Chương 262: We have a Wander

As he emerged from the green pavilion belonging to the guild and laid eyes on the entourage of essence-users in sect robes arrayed before him, Kite felt as if he was transported back in time to the gates outside Gilded and his first meeting with Mistress Dew. But where his memory showed a group of iron-rankers, three of those before him were silvers while the others were bronze and clearly in a subservient position to the lead trio.

Their robes and armor were bedecked in purples and grays, and while Kite had never before met someone from their sect, he had heard of it. The Thousand Echoes sect was apparently a decently sized one, presiding over a territory to the south and east of Heavenward. But that territory was just at the edge of what was generally considered the heartlands of the kingdom, indicating that the sect was among the less influential in that inner circle.

With no chance at claiming part of the capital's territory for themselves, the Thousand Echoes sect was left to clawing their way up the ladders of power through other means and shows of force. And Kite suspected that they might intend for his guild to be just that.

"So, the outcasts who spit upon tradition like this dare to actually show themselves?" the woman at the fore called, her aura that of a peak silver-ranker slightly above Kite himself. She was a celestine who shared Serene's hues of green jade in her hair and eyes, though the colors looked off to Kite on the haughty and posturing face before him compared to that of his friend.

"For my deeds, I have been named Shade Cast by Mercy's Wing, personal disciple of a venerable grand elder and one of our sect's chosen for the Grand Proving. Who are you, outcasts?" While the trio were certainly trying to be intimidating in their auras as well as in their attitudes, their bronze hangers-on were merely giving moral support as their own auras were simply not up to the task.

Kite had spent enough time on the soirées, gatherings and other such functions in the capital during the past few years to know that there were only two proper options in this scenario: a counterattack or a deflection. Any kind of evasiveness would be seen as weakness and only lead to more trouble, if only on the social level. But counterattacks, he had learned, could come in many shapes and forms. And during the years gone by there had been one kind which Kite had found himself best suited to.

"Truly? Then we greet the personal disciple," he said while giving a precise formal bow while channeling his most earnest calm.

"I have been named Pathbreaker, the Sentinel of the Gates. And this here is my wife, the Flower Blooming in Flames." At her announcement using the name which Sprite had given her, Dragonfly played her part well as she mimicked Kite's calm relaxation.

"We are most pleased to get to meet another contender. May this Grand Proving bring you much tempering and growth." His and Dragonfly's lack of… most anything, really, seemed to take the disciple aback a bit, finding neither nervousness nor challenge in their tone to latch onto. Kite liked to think of it as a social equivalent of his dispelling powers, leaving the social initiative unshifted.

"So, the rumors were true then? The King really gave an outcast such a title? I must say, standing before you, I am not impressed."

"Who am I to question the judgment of such a worthy figure? It is simply an epithet to which I will have to strive my utmost to live up to, as will we all on our journey towards the heavens," Kite replied, keeping his stride while trying to make the subtle pressure of the lack of progress in the conversation mount.

"Still, it was quite an honor, one I hope that you will one day experience." As those last words left his mouth though, Kite realized almost instantly that he had pushed just a bit too hard as the delicate and almost carefree balance was shattered. Because while his tone did not give anything of the like away, it wasn't too much of a stretch for one to interpret the words as a thinly veiled, barbed boast.

"And who are you, outcast, to try to lord over the chosen of a time-tested and honored sect such as myself like that?" disciple Shade replied, her voice turning frosty.

"I have no idea how you stole an opportunity meant for your betters, but to then have the gall to throw it around like that? Shameful. I suspected I might have to put you in your place, and it seems I was right. I, Shade of Mercy's Wing, challenge-""Please, children, curb your enthusiasm and save that for the Proving," a voice suddenly interjected as a gold-ranked aura swept over all of those gathered outside the guild pavilion.

One Kite instantly recognized as Mistress Dew seemed to suddenly appear in between the two groups, an eyebrow raised as she threw Kite a quick glance which conveyed 'You don't know me' in no uncertain terms.

"Keeping the peace here will have to be a joint venture in which we all partake. I shall not have your quarreling disturb my students while they are amidst their preparations."

"A-apologies, honored Sect Leader!" Kite called in reply, bowing deeply as everyone present did the same while the poor bronze-rankers mostly staggered as they tried to keep a rein on their faculties.

"Yes, Sect Leader. I apologize that the outcast forcing my hand like that took up a moment of your time," Shade of Mercy's Wing followed up.

