Chương 257: Glimpses of wedding preparations

"Come on, Nona! You're still mad?" Rachel Geller pleaded in a half-whisper as she hurried along in her cousin's wake while they weaved through the crowd of the busy atrium of the Adventure Society campus. Phiona Geller did not see fit to extend any manner of mercy to her cousin though, blue eyes staying honed in on her target; one of the functionaries currently working the contracts desk. Seeing that she was given no quarter by Phiona, Rachel instead turned her attention to the last member of their little trio.

"Mikayel? A little help?"

"My dedication to my lovely Phiona is only surpassed by my solemn vow not to get caught between the two of you," the handsome human man replied with a diplomatic smile, moving easily through the crowds even in his heavy armor enameled in varying shades of red.

"Kett might lend you a sympathizing ear though, but alas, he remains outside."

"If that's what it'll take for me to get some sympathy here, perhaps it would be worth demolishing parts of the door to make him fit…" Rachel grumbled, her only recourse as Phiona had reached the counter ahead of them, the distinct chill in her aura causing a team of bronze-rankers to almost throw themselves out of her way.

"Team name and contract?" the functionary asked, seeming unbothered even though her iron rank was far below the Geller in front of her, almost as if wrangling adventurers was her day job.

"Seekers of Verity returning with the Grindhagen contract," Phiona replied.

"Grindhagen… Grindhagen… Ah, I see. A recovery contract. And the object in question?" Without missing a beat, Phiona produced a chest that had honestly seen better days, its enchanted outsides seeming to have been violently corroded in places.

"Here, but in less than stellar condition. We will, of course, be accepting the deduction of payment."

"Hey now, Nona, we still don't know if it was really Missy's fault. That fungus-thing might have been the one to-""Cousin, our potential perpetrators for the damage are: a fungal monstrosity known for only corrupting and infesting living matter or a gigantic aegis cobra who not only swallowed the fungal monstrosity in question but whose gastric acid is known for its potency. Which of the two do you think is more likely?"

The comment was enough to silence Rachel, the red-haired Geller at least having the decency to look abashed while the functionary inspected the goods.

"Well, the Adventure Society appreciates your honesty. I'll make sure to try and keep the deduction as light as possible," she said, turning back to the trio that was the Seekers of Verity.

"Anything else?"

"No, thank you," Phiona stated, turning to move away when another voice called out.

"Wait, Anna. Did I hear Seekers of Verity?" It was another functionary who was hurrying over, a sealed missive in hand. The first functionary - apparently named Anna - gestured to the trio before taking on the next team in line while the elven man walked up and handed the letter to Phiona.

"Thank Fortune that I happened to be here. We got a missive for you just this morning. It has apparently bounced around between a few branches trying to catch up to you."

"Thank you?" Phiona asked, inspecting the letter. The seal upon it was unknown to her, but there was something about the missive - a rolled up scroll - that she thought she recognized.

"Only doing my job! Take care now!" With that, the man hurried off again, leaving the Seekers of Verity to move over to the side, Phiona unfurling the scroll while Rachel read over her shoulder.

"Oh! Oh! That's sooooo sweet!" the red-haired Geller soon squealed, grabbing Phiona's shoulders.

"We have to go, Nona, we just have to! Pleasepleaseplease! I'm sorry that Missy ate that fungus with the chest, I really am, but please don't hold it against-""Oh, be quiet. Of course we're going," Phiona said, silencing her cousin with a flick to the forehead.

"Yessss!" Rachel shouted, earning the group several looks from others nearby while Mikayel took the opportunity to inquire:"Dear, what is it?"

"It's an invitation. To a wedding, of all things," Phiona replied, her earlier annoyance at the embarrassment of turning in a less than ideal contract melting somewhat before the pang of nostalgia at reading the missive. Being called 'Teacher' sure did bring back memories.

"It might be your chance to get to visit one of the more tumultuous parts of my past. You did say that you wanted to see Hua-Xi one day, no?"

"Thank you, Priestess. It gladdens me to hear that our vision might be possible," Kite said as he and Dragonfly rose from their seats at the conclusion of their meeting.

"The mark of your union is a most thoughtful gesture, one appreciated by blessed Fertility herself," the priestess replied.

