Charlene watched in amazement as Ashlyn vanished into the tower through an enigmatic door that sealed shut behind her. The purpose of revisiting the crumbling manor, particularly the obsidian tower, was a mystery to the secretary, but she knew better than to question a resonant's whims. As the Mistress’s de facto attendant, given the absence of an official one, she felt obligated to follow Ashlyn wherever she went, ensuring she was always tended and “protected” from etiquette mishaps.
Initially, Charlene had reservations about the House a young and inexperienced resonant like Ashlyn would lead. However, she was pleasantly surprised earlier that morning. Ashlyn had handed over twenty fully charged rings, amounting to an impressive two hundred charges, and requested more red rings. During meetings or carriage rides, Ashlyn was always engaged with a ring, meticulously channeling charges into it. Even in solitude, Charlene suspected the same diligence.
However, the speed of Ashlyn’s charging was puzzling. Could she be masking her true ability to cast higher rings? Such a feat seemed impossible for an independent resonant, yet Marta's account of Ashlyn's encounter with outlaws, one being a resonant, suggested otherwise. Charlene, although not privy to the intimate details of resonant abilities, knew enough to realize that such a feat was not ordinary for someone of Ashlyn's age and experience. If it were so, the underground market for information from young resonants wouldn’t thrive as it did. Why would retainers risk selling sensitive information if charges could be amassed so effortlessly?
The thought lingered in Charlene's mind as she pondered how far would such a remarkable Mistress reach. To be part of a House, and that too with a resonant of Ashlyn's potential, felt almost surreal, like a dream.
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In a dimly lit room, illuminated only by the faint glow of a ringtech lamp, stood a middle-aged man in a hooded robe. Before him knelt two young subordinates, their expressions struggling between frustration and defeat. The young man's body language betrayed his anger, while the woman, although equally dismayed, maintained some composure.
“No, sir,” the woman replied to the man's inquiry about finding the resonant who defeated them, her voice steady despite anticipating a reprimand. Silence followed her response, prompting her to elaborate. "We've searched in the records of new Houses, but none align with her description."
The robed man, rather than chastising, posed a probing question. “And why focus your search there?”
The woman explained their rationale: "Sir, only independent resonants would stay at the Riverside and use their carriage rental. Besides, based on Blink's report, she wasn’t dressed like a citizen. So, we're dealing with an independent resonant."
"Most likely," he agreed, contemplating her analysis. "If she isn't recorded, she hasn't allied with a House. What about her movements?" His question lingered in the air, signaling a shift in their strategy.
“Sir, she left the Hotel two times in the last three days. One time heading into the resident districts, and early today into the ring districts.” The woman explained while still kneeling.
The hooded man pondered the woman's report in silence, his fingers stroking his chin thoughtfully. He knew better than to ask if they had followed the resonant; their limited resources were already stretched thin maintaining surveillance on the Hotel. Her movements suggested she was engaged in negotiations, likely exploring alliances with potential families.
Their recent botched operation caused many losses. Two operatives were severely injured, incurring significant medical expenses. Blink, with a minor wound, was sidelined from missions until he fully recovered to avoid the risk of being recognized. The loss of a valuable stun gun, both costly in terms of rings and connections, further increased their setbacks.
However, what truly vexed him was the woman’s identity and abilities. How had a seemingly untrained young resonant overcome three operatives, sustaining minimal harm? How did she manage to block both blade and stun attacks? Blink’s report indicated she was no stranger to combat, but clearly lacked formal ring battle training. Moreover, she appeared to use only two or three rings, making her combat prowess even more baffling.
The man trusted Blink’s assessment, leading to a perplexing conclusion. Ashlyn's ability to deflect attacks with minimal rings suggested she was likely employing Warding. Decaying was a possibility, though less probable, while Honing, Reinforcing, and Binding seemed almost out of the question. Any other technique without extensive training and multiple rings was implausible. Consequently, they had categorized her as a primary Warding user.
Even so, the anomaly in their reports lay in the destruction of their weapons during the attack. They had retrieved a knife, cleanly bisected – a feat beyond Warding's typical defensive capabilities. Warding could block and potentially shatter weapons, but not disintegrate them, leaving no remnants. This discrepancy in the operatives' accounts of the woman's rings leaving no trace of the broken weapon parts added a layer of mystery to her already enigmatic profile.
