Chapter Twenty-Nine

The testers, questioners, and curious descended on the applicants. Violet left to check others for potential. Harmony found herself with a line waiting to see her, while the less desirable youths made their way to the tables manned for any to approach and inquire.

A man who Harmony would have labeled a butler had the same stiff formality Bates liked to live by, approached. Probably had a profession along those lines. Servants Tend to recognize peers. His black suit perfectly tailored the emblem of a scale on a field of flowers stitched in gold on his breast.

“Why isn't breached roast served past the ninth course of fall tidings?”

Obscure etiquette questions. Yeah, just like Bates. [Recall] even provided a flashback to training from the head butler when she was hired. Not that it gave her the answer.

“Because it requires a knife to eat.”

“Expand.” The man prompted.

There was the long-winded answer, to which there might be theological underpinnings. That one was sure to be fumbled. Then there was the blunt truth. And she wasn't here to win friends. “Everyone is so drunk at that point that you don't want to give them sharp implements.”

The man responded with a noncommittal grunt. Next came a rapid-fire set of questions around protocol, and events with a similar odd nature. Several answers were “I don’t know.” But that wasn’t disqualifying. Close to ten minutes in he was nudged aside with the jab of a gold staff.

“You’ve had yer fun, Bixby. Now git.” Said the oldest woman here, her face nearly all wrinkles and age spots.

“I don’t mind at all, madam.” The longer he took the more likely the line might get bored and dissipate.

“Spell caster are ye, Merc-oy. Got a mana skill?”

Harmony nodded.

The old woman pulled out a small clear crystal sphere. “Hold this and push all your mana into it until you're near empty and as quick as possible.”

Getting near exhaustion that way was a pain. It could even hamper her the rest of the evening, let alone if she needed to do anything. It wasn’t like she couldn’t say no, and was about to.

“Don’t give me that look, dearie.” Out of her pocket came a small vial filled with deep blue liquid. Mana potion, even Tyler only had a handful for his collection. “I’ll top you off after. The quicker you do this the quicker I can move on.”

Seemed simple enough. Harmony took the sphere. Now [Mana Rotation] would make this tricky as it acted like an extra mana reservoir, actively spirling inside her, waiting to be used with the skill. Just pushing it in would have resistance, and unsprialing it would take time and effort away from all the work she’d made tightening it as Hyacinth did with his version. Would using [Mana Rotation] be cheating? Not like it mattered. She activated the skill and it surged about waiting to boost some other skill. With it, her mana sense lit up. The room was rampant with items and people actively using theirs. The crystal sphere was like a hungry empty spot. Maybe pushing mana in wouldn’t be so difficult. Rather than surge toward a skill, she aimed it at the void like she was charging a glow stone.

“Oof.” It actively drew from her once she made that connection. Nothing she couldn’t break, but the old woman was right this wouldn’t take long. Following that boost, she focused on all her mana, first the tide went out and now the ocean aimed to dry up.

Inside the sphere, a light flickered a few times, about three small sparks about as unspectacular as it gets.

“That’s about all I can manage.” Harmony’s knees already started to sway.

The woman handed her two vials. “Take them both. You’ll need it.” Then hobbled away muttering to herself about youths.

It felt extravagant to use them, but saving them wasn't worth the price of feeling drained from the experience, so she downed them. The rush was a little like taking a shot of the good stuff during a golden moment.

“Who’s Next,” Harmony asked out loud. The quicker she got this over with the quicker she could move on.

The odd requests and curiosities continued. Juggling? Not a task she’d ever contemplated. Anyone with decent physical skills could do the task. Some rogue classes loved to toss their knives about to show off at gyms and such. [Style and Grace] and [Poise and Bearing] had certainly cut down on clumsiness and as they were mastered everything got smoother, add in the dodging and positioning of [Small Armor] and martial skills behind [High Kick], four skills working in concert juggling came as easy as those dancing lessons. So what?

“What are the three principles of the sun temple?” Finally, something to be terrible at.

“Don't know.”

“As guides to the hard paths people choose from, how have the temples helped you?”

“They haven't.”

The stodgy woman in blue robes pushed forward with specific theological questions and Harmony answered them with a bored but honest tone showing her lack of caring and ignorance on the subject.

“Well, what do you know about the temples?!” She snapped.

“I know that the morning before temple events the streets are scrubbed clean of all garbage, debris, and people that might offend those showing up. I know that some classes garner extra attention for possible evolutionary paths. While other classes are shunned from services some temples provide.” History that stung as much as that with her mother.

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“If you have such a low opinion. Then why are you here?”

“Abbess Violet thought it would be amusing.”

Even that contentious interaction didn’t stem the tide of interested parties. Throughout the ballroom, six or so favorite applicants emerged, with a handful of others getting decent but not as much attention. That left dejected and disappointed people on the outskirts and crowding tables to pitch themselves to less discriminating associations recruiting. That dejected group was who Harmony found herself envious of, a crowd to slip away in to subtly call her pet prince from. If only Violet and Jonas hadn’t set her up.

The top applicants eyed each other wearily. Or in Harmony’s case, she got stared at and did her best to ignore the attention. Was there some coveted spot being taken by her presence? Maybe she should have asked more questions before showing up to this? The horror of some notable thing attributed to the mysterious Mercy, only then made worse when she's revealed to be Lady White, flashed in her mind. Where was Violet? Answers need to be had.

