Zenith Online: Rebirth of the Strongest Player

Chapter 625: Moving Along



As always, outside the Teleportation Hall was a busy affair where people thronged to reach out places swiftly. Though an added convenience, it suffered from its own set of inconveniences, the first of which manifested as always being crowded.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

It was easy to get lost in the crowd if one wasn't a Disciplined who could resist the tide of people brushing past. Luckily, this wasn't a problem for Alexandria and her cadre.

Kieran caught sight of her pale lilac hair, which seemed paler than he remembered it being, more so appearing white with a tinge of purple added to give it extra presence.

Trailing behind her was Luka, who was always by her side like a loyal lapdog. Kieran assumed that's precisely what the young man was. Otherwise, what reason was there to stick so close as they approached?

'You'd think they were Siamese twins with that gait.'

As she was upon them, Alexandria greeted everyone with a smile, but Ezra's treatment was more personal, ending in a tight embrace that left Bastion and Nemean frowning.

"Why can't I have a hug like that?" Bastion murmured.

Nemean spared him a sidelong glance, scoffing. "I'm almost certain she isn't in the mood to throw up. So I'm convinced that's perhaps the reason."

Sera, who had recently joined the fray - or rather, Kieran had specifically requested her presence pursed her lips as she listened to the two.

"Be nice, you two," she insisted.

Leaving them to talk, Kieran approached Ezra and Alexandria, then looked past at that group of roughly ten accompanying her. There were some familiar faces, all of which came from their meeting in the facility's hangar.

Curious, Kieran interrupted the long-time friends by clearing his throat and nudging his face in a direction that felt out of earshot to the rest. Confirming the authenticity of that assumption was complicated due to the varying levels of Perception everyone had, but there were a few workarounds in place.

And Kieran implemented one of them, bringing up the private message. It was a strange but welcome convenience as it didn't require hands to operate. It could also thrive on mental cues or pull words from one's thoughts with enough focus... via the Zenith Frequency.

"Is your family sinking their claws deeper into your business?" Kieran asked.

Alexandria looked over her shoulder, glancing at the reason for Kieran's question before nodding. "Yes, but it hasn't reached a point where I can't manage it myself."

"That's good," Kieran grunted. Though he didn't want to pry into her affairs, he needed to know how careful he needed to be around these people. "Are they here because you allowed them to join you of your own volition, or were you forced?"

Alexandria gave a rueful smile. "Both, sort of. This is only a fraction of what my family wanted, but I stopped them from meddling by threatening to disband my guild."

Typically, a Magnate Family wouldn't fear a threat, but judging from Alexandria's staunch expression, it was clear that this one got them to back off.

Why though?

"Is there a reason that threat was so effective at defanging those greedy old bastards?" Kieran asked. Then, he backtracked with a wry smile. "Not that I mean any disrespect by calling them bastard."

"They are very much bastards." Alexandria shook her head, finding no fault in Kieran's words. "As for why it's so effective... it's because of the scarcity of Guild Orders. A disbanded guild can't be reformed without another one."

Kieran couldn't help but smile and shake his head. The girl standing before him was vicious, willing to risk what she had worked hard on just to prove her point and convey how adamant she was. It spoke to her character and dogged mentality.

Aside from how it shaped Kieran's impression of her, the knowledge itself was invaluable. While he knew Guild Orders would continue to grow in value, he wondered how its price would fare if people found out a dead guild couldn't be revived without another.

Somehow, Kieran could see them rising in value instead of reaching a peak and deflating, doubly so if the scarcity remained unchanging.

Nevertheless, besides Alexandria's lapdog, Luka, Kieran understood how to comport himself around everyone.

"We've recently received information. I'll fill you in on the way," Kieran said after regrouping with the others.

Everyone continued to discuss, sometimes engaging in niceties while those dragged along on Alexandria's end acted as if they were held to a vow of silence.

Not that Kieran minded.

Meanwhile, Kieran crossed Aeredale's thoroughfare, coming before the Merchant Association's massive branch. The building - a mix of wood and stone shaped into a striking bucolic structure - had large panes beside its open doors that allowed all passersby to see into it.

Stopping everyone outside, he went in alone. Because the Teleportation Hall could not offer any assistance on their journey, and he wasn't quite ready to run for days on his feet, the Merchant Association's rental service was a fitting alternative.

Horse and carriage had never failed a merchant...

"I hope that thought is right." Kieran shrugged.

Then, he went to begin the steps of his supposed master plan.

...

It took some haggling and flaunting his status as the Great Benefactor, but Kieran ultimately emerged from the Association's grand doors with a triumphant grin.

A melange of well-groomed steeds was pulled from the stable attached to the Association,

where they were fastened to a carriage and hauled behind Kieran.

This entire experience reminded Kieran of one of his earliest journeys into that accursed

desert and of the strange horse that had accompanied him.

He soon shrugged the thought aside and had the two stable boys leave the horse and carriage.

"Oh gods... not again," Bastion groaned.

"What?" Sera blinked her large, adorable eyes. "I think these horseys here look incredibly cute."

Bastion grimaced, pinching his noise while comically waving the air. "Cute, but they reek! I mean, have you ever smelled a horse? And the carriage should be labeled torture. Oh, but..."

Bastion trailed off at the end with a strange smile many couldn't decrypt until he stole glances at Ezra. Then, it clicked. The fool was reminiscing about being that back of the wagon!

'This guy...'

"He makes a great point. I've been taught horseback riding since I was a little boy," Luka said. His sudden inclusion in the conversation roused some attention from Bastion and the others, as well as raised brows.

"Yeah, I believe it. He has that... look," Nemean said.

Luka appeared at a loss for words. "What do you mean look? What are you trying to say here?"

"Dunno," Nemean shrugged. "Just look like you've never braved hardship and have had

everything easy in life. That... clueless look, if you will."

Kieran, noticing this conversation could ultimately take a strange turn that drove a wedge in the relationship, cleared his throat and took the reins of the talking.

"Alright, that's enough badgering. Simmer down," Kieran thundered. His voice's deep, magnetic tone shook most of more than Kieran meant, but he didn't have much control over

his Adept prowess.

Still, he continued talking. "Two carriages, separate parties. I'll take one, and you can take the other, Alexandria. We'll be setting a course for far outside the Aubrililes Kingdom."

"Understood," Alexandria nodded.

Slowly, everyone boarded their respective carriages and felt when the horses started to trod

along.