It was noon when Aodhán arrived at the Norbuik shopping mall. The multi-story building was located at the center of Norbuik and was crafted with runic-reinforced concrete and Romanian glass.
Stepping into the mall, Aodhán was immediately struck by how vast it really was. The ground floor was divided into different sections, each catering to various mundane and low-tier magical needs.
A din filled the air as people moved about, both awakened and sleepers, either pushing carts or conversing with each other. Aodhán signaled one of the staff members, and after getting directions, he made his way to the section allocated to the sale of furniture and interior decor.
He had two main reasons for coming to the mall: the first was to get several materials to decorate his room, as well as some essentials for himself, while the other was to get a new spatial storage item for himself.
With the growing suspicions around his familiar, it was only a matter of time before people threw civility out of the window and attacked him to get a hand on his necklace. Despite his strength, Aodhán couldn't fight off dozens of evolved individuals alone.
When he got to the interior decoration section, he bought a new bed sheet, table, wardrobe, curtains, lamps, and several other things that he needed, after which he moved to a boutique and bought himself an array of t-shirts, shirts, jeans, and even a traditional attire known as the Gojo.
He also bought a few clothes for Unrid, Aldric, and Daruk that he thought they might like before moving on to the section dedicated to perfumes, soaps, and hair products.
When he was finally done, he moved to the second floor, which was dedicated solely to awakened items, and smiled when he felt the expected clash of auras and essences in the air.
A young man dressed in a red uniform approached him immediately, and from the pressure of his core, Aodhán estimated him to be at the 23rd tier.
“Welcome to the evolved floor.” The man spoke with a gentle smile. “How can I be of assistance?”
Aodhán glanced at the name printed on the man's uniform and nodded. “Good afternoon, Javón. I would like to get a few common ranked items, but first, can you lead me to the section dedicated to spatial jewelry?”
“Absolutely.” Javón replied and led him forward. “What other items are you interested in?”
Aodhán shrugged. “Just a few farming equipments and a gift for my mother and brothers.”
Javón smiled and led him into a large section filled with all kinds of awakened jewelry, and Aodhán's gaze roamed the stalls curiously until they reached a large room dedicated solely to spatial jewelry. The walls were covered with shelves, each housing a variety of spatial items. Rings on the right wall, chains and pendants on the left, while armbands and small weapons filled the opposite wall.
Aodhán focused on the left wall, and after a minute of searching, he found a black-stripped golden necklace that looked similar to his own.
The black stripes were scantier and more matte than jet, but it was similar enough to his necklace that Aodhán doubted anyone aside from himself, and maybe Daruk could spot the difference.
He picked up the necklace and then began searching for a lightning pendant. Unfortunately, he couldn't find any even remotely similar to his own.
“We could ask the other shops if they have.” Javón suggested a few minutes later, and Aodhán agreed. They moved to the other shops, and although Aodhán didn't find anything similar to his pendant, he did find a beautiful jade necklace inscribed with protection runes that he thought Synové might like and a chip for Aldric.
After almost an hour of futile searching, Aodhán finally decided to recreate the pendant instead. He drew a sketch of the pendant and handed it to an artificer, who agreed to recreate it in two days for the meager sum of two gold coins.
After paying for his new necklace, Synové's jade necklace, and the communication chip he'd bought for Aldric, Javón led him to another section of the hall filled with both mundane and common-ranked agricultural equipment, where he bought a plough, a shear, and an ornate wooden hoe called the ‘Hoe of Growth.’
After that, he moved to the next section and bought five different packs of awakened flowering seeds. Each pack only contained a dozen seeds, yet they were insanely expensive, and Aodhán scowled as he paid for them.
After all that he'd bought today, Aodhán wasn't willing to spend more money, and with a regretful glance at the camera section, he left the shopping mall.
In total, he had spent over fifty gold coins, which left him with only a little more than two dozen gold coins left, but he felt fulfilled.
This was the first time he was buying gifts for his family, and in his excitement and rush to get back home, he completely missed the constant flash of cameras that followed him home.
When he got back home, he found Kieran already present in the sitting room, helping Daruk into an ice-blue complex kimono-shaped robe designed with silver highlights while Aldric watched from the opposite wall.
“Oh, thank heavens!” Kieran exclaimed when he saw Aodhán and waved him over. “I have another fitting in two hours, which means we have to wrap this up quickly. Also, what in Raol's name are you wearing?”
Aodhán unwrapped the scarf from his face and smiled. “I went shopping.”
