It took them nearly an hour to find the building that Ayjax had shown him. It wasn't that the paths were confusing or hard to follow. There, instead, were simply too many of them. It also didn't help that the majority of the city was built ascending the mountain. As a result, the building turned out to be at a much higher elevation than he had previously thought.
A courtyard led up to the biggest structure they had seen yet. Red was pretty sure it was also one of the most intricately designed. The double-storied building stretched off in both directions. A stone wall ringed the area with a brick path leading up to the front door. This area of the Fallen Isles was much less crowded than closer to the decks. There were still people walking in and out of the front door occasionally, but they were few and far between.
"I believe this is the office of Captain Finn Crest," Derrin remarked, pausing as they began walking up the path toward the entrance.
To their left, a carefully crafted garden filled one side of the courtyard, and Red saw several pathways branching toward it. On their right, an outdoor plaza centered on a fountain came into view. Benches surrounded the fountain, and a few people were seated there, talking quietly as the group passed by.
"And, Who's that?" Red continued eyeing the marvelous architecture.
Derrin swallowed abruptly, "I guess I don't know what I expected. You didn't recognize Ayjax Sentura either."
He paused and turned to Red, "Captain Finn Crest is the de facto leader of Valencia. He also has a leading role in the Grand Nautical Academy. Needless to say, if you thought that Ayjax was important…well, he's nothing compared to this man. I'd be careful if I were you. I don't really know the relationship between the two of them, but…just be careful of any offers. You never know what's hidden in the fine print."
"I see what you mean. I need to be careful because who knows if this guy eats crescents or not," he remarked offhandedly.
Derrin twitched and seemed to barely be able to hold his tongue as they reached the open door. Red couldn't help but be momentarily taken aback. Compared to the tiny restaurant, the interior of this building was totally different. For one, it was far less focused on such exaggerated interiors like "So Croissant." Instead, the room they entered looked like an office. It was a tiny office at that.
Red scratched his head and stepped forward, about to ask the receptionist what they were supposed to do. Before he could speak, Ayjax appeared in front of them.
"That was perfect timing," he glanced at Derrin momentarily, "Follow me."
The man sitting at the reception desk didn't even glance in their direction as Ayjax led the two of them through a door. What they stepped into was anything but a normal office. It was exactly how Red imagined a pirate's home to look.
A desk sat in the middle of the room, made of a strange wood. Unlike Ayjax's desk, this one was actually covered with papers. That was noticed at a preliminary glance. It wasn't what truly caught his attention.
The room was filled with maps, chests, armor stands, and a hundred other things. It all looked like collector's items. Red could only guess how much some of these items were worth. Far more than his empty pockets.
Ayjax shut the door behind them, and his eyes locked on the man standing casually behind the desk. A long red coat hung down the lanky man's figure. It was embellished with golden rings and emblems that pronounced the blood red shimmer of the coat. Red realized it was the same color as his own coat, only brand new, unlike his aged one.
A golden belt buckle held the man's exquisite garment tightly around his waist. His hair twisted downwards in sandy spirals that were speckled with white. It was further enhanced by the white feather that twirled out of his black tricorne hat. Despite his wiry figure, there was a tenseness to his posture that Red recognized from Derrin. That was all it took to know the man was battle-hardened.
Red's gaze shifted to the Valencian curved blade that hung from Finn's belt. It all reinforced the authority this man held. Derrin's words rang through his mind in warning. Despite the man's expensive outfit, Red couldn't help but stare at his crooked nose. He'd seen broken noses before, but this man's nose looked like it had been broken every day for the past 50 years.
Despite all of his striking features, there was one that stood out from the rest. Where his left hand was supposed to be was a glowing blue construct held together by the man's seacore. To be able to hold something like that together showed true strength. Unlike Ayjax, Red couldn't sense anything from the man. That meant one of two things. Either he was much stronger than Ayjax, or Ayjax was simply a show-off. Probably the latter.
"Redwynn Tidespinn. I knew your parents, you know. They were good people, and I didn't even know they had kids. I hope that you can get along with me just like they did," Finn Crest spoke in a tight voice.
Ayjax grunted, and Finn gave him a sharp look.
During his brief time with Derrin, Red had learned to value his advice. His advice about being careful was definitely valid. Apparently, he was standing in front of essentially a king, even if he didn't look it. Red didn't know much about kings, but he knew enough about nobles to know that they were always after something. That meant everything that was said could be an attempt to manipulate him. Ayjax didn't seem like that type of person, but this Finn Crest was something else entirely.
In the few moments since they had arrived, he picked up a few things. Firstly, Finn was another person who knew more about his parents than he did. That irritated him. This was a minor concern, however. More importantly, Red focused on the response that Ayjax gave. There was something there, but Red wasn't sure what.
"Uh, nice to meet you," Red said, startled when Derrin secretly poked him in the back.