Harmony stepped away from the queue waiting. Where is that woman?

First to break out. Other top contenders followed suit, freeing themselves from the shackles of attention. Which was why she found herself confronted.

“You’re not going for the Holy Crafter position are you?” Asked a skinny girl in colorfully patched-up overalls with a mechanical spider made of gears perched on her shoulder.”

“The only thing I’m going after is my patron, Violet. I fear she’s played a trick on me. And I aim to ask the questions I should have before agreeing to come here.” Harmony answered while trying to peer around the girl.

“But you can’t refuse if they offer it.”

“You’ll find I’m perfectly capable of refusing things I don’t want or need. If you know where Abbess Violet is please point me that way. I promise not to accept Holy Crafter, whatever that is.”

The flush of relief on the young woman's face, had Harmony taken aback enough to briefly wonder what she’d agree to give up, and even more eager to find that cursed abbess. Follower of chaos, indeed.

“I think I saw her that way.”

Harmony traced her gesture to the far end of the ballroom.

Ten steps and another body blocked her way. So rude. [Poise and Bearing] reared its head internally in rage, the maid’s spine straightened, shoulders locked back, and body position adjusted slightly to project confidence, assurance, and the best don’t mess with me she could spit out. Too bad against the tall fellow that blocked her, her chin was just above his navel and that look was all projected into the young man’s chest. “You’re. In. My. Way.” Harmony grunted out.

“I challenge you to a duel.”

Harmony felt the skill press upon her. An actual [Challenge] skill. Had to be some fancy bleeding duelist-style class. Refusing would be like rusty nails across her soul while cleaning bedrooms after green fever season. [Renew Spirit] could counter much of that, but delve this fool if she was going to waste energy doing that.

“Fine. Ring’s that way.”

Step in and concede. Easy as a little dusting. Might even make this man more of a fool than they are. Usually picking on someone almost half your height didn’t get you in other people's good graces as it was. A crowd was already waiting for them, having shooed out a pair who had been sparring to get attention. Maybe this will draw Violet in.

“My blade is blunted. The first to three solid hits or to knock down their opponent is the winner. And in this crowd, there’ll be plenty of healers to handle any bumps or bruises.” He lectured confidently while they were walking.

A blunted sword and fancy dress clothes. He didn’t look like he should be offering to fight anyone despite his height. At least there wouldn’t be armor to deal with this time. Too bad [Cold Touch] was off the table. Or even [Manipulate Dead] to blow a hole in this fancy blue and white suit, or make him bald. [Recall] reminded her the plan is to concede.

They needed to push through the crowd to get to the ring with so many waiting eyes excited to see the match. Harmony set her stance on one end as read as she could be while uncomfortable in odd clothes and wielding a gauntlet that she'd never choose to wear in a fight. While her opponent stood tall and striking in their tailored blue and white suit with a gleaming blunted sword in hand.

“Fight Begin!” someone shouted.

“I con…” The nameless fool was already charging forward, not giving her a chance to finish her concession. Ambushing her while she’s looking at him. Hyacinth, the consummate predator from the shadows he was would turn his nose at that.

While not having enough time to spit out her concession. Her opponent was, with no better words to put it, slow. Chronostasis wasn’t even kicking in. That’s what she gets for training against Prince Adric and his speed.

With [Small Armor] ready, she stepped into him using the skill to deflect a committed swing, the blade glowing slightly with some skill usage. The man had all the length in the world, with both his limbs and sword, why would he go in so close. Even with his blade blocked it stayed pressed against the gauntlet. Harmony opened her mouth to try to concede again.

No sound came out as tingling started through Harmony’s side. His [Silent Strike] pushed in and Harmony felt her skills shutting down as the wave passed through her. That’s why he got close. Most people would keep their distance and wait for the silence to wear off, being so close meant they’d need to fumble away or be more ineffective on attack.

Two things. The quiet felt good. Her own silence skill seemed to resonate with it, and all of those flare-ups that have been constantly bugging her finally let go. The other was that Harmony’s first taste of melee combat was before she got any fancy body skills. Despite Mike and his current saltiness, the Dig Boy spent effort teaching how to throw a punch and make a difference when you need to when lacking skills, height, and weight.

You don’t need to be strong to punch someone in the throat and then run away. Too bad for this jerk, his throat is out of reach. Harmony stepped forward and used the gauntleted fist straight between the man's legs. Completely against the etiquette for any sparring match. Something she’d be appalled to do to any friend. About as un-ladylike as possible. Fitting for someone who used a skill to challenge her to a match. Mercy? More like no mercy.

The tall man crumpled to the ground. Despite his talk of plenty of healers to help, no one rushed to his side.

Harmony scanned the crowd, finding and meeting Abbess Violet who threw her into this mess. A large grin was all over that woman's face. Well, someone was having fun tonight. Harmony moved forward, stepping over her fallen opponent toward the abbess.

The silence clicked off and the unpleasantness returned, but with something different. The primal bond with her pet ached. Adric was... Now chronostasis kicked in. He was already in the room and heading her way.