Chương 145: Stepping stone

"Fascinating. Astounding, really," Peony muttered, taking another long look at the curved sword on the table in front of her before flipping away the multiple magical lenses which were hovering in front of her eyes.

"What's so special about it, love?" Sun asked from her side where he had been inspecting the weapon along with his wife.

"Do not mistake me, it looks stunning. That slightly blue tint to the steel and the pearls at the crossguard make for a most pleasing combination. But I suppose that my most illustrious crafter wife can see a lot which I cannot."

"Not as stunning as you since rising to bronze rank, dear husband," Peony cooed, happy with the praise. Sun had reached bronze rank about half a year after the monster surge, the man keeping his leisurely progression with focus on gathering resources for the family rather than pushing himself at every opportunity. But as ranking up tended to do, Sun's pleasant features retained that quality to a greater degree than before. Kite had rarely seen someone who looked so approachable.

"But you are right in that it is not the outside that is the most fascinating part with these. The enchantments are old," Peony continued.

"I would bet that these were as customized as they come too. Although it almost feels ridiculous in how well they fit you, Kite. Are you sure that Fortune isn't smitten with you or something?"

"Vista actually told me a bit of the history when I received them," Kite supplied from where he sat next to Dragonfly in the other couple's living room.

"Apparently, their original wielder was a priest of Ocean who lived somewhere far to the south. He was a kind of affliction-based warrior with the squid essence, apparently using his multitude of limbs to deliver nasty poisons and curses. Since his passing, his family apparently had none suited to wield the blade, and it was bought and sold between collectors for a few decades before eventually ending up at the auction where Vista procured them."

"Well, the amount of echo quintessence which must have gone into this… Not just that either. I believe that plenty of more exotic materials will have gone into them too. Oh, just imagine what I'll be able to do once I reach silver. That trove of strange treasures you brought from the gate still keeps me up at night," Peony lamented.

"It's true. I've caught her mumbling in her sleep on which aspects of the… the… something-amber- " Sun began, trailing off as he struggled with the treasure's name.

"Amber of the Frozen Moment, dear," Peony supplied, giving Sun a consoling peck on the cheek.

"Oh, speaking of progress," Kite said, retrieving a pouch from a dimensional bag.

"Some more silver-ranked cores. From what I feel from you, Peony, you are close. Believe me when I say that investing in you reaching the same rank as me is worth every coin. I will need plenty of equipment in the years to come."

"Thank you, Kite, for your continued patronage," Peony said, putting a finger over Sun's lips to hush her husband's inevitable protests. She reached into the pouch and picked out one of the cores, which looked a lot like an uncut gemstone, and promptly started absorbing it. Through his magical perception, Kite could see the flakes of magic breaking off from the object before melting into the crafter's hand. The process would take some time though, and Peony kept it in her hand as the conversation continued.

"Speaking of patronage," Kite said, straightening a bit in his seat.

"I would like to extend an offer to the two of you. How would you like to become official members of the Autumn Wanderer's guild?"

"Oh? Oh!" Peony exclaimed as she processed his meaning.

"Really? You'd want us to join? I will assume that you'd welcome crafters then? Because you of all people, Kite, should know that I'm no courier."

"Also, we're quite well entrenched here," Sun added.

"I just can't see us moving to Gilded, even if it would be a nice opportunity."

"Indeed I do," Kite confirmed, looking at the pair.

"I wouldn't ask for you to uproot your life here in Bastion. In fact, I'm even hoping for your continued stay for the foreseeable future. One of the members, Noel, is actually on his way here as we speak. He will become the hallmaster of the Guild's Bastion branch."

"You're expanding then?" Sun asked.

"I would assume that the city lady has approved of this, then?"

"Both Lady Cyan and director Dobrazza have both approved of the guild's presence," Kite confirmed.

"Bloom has already agreed to join, and I would be happy to have the two of you in our ranks as well. We hope to recruit at least a couple more, even though I will leave it to Noel to select the candidates. I may be blessed with Sage as a way of finding resources, but even we can't just deliver essences and stones reliably enough to do any major recruitment drives just yet. And it might also be best to keep a relatively low profile and mostly stick to the far-flung contracts others tend to overlook.

