"Brother!" Ash's voice could be heard shouting from downstairs. Henry, who lingered by the door, told Effie and the others to stay while we went downstairs. Halfway down the stairs, Hana ran up.

"I have to get our spare medical supplies," Hana said, distracted and in a rush.

Hearing 'medical supplies', Henry frowned. He reached the ground floor and found Ash frowning as he listened to the two other men talking in rapid, worried voices.

"What's going on?"

"Fire and building collapse in the Southend," Ash replied. "They came to ask us for medical supplies. Hana is going to go to the medical center to send the supplies to Director Kim." He looked over at his brother. "I'm going to go to the location."

Henry took a deep breath. Part of him wanted to join Ash, but he didn't dare leave the children alone. Regardless, he met is brother's eyes. "Are you sure you can do this alone?"

Ash nodded without a hint of hesitation. "I can handle it. You should stay with Effie, just in case."

Hearing it from Ash's own mouth relaxed him. He glanced over the top of Ash's head, towards the south of the city. There were some dark clouds rising into the air, but the size didn't allude to a raging fire that would require multiple master mages to deal with. Ash could probably contain it with one hand.

"Each of you take a pair of guards." It didn't hurt to ensure his brother was safe, though.

"Yes, Brother."

"I got the bags!" Hana rushed down the stairs holding a space preservation bag in each hand. One was Ash's and the other's was hers. As she handed Ash his bag, she looped the other one over her head and shoulders.

"Guards!" Henry called out and a handful of guards who were on standby in the teahouse came forward. "Two of you escort and guard Hana. She's going to the medical center. Two of you escort Ash to the emergency site."

"Yes, Young Master!" The guards decided amongst themselves who would go while two others went to get horses.

It was an urgent matter and horses got through the busy streets and side streets faster than a carriage. The two men who'd come as messengers profusely thanked them. One would go with Ash to the site and the other would go with Hana.

Henry looked back at Ash, grasped his shoulder, and brought him forward, pressing his head against the side of his head. "Be safe, Ash."

Ash nodded, swallowing hard as he embraced his brother. "Yes, Brother." With that, Henry released him, ruffling his hair as he let him go.

"Hana, you, too. Be careful."

"Yes, Brother!" Hana gave him a quick bow before climbing on to a horse.

As they and their escorts rode off, Henry took a deep breath and tried to keep his frown from becoming too deep. He didn't recall so many things happening at past Invitationals. It wasn't that each one was perfectly safe or that there were no accidents, but a fire and a collapsed building was a worst-case scenario for any host city.

Most Merchant Cities were urban centers with buildings packed close together, as well as narrow streets that limited and choked escaped routes. In order to prevent such a tragedy from happening in their teahouses, foundation arrays were strategically placed beneath and inside of Snake, Scarab, and Sons buildings to deal with such things.

It wasn't a lost magic art to do, but it was expensive to find a master to do them.

Luckily, they had one built into the family.

Henry walked back up the stairs and into the apartment. "Brother, is everything okay?" Effie asked from the table. The food looked untouched from when he left, meaning the children had either been waiting for them, or were too stunned at the sudden emergency to eat.

Henry shook his head and answered her truthfully. "There was a fire, and a building collapsed in the city. The medical center needed supplies, so they came to ask Ash. Hana went to deliver them, and Ash went to the emergency site to help."

Ash hadn't explicitly said he was going to, but Henry knew his brother well enough to know that, under normal circumstances, Ash wouldn't stand by and do nothing when he was fully capable of giving help.

The three children looked at each other with some concern. Cio shifted in his seat, somewhat pale and nervous. He looked at Effie with uncertainty. "Effie...can you check on my mother?"

"Is she at the Southend today?" Henry asked.

Cio shook his head. "I don't know, but just in case." His hands fidgeted, and Henry nodded. He understood where the child was coming from. Cio lost his father before he was born, so his mother and grandparents were all he had. Madam Stavos was devoted to raising him and to her in-laws, so she had no plans to remarry, not that she had time to.