“Welcome back.” Daruk grumbled as he pulled awkwardly on the arms of the outfit, which refused to settle on his shoulders. When he made no progress with it, he complained to Kieran. “The arms are too tight; also, are the frills necessary?”
“I think they suit your frilly nature perfectly.” Aldric commented with a grin and a nod in Aodhán's direction, but
Kieran ignored them and pulled out a stack of gray and black outfits from his storage space. “Come on
Aodhán, try them out. I need to make sure they fit without a hitch."
Aodhán picked out the first outfit, the one inspired by his patron, and regardless of his complicated relationship with the man, he had to admit that he definitely had style. The suit was perfect, fitting him almost like a glove, and the shirt underneath was no different.
“Oh, perfect.” Kieran squealed. “You should wear that to the Blackwell's event.”
“Kieran, I'm a single second away from tearing this outfit from my body if you don't get rid of these frills immediately.” Daruk interjected, and Kieran groaned.
“Fine, but I'll have you know that these frills are the life of this outfit. If I take them off, you'll look like a block of ice.”
“I don't mind looking like a block of ice.” Daruk scowled and pulled at the outfit again. “Anything is better than frills.”
Aodhán chuckled, and while Kieran dealt with Daruk's frills, he turned his attention to the remaining outfits. They were all suits, or at least, they vaguely resembled suits.
Aodhán picked up the second outfit, which was a silver suit designed with black lines reminiscent of lightning arcs. The shirt and suit fit perfectly, but the trouser was a little tight in the groin region, so he returned it to Kieran to fix while he tried on the third outfit, which was essentially just another suit made of roiling dark clouds.
When he put it on, Kieran hummed in approval. “Oh, that looks good. Which event are you wearing that to?”
Aodhán shook his head, chuckling. “I actually have no idea; I'm thinking maybe the Vilari’s event tomorrow? It's a burial, so this might fit nicely.”
“What? No, you can't do that.” Kieran shouted, and Aldric burst out laughing. Even Daruk shook his head. "Sorry, Aodhán, but I agree with Kieran. You can't wear that to a burial; it's too—”
“Plain.” Kieran interjected.
“I was about to say distracting.” Daruk mumbled, and Kieran shook his head in disappointment. “You know what, Give me a rundown of your schedules, and I'll pick the outfits you'll be wearing.”
Aodhán listed the events as he buttoned the storm suit. “I was hoping to wear this one to Alesh Vilaris's great-grandfather's burial tomorrow evening, but I guess we can go for the fourth outfit instead.” The fourth outfit was a matte black suit that blended perfectly with his skin tone and was covered in small, shiny gems that twinkled when they caught the light.
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It was the most decorated outfit of the four he'd chosen, but Aodhán liked it and had been hoping to wear it to Lupin's family event the day after tomorrow.
When he raised the outfit, Kieran nodded in agreement. “Yes, this is a much better choice. So you're wearing this for the Vilaris's event tomorrow, the slaughterer's inspired outfit to the Blackwell's event on Friday.” He pointed to the stormy suit and said, “You can wear this to the Cavanaugh's event on Wednesday and the last outfit to the Willowood event on Thursday.”
Aodhán agreed, not too bothered about what he wore to which event, and after Kieran finished with the trouser of the second suit, he turned back to Daruk, who was wearing a very fashionable black suit that, in Aodhán's opinion, looked better without the choking collar and shimmering gems.
Apparently, Daruk shared his sentiments and complained. “I feel like I'm being choked to death in this outfit; can’t we get rid of this collar?”
“But that's the beauty of this dress!” Kieran groaned and glared at him, but Daruk refused to back down. He pointed at the collar once more and glared back at Kieran. “Did you miss the part where I said I was being choked to death? What kind of fabric is this anyway?”
“Fine! I'll cut it off.” Kieran muttered angrily, ignoring Daruk's second question, as he took out a large pair of scissors and began cutting. While Kieran battled with Daruk's outfit, Aodhán moved to stand beside Aldric, who was watching the whole thing with an amused smile.
“How's the rage?” Aldric asked, and Aodhán shrugged. “Under control for now. Hopefully it stays that way.”
Aldric grinned. “Hopefully, if not, the reporters are going to have a field day with you, and the next headline you'll find on the Daily Herald is “CHILD PRODIGY HAS ANGER ISSUES AND SHOULD BE LOCKED UP FOR LIFE.”
Aodhán chuckled and shook his head. Aldric might be joking, but he was still right. He had to be careful, but more importantly, he needed to find a way to get his simmering rage under control.
