The next day, I prepared my suitcase. I dumped half of my drawer into it without looking at the clothes in too much detail. I grunted, jumping a couple of times on my suitcase, ensuring it could get zipped shut. I puffed and grunted, trying to get the damned thing shut. Finally, I succeeded and zipped it shut. I waved the sweat from my forehead and stepped outside.
I felt a cold winter breeze brush my cheeks, causing me to shiver. I decided to visit a weapon shop first. I was nowhere near something resembling a fighter…but you never know, right? I stepped inside the musky smelling shop and began browsing through their wares. Guns…guns…handguns…shotguns… I scoffed at seeing the bend pieces of metal on their mahogany wooden displays. While the invention of guns really eased the military training (or so I've heard, I've never been interested in that kind of stuff…) , I only wondered if this would really bring peace to anyone. I turned my head away from the silvery nozzles of the weapons and saw a small corners, just bulging with swords…and spears…crossbows too! I smiled and walked over, inspecting the classic weapons. I was happy that I found them….I was not so happy when I saw the price tags… I could almost feel the lightness of my pockets when saw the numbers quickly run into thousands. I sighed and wanted to turn away, but I caught a more…reasonable price tag, just in the corner of my left eye. I pushed some swords out of the way, and dodged a falling spear just barely before I got to pull the tag.
…It was a sword alright…But…Not really the bargain I would've wanted…I could see some rust along the edges and ,after putting my fingers on the edge, I also noticed it wasn't the sharpest either. However, it wasn't that bad for its price.
'Beggars can't be choosers, I suppose..' I sighed, shrugging my shoulders before moving on to the counter and back outside. I stopped on the way by my favourite place for breakfast before moving on to my house and the Rexail-station afterwards. I stepped inside the newly-renovated station and looked on the notice board when my Rexail would arrive. I had ten minutes to get to the platform I should be. When i arrived there, I just saw a Rexail glide out the station. Its green wheels turned to the ground, rotating faster and faster. The black metal began humming, glowing green as it began floating above the earth. The huge metal construction began to slowly glide out of the station, speeding up as it disappeared behind the horizon. I scratched my head. Rexails had been invented just 2 years ago, yet were already such a part of our everyday life!
I grunted, knowing I had a long ride ahead of me. I first had to travel to the outer skirts of the country, before taking a horse carriage to my destination. I sighed and took peace with the fact that I won't be arriving before the sun went down… A loud beeping noise echoing throughout the station accompanied the next Rexail to arrive. It calmly glided along the platform before coming to a standstill. Many people leapt of the Rexail, making room for the people who jumped on it. I was one of the last people to jump in. This was my first time riding one of these machines, so I was quite amazed at the tidy interior design! It was rather classy, yet without all the gaudy edges to it. And my ticket wasn't at all expensive, which I loved!
I took my place at the end of the long line of carriages, sitting down. I rubbed the soft leather of the seats. While it wasn't super soft, it was still more than decent. I looked down at my wrist, and began turning the gears on my watch. It was a gift from the orphanage for my 18th birthday, to celebrate me becoming a responsible adult. Well….responsible…My Rexail of thought was cut short as I felt someone poking my right arm. I looked up, seeing a moustached man looking down at me. He grunted and showed his right hand, apparently waiting for something…
'Sorry, I don't give to beggars!' I tried to shut him off. I am not a greedy person, it's just….well, I don't have that much to give in the first place! The man grunted, his eyes closing to only small slits. His face turned red as he heard other passengers snicker around him. He was losing face, and quick!
'The gentleman here has never ridden a Rexail, I see! Ticket , now!' He replied agitated, his face getting more red by the second. I stiffened up and slowly nodded, giving the man my ticket. He stared at for a bit, checking something peculiar in the bottom right hand corner. A mysterious smirk appeared on his face before he turned to the other passengers. He triumphantly put my ticket high in the air, causing me to frown my eyebrows. Why was he so happy about my ticket? The other people turned around, and that's when I noticed something was out of place here…. Me. The other passengers were all dressed really ….royally , I suppose you could call it. Beautiful jewels adorned the white-powdered necks of the regal ladies surrounding me, and heavy golden accessories lined the hands of the men. I noticed a distinct artificial perfume flowing throughout the carriage.
