His brother had not been happy with his story so far, but he was finally getting to the tail end of it now. He talked about the fight with Priscilla and the bandits and how it had gone. After which he explained the rewards they received, the items they found, and most importantly about Priscilla herself. Mash finished his recollection by summoning Priscilla from his arm. She peeled away from his skin, seeming to form from his own body. Her beak was a little longer now, more curved as well. She had changed the colors of her scales, now they matched with his own black shade. Starting off small, she grew until she coiled around his entire arm.
“How big can she get, and how do you fit her into your body? Does it affect your weight, or anything about your physical properties?”
Shifting into a more analytical lens, his brother prodded Mash on details that he hadn’t considered. Rather than trying to figure it out himself, he asked Priscilla for the information. Receiving a mostly complete answer, she answered the first question and said that her size would be related to the amount of mana she possessed, which would increase as his own did. For now, she could become a third of the size of her form from the dungeon. If he kept getting stronger, she didn’t know if there was a strict limit to her size. As for physical changes, the bonuses to his stats were an effect of her mana coursing through his body. She had become like a second mana core in his body, and she would form from that mana. It did affect him physically, at least as far as others could tell. He would look like he had even more mana than normal, the effect compounding with his energy.
Explaining that to his brother wasn’t easy, but he managed to find the words for it. He didn’t know many other details about the fusion, Priscilla also having never gone through this process before. She instinctively knew that she could do it but had never found a creature that would be both beneficial and willing. With the difficulties, the conversations soon fell apart, and his brother moved the topic elsewhere.
“Mash, I want you to stay in the city for the duration of your contract. At least when you’re here, I can help keep you and your friends safe. Plus, you should take some time to rest anyways.”
His brother’s genuine concern came through to Mash, but so did his condescension. Mash felt like a child who was being talked down too, only just realizing that he was still fourteen and would normally be considered a child. Rather than try and argue right now, Mash agreed with his brother’s demands. If he really wanted to argue, he could do it later, when his brother wasn’t as focused on the dangers that Mash had encountered. Also, he had already been planning to stay in the city for a while. On top of training at the guild, there were also two dungeons located near the city, so staying here wasn’t an issue right now.
“Good, you and your friends, can stay at my place if you guys want. It’s more Luna’s home than mine, despite her having been given a separate place by the church. She will be glad to see you too, but maybe don’t tell her about all the dangerous stuff.”
“I wasn’t planning on it, though I do have a gift to give her. Speaking of which, I have one for you too.”
Mash pulled out the crystal he had gotten for Arthur, using his magic to form a wooden creation around it. At first, he planned on making a dragon, but stopped himself, instead using the crystal as an imitation sun, that shown over the forest he saw while flying. Priscilla had helped him recreate the view, and he was left with almost a perfect sculpture of the scene. The fake sun gave his wood a slightly golden hue.
He took it apprehensively, studying the detail that was engraved into the wooden sculpture. Priscilla’s memory let him make a near perfect replication, and with his strange type of wood, the creation had felt more alive. Moving to his desk, his brother set it down carefully. It was placed like the center piece of the room, though Mash didn’t understand why he was leaving it here.
“Trust me, this is more of a home to me, than my house. Not to mention I receive a lot more guests here than at home. Thank you, Mash, the design is incredible. Honestly, I think you could probably earn some real money doing this, it is quite impressive, if not a little ominous.”
His brother was genuinely impressed by the creation, Mash smiling at the pride he felt. Although, he knew that Priscilla deserved just as much of the credit, her own words, letting him know that she thought the same.
“Priscilla helped me with the details, she can remember anything she’s seen, and lets me see it as well. You wouldn’t believe half the things she could show you, the only reason I do is because of my connection to her. And I will check with the others about staying at your place but is there enough space for all of us?”
His brother didn’t give him a verbal answer, instead a small smile forming on his face. He quickly hid it, but Mash could make the connection. With the conversation over for now, he separated from his brother, not a real goodbye since he would see him soon enough. He headed out of the building, a few of the guards and attendants, eyeing him now that he didn’t have his mask. Only realizing when he heard someone gasp, upon meeting his eyes. He made sure to put it on before leaving the building, relieved that he didn’t wander the streets without it.
From the entrance, he could see the café that Jill spoke about and started heading towards it. It was a small shop, built into what looked like the first two floors of a larger building. It wasn’t crowded, but the tables that were prepared outside the building were full. His own friends were occupying one of those tables. He made his way towards the table, a few people were still giving him glances, his mask still an oddity among the general people. It was much more bearable than before, and he took a seat. There were still a few sweets laid, and he thanked them as he took a bite out of one. It was good, a honey-soaked cake with some cuts of fruit mixed into the bread. Finishing the sweet, he told the others of what his brother told him about.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
They agreed easily, only concerned about remaining here for so long. However, they agreed that that topic could be broached once they cleared the dungeons and finished their training. It would likely take several months anyways. As for living arrangements, Red and Jill were eager to take him up on the offer.
“He is a Sentinel! How, in god’s name, did you fail to mention that? Do you have any idea how much power and influence he would have in the city? His home is probably bigger than several of these buildings put together.”