If you join, you could more easily work towards stones and essences for other members of your family. And I'm sure that neither of you would complain about having yet another group of reliable customers." As Kite mentioned other members of the family, an odd look flickered across the faces of both Peony and Sun. While Kite refrained from peeking at their auras, such spiritual means were not necessary for him to be able to deduce a potential reason for their reaction. Still, he let them get to it at their own pace.

And since one of the pair was Peony, it took all of three seconds.

"Wouldn't that be perfect, Sun? Then we don't have to start saving at all for essences for the baby!" she cheered, her outburst as sudden as her joy was exuberant. Sun, the more private and reserved of the pair, got a bit of a strained expression at his wife's words. Still, his smile gradually brightened with pride as he apparently chose to lean into the sudden announcement.

"Love, maybe you should have begun in the other end and actually tell Kite and Dragonfly that we are expecting?"

"Dear, they are quick-witted adventurers. I'm sure that they got that from context!"

"We might indeed have gotten a slight hint. Right Dragonfly?" Kite said, smiling as his suspicions were proved correct. His smile widened even further as he saw the wide, glittering eyes of his companions, who held her hands to her mouth.

"Really? You're having a baby? That's wonderful!" Came the second outburst in short order, Dragonfly easily clearing the table in a single vault to land beside Peony, wrapping her up in a fierce hug. The pair became a squealing, happy mess, and Kite turned to Sun.

"My deepest congratulations, Sun. To the both of you."

"Thank you, Kite. We've been talking about it for so long, and with the way things have been going lately, we thought now was the time. The church of Fertility was quite expedient with it too, so the little one is happily growing in his vat, healthy as can be."

"I wanted to shout it from the rooftops the very first day, but Sun managed to keep me down," Peony added from where she was still hugging Dragonfly.

"It's almost inconvenient not out-ranking my husband anymore." The meeting devolved into an impromptu celebration, Dragonfly rushing off to get food and drinks for a much grander lunch than what they had previously planned. As the eating was finished, Kite interrupted the conversations by raising his cup.

"In light of the good news, and the soon-to-be newest members of the Autumn Wanderer's guild, I would like to propose a toast. May Fortune bless your little one, and all your endeavors. I may be going away for a while, but with this news, I will do so with an even lighter heart."

"And while you are away, I will make sure to cram as many cores into me as I can. Those ideas you told me about earlier are way too good to just leave waiting," Peony answered, clinking her cup to Kites.

"And I will make sure that my dear wife absorbs cores within the recommended limits according to the Magic Society guidelines," Sun added, clinking his cup to the pair.

"And I-" Dragonfly began, but halted as her cup touched the other three already raised.

"Well, I'm not sure what I'll do yet. But heavens as my witness, I will do my best to make it something impressive."

"To the future, then. May Fortune bless us all in whatever trials awaits us," Kite finished. Then, all four of them drank as one.

"Are you sure about this, senior brother?" Noel LanCaire asked where he stood next to Kite, gripping the handle of his sheathed sword as if his life depended on it.

"Oh, I would not worry. A little paint and attention from some carpenters will do wonders," Kite tried to reassure the man, looking at the building in front of them. The would-be guildhall was a former merchant family's townhouse, sold as the family was one of those who had fallen on harder times in recent years' financial chaos. It was located up at the Fifth step, a lot closer to the Adventure Society campus than Kite had expected to find.

Still, the building hadn't been properly maintained for at least a year, which was definitely showing.

"Not that, senior brother," Noel clarified, the overly serious young man's brows knit in concern.

"This whole endeavor. Me, leading a branch. I am still supremely honored by your faith in me, but I can't help thinking that there should be others more suitable than an early bronze-ranker like me." Kite turned to the young man and clapped a hand to his shoulder.

"Junior brother, may I ask you something?"

"O-of course, senior brother."

"Just Kite will do fine, Noel."

"I see… Then… Kite, what did you want to ask?"

"What did your mother counsel when your departure drew near?" Noel seemed a bit taken aback by the question, nervously attempting to push a strand of blonde hair back into his topknot as he answered.

"Well, she… She told me that she was proud of me. And she really seemed to mean it too. That she was happy that I had found my place here, and that this was something important which I could dedicate myself to. And that I should take my time and properly spread my roots here, not expecting a forest to grow in a single night. She also told me that she and dad would always support me, and help in whatever way they could." The younger man blushed a bit as he spoke, yet he powered through.