With aging parents and a small child, someone needed to do the time consuming and laborious task of meeting with partners, which is the main reason she was there in Shae; to represent their family in merchant circles.

This also meant that on any given day she wasn't with them, she was at a meeting, unofficial conference, guild meal, or the like.

Henry walked across the room to get to his bag. As the responsible adult watching her child, Madam Stavos had given him her schedule. If there was any change, she'd send a messenger to tell them.

"Let me check," Henry said as he walked out, carrying a hand-written folio in one hand. He sat down at the table and flipped through until he got to the current date. "She had a meeting with a coffee merchant this morning, followed by a marketplace visit into the afternoon to look over shipping equipment upgrade and renovate the older ships in the fleet. She noted that she'll likely have lunch there." Henry released a breath of relief and looked at Cio with a comforting smile. "The marketplace at the piers, so she should be fine."

Cio let out his own breath of relief and sank into his seat, nodding obediently. Effie had already gone to the window and pointed out. "Just in case, I'm going to send someone to look."

"Thank you, Effie," Cio said. He looked back at Henry. "Thank you, Brother Henry."

Henry gave him a nod. The marketplace was a series of three warehouses that had been temporarily converted into a supplier exhibition, where common suppliers for merchants came to show their wares. This included shipping containers, equipment for ships, carriages, caravans, and an entire warehouse just showcasing breeders for animals that were used in land routes. It was massive and it wasn't recommended to visit without having a specific idea of what supplier you were looking for.

"All right. Take a seat," Henry said motioning for Effie to sit. "Eat your lunch. Afterwards, we're going to take the ferry to the North Island to see the dragons."

Energized at the promise of dragons, the children jumped on their meal with gusto. As a result, they finished much faster than initially expected.

Seeing the dragons on the island was a restricted activity which required a reservation, so as to control the flow of visitors and not overwhelm the dragons. The earliest time they could get a reservation was that day, so unfortunately, Effie could not come with all her friends, as the number of people per reservation was limited.

That didn't quell Effie's excitement, and after one of the ravens confirmed that Cio's mother was still at the marketplace, apparently comparing different sail fabrics, Cio allowed himself to also get excited. Terry admitted she was a bit nervous, as she'd only heard of dragons from stories.

She'd spent her entire life in Carthage Harbor, which did not have dragons.

In general, most cities on the continents prohibited dragons from flying into the densely populated urban areas. They were restricted to airfields and special paddocks just outside the cities, which were also kept away from domesticated animals, as dragons were predators and most domesticated animals had an instinctive fear of them.

On the ferry, the three children were standing as close to the bow of the ferry as they could get, looking eagerly towards the island. Flying above were dozens of dragons going over the water and at different elevations.

"Effie, have you seen dragons before?" Terry asked.

Effie nodded. "Yes, they're very smart and have a lot of stories to tell because they get to be so old."

"You can talk to dragons, too?" Terry's eyes looked at Effie with awe. Cio rolled his eyes.

"Of course, she can, she's a beast master."

"I heard that beast masters have limitations on what kinds of animals they can communicate with," Terry said. She moved her hands in front of her. "Most are small animals, like cats, to larger animals, like horses. I also read that sometimes, they have a specification, like all birds or only fish."

Henry sat nearby and squinted as he listened to them. Being a beast master who could only communicate with niche animals must've been frustrating.

"Some of us have a wider range, Momma said," Effie replied. "Momma is very good with insects and reptiles. She says this extends to birds and dragons, too."

"Does your mom allow you to have a dragon?" Terry asked.

Effie scrunched her face and shook her head. Henry rubbed his forehead. "Momma says that they are not domesticated like dogs, and require a lot of space, resources, and enrichment. We don't have time to give them all of that, so I'm not allowed to have one." She lowered her voice and avoided Henry's eyes. "Yet...."

