For the following week, Areth and Rosavelle did not leave the merchant palace. They could already satisfy all their needs within its walls, but that was not the real reason they stayed inside. According to information Areth had purchased from the Information Guild, preparations for an attack against him were underway.
Areth had already suspected as much, but knowing it for certain was far better.
So for an entire week, he tried to spend his time in the most valuable way possible. First of all, every night he devoted time to Rosavelle, helping her develop her Mindseer abilities. Rosavelle could now easily read people's thoughts and intentions. And since they spent every night together training, she was gradually beginning to warm up to Areth.
Of course, Areth did not devote all of his time to Rosavelle.
During his stay in the merchant palace, he had the opportunity to meet and speak with many different merchants. The reason he did this was to gain access to the network that existed among them.
Merchants were the veins of this world.
Gold, information, goods, gossip… all of it passed through their hands. A king's army might be stronger, but the merchants' network was far wider.
Areth understood this perfectly.
That was why he chose his meetings carefully. He did not speak with every merchant. Those who were greedy but foolish were eliminated immediately. He sat at the table only with those who were intelligent, cautious, and capable of sensing opportunity.
Most of the meetings were fairly ordinary.
Wine was drunk. Trade was discussed. They spoke about prices in the city and the conditions of caravan routes. To an outside observer, Areth looked like nothing more than a wealthy young nobleman—somewhat curious, somewhat bored.
But when Rosavelle sat beside him, things unfolded very differently.
He brought her to the meetings so she could test her abilities on different people. While Areth spoke, Rosavelle remained silent. She lowered her head slightly, kept her eyes on the floor, and played the role of an obedient slave perfectly.
Yet in truth, she was the most dangerous person in the room.
Her Mindseer power had gradually developed, and she could now easily catch the surface thoughts of people during conversation. Greed, fear, lies, hidden intentions…
None of them escaped her.
After the meetings ended, Areth always asked the same question.
"...Well?"
Rosavelle would think for a few seconds before replying in a calm voice.
"The merchant on the right was lying."
"Which one?"
"The one with the green ring."
A faint smile would appear on Areth's lips.
On another night, Rosavelle said something different.
"That woman liked you."
Areth raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Yes… but she also wants to invest in you."
Information like that was more valuable than gold.
Within a week, Areth had already drawn a small map of the city's trade network in his mind. Who was greedy, who was cautious, who was drowning in debt, who secretly traded in contraband… he knew them all.
But his preparations were not solely for that purpose. The warning from the Information Guild still lingered in the back of his mind. Someone was planning to attack him.
That was why, throughout this entire period, he had been trying to master Tiamat's blessing. The reason he focused on this rather than learning conventional magic or swordsmanship was simple—he knew he would gain mastery far faster over the powers granted through a divine blessing.
Gods typically granted blessings that reflected their domain and nature. These blessings were essentially a form of supernatural power bestowed upon the user.
And when it came to the power Areth had received from the goddess of conquest, ambition, and dragons…
Well, it could only really be explained in a very simple way.
Fire.
Yes.
Just fire.
At first, Areth had assumed it was simply ordinary elemental magic. But it did not take long for him to realize that was not the case. This fire was not normal. He did not need spell formulas to summon it. It consumed no mana. And most importantly… Using it was not tiring.
The fire felt like an extension of his will.
A small spark would appear at the tip of his fingers. With a thought, it would grow, forming a swirling flame in the palm of his hand. And with another thought, it would disappear.
But the most frightening aspect of this power was something else entirely. Areth's fire was selective. It burned what he wished it to burn. Anything he did not wish to harm remained untouched.
The first time he realized this, he had been standing in the small training room of the merchant palace, staring at the flames burning in his palm.
After a moment, he placed two objects on the table in front of him.
A piece of paper and next to it, a small piece of wood . Areth raised his hand. The flame was born at his fingertips and slowly grew larger. Then he released it toward the two objects. The paper ignited instantly. Within seconds, the flames turned it into black ash. But the wood lying beside it remained exactly as it had been. Untouched.
