Chương 71: Bound in Iron

"- and while a few of the sect initiates weren't too happy with outcasts joining the contract, they were silenced after I had demonstrated my Sky-Cleaving Heavenly Divide. There were some more monster attacks, more frequent than expected, but me and Glitz together could handle ourselves. Those elementals were nothing before our path!" Bloom declared proudly, brandishing a meat bun like a blade raised in triumph.

Kite and the former initiate were seated at the same restaurant where they had happened upon one another, having agreed to meet up again on this day. Bloom had just finished telling of his last contract, being part of the escort for a merchant caravan carrying valuable lumber.

"It sounds like you acquitted yourself well indeed." Kite said, raising his own meat bun in a 'toast' before biting into it.

"I was even awarded a bonus from the society after the caravan leader's report. And it gave me another reason to go see Felicity." Bloom said, looking pleased.

"I take it that things are going well between you, then?"

"I would have to agree, I suppose. It is strange to have something so important to look forward to when coming back from a contract. But it is… quite nice." the young man said, gradually becoming a bit more flustered at the subject. Kite was struck by the fact that Bloom was indeed younger than him, at least by a year or two, and that his life in the sect had led to quite a different set of experiences for him.

Talking more casually about your feelings seemed to be a bit of a work in progress, but Kite supposed that he had been much the same not too long ago.

"Well, I am happy for you in that regard as well then. You'll catch up to me at bronze in no time." Kite said.

"I- I will do my best." Bloom said, regaining some of his confidence.

"Just you wait. I will catch up to you before long, and we can have a proper rematch of our first clash!"

"It is always good to test one's path against another's, tempering both." Kite agreed sagely.

"Just make sure to last more than three punches this time." Bloom seemed a bit taken aback by the jibe at first, before seeing Kite's teasing smile.

"Such audacity from an outcast. But I suppose we are two of a kind these days." he said with a rueful smile.

"If I may ask, what was life in the sect like? You didn't seem too happy following the former disciple Rise around." Kite ventured, wording a question he had so far never got the opportunity to ask from an initiate. Bloom sighed.

"Complicated. What do you know of entering the sects?"

"Well, for one I have heard that most have some kind of trial. Ostensibly, anyone can enter, but in reality it is mostly those who already have the connections for it, like family or a mentor."

"That is true. It is rare for them to accept those without at least all of their essences unless born within the sect. In my case, it was my family connections and the essences they had provided me that had me marked for entering."

"And once you are in? What is life like? From what I have gathered, you receive training and resources in return for service?"

"In some ways, I would think that it is a lot like some of the guilds from other lands, but more encompassing as you live within the sect and that you have a stricter hierarchy. But yes, we are trained to be adventurers and take contracts in the sect's name. The sect gets a cut of the pay and we get housing, training and resources such as awakening stones and equipment which we may trade for our contribution to the sect. Usually, there is a point system."

"But if I understand correctly, it was only after coming here that you finished your set of awakening stones? I would have thought the sect and your family could have managed that rather quickly."

"And therein lies the complicated part." Bloom said with some chagrin.

"Internal sect politics are a world of their own, often linked to the outside. As my family are allied with the Glory family, beneath them in the hierarchy, I was expected to have the same subservient role to their scions. In this case, Rise was a disciple, already having completed his set of powers. It is the norm for them to take initiates under their wing and provide them with stones earned by or given to them, acting like seniors to help shape their paths.

But in Rise's case, these moments were few and far between. And it is looked down upon both by the sect and most prominent families for an initiate to earn too many stones from other sources, as it indicates a lack of dedication and loyalty."

"So they were actively hampering your development?" Kite was a bit taken aback, as he had imagined that the sect would want as many powerful members as possible.

"Not ostensibly, and for many initiates the system works just fine. But in my case…" Bloom said, trailing off.

