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I had woken up at the awkward time between lunch and dinner. Exactly why it was an awkward time had to be explained to me by Aurora and Kyrian. Although lunch was a formal affair, the dinner parties were a completely different affair altogether. As a result, people spent hours preparing for it.

As I was doing now.

"I can't breathe." I complained, letting a slight whine enter my tone.

Kyrian ignored me, taking a step back and giving me a once over. "What do you think, Ms. Aurora?"

Aurora nodded, apparently satisfied.

Jared had, very kindly might I add, provided formalwear for everyone. Even Skaris and Stole.

Aurora and I wore a sort of Turina version of a service uniform that I saw decorated officers from earth wear on formal occasions. It was a kind of suit with sharp angled shoulders and cinched waists. From what I could see, there was no real big difference between hers and mine, except the color. Hers took its theme from Vetilius –obviously. Sky blue with clean lines, that reminded me of a cloudless afternoon on a mountaintop or on top of a hill.

Mine was somewhere between beige and gray. Looking like a clean piece of cloth more than an actual suit.

I don't know how these Turinan seamstresses did it, but they did a real good job of putting the message on clothes. Mine was obviously designed to look as plain as possible, sending the message that I wasn't anyone important.

I guess centuries of making clothes designed to show off your status would do that for you. The finer details of Turinan politics still eluded me.

"Come on, we have a carriage to catch." Kyrian wore a formal mage robe. All black with royal blue trims. Apparently, it was the color of his Mage Tower from Babel where he studied.

Outside the manor, Skaris and Stole were waiting for me.

Skaris wore this weird combination of colors. Might I remind you, except for the patches of scales here and there on his face and body, Skaris looked almost completely human. But it was exactly those rare instances of color that his outfit took advantage of. He wore a bright red suit –not quite a tuxedo, but not quite informal either– with buttons going straight down the middle. Whoever made Skaris' suit also added orange trims on his sleeves, which shimmered with magical effects everytime he moved his arms. It reminded me of a fire.

I whistled, impressed. "What's that? Zimmskar formal clothing?" The inner nerd in me wanted to know the lore behind each culture. I'd had a lot of experience with Turina, but the more esoteric places –the Magic Towers of Babel, Orc Hordes of Uleum and Bada and most hidden of all, Zimmskar, remained hidden to me.

"It is called a Dashiki." Kyrian explained.

Skaris scoffed. "I prefer my armor. They won't let me bring me sssssspear."

"Mister! What about me! How do I look!"

Stole wore a Dashiki-inspired dress. But whereas Skaris' one leaned into everything bright, hers was the opposite. Hers was midnight black with slightly less… black… woven into it in geometrical patterns.

"...You look great." I muttered. Then I took a guess at the design. "It's supposed to represent… moonless night?"

"Shadows on a Moonless Night." Stole said happily, rubbing the space between her lips and nose. "Hehe, close though."

I turned to Aurora. "Did Jared get these custom made for everyone?"

Aurora nodded. "Naturally. He is the host. It would shame him to have his guests show up without appropriate garbs."

"What do you mean?"

Kyrian sighed. "In Turina, guest and host rights are… complex, to say the least. But as long as we are his guests and remain so, you'll be taken care of."

"Aurora told me to avoid the soup." I tattle-taled, going down the spiraling staircase.

"That's because she's from Vetilius." Kyrian said off-handedly. "You can drink the soup, Lock."

"Meaning?" Aurora drawled.

"Nothing, Ms. Aurora. Just that only a Vetilius would expect to be poisoned at supper. The Akka Xaluds are… a lot of things, but to them, poison isn't a proper method of assassination. They use it in combat after all."

"So I don't need to worry about assassination?"

"Oh, of course you need to. I'd just avoid being alone, that's all. Someone might stick a dagger in you."

I scowled at the two. We reached the front-door, stepping out. "You two tell me that Turinans take Host-Guest rights seriously. Then you both tell me to watch out for being poisoned or being jumped in a dark alley somewhere."

