Chapter 248 - Mysterious Watcher

As the carriage passed under the arched city gates Char Char couldn’t help but feel a sense of grandeur rich with history and culture. This city was one of Lord Noga’s famous liberations, the subject of many poems and school exams.

If it were in the past, Char Char’s mind would definitely be filled with images of heroic generals protecting the city from invaders, recalling the epic battles from the many plays she’d seen depicting that era. But even as she marvelled at her surroundings her eyes were solemn, and there was no joy in her expression.

Thinking about the history of this city, she was reminded of her walk through the forest with Lyssa, the cultist who had led her to Hakuya’s corrupted body. Lyssa and Reid both spoke about Lord Noga’s sins, his actions which sent the nation of Fuha into ruin.

It directly conflicted with what she had been taught - that after Lord Noga defeated Fuha’s King Vienne, he’d left the Fuha people alone. Lord Noga, the noble from pauper’s origins, who won the Kumin people’s hearts in a time of constant war and corruption. Noga, who overthrew the corrupt warlord King Bisun and brought peace to Kumin and her neighbors. Whose descendants upheld his values, continuing to rule the country into prosperity.

Though Char Char couldn’t be considered a particularly excellent student, history was one of her best subjects, as they were filled with stories of heroism and bravery.

But thinking about it during her house arrest in the mansion, Char Char couldn’t recall learning much about Fuha in her lessons. And the country of Ying Chu whose corrupt King Shuma had been overthrown by Lord Noga, was even less known to her.

The Ashlands, that’s what the current Ying Chu was known as. The way Reid had said it, the derelict state of Ying Chu was a direct result of Lord Noga’s actions.

She wished she’d had an opportunity to talk to Reid again, but after they’d been rescued from the forest by the police Reid had been taken away for treatment. After he’d been cleared for release by the doctors he had disappeared without saying goodbye. 

As for Lyssa… Char Char avoided thinking about the last time she’d seen the cultist.

“What’s on your mind?” 

Char Char blinked as Firuzeh popped her out of her thoughts, and she realized that the carriage had stopped. A quick glance around confirmed that they had stopped under the gate and were part of a queue of people entering the town that had stopped for some reason.

Char Char frowned as she mulled over how to answer Firuzeh’s question, “Firuzeh, you’re from across the sea, right?”

This was not a topic she’d broached previously, but it was something she assumed due to Firuzeh’s tanned skin and elegant accent.

“Yes, from Banbajan.” Firuzeh answered openly, “I grew up in a small village on the coast called Yazsa.”

“Did you-“ Char Char hesitated, “What do people think about Lord Noga in Banbajan?”

Firuzeh paused thoughtfully, “Lord Noga is looked upon favourably in Banbajan. He is seen as a progressive, capable ruler and his people are seen in the same light. Why do you ask?”

Char Char didn’t really have an answer, and shook her head, “Nothing. No reason.”

The temporary stoppage cleared up ahead before too long and they finally entered the city proper.

Though the sun was in the midst of setting, the city was filled with energy and life. The plaza directly behind the gates was filled with stalls and merchant carts. The aroma of mouth-watering street food wafted through the air, attracting travelers and townfolk alike to the numerous stalls.

Wandering through the incoming crowd were men and women dressed in neatly pressed servant’s attire. They scanned the carts for outsiders and approached them with big, warm smiles prior to jumping into a sales pitch for the inn or restaurant they were promoting.

Char Char’s group was approached multiple times, the closed city-style carriages clearly not local and more prestigious than the open carts carrying migrants.

“There are a lot of outsiders here.” Char Char commented, noting not just a number of carts with Fuha travelers as their passengers, but also a noticeable minority of them minding the stalls and soliciting guests.

“Plunes is a crossroads town.” Firuzeh nodded, “The buildings around the gates are all inns, and a lot of travelers take on temporary work around the town for a week or two before moving on. From what I hear it’s difficult to obtain a permanent residence here, since the town refuses to expand outside of its walls.”

As Firuzeh was talking, Char Char’s spiritual intuition triggered as she felt the eyes of someone watching her. She was about to turn her head when Firuzeh touched Char Char’s arm and pointed ahead, “See that office, there - the emblem of Noga is on the banner. It’s a police checkpoint for the inner neighborhoods. The further we go into the city, the more affluent it is. The city and its townsfolk value its open, friendly culture, so they won’t outright stop people from walking down the roads. However those that look like they don’t belong will be approached and redirected before they get too deep into town.”