"I wish I could talk to animals," Terry sighed.

Effie shook her head. "It's fine, but it's like hearing more voices all the time. Sometimes, you get dizzy and sometimes, you hear things you don't want to hear."

"But it's also a sought-after ability for trade," Terry said. She lifted up a well-worn booklet that said, 'Guide to the 567th Federation of Merchant Cities Invitational, Shae', which had several dogeared pages. "Beast Masters are necessary for breeding and training legendary beasts, like dragons."

"That's because legendary beasts aren't exactly domesticated," Henry replied from his seat. "Legendary beasts are extremely intelligent and live longer than humans. If they do any sort of work for humans, it is done so willingly, but a beast master is needed to communicate between both parties."

Cio frowned a bit. "Then...the dragons we're going to see aren't wild?"

"I wouldn't call them wild, but no, not in the sense you're thinking of," Henry replied. "Wild dragons are very dangerous, especially to non-beast-masters."

"...but...they associate with humans because they are performing a task?"

"They get compensation, such as food, a safe and comfortable place to roost or have children."

Cio blinked. "...Then these dragons...have a job?"

Henry opened his mouth, but Cio had a point. And that point made the whole excitement of seeing a dragon in person much more boring.

The ferry docked at the island and the handful of passengers disembarked before the guests who were leaving got on board. A guide led the newcomers up to a compound, which was built upon the stone remnants of a former island fortress that defended the harbor.

While walking, the guide explained the rules to the crowds.

They couldn't run or make sudden movements towards the dragons. They had to keep a certain distance from a dragon, but a dragon was allowed to approach them. They just couldn't approach a dragon. They were also listening to the dragon handlers at all times.

They could buy chicken or fish to feed the dragons, but not all dragons liked chicken or liked fish.

Henry bought each child a plucked and raw chicken, which was handed to them in a waxed canvas sack in a woven wicker basket. They were then assigned to a dragon handler, who led them up the hill to their dragons.

Henry watched the children carefully. Terry looked nervous, but determined. Cio looked curious and was paying attention to everything the handler was telling them. And Effie was so excited, she was shaking. He almost felt embarrassed for her.

"The dragons you'll meet today are messengers with the Federation of Merchant Cities and based at Orm Point, which is the closest point to the Dragon Continent, where all these dragons are from." Lars, the bald, grizzled middle-aged man's kind, enthusiastic voice did not match his rough look, but none of the children appeared bothered.

"Are they all the same kind of dragon?" Cio raised his hand to ask a question.

"These five are not," Lars replied. "Three are air wyverns; cousins who came to us recommended by a relative, which is a common way of being introduced to dragons and those in the dragon family, like wyverns, who want to work for us."

Cio pursed his lips. "It really is a job...."

Lars laughed, his eyes crinkled up. "They are compensated well and only work part of the year. Their contracts are only for a few months. Air wyverns make up the majority of the Federation's dragon messenger fleet."

"What about the other two?" Terry followed Cio's example and also raised her hand.

"One of them, our largest, is an adolescent wind dragon," Lars said. "He does long distance messages. The next largest is also an adolescent, and quite rare. Zumi is a horned eastern mane. Horned eastern manes are sky and weather aligned, and do not have wings, but are still able to fly. She is a trainee and will also do long distance messages, as dragons are best suited for flights during storms and rough weather, when bird messengers face too much danger."

The children nodded their heads energetically. Lars was walking backwards as he talked to them and behind him, there were several more handlers along with the five dragons who were waiting.

Effie's eyes lit up. "Hello, dragons! I'm Effie!"

All at once, all five creatures lifted their heads and turned to her. The wyverns cocked their heads, curious, while the large wind dragon began lumbering forward as if summoned; its wings folded back. Zumi, the horned eastern mane, was floating and making a curved shape just off the ground. Her scales were silvery-white, and her mane and whiskers were gold. It stopped making circles and hovered, looking towards Effie.