The man in the hooded robe pondered the implications of the report being accurate. If she was indeed employing Decaying to such a degree that it disintegrated blades, her strength and control over her interference field were extraordinary, almost defying natural limits. Such precise and swift use of the technique implied a profound understanding and manipulation of arcane concepts, marking her as a prodigy, perhaps the rarest in centuries. The thought of what they could achieve by acquiring her before she aligned with a House made him salivate. However, he had to admit, such aspirations were daydreams. Their organization seldom recruited resonants from outside, with only a handful of successful poaching in their history.
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Inside the obsidian tower, Ashlyn concentrated, extending her perception beyond the thick walls. Although her senses were limited by the physical barriers, her interference field acted as her eyes, amplified by the tower's mysterious properties. After several attempts, she finally succeeded in sensing the area immediately surrounding the tower, her field stretching a few meters in radius. With this extended reach, she summoned the rings, Materializing a cube from the soil outside the tower.
To verify her success, Ashlyn deactivated the rings and stepped out of the tower. There, as she anticipated, lay the small cube on the ground. She was relieved to find Charlene absent by the door, sparing her the need to explain the cube’s sudden appearance.
Although Ashlyn doubted Charlene possessed the specialized knowledge to fully grasp the uniqueness of her techniques, she couldn't be too cautious. There was so much she still didn't understand, and it was prudent to keep her abilities as concealed as possible. In a world where knowledge equated to power, secrecy was her best defense.
Having grasped insights from her experimentation with the tower, the resonant refocused on charging her rings. The tower, acting as an amplifier, made the process feel almost effortless, a luxury she knew she couldn't rely on permanently. After accumulating twenty charges, she stepped out of the tower, immediately scanning the area for Charlene.
The secretary was immersed in her task within the main building, assessing the extent of the repairs needed. She looked up, slightly startled as Ashlyn emerged. "Oh, the Mistress is finally out!" she exclaimed, her tone revealing relief.
"Yes," Ashlyn replied, her eyes sweeping over the building, taking in the scale of destruction. "You're calculating the repair costs?" she inquired.
Charlene nodded, her expression serious. "Indeed, Mistress. The sooner we relocate from the hotel, the better. The cost of our stay is a significant drain on our resources."
Ashlyn briefly considered suggesting a more economical lodging but quickly abandoned the thought under Charlene's disapproving gaze. "I understand. We need to uphold the stature of House Quinn," she conceded. "But how much are we talking about for the repairs?"
Charlene rifled through her notes. "To restore a property of this magnitude, we'd likely need House Parti's services. Their estimate would be around three thousand charges. However, if we prioritize and delay some less critical work, we might manage to reduce it to a thousand."
Ashlyn recoiled slightly at the mention of the cost. "A thousand charges? And House Parti is...?"
"They're a renowned, well-established House specializing in major construction and repair work throughout the Hold. Most Houses, except those unable or unwilling to afford their services, turn to them," Charlene explained with a hint of pride for knowing it.
As Ashlyn surveyed the crumbling walls, an idea came to mind. "Could we perhaps carry the repairs ourselves?" she asked tentatively.
The secretary, taken aback, blinked in disbelief. "Pardon, Mistress?" She said, unsure if she had heard Ashlyn correctly.
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Sensing Charlene's skepticism, the resonant explained. "I can use rings to reconstruct the walls. It won't be perfect, and we'll need to do some finishing touches like painting, but it could save us a lot."
Charlene's expression shifted from incredulity to a contemplative silence. Ashlyn inwardly cringed, realizing she might have revealed too much. Only moments ago, she was cautious about keeping her unique abilities hidden, and now she had just proposed a task that clearly bordered on the extraordinary. The shock of the potential expense had driven her to this impulsive offer, but part of her knew that if such a feat were commonplace, it wouldn't demand a hefty price.
To Ashlyn's surprise, Charlene's eyes lit up with excitement. "That would be incredible, Mistress!"
Ashlyn returned a smile, though it was painted with complexity. Backtracking on her offer now seemed out of the question. Charlene's excitement quickly gave way to a barrage of questions about the repair process. How long would it take? When could they start? What would Ashlyn need? Was there any danger involved?
Feeling overwhelmed by the intense scrutiny, Ashlyn seized an opportunity to retreat. She excused herself, mentioning the need for privacy to focus on her rings. Ideally, she would use the tower for the repairs, but two significant challenges stood in her way. Firstly, her interference field wasn't extensive enough to materialize the QS material precisely where the walls had crumbled. Secondly, the tower itself required repairs to its land connections before she could use it for such an extensive project.