"As you may have noticed, Rise often had trouble thinking of others other than himself. And he often held back on giving out rewards, claiming to want to trade for the stones most fitting us. After a while, I just found myself a bit dispirited, especially after our encounter. An unknown outcast appearing from nowhere and defeating me… In a way it became a wakeup call, albeit a painful one.

Let us just say that my family was less than pleased and let that displeasure be known to me, although it lessened slightly after you defeated Rise so handedly." Kite had nodded along to his story, those conflicts feeling so very distant in contrast with everything that came after.

"Then, when did you decide to leave?"

"After the investigation, when the sect closed for a while. They did not tell us initiates much, but the church of the Healer was involved in some kind of thorough examination of every member. Rumors were that there was something, some kind of malady infecting the mind, which had been spread among the members. As soon as I was thoroughly cleared, I had already made my decision, as I couldn't see myself serving under Rise anymore.

In all honesty, you and your deeds showed me that there was something to be won by choosing the way of the outcast. And so far, I believe that I have made the right choice." Bloom finished, looking content at his statement, although Kite got the feeling that it had taken some work and hardship to reach that point.

"From what you have told me, I think you have as well." Kite said, raising his cup in a toast.

"To outcasts. And cute functionaries." he said, adding the last as a playful afterthought.

"To outcasts. And wonderfully beautiful functionaries." Bloom echoed, albeit with his own correction.

"I do believe that I have to be going though, as I have a meeting with a crafter regarding some equipment." Kite said, rising.

"Oh, a commission? You must have saved up quite a bit of money for that." Bloom noted, rising and joining him as they left the restaurant after paying.

"A bit, but this is a bit more complicated." Kite said, before proceeding to explain his arrangement with Peony.

"Daybreak Peony. I have heard that name before…" Bloom mused where he walked beside Kite, their steps leading them back toward the Adventure Society campus.

"Isn't she the one they call the Scavenger?"

"The scavenger?" Kite asked, never having heard of it before.

"There are some rumors among the adventurers that she apparently has no skills of her own, only leaning on the works of others to make her creation. Most I've talked to recommend the services of the Stoic family, praising their work and pricing."

"Is that so?" Kite muttered, his expression darkening slightly.

"While we may not have time for the whole story now, I will fill you in the next time we meet. Let us just say that some rumors should be regarded with a healthy dose of skepticism."

"I… I will take that into consideration." Bloom nodded, noticing the shift in Kite's mood.

"You were going to the trade pavilion? Then I believe we part ways here."

"Yes. And thank you, Bloom, for the company. Should you wish to reach me, you can inquire at the Stormbringer's Perch. You did ask to trade pointers at some point in the future, as I recall."

"Excellent. Thank you, Kite. May Warrior guide your strikes until we next meet."

"And may Fortune show you favor." Kite replied, waving as he went towards the trade hall. He had something to pick up, and then he would be on his way to Peony's residence. It was time to see his new business partner in action.

"You have a lovely home, Peony." Phiona said as the group were seated in the crafter's home, each with a cup of steaming tea before them.

"Yeah, it's so nice when you get to go somewhere where you can feel that someone is really living, not just having it as a means of projecting wealth and power." Rachel added, seeming to enjoy the fine but well worn plush recliner she was currently seated in.. The pair of Gellers had accompanied Kite to Peony's home as agreed the day before.

Their host's family had given pleasant greetings, but they had all quickly taken their business elsewhere to give the group some space, a bit intimidated by the sudden influx of adventurers.

"Thank you. My mother grew up here and has since added to the property. It is important to us." Peony answered, looking fondly at the house around her.

"But I believe that we have some actual work to plan." she said, turning back to them and leaning forward with an eager look on her face.

"I see that our time in the field hasn't dampened your enthusiasm for your work." Kite said, smiling.

"Oh no. It has been so long since I did proper work. I have all these ideas of what to make of the components we have gathered. If we can get some ideas of what you want, then I can use the rest for practice and selling off." Peony answered.

"But how does your craft work?" Rachel asked.

