Chapter 82 - Prelude

After having their invitations verified at that giant door, they were finally allowed in without any other hassle.

The interior was as luxurious and opulent as the exterior. It was definitely the finest of the work, but at least his jaw wasn't hanging open this time around. He had some experience in this department, after all.

He had worked as a tutor for some noble's kid once, and the decor there was at least on par with what was presented here.

But something else had him scratching his head. There were too many people in here. He wasn't even sure anymore. What the hell was going on? What exactly was Vigil organizing?

"Hey, man. Are you sure we're at the right place?" whispered his poorly dressed fellow-bumpkin.

"I am pretty sure I got the time, date, and place right," answered Vern hesitantly, eyeing all the people in their exquisite gowns, resplendent attires, and opulent robes.

Each hallway and corridor had groups of people standing together, laughing, chatting, and making small talk.

What the hell was this?

From the looks of it, it seemed like a banquet would begin any moment. The atmosphere wasn't really what one would expect from a somber organization like this.

Was it going to be some kind of party to celebrate the foundation of the Vigil? For the new year? If it was anything like that, he would much rather go find the library than stick around to mingle with these people for the sake of it.

But that's when his eyes glanced at the people in the side halls, and he reflexively let out an "Ohhh."

It seemed like he had underestimated this situation a little. The nobles here weren't just nobles. They were Observers, too.

In one group, motes of lights surrounded a guy while he played with his glowing fingers. One second, he was standing next to a pillar, but next, he swapped places with a mote of light.

On the other end of the hall, he saw a girl in black, and double-edged knives floated around her as she launched them one after another into a dartboard hanging on a wall.

Then, there was also a group of girls who had cups of tea floating in front of them, and they took a sip from them every once in a while with sharp giggles.

One guy stood in the corner all alone, the light turning fragmenting into random colors as it neared its vicinity. But this was only the beginning. He could easily make out thirty or so people doing random things like these. How could—

"Woah woah woah, what the hell is going on here, man? Do you see this? They're using their powers in front of everyone like it's nothing." spoke Lucian in what was trying to be a whisper.

Vern was also wondering about the same thing. So it seemed that "Everyone in here knows about Observation." And now that he said it out aloud, it only made sense. They only allowed people in with invitations, so everyone here had to have come in contact with Observation one way or the other.

Lucian grinned a big one, "Hey, so does that mean we can show off, too?"

But before Vern could reply, a voice resonated in the halls, "Ahem, Ahem."

He turned around and noticed a familiar face, and his expression instantly perked up. It seemed that Lucian knew him, too, for he reacted with, "Butler De Flanc!"

Luckily, the guy had just murmured to himself, or it'd have been beyond embarrassing. Because De Flanc hadn't come for both of them especially.

The old man stood in the center of all the halls with his gray hairs parted in the middle, sticking neatly to the sides, and addressed the whole crowd with a loud clap of his white-gloved hands.

"Ladies and Gentleman. The time is nigh. Vigil's leader will be arriving soon and since the address will take place atop Ichor Tower, we should begin gathering right about now. There's only so many elevators, after all."

"Finalllly! Let's go, girls." And as if on cue, a large group began moving towards the inner hall. It was those girls who were drinking from floating cups.

However, De Flanc barred their way, bowed formally, and said, "I apologize for inconveniencing you, but the invitation rules clearly mentioned that only the candidates are allowed up the tower. The family members will have to wait down here for the address to be finished."

Candidates, huh? So these were the people that could be joining the Vigil? Was this going to be some kind of inauguration speech, then?

A couple of disgruntled murmurs passed around in the hall, and the large group of ten or so girls quickly turned aggressive. One of the older women walked up to De Flanc, shouting at him, "Who the hell do you think you are to tell the women of the Garmen family what to do?"

"Yeah, get the hell away, or don't blame me for using force."

But right as the eyes of one of the women began to glow, someone stepped down from the central hall's stairs, and the whole castle instantly turned silent.

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The only disturbance came from the footsteps of that figure. Vern examined her, and the first impression he got was that of immaculate grace.

It was a woman garbed in sleek armor that was designed to match every curve of her body. It almost acted like a skin suit, but the metallic sheen made it clear that wasn't what it was.

The dark armor had circular golden etchings all over it that radiated an aura of celestial grace. However, what was contrasting to this menacing form were the layers of silky blue veil that hovered around her.

The thin cloth swayed with her every move, allowing her bewitching countenance framed by her short dark hair to peek through every few seconds. A pointed nose, thin ruby lips, and sharp blue eyes that ruthlessly bore down on everyone with their sheer indifference.

As she glided past the gathered onlookers and vanished into the chamber beyond, a wave of collective sighs rippled through the crowd, and at last, the room seemed to draw a long, liberated breath.

"Holy fuck, man. Was she a goddess?" chirped Lucian, blinking rapidly as if wanting to make sure this wasn't a dream.

"LADY ANTONIA. Oh my god, I saw Lady Antonia!"

"It was worth coming here just for this. I can't believe this—"

"Did you see how she acted so high and mighty? What a bitch."

Similar conversations filled the room, but De Flanc didn't let it go on and hammered it home another time, "Elevators this way, please," pointing towards a set of double doors.