Several rumbles came from the dragons and Terry looked at Effie, a bit shaken as she saw just how large they were. "What did they say?" she asked with some trepidation.

"They also said hello and asked if we can trade a ride for chicken we brought." Effie lifted up her basket. "We only have three, but I bought some Ionian beef! Second Brother says dragons love Ionian beef." She paused and looked at Lars. "Are we allowed to feed them meat we brought from home?"

Lars gave her a helpless look. "Unfortunately, the meat must be inspected first. It must also be fresh." He seemed to notice that aside from Effie's little backpack, she hadn't brought anything else to the island. How much meat could a little girl bring?

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Okay, you can check my beef," Effie said. "I knew we were coming and bought a lot. Brother, hold my chicken."

Henry didn't protest and took Effie's basket from her before the child sat on her knees and moved her backpack to the ground in front of her. By now, despite the handlers calling the dragons back, they seemed to have neared Effie. Their movements were slow and curious, so they weren't going to attack based on body language alone.

Terry couldn't seem to help herself and hid behind Henry while Cio took a cautious step towards Effie.

"Don't worry, they're just here to see what I brought," Effie said. She lifted her head as she stuck one arm so deep into her bag, Lars' eyes almost bulged out in surprise. Effie's little leather backpack was only so big.

"Space preservation bag," Henry told Lars. "I don't know if you're familiar with the Atractas family and the preservation storage units they sold?"

Lars looked at think and nodded. "Of course, much of our meat is shipped in those units."

"Yes, well, the bags were created by the same person who developed the storage units," Henry said. Lars gasped and nodded, understandingly.

"I do wish they'd sell more of those. I think they'd be useful for dragon riders, and the ones sold by the Magic Tower are of poor quality. They don't even keep things fresh," Lars said thoughtfully as he watched Effie pull out long, pink paper wrapped packages from her bag.

Henry pursed his lips. He hesitated for a moment, but looked at Lars' envious face and the way the dragons were fixed on his eight-year-old sister, and reached into his own bag.

He took out a small metal card with an embossed name and symbol. He looked down at the card and ran his thumb over it. He couldn't believe he was doing this.

"If you're interested, you can reach out to Moonflower. It's a joint magic products research and development company created and owned by the winners of the last Exhibition," Henry said, pushing back his embarrassment. "Including Ash Atractas, who created these bags."

Lars brows shot up. He stared at the card with shock, as if the situation were unbelievable. "The ones who created the water filters?" He pinched the edge of the card, but didn't take it. He looked at Henry questioningly. "Is it all right for me to take this card?"

Henry nodded. "I have several spares." Ash gave him a stack to hand out 'just in case.' Henry had scoffed when Ash gave them to him, but now there he was, handing out a card.

Lars beamed and accepted the card. "Thank you, Mister...?"

"Oh, apologies for the rudeness," Henry said. "Henry Atractas. This is my sister Effie, and her friends Terry and Lencio."

"Then thank you, Mister A...." Lars' eyes widened as his head snapped up from the card. "Young Master Atractas?"

Henry nodded once. "Yes?"

"Who do I give the meat to for checking?" Effie's loud, curious, and somewhat impatient voice cut through Lars' stunned silence.

Lars quickly ordered someone to take the surprisingly large amount of meat to be checked. The pile of packages was larger than Effie.

The dragons watched three men take the food away and let out noises of protest. Effie raised her hands to calm them. "It's okay. The meat will pass the inspection. In the meantime, can you give us a ride?"

Her eyes were sparkling. Lars assigned all three children with an experienced rider and an air wyvern. He then suggested Henry try to ride the wind dragon, Azurite.

Henry calmly rejected it. "I prefer my feet on the ground, thank you," he said with a slight smile.

"Brother, you're missing out!" Effie shouted as she ascended into the air, strapped down to the saddle as a precaution.

