Elemental Magnetic Star

Chapter 86 The Contract

Because the primary customers of Prosperous Gathering were stewards from various alliances and some low-ranking members of families, Luminous Harmony was among the elite, his influence among these people was undeniable.

Thus, the master of Prosperous Gathering had no intention of offending him just for the sake of Raina Grace, a girl of unknown origin and seemingly little value. "Lord Luminous Harmony is a regular customer of ours, and we are all familiar with his character. Moreover, he spoke very sincerely, and he seems to truly value you. Why do you hesitate?" she asked.

"I don't know him, and I don't want to hastily enter into an 'exclusive' relationship with a stranger," Raina Grace tried to refuse.

The master attempted to persuade her by reminding her of her previous kindness: "When you first came to Prosperous Gathering, you knew nothing about this place and only sought a job. I couldn't bear to see a young girl wandering around and thought you might give it a try, so I took you in. There's always a process from being strangers to becoming familiar."

Raina Grace sincerely wished to communicate with the master: "I am grateful for your shelter when I first arrived, and I learned a lot at Prosperous Gathering. This is a legitimate business place, and because of its rules, I am not afraid of being cheated. But Mr. Luminous Harmony is dealing with me privately, and you only know his behavior in Prosperous Gathering, it's hard to know what he is like otherwise."

The master had her own conclusion: "You're not wrong. But let me be honest with you. After observing you for over half a year, I've found that you are not suited for a life in Prosperous Gathering. You neither flatter nor seek attention. You like to think and act independently. Perhaps by following Mr. Luminous Harmony in the Wood Alliance, you can find a place for yourself."

Raina Grace began to waver, knowing the master was right. She really wasn't suited for Prosperous Gathering, but she was being swept out before finding a place where she belonged.

But then again, if she stayed at Prosperous Gathering, she would be trapped in a cycle of debt and repayment, possibly never earning enough to cover her debts. Would she have to sell herself to Prosperous Gathering for life?

This thought sent shivers down her spine.

With no other options, Raina Grace reluctantly sought a middle ground: "Can we do this instead? I will still repay the debts I owe to Prosperous Gathering myself, I mean when I have the money in the future, and for now, just issue an IOU. And the contract with Mr. Luminous Harmony, can we not sign an 'exclusive' contract, but a work contract instead?"

"Huh, so you want to completely cut ties with Prosperous Gathering, not owe Mr. Luminous Harmony any favors, and still have Prosperous Gathering act as a guarantor for your contract?"

"I can pay a guarantee fee! You know, as an orphan, even if I disappeared, no one would know."

"Isn't everyone an orphan here? Your biggest disadvantage is not having an identity. Otherwise, people usually go to Celestial Balance Fortress for such contracts, which is the safest..."

"Master, you helped me once, will you help me a second time? Did you tell Mr. Luminous Harmony about my lack of identity?"

"Of course. Normally, with your special circumstances, you should be directly under the jurisdiction of Celestial Balance Fortress. I don't even know how you grew up in the Surface Domain and ended up in the Sky Domain... But now, talking about this is useless, we both are taking risks. Mr. Luminous Harmony, knowing you have no identity, is still willing to contract with you, and even said he might help you obtain an identity. But that won't be easy; you should be cautious."

Although the issue of identity occasionally troubled Raina Grace, influenced perhaps by the freemen, she was somewhat resistant to the idea that every citizen of each star domain was a node in the elemental magnetic network.

Sometimes she felt that not being detected by the elemental magnetic network due to her lack of identity wasn't entirely bad.

In fact, Prosperous Gathering's willingness to act as a guarantor was also to avoid making things too unpleasant, to make her willingly follow Luminous Harmony. As for how effective this would be, Raina Grace didn't hold too much hope.

Prosperous Gathering's guarantee was just a public signal to Luminous Harmony that Raina Grace had certain social connections, and her life and death weren't entirely ignored.

But Raina Grace dared to make up her mind to follow Luminous Harmony mainly because of her own perception of elemental magnetic power—although she couldn't control it well, she was very sensitive. If others harbored malice towards her, it would be revealed through elemental magnetic power, and she would know and be prepared in advance.

Shortly after Raina Grace left, Flame Wave and Gold Shine appeared at Prosperous Gathering.

Although Flame Wave was the peace officer of Celestial Balance Fortress, he was very "low-profile" and rarely appeared in public.

People only knew that the current peace officer was a "wizard," a synonym for "mystery." Thus, they didn't bother him much, only occasionally going to request wizard talismans. To avoid trouble, Flame Wave always dealt with them with "elemental power talismans," and his reputation gradually grew—his talismans were hard to come by and believed to be miraculous.

Gold Shine, from the Celestial Domain, had few opportunities to appear in the Sky Domain. So, when they arrived at Prosperous Gathering, they were not recognized and were casually treated as ordinary customers.

"Ah, the Sky Domain is really carefree," Gold Shine sighed contentedly, lounging in a pile of exquisite fabrics, "This is how people should live. The Celestial Domain is too small. Everywhere I go, I have to put on airs as a scholar, which is exhausting."

"Pfft, you bring it on yourself," Flame Wave had no sympathy for him.

"It's not by choice, but everywhere I go, I meet people I know. A scholar's dignity cannot be lost," Gold Shine explained, but seeing Flame Wave no longer paying attention, he teased, "What's with you? You always look so dead wherever you go. It's strange. When we entered, those girls were talking to me, but their eyes were always on you. Your cool and aloof demeanor was both cool and handsome. Just a little charm and you could effortlessly attract a crowd. Your level is truly high!"

But he didn't forget to boast about himself: "You haven't seen my popularity in Illusory Splendor. In the last two years, it's reached its peak. Since you left, it's been like being invincible in battle..."

"Are you ever going to stop? Did you come here just to talk? You might as well have stayed in Celestial Balance Fortress, so vast and empty, haven't you talked enough?" Flame Wave was getting impatient.

"What do you mean 'vast and empty'?" Gold Shine was annoyed, "Do I talk just to hear my own echo answer me? It's good if you respond once in ten times I speak. Is this how you treat a friend?"

"Aren't you the one who complains that the Celestial Domain is too small? Celestial Balance Fortress is big enough, with few people, doesn't it meet your requirements? Besides, you said you wanted to come to Prosperous Gathering, didn't I accompany you?" Gold Shine was indeed a longtime friend. They had experienced the glitz of the world together and also faced difficult challenges, seeking sheer exhilaration. So, Flame Wave rarely explained himself.

"Would you have come if I hadn't annoyed you so much?" Gold Shine was still grumbling.

Flame Wave was amused by his demeanor: "Alright, now that you're here, enjoy your beauties and freedom. You'll have something to boast about when you go back."

"Right, I won't let you affect my mood," Gold Shine perked up again, "Though Prosperous Gathering is a lower version of Illusory Splendor, the Sky Domain's common entertainment must have its own flavor. Let's just call the chief over."

Summoned by Gold Shine, the chief, Ying Lark and Ying Jia, came over. These two guests, although unfamiliar, were top-notch in both demeanor and appearance, naturally classified among the most popular.

Ying Lark and Ying Jia showed genuine joy.