I stared at the mirror and tried to smile. The result was pathetic.

Yeah, not working.

Thankfully, I didn't have to smile if I didn't want to. I slipped on my mask, and it magically locked in place. The usual pattern of three shifting eyes and a fanged grin appeared.

The ink shifted colors from oily black to brilliant gold to match the crimson hoodie and pants set.

There.

There was no need to smile, and nobody would suspect the mask was anything but a well-made object. Deciding to leave the hood down, I combed my silver hair and clipped on the small black-gem earring that Eodyne had gifted me.

Looks good.

With my clothes set, I opened the door and exited the large bathroom. The Igas and Eodyne were there to greet me.

Igas wore a shirt for once, a white polo with a collar. Tiny glittering snowflakes caught the light across the fabric. His pants were simple and black, as were his usual boots.

"Honestly? It's weird not seeing your nipples," I said as he saw me staring.

With a grumble, he rubbed at his chest and pouted. "Celanae threatened to imprison me if I didn't put something on."

"And you look handsome as ever. You even kept your boots," Celanae retorted.

I whistled softly. She had a lilac dress that billowed around her legs. Beautiful crystals shined out from underneath the folds and shimmered with a dull purple glow. And around her shoulders, a snazzy dark purple leather jacket covered her back.

My eyes narrowed. "That's a familiar jacket."

She blushed. "The one Noira made for you looked nice, and I had one made in its design. Hope that's okay."

I shrugged. "It looks great. It's just weird to see old-world fashion on you."

"Well..." she grinned. "I'm not the only one who had Noira rush out an outfit. Luckily, she already knew our sizes."

She didn't say who and nudged Igas towards the hallway. With an amused smirk, I followed, and we headed downstairs.

"Oh, that's what you mean."

Eodyne and Isaac turned. They sported black leather jackets and black hoodies with black pants. Eodyne, at least, had dark grey clouds designed onto her hoodie, while Isaac wore different shades of black with faint black streaks thrown into the pants.

"Copycats," I yelled at the two.

"You've been holding out on us! These are super comfortable!" Isaac shouted.

Eodyne smiled. "These are breathable and do not sacrifice movement. I'll have more made soon."

Shaking my head, I joined the rest of the group at the foot of the stairs. "You know, this is common wear where I'm from. Not fancy like a suit or a dress."

Isaac scowled, his eyes flickering across my mask before harumphing. "Suits are boring."

"And a dress is hard to fight in," Eodyne added.

"Never mind then," I relented. "Where's Teddy?"

"Right here!" Teddy called out from the dining room. "Mother and Father are waiting outside."

"I don't have a good feeling about this," Isaac said suspiciously.

"Yeah, well, you already knew that. Oh, Cyrus, you're going with your mask? It looks good with the red."

"Thanks. Should I be worried?"

His smile dropped, and his face turned somber. "Yes."

Forcing the sigh to stay inside my body, I joined Isaac and Eodyne's doomed march towards the front door. The butler held it open and waved us out.

We finally figured out what Teddy's parents were doing once we saw the monstrosity taking up space in front of the gate.

"Come aboard! The Vessel is waiting!" Nathan declared as he hung off the golden sailcloth.

Anastasia swung a golden sword shining with brilliant white light that cut through the night. "Board the ship! We've got a party to crash!"

It took a few blinks for me to process what I saw. Eventually, I shook my head and approached the giant ship.

Nathan and Anastasia looked crazy with their blindfolds and gilded clothes. Anastasia's dress twinkled with golden light against the white fabric. Her head sported a halo of gold needles that illuminated her hair. Nathan wore a sleek black suit with streams of flowing water serving as a collar, cufflinks, and a belt.

"Permission to come aboard, captain?" I shouted up.

"Permission granted!" Anastasia roared.

I chuckled and leapt up. I easily covered the distance needed to get my feet onto the deck and joined Teddy's mom near the helm.

The others used their movement skills to board the strange ship, and once everyone was on, Nathan's mana flared like a beacon. Water rushed from beneath his feet and poured down the ship's sides.

With a lurch, the ship lifted, supported by the wave of water that began carrying us across the mountain.

