– Day 9 –

Dinner Party – Part 2

With Zeros cryptic statement and sudden disappearance so shortly after arriving, it’s not hard to see why everyone looks confused by what just happened. I guess I had better explain it to them somehow.. Ah! I’ll use that mumbling stuff Zero said before.

“..Zero knows I can read magic construction, so he showed me the spells I’ll need in quick succession and then left–”

“And that was enough for you to grasp them?”

Graham retorts while looking suspicious… Damn, I better follow this up some more.

“I have the same affinity to dark magic as Zero. By augmenting my concentration, he was able to infer the spells composition and–”

Damn it, what was it he called it. Oh!

“–or rather, which enabled me to compose mimicry of the spells wave lines in mana.”

Or something or other… They all look confused, so it obviously sounded complicated enough to be believable.

David looks to be the only one willing to speak.

“…So the spells Zero just used…You can use them now also?”

“Correct. Not to the same level of understanding or strength but I can cast them at least.”

“Incredible…I can see now why Alexander and Graham believe you're up to this task.”

Alexander and Graham throw each other a look of ‘Did you know?’. Of course, they didn’t until just now either but they aren’t going to admit to that. Better change the subject quickly.

“You mentioned a scout, Graham?”

“Oh, yes. Sybil, best I’ve ever seen. She lives in Axxen just outside the city–”

Axxen? That’s where Sarah’s from if I remember correctly.

“I can get her here by morning for you.”

“Perfect. Then that just leaves a support mage to find”

“Leave that to me as well. I’ll visit the circle tomorrow for you and find someone suitable. I’ll also drop off a requestion order that can be used for purchasing goods and services in the city without limit.”

Without limit? Guess that means my budgets been increased, heh, nice~

“That would be most helpful, thank you, Graham.”

“If you need anything else, just come to find me at the magistrates.. Well, I believe we all have our tasks. Let us work hard together and claw the Kingdom of Sinki back from the very edge of the abyss whereby she currently stands!”

The other three men stand and cheer ‘Here, Here’ while raising their glasses. I would have joined in, but I was never offered a drink since arriving. I don’t think that was done with malice but more due to Alex’s previously heated temper; he simply forgot to ask.

Graham lowers the barrier spell and walks out with David and William in tow. Alexander waves me over; I’m guessing there’s something he wishes to discuss with just me.

 “Tell me Aburi, do you plan on taking Katharine with you?”

I can see the concern in his eyes..

“..I am. She has been before and will be a valuable source of information.. It will also allow her to confront her trauma which I think will help her.”

We walk out of the room together in silence before he turns to me.

“….No, I can’t coddle her forever. She’s a grown woman and a seasoned knight but that place Aburi… Just take care of her”

I merely nod at a fathers plea. It’s not like I can’t understand or empathise with the conflicted feelings he has about this.

We’re not out of the conference room more than a moment before Alexander is accosted by his other guests. He begins introducing me to a couple of them one by one, but by the time the 4th pompous noble told me his name, I had forgotten the first altogether. Why does everyone have ridiculously long names? And why do you need six names and a generation? It doesn’t make sense! Luckily Katharine spots me from upstairs and waves to me. I make my excuses with Alexander and the group we are currently with and head upstairs to greet her.

“Katharine, I owe you one.”

“*giggle* I thought you liked politics?”

“Pray tell, when did I say that?”

She clicks her tongue before lifting her eyes to meet mine.

“Okay, so you didn’t! Anyway, come, the others are in here.”

She shamelessly takes my hand and leads me down the brightly lit hall to another large room. This time there are many tables scattered all around with ample space in the centre with various nibbles and drinks on them. At the north end of the room, a small orchestra can be seen playing. This room would be best described as a ballroom with a high domed, white embossed ceiling that has long flowing red drapes down the tall, pale yellow walls from the ceiling before the arcs of the dome. It’s a very grand room that’s only made more magnificent by the centrepiece, a giant crystal chandelier. The place is definitely befitting of a party in the Armstrong name.

In the furthest south corner, I spot our group with Helen and Mira talking to 2 I don’t recognise.

“Are you hungry?”

HP: 330 / 330 MP: 670 / 670

Hunger: 38% Thirst: 78%

Blood State: Normal

“No, but I am parched.”

She raises her hand, and a waiter appears with a tray of wine glasses. I lift two and hand her one; I’m a gentleman after all.

“Thank you and also allow me to thank you on behalf of my father for the wine you sent–”

“If I had of known it was a Dinner of such scale, I would have sent more than four barrels.”

“Four was already too much Aburi. Father shouted at me for allowing you to buy such expensive wine–”

“Please, I only did so because I thought I would be drinking it..”

She starts to giggle again and then sighs.

“Would you like to dance?”

