Althea kept a smile on her face as maids rushed around her, trying to figure out which of the hundreds of kinds of lipstick would suit her best. How Mira had even got her hands on so many shades of purple, she wasn't sure. But she had. And now they were getting compared.

The guests coming to this party were powerful and esteemed. So esteemed that Althea could not protest this extravagance.

The usual farewell banquet barely had half the royal council. This banquet would have the royal council, and guests of equivalent standing from every Empire. Even the kingdoms were sending people. There wasn't an Adept grade force present that wasn't represented. The why of the matter was clear enough.

A ceasefire had been called. The war might actually end, and if it did, trade would open up. With the entire situation being a mysterious puzzle to those that weren't in the know, forces were rushing to get any information.

So, she had to dress up and look pretty. As the Countess Guarding Diery and the leader of the team, she would be in the highlight today.

The communication orb glowed as the Empress' image appeared.

"Althea." she said. "Congratulations on your breakthrough, though I dare say it was expected."

Thank you, your grace." Althea replied. "How can I aid you?"

"There have been some developments." the Empress began. Althea's heart dropped. Now what? The conversation they’d had on the First Empire was fresh on her mind. Of course, they couldn’t talk about that now, but was this related?

"The Zun Empire wants to propose marriage." the Empress began. Althea had a hiccup. The maids stilled. A plate dropped.

"To whom, your majesty?" she asked.

The Empress smiled sadly. "To you, of course. The Zun Emperor means to make you Empress. I am sure you are aware of what they would gain through such an alliance."

The maids began their work again, but they were clearly paying attention. The Empress had chosen a very bad time. Whatever Althea did would spread through the city at far too quick a rate. There was no way it would remain secret.

And there was no way the Empress did not know about this. The Empress wanted the world to know about how the Zun Empire had sent a proposal.

Why would she do that?

"Is there something I should know, your majesty?" Althea asked, unable to keep an edge out of her voice.

"The Zun, Elara and Solerian Empire are entering a military alliance." she replied. "There have been...consequences due to that. I have received information that there shall be several half-step Grandmasters attending the farewell ball."

"I see." Althea said, not really seeing what was happening.

"There are rumors." the Empress continued. "I was hoping you could resolve them."

Now it was Althea's turn to squint. "What rumors?"

"That the Solerian Empire is on the verge of civil war." the Empress stated.

Althea suppressed a groan. The rumors were not entirely untrue. There was plenty of friction to go around. But the friction couldn't be allowed to spill outwards. The entire Empire would be in jeopardy if that happened. The three Empires making an alliance put them in a position of power on the continent. Now people would try to take them down.

The other alliances were weakened by the war they had fought. If there was a civil war in the Solerian Empire, then this new alliance of theirs would be weakened too. So, the Empress wanted her to make a show of alliance. That the rumors were incorrect.

"I shall contact the Duke." she replied.

The orb cut off as Althea groaned.

"How long will this take?" she asked the nearest maid. Contacting the Empress in this condition was one thing, contacting the Duke was another entirely. There was no chance she was going to do anything of the sort.

"I shall endeavor to finish it in half an hour, your grace." the maid said, fumbling with the eyeliners.

Althea sighed. "Please hurry."

sc

There was silence in the room. There was bound to be. Althea stared into the eyes of the Duke, and the Duke stared right back at her. The two of them stared at each other with childishness, improper for someone in their positions and power.

The silence stretched forward as they both collectively refused to speak, willing the other to broach the subject first. The Empress had surely contacted the Duke, and even if she hadn't, the Duke was connected enough to realize why Althea had contacted him.

"Congratulations on your breakthrough." the Duke said. "The Master stage is merely the first step to true power, but it is an important one nonetheless."

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"Thank you." Althea said. That comment was less barbed than she had expected.

"Has the Empress contacted you?" the Duke continued, to her surprise. Was he actually giving up? Or...was the competition entirely in her mind?

"Yes." she said. "There is a need for us to showcase how close we are."

The Duke nodded. "I was suggesting a joint effort of some kind. Perhaps the fleet to the southern continent could have some of-"

"A few more Adepts would be a welcome addition, but it is too shallow as a gesture." she said. "The other Empires will not be convinced."

" I doubt any gesture will convince them." the Duke replied.

"Perhaps." Althea smiled. So the Duke hadn't come up with this idea. "But if the two of us were to enter the ball together, it would confuse many."

The look of shock on the Duke's face was worth more than the jewels arrayed behind her. And the jewels arrayed behind her would be enough to buy a mansion in downtown New York.

"Tha-that would be highly improper!" the Duke exclaimed. "I do not mean to insult you-"

Althea waved his concern away. "I do not mean as a couple. I do not mean to insult you, but you are far too old for me. There is, however, ample precedent for an older relative to accompany a younger one to their first ball."

The Duke's expression regained its calmness. "And this will be the first social function you will attend since you became Countess."

"Not counting the ones in the county, of course. " Althea noted.