"I see. That is both touching and true," Kite said, easily imagining the maternal Fantina wrapping her son in the most comforting of hugs, stroking his hair as she praised him.

"And what about your father? What did Jarvan say?"

"Dad? Well, you know how he is…" Noel said, looking away.

"Oh I know indeed. Would you mind sharing?" Kite pressed gently.

"Well, he said that he always knew that I would go native, and that he really approved of at least one of his children assuming a position of leadership.

'Following in the footsteps of your most illustrious, handsome father'," Noel said, giving a spot-on imitation of Jarvan.

"But he also said that I would always be able to lean on them for help, and that I shouldn't be afraid to do the same on others that I trust. That the Adventure Society was built on such trust, and that it is in other people we find true purpose and the drive to do what is right." Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"That… is quite-" Kite began, but was interrupted as Noel blurted through the rest.

"Then he said that he would bring Rupert along to beat up anyone who made trouble for me, throwing them so far into the ocean that even a bronze-ranker would pass out from exhaustion before they could get back to shore. And his curses included at least five different deities. I chose not to include them." Kite couldn't help himself as he burst out laughing.

"Noel, your father is an impressive man in many ways. I think that his advice is worth heeding as well. And your mother's too," he said, trying to reassure the other man.

"And trust me in this; it never, ever hurts to have a higher-ranker or two who are willing to back you up," Kite finished with a wink.

"Still, I will not just leave you here," he continued as Noel seemed to relax somewhat.

"Me and Dragonfly will help you out during the final week before my departure, and she will check in with you from time to time. Bloom, Sun and Peony will also be here, and I will make sure that you know them before I leave. I believe in you too, Noel, much like your parents. You are honorable and earnest, and have a deep respect for the customs of this land. If anyone can bridge the gap that more conservative minds will attempt to put between themselves and the guild, it is you."

For a moment, the younger man almost looked to be on the verge of tears, but he took a steadying breath and truly looked Kite in the eyes for the first time during their conversation.

"Thank you, sen- Kite. I… needed to hear that. We have a lot to do in the upcoming week, then. I will make sure to make you proud of what you see upon your return." He turned back to the building, then paused as he seemed to remember something.

"Heavens, I almost forgot," Noel said as he rummaged through one of his dimensional pouches. Eventually, he produced a small box, which he held out to Kite.

"What is this then?" Kite asked curious, but got his answer even before opening it as Glint shot out from her bottle, just managing to stop herself before colliding with the wooden container. Opening it revealed the expected result, as a dozen glittering scales were laid out in a small pile, along with a tiny note.

"Oh? It seems like I have some bounties to pay," Kite said with a laugh as Glint happily began to dig in, sending small, joyful sprays of water into the air in gratitude. The note turned out to be a list of which members had contributed and what kind of remuneration they wished for.

"You've found five of them yourself, Noel? I'm impressed."

"Well, I am the one who moves the most along the streams, so I tried to stay vigilant," the young man said, a bit of embarrassment warring with pride on his features.

"Then compensating you should be a simple task. A sword, was it?" Kite asked.

"Nothing more specific?"

"The lotus has myriad petals, and I will wield myriad blades," Noel responded somberly.

"Anything you feel fitting will be a fine addition." Kite knew that Noel's sword essence had not yielded any sword conjurations, instead leaving him with a passive ability which strengthened and enhanced any sword he wielded. Much as Kite himself had to rely on different weapons, Noel too would stand to benefit from a bit of an arsenal to handle different threats. And, having sparred enough times with the younger man to know his power set, Kite believed that he had just the thing.

"Then I believe that I have an offer for you right away," Kite said, holding out his hands as a saber and sheath fell into it, its handle made of reddish metal.

"Unless you disapprove of not being its first wielder, Carmine Sunrise should serve you well. It was my constant companion during bronze rank, and I believe it should pair well with both your Sun breaks Horizon and Split the River." Noel didn't answer as he reverently held out his hands. He drew the blade and moved through a few slow, deliberate motions while Kite explained the enchantments of blade and sheath both.

Kite let him take his time, having met enough swordmasters during his adventuring career to know that they needed their time to show proper respect to their new implements. Then, with a swift, fluid motion, Noel sheathed the sword before turning to Kite and bowing.

"Thank you again, Kite. I will treasure it, and together we shall make sure that my path forges ever onward."

"Spoken like a true native," Kite said with a smile, nodding.