This is crazy.

Anastasia used her mana to shine down a pillar of light across the deck, putting us under a massive spotlight that followed the ship's movements.

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"That bastard brother of mine will never know what hit him!" she declared.

"How is that possible, Auntie?! He'll see us long before we reach the manor!" Isaac roared over the crashing wave.

"You think this is all we got to offer? You doubt us so easily, nephew? Hunny! Release banner time!" she yelled back.

"On it, dear!" Nathan answered.

He snapped his fingers and conjured a fist of water that snaked out and caught a series of brightly colored bulbs. Like a whip, it launched the bulbs into the sky.

With a cackle, he whipped more into the air. "Step one, complete!"

Silent explosions rocketed across the sky, giving birth to bright, colorful lights reminiscent of fireworks. The lights expanded into a banner, forming a single sentence. Those already gawking at the ship whipped their heads around, mouths agape.

The Lightcrests have arrived? Rather simple.

Teddy looked dead inside. In contrast, Celanae and Igas clapped excitedly. Eodyne joined Teddy in the pseudo-catatonic expression, and Isaac sank to his knees.

I leaned forward and whispered. "I'm starting to think they really don't like your parents."

He glared at me before shuffling away. "No, no they don't. I can already picture the death letters my siblings will send."

"You got siblings?"

If looks could kill, Isaac would have impaled me to the hilt. "Yes."

With a chuckle, I began clapping with the elf and oni.

This is kinda fun.

Nathan skillfully manipulated the wave beneath us to park us perfectly between two open carriages. The drivers of the carriages stared with open jaws and twitching eyes, trying to keep their mounts from being spooked.

The spotlight above us began to shift in color until it became a rainbow of light that exploded around us.

Anastasia sheathed her sword and fixed her hair before hooking her arm into her husband's.

"Everyone, please exit the vehicle safely. It's best to get in before the room gets too crowded."

Together, they hopped down and landed on the manicured grass. The poor gate greeter flinched at the sight of the two but managed to keep his cool long enough to bow deeply.

We all hopped off one by one, and I felt the stares of over a dozen people, loudly whispering and pointing.

The gate greeter rose from his bow and tapped the pin on his suit's collar. I felt mana flare up, and he opened his mouth. "The Lady and Sir Lightcrest have arrived! Joining them is their son and party!"

Those who hadn't already turned and were gawking now did so. For the most part, the people's reactions were of mild interest, while a few made surprised "oohs." However, two people near the entrance of the manor looked outraged.

Interestingly enough, they had the same bright blonde hair as Isaac.

A mana pulse came from my right, and I saw the shadows underneath Isaac's feet writhe before snapping back into place.

"Let's go," he said through gritted teeth.

We walked past the gate, studiously ignoring the crowd. Nobody, not even Teddy's parents, spared a glance at the people staring.

The double doors were wide open, so we entered. But something happened when Isaac stepped through the threshold.

Ding! Ding! Dong!

A series of bells played, and a rush of mana blanketed the area. The room brightened, focusing on one point: Isaac.

Lit up from below, a blinding light illuminated his form amidst the group. Isaac responded by snuffing out the light with his shadows as he sunk deeper into his hood.

The people inside broke out into loud whispers and stared at the man.

As one, the rest of Broken Tower stepped into place and surrounded him, blocking the crowd's view. Those closest involuntarily took a step back, sweat dripping down their faces.

I watched several people recoil, finally noticing the fear they showed towards Teddy's parents.

"Pardon us, we're in a hurry," Anastasia declared, her voice cold.

The crowd shuffled away, parting to let us through unfettered.

Eventually, we made our way into a grand hall where several staff members helped guests with food and drinks.

Nathan turned around and clapped his hands. "No doubt, the rats will be scurrying behind the walls. Try to enjoy the evening while you can."

Anastasia squeezed Isaac's shoulder and smiled. "I'm sorry that our family is still scum. But remember, just say the word, and we'll beat them up for you."

Isaac laughed dryly and nodded. "Thank you, Auntie, Uncle."

