'How blissful. Too bad... Things can't always remain like this.' The hooded man smirked dangerously, placing his hand behind his back and sneakily stealing an apple from a street hawker.
~Crunch. He bit into its juicy exterior. Along the bustling streets, he walked, moving in zig-zag patterns, avoiding the running children, peasants with goods bought from the marketplace wrapped in their shirts and ankle-length gowns and skirts.
Some were drunk, while others seemed lost instead.
"Stop! Thief! Thief!"
Occasionally, there were cries from victims and many stall owners who had their fruits, vegetables, and goods snatched by the quick-handed street thieves.
Well, even the hooded man could be considered a thief since he stole the apple off a hawker's basket.
Sure enough. It wasn't stealing if one never got caught. The victims could only blame themselves for being less cautious than he.
With powerful legs, used to walking far distances, the man walked for close to 4 and a half hours until he arrived at a high-end Inn in the Royal city.
4.5 hours on foot. On horseback, the time should've been shortened by 1/3. Yet, the man still chose to wall instead. Maybe for reasons only he would know.
'The Hiltor Estate' The man murmured the name of his destination while now buying into a banana he had long robbed from another street seller.
Don't look at him with disdain. Unless caught, stealing was never a crime.
(V^V) The hooded man felt no guilt over his thievery, thinking of his final destination.
Indeed, taverns, inns, and other resting places had their ranks and categories.
The Hiltor Estate was one of the biggest in the city's eastern part. Here, newly arrived nobles, wealthy merchants, or nouveau rich folks would occasionally stay for months until they finally secured a permanent estate, villa, or residence within the city.
. To acquire an estate wasn't an easy thing. One would have to go to auction times and fight for these estates. Or, one could go to the source and visit the current estate owners who want to sell them out.
Of course, some people could also secure a spot and begin estate construction.
Construction could take 2~20 or more years depending on the estate size, the number of builders, the weather, terrain, and the type of material used to build the estate.
In this world, over 60% of estates were wooden ones, while the other percentage was made of stone.
With wood, they would place several layers of wooden walls together to make them as thick as the stone walls in case battle arrived.
The wooden walls would also be treated and smeared with special lubricants that lessened the fire spread during unfortunate incidents.
But during estate construction, the lords would still live on the land while construction was going on.
They just needed a single building completed, as well as the walls surrounding the entire property, done in order to move in.
Depending on whether it's done with wood or stone, it could honestly get done in 6~18 months.
And even if the inside of the vast open space only has a single building done, at least the lord would be able to sleep, knowing the walls were up for protection.
His army could set tents in the enclosed space while waiting for the rest of the estate buildings to get done.
Hiltor Estate. Many newly ranked wealthy people who hardly had contact with those in the Capital waited here to settle their residence issues before moving out.
Some also took this place as a true vacation or business inn, coming to the Capital to carry out their assignments away from the prying eyes of their relatives.
A majority of guests had relatives and clan members here. Yet, they chose to remain invisible and low-key.
. Sigh... Carrying no sacs, bags, or luggage on him, the hooded man walked up the inclined hills, passing by several open farmlands and a few other estates about.
Each estate was so far apart, maybe for privacy reasons. The particular land he was on was one where flowers of every color bloomed everywhere one looked.
The scene could tempt one into running through the fields of flowers, singing to a ridiculous tune.
The man walked for over 18 more minutes, passing the many scattered private estates around the scene, until his eyes fell on the largest estate right at the top of the hill.
'Tch!.... No matter how many times I see it, it still leaves me in awe. Too bad it's nowhere near the structural beauties in Morgany.' The man inwardly commented.
Though the man hadn't gone through all the empires in Zohl, he felt the estate's aesthetics were definitely ranked high up as one of the most beautiful in the continent, second to the many royal palaces.
The glow stone mixed in with the ordinary ones created a stunning sight.
And coupled with the vibrant sea of flowers surrounding the entire hill, it looked like a fairytale castle estate.
. Clang. Clang. Clang.~ On the roads, many carriages moved back and forth, some leaving and some arriving.
Wagons from peasants and merchants also moved about too. Though the estate had its own farms in the estate, producing its own, it couldn't make everything—hence the need to buy things from outside.
Additionally, curtain drapes, clothes, and other common supplies were also purchased constantly.
On the road, some also walked alongside the hooded man in green. Hm? No horse, carriage, or wagon filled with goods?
'In that case, he must either be a hidden guard or an ordinary peasant called in by the head staff.' The guard thought, assessing the housed man's situation.
Either way, it wasn't his business to be nosy. So what if the guy was a hidden guard? Do you know how many hidden guards, assassins, and rest stayed in the estate with the many nobles?
Nothing shocking about that.
"Worker or guest."
The guard's eyes flickered. Sure enough, he was right on the money. "How long?"
"2 months at most." That's how long he would be staying.
"Anyone expecting you?"
Huh. The nodded man raised his left brow slyly. "Lord Mushu." What? Lord Mushu?
The guard froze before coughing to hide his surprise.
"You there, come over."
Immediately, another guard of lower rank rushed toward them.
"Senior, I'm here."
"Take our guest in, get horses and ensure our guest finds who he's looking for. Understood?"
"Yes, senior!" The young guard affirmed.
And like that, the hooded man trailed behind the guard, walking along the long tunnel entry gate under the estate walls.
. Upon entry, the young guard did precisely as told while being respectful to the hooded man, who seemed to be an influential person, not to be offended.
Horses. Horses... Across the estate, there were more than 5 massive stables, some for keeping the guest's horses while others for estate matters.
And not too far away from the gates was a stable filled with over a hundred horses for situations such as these.
In no time, 2 fiery-colored horses with overly fat and strong legs were brought to them.
In Titarian, these sorts of horses were the main types used. Just like humans here, the horses had developed powerful legs. And ordinary horses might not be able to do so well here.
Gallop. Gallop. Gallop~ The estate was so huge and filled with blowers, statues, ponds, open fields, and over 40 buildings scattered about.
Indeed. There was a reason why the estate was well-sought after. It was like a medium-sized Knighthood academy with sleeping, teaching, and training quarters.
The vast buildings were all at least 3 stories high, with each floor having private quarters similar to wings.
Nobles would get these wings, each having several rooms in them for their men. In this way, privacy was also guaranteed.
And the setup resembles that of their homes, with each wing having a ground and upper floor, as well as a general open space in their wings.
But of course, some sleeping quarters weren't wings but standard single rooms for individuals who came in alone.
Tsk. Sure enough. Though the Hiltor estate was dubbed a 'dark' estate because of its sky-high prices, one couldn't deny that it did live up to expectations, making it with the money.
. The duo rode along the busy estate roads, stopping by the first building they saw.
First, they sent someone to contact Lord Mushu's side, confirming matters.
And after a while, the hooded man's identity was verified.
"Take him to Building 29, 4th floor, 8th Wing."
Right! The hooded man led past many buildings scattered amok beautifully.
And soon, he arrived at his destination.
"If you will excuse me then." The butler said humbly, bowing and taking his leave.
His job was done. The hooded man playfully entered the wing, staring at the many men gathered around.
"Good news, we presume?"
"Yes." The hooded man replied. "Everything is set. Now, we wait for the kill!"

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