Chapter 865 865 Around The Grand Elder’s Estate
Feeling Marcus' enthusiasm, Mrazivý let out as sigh, before a faint smile formed on her lips.
Frankly she had wanted them to try their best and win as well, but when Marcus had immediately stated his opinion in favor of fighting to win, she felt it was her job to at least point out some of the negative aspects of this plan.
"Okay, we can give it our all. Truthfully I want to us to be victorious and take first place." Mrazivý said, a competitive grin on her face.
She hated to lose, and throwing a match when winning was not going to impede their goals anyway would leave a bad taste in her mouth.
"Oh, that was a bit easier than I thought it would be. Here I figured you would be willing to defend your position to the end even though you did not agree with it in the first place." Marcus said, wearing a mischievous expression.
Naturally he had seen through Mrazivý's act and knew she would rather fight in the tournament without having tow worry about whether their winning would cause any problems since they were foreign guests.
Puffing up her cheeks, Mrazivý turned her head to the side and put on a feigned show of anger.
"Looks like I am going to be in the doghouse for a while." Marcus said, slumping over in an exaggerated manner with despondent tone in his voice.
Seeing this Mrazivý could not hold back any longer and began laughing.
Soon Marcus joined in and the two of them had a jovial moment together where they simply forget everything and just enjoyed themselves.
Of course, the two of them could not simply laugh the entire day away without a care in the world and eventually had to get back to business.
"I suppose that we will need to inform Akeem of our decision so that he can put things in motion." Marcus said, once they had calmed down.
"Yeah, and there is also the matter of what we are going to do for next few days. We obviously cannot just wander around on our own. We will need to meet with Amira and discuss what to do, since she is our guide." Mrazivý said.
Nodding his head, Marcus agreed, and taking a pen and several pieces of paper out of his item box began writing two letters. One for Akeem expressing their desire to aim for first place in the duo tournament, and another to Amira requesting a meeting to talk about their plans for the next few days.
Once he had finished the two letters, he handed them off to one of the three servants that always seemed to be waiting nearby their room.
"That was quick." Marcus said, when he heard a knock at their door.
It had only been twenty minutes since he had sent of his two letters and Amira had already arrived to meet with them.
"Thanks for coming so quickly. But weren't your busy acting as the grand elder's aide while Jamal is away?" Mrazivý said, a slight bit of concern in her eyes.
"No, it is no trouble. My first and most important duty is to act as your guide. The grand elder has plenty of aides to help him." Amira said.
She then took a seat across from Marcus and Mrazivý with her head guard standing behind her in the same defensive position he always did.
"Before we begin, the grand leader told me to give you his reply to your letter." Amira said, taking out a sheet of paper and handing it to Marcus and Mrazivý.
Reading it over, it was mostly just detailing that the grand elder understood their intention, but the way he wrote it showed just how pleased he was. Now that he was certain that Marcus and Mrazivý would be acting as the top contenders for the Eazim Clan, he could devote fighters to the other major tournaments without having to worry about losing face.
"The grand elder is quite excited about this year's Muharib Festival. Our clan is not one specializing in fighting like the Sulb Clan is, so our showing in the festival is not always the greatest. But this year, the grand elder believes that we will do quite well thanks to the addition of the two of you." Amira said.
Unlike in the past, the Eazim Clan would not have to enter two of their strongest warriors into the duo tournament and could instead place them into the singles or team tournament. Of course, they could not have Marcus and Mrazivý be their only participants in the duo tournament, but they certainly would not be entering any of their best, as it would be counterproductive if they got matched up with Marcus and Mrazivý.
"The Eazim Clan has already been very accommodating to us, so it only makes sense we try our best in the tournament for your sake. Plus, it aligns with our goals. As long as we can impress the Sulb Clan and get their permission to enter the Desolate Desert, we will have no complaints." Marcus said.
After that he moved the topic from the Muharib Festival to their plans for the upcoming days. They still had around a month before the festival began and there were many things that Marcus and Mrazivý wanted to do in that time.