The wind dragon let out a trill of protest before beginning to flap his wings, and Zumi simply followed after them.

"Tell me, what kind of enrichment do the dragons get during their down time?" Henry asked. Though their family had no dragons, there was no shortage of animals. Nera always stressed the importance of giving animals something to do, so they wouldn't get bored and depressed.

"It depends on the dragon. We tend to have many heavy-duty toys, and sometimes, the handlers play games of skill with them."

Henry nodded as he listened. "And if one were to build a paddock for a dragon...what size do you recommend it to be?" He had his eyes on Effie as the air wyverns made a loop in the sky, sending Effie screaming with joy.

Lars swallowed hard. "Young Master, capturing dragons is prohibited." This was to protect the dragon population, and people, since dragons did not react well to being attacked and enslaved.

"But let's say one wanted to come live with us...." Henry said. Cio also screamed during a loop, but Terry remained casually flying, without any thrills.

"Is Young Miss Atractas a beast master?" another handler asked with awe. Everything Effie asked the creatures to do; they followed through with.

Henry nodded. "She is also still learning."

"What? You can make a water cyclone?" Effie's voice reached his ears, and his eyes widened. "I want to see-"

"No!" Henry shouted at once as he took a step forward and looked up, his voice filling the area. "Euphemia Atractas, do not make the dragons use their elemental powers or I will bring you back to the teahouse this instance!"

"Tch...." Effie clicked her tongue and looked at Zumi who was flying next to her. "I told you my brother would say no. But you know what, if my second brother were here, I'd bet he'd like to see your trick, too!"

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

"That is some trick..." he heard someone whisper.

The silver-haired young man had just slid off his horse and threw out a bunch of glowing slips of paper. They flew around the few buildings that were on fire. The dark smoke rose into the air and the flames began to grow smaller before going out completely.

Ash stood in place, his eyes narrowed as he concentrated on controlling the flow of air within the area his slips surrounded. When the majority of the fire went out, he moved his hands, and the glowing slips changed color from white to pale blue. Water appeared to collect in front of each card before it began raining into the piles of embers and smoking debris.

From the corner of his eye, the messenger who'd come to find him to ask about the medical supplies rushed to one of the city officials who appeared to be giving direction to city workers to try to put out the fire.

As the slips dampened the remaining pieces of burning items, the official rushed towards Ash. "Second Young Master Atractas! Thank you for coming!"

"It's fine. And my colleague has gone to the medical center with additional supplies," Ash replied. "How many more people need to be sent over?"

The official was a middle-aged man who was flushed from the rush of the emergency, but still tried his best to remain calm and organized. "Evacuees who are injured have been brought to two emergency trauma staging areas and assessed by seriousness of injury. Those who had serious injuries and could be moved have been sent to or are waiting to be sent to the medical center. Those who have minor injuries are being tended to by event medics, but the severely injured are still waiting for medics to arrive."

"What kind of injuries?" Ash asked.

"Burns, mostly. Some deep cuts, and a few broken bones from when the buildings collapsed," the official replied.

Ash pursed his lips. Burns also meant smoke inhalation, which could take a person down fast. He looked over at one of the guards. "Prepare to sweep the site for survivors who may be trapped!' Ash said, tossing him a small jar. "Each of you take these to prevent inhaling and absorbing fumes." He held out his arm and gave it a little shake. Two little snakes poked their heads out. "You two search the rubble. Priority is given to anyone the white snake finds!"

"Yes, Second Young Master!" The second guard cupped his hands and took both snakes before rushing to the site.

"Go and assist with the rescue!" the official shouted at some other men. They nodded and rushed forward.

"Bring me to the injured people," Ash said. "I have some burn skins that may help."

The official thanked him over and over as he led Ash to the side. The once chaotic area settled as officials and medic volunteers descended and began clearing the area. Guests and those who had stopped to watch were asked to leave the area so as to make room for medical center carts to bring the injured to the medical center.

