Chapter 73- Zephir’s Emporium (Part 1)

Chapter 73: Chapter 73- Zephir’s Emporium (Part 1)

Chapter 73- Zephir’s Emporium (Part 1)

After contemplating for a while, Rize finally stood up from his seat and left the patio. His conversation with Yelena, while odd, still gave him really valuable information. He was now aware of the full situation that caused the Zatharis’ outrage and attack and also knew what was potentially going to happen in the future.

It all seemed rather grim, and the possibility of avoiding bloodshed seemed smaller and smaller with every passing second. The Zatharis weren’t people who would back down from a battle, and so were the Sagardians, so Rize had to expect that many, many lives were going to die, and it would possibly be the Zatharis who would get wiped out.

’Sigh, and it’s all for greed. Sounds very familiar.’ He thought to himself as he walked through the empty garden with a wistful look on his face. ’We will see what the king says tomorrow, but I doubt it would be an attempt to try and calm things down.’

As for Rize himself, this naturally affected him, as he was working for the princess. They were obviously not going to join the army as they were too young for that, and the princess was never supposed to fight a deadly war.

However, that didn’t mean the situation wasn’t going to change things for them. The threat around them would be looming constantly. What made that even more relevant was the fact that they were leaving the empire by the end of the year to enroll in the Academy. The Academy, being a foreign entity that didn’t belong to any particular country or clan, was situated on neutral ground.

’We stop being under the protection of the King, and we would be on neutral ground. If that isn’t the perfect place to kidnap or assassinate Venera, then I don’t know where else they might do it.’ Rize frowned coldly as he stared ahead of him.

What Rize didn’t take into account was the sheer number of enemies the Royal Family had in the shadows. It was safe to say the entire damn palace was corrupt and greedy.

’If they are ready to do such things just to deal damage to the Royal Family’s reputation, then they would have no limit doing whatever it takes to take them down. That man Vigil talked to back in the factory. He is almost certainly a close associate of the king or perhaps even a General.’

Rize hadn’t met the big heads of the Empire yet, but Rize was certain that one of them was the man who orchestrated this entire attack.

He seemed extremely careful and smart, something that would make catching him almost impossible without a glaring trace.

’Ugh, what a mess. For now, I need to focus on what I can do.’ Rize rubbed his forehead. ’I need to get stronger. Way stronger than this. I’m still a Tier 8 scrub who can’t even fight a bunch of normal humans. If I want any chance at survival, I need to start gaining strength.’

The standard way to do that was to Hunt Monsters and level up slowly, gaining more stat points and leveling up his Gift. However, other than that, there were other things he could do to get stronger.’

’I think it’s time for me to pay that place a visit.’ He squinted his eyes as he headed to the gates of the palace.

This was something on Rize’s plans ever since he came to this world. A key part of this entire meticulous plan he crafted all those years ago.

’If I’m accurate, it should still be there, right?’ He thought to himself as he passed the strict security of the palace, where they scanned his entire body. Then, he headed into the city.

The capital was bustling as ever, with countless people moving around him in streams and groups. The lights of billboards lit up the streets, and the Giant Founder’s Time Piece cast its golden light upon the world. The city looked normal, on the surface that is.

However, for those who lived in that city and knew its vibe, things felt slightly off. Everyone looked more on edge than ever; the faces weren’t happy. It had been three days since the tragedy, so it was still fresh in everyone’s minds.

Nobody could forget. As he walked through the streets, Rize was stopped by a large screen on one of the buildings, airing the news.

"The last set of victims have finally been identified, and the SPD has contacted their relatives and loved ones." The woman said with a sober tone. Then, the screen showed the faces of the people. They were of all ages, with even a few kids in there.

Seeing that made Rize’s expression turn colder. The reactions all around him were far more intense.

"Oh dear Goddess..."

"The poor children..."

"These demons took their innocent lives with no hesitation."

"They will pay for their crimes."

Some were horrified; others were angry and hateful, naturally. However, the shared sentiment was that the people wanted revenge, and it was clear. They wanted the culprit arrested or killed.

’I wonder if they knew the full truth, would they still be calling for the deaths of these people?’ Rize thought to himself as he left the crowd gathered around the screen.

Rize continued to walk through the streets, just watching the faces of the people with mild curiosity. Passing by the main Plaza, he saw that it was barricaded as people were working on the other side, setting up the stage and other necessities for the announcement tomorrow.

It was bound to be a historic day in the country, and so everyone was anticipating it.

Rize then checked his map, looked around, and then continued walking. For 30 minutes, he roamed the streets, taking what seemed to be random turns until he ended up in a different area of the city, a far quieter one.

He had reached a rather older part of the city. The buildings were made out of rough red bricks, and the doors were wooden, chipped, and old. If someone was told this was a part of one of the biggest capitals in the world, they would think they were lying.

Rize stopped at one of the alleys, a small and narrow one that led somewhere deep into the area. He walked through it until he reached an opening on the other side.

’Hmm, if I remember correctly, the thing should be anywhere around here.’ He thought to himself as he looked around for a bit until he finally located it. A sign hanging off a wooden pole that seemed too old to be still standing that straight.

On the wooden sign, there were a few words written in crude lettering.

"Zephir’s Emporium," Rize muttered as a cold smile appeared on his face. "Bingo."

Rize had been looking for this exact place that entire time, and finding it was surprisingly easier than he expected, knowing its name and having the map on his phone. Conveniently, all the possible shops and businesses had to be registered and added to the map.

’The place where that thing could be. I hope all these changes didn’t also change where that item is. I need to get my hands on it.’ Rize thought to himself as he walked to the door and pushed it open.

A bell rang above his head as Rize walked into a dark and humid room.