Feeling the attention on her, especially Nereus’, Velvet went back to eating.

“You! Don’t just ignore me!” Nereus tried to go towards her, but Igern’s hold went even tighter.

At least he isn’t an idiot…

Velvet continued eating, waiting for Nereus to stop struggling.

“Miss.” Now it was Igern’s turn. “You could at least say you’re being framed.”

“Oh? But I like the attention…” She saw Igern’s eyebrow twitch. “Okay, okay!”

Then, she got up, dusted off her dress and climbed up the chair. And up the table.

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Shh… let me explain. Can I have the spotlight? You don’t have one? Oh, okay… Can you dim the lights? A bit more… Yes, perfect, thank you kindly.”

“Ejem. My distinguished comrades, animals with feathers, animals with fur and animals with scales… I am innocent! Thank you for coming.”

She got down, sitting again. And feeling Igern’s penetrating gaze on her, almost making her sweat. Still, some mages did clap, Alrai included, mocking the situation.

There was always a bit of tension between Arhontissians and Charlampians, after all, the only reason the Charlampa Archipelago ended up under Arhontissia’s rule was because they won the war, killing Charlampa’s god in the process.

So the fact that an Arhontissian mage entered with a ‘better than you’ attitude did rub too many other mages the wrong way.

I hate Charlampian mages… Using all his willpower, he pressed her a bit. “Can you add some type of proof that you’re not the poisoner?”

“Aren’t you also jumping to conclusions now?” Velvet quoted Ethra. “Didn’t you learn anything?”

“She is right about that.” Alrai quoted himself.

Gertine wanted to strangle Velvet right now. And so did Igern.

“Oh, of course.” Velvet then said. “But I can guess who poisoned the apple.”

Before Igern could stop Nereus, he opened his mouth. “Then what are you waiting for?!”

“I’m on it, I’m on it… What do you know about the Graham’s abilities? Pride Paradigm, can give orders to people as long as they hear him?”

“He just told someone on the staff to put a poisoned apple there.”

“But I didn’t order him to grab it.” Ethra said.

“That one, Gambling Paradigm.” She pointed to Alrai. “He has a fifty-fifty chance to make things go his way.”

“So, did I win that gamble?” Alrai said.

“Nuh uh, because your poison apple was for me.” They wouldn’t have mentioned her otherwise. “So I guess I’m a bit responsible for your rat’s poisoning. Sorry, it was cute.”

Gambling spells were a bit twisted. If they managed to win, the dumbest coincidences could happen, but losing may have the worst coincidences happen instead.

Looking at Nereus, his angry wolf, and Igern, she almost felt pity for Alrai’s future. The almost and pity parts were lies.

Gertine flinched. Was that the reason for Velvet's long stroll on the buffet? Was she expecting something like that?

Nereus seemed to think about it, tilting his head for a seemingly interminable time.

Then, he pushed Igern aside, lunging himself at Alrai.

Igern was prepared for him to attack Velvet or Ethra, not Alrai. Well, maybe he was, but there was a limit to how prepared a person could be.

Alrai tried to jump aside, but then, the six legged wolf rammed the table, tossing him to the floor.

Gertine looked at Velvet, but saw her flipping a coin, before drawing something on a paper, covering it with her hand.

“A charm isn’t gonna help us now. Ethra is probably going to come here.”

He is probably using that idiot as a distraction to attack. Is he stupid? Does he not care about Irsen Kartal at all? Gertine thought, while taking some seeds from her dress. Well, Velvet did kill his brother.

“Can you see him?” Velvet finished the charm, starting to scribble on her paper figurines.

The mages had divided into a few factions. Arhontissian mages, that were either trying to stop Nereus, or trying to help him, and Graham’s supporters and enemies, who were doing the same, but the opposite way.

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The staff and orchestra had vacated as fast as they could. Except for an extremely brave clarinet player, who started playing a solo.

“Velvet, we have to get out.”

“No? If we go to a quiet and tranquil place, we will be found easily. We are harder to pinpoint in the middle of chaos.” As a certified trouble seeker, Velvet knew that calm never helped anyone. Also, with all this noise, Ethra’s orders could not take effect.

That was one of the reasons she did rile up Igern before, raising the tensions between the Arhontissians and Charlampians. The more mages getting provoked, the more chaos.

Gertine was feeling lost, not used to being in the middle of a skirmish. She was smart, but real combat experience was something one needed experience to master.

“What do those seeds do?”