"For today, I could show you around the estate's grounds. Tomorrow, I can show you around the city after the proper preparations have been made." Amira said.
"Sure, that sounds like fun. You already told us about the place, but we were hoping to look around the estate ourselves. Especially the gardens." Mrazivý replied.
With a relived look on her face, Amira was grateful that they had agreed. A small part of her was afraid that they would insist on seeing the city today, which would have bene difficult to plan and arrange.
With heir plans for the day settled, Amira got up and led the way to the nearest exit and brought Marcus and Mrazivý out into one of the large gardens that were spread throughout the estate.
"Since the ground are quite large, a carriage has been prepared to carry us." Amira said, beckoning Marcus and Mrazivý over to the ornate vehicle.
"I think we would rather wal- Ugh!"
Before Marcus could finish his sentence, Mrazivý had jammed her elbow into his side hard enough to get him to stop talking.
Certainly, it would have been more convenient for them to go at their own pace and they could see more by walking. However, doing so would force Amira to go along with them, and she did not have even close to as much stamina as they did since her level was still only in the single digits.
"We are most appreciative that your prepared a vehicle for us. Let us get in and begin our tour of the grounds." Mrazivý said, dragging Marcus towards the carriage while explaining with telepathy why walking would be an inconvenience for Amira and the other members of their entourage.
Swiftly they all got settled in and the carriage began slowly moving, first heading to an area where some of the native plants to Aezam where being grown and tended to.
In this section there were many different types of cacti, most of which had flowers blooming on them or were bright colors and had usual shapes.
There were also short trees with thin wispy leaves that looked like flowing water in the wind.
The majority of these plants were things neither Marcus nor Mrazivý had seen even when traversing the desert. Apparently, they were not found in the middle of the desert where they had been traveling, but closer to the rivers that snaked their way through the nation where their was at least some water.
"I suppose that it would be hard for any plants to grow in the middle of such an area where there is pretty much no water." Marcus said, remembering the endless sea of loose sand they had crossed.
Just like on Earth there were different types of deserts. Some where there was life all around and it was just an arid area, and others where it was so dry that there was pretty much no life other than around the few oases.
Among the cacti and trees a few of them had fruit on them and a couple of the servants that had been accompanying them prepared a few for them to try upon request.
"These are pretty good." Marcus said, enjoying the flavor.
They were not as sweet as most of the fruit he had eaten before having more mellow tastes and being filled with more liquid, but they still were quite refreshing, and he felt he could use them as complementary ingredients with certain foods.
For the next several hours Marcus and Mrazivý toured the garden that was filled with plants native to Aezam before stopping for lunch.
"The cuisine here really is quite exquisite. The chefs must be very talented to make such a wide array of dishes." Marcus said, having indulged in ever dish that had been served.
"Yes, the grand elder of our clan likely has the best chef in the country. He hired her from abroad, so she is a foreigner like both of you. I have not had too many occasions in the past to eat her food, but all of it is really good, and her repertoire is far greater than most in the nation since she has traveled all over the world." Amira said, happily discussing food with Marcus and Mrazivý.
"To tell you the truth, I have a passion for cook as well. It may only be a hobby of mind, but I have put a fair bit of effort into it. If it would be possible, do you think I could join her in the kitchen." Marcus asked, an enthusiastic expression on his face.
He had been doing his best to analyze the dishes that had been served to them, but having a professional teach him some recipes and their expertise would be invaluable.
"I can certainly pass your request along, but it will be up to her whether to accept or not. Other than the grand elder, she does not take orders from anyone." Amira said timidly.
She did not want to upset Marcus, but the head chef of the estate was a bit eccentric and rarely did anything she did not want to. It was more likely she would refuse to meet with him than it was that she would agree.
"Well, if she does not want to meet with me that is fine. I do have a number of rare ingredients from around the Chelmer Resort, so perhaps you can use that information to entice her." Marcus said, more than willing to bribe the estate's head chef if it got him a meeting.