A small cordon had appeared around the base of the Ferris wheel by the time Gaius’ capsule reached it. Along with it came a curious crowd, filled with people who bore hallmarks of high society through attire, mannerism or both. It went without saying that they had been drawn here through the professional-looking escorts, which, if Gaius ran with the more popular plots of Orb’s stories and plays, stank of a runaway noble.

“So,” said Gaius, “you’ve drawn a huge crowd, Pinnacle Kolya. And you, evidently, are an incredibly eligible bachelor that many would fall over themselves to…pluck. The situation we are in now can be construed and reinterpreted over and over for juicy gossip.”

The ruler of the Mortal Light Dynasty rubbed his head. “Any ideas?”

“Well, you should have the authority to fly in the capital, right?” Gaius asked.

“Uh-huh.”

“And you’re rich, no?”

“Obviously?”

Gaius grinned. With a single punch, a glass window turned into ultra-fine dust, which he gathered into a fine ball with some qi. He gestured at the opening and smiled. “You better pay whoever owns this Ferris wheel their compensation, or else I’ll visit you with some fists during the ball. Capiche?”

The boy ignored Isabelle, who was trembling with suppressed mirth, and Nakama, who was trying to mimic Gaius’ punch with a look of adoration on her face.

“I…should have thought of that myself, eh?” The Pinnacle shook his head, before poking it out of the opening Gaius had created. “I’m still a law-abiding citizen at heart after all.”

“That’s a good thing. The rule of law stands only when the highest are bound by it. It’s the mark of a good ruler,” said Gaius.

Pinnacle Kolya looked at him evenly for a moment, and then stepped out of the capsule. Crossing his arms, he floated in mid-air, and the two watched as the distance between them grew. There were a few shouts as someone below caught sight of their ruler, and the crowd began to grow as Kolya waved back at them, doing a few backflips and blowing some kisses.

“What a charmer,” Gaius murmured. “He’s definitely one of the popular kids when he was on Earth.”

“You assume he is as young as he looks,” said Isabelle. “But the current Pinnacle probably has been around for a century or so.”

Gaius felt something bitter in his mouth. Covering Nakama’s ears, the boy swore a few choice words, and then flung himself back down on his own seat. “Let’s go get some formal attire after this, and then we’ll go back.”

The boy’s stony face was apparently enough to dissuade the others from disobeying his words. Passing ten gold coins to a surprised attendant as they disembarked, Gaius flickered through the crowd, which was completely taken by the Pinnacle’s antics. Few had noticed that the three of them had gotten off the very capsule that their ruler had flown out for, which was a good thing for them.

It would seem that Pinnacle Kolya at least knew about the inconvenience he brought with him. His guards had also been drawn away from the place, and most of them were attempting an impromptu crowd control, preventing the adoring masses from getting too close.

“Alright, let’s go before things turn even more heated,” Gaius murmured. Herding the others out, Gaius led them away from the amusement park, promising Nakama that they’ll make another visit once they return from the South. The boy was somewhat uneasy at the Pinnacle and the person he referred to as the Oracle, especially the latter’s unique Skill, but it wasn’t like he could do anything about them right now.

“What’s on your mind, Gaius?” Isabelle asked, as they entered a shopping district. “You’re very distracted.”

“I am?” The boy frowned. “It’s probably the fact that someone capable of finding out my whereabouts through their Skill exists. Privacy is important, right?”

“Well, at least they don’t seem hostile,” Isabelle replied.

Nakama nodded seriously. “No fighting!”

“I know.” Gaius smiled and rubbed her head. “Besides, being hostile to the ruler of this nation isn’t going to get me far anyway. I like it here, all things considered, and this is the most stable place in the Five Lands.”

After spending five minutes or so in the shopping district, the trio found an apparel shop that suited their sensibilities. The clothes on display didn’t seem too glitzy, and to Gaius, the dark colours used resonated with his desire to stay under the radar.

And maybe, it was a subconscious desire for him to dress according to his mental age. Grinning to himself, the boy herded the others into the shop, where an assistant, a butler-like fella a bit older than Isabelle, greeted them cheerfully

“Welcome to the Pinnacle’s Panoply! We have the best range of clothes here, all favoured by the Pinnacle himself! We have a proven record of…”

Gaius tuned the following words out, but after sparing a glance at the legitimate-looking invoices that were pinned to the entrance, the boy was somewhat intrigued. Well, even if it was a lie, the fact remained that their clothes were quite close to what he wanted.

“Isabelle, can you handle this?” Gaius asked. He wasn’t too sure about all these formal things — it would be better to leave it to someone with more experience. “The cost isn’t an issue, and I think you’d prefer it if you wore something really nice when you see your family in the South, no?”

“You got me.” Isabelle raised her hands, a cheerful smile on her face. “Come on, let’s get you two measured and suited up. This place looks like one of those high-class, secret shops I’ve read about; we can expect much from here.”

Her fingers fluttered, and a lovely expression floated onto her face. Gaius stared at it for a moment, and then realised that it was the exact same expression that Nakama had when she was dressing up Nexus. After giving a few whispered orders to the attendant following them, the man left and returned with an entire rack of clothes, bringing yet another rack shortly afterwards.

“Wait,” said Gaius, “I don’t want to spend more than thirty minu—”

Isabelle put a finger on his lips. “Nuh-uh. You need to look the part. I’ll spend hours if I have to.”

Before the boy could protest any further, Isabelle had taken Nakama with her, heading towards the dressing room. The boy looked at the rack of clothes, the annoyingly-polite man beside them, and then reached out for one reluctantly.