Finn smiled a smile that was so pleasant it was unnerving, "And you, Derrin Oren. A Montrelan soldier on my island. I didn't foresee that happening so unexpectedly. Ayjax has thoroughly informed of your supposed exploits. You have my regards. Anyone who hunts those blasted creaking robots has my utmost respect."
So, Finn hated the Gearborn as well. He also seemed to have a very different view of Derrin than Ayjax did. Ayjax had shown him hostility, but Finn seemed far more accommodating. That may have been him simply wanting Derrin for information. However, Red tended to trust his intuition. It had never led him astray before…except for getting him kidnapped by the Gearborn, and a few other times.
"Thank you, Captain. I do not deserve your praise," Derrin respectfully replied as he performed a slight bow.
"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Finn's gaze fixed on Red, "Ayjax has told me about your ordeal the past few days. I must say the fact that you are both still with us at all is impressive."
Red wondered where exactly this was going. No one ever laid on this many compliments unless there was something they wanted. But what could a ruler on this scale want from him? He needed to figure that out and fast. Otherwise, he might find himself doing something that he definitely did not belong doing.
"What are your plans now that you've arrived here?" Finn's question was directed at him.
Red swallowed, "I guess I want to finish working on my engineering project now that I have the possibility to obtain the rest of the necessary materials."
"You're an engineer, huh? Not sure why I expected something more. You didn't tell me this, Ayjax," Finn remarked.
His eyes narrowed unintentionally. So much for the heavy compliments. For some reason, he was now acting unimpressed. Red wasn't sure what the man's game was, but it was starting to get annoying, especially because he couldn't say whatever he wanted without repercussions.
Ayjax shifted uncomfortably, "I didn't tell you that because I don't know a damn thing about engineering. However, Torrent seems to speak highly of his skills, and I will trust my ship."
Finn waved his hand, "That is fine, Ayjax. But it doesn't really matter. Anything related to core engineering is very dangerous. There is a reason that only those with the proper certification are allowed to perform that research. That I can guarantee is not present…"
Red frowned. He was starting to wonder why Ayjax brought him here in the first place. Finn seemed to have totally switched his tune. He didn't even know what to say at this point. However, he was beginning to lose his cool. Normally, he would never have let someone say this much crap to him without responding. Finn was important, very important, so he was trying to hold his tongue.
He opened his mouth to speak, but Ayjax beat him to it, "Captain, what is the meaning of this?"
His voice held a hint of irritation. Red shifted uncomfortably. It felt weird having the big man stand up for him. He had expected Ayjax to simply let Finn continue belittling him. Ayjax seemed to have had enough.
"That's the sort of question I have for you, Ayjax," Finn sighed, "I do not know what you expected to happen here."
"You know exactly what I wanted you to do!" He growled.
Finn shook his head, "That isn't happening, Ayjax. Even if I could still send more to the academy, I wouldn't send him. Our priorities are on other things, not engineering, in case you have forgotten. Now, Derrin here. I'd actually be willing to send, if he wasn't too old."
"What exactly are you talking about? What academy?" Red had had enough of sitting in silence.
Finn turned his head in disdain, "The Grand Nautical Academy is the premier school across the entirety of the seven seas. Unfortunately, you are not exactly the sort we are looking for in students."
Ayjax growled, "What exactly does that mean, Captain?"
At this point, Red had given up believing that Finn cared at all what he did. That was a good thing. He didn't want anything to do with this man. A manipulator with power was dangerous. Even worse were those who constantly looked down on everyone else.
"It doesn't matter," Finn glared at Ayjax, "I thought you were bringing the boy to impress me or something. However, I think I've seen enough…we have far more important matters to discuss. Those Gearborn need to be dealt with. If there is more, then we can speak on it after they are dealt with."
Ayjax scowled, "Very well. Red, I will speak with you later. You can get a room at the Burning Lotus. It is down by the docks. You likely passed it on your way here. Just tell them I sent you. Derrin, you go with him."
Ayjax didn't take his eyes off of Finn until they left the room.
As they exited, Red's thoughts were a jumbled mess. He wasn't sure how he felt about what had just happened.
"I was not expecting things to go like that," Derrin said as they left the building.
"Why do you say that?"
"That school is the most well-known academy across the seven seas. It is focused on teaching students how to fight for one, but that isn't the only thing. One of the school's major focuses is on engineering. Considering your background, that should have been a given."
"He seemed kind of cranky," Red muttered, his eyes narrowing.
"You should not say things like that about the captain. Especially not one of his renown."
Red shrugged, "Ayjax didn't seem very happy about his response either. I'm just glad that I don't have to deal with that personality. He seems like he chews on lemons for fun."
"You know what lemons are?"
"Of course I know what lemons are! Do you think I live in a box?"
"I mean…you hadn't seen a scrambled egg before…"
"Not my fault, your food looks like slop. Now I know why you expected the Gearborn's food to taste normal."