The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 157: Toward the ruin

Chapter 157: Toward the ruin

Hex met the client at the Merchant Union in the afternoon. It was an older Knight who wished to refine ten pieces of Fiend crystals for his son. The Union would pay Hex ten Sterren per crystal. And if he managed to retain and purify the desired element, he would get a bonus of five Sterren for each.

Hex could finish refining the crystals overnight but that would raise questions. Others could only refine in the Temple. The spots available for using the monolith were reserved. The Union had its reserved timeslots for their refiners. They would easily discover if Hex delivered refined crystals without using their allotted slots.

The Union also required assurance Hex wouldn’t just run away with the crystals. They didn’t allow the refiner to keep the crystals with them. It was like a normal job. The refiner needed to show up at the Temple and an employee of the Union would ready the crystals. They would also return the refined crystals once the refiner was done.

’If these damn monoliths were just available everywhere, I could finish the job sooner. Now I have to visit the Temple for a couple of days.’

Luckily, Laila believed that she had offended Hex. To curry his favor. She easily agreed to let Hex choose the dates and times on his own as long he finished the task within the agreed period.

...

"Mike, over here!"

Tarquin’s shout disturbed the peaceful ambiance of the Simmering Tongue, displeasing many guests. But the others appeared to recognize him. No one complained.

Hex waded through the tables, taking in the fragrance of various spices and delicacies. Although he had nibbled on a few snacks before coming to the eatery, the aroma of the food around him left him drooling.

Tarquin wasn’t alone. Three more people sat at the table. All three were in their twenties and radiated strength comparable to Tarquin.

"Guys, this is the Adept Refiner I hired." Tarquin seemed smug about it but Hex noticed he stole glances at one of the ladies at their table.

Out of their company of four, two were male and two female. The other male aside from Tarquin was a short, stocky man with sunken eyes and a flat nose. His hair was sandy blond and he wore a tight shirt with linen trousers and furry boots.

Tarquin introduced him as Gabe Tauriel, his cousin. Hex nodded at the man to which he replied with a grunt.

"She is Elsa Friadrake." Tarquin introduced the girl at the far end of the table. Hex recognized her from the governor’s feast. She was the niece of the Countess and daughter of the Court’s chief. Although she wore less formal tonight, her beauty didn’t diminish.

The girl’s ice-blue eyes watched him with interest. She gave Hex the feeling of a curious child, easily interested in things and people around her. It was like she was experiencing everything for the first time.

The last person was the lady Tarquin seemed interested in. She was a beauty too, although not the type Hex was familiar with. She was far too muscular than any girl he had ever seen and maybe more than some men. She had broad shoulders and muscular arms, visible because of her sleeveless dress. But she had a grace about her that many women didn’t have. Tarquin introduced her as Gabriella Asterio, the tenth princess of the royal family.

"I am but a princess in name. I was sent to the North after I refused to marry for political reasons," she explained, laughing softly at Hex’s stunned expression.

After some small talk, Tarquin explained the reason he called Hex over.

"You might have heard about the competition about to start. I have it from my sources that we will enter the ruins for some time and then exit to recoup and recover before entering again. I wish to have you on standby for us to refine as soon as we exit so we can increase our strength after each round, enabling us to reach deeper into the city. Of course, we will pay according to the quality and we have a few more refiners on our list to help out."

"I don’t mind as long as you reserve the timeslots at the Temple and reward accordingly. Heck, the more you bring, the more I can earn. So don’t hold back. Go all out, young Lord."

Hex raised his fists as a way to convey he encouraged them.

"Y-Yeah."

That was all Tarquin managed to say in response to Hex’s passionate attitude. It put them on the back foot. After a hesitant pause, Gabriella chuckled.

"It seems Adept Mike is more excited than we are. And we stand more to gain from this. This won’t do." She stood up and slammed the table. "Come on people. Let’s do this. We will go all out!"

"YEAH!" They shouted in unison.

’Perfect,’ Hex mused watching them rile each other up. ’The more you guys harvest, the more crystals I can suck energy out. I don’t know about the competition but if things continue like this, I will have absorbed more energy than everyone else. Heck, I might even increase my elements to saturation.’

He stayed with the group till late in the night. He learned that the competition would start in a week. All participants would gather and be transported to the ruins. The officials and the Hawks were already setting up camp outside the ruin to give instructions and provide help if needed.

Hex didn’t plan on wasting his time. He spent the days refining crystals, familiarizing himself with the Frost Dragon Technique, and incorporating it into his existing combat style. The biggest gain was his increased control over the Ice element. He could form it faster and with more precision toward the end of the week.

He didn’t stop reading the scroll of the Knight’s Path. Although he didn’t practice it, he studied the Blizzard Strike and Ice Glide, a movement technique specific for smooth surfaces. These techniques helped him understand the ice element better, which increased his control over it even more.

The day before departure, he finished his task and exchanged the Sterren for high-grade, high-quality potions. The most important thing he learned from his experience was that a person could never have enough potions.

With that, all his preparations were done. It was time to depart. He, like Hestia, joined the Hawks to travel toward the ruin.

Outside the gate, he saw rows and rows of coaches and carriages filled with people on the road. This was the start of the biggest competition in the North.