The attendant led them through the mansion, and even though they were beautifully decorated, the corridors seemed to look the same.

Lukas was sure this was by design, because after a few minutes, he’d lost track of how many turns they’d made. If he was to retrace his steps, he was sure he’d fail miserably.

Soon, they arrived at corridors that became more decorated the more they walked.

There were artworks on the wall, and the occasional piece of furniture that had been placed there to also serve as decoration.

They walked up a long staircase before arriving at another corridor. They walked down the corridor to a door.

The woman knocked politely.

"Enter." The deep voice that spoke was familiar.

The attendant opened the door and stepped aside, gesturing.

They walked inside, and she pulled it shut behind them, content to stand outside.

Baldwin stood near the window, all seven feet of him, hands clasped behind his back. He was the one that had spoken.

He had a small smile on his face as he gave them a welcoming nod.

Lukas looked around to see they were in a lounge. The lounge had been decorated in a way that made sure it was luxurious without having to scream wealth.

There was no gold in sight, but one could tell that even the chairs were expensive.

Morgana sat in one of the chairs, her usual cold expression on her face. Her eyes flicked to them as they entered, assessing them.

"Welcome to Salaria," she said. "Do have your seat."

Lukas eyed her, noticing that she too was now an E-rank Adept. He walked forward with his wives and took a seat.

"I’n glad you’re all here, though I expected to see you yesterday," Morgana said, her voice even. "After I received word of what happened at the station, I understand the decision to advance first."

"Congratulations to you three."

Lukas smiled, understanding what she wasn’t saying. That she’d known they were in Salaria from the moment they arrived.

"Thank you for the welcome," Akira said with a smile of her own. "But we should get to business."

Morgana acknowledged this with a slight inclination of her head. "Agreed."

She folded her hands in her lap. "I’ve made arrangements for your accommodation in sector four. I hope you’ll be pleased with it, as it was a practical choice."

"Oh?" Akira raised a brow.

"Yes." Morgan nodded. "Sector four sits near several Second Floor spatial gates that are well suited to new Adepts. The difficulty gradient in that area is manageable while still providing meaningful progression."

She looked at Lukas. "I’m sure you’ll all like this arrangement."

"So what kind of place would we be staying at?" Melody asked.

"Like you told me, I arranged for the same residence for the three of you. It’s been fully furnished and it’s yours for the duration of the contract," Morgana said before gesturing.

Baldwin stepped forward, three cards in his hand. He handed each one to the three of them.

Lukas took the card, turning it over in his hands. It was cold to the touch and made of metal. But the most notable thing about it was the address of their home, which had been engraved into the card.

He could also feel faint traces of mana inside, and a few tiny scribbles on its surface said it was an [Artificer] made card.

"All you need to do is add a drop of your blood to the surface of the cards, and they would be locked to you alone. These are the keys to your new residence." Morgana said, confirming his thoughts.

"As for the issue of your signing fees, we’d agreed to wait till now. So, would you like to open a bank account and have me transfer it inside, or I should give you the money now and you’ll deposit it when opening your accounts?"

The three of them looked at each other, then Melody whispered. "Let’s take the money now. Who knows if we’ll need it soon?"

Lukas nodded before looking back up at Morgana. "We’ll take the money now, if you have it."

Morgana Gabe a satisfied nod. "I thought as much."

She glanced at Baldwin, who walked to her table, retrieving a small tray with three spatial rings on it. He stepped forward, presenting it to the three of them.

Lukas took one, while Akira and Melody took on each.

"One million gold coins, just like you wanted," Morgana said.

Lukas smiled, saying nothing.

"Do you have a recommendation for us on which bank to open an account with?" Melody suddenly asked.

"A recommendation?" Morgana tilted her head. "Faustian Bank. They have branches in every Sovereign city, and a few cities outside Sovereign territory. But more importantly, their cards would work smoothly in any part of the First to Fourth Floor of the Tower."

"I see." Melody nodded. "Thanks."

"No worries." Morgana waved her words away. "As we agreed in the contract, I owe you guys a guide who will accompany you three in your first dungeon run in the Second Floor, and help you familiarize yourself with the place, didn’t I?"

"Yes, you did." Lukas nodded.

"I’ve already made arrangements for that." Morgana met Baldwin’s gaze.

Giving her a nod, Baldwin made his way to the door of the room, his boots clicking as he walked. He opened it, before whispering something to whoever was outside.

He closed the door, then made his way back to his post beside Morgana.

"The guide I’ve arranged for you guys is an experienced Adept who I trust myself, so you don’t have to worry about anything."

Before she could continue, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

There was a click and the door swung open. Standing there was a tiefling.

Lukas blinked in surprise.

The man’s skin tone was a brick red, and on his forehead were two short ram-like horns that seemed to have been broken and filed into a little more than stubs.

He had dark blue hair which flowed down to the back of his neck, shining like the night sky.

He was dressed in a business suit, looking like an executive for a company. His face was handsome, and when he smiled, he showed sharp pointy teeth.

He looked to be in his early twenties.

He stepped forward, giving Morgana an almost theatrical bow. "My lady."

"Rise." Morgana spoke without even sparing him a glance, her eyes on Lukas. "This is your guide."

"His name is Karrakas."