It had not even grown warm.
This was completely contrary to the nature of fire, and during the past week, while improving his power, Areth had also begun researching the nature of that power.
That was another reason for his persistence in building connections with merchants.
Books.
Without understanding something, it was impossible to truly control it.
Because of this, some of his meetings with merchants revolved around a topic that had little to do with trade.
Ancient books.
Copies of magical tomes.
Notes from forgotten academies.
And most importantly, even the slightest scrap of information from the time when Tiamat, the Queen of Dragons, roamed the world not as a goddess but merely as a dragon. This fire probably had something to do with her or at least with the dragons.
Those were the things Areth asked about.
Most merchants were initially surprised by such questions. Selling stories about dragons was easy, but finding real information was far more difficult. Dragons lived long lives, and more importantly, they did not enjoy sharing their knowledge with humans.
Still, there was a rule in the world of commerce.
There is no door that gold cannot open.
On the evening of the third day, the old merchant sitting across from Areth took a small sip of wine and narrowed his eyes.
"You're looking for books about the Queen of Dragons, young master?"
Areth shrugged.
"Legends interest me."
The old man chuckled.
There was a clear note of commercial greed in that laugh.
"Legends are expensive things."
Areth pulled a small pouch from his storage ring and placed it on the table. Even without opening it, the weight of the gold inside could be felt.
The merchant's eyes flashed briefly.
At that moment, Rosavelle sensed the thoughts forming in the man's mind.
'This kid might be crazy... but he's definitely not poor'
Rosavelle lowered her head slightly. From the outside, she appeared to be nothing more than a silent slave. But Areth noticed her fingers tapping a faint rhythm against the edge of the table. It was a small signal they had developed.
It was sort of like a Morse code system using commands instead of letters. They had been working on it quite a bit lately, but when they encountered the merchants, just three different variations were enough for their communication.
One tap meant safe.
Two taps meant a lie.
Three taps meant danger.
And there was only one tap on the table.
Areth turned back to the merchant.
"The book?"
The old man thought for a moment before leaning forward and speaking in a lower voice.
"I don't have it."
Areth's expression did not change.
"But I heard someone who does."
At that moment, Rosavelle caught an image from the man's mind. An old tower. Dusty shelves. And a thick book with a red cover.
"Who?"
The merchant traced a small circle on the table with his finger.
"There's a collector living in the city. Most people think he's mad, but he likes gathering old things. Especially anything about dragons."
"His name?"
"Valdren."
At that moment Rosavelle caught another thought in the merchant's mind.
'If this noble boy really goes… maybe Valdren will finally pay the debt he owes me. At worst, I'll make a little money by giving him this information.'
Rosavelle raised her head slightly but said nothing.
Areth had already seen the answer on her face.
"I see."
The meeting ended shortly afterward.
The merchant took his coin and left with a satisfied smile. When the door closed, only Areth and Rosavelle remained in the room.
"Well?"
Rosavelle lifted her head.
"What he said is true."
Areth leaned back in his chair.
"Go on."
Rosavelle thought for a few seconds.
"Valdren really does have that kind of book… but I don't know if he'll give up that easily"
Areth raised an eyebrow.
"He won't sell it?"
Rosavelle nodded.
"You probably have a chance to buy it. Because Valdren owes the merchant we just met. That's why he needs money. You can buy that book you want at the right price."
Areth nodded and stood up. As he walked toward his room, Rosavelle followed him.
As soon as they entered, Areth removed his coat before turning toward her.
"If we want to walk freely around the city, we'll need to eliminate our enemies first. Are you ready? Tonight we'll test your abilities one last time before the attack."
Rosavelle did not answer for several seconds.
The girl's eyes slowly shifted toward him. If the same question had been asked a week ago, she probably would have hesitated. Perhaps she would have been afraid. Or maybe she would have simply lowered her head and accepted the order.
But things were slightly different now.
Rosavelle lowered her head faintly.
"I'm ready."
A very faint smile appeared at the corner of Areth's lips.
"Good... this time, we'll train with more rats."