"I was just about to make him see some proper respect-""And I apparently need to express myself more clearly," Mistress Dew broke in, lashing the silver-ranker with her aura as one might the fingers of a child unable to keep them in check.

"No fighting here. Keep it to the arena. Am I clear? Now both of you return to your accommodations. I'd better not find you lingering and trying to settle things after I've left." Mistress Dew backed this up by slowly starting to mount the pressure of her aura, causing the group from the Thousand Echoes sect to retreat while Kite and Dragonfly likewise made for the entrance of their pavilion again.

His former teacher shot Kite one final look saying that they would talk later and more privately, giving him one final wink before she conjured an ice crystal and stepped into it, teleporting away.

"Sounds like I should thank Frost Among Morning Dew for her deft intervention," Anasta Temren remarked as the pair got back inside.

"I'm sorry for my lack of help in the matter, but arriving here incognito would be quite pointless if I proceeded to go out and whip some sense into a few precocious silvers. You almost had her enough on the backfoot to diffuse the situation too. Almost."

"I'm quite aware…" Kite sighed.

"When they come at me like that with the clear intent of causing a scene no matter what I say, it feels like I have to walk a balancing act that is beyond me for a chance to avoid it."

"So what would you have done if your former teacher hadn't stepped in?"

"Honestly? I would have fought her. We're still trying to keep people under the assumption that I will be the one fighting in the Proving, making the appearance of Soul an even nastier surprise. She has fought plenty of people who seek out her arena, sure, but so far there haven't been many from the heartlands. And I'm unsure whether anyone would actually believe the stories of those few upon their return."

In response, Anasta only sighed and sat down in one of the now free seats before accepting a drink from Walker.

"You're making a disturbing kind of sense, one I don't wish to acknowledge. Gods, am I going native? Can dueling left and right really be a solution at times?" the gold-ranker grumbled before collecting herself and addressing the whole room once more.

"But I digress. With that little disturbance out of the way, we can finally get to business. Because I assume that you can handle them when they inevitably try to ambush you without any friendly gold-rankers nearby, Kite?"

"I believe so, Director."

"Good. Now to the matter behind the curtains which will be my actual headache this Proving, atop the fact that a sizeable portion of the kingdom's silver- and gold-rankers are congregating in the capital," Anasta continued, steepling her fingers.

"You've all been briefed on the basics beforehand, yes?" A collection of murmurs of assent and nods followed, Wander speaking up.

"We're supposed to stay on our toes and sniff out anything and everything we can find pulling strings behind the scenes, yes? Trust me, I'm very good at that. All over. All at once~""Indeed," Anasta agreed.

"However frustrating it might be, we're unfortunately still mostly reacting as things stand. This isn't due to a lack of leads, but too many of them. With so many powerful people present in the city, the normal scheming is reaching new heights as scores and vendettas are to be settled while takeovers and other such maneuvers become the norm. You will need to use your judgment in where to intervene and investigate and what to simply leave be.

We are looking for the agents of Discord and their allies, not common schemes and rivalries. The Tengu's clan keep working to snap up everything that might fall between the cracks now that things are more chaotic in the capital, and I expect you to be ready at a moment's notice if leads come up, while you have the mandate to act as you see fit without consulting me first."

"That is quite trusting of you, Director. We shall aim to please," Little Crow responded with his usual smile.

"As will my family in their continued efforts, of course."

"I do not doubt that. Trying to micro-manage something as complicated as this would only backfire. But as such, I trust you all not to make me regret that," Anasta countered, pointedly not looking at River in the corner.

"Do you have any preliminary plans of your own?"

"Indeed. One that the disciples just now almost played right into," Kite said.

"As the Proving draws just a little bit closer, we won't mind creating a bit of a stir with some duels outside the competitions. Those students of the Thousand Echoes Sect came at us a little too quickly for me to disregard it as mere happenstance. And as others might do the same, whether they target us or others, River and Little Crow will be hard at work in trying to discover any oddities.

Compared to the other silver-ranked agents around, we also have a distinct advantage when it comes to casting our net the widest."

"Which is?"

"Me~!" Wanders many bodies then hollered in turn, a happy cacophony of squeaks while several rat bodies flexed and preened.

"Her," Kite agreed.

"They might have preparations and an army of hidden assets. But we? We have a Wander." Ametrine Wreathed in Dreams of Silk enjoyed being a gold-ranker.

