Miya managed to get Yuriko into a rather flimsy sundress which she got from an attendant that came with a personal landcrafter, which ferried them about in the city. A gaggle of boys from school followed behind the two of them in another landcrafter. Well truthfully, it actually looked more like a light hauler than anything else. Scratch that, it was a light hauler with the majority of the boys perched on the cargo bay at the back.

Yuriko was bewildered and confused. Where were they going? It certainly wasn’t to the north, not back to Aerule. And why didn’t they take the landcrafter all the way to the city instead of the Sky Tram?

“It’s faster with the tram,” Miya answered, “and if we took the landcrafter, it would have taken half the day to get here. This one is stationed at the Mishala city manor.”

“Oh. Alright,” Yuriko murmured. She looked out of the window curiously. “Where are we headed to anyway?”

“Jon Abrigo’s hosting a gathering. Tonight is the Blossom Festival,” Miya said with a smile. “I think it should do nicely to introduce you to high society.”

“Eh?” Yuriko protested. “But…I’m a bit tired. Er, Blossom Festival?”

“Really? Ah, yes, you didn’t grow up in Realmheart. The start of the Season of Earth is the beginning of the growing season. The Blossom Festival is when the power of the Verdant Empress emanates throughout the plane and makes all the flowers bloom.” Miya gave her a sidelong glance. “Don’t worry we won’t stay that long. For the rest of the week, we’ll be living in the city manor. It doesn’t make much sense travelling all the way from the northern district to here every day, morning and evening, so I don’t.”

“Oh. Uhm…” Yuriko still hesitated. She wasn’t exactly thrilled to have to meet with a bunch of strangers right after the exams.

“You’ll do well,” Miya insisted. “Besides, you’re a Mishala and getting to know the varied powers within the Imperial Capital is part of your education.”

“Oh, very well.” Yuriko sighed, “as long as this doesn’t take too long.”

“Tsk, tsk. You’re looking at this the wrong way, dear cousin,” Miya chuckled. “Have a bit of fun. Jon never lets his guests have a dull moment in his care.”

Yuriko raised an eyebrow. “You know this…Jon Abrigo, well?”

“Of course, he’s in my year level.” Miya shrugged. “A dear friend, and quite, hmmm, entertaining.” Miya stuck her tongue out for a moment before she giggled. “He’s a shameless flirt, too, so don’t let him turn your head.”

“I won’t.”

The landcrafter pulled into the driveway of a large-ish manor. The perimeter walls were quite high, but made of ornamental metal that gave an ample view of the grounds within. The shrubbery was pruned and shaped into beasts and other fantastic creatures. Yuriko recognised a multi-headed serpent king, a dire hound, and even a stone auroch. There were twisted creatures featured in the display further back, and it took a moment for her to realise that those were Wyldlings, under the heel of Imperial warriors.

The grand gate opened at the landcrafter’s approach. The gate guards took a single look through the passenger windows and saw Miya and Yuriko. Their eyes grew a bit glazed when Miya waved at them and then they let them through. The manor house was a brightly painted affair, greens and blues, was three storeys tall, and was about two hundred paces wide.

They pulled up to the entrance hall, where a footman opened the landcrafter’s door. Miya took the proffered hand while another footman helped Yuriko out. She didn’t need it, of course, and she was pretty sure Miya was just as nimble as she. Still, she followed her cousin’s lead after recalling some of the etiquette lessons from Social Studies.

Yuriko’s dress fell just above her knees and was unexpectedly flighty. When the wind blew, the hem almost always rose to mid-thigh. It had strings to hold it over her shoulders and a deep enough neckline that, if she hadn’t changed her underwear, would have indecently exposed her breast band. As it were, she wasn’t sure if the lacy, strapless brassiere she had on was any better. Her cousin had pushed the clothes on her wholesale and Miya’s puppy dog eyes and pouty lips made any resistance on her part melt away. It was only now that Yuriko figured out that her cousin had probably used the Mien on her.

Well, she was already here, wherever “here” was. A doorman bowed respectfully at them as he opened the entranceway and ushered them through. In the antechamber, another servant, two impeccably dressed women wearing the same kind of attendant’s uniform that the Mishala servants did, except the sigils on the sleeves or breast were different, met them and led them through the manor’s broad hallways.