"The need for these is sadly never-ending. But you are absolutely sure that we cannot help the two of you with a child of your own too? We have some free vats, and plenty of coupling rooms with privacy formations."

"Thank you again for the offer, Priestess, but that will have to wait until after certain important business in our lives has been taken care of," Kite replied while Dragonfly furiously blushed at his side as she had glimpsed one of said rooms from the corner of her eye while they walked through the temple's entryway.

"A shame. My Lady has high hopes for the two of you in the future, as one of my sister priestesses has apparently vouched for you in this regard. But please, return home with Fertility's blessing, both on your upcoming union and the mark you mean to leave."

"Lavvy! Lavvy! Look! Look what I got!" Raven called, and while Laevyeth had already seen the tiny enchanted toy sword whose blade was nothing but harmless light and mist, she had already gleaned enough of the customs of this world to know the correct response.

"Such a fierce blade thou hast, little Raven," she said, exaggerating her interest.

"Surely it will fell many a mighty beast."

"Uhuh! Unstoppable force!" the little celestine girl loudly cried, her light blade passing harmlessly through a nearby bush before she charged off in search of more admirers of her recent gifts.

"I suppose that we will have to have a proper talk about not doing the same with anything solid, or Auntie Dove might be in for a bad time," Kite noted, walking over to stand next to Laevyeth where the outworlder stood looking at the now five year old child's little rampage throughout the gardens against an imaginary monster surge. Outside the compound, winter was in full swing, but the latest series of upgrades to the arrays now left the inside quite comfortable, much to the delight of Dove and her gardens.

"You look pensive though. Is everything allright?"

"I am quite well, but I thank thee nonetheless," Laevyeth replied.

"While a year has passed and I have the knowledge imparted to me by my Lord and by thou, I still find myself fascinated or puzzled by certain concepts. This tradition of celebrating the day of one's birth is one such thing."

"Oh?"

"Part of me can understand it; survival is never a guarantee, so a year lived is an accomplishment in a way. But then the gifts are often more sentimental or fanciful rather than things that might have increased the person's odds of surviving a year longer. An odd way to celebrate the accomplishment, at least to an outsider like me."

"That surely is one take on it," Kite agreed, thinking for a while.

"But it feels like there's more to it."

"From what I have gathered on social conventions, there usually are. Please, share thy thoughts."

"Well, I think it's not just about celebrating a year survived, conquered or whatever sentiment one might put into it," Kite said, unable to help his smile as Dragonfly joined Raven in her little game of 'dispatching' tendrils of Auntie Crow's hair who had taken up the role of monsters.

"I believe that part of it is also to thank the person for the year that has gone by and the moments we've had together or the thoughts we've sent to one another while apart. To add another hammer strike to the bond already forged, if you don't mind the metaphor." This time it was Laevyeth who was left in thought, the outworlder eventually nodding.

"That, Kite, is a sentiment that resonates with me. I… I believe that I would like to have a birthday too."

"-and yet I have the right. Do you dare argue, given how my master so far surpasses your own?"

"Bah! My master would crush yours in the arena. The last tournament was merely a fluke; as insignificant as it is unlikely. Master's path is growing by leaps and bounds!" Cloud Born of Cardinal Wind stood silent among the entourage of his assigned inner disciple in stoic support as she faced off against another of similar rank.

With their group being on their home turf, defending the honor of the Thunderous Soul sect became even more important given that the opposing group came from one of the other sects of the heartlands, although one without a true seat in the capital. The Eternal Ember sect had long vied for such a position though, their disciples taking any and all chances to prove themselves against their counterparts in the capital.

As such, what could have been merely a normal trip into the extensive trade pavilion of Heavenward's Adventure Society branch had now turned into a showdown between the two inner disciples while a bronze-ranked storeowner stood by in silent fright while subtly beginning to activate the protective formations of his stall. Cloud, on the other hand, was quite pleased with the development as the two inner disciples squared off.

His true superiors, not the elders of 'his' sect, had sent out new instructions recently to make sure to further fan these flames whenever possible, although it looked like Cloud's work would solve itself this time around as tempers rose. That was, until the disciple of the Eternal Ember sect suddenly made a move as unexpected as it was unwelcome.

"But in the end, is it not us disciples standing here arguing, not our masters," the man from the opposing sect said.

