Chapter 634: Lively.

Everywhere Rasmus went, people were talking about the tournament, and to his surprise, information was easily spread from one ear to another. He knew that East Neva, especially the Khan Empire took recognition, fame, and reputation seriously more than their own lives. Information about powerful individuals including their backgrounds were easily obtained because those individuals wanted themselves to be known.

"I’m surprised that those rising stars are quite young. They’re younger than us and yet their skills sound like they’re already beyond a Swordmaster from other continents," Serena said as she listened to the travelers that sat below them on the ground floor in the restaurant.

"Well, they’re called the rising stars for a reason," Anastasha responded and stared at the juicy and oily whole roasted duck on the table. "In a world of martial arts where many people die young, those who grow old are either powerful or just lucky. Their fates had been decided by their parents the moment they were born. They’re like horses with blinders, their focus is only at one thing, and that’s to become the strongest," she added and struggled to use chopsticks to pull off the duck thigh from the breast.

"Since anyone can join the tournament, do you think the older stars are going to compete again?" Aris asked Anastasha as she watched Rullein take the whole roasted duck to her plate and then rip off the thigh with a bare hand then put it on Anastasha’s plate while grinning.

"Yes, and most of the time it ends with conflict between clans," Anastasha stared at the steaming duck thigh on her plate with a mild surprise. "But that’s how it is, there’s no such thing as mercy in this nation. Just because they’re young doesn’t mean they will be shown leniency," she muttered and tried a piece of the juicy meat that immediately melted in her mouth.

Rasmus’ focus was on the people below them who were talking to different individuals but they all tend to get along well with strangers to comparing their favorite martial artists with each other. One group talked with the other like it was a normal thing to do, turning the restaurant to grow warmer and more lively by not only sharing information but also alcohol. However, when he turned his head to stare at two men who looked ordinary, his gaze was fixated on them without blinking even once. He knew he was being observed because he felt their gazes pointed at him ever since those men came into the restaurant.

"What’s the matter?" Aris stared at Rasmus, who was sitting across from her.

Rasmus didn’t say a word, his gaze turned colder when he stared at those two men. When Aris finally looked at those men, she was confused as to why he was staring at them like that. However, that was when those men suddenly stood up and paid for their food before they left. Even when they walked away, Rasmus’ eyes still followed them until they left the restaurant.

"Everyone was talking about the tournament when those two were just eating so peacefully and unbothered by it. Those two were observing us," Rasmus pointed out before his focus moved to the people at the tables and listened to their conversations again.

"Are they bad people?" Serena asked with her brows raised, eating her stir fried vegetable even though she struggled to use the chopsticks to grab the food.

"Their attention never left our table, and they didn’t seem like martial artists," Rasmus shook his head.

For the first time, Anastasha wasn’t bothered to ask and enjoyed the juicy duck meat with the smooth alcohol that made her taste buds explode from deliciousness. She knew that those people were interested in Rasmus not because of her but because of his existence that had slowly gained recognition.

"I’m curious about something," Rullein looked at Rasmus and the others as she held the half-eaten duck drumstick. "Since anyone can participate in the martial arts tournament, why don’t we participate as well?" She asked with her brows arched, staring at Rasmus and Aris.

"It would feel wrong. I’m not interested in competing in something that I’m not qualified, and I’m more interested in the people that lived in the Immortal Mountain, the Heavenly Alliance," Rasmus shook his head and took a sip of his alcohol.

"Me neither, I want to admire the skills of each individual from the side. I want to see how advanced the people here in fight compared the other continents," Aris shook her head and then looked at Serena who offered a piece of stir fry cabbage in between her chopsticks to her. She didn’t hesitate and leaned in, tasting the rich flavor of savory, spicy, and a hint of bitterness and sweetness with the crunchy texture.

"I guess you both are right..." Rullein sighed as she chewed on the bone of the drumstick.

"You can go, but you can’t go like that. Try to look like people from here and don’t use your power, strength, and speed at all. If you think you can’t win without them, then forfeit," Rasmus looked at her with a smile on his face. "Also, it’s to avoid you being recognized as the Queen of the Night of the Demonic Cult," he added and let out a short chuckle.

"Alright, I can promise you that," Rullein grinned and crunched on the bone, chewing it before she swallowed it like it was nothing, which still shocked Anastasha whenever she saw Rullein chewing and eating the bone.

The atmosphere in the restaurant from cheerful to gloomy was almost jarring. They listened to the people below about the rumor about Demonic Cult preparing for a war. Somehow the rumors had spread in just a few days, showing how fast news traveled, everyone wondered about the Queen of the Night’s appearance, the Grandmaster of the Demonic Cult.

Rasmus had asked about the Demonic Cult to Anastasha, but even she couldn’t find anything about them because of secluded they were. She mentioned that the Demonic Cult might be hiding in plain sight or that they had masters in Array, or magic formations that created illusions around them that made their territory invisible to the naked eye. However, it had been confirmed easily by Aris in a matter of minutes, and she knew where the Array was since nothing could be hidden by her draconic power.

"We know their location," Rasmus looked at Anastasha. "They’re quite significant if you want to take them under your plan," he pointed out.

"Yes, I have been thinking about it since Lady Aris found their location," Anastasha nodded. "I just need more information about them. I can’t just walk in offering gold when they’re starving for meat, right?" She smirked playfully.

"If the infamous Anastasha Asghar doesn’t know about them, how are you going to gather information about them?" Serena turned to look at Anastasha with a playful smile.

"Do you remember the handsome man during the gathering back then named Cyuren?" Anastasha asked as she looked at Serena.

"Yes, the foster son of the most trusted eunuch of the emperor," Serena nodded.

"That’s right, and since the Demonic Cult is still a subject of the imperial family, everything about them must be reported and checked by officials even if it’s in secret. So, that means I can just ask him," Anastasha answered and smiled at Serena, mirroring her smile.

"You sound so confident that he might give you such classified information," Serena tilted her head and raised her brows.

"Well, I can give him what he wants in exchange for that information, no? The fact he showed interest in me, that alone was enough indication that he had something that he wanted from me," Anastasha explained and took another bite of the juicy meat. "I will get what I want no matter what," she added as her eyes fixated on the food on her plate.