This might be self-evident, given the power and capabilities of even a core-user such as herself, but as she sat just behind her King while looking out over the cramped stands of Hua-Xi's most venerable arena where the monarch himself had fought in a clash for the throne a few years back it was hard to not enjoy the sheer sense of control simply through the gift of perception itself.

While there were too many other gold-rankers present for her to dare use her aura too freely, years of practice in observation let Ametrine pick out anyone she wished in the crowd as she learned a lot about them simply through the small details of their exteriors or the way they held themselves.

The rivalry between sect leaders and elders was obvious enough given the pointed glares or purposefully not looking in each others' direction from where the different sects, contenders and all their hangers-on filled the stands of the old arena along with the affluent families of the capital and surrounding cities who wanted to be part of things even though they weren't contending.

But beneath that layer of posturing there were other, more subtle layers to be found, and those were the ones Ametrine delighted in the most. To see the furtive glances of hidden dalliances, the slight shaking of a hand revealing specific fears or perhaps even more sinister calculated looks. These surface level clues made for excellent threads to pull on for the agents of Ametrine and the rest of the council, working with numbers rather than specifics in order to keep the tensions rising.

The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. One of the more interesting silver-rankers present was of course the little Pathbreaker who sat in the small section of the stands reserved for their guild, with plenty of looks of distaste shot their way by more traditionally minded participants.

She was pleased that their guild had taken up the offer, and initial actions from the agents of Black Wood Mask had already exposed a potential connection between the guild and the sect leader of the Fated Severance sect that warranted further investigation, albeit carefully. Frost Among morning Dew was a gold-ranker, after all.

But at that moment, while she waited for her King to make his opening introduction to the Grand Proving and formally begin the event, there was another vague thread of connection that was revealed to Ametrine as she let her practiced attention pick up as much detail as possible.

"Interesting…" she thought to herself as she noticed yet another glance from a certain other gold-ranker towards the Autumn Wanderer's guild and the Pathbreaker in particular.

"Ardent Horizon Seeker… What is your connection to these little upstarts?" Ametrine let her gaze shift back and forth between the two a few dozen times, lingering on each of them as a theory started forming in her mind.

"Oh? Could it be? That would be most interesting. Most interesting indeed." Her King rising and walking up to the railing of the royal box stopped her from calling for one of her attendants at once to pass on the information, but the memory of a gold-ranker such as her was not prone to failing. There would be time to put the information to use in the future.

If his earlier visit to the arena of Heavenward had been impressive, the crowd now gathered for the Grand Proving put all of that to shame as Kite felt the multitudes of controlled auras brushing up against one another. The vast majority of those present were essence-users, and while there were plenty of irons and bronzes in the varied entourages, the silvers and golds of the kingdoms were out in force.

Kite didn't have to work hard to notice several familiar faces whom he had encountered during his time spent representing the guild in various social functions, and also some of the more affluent individuals such as Obsidian Crow or Might of Inner Calamity, the leader of the Thunderous Soul sect. Ardent Horizon Seeker was there too, of course, and Kite even noticed his birth father glancing in his direction at times though he did not show any overt sign of familiarity.

This was no surprise, of course, but Kite still hoped that he would have the opportunity to meet and properly thank Ardent for the wedding gift he had sent Kite and Dragonfly with his apologies for not attending personally out of concern of drawing unwanted attention to the festivities. Kite's part of said gift was resting in his Void Sheath at that very moment, and had been put to good use over the year since.

It was after much waiting and being scrutinized by onlookers both curious and derisive that the crowd fell silent almost as one when a gold-ranked aura pulsed from the royal box as the man himself stepped forward. While his outfit differed from the audience with Kite, now a golden robe with an equally golden disc stylized like a sun floating behind his back, King of the Pure Firmament still gave off the same superior and dangerous aura, like he himself could become your personal nightmare should you displease him.

"I welcome the gathered might of Hua-Xi to the Grand Proving, a time-tested tradition of tempering and growth that keeps our kingdom strong to this day," the King spoke, his voice seeming to effortlessly carry throughout the space even above the scattered cheers and shouts of agreement from the crowds.

"The chosen participants are more numerous and more fierce than ever before during this incarnation of the event, promising that we shall bear witness to many fine clashes and emerging talents among our silvers. To strive toward the heavens will ever be our role, and these upcoming weeks will let you temper your paths and learn from your peers while earning fame and glory for your sects and cities.

Or guild," he finished, smiling as he gave Kite's section an amused, ambiguous look that caused the attention on their part of the stands to further intensify.

