Too Much Attention

News of the Visitor’s arrival spread like wildfire. And because the restaurant they were dining in had an open-air setup, it was easy for the onlookers to spot and stare at him. Frein felt like a celebrity, but in an uncomfortable way. The fact that someone else strolled over and joined their table didn’t sit well with him. He exercised patience.

“Are you sure it’s not because of you two?” he asked the two princesses.

“Ah, nonsense! They see them everyday!” said Advisor Kento Valmas. He had a Minaveil Signature Brew in his hand, drinking it like he would drink water. It was way stronger than their Light Brew variant, but the adviser might as well be drinking that one with the way he was gulping it down. “Princess Kristel here might attract some eyes—welcome back by the way, Princess—but they’re all here to see you, trust me.”

“Sorry, but why are you here again?” Frein asked. The Advisor might have explained it earlier, but he had been too taken off-guard to retain any information. Frill, Kristel, and Scuti smiled at him, but Katherine literally failed to hold down a laugh. Xiv was simply there, just as bewildered.

“Gah! Like I said, son, I’m supposed to welcome you lot!” Kento said. He raised both arms which pulled on his oversized shirt. It gave Frein the impression that the advisor was once a stout man who had successfully lost weight but couldn’t let go of his old clothes. “Old bones take a while to get anywhere these days. Besides, when I found out Princess Scuti here wanted to personally greet you, I decided to take my time.”

“Well…” Frein looked around. They were literally surrounded by curious people. “Since you’re here, we should probably talk somewhere more private.”

“This soon? But you’ve just arrived.” Kento took down an entire bottle and ordered another. He didn’t even look buzzed. Was he enhancing his resistance to alcohol through Siffera? Frein thought it was totally possible, but his Mesiffera couldn’t confirm something that detailed. He could totally see the Meiyal Art brimming on the Advisor, however.

“It’s important,” Kristel said. “And we’d rather talk to you now while you’re still sober.”

“Bah!” Kento dismissed the First Princess’s implications with a wave. “I complain about it a lot, but this is the main reason why I travel all the way back to Central every night. Minaveil’s drinks are top-shelf stuff, but it just doesn’t hit the spot. I need a kick! Not a light tap!”

“That’s the point,” Frein followed up. “Better now, than tonight.”

Kento’s black eyes widened in understanding. “That kind of talk, huh? I got you.”

The Advisor began to Draw.

Frein’s constantly active Mesiffera, empowered by his six-meiyal, showed him exactly what was going on. At this point, he could clearly see the pattern Kento was Drawing into reality even if the Advisor didn’t Display his Exhibit. The only problem was he couldn’t recognize what it was. The pattern was a vaporous circle.

The Meiyal Art manifested in reality, enclosing the entire group in a dome of smoke that gradually turned transparent. The noise from their neighboring diners was significantly muffled. They noticed the formation of the Art, but when they saw Advisor Kento, they accepted the situation and moved on.

Frein didn’t like two things about this soundproofing Meiyal Art. For one, they could still be seen. Discussion about the Nightmare Incursion wouldn’t exactly be a calm one. And if he were to judge Advisor Kento, his body language alone would be too much of a give away. Onlookers might not know exactly what they would be talking about, but it would definitely give them cause to be troubled if the Advisor failed to maintain composure.

The Visitor sighed. The second problem was even more unacceptable. He turned to Katherine, who nodded back to him, confirming the issue. But just to make sure, he intensified his Siffera slightly. Almost right away, he could hear their neighbors just as clearly as though he was right next to them.

“This won’t do, Advisor,” he said, much to everyone’s surprise. They thought Katherine’s nod was an indication that the sectioned off privacy was satisfactory. They were obviously incorrect. Frein turned to the First Princess. “Invest some meiyal in Siffera.”

It took Kristel some effort. She only had two-meiyal in the first place, but she also quickly realized the issue.

“It’s no good, I can hear them,” she said.

“Really?” Kento asked, baffled. With the Princess supporting the claim, he had no way to object. “I’ve always used this during our private meetings with the Monarch.”

Frein sent a subtle signal to Katherine, and she responded just as quickly.

“It’s not that we don’t trust your capabilities, Advisor Kento,” she started, “but we don’t have a measure of our enemies’ strengths. I think it’s better if we discuss this somewhere more private.”

Kento conceded at that, and once again, Frein was thankful for Katherine’s fame. It made convincing other people so much easier. He had to get used to riding on her coattails, because he technically didn’t have the time to spend trying to convince everyone that they had to listen to him. So, someone with a respected identity on his side like Katherine was truly a godsend.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Well… regardless of her title, Katherine was well and truly a godsend already anyways.

Maybe that’s why Schrodie chooses very capable Seekers in the first place? Frein shook himself out of the distraction, following up on the Lady’s words.

“Are the terms Worldborn and Deitar familiar to you, Advisor Kento?” he asked, making his tone neutral.

“Myths and legends,” the Advisor replied. “Are you implying what I think you’re implying?”

“They’re true?” Even Scuti joined in.

Frein frowned at that. “They’re actual recorded historical advancements.”

“Ah, please don’t misunderstand,” Kento said. “We’re aware that they actually existed, but that’s in the past. You’re saying our enemies are these kinds of beings?”

They were finally on the same page. “They could be. We have absolutely no idea.”

“I see. Then if we’re looking for a private place—” Kento turned to Kristel, “—it could only be there, right?”

The First Princess’s eyes widened as she smiled. “We need George’s help.”

“Where are we going?” Frein asked.

“Ah, I think it’s better if we just show you,” Kento said, smiling. “Don’t want to get the word get out, yes?”