"I'm glad you liked it Noel. May you both take care of each other. The road towards the heavens is a long one, after all. But I have found it to be a lie that it has to be climbed alone." Kite took a long look out over his burgeoning family compound in the morning light. This was already a much larger home than his previous, and construction wasn't even near finishing yet.

"When I return, it might just be done. I wonder how long this will take? The few months they described? Or will I return home bearing the shame of rejection after just a week or two?" From where she was tied to the small ship-chariot which had become Kite's more recent means of long-distance travel, Glint sent him some feelings of encouragement. She had been more restless since her last influx of scales, as if she felt close to something other than their upcoming departure.

"Thank you Glint. I'm sure that they will have scrounged up some more scales for you when we return. The bounty still stands after all," he said, stroking the scales of her semi-draconic form.

"Are we ready then? Nothing forgotten? It always feels like I have forgotten something when I'm about to leave for a longer trip like this." Glint seemed to disagree, sending him sensations which seemed to say "Let's just go already!" And Kite did have to agree. With the exception of packing and the material, he had set things in motions and tied up loose threads. Noel was in place and the new guild hall was being renovated. Essences and stones remained deposited in the Adventure Society vaults.

He had met up with Brook, both to catch up and properly thank her for her assistance leading up to the gate. Everything was on par for the continued construction of the family compound, and Peony had plenty of cores and new materials for some of the projects they had discussed.

There had also been a good few relaxing days spent with Dragonfly, taking a pair of contracts and just existing together, before spending some time with his family while trying to imprint himself on little Raven in the hopes that she wouldn't forget about him. And during all of this, Kite had even managed to track down Braid and Wander when they visited the city, catching up with the pair.

"Still, I ought to check the pack for stowaways again," he mused.

"Wander seemed to be really jealous of me going abroad like that." He realized that he was stalling, and turned back to Glint and his transport.

"I suppose that it is time then, Glint. To new horizons undertakings. But only for a time, if all goes well. We have a lot of reasons to return, after all." Pristine Mirror, disciple of the Heavenly Shadow sect, had just returned to her chambers within the sect compound. The contract, while successful, had felt rather tedious and boring.

At least up until she had been able to not only find the information which she had been looking for, but also make sure that the fools from the Thunderous Soul sect were properly shown up. They had been hired to guard that particular shipment where the information crystals had been hidden, after all.

"Only more proof that brute force will be forever trumped by finesse and skill, at least in anything that really matters. Let those oafs keep on vaporizing monsters like the thugs they are," she said with a smirk, already thinking about what she would spend her newly earned sect contribution on when she noticed the missive which waited on a table in her quarters.

"When did this arrive?" Mirror asked aloud.

"Two days ago, disciple," came the reply from the normal-ranker who acted as her servant. The young man only had a single essence so far, and aimed to earn the rest through menial service to the sect. Even though his role was subservient, everyone knew him to be of a privileged few. Earning a set of essences, even cheaper ones, through a measly five years of servitude was way better than almost everyone else could expect.

"The sect is nothing if not generous," Mirror thought, turning to the younger man.

"Understood. Prepare a bath for me, then you are dismissed for an hour. You may use my access key to the library while I clean up."

"Th-thank you, disciple. I am both unworthy and grateful for your generosity," he replied, bowing furiously before hurrying off to do her bidding.

"Now, let's see what this is about then," Mirror mused, feeling good at sowing yet another seed of karma in her favor. That young man would be an iron-ranker and probably a member of the sect in but a few years, after all, and having him remember her favorably would only help down the line. Reading the missive, Mirror raised an eyebrow.

"Huh. So the Pathbreaker really did come here to the capital after all. One would think that he would know better, after humiliating the mistress and an elder of the family's Orchard branch. Such a preposterous name too. Do they give out grand meanings to just anyone in the backwaters up north?" With a sight, Mirror folded the paper and returned it to the table.

She'd rather just focus on her own contracts and advancement within the sect, but familial ties were an important cornerstone of the culture her sect was so diligently guarding against the outside forces. The mistress of the Orchard branch had been most irate in her communications regarding this Pathbreaker too, and Mirror had to do something to at least dilute the stain on the family's pride.

"But it can wait until after the bath," she thought, hearing the flow of water cease from the bathing room in her quarters while picking up the pleasant scent of floral oils added to the waters. But her mind was already fast at work thinking which proxies or other fools she could leverage into doing her work for her.