They passed by a grand ballroom, a similarly grandiose dining room, and several parlours, before they reached a garden area. The sun had nearly set, leaving the skies lit with the nearly Full Moon.

The area was lit by several lanterns with ornate iron casing hanging from poles roughly three paces high.

“Miya Mishala! How nice to see you!” A baritone voice called out and a young man approached them from within a gaggle of youths around a table. The rest of them glanced over but most returned their attention to the centre of the table, where there was a board laid out and two young men faced each other with quite serious expressions.

“Jonarius Abrigo,” Miya said with a smile as the young man approached.

The first thing Yuriko noticed about him was that he had an intense stare, and that his smile was beautiful. He wasn’t the most handsome of fellows though. Reinhardt was far more pretty, and even Orrin and Braden were cuter. But that smile made him quite fetching.

“Ah, and this must be Yuriko Mishala.” He turned his dazzling smile to her, and despite herself, she felt her heart start to race.

“Er, hello,” Yuriko managed. She took a calming breath, then continued. “How do you know me?” she asked curiously.

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Jon Abrigo gave her a short head bow. “Ah, I’ve heard of your prowess in the arena earlier today. You matched up well against Armsmaster Kinohara,” he said in a disbelieving tone. “That woman is one of the best instructors in the Agaza, and you fought to a draw.” His grin grew wider. “Though I heard whispers that you were well on your way to defeating her. Hah!”

Yuriko couldn’t help it. She blushed. “Ah, thanks. I don’t think I’ve come to that point though.”

“Haha, you shouldn’t be modest. You’re now one of the alliance’s hopes of actually winning the War Games.”

“Oh,” Yuriko murmured.

The War Games were the year-end exercises for the Reserve Officer Training class. She’d never attended one, of course, having had the accident that threw her to Kogasi. But she’d heard of it from Marron and Kato. From her impressions, it was a joint exercise between the different academies, though she wasn’t sure if it was against each other or against something else.

“Alliance?”

“Yes. Agaza’s won the last, oh, dozen War Games, I think. I’d like to graduate with Aneurin not being last for once.”

“Uhm, but I’m from Sharom.”

“That’s alright,” he said gallantly, “as long as Agaza isn’t first, I’d be happy.”

“Are you going to ignore me?” Miya pouted.

“Oh, forgive me, my lady.” He sketched a bow to Miya. “It’s just that your cousin’s beauty is beguiling and I couldn’t help myself.”

“Hooh? Are you saying that Yuri is that much more beautiful than I?”

“Ah, hahaha, no, of course not!”

“Then, you’re saying she’s not pretty enough to overshadow every other girl in the capital?”

“Er…” Jon backpedalled while Yuriko stared at Miya in confusion. What was her cousin up to?

“Hie hie!” Miya chuckled. “Nevermind. Ah, this is literally Yuriko’s second day in Realmheart. Help me make her welcome.” She gave Jon a pointed look.

“Of course, it would be my pleasure,” Jon sketched another bow, this time to Yuriko. He gestured towards the tables. There was a bit of cheering and booing at whatever they were watching.

There were many more students scattered across the gardens though. Now that the sun had fully set, several lamps were lit, and Yuriko could see pairs sitting on a blanket spread across the grass, small groups sitting across tables taking in the scenery and tea.

Fire trees, peach trees, and several other varieties that she didn’t know were placed strategically across the entire space. There was at least one tree every five paces, and there was either a blanket or a table and benches. Servers roamed the pathways, bearing trays laden with food and drink. They made sure that each area was well supplied while they kept themselves as unobtrusive as possible.

It was the first week of the Season of Earth, and the cold from the previous Season of Water hadn’t completely dissipated. As Yuriko’s dress left her arms and most of her shoulders bare, she definitely felt the chill, especially since the garden was quite breezy. She allowed her Anima to flare outwards, covering her entire body, though she kept it as close to her skin as she could. It insulated her from the cold air nicely and she sighed in pleasure.

Miya wore a nearly identical dress but she reacted to the cold indifferently, as though it didn’t exist and it was in the midst of the Season of Fire. Jon and most of the other youths were dressed more sensibly, but Yuriko spotted quite a few girls, and some boys, who were dressed as light as the two Mishalas.