She removed her hand and linked arms with her husband, strutting away. Where they walked, people rushed to get out of their path. The poor butler by the door squirmed as the duo moved straight for him.

"Again, I really have to ask. How did you turn out normal?"

I expected something humorous, but when I looked over, Teddy had a dark expression. "They're pissed off. That offer to beat them up was entirely serious."

"What would happen if they did?"

"Considering their recent gains? The Dawneborns would lose. But that fight would mean the other families would call for a meeting. And Uncle Allaron would have to step in."

"He'd be pressured to act, but knowing Teddy's parents, they wouldn't care. They'd simply cut ties to the kingdom and declare their own severance before moving to a different kingdom," Celanae added.

"And if they did that, Uncle B would step in. And he'd be forced to defend both sides' interests," Isaac said.

With a shrug, I turned around and headed for the food table. "Sounds like a pain in the ass. I'm glad I'm not a noble."

Celanae frowned, but Igas chuckled and joined me. "Me too. Much easier to be an adventurer."

For the next hour, I hung around the food tables, sampling every hors d'oeuvre they had to offer. The staff kept a polite smile, but as I loaded up a plate with an absurd amount of food, the facade cracked just a tad.

I wasn't the only masked person in attendance; several couples or even small groups sported intricate masks. But my outfit, combined with the strangeness of me shoving food through the mask, brought a lot of attention.

Eventually, a polite tapping made me turn around. A beautiful woman with green hair and in a dark black dress greeted me. On her face was a beaked mask, but even with her hair done up in a bun, I recognized the sharp horns and scorpion tail.

Her blazing orange orbs stared from underneath the mask.

"You look stunning," I greeted.

Her tail tensed, but she kept a polite smile underneath. "If I could wear my adventuring clothes, I would. And you look stylish yourself. Looks good on you."

I bowed politely. "Thank you. Did you just arrive?"

She shook her head. "No, about half an hour ago. I was forced into a conversation with one of the bigger Felkin families. They want to meet you."

"Oh? Sure. I don't know when the main event is going to start, so we can do it now.

Her shoulders visibly relaxed, and it felt more genuine when she smiled. "Probably after another hour. Right now is socializing time. Some of the ass-kissers haven't even arrived yet."

"Sounds dumb. But I guess being fashionably late isn't surprising. Anyone I should know about?"

"Just some of the other major nobles. Two families, about as big as the Dawneborns. The Ajestellas and the Brighthearts. I know the Lumos are busy with a major expedition so they won't be attending, but that's it. I'm not that connected."

"Again, it all means nothing to me, so point them out if you can."

She stared at the plate of food while shaking her head. "Why are you here exactly?"

"The others were going, so I figured, why not?"

For a second, it looked like she wanted to grab a plate of her own, but she shook her head and waved towards the far hall.

Oh, she's being real polite tonight. I guess I can play along.

I kept drawing in more looks, and I'm sure people noticed the pair of horns on our heads. Most of the crowd was made up of humans and elves. While beastkins of all shapes and sizes were scattered throughout the crowd, none had horns like ours.

After politely waiting for a rather large beastkin to lumber out of the way, she led me down a long hallway and up a short flight of stairs.

We bypassed a room filled with a dozen ladies, all holding a glass , before coming to a stop at a closed room.

"Anything crazy?"

"No, but the family you're about to meet can come off a little strong."

I separated from her and shoved my hands into my hoodie pockets. "Explain, please."

"They're children of pride."

Ahh... that'd make sense.

Sereza straightened her shoulders and raised her chin. Around her wrist, I caught a glimpse of the thin black bracelet poking out from underneath her gloves.

With more rigidity from the felkin than I ever thought possible, she pushed open the door and slipped inside.

I followed and found myself standing in a darkened parlor room. The room's back wall sported rows and rows of books, while the left contained a fully stocked bar. On the right, a wide table covered in trays laden with food took up the space.

In the middle of the room were three large couches and two chairs with a wide, short table in between.

Four pairs of eyes turned and watched as I entered. Four sets of colored orbs bore into my mask.

One large Felkin, almost as muscular as Igas, stood up and crossed his arms.

"So we finally get to meet the new blood."