'I didn't know mere commoners were allowed in the Noble's Carriage!' The ma holding my ticket grinned as he saw the Nobles nod their heads. I had heard that nobles and commoners had some fundamental differences, and that both groups never got along with each other…But some of the faces I saw were not of belittling, but of sheer disgust. I gulped slowly. Now everything fell into place! The fact that the price of the ticket was so low, and that this carriage was luxurious compared to its price! This was not a 'commoner's carriage', but a carriage for the nobles! I gulped and slowly stood up, grabbing my luggage. I glared at the conductor, not happy with the way he tried to humiliate me in front of the nobles. I scoffed at the man and walked past him, causing the scabbard of my sword to poke against his hand. The conductor's face turned pale when he saw a sword dangling from my hip.
'D-Did you want to kill everyone here, you vile murderer?!' He spat, his trembling finger pointing at the dangling sword. I shrugged my shoulders before digging into my pockets. I grabbed something and clipped it open. It showed a picture of me, alongside with my signature and the signature of the minister of Domestic Affairs. I grunted and pointed at the signatures.
'I was under the impression that detectives were allowed to bring weapons whenever they are on a case, or am I wrong, Mr. Conductor?' Those last words dripped out of my mouth like poison. I looked at the man, his mouth opening and closing but no sound came further than his lips. He only scoffed at me and pointed at the door. 'The carriage you have a ticket for is two doors away…Now, get out of my sight!' The conductor yelled before turning his back to me. I was almost sure I saw his moustache tremble out of anger for me. I smirked slowly before I heard a voice sounding right behind me. It was a female voice, sounding from just beside the door. I turned around again, seeing a beautiful blonde woman sitting beside a blonde girl. Seeing their forms, I guessed that they were mother and child.
'Now, now, conductor…If I would invite him to sit with me, would that be a problem?' The woman asked, making the moustached man return on his steps. I saw him preparing a response, but his mouth fell shut the moment he saw the woman. She smiled kindly, but her eyes were dead serious and stared intently at the conductor. I even had to gulp, and she didn't even look at me! This was clearly a woman you couldn't mess with, or you would be tremendously sorry! I saw the man beside me gulp his fear away before he politely bowed for the woman.
'No, certainly not, Miss Agravata! I guess it isn't a problem anymore…' The conductor said, glaring backwards at me. I didn't react as the gears inside my head started turning. I looked at the luggage above the two ladies. They were both engraved with a silver embroidered mark. Suddenly, it clicked all in my head. This woman was Eleanor Agravata, the President of Ataraxia, the most influential company in the electronical economy! I had heard rumours she was no slouch to deal with, but I didn't even know she had a daughter! While she wasn't a noble at all, and she even fought for the commoners, she had the money and the power to be considered one!
I wanted to speak, but no words came out of my mouth. Veronica waved the conductor away, leaving me alone standing in the hallway. I felt the Rexail slowly raise itself in the air as green lines became visible in the machine's interior. I saw several nobles looking at me in disgust before they closed their compartments for the ride. Eleanor waved at me before pointing at the seat right in front of her. I gulped and grabbed my luggage with shaking hands. I tried to calm myself and walked slowly towards the blonde lady. Her blue eyes seemed to look straight through me, measuring my worth. When I stood right in front of her, she closed her eyes and smiled gently before pointing at the seat facing her, with a table right between the three of us. Her daughter looked at her mother before slowly looking at me. She looked at me with curious yet judging eyes. It was clear this young lady was not someone you should mess with! I grunted, slowly nodding at Eleanor before pushing my luggage in a baggage compartment and sitting right in front of her. My hands shook nervously as I never… really had a face-to-face talk with a lady before…Let alone two ladies at the same time! Well, not counting Amelia's talk of yesterday of course! Thankfully, Eleanor saw my nervousness and broke the ice herself.
'*sigh*…I always hate to be so strict whenever I am on a vacation…' She sighed and leaned backwards on her comfortable chair. My mouth almost fell open out of sheer surprise. This was almost a whole other personality! Here she was, relaxing on her chair with no care in the world, as she looked at me baffled face.