"And I do believe that we both have better things to do to prepare for the proving. I'm willing to compensate you for letting me procure this particular artifact from this merchant. Surely an awakening stone of fire would go far to alleviate any lingering resentment? We of such lofty stations always have initiates to care for and reward, no?" And as the shift in tone actually had Cloud's senior sister stopping to consider, Cloud realized that he had to step in.

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"As if Inner Disciple Creed here would allow herself and the sect to be insulted by such a haughty offer. We are wealthy beyond compare, our initiates already working towards the heavens with unsurpassed speed!" His outburst, ostensibly in pure outrage on the inner disciple's behalf, fortunately had the intended effect. Any hesitation was washed away as Creed straightened, aura sharpening.

"As you can see, the students of the Thunderous Soul sect actually value strength, not your baubles. This matter will not be settled with such trifles! Face me in a clash, or are you too cowardly to speak with your skill and not with your purse?!" From thereon out, things kept going along the lines Cloud predicted, and he hid his smile well as he and the rest of the entourage walked in the inner disciple's wake towards one of the sparring grounds.

Discord's gardens had been nourished this day, and given the orders of Cloud's superiors, the nourishment for its growth would only increase in the year to come.

"Ah, here we are," Mirabel Concente said, snow crunching beneath her impeccably polished boots.

"Ehm…" Grain said, following the instructor's gaze to the copse of seemingly ordinary trees.

"Instructor, with all respect, I'm not sure if there were any descriptions of the monster hiding out near or in woodland areas. Why would you have us begin here?" At the beginning of their practical examination to join the ranks of the Adventure Society, Grain and Scythe had both felt a bit terrified of the foreign official who had shown up to oversee their trial along with a few other prospective members of the guild.

Mirabel Concente had curly brown hair and a swarthy complexion that set her apart from most Hua-Xian natives - at least the humans - but it was most of all her bearing that was the intimidating factor; from her exotic long coat to polished boots, everything gave off the air of a stern teacher who saw right through you, aura or not. Just over a week into the test, most of this still held true, but with one exception; Mirabel Concente would not punish questions or inquiries, as long as they were polite.

So where Grain's question might have angered another, Instructor Concente instead turned and gave him a nod.

"Why indeed. Any suggestions?" The rest of the group were silent at first, before another of the iron-rankers - an elf woman named Snowfall Fawn, who Grain had learned had been a particularly brave herbalist of a small village before being scouted out by the guild - dared an answer.

"The sanguine creeper has recently fed, has it not? At least that's what the villagers said," she ventured, voice steady even though Grain could note how she nervously kept fiddling with a strand of dark blue hair in a way that he had found increasingly cute during their time spent together.

"According to the index, they tend to retreat into hidden caves when digesting, but as there are no cliffs nearby, perhaps the trees became a substitute. If you don't mind, Instructor, I believe that my path should be good for locating it. But given its nature, I will also require support." Instructor Concente weighed the request for a moment before nodding, gesturing to the others.

"Pick two more to go with you. The rest will observe from afar," she said, throwing one of the farsight crystals to Fawn, who activated it to float above her.

"Then… Grain, Scythe… Would you come with me?" It was only Scythe's light elbow to his side that managed to pull Grain out from being stunned by the elf's earnest plea, her freckled face trying to both convey confidence and hide the nervousness in a captivating mix.

"Ehm- ow- of course," he managed, even throwing a smile in there for good measure.

"Brother?"

"Can't just let you go off alone, now can I?"

"Good," Instructor Concente said, ignoring the youngsters' antics.

"May Knowledge guide your steps and blades alike, candidates. And remember, me coming here to test you as a favor to the guild might seem like preferential treatment. But given my standards, I can assure you that it is anything but." It was with those words ringing in their ears that the trio soon found themselves carefully entering the patch of woodland, snow lightly crunching beneath their feet while their breaths came out as puffs of vapor.

"Mistress Fawn, you mentioned your path? Any input?" Scythe asked, his round conjured shield - outline faintly glowing as if it exerted a pull on the air around it - already in place on his left arm as he unsheathed a short blade from his belt, the spear on his back being more a hindrance in the cramped quarters among the trees.

"Please, just Fawn. I'm nobody's mistress. Can't even believe I am here," the elf murmured in reply.