Across the street, beneath the awning of one of the shops, several people were lined up on the pavement with varying degrees of burns and wounds. Two were unconscious and they both had broken limbs. Ash frowned and swept down.

Although he had no formal authorization to practice medicine or healing, Nera made them take first aid classes every two years. In addition, there were many healing-related texts in the Traceras Clan books. Ash's impressive medical supplies had to be developed with some background after all.

He first checked to make sure all the victims were breathing, then removed a thick, somewhat wet, and greasy roll to an attending medic.

"This is burn skin tape. Use it like regular tape, but cut it to the desired length and put it against the burned area of someone's skin. It will facilitate healing and bring them pain relief. If you need more, I have several more rolls," Ash said, handing out two more rolls to two more medics.

Ash then took out some slips and placed them on the throats of each person. Almost immediately, they began to gasp for air. "What is that?" someone asked.

"It removes any lingering smoke in their throats and lungs," Ash said before taking out two sealed ceramic jars. "This is going to feel strange, but I need you to inhale this liquid. We'll get it out, but it needs to get into your lungs to clear out the smoke you inhaled and start healing any internal burns."

Ash's bag was a treasure trove of items. Unfortunately, he did not have enough material to set all the broken limbs, but as long as they received attention fast enough, they would be fine.

He appeared to be rushing from one victim to the other, but his movements were methodological and his orders clear and concise.

"I've never seen these materials before," one of the medics said.

"They're not sold on the market," Ash replied. "However, we've donated a few to the medical teams for the Invitational."

"Second Young Master! There are a few injured! We require assistance lifting part of the roof!"

Ash didn't have a moment to rest. He pushed himself up and didn't bother dusting off his legs. "I'm coming!"

He passed some city guards who were questioning a group of people to the side. Ash craned his neck to listen in on what they were saying. He made out the words 'disagreement' and then 'grease fire.' It wasn't enough for him to figure out what started it.

Instead, Ash focused on assisting in using slips to lighten the weight of large, fallen debris so that people could hold it up and extract survivors, and in one case, a body, from beneath the rubble. Ash frowned and narrowed his eyes as he saw a body being dragged out as wearing burned remnants of Ashtari clothing.

Henry had told me about the men who had accosted Talam a few days earlier, including that he wasn't sure if they were able to get in and that one of them was a minister somehow related to the imperial family. Ash didn't know how they looked like, but considering the tension between Ashtar and its neighboring countries, he doubted there would be many citizens of Ashtar wearing Ashtari clothing there.

Even Talam and his two escorts had managed to purchase some simple clothes to blend in better and avoid possible enemies.

As the charred corpse was dragged out, a loud yell came from across the street, behind an area that was roped off to keep the crowds from coming forward and getting caught in an unstable building. Ash looked over his shoulder and saw several Ashtari men he didn't recognize.

One of his guards must've noticed his critical expression and leaned forward. "Those are the Ashtari men who were seen by the Young Master at the gate, Second Young Master. I am unsure who is who, but they were the ones who cornered Mr. Heigoren."

Ash's demeanor grew colder. "So…it is them." He watched as the men tried to get to their fallen member while trying to explain to the authorities that he was with them. Ash leaned towards the guard. "Find out what happened."

"Yes, Second Young Master."

Ash assisted the city officials in the search for survivors. He wasn't satisfied until both snakes appeared. Their appearance meant that the site was clear.

Letting out a deep sigh, Ash looked towards the sea. He and Hana had planned to go with Henry and the children to look at dragons, but it seemed they'd have to go another time.

"If there is anything else, Councilor Jaenun, I will go to the medical center to check on the situation there," Ash told him. The middle-aged man sincerely thanked him once more.

Ash looked towards the guard who was collecting information and gave him a nod to silently confirm his order to remain and find out what led to the fire. The guard gave him a subtle nod in response before Ash mounted his horse and left with the other guard after informing the messenger medic, who was now dealing with the injured.

