The days pass by in a blur as training resumes. Though the contents of that 700 year old journal are no doubt fascinating, I can't help but feel as though they're a bit irrelevant. Certainly, I know more now about Voset, dwarven culture, and the events of The Summoning, but I can't figure out how exactly any of that is supposed to help me.

Many of the passages also made little to no sense to me when it comes to dwarven culture. While I would love to ask what exactly 'Mother' is, I have the distinct feeling that voicing that question may push past the already tensile boundary of secrecy in place between me and Andora.

Still, I do have to admit that some of the trivia contained within boggles the mind. The idea that a clash between three ascendants could leave enough residual mana in the environment to transform a barren desert into a gargantuan jungle over time is astounding, not to mention the chasm large enough to have the diameter of a city.

The moniker 'Sealed Prison' also makes sense after hearing the story. I'd been wondering why that gaping abyss below could be called that, and now I get it. If anything though, it should be called a grave after all this time.

I can't help but wonder why Hithe would bother sending me to look for such a thing. I'm not even sure if the information contained within was worth the risk of the trip. Perhaps he wished to stoke my curiosity and bring forth some desire to unearth more of the mysteries presented in that ancient text? The only benefit such a hope could bring would be inevitable conflict between my curiosity and the restrictive culture of the dwarves. Does he perhaps hope that such conflict would further distract Andora, giving him freer reign to put his machinations into play?

Regardless, it seems as though it would bring nothing but trouble to travel further down the rabbit hole. All I need do is keep my head down and focus on the task at hand. Sooner or later, Lleig will make his move, and I intend to be ready for it.

And yet the remainder of the month passes by uneventfully. Despite my best efforts to remain on guard, I feel the days blur into a ceaseless collage of training. The only thing that breaks the monotony is when Orelio manages to form his domain. Yet still, even that only offered a brief reprieve, as the next day it was back to the training. Same grindstone, different grit I suppose one could say.

"No, you're not attending the festival," Albatos says with an impassive face. We've just finished the day's training and it's the day before the aforementioned festival.

"You're right, We are," I respond with an equally cool and collected expression.

I'd missed the autumn festival and after six months of travel, battle, and constant training I feel damn ready to partake in a holiday. Besides which, I've a promise to keep during this festival, adding extra incentive.

"I'm sure our host doesn't feel the need to concern herself with organizing an escort for her most troublesome guest in the midst of the absolute chaos the preparations of setting up such an event must be. One day in advance, too."

"Why should she even need to be involved? Last I checked, we already have some of the most capable fighters in the city gathered right here, just sitting around with nothing to do."

"She should be involved because we'd be causing trouble under her nose, again."

"Then let her know, but that doesn't change she won't have to lift a finger."

"I-" Albatos is cut off when Orelio stumbles up and falls against his leg, clinging to him. "Please, please give us a break. I beg of you." A dormant yet fierce hunger burns in his eyes, and it's clear he's ready to act out in defiance if Albatos doesn't relent.

"Ugh, fine. Just get off me. We'll need to set some ground rules, though!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I say, waving him off.

"Hey! Come back here!"

"Set up whatever rules you want, so long as we get to wander around and attend Isao's thing I don't care much how many rules you put down, so figure them out and give them to us tomorrow."

With that, I leave the training room, thankful that Orelio still hasn't released Albatos, else I'm sure he'd chase after me. Heading through the now familiar path through the wooden maze beneath the administrative district, I make my way back to the manor.

Once back, I search around for any sign of either Bodelee or Isao. It doesn't take long to find them in the small waiting room sipping on tea, with Vanderburst attending close by. The two of them have been practically inseparable over the past weeks.

"Is your thing on for tomorrow?" I ask Isao.

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"Sure is, though I'd appreciate it if you called it a performance instead of a thing," Isao responds.

"We'll just have to see if you perform well enough to earn that descriptor."

"Managed to worm your way out of training hell for the day, eh?"

"Yeah, though I'm sure he'll work us over twice as hard when we get back to it. Say, did you have anyone to teach you, Isao?"

"Hm? Not particularly. I picked up the basics of both smithing and swordplay from watching others then let my determination to get better take it from there. Though if truth be told, my swordplay is still pretty primitive. I didn't pick up anything other than basic forms and nobody would bother to teach me the advanced techniques."

So he's like the ultimate form of Orelio, picking things up and mastering them through sheer force of will and talent.

