“Come one! Come all!”

“From all around the Kingdom! Every color, every Crest, every creed!”

“Gather on this night and celebrate! The time of the year we’ve all been waiting for!”

“The night of prosperity! Of generosity! Of salvation! Of love!”

“Everyone let your hearts out!”

“And rejoice in the glow of the midnight moon! Vatsy’s Gala has begun!”

Cheers rose above even the sound of the fireworks going off behind the announcer, a thousand masked faces doused in multicolor light. The massive Black Spider Plaza almost seemed cramped from all the festive cheer.

I let out a few laughs as I watched, Umara jumping in excitement beside me.

Both of us were masked like those around us. Taking a quick glance over at her, I once again appreciated the way her hairstyle highlighted her image; hanging strands accentuated her face, and a voluminous bun topped her head.

I caught myself staring, thinking of earlier when I was once again stunned by how beautiful she looked. I almost started thinking myself inadequate.

That red dress, full ruby lips, the pale nape of her neck and the sharp but graceful visage she carried in public.

Damn if I didn’t think I was lucky after catching this one.

Or did she catch me? I would say that I was a catch. She didn’t even have to go fishing!

“This is so cool! So much better than that stupid noble party!”

“I’m glad you’re not missing out on anything. This is my first time at a Christmas celebration as well.”

“You’ve never celebrated Christmas?”

“No, I have. I’ve never celebrated it here though.”

Luminescent streamers and floating lanterns floated lazily about on faint air currents; buildings, trees, and lampposts occupied by the colorful decorations. Various magic kites shaped like animals also flew through the air, eagles, lions, and fish dancing among more fantastical beasts. There was even a rather realistic Scourge kite, no doubt the product of some intrepid mind, satisfyingly misshapen from punches thrown at it.

Dozens of servers roamed about with platters full of familiar and exotic drinks, offering refreshments at no cost.

This Vasty really had to be astronomically wealthy to hold such a massive celebration for hundreds of influential individuals, let alone not charge a dime for it.

And the auction hadn’t even started yet. This was just the pre-game.

Spotting some familiar drinks, I grabbed two glasses and handed one to Umara as we walked down the road.

There were several bands and orchestras playing at various areas along the sidewalks. Going from one place to another would accompany a change in symphony, most of it excitable, some of it grand.

Between those were performers straight out of a circus. Most were warlocks who knew tons of party tricks, throwing up explosions of color and creating fake animals to prowl about the crowd.

Umara wasn’t the only one discovering something new. I had never seen such a festive place before. It was like the last Gala was barely even trying compared to this.

But this was also a celebration of both Christmas and the new year. I could understand why they would pull out all the stops for this one in particular.

And since there was so much to see and all night to do it, I let myself be pulled around by my girlfriend, experiencing everything the night had in store.

That by itself took over an hour. From performer to performer, we watched dozens of stunts and tricks, the wide variety greatly expanding my impressions of magic.

And from band to band, Umara pulled me in to dance to each one. Fortunately she was a better dancer than me, so besides some intentional goofiness to tease a reaction out of her, I let her lead me along.

Not that I couldn’t be a little groovy. Although she received some second hand embarrassment, I laid out some pretty slick moves on the dance floor guaranteed to catch eyes, for better or worse.

It was only after I was dragged off three times that we finally started making our way to the auction.

As the time approached, a huge crowd made their way inside. There were several doors to enter for varying levels of prestige.

As the time grew near, the crowd near the entrance steadily grew bigger, crowding into several general entrances. Smaller groups and individuals peeled off the mass to enter through more exclusive doors.

Since I wasn’t interested in waiting and Plex wasn’t here to guide me in, I linked arms with Umara and went toward the VIP doors.

The bouncer stared me down, seemingly doubtful someone like me would be approaching the VIP entrance separate from a party, but remained professional and asked for identification.

“I was told this would be enough.”

I reached into my coat and pulled out my golden cigar case.

His brows raised as he stepped aside.

“Enjoy your night.”

“You too.”

I smiled and walked in.

Umara nudged me with her elbow as I found the Tavera suite.

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“Look at you moving around like a bigshot. You’re like a noble in the black market.”

“A small one, but I would agree with that.”

I smirked and found a door, opening it to the sounds of chatter.

Once inside, I saw Patriarch Tavera, Plex, and his entourage mingling with almost two dozen others sporting Tavera regalia.

“John and his lady have arrived. Good to see you.”

“You too, Patriarch.”

I shook hands with the man.

And when the Patriarch greeted Umara, he simply gave her a nod.

I had discussed with Umara beforehand on the protocol for these events, and the consensus was that anybody who didn’t already know who she was didn’t need to know. She already had an alias made up for greetings with strangers.

As for those who knew, they would likely be courteous of her identity and do what the Patriarch just did, act like she wasn’t someone of any significance.

Here, she was just my girlfriend and had zero notoriety to speak of. Perhaps Umara was right. In the black market, the roles were flipped. I was a small time noble while she was just a commoner.

“John! Remember me?”

“Captain Ignov! It’s been a while.”

I shook hands with this unexpected friend.

Back when I had been called upon to help guard a convoy for Patriarch Tavera, he had been our commanding officer, an Authority 7 knight who protected us from an equally powerful pugilist.

He was now stationed at a branch base in the City of Joffrun, which was also where I first met Duchess Talerria.