'Oh, please. Don't look at me like that! I am not like those stuck-up, powdered-up spineless pretentious morons next door!' She laughed, pointed at the door. I felt my lips slowly curling into a smile as I let out some careful laughs. I nodded ad shuffled, feeling slightly more relaxed. The girl sitting next to Eleanor raised one eyebrow as she looked at me, forcing me to stop laughing. She turned to her mother, her long curly blonde hair waving with her. A distinct fragrance of wild flowers, sweet yet with a classy undertone of bitterness, slowly flowed into my nostrils.
'Mother, Look! What father told me about commoners not being able to laugh was true! Look!' The girl said to her mother, who laughed slightly. I looked at the girl. Who did she study under to get that kind of thoughts about commoners?
'Fiorella ,darling, not everything what your father tells you is the truth , all right?' Eleanor answered, a bit repulsive whenever she said the word 'father'. I racked my brain, but nothing came up that would relate to that. I stiffened up immediately when her eyes looked back at me again. Her red-painted lips curled into a gentle smile when she saw my reactions.
'Relax. I am not going to report you to the police. And I am not going to strip you of all your money, as other nobles might do, those imbeciles…Tell me, you said earlier you were a detective, correct?' he handily said, momentarily taking my mind elsewhere. I smiled slowly, my body visibly relaxing as I nodded in return.
'Y-Yes, T-That is correct, Miss Agravata!' I hurriedly replied, stumbling over every syllable in my answer. She smiled before shaking her head. Her daughter laughed with my voice that seemed really high-pitched all of a sudden…
'No, please call me Eleanor. I hate hearing 'Miss Agravata'… It makes me feel old, you know?' There was almost nothing left of her cold, calculating behaviour earlier. I gulped and slowly nodded, not sure how to handle this situation.. I decided to act as normally as I possibly could, while her daughter struggled to keep her laughter inside. Her cheek puffed up as she looked at me, before facing away and letting some giggles escape her mouth. Her mother poked her shoulder gently, as to remind her daughter of her manners.
'Fiorella, please show some manners!' Eleanor reprimanded her daughter, who was trying her hardest to keep her laughter under control. I shook my head, making a calming movement with my left hand. I didn't really mind Fiorella laughing like that, it was at least better than looking at me in disgust!
'I-It really isn't such a big deal, Miss Eleanor… People need to laugh from time to time, am I right?' I said, smiling gently as Eleanor slowly nodded. She sighed, knowing that the business she was in really didn't lend itself to being that lenient with smiles. She said I could try and tell that to those stuffy, spineless Nobles next door. I politely declined. One time in the hot seat per day is way more than enough for me, thank you! I wondered what drove Eleanor Agravata, a woman with considerable power and influence in the economical belly of society, to put herself out on behalf of a mere commoner? When I asked her about, she handily wove it away.
'Oh , you know…I have my reasons…' And that was the end of that question. What made me even more curious was the interest Eleanor took in the fact I was a detective. While it wasn't a common profession, it wasn't THAT rare either. However, that wasn't the only thing that was… interesting, to say the least. She was also interested in my personal school trajectory, and my background. It was unsettling to say the least. When I asked her why she wanted to know all this, she just flashed me a mysterious smirk. The smirk of someone who knew more than she let on….
'Oh, being able to grow in life is all about connections, you know that?...Come to think of it, I never asked your name…' She realized. It was true. She fired an entire barrage of questions about my life, and I was or too weak-willed to fend them off or I just thought it was impolite to ignore a lady's questions. Maybe both. I hurriedly nodded and tried to bow politely, resulting in me almost ramming my head into the cupboard of the table in front of me. That was the last thing Fiorella could watch before bursting into laughter, giggling and laughing loudly as I carefully rubbed my forehead. Eleanor tried to calm her daughter, trying to remind her of her manners but I shook my head.
'I-It really is nothing, Miss Eleanor… My name is Julian, by the way. I am very honoured to meet you!' I said, stuttering again as I heard Fiorella's laughter slowly die out. I grunted, feeling my cheeks heat up while the girl slowly calmed herself. I took a look at her… She couldn't been older than 17 years… I grunted and scratched my throat, my attention focusing back unto Eleanor. She asked some more things before getting interrupted by a knock on the mahogany wooden door. An elegant, male voice sounded behind the delicately decorated wood.
