Chapter 15 - First Declaration

At the entrance a small line was formed and each person had their name and titles announced the by the greeter. Arnest filled in behind an  elderly man who wore a suit and top hat, with his feeble shaking arm linked with a much younger womans. Whitebeard who had finished talking to fellow guild members, specifically fellow Oranens, made his way next to Arnest.

“How about we enter together?” Whitebeard said, eyeing Arnest’s new outfit.

“Sounds like a good idea.” Arnest replied.

“Introducing Talent Jules Hornery of the Merchants Guild and his wife, Valerie Calet.” the greeter said as the mismatched couple walked through the door.

Some people near the entrance turned their heads to see the two but most just turned back to whoever they were talking to and continued their talks. Apparently the Talent Jules Hornery and his wife were not big figures amongst Zanabo’s social circles.

Once they made their way onto the velvet carpet entrance, they saw a large entrance room. Long tables were set up  in the center of the room that stretched from the front all the way to the back. There was platters topped with towers of food, waiters carrying around pristine glasses of wine and beautiful scenic pictures on the marble walls. People were crowded together in different groups, mainly composed of the four major powers of Zanabo - Aster clan of Zanabo, representatives from Ralom and Crul and finally the Merchants Guild.

The Aster clan and Merchants Guild were the largest groups present and they took up much of the left side while those from Ralom and Crul sat split from each other, on the right side. The Aster clan in particular wore simple clothing and shell necklaces which sparkled under the intense radiant light from the center of the room, which seemed to  be produced with magic. Most of the Merchants Guild wore suits with top hats, like the elderly man he saw earlier who was a Talent rank of the guild. People of Ralom were dressed like soldiers, clad in gleaming armor while the people of Crul were dressed like typical nobles. Those who were not part of the four main groups just sat, sparesly alone, at random spots of the banquet table, usually further near the entrance. The end table was reserved mainly for the city lord and high officials of the Aster clan and Merchants Guild.

The greeter announced, “Introducing Oranen Magus Whitebeard and his Apprentice, Arnest.”

Like before with the couple, a few people from the entrance turned and stared at the two newcomers.  Once hearing “Oranen”, people from the middle also turned to see who it was. But once they looked, it wasn’t Whitebeard they took notice of but mainly Arnest.

“What strange clothes are those?”

“I’ve never seen such a peculiar outfit in Zanabo. Is this a new trend amongst magi?”

“It looks like a botched suit with a cloak attached, trying to cover up a tear.”

“You’re an idiot. I saw the famous tailor, Crocker Lewink, stitching it when I went to go see him last week. If he made this suit then it definitely can be considered a work of art, if not a small fortune.”

The onlookers all murmured in hushed voices. They wondered who the apprentice was but not because of his status. An Apprentice rank in the Merchants Guild could be aquired by anyone who was taken in by a Talent rank or higher. In the case of being apprenticed to an Oranen, the chances of that person just being apprenticed to be a helper or free slave was more likely than the apprentice being another magi. But what intrigued the people was the clothes he was wearing. It was beyond strange but still seemed to be a foreign noble outfit. Perhaps it symbolized another new rising power or the fact that this young boy was indeed, a magi. If either of these were true, it would make sense to try and at least strike up a conversation and maybe create a relationship at the very least.

But before anyone could make a move, Whitebeard quickly pulled Arnest towards the Merchants Guild group towards the left side of the room. When the Merchants Guild members saw Whitebeard, they were all smiles. Whitebeard has been with the guild for decades now and contributed a lot towards the guild. If it wasn’t for the fact that Oranens couldn’t rank up to a Master or higher, he probably could’ve at least reached Master rank and maybe even Grand Master status. Everyone in the guild respected Whitebeard for his dedication to the guild and many youths in it looked up to him as a role model.

“Have you met the Patriarchs of the Hornery and Calet clans yet, Arnest?” Whitebeard asked, gesturing towards two elderly men.

“Hello Apprentice Arnest, I am Patriarch Glade of the Calet clan.” said one of the elderly men, who had a crooked nose.

“Why are you being so formal, Talent Glade?” the other man slapped Glade’s back and said, “I’m Master Julas  but most people just call me Julas. Only the people of my family call me Patriarch.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Patriarch Glade and Master Julas.” Arnest said, deeply bowing with one hand bent on his back and another bent on his front.

“If I’m not mistaken, you’re related to Talent Jules who entered before us, right?” Arnest asked the Hornery Patriarch.

“Yes, you’re correct! Not many people know but he’s a cousin on my late father's’ side. Quite perceptive for a youth.” Julas said while clasping his hands together.

Julas turned towards Whitebeard and asked “Where did you find such an interesting talent, Magus Whitebeard?”

“Actually, he came and found me at the guild headquarters.” he replied honestly.

“Oh really? Quite mysterious.” said Glade.

The other higher ranked members of the guild were quietly listening in to figure out what kind of  apprentice the esteemed magus would take in. It seemed like his strange clothing indicated some sort of backing. The boy knew at least some information on a minor clan of the Merchants Guild, so what kind of information did he have on the larger ones? That, coupled with the strange clothing all indicated a larger backing than they initially imagined. The boy surely couldn’t be so simple.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Arnest and some other guild members all chatted for a while, drinking fine wines and eating good food, just like the invitation promised. The banquet was quite relaxed, there was no merry drinking that would happen out on the streets but a more refined dinner party feel. There was mainly gossip going around. The main topic was, of course, the second son being named Zanako.