"He's a former War Prince. It'd be rude not to try and kill you." Kyrian said, looking confused.

I threw up my hands. "Then why doesn't he just poison me?"

"Because to the Akka Xaluds, poison is combat. This… is assassination. But not even a real one. If he really wanted you dead, he'd just kill you. This is more of a… show of respect." Kyrian said, trying his best to explain.

"The Vetilians would poison you. I believe that's the proper method of assassination. Setting out an actual assassin…" Aurora ventured.

"But what if the guests eats something by accident?" Kyrian countered. "The assassin can be instructed, to retreat once the proper efforts for assassination has been made."

"So there's never been an accident of someone drinking soup and dying from poison?" I asked. "Or someone being killed in a dark alley somewhere?"

"Oh, plenty died that weren't meant to."

"It's only proper that people die sometimes. Otherwise, the whole respect portion is non-existent, Mr. Lock."

The way they both answered that together… it was kind of horrifying. I was seeing Kyrian and Aurora in a new light.

Skaris and I shared a look.

"Humansssss." He shook his head disapprovingly.

"Turinans." I agreed. "Remind me never to visit Turina."

Stole pointed in the distance. "There's our carriage!" She cried.

I didn't see anything for a good few minutes. Rather than look for a carriage that I couldn't see, I took time to look at the manor. Our manor had a nice garden right in front of the doors, where the carriage could do a loop and pick us up. Rare exotic flowers of orange, blue, light blue and esoteric shapes that I'd never seen on Earth adorned the grounds in front of us.

"Sir Slaveborn and his Party?" The driver said once he got to us. A human.

"Correct." I answered.

We quickly filed into the carriage and with a great 'hurrah', the horses began moving.

The ride was quiet and serene. Most of Jared's estate was taken by gardens. Flowers on vines, shrubs and great trees spaced out just enough for people to take a walk.

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In the background, Skaris and Kyrian bickered while Aurora was fixing the ribbons on Stole's hair.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the last bits of peace.

***

Jared Akka Xalud lived in a freaking castle. An actual medieval castle with moats, portcullis and gates.

Once we arrived, we were quickly greeted by the servants. I looked around the castle grounds, seeing the other carriages arriving and waiting to be greeted by the servants. Carriages in the color of Akka Xaluds and others that I didn't recognize made a line so long that it stretched out of the gates. Servants –all of them human– moved in a specific order, skipping some carriages. I asked why they were doing that.

"They are ushering the guests in order of importance." Aurora answered, "From least to most."

"So I'm guessing we'll go in first then." I joked.

Aurora gave me a look I didn't quite recognize.

"...what?"

She shook her head, and Kyrian mimicked it. Since when the hell did they get so buddy-buddy again?

'I guess it's better than them being at each other's throats like before.' I thought to myself.

A lack of trust between party members is death. I had to remember that.

Vowing to take better care of even the emotional and relational aspects of my party, I waited patiently.

…Why was it taking so long?

"Why's it taking so long?"

Aurora gave me that look again. The one that she never gave me before.

"Thisss issss boring." Skaris complained, following my lead.

Then to my utter shock and horror, she gave him the same look.

Aurora.

She gave Skaris the same look that she gave me. Like he and I were the one and the same.

Holy shit, she thought I was stupid. Or pathetic. Or like some kind of annoying younger brother.

Look, the point here is that she thought Skaris and I were the same. I don't really know how I feel about that. Especially because Aurora showing emotions like this was a recent development. I'm not sure if I preferred her before when she kept everything underneath her mask or now. I mean, I guess it's better this way.

The sacrifices I had to make sometimes.

"Fuck," Stole swore under her breath, drawing our attention to her. I kept forgetting, but Stole was a bona-fide punk when I first met her. "Sis, I need to use the bathroom.

"...It shouldn't take this long." Kyrian chimed in.