'Miss Agravata? May we disturb you for just a second to serve your lunch?' The voice asked before Eleanor responded with a strict 'Yes, you may enter!'. My eyes went wide once again, seeing Eleanor Agravata seamlessly switching from her warm attitude to her cold, calculating demeanour. The lock on the door was undone before it rolled open, almost without a sound. The bellboy looked at me, and then back at his trolley. He didn't seem to know what to do. But Eleanor calmly shook her head and showed the bellboy a card of some sorts. The boy stiffened up completely before nodding and running towards the door. He took one look at me before running through the door. He soon returned with one more tray. I realized what Eleanor tried to do, and tried to stop her.
'M-Miss Eleanor, N-No….You really don't have to do that! Truly, I-I'll eat….when I arrive at my destination. I-It really is—'My complaints were cut short by an icy glare from Eleanor, making me stiffen up and slowly nod. I felt a chill creep along my spine before I took the tray the bellboy held out. I gulped my fear away while the bellboy politely bowed and gently closed the door again. I gulped and started to eat my meal as Eleanor looked at me.
'And you shouldn't have to pay for this lunch either!' She began. I really started to wonder why she would do something like this… We didn't know each other, never met each other in the past and here we were, sitting in the same seats…And she paid for my food! That really didn't stroke with my ideals, but I knew I had no money to fulfil them… I grunted and slowly continued eating my lunch.
'B-But why? Why would you go through such a hassle to make me sit here? Why would you expend any money for the benefit for someone like me?' I fired some questions, making Eleanor smile gently in front of me. She politely cleaned her mouth with a silk napkin and drank elegantly from her wine before answering me. Her blue eyes stared right into mine, as I gulped. I really was curious as to why she did all of this!
'Is that your detective instinct kicking in, Mister Julian? I do this because I like your style. The way you rebutted the Conductor's argument earlier and the way you casually made my daughter laugh were both quite amusing. You may look like a commoner, but I can say with quite a lot of certainty that you have a relative sharp mind!' I blushed at hearing the compliments. Her daughter was staring out of the window, looking at the surroundings changing from urban to forestry and very rural. I shifted uncomfortably on my place. I really wasn't used to this kind of talk where I was praised at all! But I gulped my anxiousness away and nodded.
'W-Well…T-That is really nice of you to say, Miss Eleanor but…Really? Only because you liked my rebuttal, you do this for me?...Well then, if that is the case, allow me to give you this!'. I dug into the pockets of my long coat and took a card out of it. It had my address, my phone number and my E-address inscribed on it. I gently placed it on the table and pushed it out towards her.
'If you ever need my services, you could always call upon me, Miss Eleanor! And I will give them for free, of course! That's the least I can do to pay you back! After all, being able to grow in life is all about connections, right? ' Eleanor looked at my with raised eyebrows. She smiled before taking my business card and putting it into her handbag. She nodded to herself.
'I see you take my lessons to heart, Mister Julian! I might call on your services sooner or later!...But that brings me by my next question… Where are you going to and why?' Eleanor handily put the matter to rest and looked at me. I felt her gaze slowly roll over my entire body while she waited for my answer.
'W-Well…I am of to the border to investigate a string of murders there.'. That silenced Fiorella immediately. I nodded to her, not seeing anything wrong with sharing this kind of information. But Eleanor's daughter tensed up. She looked away, uncomfortable with the idea of murder. It seemed she didn't know to what atrocities we were capable of. I shook my head and grunted, feeling the weight of the situation push down on my mind again. How am I ever going to solve a mystery where others failed? Amelia said there were many who tried, but none got it right. I didn't know why they quit though… I scratched my head while Eleanor's eyes focused on my form. I shuffled uncomfortably as I felt her looking at me like that.