The medical center wasn't far away, but as expected, getting through the crowds that had gathered of people looking for relatives or friends that were affected by the fire and building collapse was difficult. However, one of the medics by the entrance saw and recognized him.

"Second Young Master!" He waved eagerly and began to motion for the crowd to step back. "Make way! Please make way! He is bringing additional supplies!"

Ash still had some supplies in his bag, so it wasn't a lie. He handed his horse to his guard and wove through the crowds to get to the entrance faster.

"Where are the victims placed?" Ash asked as he reached the medic.

The medic waved for another. "Assistant Vo will take you to the emergency hall."

"Second Young Master, please follow me." The thin young man in the white coat had frazzled dark hair and looked a bit out of breath, likely from running around, but Ash obediently followed without question. "A few medics were sent on site to deal with the victims who couldn't be moved, so we are a bit short handed."

"Do you know if the supplies we sent ahead were enough?" Ash asked.

"Yes, Miss Nobuya instructed our doctors on how to use the supplies. Thank you, Second Young Master," Assistant Vo said with sincere gratitude.

Part of Ash wanted to ask them to assist with recording the conditions and effects of the supplies, but now wasn't the time.

"Ash!" He caught sight of Hana sitting on a chair against the wall. She looked a bit frazzled as she rose from her seat. "How was it at the site?"

Ash let out a heavy breath and shook his head. "I had my mom's snakes do a search. There were several injured people trapped below the collapsed roof. There was one body."

Hana let out a low hiss and shook her head. "Do we know what happened?"

"I asked Sam to find out. He'll come find us after and will report what he found out," Ash said. "How is it going here? Were the supplies enough? Were they easy to use?"

Hana gave him a tired, but relieved smile. "Director Kim says that in return for the supplies, they will take extensive records for us for our research. She'll send the findings to Carthage Harbor, as a few of the patients will be here for some time longer than the Invitational and the Exhibition."

He was sympathetic to the injured, but couldn't help but be somewhat excited about the research findings they'd be given. "I also got positive feedback from the trauma team onsite. The test products seem to be working."

Hana nodded. "That's good, that's good."

He lifted his hand and touched her head. "Have you eaten?" Now that he thought about it, both of them had rushed out of the teahouse without lunch, then they spent the last two hours at the medical center and the emergency site.

Hana knit her brows together and lowered her eyes. "To be honest, I haven't noticed. I've been caught up in the rush to get supplies here and then show the staff how to use them."

He was the same. Ash nodded and let out a heavy breath. He lifted his head and looked around. "Where's Director Kim? If there is nothing else, we'll head back."

Hana waved down a medic to ask for Director Kim and the two were asked to wait a moment. Ash sat on the bench with her and discussed what supplies were used and how they were glad they stored the majority of their products in their space bags.

The truth was, they simply did not have enough room in their respective homes to house all their various supplies and products they were tinkering with. It was both more accessible and convenient to keep objects that could be carried in their bag.

"He's right over there, sir."

"Thank you." Ash heard someone speaking and turned his head. He raised a brow as he saw Sam, the guard he'd left behind at the site, walking towards him. "I thought I'd check here for you first, Second Young Master."

Ash nodded. He reached into his tunic once more and took out another slip. He made it glow and placed it on his lap before looking at the guard who was about ten years older than him. "What did you find out?"

"There was an altercation in the kitchen that led to the fire. The man who died was seen following an elderly customer out of the main dining hall and into the kitchen. They were questioned, but the elderly man said he was trying to leave, as the man who died was following him. The elderly man did reach the back exit, but the other man caught up with him.

The cooks reported that they started to argue, and the man tried to drag the elderly man back. It was then that the head chef stepped in to separate them. The man tried to evade the head chef, stumbled backwards, and knocked over a pan of oil on the stove while also shoving back another cook. The oil went everywhere, including him and his clothes. The fire spread quickly, and the chef ordered the kitchen to evacuate.