It was clear that the butler had anticipated this situation and coordinated the timing of that woman coming down to match his declaration.

A subtle balance of power-play, huh?

Five women backed out from that group in the front without another word, but their scrunched-up faces told Vern how enthusiastic they were about it.

Like birds dissociating from their flocks, many left their group to head towards the elevators while the rest found themselves seats to waste time. The ones who waited were obviously the family members of the candidates.

His fellow bumpkin glanced back at Vern and asked, "Let's go?"

Vern shrugged, "Sure."

So they followed the group that marched in the direction De Flanc had pointed.

"Wait, Master Vern. Master Lucian."

Both of them halted in their tracks, and a few from the mass ahead of them glanced back, eyeing their interaction with giggles.

Vern ignored their nasty looks and turned towards De Flanc. He wanted to chat with him anyway, but he had assumed it would be rude to disturb the man by asking silly questions when he was clearly busy managing all this.

So the moment he was close enough, Vern greeted, "Happy New Year, De Flanc."

Lucian gasped and joined him in wishing the man, "Me, too. Yeah, Happy New Year, sir." However, there was a hint of betrayal in his eyes.

Yeah, strangers with abominable outfits don't get a New Year's wish from me. Sorry, not sorry.

"A prosperous new year to you gentleman as well. Did you have any trouble finding your way up here?"

Lucian swept his hair back and rubbed his hands together before replying, "Well, you see, I didn't have a problem, but my wallet? Yeah, it's not very happy. Can we, uhh, do something about that?"

Vern wanted to ask something along these lines at some point in time, but not right now! He stepped back a little, trying to reduce his association with this walking embarrassment.

"Hahaha, don't worry about that, Master Lucian. We will set you up with a pass from the crown itself so you can use most public services without having to worry about your wallet ever again."

Lucian clapped his hands, "Great!"

Before the man could ask any more mortifying questions, Vern interjected, "De Flanc, can you give us a little idea of what's going to happen? Why are there so many nobles here? It's not some kind of party, right? Because I'd rather go check out the library you praised so much if that's the case."

Lucian looked at him like he was looking at some insect, but Vern ignored him and focused on De Flanc's response.

The old man waited for a while until their surroundings cleared up, then spoke in a low voice, "Please don't worry, Master Vern. Master Akira doesn't have patience for anything like this, either. But trust him. All this is just to increase the effect of the revelations that will follow."

"I knew it, man!" interjected Lucian.

Right.

Nodding to De Flanc, Lucian walked ahead, "Let's get up there. I'd rather not be the last one."

"Indeed, it isn't something that should be missed. Especially for you two," said the Butler with a smile before bowing out and heading to the room that the graceful woman from before had entered.

Soon, they found themselves in another hall where four large chambers that looked like huge lamps moved up and down.

"Please just wait a couple more seconds," said the handler in a soothing tone as an elegant chamber encased in wrought iron descended down the dizzyingly high hall without any sound. The intricate ironwork resembled delicate filigree, creating a harmonious blend of strength and elegance.

Once it eased onto the ground, the handler opened its brass door and gestured in the group of five at the front. But that was only the start. More than a hundred 'candidates' were waiting in this hall.

It was gonna be a while.

Since Lucian was too busy admiring himself in the mirror-like wall, Vern decided to pick up some clues from the exchanges nearby. Surely, they would give him some idea about what was going on.

"Come on, you've never even squashed a bug. Do you really think you can deal with the monsters and horrors of the city? There's still time to back down. We go back once this is over and leave this mess for others to deal with."

"Enough, brother! We've been over this a hundred times. I don't care what you have to say about this anymore. If you don't want to do it, you can leave. I am going to help as many people as I can. I believe there’s a reason I awakened this power. I am not going to squander them like everyone else in the family."

With that, the girl stepped away, and the guy gnashed his teeth in frustration. It seemed like some conflicting notions of responsibility were at play here.

Wanting to hear more varied opinions on the matter, Vern shuffled around the crowd a little and soon came in earshot of another conversation.

A girl exclaimed, "We're going to learn from the best! Oh my god, I can't believe this! I am sooo pumped! Do you know that even the young master Finnesse also works for vigil!?"

"You mean Ambrose? That hypocrite bastard? What the hell, man? Great, as if getting an audience with Lady Antonia wasn't tough enough. With him around, it's practically a lost cause."

A third chimed in with a depressing tone, "I suppose that is unfortunate—"

"Hey! Watch your mouth about young master!" The first girl protested, "Don’t you know his reputation? His sister's only stronger because she's older. Did you miss the news about him taking down a Templar from some top-tier order?"

Vern's mind clicked. So that woman was Ambrose's sister, huh?

Now that they mentioned it, Vern saw the similarity. They did look a little alike. She even had the aura of a real 'dancer.' Not a phony scammer like Ambrose, who liked to cuss eleven times while hiding behind the facade of a gentleman.

Even he can have admirers, huh? Vern mused silently, amused by the thought. The whims of the nobility were ever elusive, their passions and loyalties a constant source of entertainment.

With a soft chuckle, he drifted away from the debate, his curiosity leading him to the next cluster of gossiping attendees.

"Hey, you see those two? Do you know them? What family do they belong to?"

Hmm, they were talking about him and Lucian, weren't they?