Red sounded a little too eager about staying with his brother. Her words making Jill want to do the same. The luxurious setting sounded highly appealing.
“A mansion is something I could get behind. Plus, you think he is trustworthy, and it will benefit us to form connections with him. Not to mention I want to meet your sister. She was chosen by the Goddess of the Moon, right?”
Sounding reverent, she looked at Mash for confirmation. His mouth full, he gave her a look of agreement, before realizing that his mask was still on. Instead, he gave her a thumbs up. Everyone seemed in agreement on the matter, Luke was mostly indifferent but trusted Mash’s judgment on his family. Luke seemed busy looking over the crowds, uncertainty plain on his face. There was a surprising amount of beastmen and other races which seemed to be occupying his attention. Mash could easily follow his gaze and find him looking at a group of beastmen that seemed perfectly normal. He wondered what he was thinking.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing, I just figured there would be more discrimination. It wasn’t easy back home, but here everyone seems fine. I’ve even seen groups with beastmen and humans interacting normally.”
He sounded a little amazed, but also frustrated. Red explained that it was different further into the city, her experience coming from visiting with her family. There was only two noble beastmen families, and both were given the position because of blood relations to princes. There were two who were currently married to beastmen, and much of their good relations trickled down to the outer city. However, the old-fashioned noble houses didn’t agree with the changes. At first, Mash thought he saw relief on Luke’s face, but that was quickly replaced by disappointment.
Once they finished eating, they made their way towards Arthur’s home. Their excitement grew, as they heard several people talking about the Frost Sentinel. It turned out that Mash’s brother was the youngest sentinel ever, and there was another rumor that he was in a relationship with a princess. A contender for the throne despite not having any royal blood. Knowing his brother, he wouldn’t become the king even if it was forced onto him. It didn’t take long to find the district where his brother’s house was, though the trek was decidedly less pleasant now. Several of the people on the street had sneered at them a few even mocking them openly. Despite the looks he grinned, knowing they would regret it when word got around that he was Arthur’s brother.
They didn’t have to ask for directions, his brother having given them to him and describing the building. The one thing his brother didn’t mention, left his mouth hanging open. It was a small castle, not that it was designed like such. The size on the other hand was akin to that of a fort back home. With a wide yard, the elaborate wooden house in the middle only occupied a third of the walled off space. The walls were tall, but he could still look over them if he tried. The front gate was made of metal and was sealed by an emblem of the kingdom’s symbol.
There was a small crowd gathered at the entrance, mostly noble men and women seeming to want to get a look at someone. As they approached, Red asked one of them what they were looking for. The man spoke without looking at them.
“The priestess Lunaria is visible. Everyone here is eager to see someone with the child of the goddess class.”
Only after answering did he bother glancing at them, and when he did he immediately gave them a sneer. Mash didn’t like the idea of people watching his sister, and pushed his way through the crowd, making a show of taking off his mask as he approached the gate. His friends were frozen by the information on his sister’s class, but Mash expected it from what Arthur had told him. Several people turned to glare at him as he pushed them aside, but they froze upon seeing his eyes. One of them even yelled monster, and the guards at the gate drew their weapons. Mash hadn’t noticed them with the crowd hiding their presence.
They didn’t attack though, most likely having received instructions from his brother. Arthur had told him it would only take a few minutes to get the place prepared for their arrival, so he felt confident making his way to the front. He saw Luna, sitting there several feet behind the gate, talking with what looked like a group of maids. Waving his hands towards her, he called out loudly, so excited that he forgot about the crowd behind him.
“Luna!”
He charged towards her; the gates quickly opened by the guards to let him through. His friends were now making their way through the crowd and got to see as he ran ahead. He was surprised by how happy he was to see her, all the worry about his appearance drowned out by the joy. His sister took a second to recognize him, but once she did, she reacted in a similar manner.
“Mash! It is-”
She didn’t finish her sentence, instead getting swept up in a hug by Mash. She reciprocated the hug, seeming even more eager than he did. He was worried about how his sister would react to his appearance, but that washed away as soon as he saw her. She had always been close to Mash, and it had been the hardest for him when she left. The time away from her, had shown him how much he cared about his family. When he left home, he thought that he wouldn’t be so eager to return but that seemed to be a lie, a comfort he told himself. He thought he was in better control of his emotions, but that seemed to be less true now than a few months ago. Priscilla was sending him some thoughts, but he ignored them. As he pulled away from his hug, he saw that his sister was crying a little.
Mash still wasn’t and watched as his friends made their way through the crowd. Most of the nobles parted for them, recognizing that they had been with Mash. They approached his sister nervously, all of them seeming to hold her in some reverence. The class had shaken them more than he expected, but Red’s training must have held out because she managed to give Luna a proper bow before speaking.
“Hello, priestess. My name is Red, and this is Jill and Luke. We’re friends of your brother.”
As she indicated the others, both of them gave Luna their best interpretations of a formal bow, though neither had had the same practice as Red. Although, none of it seemed to matter to his sister as she started laughing. Mash found himself doing the same, his immediate worries forgotten.