"It all sounded pretty odd when you described it. No offense."

"No worries. I did become a rather odd one." Peony answered looking a bit abashed.

"I have the transfiguration confluence, and that is the one which gave me the foundation. I'll try and summarize it. My powers allow me to take items and their enchantments and fuse them into something new, working with the physical and magical components in what to keep, what to discard and what to fuse, with the end result being something that is in a way more than the sum of its parts, although not twice as powerful.

I am still limited by the materials, but am fortunate that the power itself handles some of the details which means that I haven't so far needed to become a master in every related craft, but knowing the basics helps a lot. The most simple thing would be to keep the shape and some enchantments from one item while adding some from another. Say that I have a sword with an enchantment of magical sharpness and a whip with a lightning effect.

I could remake those into a sword with all enchantments that were viable to its form. I mostly did this during iron rank, effectively creating higher rarity equipment."

"Did? As in past tense?" Phiona asked"Yes. As of bronze rank, I became able to get a little bit more abstract in which properties to mold and transfigure. Take the sword from the last example; should I try to combine it with a flame resistant shield, I could probably reshape the enchantments to something that makes it more effective against flame-based creatures or constructs, keeping the flame-repelling concept while adjusting it to the new item.

And I could also transfer a bit of the shields inherent durability to the sword as well. Or remake the both of them into somethin else, like a larger chakram with said properties. The materials and my understanding of their concepts seems to be the guidelines, magic making the process and some combinations possible that would otherwise be quite hard to produce." she said proudly, before wilting slightly.

"But not everyone views it that way, saying that it isn't true craft as I work with other items already made.

"Ah, the scavenger." Kite said, making the connection, but wincing when he saw Peony stiffen at the moniker.

"Sorry, I just heard of it today."

"It's fine." She sighed.

"In a way, they are right. I do have to work with such materials. But it doesn't just happen. The process takes hours, sometimes over a day if it is complex enough. And what I make from them have the potential to become something more than they were. What use are two swords never drawn when they could instead become an axe often wielded. And with some additional material, such as quintessence or certain monster parts, I can refine or skew some effects in desirable ways." Rachel gave an angry snort.

"Then people who try to belittle you for this are stupid. This craft along with a looting power is awesome, especially Kite's weird one which only throws gear at him. I can totally see why you would partner up."

"It does sound like material will limit a bit, but it also sounds like you will be able to take otherwise unused things and tailor them." Phiona mused.

"Should you manage to reach at least silver rank, I am sure that my family would love to retain your services."

"Now, don't you go poaching my business partner from me." Kite laughed.

"Can you imagine the portal expenses I would have to pay just to have her work with all the material I produce? Assuming I can even find someone who offers such services around here." Peony had become a bit flustered, albeit happy, at the praise.

"You are all very kind. But silver is quite a ways off, both in time and money. Our first order of business would be to become self-sufficient enough to get out of the Stoic family's grip. And get Sun his last essence and stones. I… I don't want to face the years ahead only for him to grow old while I stay the same." Kite put a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Peony, We'll take our time and make something good together. If it all works out, I can even see myself returning as often as possible with new materials and for new commissions."

"And I will work hard." she nodded.

"And as for that, dear benefactor, what do you have in mind? With the exception of the practice gear, I want the first real project I undertake to be for you." Kite leaned back in his seat, thinking.

"Well, I have given this some thought. I already have a stable core of my arsenal through my staff and blade, with the spear and fan supplementing in certain situations. Mistress Dew, one of my mentor's back in Gilded, gave me the advice to focus on more niche complements. Items to bring forth for a specific task."

"If I may-" Phiona began, continuing as Kite nodded, "- I would say that you need a mana sink. Preferably a few."

"Mana sink?" Kite asked, unfamiliar with the terminology.

"Something to spend a lot of mana on for a large effect." Phiona clarified.