The coincidental distraction stopped Char Char from instinctively looking at the source that triggered her spiritual intuition. She smiled and nodded along to Firuzeh, but inwardly she wasn’t paying attention at all.

Someone’s watching me? Should I pretend I didn’t notice them? Char Char’s heart skipped a beat as she wondered how to handle it. Do they know I know? If I turn around they’ll know I know, but then I’ll know they know I know, and also they’ll know I know they know I know. 

And THAT’S where I’ll seize the advantage! 

At that inspiring thought Char Char turned around, only to find that they’d turned the corner and the mysterious watcher had already passed out of sight. Char Char clenched her fists, feeling that she’d missed an opportunity, even as Firuzeh continued to talk.

As Char Char nodded along she considered bringing the topic of the mysterious watcher up, but she didn’t have a strong enough impression to even give a vague description of the person. Her sixth sense could reveal the people around her and even reveal special items hidden in their belongings, but it was less useful at a distance. Char Char even wondered if the person had any actual significance or if it was just a false alarm.

Just because someone was looking at me didn’t mean that they recognize me. Also, maybe they’re looking at the cart. Like a robber, or something. As a guard this kind of thing probably happens often… right? Or maybe not, I don’t know…

Char Char mulled over this unseen person as they turned onto a road that left the bustle of the arriver’s market, making small talk with Firuzeh occasionally. The cobblestone roads grew narrower, winding between two and three storey buildings with white washed walls and timber framing. 

The familiar architecture which was popular throughout Kumin gave Char Char a sense of comfort. Many of the windows had planters that were filled with bright, colourful flowers, and the townsfolk walking along the street smiled and greeted the carriage drivers with ‘good evenings’ as they passed. 

The horses’ hooves punctuated the dull rumble of the carriage. The lanterns along the street hissed with gas and puffed to life, igniting automatically as the darkness of twilight set in. 

Before long they pulled into another plaza, smaller than the arrival plaza, though notably featuring a large statue of Lord Noga in the center.

“There’s the inn.” Firuzeh said.

The carriage pulled up in front of a posh looking inn which had two young valets standing outside the doors. Kai dismounted first, then Firuzeh, and Char Char was filled with a surrealistic sensation as she followed Firuzeh’s lead and formed a loose perimeter around the carriages.

As the granddaughter of a tycoon, she had experienced this scene many times before, but she was always the one disembarking last from the carriage. The drivers and the security details were in the background, standing out of the way while she was used to taking the spotlight.

Alert, but not intimidating. Don’t stare at the client. Stay out of the way of other guests and townsfolk. Char Char repeated Firuzeh’s instructions to herself as she couldn’t help but sneak a peak at Corbin as he dismounted from the carriage. 

A manager in a suit rushed out of the inn doors, a big smile on his face, “Mr. Nao! What a pleasant surprise!”

“Mr. Choi, it’s been a while.” Corbin tipped his top hat to the manager as he struck a dignified posture with his cane.

“Please, come in. Will you be taking the usual suite? I will have to check whether it’s available, we hadn’t heard you were coming.” 

“Yes, I apologize for the lack of notice. I’m making a surprise trip to our distributors, if you could make some other arrangements for me as well…”

They entered the inn, chatting animatedly as a bellboy came out with a cart, following Firuzeh’s directions to bring in the luggage. Char Char watched Kai follow leisurely behind Corbin, just far enough to keep an eye on their client.

Eventually Firuzeh made her way over to Char Char.

“We’ll wait until our client is checked in. Then Kai will come to take care of the cart and horses, and you and I will take a walk around the neighborhood.” Firuzeh said.

“What about Cor- I mean, Mr. Nao?”

“Inside the city where the risk is low, our contract typically stipulates a single guard to watch over him. Though since you are a trainee, you and I will pair up.” Firuzeh kept her tone professional, as if she were really teaching a new employee the ropes, “We will stay in the room adjoining the client’s. Kai will take a cheaper room by the stables.”

“Okay.” Char Char nodded.

At that moment her spiritual intuition triggered again. She instinctively looked down the street, catching the tail of a coat as a person quickly ducked out of sight into an alley.