After a short moment of companionable silence, Aldric asked. “So, how prepared are you for your girlfriend's family event?”
Aodhán gave Aldric a side eye and scowled. “She's not my girlfriend, at least not yet.”
“But you want her to be, though?” Aldric asked with a knowing smile, and Aodhán sighed. “I intend to ask her at the party; hopefully she'll say yes.”
“Of course she'll say yes.” Aldric waved a hand dismissively. “Who wouldn't?”
“Me.” Daruk called out, now free of the restricting collar. He spun dramatically, and Kieran gasped. “Oh, marvelous. You'll have all the nobles eating out of your palms in no time.”
“Well, that's a gross image.” Aldric muttered as he moved towards Kieran and stretched so Kieran could take his measurements. “So, I've got good news and bad news; which one would you guys like to hear first?”
Aodhán shook his head. ”Knowing you, it's probably all bad news, so you might as well spill.”
Aldric scowled and turned to Daruk, who sighed and humored his brother. “Good news first.”
Aldric grinned. “The good news is, Aodhán's right. There's no good news. Something came up, and as much as I want to attend all the events with you guys, I'll only be free on Thursday and Friday, which means I'll miss the Vilaris's and Cavanaugh's events.”
“What about the rest?” Daruk asked hopefully. “Tell me you'll miss the rest too.”
Aldric smiled widely and raised his neck for Kieran to measure. “Unfortunately for you, little brother, I wouldn't be missing those for the world.”
Aodhán grinned while Daruk shook his head miserably. “I still can't believe I let you both rope me into this mission. It'll be a miracle if we don't all end up in jail for this.”
Aodhán grimaced. After his conversation with Aldric yesterday, he'd spoken to Daruk about the mission too, but unlike Aldric, who was excited for the mission, Daruk had only grudgingly accepted it and hadn't ceased to point out the consequences of failure in every conversation.
It wasn't terrible to have him as the voice of reason on this daredevil mission. In fact, Aodhán was grateful for it. He needed someone to calm Aldric's excesses on this mission, and besides, he doubted they could even pull it off without him.
“But it'll be fun, though?” Aldric grinned, not at all bothered by the threat of jail. “Think about the thrill and excitement it'll bring.”
“You mean the dread and anxiety?” Daruk glowered.
“You guys care to fill me in on this mission you're all talking about?” Kieran asked, his eyes darting from one person to another.
“Nope, we do not care to.” Aldric responded with a smirk, and rather than take offense like Aodhán expected him to, Kieran blushed and bent down to measure Aldric's legs.
Aldric paused, obviously sensing Kieran's emotions, and a moment later, he too blushed, although his face showed no sign of embarrassment.
Aodhán grinned, but rather than comment and embarrass the both of them, he took out the gift he'd bought for Daruk. It was a perfume flavored with ice affinity that left a person feeling fresh and chilled for the duration of an entire day after use.
It was also very expensive, but considering the icicle-shaped, palm-sized bottle was also inscribed with runes that converted ice energy into more perfume, Aodhán thought it was worth every penny.
Daruk's eyes widened slightly as he accepted the gift, probably feeling the runic resonance with his affinity, but it wasn't until he sprayed the perfume, feeling its scented chill, that a smile finally blossomed on his face.
“By ascendants. This is great.” Daruk gushed as he sprayed the perfume again and again. “It smells exactly like winter!”
“Yep.” Aodhán agreed with a smile. “And as long as the runes remain intact, it'll never finish.”
“Are you serious?” Daruk asked, glancing at the bottle for a moment before turning back to him. “Thank you for this; I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.” Aodhán smiled and turned to Aldric, who was waiting expectantly beside Kieran. When Aodhán innocently asked what the matter was, Aldric scowled. “Are you giving me my gift or what?”
“So rude.” Daruk muttered and sprayed the perfume all over himself once more. “If I were Aodhán, I wouldn't even buy you a gift.”
“Well, thanks to Raol, you're not.” Aldric replied with a smirk, and Aodhán chuckled before pulling out a different perfume and handing it over.
Aldric collected the perfume, stared at it for a moment, and then frowned. “Not to be ungrateful, but what am I supposed to do with this?”
“Smell nice.” Aodhán quipped, and Aldric's frown deepened. Before he could speak, though, Aodhán pulled out a pack of shaving sticks and handed them over. “Also, this one is for that hideous beard you have on. Kieran, please tell my brother it's awful.”