“They can grow very fast, I can control them to attack and restrain people.”

“Throw them in the middle of the fight. Make the weeds go crazy.”

Gertine didn’t want to, but Vouloire agreed. She tossed the seeds as far and as separated as she could, before using her magic for them to, quoting Velvet ‘go crazy’.

The plants started moving around, slapping and distracting the mages.

Ethra, Ethra… Where are you? Velvet looked around, wanting to find the guy.

Gertine stuck to Velvet, looking towards all sides. Then, she saw him.

“In our table. He is there now.”

So we just need to go to the opposite side. That’s a relief.

Gertine saw Velvet going towards him.

Why?!

She didn’t know if she should follow the damn lunatic, or try to get away.

“Ugh… This better be worth something.”

Ethra saw Velvet going towards him, and smiled at her, stopping his walk.

Velvet responded in kindly, lifting the sides of her skirt to do a curtsy, directing a smile with more emotion to him.

Then, Ethra felt something touch his foot. A paper figurine. It was just under the table a second ago.

Boom!

Gertine saw Ethra flying off with the explosion, pulling to a stop.

Ethra rolled on the floor, getting up. He pulled out the Carni’s Spine, recovered from his brother’s corpse.

He lifted his head to look at Velvet, before finding her gone. The amount of mages using spells and causing chaos didn't help.

“Your brother was stronger.” He heard from behind, turning around suddenly. Velvet wasn’t there.

“And smarter.” This time he managed to grab the piece of paper that was speaking, crushing it.

“Is talking all you can do?” He didn’t raise his voice, those provocations being children’s play.

“You’ll be the Graham’s downfall.” He turned to another side, wanting to crush the piece of paper, before seeing Velvet.

She threw something at him.

A red flash, then he felt his body slamming the floor, as if he was chained to it, a sharp, intense pain in his left shoulder.

He tried to get up, but didn’t even manage to move.

“Are you angry I killed your brother?” He heard her say, “Do you know he was the reason someone’s brother got killed?”

Ethra scoffed. “Your provocations are at the level of children. You can’t see my face, but I’m rolling my eyes.”

Velvet squinted, and pulled out Sinoe’s Baslard, ready to kill him.

Okay, you don’t want to talk? We don't have to talk.

Ethra groaned, he wasn’t going to beg for his life.

He waited for the feeling of bleeding out, but it never came. It wasn’t Velvet being merciful, everyone else had also stopped.

The only noise that could be heard were slow steps, entering the buffet.

“Did you kids have fun? All that noise woke me up…”

An official mage.

“Weapons, magic and whatever else you’re using, out…” It was a tired voice, but no one went against it. They physically couldn’t.

Ethra heard Velvet’s annoyed noise, before being free. He got up slowly, feeling his shoulder dislocated.

Turning to look at Velvet, she was giving him her back, taunting him to try and do something.

But he was still feeling the official mage gaze on his neck, choosing to go back to his room in the end.

…

Velvet and Gertine ended up recuperating the table, which had gone traveling on its own after the explosion.

Since it was made of wood, a few of Gertine’s seeds fixed it pretty nicely.

“At least the official mage went back to sleep. Luckily he is of the Sloth Paradigm.”

“He was waiting for someone to almost die before intervening…” Velvet complained. “He could have let me cut him a liiittle…”

“Or just kill him. That would’ve been great.” Nereus said.

“...”

“Why are you here again?” Gertine asked.

Nereus smiled sheepishly. “Igern scolded me, told me I was an idiot, and to not come back until seeing me didn’t anger him.”

“Is that so.” Velvet said. “So… Nereus?”

“What?”

“Can I pet your wolf?”

“His name is Navros. And it's his decision, he is free to choose.”

“Navros, can I pet you?”

She saw the wolf nod, letting her caress his head.

…

Gertine stood in silence, some worry inside of her.

Velvet had been so fast to try to kill Ethra, it made her uncomfortable. Even when she knew Velvet had killed at least two other persons before this, seeing someone go from a joking, cheerful attitude, to try and kill someone, to go back to clowning in less than an hour was unsettling.

Some Paradigms had quick changes in emotions, like Wrath, but Knowledge didn’t.

She told that to Vouloire.

“Know who are your enemies, and know who are your friends. That is also knowledge. She knows leaving Ethra alive is a problem in the making. You’re overthinking things. Still, I get why Kartal wants her in the Scales. She can be useful.”

“She feels more trouble than she is worth. But, if you say so, I’ll believe you.”