"As I have become a lot more familiar with your powers during our training, I have noticed that you very much fall into the category of an endurance fighter, better at controlling the tempo of a fight rather then finishing it quickly. At least it will be so now that you have risen above iron rank. While your barriers negate damage for you and your allies, you chip away at your opponent with reliable, rather low-cost attacks.

With your vortex, I would imagine that you have rarely lacked for mana during most fights, especially at iron and bronze." Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

"That is true. There have been a few times, but those have been quite rare. Even in the slightly larger scale battles of the war, there were enough targets to easily find a balance." Kite confirmed.

"And your two finishers, your familiar and your… let's call it augment for lack of a more specific term, don't cost you much as they need other resources to be employed."

"Which means that I should have the mana to spare for more costly effects to employ in the right situation." Kite said, catching on to what Phiona was on to.

"Yes, but not only, of course. Some more utility gear to either work to specialize or cover weaknesses is always needed. But you could definitely use some instantaneous power."

"And you have to admit that there is a certain thrill to unleash a lot of violence at once." Rachel added with a cheeky grin.

"While I wouldn't call that your strongest point, dear cousin, one has to admit that spewing a small waterfall of acid does strike a certain amount of respect in your enemies." Phiona jibed, surprising the rest with the unexpected levity.

"Well, I have you know I deal plenty of damage-" Rachel began her retort, and both Kite and Peony smiled at the cousin's mock squabble.

"It does seem like we have a direction for your first creation." he noted.

"Teacher is wise and very well trained. I trust her judgment in this."

"Yes, so now there is the matter of specifics. I may have some concepts." Peony mused, the pair quickly losing themselves into a discussion where they weighed the different alternatives, going over what materials they could use from the piles Kite had already provided. Phiona and Rachel soon joined in, the group losing themselves in the satisfying process of shaping the outline of an implement of destruction. About an hour later, Peony looked satisfied.

"I think we have it. Now to make some items for practice, buy some force quintessence and I think I will be good to go. All of you are free to swing by during the upcoming days if you want to see me at work."

"Oh, that would be awesome!" Rachel exclaimed"I would also like to see it." Phiona added.

"Then it sounds like you will have some observers." Kite said.

"I am already excited to see what will come of this."

"And I may need to calm my nerves a bit." Peony added, although Kite could feel that her aura was brimming with excitement.

"Then now the planning is done, would you like to see the surprise?" he asked his new business partner. Peony looked blankly at him for a short moment before the excited smile from yesterday returned.

"I completely forgot about it! What is it?"

"Let's gather around and I'll show you. Also, we should call upon your family again, as I think that they will want to be part of this as well." A little while later, Peony had shepherded her family back into their common room. Her parents stood off to the side, polite but slightly tense from the Geller's presence, while Sun stood next to his wife, one arm around her waist.

"Well, Kite, don't keep us in suspense." Rachel chided him from where she and Phiona sat in a couch.

"My auntie often told me that important things need to be given their proper amount of time." Kite answered her with a wink.

"But you are right. As I told Peony, I have a surprise for you. A gift, to be precise. And should it ruffle your karmic sensibilities, please view it as an investment into our future collaboration." As he finished, Kite reached into his dimensional satchel and plonked an item down on the table in front of Peony and Sun. It was a perfect cube seemingly made of unrefined iron ore, the material looking compressed without losing its crystalline structure.

"For you, Sun, should you accept it." he stated, and he couldn't help but to inwardly enjoy the couple's stunned silence. They had indeed been surprised.

"Kite-" Peony said, stumbling on her words.

"That is-""Too much!" Sun exclaimed, although he wasn't able to tear his eyes from the essence.

"Kite, how could we- We can't possibly- Just, how would we even pay you?"

"Master Sun, I think you may have forgotten the part where Kite called it a gift." Phiona interjected.

"And while it is a quite valuable one, he still made that quite clear. I am sure he has his reasons."

"Teacher, you make me sound almost a bit too devious with your choice of words." Kite said, feigning a wounded expression before turning back to the couple.

