Lucy woke up feeling more refreshed than she had in a long while.

The soft bed of the hotel and the quiet atmosphere of the room had completely knocked her out the previous night, and after moving constantly from one place to another the other day, her body honestly appreciated the rest.

She quickly freshened herself up afterward before neatly dressing back into a new maid outfit of the same look.

Her movements were quick and practiced.

After making sure everything looked proper, Lucy walked toward Ezra’s room and noticed the door was already slightly opened.

She slowly pushed her head through the gap carefully.

In case Master Ezra was changing clothes again.

But...

The room was empty.

"Huh?"

Lucy blinked twice before stepping fully inside.

"Where did he go?"

She placed her index finger lightly against her lips while glancing around.

The room looked strangely clean, almost too clean, then her eyes landed on a folded note resting on the bed.

Lucy picked it up curiously.

’Out for morning exercise.’

"Oh..."

She casually threw the note into the dustbin afterward.

But while doing that...

She suddenly noticed the other squeezed papers already inside the bin.

Lucy stared at them briefly before shrugging.

She sat on Ezra’s bed while looking around the spotless room again.

"I understand this is a hotel..." She sighed softly. "But isn’t he too clean?"

There wasn’t even a single shirt left carelessly on the floor.

No scattered materials.

Nothing.

Everything looked arranged so properly it almost felt unnatural for a boy his age.

Lucy suddenly stood up, then without even realizing it...

She started checking around the room for possible dirt just to keep herself occupied.

Time slowly passed.

Eventually...

Lucy simply gave up and laid flat on the bed while staring blankly at the ceiling.

"What exactly are you doing?"

Ezra’s voice suddenly came from the entrance.

Lucy immediately jolted upward.

"Master Ezra!"

She quickly stood up while adjusting her clothes hurriedly.

"I was waiting for you to return and got bored."

She awkwardly moved away from the bed afterward.

Ezra narrowed his eyes at her plainly.

"I’m going to shower now."

He calmly dropped the small white towel hanging around his neck onto the table.

Lucy tilted her head slightly afterward.

Didn’t he just go for morning exercise?

Then why is he wearing that many clothes when this place isn’t even that cold?

She blinked twice thoughtfully looking at Ezra who wore a cardigan, scarf, gloves, long trouser, and an inner top.

"Master Ezra..."

A soft smile suddenly appeared on her face.

"Do you want me to help you shower?"

The room instantly became quiet.

Ezra slowly turned toward her again with the same plain expression on his face.

Lucy’s confident smile immediately became awkward.

He stared at her silently for several seconds.

Then...Without saying anything...He simply walked into the bathroom.

Lucy coughed lightly afterward.

"...I was just asking."

Later...

Ezra stepped out while drying his wet hair with a towel.

He now wore a white long-sleeved shirt beneath a black waistcoat, together with a black trousers and black gloves.

"Master Ezra, would you like coffee?"

Lucy asked while already carefully preparing it.

Ezra returned briefly toward the bathroom and carried out the clothes he used earlier for training together with his space bag before taking out the Starlix phone he bought the previous day.

"Sweet or bitter?"

Lucy asked again while mixing the coffee.

"Not too sweet and not too bitter."

Ezra replied while holding a small paper with a username written on it.

He typed the name into the phone slowly.

The smooth glass surface shifted lightly beneath his fingers almost like soft metal responding to touch.

Click.

Immediately...

A holographic screen materialized above the phone.

"Took you long enough to call me."

Vera’s dry voice echoed out lazily.

She sat calmly while holding several sheets filled with Alchemy circles and formulas.

A pair of gold handle glasses rested on her face while her long black hair remained tied behind her head, though several loose strands still hung beside her cheeks.

"It hasn’t even been a week."

Ezra calmly sat down afterward while collecting the coffee Lucy handed to him.

"And honestly, if this wasn’t urgent, I probably would’ve waited longer."

Lucy immediately bowed respectfully the moment she saw Vera on the holographic screen.

"Maid of Ezra."

Vera’s black eyes slowly shifted toward Lucy.

Her expression remained plain.

Yet somehow...

That stare alone made Lucy nervous again.

Vera quietly observed her for several seconds before finally turning back toward Ezra.

"I already prepared two crates of Black Steel for you."

Her voice remained lazy while she continued reading the papers in her hand seriously.

"But it’s currently with one of my connections."

"Ehn..."

Ezra calmly sipped his coffee.

"I was honestly thinking that since you lost the Heir position, I would probably need to ask the Young Lord instead."

The moment those words entered the call...

Vera slowly narrowed her eyes.

"Are you underestimating me?"

Her tone remained flat.

"He’s using me however he wants..."

Vera dramatically shook her head afterward.

"...and is already preparing his next option."

The acting looked exaggerated.

Yet the delivery sounded so natural Lucy subconsciously turned toward Ezra with a strange look.

Ezra could clearly feel Lucy’s stare on him.

This girl...

He sighed internally before calmly ignoring Vera’s teasing entirely.

He had already gotten used to it at this point.

"So where exactly are you sending me?"

He directly asked instead.

Vera instantly returned to normal, like nothing happened.

"You’ll be going to Myrwick."

She straightened herself slightly.

Lucy blinked in confusion.

"Myrwick..." Ezra turned toward Lucy. "Please search it, it kind of sounds far."

Lucy immediately took out the Starlix Z11 Ezra bought for her and began typing quickly.

"Are you worried about the money you’ll spend getting there?"

Vera suddenly asked with an amused smile.