"The perfect act of the Heavenly Shadow sect is only felt but never seen, after all." Even with Glint's great speed zooming over forests, hills and rivers, the trip to the capital had still been a lengthy one. Having the small vessel all to himself had let Kite spend plenty of time reading and meditating, the memory of his meeting with the directors often in his thoughts when he had returned to them to accept a day after receiving the offer.

"Splendid! I knew that you would see the opportunity for what it was," Jarvan had said happily.

"I take it that you managed to resolve what caused your earlier… hesitation?"

"I did," Kite had said, not doubting that Jarvan had long since picked up on his and Dragonfly's closeness. They had met him while still at iron rank, after all. And from experiencing silver-ranked perception and aura senses first hand, Kite now knew that detecting the affections or lust of iron-ranked teenagers was something that you just couldn't miss, whether trying or not.

"Then, we need to send word to the administration of the continental council," Dobrazza had chimed in.

"With communications being what they are, you'll receive a rough estimate at best of when you need to be at the capital. It's probably best to be there early too, but a canny adventurer surely would not mind to get some time to peruse its trade halls and see the sights?" Kite had planned his departure with those words in mind, and as the trip had been blessedly free of misadventures, he was bound to arrive well ahead of when the portal courier was to be expected.

And as he was currently leaning out of an open window on his vessel, looking out over the sprawling cityscape before him, Kite quickly realized that even though he would have at least a week to spend here, it would only let him scratch the surface of what the city had to offer. Heavenward, the capital of Hua-Xi, sprawled out between a pair of rivers among the lush and fertile plains of the kingdom's heartlands.

Even from this distance, Kite could see several different estates and palaces larger than any he had seen before, and they were still utterly dwarfed by the most dominating feature of the city; the mountain. In the westernmost parts of the city, a distinctly stair-shaped and rather oblong mountain stood in stark contrast to the rather flat lands around it.

Each 'step' was big enough to house at least three city blocks, and the gargantuan stairs followed a winding path up towards the top, where the palace complex of the royal family took up every inch of available space. There were no doubts in Kite's mind that the edifice was entirely natural, but that didn't leave it any less impressive. From what he had learned from Vista, only a fraction of the city's inhabitants lived on the steps of the 'heavenly stairway'.

Each step housed citizens of a higher station than the next, allowing one to literally look down on one's inferiors.

"As Vista advised us to try and keep a low profile, it is safe to assume that we won't be visiting it anyway," Kite murmured. Neither the adventure or Magic Society had their compounds on the stairway, and given that the majority of the city resided at ground level, there would be little point either.

"Let's set down here, Glint. We better travel the last stretch on foot. Wouldn't want your beauty to garner too much undue attention." He could sense Glint's consternation at not getting to show off, but she still slowed down next to the well-traveled road which they had been flying above. They drew many a fascinated stare from other travelers or merchants while Kite let the enchanted boat shrink down to the size of a toy which he put into his dimensional bag.

Walking along the road, the city getting closer at a much more sedate pace, let Kite get a better appreciation for just how big it was.

"And to think that even he wouldn't be able to hold a candle to the adventuring capitals of the world," Kite said to Glint as he fed snacks into her bottle.

"I am truly a frog in a well. But I suppose that if things go well with the Task Group, there will be plenty of time to widen my horizons." After crossing a massive bridge which stretched across one of the two rivers, Kite also got a new appreciation for just how many more adventurers that were around. He sensed dozens of iron and bronze rankers, and at least ten silvers while he stood in the line for new arrivals.

Most of the essence users quickly passed him, wearing unknown sect colors or already having been cleared for entry due to other reasons. Kite half expected trouble upon entering, and while his Adventure Society badge earned him a scowl from the gate guard inspecting it, he was ushered through in short order. Inside, everything Kite had expected and more awaited him. Throngs of people walking back and forth, plenty of street vendors harking out their offers.

A plethora of impressions greeted him, and he was thankful for his silver-ranked spirit attribute which helped him filter and sort all the sensation.

"This does make one feel quite small," he murmured to Glint, who was peeking her head out of her bottle next to him. Feeling another sense of reassurance from the carp, as well as a thrum of impatience from Sage, Kite gathered himself, and stepped into the crowds. Heavenward awaited, and it was only the stepping stone, after all.