Jon led them right at the table where he emerged from. The spectators barely looked at them as they approached, but couldn’t help but glance when they moved into the crowd. As soon as they did, the passing glances turned into heated stares. The boys nodded familiarly at Miya, then eyed her with equal interest.

The two on the table, intent as they were on their match, didn’t let their focus waver. Yuriko thought that they were playing a version of Tracer Board, but a closer look at it revealed that it was as far from Tracer as a swarmling was from a Chaos Lord.

Both players had their hands pressed into orbs at the corners of the playing board which was, itself, about fifteen squares by fifteen. Their Animus, tainted a red and blue by the orbs, tethered into the playing pieces, which were gorgeously crafted miniatures of human warriors, and varied forms of Wyldlings. It appeared as if one player, a young man with wind tousled red hair controlled the human side while another young man with dark hair in a loose ponytail, played the Wyldling side.

Their Animus strings connected to the active playing pieces and…were some of those things floating in mid-air? Even as Yuriko watched, the floating piece on the human side advanced a couple of squares then shot out blue bolts that bombarded one of the unpowered units on the Wyldling side. The dark-haired boy hastily diverted Animus strings into that one, causing it to emit a reddish Protective Field, but the initial damage had been too much. The figurine fell over much to the boy’s consternation and he started cussing up a storm. The red-haired boy smirked even as the other made his move.

The game was played with each one moving to offence in turns. One could either attack or reinforce their defences and the goal seemed to be for the other side to reach the opposite side of the board and hold it for several turns. The crowd was separated in two, with each side cheering for their player. Most of them were slightly older than she, by a year or two. The younger students lingered in the outskirts of the group, which was somewhat odd to Yuriko since she managed to gain a good view rather easily.

She was lost enough in the match, and the rather festive atmosphere, that by the time her tummy rumbled, Miya and Jon were no longer in sight. Shrugging to herself, she made her way out of the crowd, which parted easily in front of her, and headed towards a long table laden with food. A server gave her a plate with pasta and directed her to an empty seat at a table. Someone else gave her a flute with something bubbly in it.

“Ah, I see you’ve tired of that inane game,” someone said from behind her.

“Pardon?”

“Valheim’s Strategy Board,” the boy said as he settled across from her on the table. His long green hair was held back from his face in a ponytail, while his blue eyes sparkled in mischief. His face was lightly tanned, and he had half a smirk on his face. “It’s all the rage in the Academies now, with nearly a dozen separate clubs playing it. Ah, it's also quite famous throughout the city, but for a game that touted strategy, it's got one major failing.”

“And that is?” Yuriko asked idly while she scooped up the pasta, small twisty things that were about an inch long, and smothered in cream sauce and cheese shavings. The cream was sweet and the cheese salty, and there were bits of seared bacon mixed in with it too.

“It's entirely dependent on a player being good at Animus Manipulation. Strategy. You don’t need to have perfect control over your Animus to be good at it,” he continued, “there are other board games that teach strategy and tactics, but do people play it? Does the curriculum in Agaza use it? No, of course not. Not since the Tracer Board and others like them were invented and spread across the Empire.” He grew rather animated as he pressed his point.

“You seem fixated on this,” Yuriko said diplomatically.

“I suppose. Oh, forgive me for interrupting your meal,” the boy grinned, “but I couldn’t help it, Miss Mishala. You’re quite impossible to ignore.”

“Eh, I don’t seem to be the centre of attention right now,” she mumbled around her spoon.

“That’s because they’re used to seeing other Mishalas.” He grinned. “And your…aura, seems rather unaggressive. Ah, forgive my lack of manners, I am Finan Conail Agalmar,” he sketched a seated bow, “at your service.”

“Yuriko Mishala Davar.”

“Hmm, how about I show you what a real strategy game is? Not one that’s dependent on Animus control, but one that requires a sharpness of the mind?”

Despite herself, Yuriko grew intrigued. And she still couldn’t spot her cousin or their host. Well, she’d rather go to bed after dinner, but it looked like she’d be stuck here for a while anyway. Perhaps a game or two would be nice.

“I’d be delighted,” she replied with a smile, while Finan’s cheeks tinged red.