There are indeed a number of people dancing in the centre of the room but…well.

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“Ah, um, apologies Katharine, but I don’t know how?”

She looks slightly disappointed by that answer–

“but, I’m willing to give it a go if you want to show me how?”

After I down three more of these that is!

“Yes! Okay, it’s simple, come.”

She drags me over to the centre of the room– Wait, I need more alcohol…oh, whatever!

“Put one hand here, yep; and then hold my hand gently, like this. Okay now we step back, pause, step forward, pause–”

“This is a waltz right?”

“Waltz?”

“Nevermind, continue.”

She continues until I have it and then she begins to add additional steps and moves to it like a bow, rotate, separate and return. It’s an easy dance to do and remember, not unlike a waltz.

“You’re very good at this Aburi.”

“Only because you’re an impeccable teacher–”

The music ends unexpectedly and changes into something a little faster… Oh wait, I know this one~

“This may be a little forward–”

“huh, oo!?”

I take my hand from her hip and place it on her upper back and pull her closer to receive a gloriously cute little squeal. This is how you do a Foxtrot right?

As I begin what I remember the steps to be, I realise that I must be wrong as the other dancing couples are in a completely different form… I’m about to stop when Katharine nudges me with her nose to continue. It must be written on my face..

Ah! The humiliation! 

…Awgh, screw it!

I start slow so she can match the rhythm and steps but she picks it up extremely quickly, and before I even realise it, she’s adding moves of her own into it.

As the music tempo increases, so does our pace as we rotate around and in between other couples and before either of us know it, we’re laughing our faces off. The other pairs were staring at us, but personally, I think we may have started a new dance… It’s definitely not the foxtrot though.

As the song transitions, we separate and I bow to her curtsy, and we leave the dance floor.

“Thank you Aburi, that was a lot of fun.”

“Indeed, thank you for teaching me.”

“And to you for showing me such a wonderful dance from your home country.”

Erm…sure..

“Anytime. Shall we go to the others?”

She nods, and we head over to where the others have secluded themselves into groups. Kate, Emily and Millie are chatting in one group and Mira, Hannah and Helen are speaking with two people I do not know. Bella is hammered, no surprise there, and Risk is on overwatch for the groups. I feel a little guilty about Risks assigned post, so I leave Katharine with Emily’s group and head over to Risk.

“Overwatch I see?”

“Hmm? Oh, well one of us has to keep watch and well, *sigh*, it wasn’t going to be Bella.”

He points to her while shaking his head.

“Sorry about this Risk. I honestly didn’t know it was going to be a ball…”

“Think nothing of it. It’s what we were hired for–”

“You were invited as guests not security Risk. You saved the Generals life after all–”

“That was all you buddy..but I get what you're saying. Sorry Aburi, we’re not good at these events.”

He points to Bella again whose finally succumbed to the alcohol and has fallen asleep in the corner she was standing in but a moment ago.

“Haha, I’m the same. I’d rather be at home doing anything but this”

“Could have fooled me, you look like a natural socialite.”

“Mimicry. I have to ‘play the game’ so to speak if I want to stay in this Kingdom. I’m an Elf and all that.”

He cracks a broad, toothy grin.

“And I wonder why you might want to stay?”

He sneakily points at Katharine. I just smile and shake my head gently at him. There’s no point denying it; I am falling for her.

“Good for you–”

“Yes well, we’ve already discussed that--"

"Aburi, life is too short for concerns like that."

He's not wrong...

"…We have something pressing to talk about once we get back.”

“I take it the meeting wasn’t to discuss your pending medal?”

“Hardly. I’ll tell you about it later, but you're not going to like it. For now, go mingle. I’ll watch Bella.”

“And miss watching you ‘mimic’. I’m good, off you go.”

He turns me around and lightly pushes me off. I can feel your smirking!

*Sigh*

I see a waiter with another tray of drinks and wave them over… Or rather I try to, the wrench ignores me… Fine. 

Instead, I head over to greet Mira. It feels like an age since we last spoke. I also notice she’s wearing tailored clothes; I wonder if they’re the ones I bought for her?

“Hello, Mira. You look lovely this evening”

“Sir Draconis…A-Aburi, Thank you.”

She attempts a curtsy. So cute!

“How are you?”

She looks to the floor and back up to me shyly as she speaks, carefully trying not to stumble.

“Well..I’m well, t-thank you f-for asking….and you!?”

“Worn out from all the nobles if I’m honest. It’s great to be able to converse with someone naturally without being forcibly polite.”

She smiles but doesn’t respond. I should remember she has trouble conversing with others.

“How’s your sister?”

“Good, s-she wanted to meet you tonight, but Lady Katharine said she’s too young to be at this gathering.”