"Whether you are competing in the duels or the monster waves of the mirage arena, know that the eyes of Hua-Xi are upon you. This is an opportunity for everyone, but most of all for those who make it to the final stages, where the dueling finals will be held in this very arena most often reserved for the clashes that have shaped our kingdom's history. You will all now go and clash. Conquer. Overcome. Prove your paths before me, and reach towards the heavens. And beyond.

The Grand Proving is once again set in motion." His short speech was followed by a roar from the crowds where people shouted the glory of their sects, cities or families. Dragonfly and Wander also joined in, bellowing their hearts out even though their lack of numbers made sure that few would hear them over the din.

"I am once again grateful for our decision to leave Sprite back home," Kite thought to himself as he fought not to wince from the volume.

"Or her ears might have needed healing." The decision had mostly been due to the risk and potential intrigue the group would find themselves in though, as Dragonfly did not want to risk anyone going after her student due to any grudges they might find directed towards them once they began stirring things up behind the scenes. After the king came several more announcements that reiterated the rules of the Proving, of which Kite suspected everyone was well aware.

The dueling part of the event would be fought on arenas all around the city, with the first few rounds being single eliminations where a loss would see you knocked out of the competition, even though everyone knew that there would be plenty more bouts in the unofficial but still well-regarded loser's bracket that would only grow as the Proving went on and people grew more frantic in their need to prove that the one loss was only just that.

In the latter stages leading up to the final, the bouts would instead be the best out of three clashes to allow the competitors to show off even more of their paths and judgment given that there would only be one hour of recuperation between each round. When to use one's most potent powers and when to hold them in reserve would be a balancing act. Then there was the monster waves, a competition which Kite recognized from having seen more mirage arenas during his time spent abroad with Gauntlet.

It was only in the last two Provings that this had been part of the event, and while it was officially the equal of the duels there was no denying which of the two still held the highest place in people's hearts. During the monster waves, the participants would enter predetermined scenarios in the capital's mirage arena that would let them fight in the very realistic simulations that the facility could produce.

The early rounds would have six participants enter simultaneously and compete to rack up as high a tally of monsters slain as possible during a set time where the top three would pass onto the next round, repeating the process until the final stretch where each competitor fought individually. As the name implied, the scenarios would apparently include quite a few monsters, where more individually dangerous ones would earn more merit to the competitor's result.

"Well, dear wife, I do believe that it is obvious in which kind of competition the two of us would excel," Kite said as he leaned in towards Dragonfly while the announcers kept going through the minutiae.

"Of course, dear husband. I can only imagine you slaying hordes of monsters in a single fell swoop while I blitzed through the duels with my blazing burst of pure initiative. Or more likely, you grinding your way through a slog of monsters with both excruciating slowness and adorable patience while I explode in frustration over the techniques and tricks of experienced heartland duelists," Dragonfly replied, giggling at the mental imagery.

"I don't know, dear. You have performed quite well in the clashes I've witnessed."

"Sure. Up north. But this is the Grand Proving, Kite. The best of the best. Soul sure has helped me whip my path into something that can hold its own one on one a lot better than before, but it's a far cry from what you and that battle-mad celestine can accomplish. A girl needs to believe in herself, but also know her limits. Give me a monster horde any day."

"Did I ever say that you complete me, wife of mine?"

"Oh hush you."

"Well? What is the verdict?" Kite asked the rat as it came scurrying out from beneath the feet of the crowd that surrounded the plaque that announced the matchups for the first round of the dueling event. It was but one of many similar plazas where the general populace and the smaller of the organizations present - such as the guild - could gather the information, while most of the sects would have the information delivered directly to their temporary compounds.

"That some people really need to start wearing undergarments beneath their robes. The things I've seen…~""Wander…"

"Alright, alright," the rat squeaked while gesturing placatingly with her little forepaws.

"I've got it. Soul is to fight against someone named Strides of Conviction tomorrow, while Vista will be part of the third group in the mirage arena."

"Wait? Strides of Conviction? Where do I know that name from…"

"From the Thunderous Soul sect, if that helps anything? Wait, let me peek around. Someone is always talking about someone in these places. Let's see… Smack-talking the guild. Rude, but not. Celestial Ferryman- no. Asking someone out on a date… Aaaw! But no~," Wander said as her little eyes went distant while apparently listening in on quite a lot of conversations at the same time.