Aurora's expression softened at Stole's whining. But when Kyrian spoke, it got that same look she reserved for both Skaris and I. It made me feel a little better, but not a whole lot.

Finally, after about an half-hour, one of the servants opened up the carriage door. "Sir Slaveborn and his party?"

Looking outside, we were one of the half a dozen carriages remaining.

"Yessssss, finally." Skaris said, confirming the servant's question at the same time.

We were finally walked out of the carriage, being led inside the castle.

I think I hold some biases against the Great Houses, especially the Akka Xaluds. When I saw the castle, I expected a gloomy interior of moss, forest-green and bugs. But that wasn't so at all.

Bright pastel colored curtains, tapestries inspired by wild-plant life that reminded one of spring. Small flower pots and various shrubs adorned it. Instead of the dark torture dungeon with narrow window hallways, everything was big and open. The windows were large enough for the full moon to shine through and the flooring was made of white, beige and pink cobblestones.

This wasn't some dark castle of a villain. It was a castle straight out of a fairy tale.

The large hallway led to a closed double-sided door, easily more than fifteen feet tall. Multiple knights in full regalia guarded it. Instead of the dull-green armor that resembled insectoids, the Akka Xalud knights were dressed in metallic armor of bright neon green or rich forest hues. A small orange insect insignia were burned onto the chest pieces –whether it was a centipede, a butterfly or even a praying mantis.

Strange. I made a note to ask Kyrian or Aurora about what the different insignias meant at a later time.

"You may step in when your name is called, Sir Slaveborn." The servant said.

"Oh. Thank you." I replied.

He looked at me strangely. "...Uh…" Then he cast a quick look at the knight and hurried away.

I frowned. "What was that?"

Kyrian gave me a smile. "Nothing."

Even Aurora had a faint smile on her face.

We didn't have to wait long before a booming voice that could be heard through the doors announced our presence.

"...and now presenting, Lock Slaveborn and his party!"

And the doors opened wide.

Bright lights assaulted my senses and a clamoring applause that seemed to fold in on itself and bounce off of the walls, being multiplied a hundred fold.

The first thing I noticed that the ballroom was built like a theater. There was a dance floor on the bottom where people had stopped to face in our direction, clapping. The second level was where the door was, the stairs greeting you right as the door opened. I gently took a step forward and I realized this was exactly that, a theatre. The whole place was designed so that when the guests were announced, they had to go down the red-carpet stairs like some kind of movie star.

"Grade-6-Adventurer, Squire-in-Waiting, Sir Slaveborn!" The herald cried out.

I spotted a few familiar faces. Gurran and Dorocian had been on the dance floor and they were clapping towards me, both of them wearing formal Turinan clothing. Dorocian wore a dress though, a little too short to be appropriate for this place.

"Accompanying him, former Valedictorian of the Vetilius School of Sky, Grade-5 Adventure, Aurora Candrian Vetilian!"

"Graduate of Baraqis Tower from Babel, Thirty Seventh Apprentice of the Late Baraqis Tower Master Mage Vahn Verkheer, Grade-7 Mage, Kyrian Trilan!"

"Grade-5 Adventurer, Flame Walker, Skaris of Clan Deepeater!"

"Grade-10 Adventurer, Stolen Stars Fall Silently!"

We walked down together, whispering.

"...You didn't tell me you had so many titles."

Kyrian shrugged, somehow never pausing, smiling at the people who were clapping for us. "Empty titles. They mean nothing."

"Tower Master is a pretty fancy title." I noted.

In the game, Tower Masters were Grade-2 mages and above. Not just that, the questlines related to getting that title were atrocious. Gathering herbs, hunting monsters to melt them down for Mana Cores, playing with politics… well, mostly herbs and research.

Just what kind of game makes you transcribe a book as part of the gameplay?

MSS, that's what.

Get even a single word wrong, and you had to start the quest over.