Ezra didn’t answer.

But honestly...

Ever since leaving the East Station, every gold coin he spent genuinely hurt him deep inside.

Maybe because of his past life filled with debt and financial stress...

Ezra had unknowingly become extremely attached to money, losing it without earning it first always tends to bother him.

"It’s a ten-hour journey..."

Lucy suddenly muttered while staring at the phone screen with devastation written across her face.

"And even after taking the train to the major stop near the area..."

Her shoulders dropped.

"There’s no train leading directly there."

Images of her old commoner life immediately resurfaced inside her head.

Long walking in the cold weather and terrible roads.

"I was just getting used to the easy life..."

Lucy wiped away an imaginary tear dramatically.

"It’s a small town inside Mythros."

Vera calmly switched to another paper.

"But the town itself is mostly rural land filled with nature and it’s very cold."

She glanced toward Ezra.

"When you get to the town, ask the people there using these exact words."

Vera leaned slightly closer toward the holographic screen.

"I’m looking for the Silver Beard."

She pointed the quill in her hand directly at Ezra while speaking.

"They’ll direct you there. I already sent him a message that someone special to me is coming to meet him."

After saying that, Vera leaned back into her chair again with her usual bored expression resting on her face, though the faint amusement in her eyes still remained.

"Okay. Thanks for the help."

Ezra finished the remaining coffee inside the cup before placing it back on the table and standing up.

"Alright..."

Vera suddenly paused before ending the call.

"Oh, and make sure you prepare properly for the party two weeks from now."

A small amused smile appeared on her face afterward.

Then...

The holographic screen vanished.

"Party? Two weeks?"

Lucy looked confused while carrying the coffee cup away carefully.

"It’s the unveiling party the family plans to hold."

Ezra calmly started packing his belongings into the space bag again.

"Basically..."

He zipped the bag shut.

"...Ashenlocke will be announcing to the whole of Britannia that they’re ready to conquer everything."

His tone remained plain while speaking, almost like he was talking about ordinary weather.

"Wow..."

Lucy’s eyes widened slightly.

"So that means Master Ezra will appear on the Skynet?"

Her voice came out filled with excitement.

But then...

Her expression immediately darkened.

"But we still need to deal with those greedy people trying to steal all your achievements."

Lucy frowned deeply.

"Are your things packed?"

Ezra asked while flattening the bed sheets properly after arranging his side of the room.

"Yes. Since early this morning."

Lucy instantly replied proudly.

A smug smile appeared on her face afterward.

Ezra slowly raised a brow at her reaction.

"What’s with that expression?"

"Hehe..."

Lucy laughed while placing both hands behind her back proudly.

"Because a maid should always stay ahead of her Master, so she doesn’t become a burden."

She puffed her chest lightly afterward.

Ezra quietly stared at her for a few seconds.

That silence alone immediately started making Lucy awkward again.

"...What?"

She scratched her cheek slightly.

"Nothing."

Ezra wore the space bag afterward.

"Let’s go."

The two soon left the hotel room together and exited the building.

Outside...

The cold wind immediately brushed against their faces.

They first boarded a horse carriage that brought them back toward the subway station before taking another train heading toward Mythros.

Like already stated before...

Metallica is the largest region in all of Britannia.

Countless big and small cities, towns, villages, industrial zones and Mining lands.

Even with the railway transport system being extremely advanced and fast...

Traveling from one city to another could still consume an absurd amount of time. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Especially for places like Mythros.

And the worst part about the journey...

Was that after reaching the closest train station leading toward Myrwick...

The remaining route could only continue by foot.

No carriage traveled through those roads, not because monsters roamed the area and not because of dangerous terrain either.

It was simply because the place belonged mostly to poor commoners.

And in Britannia...

Areas heavily occupied by commoners usually received almost no development or civilization support from the higher authorities.

After days of movement, short resting, and nonstop walking through snow-covered roads...

Ezra and Lucy finally arrived at the village of Myrwick.

Cold wind swept across the area constantly.

The buildings looked old and worn down, their wooden walls carrying signs of years of neglect. Snow rested on rooftops while smoke slowly rose from several chimneys.

"You said the party is in two weeks..."

Lucy looked around the village with concern written across her face.

"...but haven’t we already wasted too much time traveling?"

The people around them wore rough clothing that looked barely enough to survive the cold.

Some children ran through the snow with red noses while adults carried baskets and chopped wood outside their homes.

When Ezra and Lucy first arrived at Mythros earlier...

Ezra intentionally made both of them change clothes during a detour so they would blend into the environment better.

Not attract attention.

Now...

Ezra wore a low-quality long shirt that was already becoming damp from the falling snow droplets. A head warmer covered his hair while a black trouser, gloves, and boots completed the outfit.

"Master..."

Lucy looked toward him worriedly.

"Are you sure you don’t need your coat or cardigan?"

Her eyes carefully observed his slow walking pace.

Although Ezra tried maintaining his usual calm face...

Lucy could still notice the slight stiffness in his movements.

"I’m fine."

Ezra calmly replied.

But internally...

He honestly felt terrible.

Before separating earlier, Bobby had secretly given him extra heat-stimulating pills.

Unfortunately...

The pills were still low grade.

And Myrwick itself was considered one of the coldest places inside Metallica.

Which already ranked among the coldest regions in Britannia.

Cold air pierced through Ezra’s clothes constantly while snow touched his skin like freezing needles.

I might genuinely be fucked...

Ezra groaned silently inside his head while continuing deeper into the village.