"Ah! Here! Let's see here… Leonid. Inner disciple. Ferocious and brave. Wow, this junior of his is a real fan. Decent place on the dueling rankings, having climbed to the top 25 percent."

"Ah! I thought I knew him!" Kite called out when the memory finally clicked.

"He tried to challenge me here in the capital before I first left for Gauntlet, but was interrupted by Chime of Morrow's Bounty - from the Silent Horizon sect - whisking me away first. He tried to do the same just as I would portal out, but it turned out that offending the gold-ranked portal-user earned him a flying tour above the city and the surrounding countryside. I've honestly never seen anyone thrown that far."

"Well, he seems quite popular here. Expected to make a good showing and reach the arena fights. So… Want me to go check him out, Soul~?" Wander asked, both she and Kite turning to where the celestine sat meditating, ignoring the crowds.

"No need. Knowing too much beforehand will only lessen the opportunity for tempering," Soul replied calmly.

"His path will be measured against mine, and as long as we both fight to our hearts' content, Warrior will be pleased."

"Well, if you say so. Come on. Let's go tell Vista quickly and then get ready. Because things seem to really have begun moving here behind the scenes now that the Proving is finally underway."

"Fortune truly favors you, Senior Brother! To have such an easy first matchup is surely a good omen for what is to come!"

"Not even the gods want a first few rounds where the strongest eliminate each other right away," Strides of Conviction agreed as he accepted another cup of wine from one of the junior elders. The Thunderous Soul sect's compound was abuzz with activity as they housed other sects from the kingdom who had long since sworn allegiance to them and their cause.

Strides of Conviction did not delude himself that he could compete with the top talents among his brothers and sisters, but at least this turn of events would lead him closer to his own plans of earning recognition and merit enough to perhaps even be accepted for personal tutelage by one of the grand elders.

"I'm just disappointed that the Pathbreaker eluded me yet again. Showing such disrespect to our sect leader before the King's court and then not even having the guts to face us in the arenas? We'll need to find him and put him in his place for his insolence as soon as possible." This earned a round of rowdy agreements from the other sect students around him, and Strides of Conviction smiled at their support while giving a toss of his mane.

"First though, I'll have to knock their little competitor out as soon as possible though. Can't have that so-called guild think that actually showing up was a good idea. They should have stayed in the rural north where they belong and taken the King's acknowledgement for what it was; a courtesy, nothing more. A toast to the glory of the Thunderous Soul sect! May our foes be sundered!"

"May our foes be sundered!" came the call, before they all drank as one.

"Well… So much for not allowing fighting outside the arenas." Kite remarked wryly. Everyone and their neighbor with an aura sense would have no trouble sensing the myriad of conflicts and clashes that were currently going on around the capital even though night had fallen. The struggling auras were still somewhat restrained though, making Kite suspect that there were at least very few conflicts of life and death currently being waged.

"It's only forbidden if a gold-ranker cares enough to stop you," Little Crow agreed from the other side of the rooftop where one of Braid's thread arrays currently helped conceal those gathered.

"But it is also a boon to us, as our piece of the action will be a mere drop in the bucket. Have you finished fitting the aura mask?"

"Soon. It's just that River's aura is already pushing against it. Not sure how long it will hold, as these are definitely not my forté," Braid remarked as he finished the last of the sigils and diagrams now covering the clothes of everyone present. Ready as they were for the night's activities, Kite and his companions not competing in the Proving had all donned clothes and cloaks of plain gray that covered them from head to toe.

With the aura masks, they would at least have a chance of going about their business without anyone connecting their covert actions to the guild. At least not in the near future. Because while they indeed had plans of drawing some attention during the day, it would be very troublesome if they were tailed too closely now that they had already found a lead to follow.

"Yep. They're still inside," Wander confirmed from Kite's shoulders.

"Their victim is collared, but I still don't know what they mean to do with him."

"Let us find out then," Kite said, adjusting the mask covering his face one last time.

"Amica, River, with me in the initial assault. Little Crow and Dragonfly will keep watch and act as a response should trouble arise. Braid remains in support. Let us draw as little attention to this as possible so that Will won't be too cross with us that he and Laevyeth had to sit the first one out."

"Well, neither he nor I are exactly the most subtle," Dragonfly sighed before crouching down on the rooftop beside him.

"But I'll be here if you need anything."

"Thank you, love," Kite said, the smile beneath his mask bleeding into his voice before turning to the villa before them.

"Let us start earning our keep, everyone. And pull apart some of Discord's plans while we're at it."