We smiled at each other.

“Here on vacation?”

“Of course. Couldn’t miss the year’s greatest celebration.”

“I know. I didn’t expect it to be this amazing.”

“Ah, it’s your first. Well congratulations. It doesn’t get much better than this.”

“So it’s all downhill from here?”

“Haha, that’s one way to look at it.”

He chuckled before glancing over, seeing Umara standing to my side.

“Who’s this? I don’t recall you having a lady last time I saw you.”

“This is my girlfriend.”

“Alice Vander. Pleased to meet you, Captain Ignov.”

“Likewise.”

Ignov bowed as Umara curtsied.

“So, where did you two meet?”

“At the Magisterium. She’s my favorite warlock.”

“And he’s my favorite summoner.”

“Alright, alright.”

Ignov chuckled and waved as Umara and I pushed our noses toward each other.

“I’ll stop you there before you two get all cute. Anyway, be sure to pay attention to the auction. Not everything is going to cost a million coin, and there’s a lot of good stuff being put up. It’s by far the largest auction of the year. What you’ll see here may never be seen again.”

“Mm, I’ll be sure to watch.”

We shook hands, giving a momentary goodbye.

Inside the suite, there was an entire bar with a constant supply of snacks, so Umara and I hung around until Patriarch Tavera called for me.

His other guests were just exiting, so we exchanged greetings and sat down near him.

“John, I wanted to congratulate you.”

“For what?”

“For killing Henevue, of course. You haven’t forgotten something so recent, have you?”

“Oh, that.”

I gave him a small smile, noticing Umara’s neutral face to the side. She kept a good poker face despite the subject.

“I wouldn’t say it's anything worth congratulating. It's only regretful that he couldn't be killed sooner.”

“He was slippery, cautious. Nobody was capable of doing anything to him. In the short times that he would ever appear, he would always be guarded heavily. And all other times, he was hidden and impossible to bait. Many attempts have been made before and by people with much higher Authorities, trust me on that. But in just two days, you were able to do what nobody else had done before.”

The Patriarch leaned forward.

“John, I gave you that job hoping it would merely catch your interest and that, in time, you might find an opportunity. I had hoped that your specialty might make things easier, but the pessimism in me didn’t believe it would take any less than a year. And then one evening, I heard a single explosion. Small, hardly noticeable, but a sound no less infamous than the American who produced it.

“One shot, heard across the entire market. A man who had mastered his trade over the last five decades had been killed so quickly, so easily it would make the others before you puke. It’s nothing short of a miracle, and one not unnoticed. I heard about the slaves you subsequently helped escape. Already the name American is making rounds around the market, but instead of him being the Terror of the Trenches, he’s the Father of Freedom.”

“Hm.”

A humored hum escaped my pressed lips. I didn’t mind the ring to that name. Something about it made my American blood tingle pleasantly.

The Patriarch leaned back as he saw me ease up a bit. I responded with a diverted gaze.

“I’m not yet that amazing. Freeing those who have been kidnapped and trafficked is a given. They should never have been in that situation to begin with.”

“And yet they were there anyway, the victims of those inebriated with power. So do you not at least take pride in doing something nobody else had been able to, or even willing to, before?”

“...Maybe. But it’s not enough. More people should be tackling this issue. If I were able, just based on the things I saw two days ago, not to mention what really happens behind closed doors… I would be driven to dismantle the Clockwork Association and abolish it entirely. Those who run that mafia are disgusting.”

“Indeed. But you’d have to be on the level of a Duke in order to do so yourself.”

“Yes, it’s unfortunate that I can’t simply put a bullet in each of their heads. But that doesn’t mean nothing can be done about the trading.”

“Are you thinking of fighting it?”

He asked with a curious glint in his eye.

But, my response was a shake of the head.

“No.”

“No? Sounds hypocritical, yes?”

“Yea, it is. But… I don’t believe I’ll need to.”

I thought back, remembering my recent dream.

“...It’s simply not my calling.”

“Hm, I see. Well, I know that you’re a courageous young man highly unlikely to shy away from any battle. In this era, such people are dwindling.”

He suddenly reached over, placing his strong hand on my shoulder and looking me in the eye.

“You just keep on going. Great things lie ahead so long as you keep that good head on your shoulders.”

“Thank you, Patriarch.”

“Of course.”

His hand moved off my shoulder, lowering to my wrist where he tapped my Aerial with his own.

I was surprised as his contact info was transferred.

“If you ever feel the need to go and hunt some rats, let me know and I’ll point you the way. I can’t promise that the slave trade will be eradicated, but you’ll at least be suitably rewarded.”

“Right. Thanks.”

“Enabling good people should be a given. Now go have fun tonight. There is still darkness in the world, but there’s no reason that should stop you from seeing the light. You are especially deserving, considering your work in helping others do the same. Without you, nearly 150 people would be living very dark lives right now. Remember that.”

“...”

I was silent, giving him a small nod before standing with Umara.

He smiled at her once before we left.

“Take care of this one, little miss. Don’t let him get in his own head.”

“Don’t worry, Patriarch. I’m by his side whether he likes it or not.”

She smiled and intertwined her fingers with mine, causing him to laugh.

After that we left, taking a seat at one of the many tables by the massive window overlooking the auction stage.

The main event was about to start.