“We’ve settled the bill,” Frill said, returning to the group. She had excused herself earlier while no one was paying attention, Frein just hadn’t wanted to bother pointing it out. The Aria entered Kento’s soundproofing Meiyal Art without much concern. Xiv was following behind her. “Frein’s correct. I could hear you all the way from the cashier.”

“I get it, I get it,” Kento laughed, erasing his Meiyal Art. “You youngins sure know how to rub salt on the wound.”

Frein smiled at the old man for being a good sport. Seldom were the elderly who stepped aside to give way for the younger generation. Kento caught him.

“Not the first time a prodigy proved me the lesser practitioner, Visitor,” he said. “Why do you think I follow the First Princess despite her being so young?”

“Well, I can certainly understand the sentiment, Uncle,” Kristel said, rising from her seat. “Have had a lot of that recently. Not fun at all.”

“I’m just amazed,” Frein admitted while lowering his voice. “When Kristel vouched for you, I was skeptical. But you really are a trustworthy person, Advisor Kento.”

“Ah, you flatter. Keep it up and I might share my finest wine to you. But we’ll talk about that later.” Kento pointed towards the princesses.

The two went to a wider, more open area before beckoning them over. As the group approached, Kristel and Scuti reached out to the skies with a hand each, pushing their meiyal as much as they could. The onlookers saw what they were doing and started to back away, providing them an even wider space.

Just then, George descended from the skies, his eerie smile rotating as he spiraled down like the doom from the heavens. Frein felt shivers run all over his spine. How can something so creepy be so widely accepted by everyone?

“Aren’t they supposed to be a secret?” he asked the group.

“Secret?” Kento confirmed, he turned towards Xiv. “Are they? Oh, welcome, by the way, the Princess gave me a briefing about you, and I personally think it’s a good step towards mutual reconciliation between our nations.”

“Thank you for your support, Advisor,” the Vyndivalian said, bowing awkwardly. “I’ll do my best and prove that your trust isn’t misplaced. However, I’m not the best person to ask whether these supposedly celestial beings are to be kept a secret. The Vyndival Kingdom knows about them, if you’re wondering.”

“Too stiff,” Kento commented. “For how much of a sealed mouth you were back in Minaveil Province, you sure do have a way to sound sarcastic. I’d tone it down, if I were you. Ah, but this is just between us members of the Cross Irista. You’d be better served to keep that classy air about you when speaking to anyone else.”

“I’ll… keep it in mind. Thank you for the advice.”

“Mmm… good lad.” Advisor Kento returned his attention back to Frein. “What were we talking about?”

“George and his kin,” Frein began, scratching his head. “He said his identity’s only allowed to be known to people who the Irista bloodline deems worthy to trust with their existence. They’re not even in the books.”

“Ah. Good point. But see, every person here in the High Palace serves the bloodline. You get it?”

“Ah…” Frein nodded in understanding. “So it’s really just towards people not involved with the High Palace?”

“Correct.”

“Then how come Xiv and the others from Vyndival Kingdom know about it?”

“They’re not exactly invisible,” Xiv pointed out. “We didn’t know exactly what their purpose is, but we just know they surround the entire palace.”

Frein still had to wrap his head around the idea about the palace referring to the entirety of Zerax’thum’s skull. He got the gist of what Xiv was saying.

At the same time, Kristel was done providing George her instructions. And of course, the King Cloudbark Worm just smiled at her, so Frein went to translate.

“‘Ah, of course, First Princess. I’m happy to oblige, happy to oblige, indeed,’” he said, trying to mimic George’s deep, vibrating voice.

“How rude, how very rude indeed,” said the Cloudbark Worm. He was still smiling. “And here I thought you were the kindest among the rest. Oh, the pain of my own mistakes. Truly heartbreaking, heartbreaking indeed.”

“You’re just being sarcastic, right?” Frein asked as he waited for the group to climb on George’s back. “It’s just, your facial expressions don’t exactly change.”

“First, you thought me a monster, then you mock my voice, and now you criticize my beautiful smile?”

“Not exactly beautiful. More like haunting.”

“Oh, the horror! Am I truly that terrifying?” Regardless of George’s tone, he made it a point to stay still for the people climbing.

“Stop bullying George!” Kristel shouted from atop the Cloudbark Worm’s head.

“I thought you couldn’t understand him?”

“Not his words, but I can guess from the grumbles. And besides, I can understand you.”

“Well, I was mostly joking,” Frein said.

“So was I, so was I,” said George. “Very entertaining.”

“Very entertaining, indeed,” Frein said at the same time. The Cloudbark Worm made a hearty laughter that made the air vibrate.

With everyone onboard, he made a single jump and joined the others. George slowly ascended and the rest of his kin started to join them. They went higher until they were totally within the cloudbark. Frein could see some Cloud-Nesting Rocs sleeping within the clouds.

He realized it was his first time touching a cloudbark. It felt like cotton, and when they passed through, he became confused.

“I thought we could stand on these things?” he asked.

Katherine sat next to him. “Don’t do it, but if you run your meiyal in a way where you meet the cloudbark, you can push yourself off it. I can teach you how later.”

“Alright.” With that, Frein and the rest enjoyed their ride. It was easy to settle in, using George’s fur to keep himself stabilized, and the Cloudbark Worm himself was careful enough with his movements.

At first, Frein assumed they were just going to gain more altitude to make sure it’s just them on the edge of the stratosphere. He became a little too excited to see a glimpse of space, until he realized they were starting to descend.

“Where are we going?” he asked, trying to keep his disappointment to himself.

“We’re moving around inside the cloudbark.” Kristel craned her neck over towards him, smiling. “We’re headed inside the skull.”