"That makes three of us," Grain agreed as he followed Scythe to take up positions next to her as Fawn put her hand on a nearby tree. His staff - made from carved wood with circular talismans attached near the top - felt heavy in his hands that somehow managed to feel sweaty even in the winter chill, but sending some of his mana circulating through the implement did cause him to calm down somewhat. Grain had magic now, and this was what those months of training had been for; the first step.

"I… There!" It only took Fawn a moment of focus before she raised her hand and pointed up into a tangle of branches a bit further into the clearing. Grain's nerves flared, but it was almost a relief to receive a target so soon. As such, the sudden shriek of something decidedly not human did not cause him to freeze, but to act.

A long, lashing tongue like a thorny vine passed by the glowing projectile that shot from Grain's staff going in opposite directions, but while the former was suddenly pulled towards Scythe's shield in a burst of mana, the magical bolt struck true. A scaled form jerked back in pain among the branches, falling halfway down the trunk before managing to catch itself with its clawed legs.

Grain found that the sanguine creeper indeed matched the descriptions of the index; a reptilian-like creature with scales like bark and limbs like vine. It was not red as the name might imply, but the many thorns across its body and the teeth filling its maw strongly hinted that it was anyone unlucky enough to encounter it unawares who would provide copious blood to justify its name.

The group also had the privilege of seeing said thorns and fangs up close as the beast charged for them, maw wide open, as Scythe strode forward to meet it while still contending with the lashing tongue. The pull of his shield helped him to somewhat fend off the flexible tendril, but a misstep had Scythe suffer a laceration across his right shoulder that managed to draw blood even though his armor made sure it was but a glancing hit.

The monster had also apparently not found Scythe to be the tastiest morsel around, and thus tried to dash around him and towards Grain who was circling out slightly to have a better angle of fire with his staff, but that was when Scythe's confluence essence proved worthy of its name.

"Singular boundary!" With a stomp of his foot, glowing lines of pale fire extended along the ground to either side of Scythe while a similar mark of white, wispy flames appeared branded on the monster. The lines moved along with their conjurer, creating a kind of moving, invisible wall with Scythe as its center. To Grain and most other creatures, the spell was a mere line on the ground, but to someone with the mark…

Crunch The sanguine creeper tried crossing the flickering boundary, only to crash into an invisible wall as cracks formed in the air upon impact. Grain sent another bolt of magic into it, this time the one from his spell, while Fawn also lent her aid in handling the stunned creature." Let lifeblood spilled nourish new growth!"

Another mark, this time made of bubbling red lines, joined the first and as Scythe then stabbed the creature with his short blade, the symbols lit up in a flash of red light that flowed from the monster into Scythe as his wounds started to heal. Boxed in and having trouble reaching anyone other than the armored younger brother, the monster was not long for this world and it soon fell to a barrage of magical bolts and Scythe's heavy special attack named Earthrender, courtesy of his earth essence.

"W-well done!" Grain managed, feeling all jittery as the thrill and fright of combat started to fade. With only three awakening stones absorbed neither him nor Scythe were anywhere near their full set, but seeing the silent, stoic pride of his younger brother as Fawn thanked him for taking the front line, Grain couldn't help but smile. They were at least well on their way. Now they only had to last through Instructor Concente's most precise criticism.

"- and have you heard about the bout yesterday? An unsanctioned one without an officiator, or at least that is what the rumors say."

"Alas, Young Mistress, I have not," Kite said helplessly, his answer much the same as with most of the other inquiries during the evening festivities.

"Aww, don't worry, Sentinel. We'll make a city man out of you yet, don't worry! It's not your fault that you were born and raised in the middle of nowhere," Young Mistress Lantern said, her words - while ostensibly ones of condescension - actually seeming to carry genuine concern for Kite's lack of opportunities to socialize and learn the latest gossip.

"Just tag along with me and I'll have you up to speed in no time!" Lantern Carried by Quiet Hope - or Young Mistress Lantern, when referring to her family name - had so far been one of the people Kite found quite decent during his time spent in the capital and the many functions leading up to the Grand Proving. She was in most ways like Will was in the early days, just… more… But compared to some of the other more sinister schemers he had had the misfortune to encounter, the young mistress at least seemed honest.

So Kite let her guide him along throughout the evening while getting exposed to a staggering amount of names dropped, trysts discovered and duels fought.

