"Hello. Just call me Nameless." Zeng Mu held out his hand and shook hands with the woman named Okelo.
"You weren't nearly this friendly the last time we met, were you?" Perhaps it was only because Malena and Qidunston were present that Zeng Mu dared muster the courage to ask. Had he been alone, he would never have spoken that way. After all, who knew what madness this woman might unleash? Her last warning was still fresh in his mind.
The sudden, provocative question merely drew a calm smile from Okelo. Then a little more admiration and appreciation entered her gaze as she looked at the young man before her. She showed no anger; instead, she said gently, "If I'd known last time that you were this Holy Banquet's champion, I wouldn't have said those things to you. I thought you were just some unremarkable, low-level Elementalist. I didn't expect you to have enough talent to earn even the Temple Master's praise."
Hearing that, Zeng Mu dared say nothing more. Her words made it clear that she simply regarded him as a little boy she could toy with as she pleased.
"By the way, Temple Master, who exactly was that man in the black robe? Why did he dare come to the Temple Capital twice? And what was that Red Bun? What sort of deals were this boy and the old woman from last time making with him?"
"Let's discuss it once we're back. It's too cold here. There's no better way to talk than over hot tea," Qidunston said.
The four brought the boy back to the palace. After handing him over to several guards to be settled and looked after, they went straight upstairs to the tea room in the Council Chamber on the top floor.
They sat