Kieran sputtered. “Uhm, I think it's actually quite nice.”
Aldric snatched the pack from his hand and turned to Kieran. “Thank you, Kieran. Where did you say you lived again? Perhaps I could pay you a visit.”
“Just two houses away.” Kieran replied hastily, his eyes slightly wide and his face flush with excitement. “When would you like to come? You know, so I can prepare.”
“Ugh, please spare me.” Daruk groaned. “I do not want to be a witness to iniquity.”
Aodhán chuckled and finally took out the chip he'd bought for Aldric. “This way, we don't have to send letters all the time.”
Aldric accepted the silver and black chip with an unreadable expression, and Aodhán continued. “It hasn't been configured to your status screen yet, but that's a minor issue.”
“Thank you, Aodhán.” Aldric replied, his expression somber and sincere, and Aodhán wondered what memories his gift had dredged up for Aldric. He'd expected some form of enthusiasm, but Aldric seemed almost as if he was about to cry rather than leap for joy. An uncomfortable silence descended on the room, so Aodhán cleared his throat and handed a large pack of chocolate to Kieran. “I hope you like chocolates.”
Kieran accepted his gift with a small bow of gratitude and smiled. “You're a true gentleman.”
Aldric placed the chip in his spatial ring, and his mood soon returned to normal. They discussed it for almost an hour as Kieran made the necessary adjustments to their clothes before they had to try it on once again.
Fortunately, there were no more corrections to be made, so Aodhán and Daruk took the clothes to their rooms while Kieran and Aldric remained in the living room.
When Aodhán reached his room, he took out everything he'd bought to decorate it and began working. Aldric and Daruk soon came to join him, and two hours later, the once-bare room had been transformed into a small den of luxury.
The golden rays of the evening sun streamed into the room, bathing his new wardrobe and curtains in soft golden light.
Aldric whistled. “These curtains are sick. Now, you have to help me decorate my room too.”
“Mom already asked me to.” Aodhán chuckled as he looked around his newly decorated room. It still wasn't as beautiful as the academy's customizable rooms, but it was so much better than before, and most importantly, Aodhán loved it.
Daruk and Aldric soon left to meditate and train, and with nothing else to do, Aodhán took out his note on runic theory and began practicing.
He only spent a few hours on the fourth rune, ANSUZ, before perfecting it, and he smiled as the rune of heat and fire shone brightly.
The urge to activate the rune returned once more, but Aodhán shook his head. He was certain that activating the rune would barely even hurt him, but it was the principle of the thing that mattered. If he gave in to the urge to activate this rune, then he would give in to the urge to activate the next and then the next after that, and before he knew it, he wouldn't be able to resist the urge to activate a rune powerful enough to blow him to smithereens. It would be better to wait until Professor Caldwell taught them how to properly activate runes.
He admired the perfected rune for a few minutes before moving on to the fifth rune, ISA, the rune of ice and cold. As he began practicing, his mind drifted to principal Zatya's mission, and he wondered, not for the first time, just how he was supposed to steal from the Blackwells without getting caught. It was crazy and insane. The Blackwell's were a noble family descended from an ascendant, and although they weren't as powerful as they used to be centuries ago, they were still well respected and held in high regard by the other nobles.
Stealing from them and getting caught would be disastrous, not just for him but for Aldric and Daruk, whom he'd dragged into it.
He doubted the principal would let anything really bad happen to him, but he also knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't shield him from everything. Besides, even if she did, his reputation would still take a serious hit if he were caught, and he could already imagine the headlines that would follow.
He sighed, remembering Eldrith's warning on the first day of their training about Principal Zatya's impossible expectations. Yet, regardless of how impossible it seemed, Aodhán didn't want to fail or, worse, get caught.
He mulled on the subject for hours, trying to come up with a feasible plan that could work, but his efforts were futile, and it wasn't until Synové and Unrid returned from work that his mind returned to the present, and he found half a dozen perfected ISA runes on his note.
He grinned, surprised but excited that he'd perfected the fifth rune so quickly. He glanced at the next runic alphabet, RAIDHO, the rune of space and distance, before closing his note. He would work on it later.
He rushed downstairs to meet Synové and Unrid, and after greeting them, he gave them the gifts he'd bought. To Unrid, he gave the plough, shears, and the hoe of growth, while to Synové, he gave the beautiful jade necklace. Only Synové seemed excited with her gift, and Aodhán came to the conclusion that perhaps he wasn't the best at giving gifts, but, hey, it was the intentions that mattered, right?