After spending some time at home with Camose, I eventually changed into my work clothes before leaving the house. Camose remained behind this time as well. Although it clearly wanted to follow me, taking a mutated beast into the city, especially into a crowded inn, would only invite unnecessary trouble.
The familiar streets of Astravia were as lively as ever by the time I reached Market Street. Merchants continued calling out to passing customers while pedestrians filled the roads, weaving between the steady flow of horse carriages moving through the city.
Before long, the Green Leaf Inn came into view.
Pushing open the entrance, I stepped inside. The inn was already bustling with customers. Travelers occupied nearly every table, the aroma of freshly prepared food filled the air, and the voices of customers blended together with the occasional clatter of plates and mugs.
Without wasting any time, I walked over to one of the nearby tables that had just signaled for service, took their order, and headed straight to the kitchen to relay it.
As soon as I stepped into the kitchen, I spotted a familiar figure. Almost at the same moment, he looked up and noticed me as well.
"Arthur!"
Miguel's face immediately lit up with excitement. Without the slightest hesitation, he placed the tray he had been carrying onto a nearby counter and hurried straight toward me.
"I missed you!"
Before I could even respond, he wrapped both arms around me in an exaggerated hug.
I frowned.
"You bastard..."
Planting my palm against his face, I pushed him away.
"Move away from me."
Unable to resist my strength, Miguel stumbled back several steps before regaining his balance. Instead of looking embarrassed, however, he simply grinned as though he had expected exactly that reaction.
"I was beginning to think you weren't coming back."
I looked at him expressionlessly.
"I only took one day off."
Miguel clicked his tongue and folded his arms across his chest.
"One day is still one day. Do you have any idea how lonely I was without my favorite coworker around?"
I stared at him in silence for a long moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
"...You're talking nonsense again."
"Haha."
Miguel laughed shamelessly, not looking the slightest bit embarrassed. He casually scratched the back of his head before the playful smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a look of curiosity as he looked back at me.
"So?" Miguel asked with obvious curiosity. "Did you get to meet your relatives?"
I gave a small nod.
"Yeah."
"How was it?"
"They're doing well."
A smile immediately spread across Miguel's face.
"That's good to hear."
After a brief pause, he spoke again.
"You should introduce me to them next time."
I looked at him expressionlessly.
"Yeah, yeah."
Without saying anything else, I picked up the tray he had carelessly left on the counter and handed it back to him.
"Now stop standing around and get back to work."
Miguel accepted the tray with a grin.
"Fine, fine."
The two of us returned to our work, each carrying trays and helping the other workers as the afternoon rush continued inside the busy kitchen.
The afternoon rush continued for several more hours. Customers came and went without pause, and no sooner had one table been cleared than another group of travelers occupied it. The kitchen remained just as busy throughout, with workers constantly moving back and forth carrying trays, preparing meals, and serving customers.
By the time the sun began descending toward the horizon, the number of customers had finally started to thin, allowing the inn to grow considerably quieter than it had been throughout the afternoon. It wasn't long before our shift came to an end.
Miguel and I left the inn together and stepped onto Market Street. The evening streets were just as lively as before. Workers were making their way home after finishing their day's work, merchants were beginning to pack up their stalls, and pedestrians continued moving through the streets while horse carriages rumbled past from time to time.
As we walked through the crowded streets, my thoughts naturally drifted toward the Caelthorne family.
If everything went according to plan, Charlie would soon enter the Caelthorne family estate as one of its workers. That would finally give us someone on the inside, allowing us to gather information that outsiders could never hope to obtain.
Even so, that alone wouldn't be enough.
At present, we knew almost nothing about the Caelthorne family. Their internal structure, the strength of their members, the people who served under them, and the influence they wielded were all things we needed to understand. The more information we gathered before making our next move, the better our chances would be.
"What are you thinking about so deeply?"
Miguel's voice suddenly pulled me out of my thoughts.
I turned to look at him before lightly shaking my head.
"Nothing."
Miguel gave me a doubtful look.
"I don't believe you."
"I wasn't asking you to."
He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction before shrugging his shoulders.
"Tch... Fine. Keep your secrets."
Seeing his exaggerated reaction, I couldn't help but smile faintly.
After walking in silence for a short while, I decided to take the opportunity to ask something that had been on my mind.
"Miguel."
"Hm?"
"Do you know anything about the Caelthorne family?"
Miguel paused mid-step and looked at me in surprise.
"The Caelthorne family?"
He frowned slightly before asking, "What do you want to know about those bastards?"
There was obvious disdain in his voice when he mentioned the family.
I simply shrugged.
"Just curious."
Miguel studied my face for another moment, as though trying to determine whether I was telling the truth. Eventually, he let out a small sigh and nodded.
"Well... I don't know everything about them," he admitted, "but I can tell you what I've heard."
I silently gestured for him to continue.
"The Caelthorne family is one of the most influential noble families in the Elysis Nation. In terms of power and influence, they're on par with the Valenor family."
As he spoke about the head of the family, Miguel instinctively glanced around to make sure no one nearby was paying attention. Satisfied that nobody seemed to be listening, he leaned slightly closer and lowered his voice.
"And the head of the family..."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"People say he's already a High-Level Controller at the peak stage."
My expression remained unchanged, but I silently committed the information to memory.
Miguel continued walking beside me as he recalled what he knew.
"The family head has three sons and two daughters. The eldest son is the heir to the family, and from what I've heard, he's already a Peak Moderate-Level Controller."
He paused for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully before continuing.
"As for the second and third sons... I'm not entirely sure about their strength. The second son is the same guy who came to the inn the other day."
He glanced at me.
"The one who attacked you."
After thinking for another moment, he added, "He should be around the Moderate Level as well."
I silently nodded.
That matched what I had witnessed myself. During his visit to the inn, the fluctuations of energy emanating from his body had already reached the Moderate Level.
Miguel continued, "The third son is currently studying at Astravia Academy. I think he's still a Low-Level Controller."
"What about the two daughters?" I asked.
Miguel shrugged.
"They're both married into wealthy noble families. From what I've heard, they're Moderate-Level Controllers as well."
I gave a slight nod and silently committed the information to memory.