"The truth of the matter is rather simple. When I was close to ascending to bronze-rank, my uncle and mentor told me that I now had the opportunity to reflect on what I wanted to do with my path to power. I think he also wanted me to think about what power really means to me, and in which way I will wield it to make my imprint on this world. And while I have only begun on my path, I have found that so far, I have at least one purpose clear to me.

While others may be revealed in time, I already know that I want to use my power to make a difference to those close to me. I do not feel responsible for the whole world and all of its people. Not even all the people of these lands. But my friends. Companions. Collaborators. Mentors. Or just those whose path seems to resonate with mine. If I have the power to make a difference for them, I should be allowed to wield it, no? You, Sun, are just one essence away from something quite important to Peony.

And while we haven't known each other for long, I hope that the partnership we have struck here will be one to last. So this is an investment in that hope, and I in turn hope that you will want to honor it." His words had turned into a small speech, leaving the room in silence. Sun and Peony's parents almost had a slack-jawed expression, and Peony herself almost looked to be on the verge of tears.

Phiona, on the other hand, just looked at him with a quirked eyebrow and an amused smile while Rachel's eyes sparkled with amazement.

"I… may have gotten a bit carried away there." Kite said, a bit abashedly. But still, he had meant it. And it felt good to say it. He knew he wasn't only altruistic; that the act of making such a difference made him feel good. Powerful, even. But from the ripples he felt in the auras of those present, he held to his statement. Using power like this… He liked it.

"Then…" Peony said, voice a bit unsteady.

"Then I think that you should accept, husband."

"In that, we are of one mind, wife." he answered, looking to Kite.

"I… Thank you." The simple statement was rife with emotion. Kite understood it in part. While there was little doubt that they would be able to afford Sun's last essence in time, should they escape their current predicament, it would still have been a long time of saving. Peony's parents had saved most of their lives for her set.

"Use it well, if only to stay by your wife's side in longevity. I have some ideas for the future, but those are only ideas, not strings or conditions attached. But we can get to that later. Would you like to know which essence it is?"

"Iron essence." Peony answered.

"I have it as well, after all."

"And that was why I looked for it specifically. While useful, it is still one of the most common ones. But since some of your powers interact with iron or are empowered by it, I thought that it wouldn't hurt for Sun to have an additional source of it. But as it is a permanent choice without the possibility of regret, I still wish to emphasize that it is an offer, not a must.

"No, it is perfect." Sun said, turning to Peony.

"Our love will now be bound in iron as well." His words made Rachel squeal a bit as the couple embraced, living up to her proclaimed fondness for romance. Those gathered let them have a moment, before Kite spoke again.

"Would you like to do the ritual right away? I have the materials."

"I didn't know that you were a ritualist?" Phiona asked him.

"Oh, I am nowhere close. But Auntie Crow has taught me some of the basic ones, and the ritual of awakening is one that I know. I did it for most of my own awakening stones."

"Then, yes, please." Sun said before remembering something.

"But we should definitely go outside. And I should change clothes." At his words, the essence users in the room all sighed in disappointment.

"What? You think I wouldn't remember what will happen? I'll have you know that I have been here for both of my wife's rank-ups." He said, one eyebrow quirked.

"Please forgive us." Kite chuckled.

"It is somewhat of a rite of passage, but you were indeed wise to our intentions. I will go and prepare outside. Come out when you are ready." A short while later, Kite was drawing out a ritual diagram on a stone patio in the family's garden. The Geller cousins were with him, while the family helped Sun prepare.

"The iron essence. Together with eye and monkey, it should probably become the transfiguration confluence, like Peony. But I would be very surprised if their powers became similar. With an animal essence in the mix, you will almost always get transformations relating to the animal in question." Phiona said while watching Kite work.

"That is what the Magic Society index told me as well." Kite confirmed.