Not just Mages. Praying for Priests and Holy Knights was also a transcription gameplay. For someone like me who wanted to beat the game, efficiency was king. And transcription was not part of it. That's why I never really liked playing Mages or Holy Knights class.

"There are sixteen Mages ahead of me." Kyrian laughed, looking handsome. "The oldest mage is a hundred and twenty six. Many of the mages in between us are Elves. I doubt I'd see the title of Tower Master in my lifetime."

A crowd of young girls in slim dresses all smiled and waved at him. One of them actually winked at him, the lower half of her face hidden beneath an oriental looking fan.

Goddammit, I wish I was isekai'd into a good-looking face.

Still, that was interesting information. I would have to remember that.

The applause had died down and most of the people had returned to their business. Soft conversations with drinks in hand, people swaying in rhythm to the gentle music.

Looking around the ballroom, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't all humans. I saw Dwarves and Beastman. And if my nose wasn't mistaken, I smelled a race that shouldn't be mixed here with these guys at all.

"Who are all these people?"

"Influential Merchants and their children. Other guests of Jared Akka Xalud. Knights, Squires. Guild Members from Turina, Jayu and Zimmskar. Emissaries from different factions, minor countries and more." Aurora muttered under her breath.

Unless I was mistaken, she was getting quite a bit of looks from a lot of guys too. A lot of the knight and some of the rich looking brats in suits with too much gold dangling from it.

Hell, Stole got looks too.

Skaris already walked off towards the buffet table and I saw a crowd of older women hovering near him, ranging from thirties to even fifties. They were all pretending to talk to each other, but I recognized the look. They were working up the guts to approach him.

…What about me? What the hell was this? How come no one was hitting on me? Was I an NPC or someshit?

"So what do you want to do, Lock?" Kyrian asked.

Jokes aside, there was something I needed from this.

"Information." I whispered, my voice low so that only they could hear. "Kyrian, I want you to approach those girls. Take Stole with you. Get information on what's been happening in the Trader's League."

Kyrian quickly left, taking Stole with him, despite her complaints about being hungry.

"Aurora, I want you to find out what the other adventurers have been up to. They all respect you. I want you to find out what's been happening inside the Akka Xalud household. None of them are stupid enough to come into this blind, I'm sure there's some behind-the-back dealings. Find out what Jared wants… or atleast what he wants from the other Parties."

She nodded. "Mr. Skaris has been garnering quite a reputation among them lately."

"You can take him. If you can tear him away from that." I pointed at him.

Skaris sat down at a table, wolfing down meat and tearing into food with his bare hands. His Dashiki was already stained with food bits. But the table he was sitting at was full, with the previous older ladies seated all around him. They held up a handkerchief to their nose, pretending to look disdained but their eyes were anything but disgusted.

I saw one of them put a careful hand on his bicep, to which Skaris responded with a glare. She let out a soft yelp and took her hand off of him. But her eyes stayed glued to his arms and a blush crept up to her cheeks. The other ladies began leaning in, drawing others to the table. One of the oldest woman with the most expensive accessories actually ordered some servants to bring more food for Skaris, and some chairs for the girls to sit on.

What the hell was going on here? None of his Cores had the [Charm] stat attached to it…

"...I will try." Aurora blanched and walked away on her mission.

Whew. That left me now.

It was time to cash in on some old debts.

Namely, Zenom's promise of introducing me to his Broker for the Auctions.

Cores and Items. You've seen what they can do by now.

But I remembered what I said to Zenom on the ship. How could I forget?

'That's that and a promise is a promise.' No matter how uncomfortable, I had a responsibility to my comrades to do this. Hell, if it was for the sake of them getting stronger, I could throw my pride away hundreds of times.

As I searched for Zenom, someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind.

My heart skipped a beat.

Could someone finally be flirting with me? Could it be-

I turned around.

"Oh, it's you." I said, my voice flat.

"Lock," Clover greeted. "I need to talk to you."

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