"Well tell me how to find your performance so I won't have to wander around looking for it tomorrow."

After getting directions there isn't much else to do, so I check my planned apparel and do a little gear maintenance before heading to bed.

***

I find it almost comical how the administrative district continues to act normal while the city surrounding it is alive with festivities, as though the nobility believes they are above such unsightly revelry. There are fewer clerks running to and from, but there are plenty of nobility sitting at quiet roadside cafes sipping leisurely on coffee.

There were an annoying amount of conditions Albatos managed to come up with overnight, one of which is that we won't be able to attend the opening or closing ceremonies of the festival. So here we walk, two hours after the start of things, Orelio and I hoping to catch up on missed time.

All six of us are present, Orelio, Albatos, the dwarven trio, and me. Annora initially grumbled about wanting to spend the day as a date with her husbands, but Bodelee managed to convince her that they could just as easily go on a date tomorrow, when there would still be remnants of the festival.

I enjoyed the festivities in Hornhaven, but I can't help but admit that a real city takes it up several notches. Where the festival and all its attractions in Hornhaven had been concentrated in the center of the city, the festive fervor seems to have spread throughout the entirety of Voset.

We make our way through streets lined with stalls and performing magicians and I can't help but feel a little nostalgic for that first festival. A small voice in the back of my mind wishes Alice could be here so we could once again enjoy it together, but I smother it immediately.

I see a pair of children sharing a treat and wonder if this festival is at all similar to the one Elsaria snuck out to attend more than seven hundred years ago. Despite the passage of time and the changing of cultures, it's amazing that such a tradition has stuck around for so long.

Or maybe not. I mean, everyone needs a way to let off steam at some point, and what better way than this?

Even still, among the revelry I can see hairline fractures among the expressions of the festival-goers. Though the slaughter that happened a month ago was overshadowed by the events surrounding it for me, the same cannot be said for the people of Voset.

Family, friends, loved ones. Fifty people were slaughtered in the street like stray animals. Such an act is not so easily shoved from thought. Not after the scant amount of time in a single month.

Dark thoughts aren't doing me any good. I put my focus on more productive means, like messing with Orelio and Albatos at any chance I get.

We pass a stall selling tubes of some kind of candy cream, and I bribe a kid passing by to 'trip' into Albatos, spilling the sugary treat all over his freshly cleaned clothes. I then have to prevent the man from murdering the poor kid, and swear to myself to give the kid a bonus if I ever see him again.

Annora and her husbands end up spending most of the time pretending as if they're on a date anyway, almost completely neglecting the rest of us. Bodelee and Bodelin both seem to make it a competition to see how much they can wow their wife, while Annora looks on at their competition with a content smile.

Still, it's a bit hard to fully enjoy the festival when we have to constantly stay on guard. It would be extremely foolhardy to imagine that Lleig wouldn't see this as a prime opportunity for assassination.

About an hour after we started wandering I notice a pair of people in the crowd that stick out, a man and a woman in what seem to be gray uniforms. The man's eyes lock with mine for several moments and I see something resembling vague curiosity within, then he breaks the connection and walks away, the woman following in his wake.

After this incident, we decide to cut the touring short and head straight to the theatre where Isao is set to do his performance. It seems the company Isao has been working with hasn't been slouching in their efforts to promote the event, as even a half hour before it begins there's a small crowd gathered outside.

Interestingly, Isao is promoted as a wandering historian rather than the Sword God. I suppose everyone involved thought it would be simpler to advertise someone simple rather than expend the effort to convince people that a literal living legend is here in the flesh.

We find an obscure corner to put ourselves in as we pass the time. Soon enough, people are let in and seats start getting filled.

My heart skips a beat as I see the man and woman in gray enter before us, this time seeming unaware of our presence.

"Albatos, the two I mentioned before just went in," I mutter to the elf.

"What?" His exclamation is barely contained to a hushed voice, "Damn. Guess that means we'll have to miss your friend's tale, because there's no way we can blindly step into such a space."

"No way. They didn't seem to notice me, and if they went in ahead of us that might mean they don't have anything to do with him after all."

"Be that as it may, it's still too risky!"

"I'm going. I said I'd attend and I mean to uphold that," I say, brushing past Albatos as the elf tries and fails to grab my arm.

It doesn't take more than a few seconds for the group to catch up to me through the crowd, Albatos muttering curses but following along nonetheless.