"Fortunately it wasn't too hard to trade for, as someone wanted a tree essence and an awakening stone I had stashed. I hope he will be happy with it."

"Kite, what you gave him is the kind of boon that may change lives. He would be a fool not to." his teacher noted.

"From what I gathered from your aura, you really meant what you said during your little speech. While giving essences to loved ones is a common practice, I get the feeling you have taken it just a little bit further here. Why not sell them instead? Adventurers, even those from prominent families, always tend to want for resources."

"I did, at first, or traded. But during the war, I had some good reasons to think about things. About who distributes power in this world. And I realized that I might as well aim to be one of them, if only on the smallest of scales. If I can give power to those who resonate with me, maybe I can shift the world just a little bit more towards what I favor."

"For someone who hails from a rural village in a rural part of the world, you do seem to have quite the ambition." Phiona said, shaking her head. But Kite could see a smile playing over her lips, proving that she was not entirely opposed to the idea.

"Well, I think that it is very sweet. Why not give nice things to people you find nice?" Rachel chimed in.

"So you will also give away the next essence or awakening stone you find?" her cousin asked her teasing.

"And not sell it while working towards one of those vehicle homes?"

"I just might." Rachel snorted, defiantly turning her nose up.

"Well, I do have the advantage of a familiar who can sometimes have them manifest." Kite admitted, further comments interrupted by the arrival of Peony, Sun and Peony's parents. Dressed in only a loose pair of notably old and worn pants, Sun sat down in the middle of the circle, holding the cubical essence. This was not his first time performing this ritual, after all.

"Are you ready?" Kite asked him.

"Had someone said to me this morning that I would have my third and final essence before the day was out, I would have called them mad. As it just seems to be that kind of day, I feel that just going along with what must be the whims of the heavens seems wise." The man answered with a smile.

"Thank you, Kite. Truly." Kite responded with a smile of his own and a nod, then started the ritual. The essence melted away into liquid metal, quickly absorbed through Sun's skin, and was soon followed by the confluence essence forming. The transfiguration essence looked like a cube with everything but its outline and shape being in constant flux, flowing between colors, materials and other more esoteric properties.

As it too was absorbed, Peony's husband left the life of a normal-ranker behind, gray light spilling out from him and lighting up the yard. Sun sat there, emanating exhilaration through his so far uncontrolled aura and breathing deeply as the throes of power flowed through him. And as his smile started straining and his aura fluctuating even wilder with discomfort, Kite and the Geller's left the yard to give the family some privacy as the less pleasant aspects of ranking up struck with full force.

They took their time walking around the neighborhood for a little while, and returning to find Sun a changed man. In a quite literal sense. As they reentered the garden, they found Peony and her family gazing up in awe at Sun, who had grown about thirty centimeters taller, filled out with lean muscle and had golden brown fur growing over most of his body, its pattern seeming only to accentuate the human-monkey hybrid he had become.

His tail was manifested too, in the process of snaking its way around Peony's waist to draw her into a hug.

"Welcome to the world of a full essence-user!" Kite called as they drew closer.

"I would assume that this is your transfiguration power at work?"

"Isn't he wonderful?" Peony asked, beaming as she hugged him again.

"It feels rather strange, but in a distinctly good way." Sun agreed. His face had somewhat changed as well, growing more elongated and fierce, and his hair had taken on the same golden brown hue. What surprised Kite the most was that he now also sported a pair of mighty sideburns as the fur grew down that part of his cheeks.

"And these as well." the newly ascended iron-ranker demonstrated, holding up his arms where a pair of iron bracers were conjured.

"I don't even know what they do, but they just feel right."

"That is quite normal. Take a while to meditate and look inwards. It should give you a good sense of what your new powers can do." Phiona said.

"And congratulations. It is quite a momentous step in your life." They remained in the garden for a while, watching as Sun explored some of his new capabilities with the enthusiasm of a puppy which just learned how to run. He even tried, and almost succeeded, to leap up and grasp a wooden beam jutting out from the house with his tail, remaining suspended for a short while before the momentum of his leap had him slide off.