Despite the exhaustion, Ashlyn saw this as a valuable opportunity for practice. She approached a section of the fallen wall, carefully placing the broken stones back into the gaping hole. As she activated her natural and first rings, focusing on the broken pieces, they began to vanish, transforming into a uniform grey material. She then initiated the second ring, infusing it with the concept of Shape, willing it to perfectly fill the void. The transformation was gradual but steady, as the pieces morphed and solidified, seamlessly mending the breach in the wall.
Ashlyn examined the wall she had just repaired with a critical but satisfied gaze. The material she had created was distinct from ordinary stone, impossible to conceal from her House retainers. She mused that a layer of paint might help it blend in, though some sanding would be necessary to even out the texture differences.
She weighed the decision of revealing some of her power to the retainers. On one hand, they would inevitably see the results, but witnessing the process was another matter. On the other hand, the more people knew, the greater the risk of exposing the peculiarities of her abilities.
Deciding not to dwell on uncontrollable matters, she decided to stick to her initial plan. She would repair the walls of a room alone, allowing the retainers to work on it afterward. To set the plan in motion, she called Charlene, who was diligently taking measurements in the adjacent room, to show her the progress.
Upon seeing the repaired wall, the secretary ran her hands over its surface, her expression changing between amazement and contemplation. She looked towards Ashlyn, as if about to voice her thoughts, but then hesitated. Instead, they discussed the subsequent steps. Charlene suggested hiring a House for painting, but Ashlyn insisted on using residents instead. The risk of exposing her unique ring abilities to other citizens was too great.
Etiquette was strict, either they hired a House or did it themselves, delegating the work to the residents was not an option. While they could save the charges needed to hire a professional House, the thought of undertaking such extensive labor themselves was scary.
The need for a large retinue suddenly seemed more justified to Ashlyn. Having decided, she urged Charlene to find Julian and brief him on their plans, so they could start painting immediately. The secretary was reluctant to leave Ashlyn alone, but the resonant insisted, happy for the chance to work without restraint. They were pressed for time if they wanted to vacate the Rivershore quickly and save charges. Ashlyn estimated that repairing the entire main building would take several days of concentrated ring casting, and painting might extend even longer.
With a promise to return soon, Charlene departed, leaving Ashlyn to her rings. The resonant couldn't help but find the whole situation humorous. Only weeks ago, she had faced her challenges alone, and now the idea of leaving her unattended even briefly seemed unthinkable to the retainers.
With the secretary gone, Ashlyn dedicated herself to the task of reconstructing the walls. The main building sprawled out over three floors. The ground level housed four spacious rooms fronting the entrance, along with a kitchen, dining area, and various service rooms at the rear. Her immediate goal was to restore two of the larger rooms before the retainers' arrival, then discreetly move to the upper floors. The first floor mainly consisted of sleeping quarters: five bedrooms, including two large master suites with attached facilities, and three simpler rooms.
Her plan was to complete the ground floor by the next day, tackle the rest of the first floor on the third day, and devote the fourth day to the top floor, which, as Charlene described, contained the studies and an archive room. It was a challenging amount of work, but Ashlyn preferred it to spending an exorbitant sum on other Houses. As for concealing her abilities, she had already decided on a pragmatic approach: hide them as long as possible.
Meanwhile, back in the hotel, Charlene and Julian were engaged in a lively debate about the selection of retainers. The secretary, with exaggerated enthusiasm, argued, "Mr. Julian, the Mistress has tasked us with choosing the remaining retainers. We've a lot to do in the manor, and time is short. The Mistress is trying to conserve resources; we must match the efforts."
Julian, hesitant and cautious, countered, "I understand, Miss Charlene, but it doesn't feel right making these choices without the Mistress's input. Perhaps we could bring the candidates there, allowing the Mistress to make the final decision. A few hours to meet them would suffice."
He was apprehensive about the responsibility of selecting retainers on behalf of Ashlyn. The possibility of choosing someone who didn't align with the Mistress's preferences was a risk he wasn't comfortable taking.
On the other hand, Charlene's enthusiasm for selecting the retainers was obvious. It wasn't out of disrespect for Ashlyn, but rather born from admiration for the resonant’s exceptional abilities. Working closely with various Houses, Charlene had gleaned enough to understand the typical power level of young resonants. In her estimation, Ashlyn's talents were extraordinary, perhaps rivaling those of geniuses from the largest Houses. Having perceived Ashlyn’s pragmatic nature, she knew the resonant would appreciate their initiative in handling the selection process, rather than being burdened with it herself.
