Val surveyed the bustling street of the lower city. Finding no sign of Alfred’s enemy, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, he continued to speak,
“But we have to keep our friendship a secret from Marshall. I don’t want unnecessary trouble.”
“Don’t worry,” Alfred said, waving a dismissive hand, his face mirroring a confident grin, “I’ll make sure Marshall doesn’t get wind of it.”
“And how exactly will you do that?” Val asked, an amused twinkle evident in his eyes.
“I have my ways,” Alfred winked, his grin widening.
In Eliana’s mind, she mused that Alfred seemed to know a lot about the Northern Frontier, potentially more than they did. Maybe she could glean some answers to her questions from him.
“What else do you know about the lower city?” She asked, her gaze curious.
Alfred looked thoughtful, his eyes drifting over the bustling cityscape. “It’s teeming with people from all walks of life – merchants, craftsmen, wizards, miners, and bloodline users. You can find anything here from mundane items to cursed artifacts and potions. But Contribution points are the only accepted currency in the frontier. If you don’t have them, you can’t get anything.”
“Why is that the case?” Val chimed in, his gaze meeting Alfred’s.
“That’s a rule set by the founders of the northern frontier. It’s to maintain the unique merit-based system of the frontier which rewards those who contribute to its defense, survival, and development, and to avoid outside influence that would change the way things work here” Alfred explained.
Val remembered something he had heard from the Starlight Auction House, that their starlight notes held value all over the kingdom, even the frontier. Had they lied to him? He decided to find out.
“Do the starlight notes have any value here?” He asked Alfred.
“They do,” Alfred confirmed, causing Val to feel at ease. He wasn’t lied to. He was just overthinking things.
Alfred continued, “The frontier is in a business partnership with the Starlight Auction House. A gold starlight note can be traded for a hundred contribution points. However, I wouldn’t recommend doing that. The exchange rate is flawed. A hundred contribution points aren’t as valuable as a gold starlight note. It’s close to extortion. You can get more value for your money if you use it in the branch of the auction house that we just passed by.”
“I understand.” Val raised an eyebrow, acknowledging the information.
“Brother, is there anything else we need to know?” Eliana inquired, her gaze fixed on Alfred.
Alfred nodded, “While it’s a good thing that the city has developed so much that it’s coming to rival the city of silver, it has also become a problem. Housing prices have soared. Even renting a place with two bedrooms would cost a few hundred contribution points because landlords insist on an upfront payment for three months and a security deposit of two.”
“Is there no cheaper option?” Val questioned, his eyes narrowing slightly.
“There is,” Alfred admitted. “There are housing complexes designed for the poorest – normies with no background or bloodline users who can’t pull their weight. But they’re literal pigsties, with several to a dozen people living in one room and shared bathrooms. It’s definitely not a place for nobles like us, and certainly not for a woman like our sister here.”
Both Val and Eliana remained silent for a moment, exchanging a glance. They hadn’t expected the frontier’s lower city to be so complicated, and they realized they had much to learn.
“Is there anything else you’d like to know?” Alfred asked, trying to be as helpful as he could. In his mind, he knew that helping them would earn him a powerful ally in Val, who had proved his strength in the Trial by Fire. Having Val on his side would give him a significant advantage in the Northern Frontier.
Eliana looked thoughtful before finally voicing her question. “Actually, I do have one. Have you heard of someone with red eyes that has control over both blood and fire?”
Alfred felt his heart skip a beat. Val fit this description almost perfectly, considering he had seen him use fire skills during their trial, and his cursed artifact used blood skills. However, Val’s eyes were not red. Alfred glanced at Val, who met his gaze with a stern look, silently signaling him to remain quiet. Alfred realized that it was indeed Val that Eliana was searching for, but for some reason, he was hiding it from her. Alfred wondered what could be the reason behind this but respected Val’s decision.
Before he could respond, Eliana noticed his glance towards Val and a hint of confusion swept across her face.
Alfred quickly composed himself, “No, I haven’t heard of such a person. But if I do, I’ll let you know.”
Eliana sighed, looking slightly disappointed. “I see,” she said, “I guess it won’t be that easy to find the Red-eyed Lord.”
Val quickly changed the subject, “For now, our priority should be to find a place to stay.”
“I have a house in the central district of the lower city,” Alfred proposed. “My family had invested in its development and we have some spare rooms. You’re welcome to stay there.”
“No, we will find a place on our own,” Val responded, appreciating Alfred’s offer but also not wanting to rely on him too much.
Eliana agreed, “Yes, we don’t want to impose on you more than what we already have, Brother.” 𝒩𝞸𝐕𝔩xt.𝔠𝒪𝔪
“I understand,” Alfred nodded, “I can recommend a good property dealer if you’d like.”
“We would appreciate that,” Val gave him a thankful nod
Alfred recommended a well-known property dealer located in the eastern district of the lower city. Besides the central district, the lower city was divided into several districts including the eastern, western, southern, and northern districts, each with their own unique characteristics and populace.
After their conversation, Val and Eliana separated from Alfred, heading towards the property dealer recommended by him.
The dealer showed them several houses available for rent, but the cost of living was higher than they had anticipated.
The smallest house available for rent required 60 contribution points a month. It only had one bedroom, a small bathroom without even a bathtub and no amenities such as gas or water, but the landlord insisted on an upfront payment of three months, and a security deposit for two more months. The total was a daunting 300 points, which was equal to Val’s and Eliana’s combined contribution points!
The other houses the property dealer showed them also had the same issue