"It's somewhat heartening to see that the capital has its fair share of decent people too," he thought silently as he listened to his guide.

"Or is she just playing some kind of long game to use me in some social plot? Fortune preserve me, this place is starting to rub off on me…"

"See here, dear adopted cousin, isn't it the most wonderful thing you've ever laid your eyes on?" Little Crow cooed happily, unfolding the parasol in his hands before giving it a twirl, causing the beautiful landscape depicted on its surface to blur and liquefy, ready to depict whatever else its wielder desired.

"It sure is a work of art, but would you imagine anything less from Mistress Gleam?" Kite noted, impressed at the craftsmanship of the artifact. It looked like the most exquisite parasol he had ever laid his eyes on, but from what Little Crow had hinted earlier, the aesthetic enchantments were only the small tip of the metaphorical iceberg.

WWJS: [Item] Vivid Hues Canopy Hides Reaper's Touch Parasol Silver rank - (Growth) Legendary [Effect] Freely change the color and motif of the parasol [Effect] Extreme durability which can be further increased by paying a mana cost to protect the wielder from area attacks that would normally circumvent the defenses. Mana cost varies with intensity and duration of the attack. [Effect] Store conjured projectiles inside the parasol along with any special attack currently charged into them.

The storage has a limited capacity, with the mana and stamina cost of a stored projectile determining the space occupied inside. Freely discharge any projectiles stored inside at will. [Effect] Self-repair, the pace of which can be increased by consuming stored projectiles.

"From what you've told me of your last parasol, the enchantments on this don't sound like they differ too much with the exception of the protective ones," Kite noted as he continued his inspection, the assassin happy to show off his new treasure from every angle.

"Well, as the last piece was a commission as well, that isn't surprising. It was already one of my more brilliant ideas, but the execution of this one… Well, let me say that Mistress Gleam seems to have found a worthy challenge in forcing these materials into such a graceful shape," Little Crow said, smile turning a bit wicked as he continued.

"If my last parasol could store the breeze, now I can harness a hurricane as long as I have enough time for preparations. And for an assassin like me who hopes to continue plying his trade throughout the ranks, it's starting to get incredibly annoying to deliver that first burst of damage through essence powers alone. But a few hundred exploding needles in a directed burst?"

"Alright, alright, consider me convinced," Kite said, raising his hands placatingly.

"And the durability?"

"Unfortunately, there are plenty of cases where not even said few hundred needles will be enough, and neither stealth nor grace can save me from their attempted retribution," Little Crow replied, glee transitioning to lamentation in a heartbeat.

"So it doesn't hurt to have a little portable wall of my own, as you're not around all the time. But I suppose that hunting for restricted essence users all across the world, managing local politics and overseeing a guild all while planning a wedding might be a reasonable excuse. With spring now upon us it's drawing close now, no?"

"Oh, it is. Some of the more far-flung guests have already arrived."

"Dragonfly's master?"

"Indeed. One would almost think that you belonged to a family whose web of information is only dwarfed by the reach of your knives in the dark," Kite said with a smile.

"But a few others too, actually. One of my old teachers, her cousin and their new teammate portaled into Bastion last week. Quite nostalgic, meeting again now as silvers."

"Wait, the Gellers? You've told me about them. Are they staying with you? The cousin you described, Rachel, was quite a beauty, no? You'll have to introduce me, dear adopted cousin, so that beauty can meet style in a match to make the heavens tremble!"

"Hah, well if Rachel is anything like before, you might be in for more than you bargained for," Kite said, unable to help his smile at imagining the scene.

"But alas, you will have to wait for a while. They'll tour the north for a while before settling down at my compound around a week before the wedding itself. And… Well, from the sound of it you might be out of luck, as the fair Lady Geller… How did she phrase it? Had to 'inspect how the cutest butt she'd seen during all of bronze rank held up in silver'. So Vista might be in for quite the experience."

"Bah, I'll have you know that none shall prove my match in that regard in all of the kingdom! Consider the challenge accepted."

"... I truly didn't mean…"

"No matter!" Little Crow said with another twirl of the parasol and toss of his onyx hair, eyes gleaming as he continued.

"I'll see you in a month or two then, dear cousin. This wedding of yours draws near, and I will make sure that it is most eventful."