46 Arriving at Millfall
Time passed, and Vicente and Rory departed from Martell Village.
Over the next few days, they would travel in a carriage accompanied by four men from their group. Among them, three were Junior Apprentices, young men who had recently undergone their Awakening.
Like many Martell Village residents, low-talented individuals would need to strive their entire lives to reach the Acolyte stage.
Only the slightly more talented among the villagers could pass the first stage while they were in their youth.
Precisely because of this, even though they had passed their Awakenings a few years ago, these young subordinates of Vicente were still struggling to advance beyond the first level.
Meanwhile, next to them was an older man, the only one of Andrew's group whom Vice had incorporated into his family so far.
This tall, robust man with tanned skin and an aggressive appearance resembled a typical field laborer. He was a Senior Apprentice on the verge of becoming an Acolyte.
One way or another, they were all properly armed, with enough ammunition to assault a stronghold.
Vicente had not decided to bring them on this journey to protect himself against high-level threats like the one that had previously victimized his family.
No weapon would make a difference against such high-level adversaries!
Instead, what motivated him to ask for their presence were the everyday dangers that could be encountered on the roads, such as petty theft, encounters with wild beasts, and so on.
In Polaris Realm, all beings had the potential to awaken their magical powers and become stronger. This was not only true for humans but also for animals, plants, minerals, etc.
Thus, it wasn't wrong to say everything was possible in this world!
Magical beings existed in heaps, and one had to exercise caution when traveling on roads, even in relatively weak places like the vicinity of Martell Village.
However, during this journey, Vicente's bad luck didn't catch up with him and their group, and for the next few hours, they enjoyed relative peace of mind as they made their way to Millfall.
...
The journey between Millfall and Martell Village was not a long one.
The distance between these two places was just a few tens of kilometers. Consequently, traveling by carriage took Vicente's group less than half a day to reach the city, which had a population of just over 60,000 residents.
It was neither Rory's nor Vicente's first time to visit this place. Seeing it again, they wasted no time observing the buildings and the ongoing local activities.
The primary difference between Millfall and Martell Village was simply in their scale.
No buildings in this city were particularly eye-catching, except for the Awakening Temple. Most of the city was much like their village, albeit with a few more streets and properties.
The movement in the city center was quite distinct, but this dynamic was predominantly only in that area. In any other neighborhood, one could experience as if they were living in a place with almost the same tranquility, much as the Martell Village.
The critical difference of Millfall was that if one needed some slightly more qualified service, one would only need to walk a few blocks in order to access them. In Martell Village, one would have to travel the roads of Scott Province if someone required these services.
Vice watched as the people walked in the streets and observed an area that was located on the outskirts of the town with several vacant lots and abandoned houses.
'Should I buy one or build a house?' He pondered.
Each option had its own advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, he could get a property more quickly and need to spend less by buying a derelict site. But on the other hand, he could build a house his way and create a space that was tailored according to their preferences and how they would use it.
However, Vicente needed to gather local information before making a decision.
"Let's leave to talk to the person your mother mentioned whom we should meet after we have settled some matters locally," Vicente suggested to Rory.
"Wouldn't it be better to start already gathering what information we can get from this contact?" Rory inquired as he turned to Vicente.
Vicente shook his head in disagreement. "Let's not get involved with anyone for now. All I am interested in is securing a place to bring my family from the village.
This place will not be used for our purposes. It will be the house where Nina and I will reside."
"Oh?" Rory responded.
"We will choose our operational location in a second moment after we have talked with him. We will buy a property located near our local objectives."
Rory frowned his eyebrows. "You want to be in close proximity to our future enemies?"
"Hmm, we don't trust them, so nothing is better than watching them closely. Despite the risks, it will be easier," Vice nodded.
"What else do we need to do before we talk to Aaron?"
"We'll have some business to attend to. After we successfully snatch the suppliers of our rivals from Martell Village, we not only need to secure some contracts but also seek information," Vicente responded, his tone becoming more serious. "Since we will awaken our magical powers in a short time, we have to prepare for that and start planning our next actions.
Unfortunately, our existing contracts will not generate enough profits we need to produce better and more numerous weapons. We need to find alternative sources of income!"
Rory immediately grasped what Vicente's interest was!
"Who are we going to target?" He asked in a hushed tone.
Vicente smiled and whispered to his friend, "We will go after someone the city despises. Someone who is dirty and has amassed riches that they shouldn't have, one who won't receive any support in their moment of weakness."
While they didn't have a specific target yet, the two were sure such individuals existed in the city.
Unlike their village, in Millfall, there were nobles, including several families of Barons and even a Viscount.
Vicente believed the local nobility here were as corrupt, if not more so, than those in medieval Europe.
If this was the case, at least one of these nobles must have a dirty reputation.
This was precisely the person Vicente planned to act against!
Rory, who had been diligently training in assault techniques, breath control, and weapon handling for several months, couldn't help but look forward to finally getting an opportunity to put some of his newfound skills into practice.
"I'm looking forward to it," he said.
Vicente smiled at his friend and responded, "We'll investigate it and formulate a plan. We'll reevaluate what we decide after our Awakening."
"That sounds good."
Once the two agreed on their course of action, their carriage came to a halt in front of an inn that was located near the center of the town.
Vicente's men, all dressed in black suits with hats on their heads, opened the carriage doors and accompanied the two.
Each of them kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, employing the security technique Vice had taught them to stay alert in unfamiliar places.
After securing their accommodations at the inn's reception desk, Vicente, Rory, and their men made their way to the rooms.
Vicente opted for standard rooms where they could rest without any unnecessary luxuries.
It was still morning by the time they settled in this inn, so after a couple of hours of rest following their journey, they headed for lunch and business.
