Given how it was his first time in this kind of establishment, Fen had absolutely no idea whether there was some kind of special language or code that he was supposed to use in this kind of place. Rather than that, he simply stated his obvious purpose while doing his absolute best to hold back the blush form appearing on his cheeks.

"I see. Before all, let's get inside. It would be unbeffiting of me to keep a honourable guests like you sir at the doorstep."

Revealing yet another cute smile, the girl instantly grabbed Fen's arm before pushing her entire body against his side and pulling him inside the premises. In one instant, the young man was overwhelmed by the mix of all sorts of pleasant smells coming from various candles set around the entirety of the vast interior.

"Follow me, sir."

Looking around with curiosity, Fen almost couldn't believe what was happening right in front of his eyes. Given the commotion raised by his former fellow caravan mates, the most that he expected from this place was a huge orgy happening right past the doors, but instead of that, he was actually graced with a sight of lovely girls spending a cultured time with clearly rich people! 

Some were accompanying their respective clients in drinking, some were silently reciting poetry while keeping their customers' heads on their laps, some were showcasing their ability to play music… Even their outfits, although alluring, didn't really reveal all that much, keeping the main guest hall classy.

"Sir, do you have any preference for the girl, or would you like me to help you make the pick? Or maybe…"

Stopping the two of them right in the middle of the main passage that lead through the very middle of the hall, the girl turned around, this time wrapping her arms around Fen's neck and looking at him with a ferocious smile blossoming on her lips.

"... or maybe…"

Standing on her tiptoes and pulling herself up on Fen's neck, the maid reached with her lips for his ear, gently whispering directly into his brain.

"... you would like to spend the night with me?"

Just this smart play was enough to nearly instantly ready Fen's artillery for the invasion of the foreign land. Even though his robes somehow managed to keep his boner from flexing before everyone in the hall, from how the girl's smile only grew wider as he started to rub her hips against Fen's slight tent, she was bound to notice it herself!

"I think you already know it's my first time in a place like this, so I will let myself be your guests. Would you please be as kind as to guide me through the meandries of this lovely establishment?"

Even though at first, this kind of bold act managed to make Fen a bit embrassed, he quickly swallowed his shyness and just allowed himself to enjoy the moment. After all, who knew when he would have the next chance to enjoy himself like today?

"I understand."

Not losing her vigour or cuteness even for a moment, the girl quickly distanced herself from the man, before taking a quick look at him. Approaching him as suddenly as she moved away, her hands quickly moved around Fen's body, as if she was some kind of cloth-maker measuring Fen's sizes in order to create an outfit that would be a perfect fit for him.

"In this case, forgive me my boldness, but I would recommend going through the auction. Before that though, I need to ask one more think. How much are you willing to leave in our place? For a small reminder, the lodging, drinks and food will be all included in the price you will set for yourself!"

Even though their talk moved on to the financial aspect, with how open she was about it, the maid managed to avoid turning the atmosphere awkward. 

'How much… Given how much I earned back on the road… I guess there will be nothing wrong with splurging for once…'

So far, Fen never enjoyed any benefits that his pockets would allow him. Since he was about to leave the empire all-together within the next few days, he could as well made today as great as he could to make just a single more pleasant memory of this part of his life!

"I'm willing to part with up to two gold coins."