“Ah, that’s a shame–”

“Master! Take me to dance!”

Emily erupts… she’s been drinking; heavily it seems.

“In a–”

“Master!!”

Oh for heaven's sake.

“Sorry Mira, seems I have to go dance again.”

She giggles and attempts another curtsy while Emily is swinging on my arm like a four-year-old at play time. We leave Mira and head back to the Dancefloor. No new dance this time, just the standard waltz if you please!

For the entire dance, Emily just mutters to herself and giggles while falling about the place. I think it’s time we headed home and put the drunkards to bed.

I collect the others, say my goodbyes to Duke Graham and Baron David while giving my thanks to Katharine and General Alexander for inviting us. I couldn’t find Sir William, so I assume he’s already left.

When deciding who rides on each carriage back to the house, Kate and Emily both insist that they must be in my carriage home. To avoid arguing further with the drunkards, I concede with the intention of never allowing them to consume alcohol ever again. I leave Risk, Hannah, Bella and Millie to the other carriage. Of course Risk initially tries to insist he travels with me as my guard but with Bella out of action, I’m more worried about the girls than myself, and besides, he’s not more than a minute away. He sighs but gives in to my request.

The journey ride home with Kate and Emily is awkward as hell with Kate continually trying to slip her hands down my pants like some horny school girl, and Emily is trying to help her while giggling uncontrollably. I thought situations like this only happen in porn or erotic manga!? Don’t get me wrong, I kind of like what’s going on here but..my mind keeps turning to Katharine like some love-struck puppy and–

“Emily, Kate stop it! Seriously, I order you!”

Yeah. I did something I swore I wouldn’t, and I immediately regret it. Emily tries to ignore the order and continue but is visibly in pain every time she touches me. Kate moves to the other side of the carriage and mumbles something.. but it’s inaudible.

As we pull up to the house, I’m struck with utter and complete amazement… Someone’s painted ‘Fuck off Elf’ in giant letters with red paint across the entire front of the house. It’s quite impressive to some degree due to the time and effort required to do it. 

I just laugh at it, shrug and head inside. 

Things like this don’t typically annoy me. I’m just glad I didn’t leave Sarah’s money in the house before heading to the party..

I princess carry Emily who has fallen asleep into the house and take her up to her room with Kate. Kate tries to console me about the graffiti which I thank her for but explain it’s not a concern as I kiss her on the forehead like a father putting his little girl to sleep…his twenty-two-year-old little girl..with giant…*sigh* I know trunky, I don’t deserve you.

Just as I leave the room and start down the stairs–

“Aburi! Aburi, are you here?! Aburi!”

I rush downstairs to see a frantic Risk running about.

“What’s wrong?!”

“You’re.. okay. I saw the paint and didn’t see you…I assumed the worst.”

I laugh–

“Don’t worry about it. I was putting Emily and Kate to bed as they were a nuisance.”

“…You realise that paint changes things?”

“I do. The Order of Lybian’s followers are the most likely culprits, and it’ll only get worse from here on right?”

“Yes, precisely right… Why do you seem indifferent about this?”

“Because I am. I expected it sooner or later after I decided I would stay in this city. It’s sooner than I expected, a lot sooner in fact. From tomorrow, no one leaves the house without you or Bella in tow.”

Risk exhales violently, causing me to laugh…I may also be a little drunk.

I send Hannah and Millie to bed with Bella in tow, muttering about someone or something named Gola. I’ll have to ask her about that at some point, but in the meantime, Risk and I head to the dining room to discuss the events prior to me rejoining them.

Risk patiently listens to what has transpired between General Alexander Armstrong and General Victor Syvian with the reclamation army for Amaki. I explain that we now only have three weeks before the capital will be vulnerable to invasion from monsters. I proceed to tell the plan, describing the Catacombs; the roles everyone plays; and about the two forces that will work apart from each other in assault and support roles. He sat quietly during the whole presentation, never once showing any emotion that might tell me what he was thinking about the operation.

“You’re getting paid for this right?”

I blink twice and then start bawling in laughter uncontrollably.

“I’m serious.. but well, the plan as a whole sounds plausible but this ‘Shock Troop’? As you called it. I take it consists, excluding Bella and myself, of course, two people with barely any combat experience and two entirely unknowns. Hardly an elite force?”

“That’s where the Catacombs come in. We have two weeks to become an elite force, or we’re running away.”

Risk sniggers for a moment before realising I’m serious.

“I told you before, I’m not going to put my neck on the line for something impossible; I’m even less likely to risk friends. I think it’s still possible so I haven’t packed up yet.”

He studies my face for a moment before responding.

“I’m still in then. Anyway, I said I'd trust you and I will”

“Then we should sleep. It’s going to be a busy day tomorrow.”