Everyone knew the first son died at a very young age due to a disease. It wasn’t a secret that a lot of time, effort and money was spent on the first son to become the next Zanako. So much so that many people of the Aster clan mourned the death mainly due to the sacrifices they made for him that resulted in such a pitiful end.

Because soon after his death, the second son was born, the city lord gave him the same name as the deceased child, Kamu. Kamu was also the name of the first hero of Zanabo, who founded the city. Ever since then the expectations the city lord had for his second son was the same a noble father would place on his first born, but taken up a few notches to the extreme.

From a young age, the city lord hired the brightest and best minds to teach the young lord. It didn’t matter what their backgrounds were, it only mattered how proficient they were in  their craft. This was one of the reasons why the Merchants Guild continued to partner with the Aster clan. Most of the experts that were hired were done so through the guild. The business between themselves and the Aster clan resulted in enormous profits and cost them very little, just the time of some Masters and Grand Masters of the guild. This type of training could be comparable to one a prince of a small nation would undergo.

It had been a long time since Kamu was seen in public since he was so busy being groomed to be the next Zanako. Kamu is considered the second true hero of the Aster clan. The first hero they refer to is the founder but most of the elders think of him as the replacement son for the first son they all felt they had so tragically lost.

Today was going to be the first time anyone outside of the Aster clan and Merchants Guild has seen the  boy since he was fourteen, at least not since his coming of age ceremony. Back then he looked much more aged and serious compared to other typical children of the same age. Instead of being elated at the celebration, he had cold dark eyes. Six years had passed and today he would be twenty. Everyone expected him to be even more cold and possibly have an even more intense darker personality. No one could underestimate the result of the training backed by a great clan such as the Asters.

“Introducing the city lord, Helvet Aster and his sons, Kamu and Talas!” The announcer at the front door yelled the loudest he had done the entire night.

Now everyone turned towards the front and saw a fifty something year old man, dressed like a king, walking down the steps. To his right was a rigid man, brooding dark eyes with even darker hair. His back was erect as he walked down the steps and almost seemed mechanical when he took each step. To the left of the city lord was Talas, with greased disheveled black hair and a slightly slumped walk.

“So that must be the competition. I’ve heard that he was a bit somber than most but I didn’t expect him to be so serious. I have to be a little more careful.” Arnest thought to himself.

The contrast between the two candidates was too big. If you had to choose who to back, the diligent Kamu or the laid back Talas, most people would choose Kamu even despite his dark demeanor. He had the entire backing of a great clan and was groomed to be a natural born leader. What did Talas have? All he did was go play in the city using his family’s name at the gambling tables and fighting pits.

Talas saw Arnest at a distance due to his clothing and just nodded. Arnest also nodded back, acknowledging him. This would be the night they would put their plan into motion. If everything went well, then the two of them would be kings in Zanabo. If it failed, Arnest would most likely end up in the dungeons and his head separated from his neck within a week's time.

The city lord pulled out a magical device out of his pocket. It was a about a fist’s sized sphere and he spoke into it. “Everyone! Welcome to Kamu’s birthday banquet! I hope you all didn’t wait too long. Let’s all take a seat and I’ll announce the important  news.” the city lord’s voice bellowed out with the help of the device.

Helvet Aster made his way to the far end of the table, towards the back. Kamu and Talas followed, sitting on either side of him while the other guests all took a seat at their respective spots decided by hierarchy. Due to Whitebeard’s status, Arnest was able to sit with him between the middle and end of the table so he was able to clearly see the city lord.

Kamu and Talas took a seat while the city lord still stood and placed the magical device to his mouth again. “I, Helvet Aster, Patriarch of the Aster clan and Zanako of Zanabo declare that Kamu Aster is to be my heir and the next Zanako!”

An applause rang out throughout the banquet hall and almost everyone was all smiles. The city lord had the biggest grin as he loudly applauded himself and his son. Kamu still had a serious face while Talas just smiled and lifted his glass towards his older brother.

“Congratulations, older brother!” Talas said.

Kamu just looked at Talas, unmoving, and said “It was inevitable that I would be named the Zanako.”

Talas’s smile cracked a little but tried to keep up the facade. “It doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate it, brother.” he said as he drank his wine.

Further down the table where Arnest and Whitebeard were sitting.

“Arnest, I’ve set up a meeting between you and the guild leader later this evening after the party. Are you sure you want to do this?” Whitebeard asked with a solemn tone

“Yes, I’m sure.  Thanks for everything, Whitebeard.” Arnest before he grabbed a chicken drumstick and took a bite.

“Why do rich people not fully cook their meat?” Arnest asked, staring at the white meat.

“What do you mean?” Whitebeard asked, confused.

“Back on the island, my grandfather would cook the meat until it was fully cooked black. The food here looks and tastes raw.”

Whitebeard sighed and said “I have to teach you a lot more than just about magic, it seems.”