Julian's reluctance, however, reflected his sense of responsibility, traits befitting his role as butler, but he needed to develop the confidence to make decisions. Recognizing that she wouldn't sway Julian, the secretary turned to Natalia, employing her professional charm to persuade the former cook. "Mrs. Natalia, we must be pragmatic. The Mistress expects us to step up. I'm confident that together we can choose a few reliable retainers," she coaxed.
Natalia, hesitant, offered a modest response. "Miss, I don't feel qualified to decide such matters. Perhaps we should wait for my cousin. She’s more experienced in these affairs."
Charlene, slightly irked by the delay, conceded with a caveat. "We'll wait for Miss Marta, but if she isn't here within an hour, I must return to the Mistress. Remember, the responsibility to meet the Mistress's expectations will then rest on your shoulders then."
Natalia and Julian exchanged a knowing look, both sighing. Joining House Quinn had been an incredible opportunity, but they felt overwhelmed by the responsibility of shaping a House's future. Ashlyn had shown a generosity and kindness to the Moreys that they felt indebted to honor. The family was acutely aware of the girl’s inexperience, but they still couldn’t decide on such important matters.
Marta, as the chief of staff, shared the responsibility with Julian in selecting the right retainers. As such, she didn’t hesitate to use all of her sway, reaching out to her contacts for a thorough background check on Lillian and Casio Keller, the only prospects without reliable referrals. Her absence to gather this crucial information had left the others on edge.
Just as Charlene's imposed deadline approached, Marta briskly entered the conference room, which had been repurposed as their makeshift meeting space. "What happened?" she inquired, slightly taken aback by the collective gaze. Noticing Ashlyn's absence, she added, "Where's the Mistress? Aren't you supposed to be with her, Miss Charlene?"
Caught between duty and directive, the secretary admitted, "I should be, but the Mistress tasked me with updating everyone on the manor's repair plans."
Interested, Marta gestured for Charlene to proceed.
"The Mistress herself will repair the walls." Before Marta could voice any concerns, Charlene hastened to explain, "I witnessed it myself. In just a few minutes, the Mistress restored a large collapsed section. It was..."
Julian, sensing Charlene leaning into potentially sensitive territory, discreetly coughed to interrupt her.
Regaining her composure, Charlene clarified, "The Mistress can indeed repair the walls, but we're needed for the finishing touches – sanding and painting. The Mistress is relying on us, including the new retainers, to complete the task promptly."
Julian then voiced his concern, "We thought it best to leave the final decision on the retainers to the Mistress, hence we waited for your input, Marta."
Marta took a moment to compose herself absorbing the gravity of the situation. "The Mistress never ceases to impress," she observed. Turning to Julian and Natalia, she continued, "The Mistress has entrusted this task to us. While your caution is appreciated, we need to honor the House. Let's use our week's experience with the Mistress to guide our decisions. The Mistress values efficiency and pragmatism, and we just need to follow that in our choices."
Marta paused, letting her suggestions settle before continuing, "Myris and Anya are experienced from their time at the hotel; they understand proper etiquette and are hard-working. I believe they will meet the Mistress's expectations. As for the Kellers, the Mistress has already given approval and their background check have come back clean. We can invite them immediately. The remaining details can be discussed later. For now, Charlene and I can go to fetch the Kellers while you two start organizing the repair materials."
With Marta's pragmatic approach, Julian and Natalia's doubts began to dissipate, realizing that their hesitations were indeed unnecessary.
After finalizing their plans, Charlene and Marta set off in a carriage to the common outer districts, while Julian and Natalia busied themselves with their errands.
The anonymous and unassuming carriage made its way through the bustling streets. Suddenly, the horses reared in alarm, causing the driver to halt abruptly. Inside, Charlene and Marta were jostled violently against the carriage walls.
"What’s happening? Why did we stop?" Charlene shouted towards the driver, angry. They had invested in good horses and a competent driver; such mishaps were unacceptable.
"Quiet!" Marta hissed, placing a finger to her lips, a sense of urgency flickering in her eyes. She grasped Charlene's hand, preparing to make a quick exit. The abrupt stop had stirred memories of the past attack on Ashlyn, igniting an unexplainable suspicion in Marta that this was more than an accident. Her instincts screamed danger, urging her to flee, despite the impropriety of such an action.
As they opened the carriage door, with Charlene in tow, still bewildered, they were confronted by masked figures blocking their path.
"Not so fast, ladies!" one of the assailants announced, thwarting their escape.