"Yes, but you were the organizer, not an attendee." the Duke smiled. "And since you have no parents, and your sole relative is the Empress, a woman, I could accompany you."

"The other nations would be flummoxed." Althea smiled. "The position is usually reserved for someone close to the girl."

"I shall see you at the ball." the Duke nodded as the orb cut off. Althea kept the smile stuck on her face as the maids rushed out of the wings, running towards the jewelry. The make-up squad was back again, rushing to polish her make-up that really didn't seem to need any patching up.

Perhaps her going with a Duke had spooked them.

Or maybe it was that this might be the single most important social function in recent history. With plenty of politics to go with.

sc

Gerard kept a smile on his face as he wandered about the lower ballroom. The Solerian Citadel had the strangest ballroom he had ever seen.

There was a huge-elevated stage in the middle of the circular room, known as the high ballroom. There were six other circles surrounding it, elevated half as much as the central ballrooms. The middle ballrooms, as they were called. And then was the lower ballroom, the floor where he was.

The high room was where the main characters of the continent would soon meet. The ones with over five Adept stages under them. The ones that actually ruled their continent. The Elemental Sect's Sect Master had barely been able to squeeze in despite not having the clear criteria.

The reason was simple. Gerard was friends with the Countess Guarding Diery. And a part of her team. The team led by the first person to reach the Master stage in less than a year. At least in recent history.

Had the Countess been someone with a less fearsome background, she would be dead. Or enslave in some sect's pursuit of power. But the Countess came from the longest and most prestigious human family still around.

Even the Grand Emperor of Sel would have to think twice before targeting her. There was always a chance that they would fail and find themselves destroyed when the Countess broke through to Grandmaster. If the elders of his sect were to be believed, the Countess was sure to breakthrough to that stage.

Not that any of them had any right to make such a judgment. The lot of them didn’t stand a chance at breaking through to that stage.

The trumpet blew as middle room members entered the hall. Dukes, Kings and dignitaries that Gerard hadn't ever seen before. And they weren't even the main thing.

"Do not stare, junior brother. There are those that might take offense." a voice said behind him. Gerard put a smile on his face and turned around.

"Of course, senior brother. I shall not embarrass the sect." he replied. The Core disciple in question only smiled in reply. Gerard had been elevated to core disciple since the events of the Hidden Land, but his position was still tenuous.

Even if he had expected to become a Core Disciple eventually, this was far too early. The Core disciples were all at Master stage, and candidates for next Sect Master. On the other hand, he was barely in the middle of Journeyman. At least, he would gain far more resources than he would normally have access to in this manner. Just because he had teamed up with a certain Countess once.

The trumpet blew again, and he turned to the door. The high room dignitaries entered. Just the names sent shivers up his spine.

Princess of Zun.

Grand Duke of the Sel Empire

President of the Solmer Confederacy.

Gerard knew them all, but as pages in a book. A book describing personages of importance. The Grand Duke was one of the half-step Grandmasters of the Sel Empire. The one his sect owed loyalty to. Even the Sect Master had not met him.

The Countess was the second last to enter. The entire ball turned to see her, her, and the one she entered with. Dressed in green and purple, the Duke of Zerolian walked beside the Countess. The Countess herself was dressed in the same colors, showcasing their planned arrival.

The Duke was dressed gaudily, gems glistening on his cuffs as the fabric of his suit gleamed in the light. But even that paled when compared to the Countess. Green light seemed to shimmer through her dark green dress, embroidered as it was with what seemed to be tiny purple gemstones.

Gerard shook his head. Of course, mere thread was not enough for someone at her level. Purple jewels shaped like flowers curled in her hair, their dark color partially merging into her hair. Gerard suspected there was some kind of fashion rule that she had followed.

The Emperor and Empress of Soleria entered right after, completing the guest list. The grand doors of the ballroom shut themselves with a bang, finally beginning this overblown festivity

"Have you heard the rumors?" the same core disciple from earlier asked. Gerard realized that he did not know his name. A fact his ‘senior brother’ was sure to take offense on.

"Not really, senior brother." he said with a smile.

A disappointed expression passed across the core disciple's face, but it was masked quickly enough.

"There are rumors that the Zerolian Duchy and the Diery county are not at peace. There could be a civil war in Soleria before long." the core disciple said, showing his teeth in a terrible farce of a smile.

Gerard did not know how to answer this. The politics of Soleria were lost on him, he barely knew the duchies here.

"That seems unlikely," he stated in the end. "The Countess just entered with the Duke. Why would they do that if they were at the verge of war?"

The Core disciple shook his head. "What do you know, this is just a misdirection. I have a source that tells me that they have already exchanged blows. Try to keep up, junior brother. The Countess won’t be there to save you every time."

Gerard had to wonder what this senior brother of his was talking about. How exactly did the Countess, that wasn't even at the Master stage, exchange blows with a Duke rumored to rival a half-step Grandmaster?