He suspects that the man did not understand, or at least didn't speak much, Iverian Common, as he just screamed on the floor despite everyone telling him to get out of the kitchen."

"Was this verified by other witnesses?" Ash asked. The guard nodded.

"Several cooks, kitchen hands, two waiters, and a couple that was seated close to the kitchen entrance also saw the man on the floor on fire. There was a rush to evacuate and inform the neighboring buildings. The rescuer who pulled the victim out said that he was pinned down by part of the stove, so he likely couldn't escape."

Ash tapped his foot, appearing impatient. "Do you know what they were arguing about?"

"The cooks said that they were speaking a foreign language they didn't understand."

"What about the elderly man?"

"He seems to have fled after he was told to evacuate, Second Young Master. The officials have sent people to look for him to ask him more questions. It is not my place to ask for an update if he is found, but with such a disaster drawing so much attention, I suspect it will not be long before he's found. The party of the dead victim is placing the blame on him, so he will be questioned once found."

Ash kept his eyes lowered as his mind raced. If the Ashtari men put the blame on the elderly man, it was likely that they knew the elderly man, and that the victim and been trying to bring the elderly man to the minister and his cronies.

Ash chewed on his lower lip. The few Ashtari who had been sent out in unofficial exile were all, except for Talam, elderly individuals. He narrowed his eyes. Did the minister or his people recognize the elderly man as one of those who had been pseudo-exiled and wanted to question him?

It would explain while the elderly man had tried to avoid contact with them and wanted to leave.

He needed to tell Henry about this.

"Go find Bernard and tell him to get the horses ready. Once we check with Director Kim, we'll head back and wait for my brother," Ash told him. Sam saluted him before turning around to leave.

"So, it was a legitimate accident?" Hana asked beside him. Ash nodded.

"It seems like it...and if the victim didn't understand the order to leave or was just too much in pain from the oil on his clothes on fire to respond, then they can't really be accountable for his death."

"If he was chasing someone and then got violent in a busy restaurant kitchen, knocking over a pan and starting a grease fire, I'd consider it his fault," Hana replied with a frown. She motioned to the dozens of people who were receiving medical attention in front of them. "Look at how many people were affected. Southend is a popular place to gather; that restaurant was packed. It was the worst possible time to evacuate. People got stuck trying to escape. At least two people were trampled...."

Ash frowned and shook his head. "I know it was an accident, but what was that man doing chasing an old man who was trying to avoid them."

"Second Young Master!" The medic who'd gone to look for Director Kim made his way back.

"Is Director Kim busy?" Hana asked when they noticed Director Kim hadn't come with him. "If so, just let her know we've returned and if they need anything else, to send a message to the tea house."

Ash nodded in agreement. "I also left some more supplies with the onsite trauma team."

The medic nodded, his head bobbing up and down. "Thank you, Second Young Master, and Miss Nobuya. Director Kim is very thankful. She will likely reach out when she returns."

"Oh, did she go to the site?" Hana asked.

"No, to the Invitational paddock at the top of the hill," the medic said. "The horses for the chariot race suddenly seemed to go crazy and several handlers, groomers, and competitors were injured."

Ash froze in place. His hands clenched at his sides as he swallowed hard. "How severe are the injuries?"

The medic scratched his head. "I'm not sure, but several were injured, which is why Director Kim was called."

Ash took a deep breath, catching Hana's suspicious gaze. "Do you think it wasn't an accident?" From her tone, she didn't believe it was an accident either.

Ash grit his teeth. "At this point, I'm starting to suspect the saboteur is getting desperate." He took another breath and tried to exhale slowly to calm himself. "And a desperate one is a reckless one." He shook his head. "I swear, it's one thing after another. If we get to the Exhibition without any more incidents, I'll consider it a victory."

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