'I didn't know there were murders going on at the border…If you are not careful, you might instigate a major political warfare, you know that?'. I grunted. I thought about that as well. The relations with our neighbouring countries were really not good…Not to say frigid…If I took the wrong actions….Well…The results won't be pretty. I gulped, feeling the pressure and anxiety slowly permeate my body .I really didn't think this through! Eleanor noticed the small changes in my body language and slowly waved her hand back and forth to calm me.
'Well…considering how you have acted with my daughter and I, I don't think you have anything to worry about!' Eleanor tried to reassure me as I slowly nodded. I tried to control my breathing and slowly but surely, I became calm again. Fiorella on the other hand grew slightly more anxious.
'Hey, Miss Fiorella, was it?' My voice made her jump slightly. Her head snapped in my direction, fear and confusion easily read from her eyes. I know that hearing about murders for the first time made you uneasy, but this distraught? That was a first for me!
'You don't need to worry. Murders are really rare, and they are occurring at the border anyway! What is there to worry?' I said some really strange logic right then and there. However, with the mental state Fiorella was getting in, the most effective method was keeping it as simple as possible. I thanked my odd choices in school for this thinking. I was the only detective that followed psychology lessons. The others were more interested in combat training with swords and the recently discovered gunpowder. I saw Fiorella slowly nod, her breathing slowing down a bit. It was not much, but it wasn't all bad! Eleanor nodded while caringly looking at her daughter.
'I am sure that three weeks of vacation will do you good, my dear!'. The blonde mother gently said while hugging her daughter. I nodded and politely focused on the landscape outside to give the two some privacy. I noticed that the Rexail was slowing down. I looked down at my watch and noticed it was almost time to arrive at the terminus of this journey. I sighed, preparing myself for an uncomfortable ride in a horse carriage. As the Rexail slowly came to a standstill, I stood up and grabbed my luggage. I saw several nobles looking in my direction with disgust. From the moment they saw me, they made sure to get as far as possible from me. I shrugged my shoulders and followed Eleanor and Fiorella out of the machine. The three of us made for quite an eyecatcher.
Many eyes were glued to the two ladies, who seemingly were remaining calm under this whole situation. Me , on the other, hand was not. I shivered as I felt all those gazes on my coat. I felt my cheeks heating up as I pulled up the hem of my black coat. I wanted to disappear right here and now…
'Well, this is a new feeling…'. I heard Eleanor sigh before looking at me with an amused smirk. I looked up at her. Even if she wasn't wearing those 2 inch heels, she would still be bigger than me! I looked at her with questions in my eyes while we made our way to the carriage reception. I made a reservation already for my own ride.
'Well… Normally, they would almost jump on us and ask for autographs or ask questions. I suppose that's in the job description of journalists, but I would really like it if they would know when to keep their distance…Like they are doing right now!'. Eleanor said, looking meaningful at me. I grunted and scratched my head. Was I really that bad-looking? I knew I wasn't beautiful or anything but…That hurt…I dropped my head in defeat while I went to the counter to ask for my reserved carriage including driver. When I returned, Eleanor and Fiorella were poised to move further into the city.
'Well then, Mister Julian. Looks like we need to split here! It was really nice to meet you!' Eleanor said while she gently extended her hand. I felt my cheeks reddening slightly before i gently returned the handshake.
'It was my pleasure, Miss Eleanor! You too, Miss Fiorella!' .I said, extending my hand out to her. But she just puffed her cheeks and looked the other way. I sighed and nodded to myself before looking at Eleanor. She smiled before turning around. Her daughter quickly followed her while I turned around as well. My coat swayed gently in the wind before I stepped into the carriage. It wasn't as nearly as luxurious as the Rexail compartment. But it wasn't bad! While the carriage drove away, Fiorella poked her mother with her elbow.
'Mother? Why did you that? Why did you want to talk to him? … And don't say you were 'impressed' with his reasoning! He is a commoner!' Fiorella asked as mother and daughter walked through the city. Eleanor smiled and turned to her daughter.
'Fiorella, dear. First off, commoners are really not bad people. Your father may be the one who taught you, but I think it may be time I send you to school! Second…Well, let's just say it was more of an impulsive reaction. I think having a relation like him might be beneficial for us in the future…' The blonde businesswoman answered before walking into the hotel they will be staying in, followed by a small army of reporters and journalists.