"Still quite a ways to go." He muttered as he rose, his smile undiminished.

"For those who seek it, the path to mastery remains eternal." Phiona said sagely.

"But take care of your skills and they will take care of you and yours in turn."

"And about that-" Kite said, seeing his chance to broach a subject he had been thinking of, "- I would like to voice a suggestion."

"It would be most rude of us not to listen to our benefactor's words." Sun said as he shifted back to his normal form.

"What do you have in mind?"

"I would advise you to consider becoming an adventurer, an active one. Maybe even forestalling cores if possible." Kite began, holding up a hand to forestall the objection written across Peony's face.

"It is merely an idea, but I am thinking about the long term. Because as you know, my stay here will not be forever. And while I hope to return often, it still leaves Peony without company that she knows she can trust. But if she had such company, especially close at hand, you could continue taking contracts and gathering materials. Not every adventurer needs to strive for the heavens, or rush towards them. My uncle is an example of that.

He has chosen to remain in the Autumn lands, working mostly as a courier and taking his time. It took him just shy of twenty years to reach silver rank, but there is no village or community in those lands who doesn't know of him and his work. Our world is one of constant threat, and the Adventure Society needs those who will go for the simple monster cleanups and continue to do good work instead of leaving for greener pastures. Please just think about it, and discuss it.

And either way, you should join us in training to get a better feel for your capabilities, whatever your choice may be." Peony still looked as if she was to protest, but her husband put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"We shall give it proper consideration, Kite." he said, and Kite could see that he meant it.

"Then we shall leave you to it. And you, Peony, to your crafting. I am most eager to see how our little project will progress." Kite said, bowing politely to his hosts.

"Thank you for hosting us. And may our collaboration continue to be fruitful." He and the Gellers left the family's home and the joyous people gathered within to return to their inn. The conversation was light and pleasant, with mostly Rachel and Kite doing the talking while Phiona seemed content to listen to their banter. And it was she who first noticed the people waiting for them just outside the inn, feeling the two bronze-rank auras questing outward and homing in on them as they came in range.

A moment later, Kite and Rachel felt it too, seeing the small group gathered, a man in stylish robes being the apparent center of those gathered. His aura had the distinct tinge of monster cores, but the accompanying man's did not. Three normal-ranked retainers followed as well, clearly deferential to what Kite assumed was their young master.

"Do you think they mean us harm?" Kite asked softly, Phiona giving a slight shake of her head in response.

"Not unless they have a hidden silver-ranker waiting to ambush us. But I think that they at least mean complications, and that someone hasn't taken a hint. Do not worry, it shouldn't be anything we cannot handle." As they drew closer, the well-groomed younger man took a step forward to greet them.

"Mistresses Geller! This humble supplicant wishes for but a moment of your time."

"Then I must say that I was surprised by this visit, as we were quite clear in our refusal to the request of the retainer you sent this morning." Phiona answered, Kite starting slightly in surprise as neither of the women had told him about such a visit.

"I would assume you to be Stoic Boar, young master of the Stoic family?"

"I am honored that such a prestigious scion knows of my name." Stoic Boar genuflected.

"And as for your refusal, I must apologize as word had not reached me of such a response." he lied, and rather obviously so, but kept his obsequious tone.

"I will, of course, leave should you wish, but I would dearly hope to at least get the chance to speak with you in person. My family would of course be honored to treat you to a meal while we spoke, the finest available at an establishment of your choice." Phiona seemed to weigh his words for a while, regarding him before turning to Rachel who simply shrugged. Her gaze then sought out Kite's, him also nodding his assent at taking up the proposal should she wish.

"Then, as you already seem to be well aware where we are staying and have already gone through the trouble of coming here, we might as well dine here at our inn. Come." she said, all noble poise as she led her companions towards the entrance.