Lance put on his coat and picked up the book he had borrowed from the library before stepping out of his room. The morning light brightened, outlining the outside world more clearly.
He enjoyed his usual breakfast while exchanging a few pleasantries with Hans. Then he bid farewell to Francine and walked straight out of the mansion, heading toward the street corner he saw earlier. He soon spotted Talia standing by the wall.
"Good morning, Tali," he said.
When he had asked for her name in the past, she had only given him Tali. Although Lance already knew her real name, he had to pretend he didn't. Accidentally calling her Talia would put him in hot water. There was no reason for an ordinary person like him to know the true identity of this demon princess.
Talia simply nodded and paid him no further heed. Once Lance set off, she followed him, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
***
About half an hour later, the two arrived at South Vantina’s branch of the Card Maker’s Association. Before Lance could touch the heavy door, a mysterious energy appeared. The ancient coat of arms on the black metal door gradually flashed with a faint blue light, resembling a heart beat driven by magical energy. With a slight buzzing sound, the door slowly opened.
What appeared was something completely different from the outside world. The interior was simple and elegant. The main counter was sectioned off neatly, and there was little in the way of excess decoration. Everything was orderly and well-arranged.
Although it was only morning, the main hall was already crawling with people. Many visitors were waiting in front of the counter, discussing topics related to enchanted cards and the Shadow Realm.
As soon as Lance stepped into this magnificent and huge building, he stopped and looked back at Talia. "Tali, I'm not sure when I will leave today. How about you come in with me?"
Ever since he had made the deal with Talia, he almost always informed her about his schedule in advance. This included what time he was planning on leaving in the morning and what time he was returning home in the evening.
Talia also took her work as a bodyguard seriously. In the past, whether Lance went to the library or the Card Maker’s Association, she would wait outside until he came out. There were some places where he didn’t need to be accompanied. His home was one of them. As long as Lance was back at the manor, she no longer had to shadow him.
In addition, Lance himself knew very well that Talia didn’t have the right identity to enter these places. She was just an undocumented migrant in the Kingdom of Hutton. If someone investigated her for going into these places, it could lead to a lot of trouble.
"No," responded Talia in a voice that was as distant and emotionless as usual.
Lance sighed and looked at her with his hands on his hips. "I may have to stay here for a long time every day. If you wait outside for me every day... Wouldn’t that be more conspicuous?"
Talia blinked. The boy had a point.
Lance continued, "Don't you think it would be much more convenient for you if you could freely enter and exit the Card Maker’s Association? I’m planning on renting a workshop here. There won't be anyone else in the room besides me, so you can just hang out there. If anyone asks, I’ll just tell them you’re my bodyguard."
He then took out his crystal bank card, which was the highest tier available. In a border city, the Card Maker’s Association wouldn't dare quibble over small issues with someone like him.
Talia hesitated for a moment then nodded. "Alright."
She had actually long wanted to step inside a human Card Maker’s Association and take a look around. Unfortunately, it had been years since she last had a proper identity. This human boy somehow always managed to stumble into doing exactly what she wanted.
***
An attendant approached Lance and Talia just as they went further into the association. Although he wasn’t a registered card maker, the staff knew he represented a powerful merchant. After all, Lance’s family owned the Wilford Trading Company, which was famed throughout South Vantina.
"I’d like to rent a high-end, private card making workshop, and I need some materials as well," Lance stated as he handed the attendant a list. The attendant nodded respectfully and gestured for the two of them to follow him.
They traversed the vast interior of the ground floor before ascending a floating staircase to the third floor. This floor looked decades old, and it was a deliberate choice to preserve a certain aesthetic. At the far end of the hallway was a room with a purple plaque hanging by the door. The attendant unlocked the room and stepped aside, signaling for them to enter.
"Mr. Lance Wilford, the rental fee is one pound per hour. You may settle the bill when you leave, and I will bring the materials you bought shortly." After operating a small magical device in his hand, the attendant returned the crystal bank card to Lance.
"Alright, thank you."
Talia stood silently near Lance as she inspected the room. She immediately noticed that the spacious workshop had a complete set of card making equipment. Every tool present was of high quality. Having access to such facilities in a small border city was quite impressive.
She couldn't even recall the last time she had handled these familiar tools. Yet, right now, she had no desire to touch them at all. The enchanted cards she crafted were inscribed with demonic runes, so they couldn’t be freely traded within human territories. If she left behind any traces that the Human Kingdom Alliance Council could track, the consequences could be fatal...
***
Before long, the attendant came back with the materials Lance had ordered. In addition to standard supplies, such as blank cards, energy crystals, magic-imprinting stones, and mana stone extract, there was also a stack of scrolls.
The primary materials required for the three main categories of enchanted cards differed significantly. Creating equipment cards required an equipment prototype along with items for enchantment and sealing. Summoning cards required materials like monster cores or soul crystals. Spell cards, however, used magical scrolls as their base material, which were processed and rewritten.
Spell cards were undoubtedly the best choice for someone practicing the craft, as a large portion of the necessary materials and craftsmanship had already been consolidated into the scrolls themselves. Compared to creating something from scratch, crafting spell cards was more akin to refining.
"You don't have to stay here the whole time. Feel free to leave whenever you like. When you want to come back, find that attendant from earlier and he'll escort you back in." Lance moved a chair close to the workbench, motioning that it was for her.
Talia nodded. She had no desire to stand the whole day, so she sat down gracefully in the chair with her back straight and hands gently folded in her lap, looking every bit a noble princess.
Her gaze was calm and distant, as if nothing in her immediate surroundings warranted her attention. Yet, once seated, she realized that aside from spacing out, the only thing for her to do was to watch Lance make cards.