The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. Armorer’s Workshop en route to the Dorms. Local Time: 1710 Hours.
Emma
We left Sorecar’s workshop with mixed feelings.
Though it was clear that the slow progress weighed heavier on Ilunor’s shoulders than my own.
“Away on Academy Business until further notice.” I parrotted the armorer’s words. However, instead of simply moaning and groaning to a crowd of two — that being myself and the EVI — I instead found myself voicing my frustrations to a third party. Someone who, not too long ago, had made his last moves against me in the very halls we currently found ourselves in.
It’s funny how things have changed so drastically since then.
“We have learned nothing new.” The Vunerian responded with a frustrated breath. “We already know of the apprentice’s plans through your manaless artifices, earthrealmer. The armorer is simply reaffirming what we already know.”
“Eh, it was worth a shot. There was no harm in asking — especially after the library’s rejection.” I replied with a shrug. “In any case, we should still be good to go on that front. There’s ample time next week to make our gambit for the apprentice and the book. Whether we approach her upfront, or quietly borrow it, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Your overconfidence will eventually be the death of us.” The Vunerian responded with a frustrated breath.
“What do you mean? I’m sure there won’t be an issue with—”
“It’s not the apprentice I’m worried about.” Ilunor interjected with a hiss. “It was your actions with the library earlier. Your insistence on loaning the book to the library, pushing for a modification to preexisting terms, thereby risking the integrity of our prior agreements.”
“Hey, it needed to be said, right? The library only really needs the original to look over, not to keep. But the apprentice on the other hand needs the book for the inquisition or whatnot. If we were to permanently take it… well… One — requesting it would be off the table. And two — she’d get in deep trouble. It would be a bad look for Larial, Mal’tory’s apprentice, to be completely empty handed when the inquisition arrives. Heck, it’d make her look like a full on collaborator. So yeah… I’m just putting two and two together and trying to make the best out of the situation.” I offered.
The Vunerian, whilst considering my words, still held that apprehensive expression.
“You put too much care on those outside of our circle, earthrealmer. And whilst this would be acceptable in most other scenarios… I would rather you not tempt fate when it pertains to matters involving the library.”
“Or more accurately, in matters involving your fate, right?” I countered.
The Vunerian visibly flinched at that.
It was at that moment that I finally came to a halt, just before we could reach the exit from Sorecar’s domain. “Listen, I get it, Ilunor. It’s a pretty intense situation, but I’m genuinely just trying my best here. So trust me when I say this — everything will be fine. Besides, we have ample time for what is essentially your questline, Ilunor. So, we’re in no rush.”
That stray comment seemed to affect him even more, as he visibly lost color to his cheeks, turning as white as a ghost for a split second.
“Unless, of course, there’s something you need to tell me regarding the specifics of your agreement with the library — the so-called ‘collateral’ you offered that made it so confident that you wouldn’t just run off.” I quickly added, utilizing the Vunerian’s bout of silence as a jumping off point for a question that's been on my mind since that day we lawyered up. “You’ve yet to tell me about the specifics behind your deal with the library, and I know, I know, it’s probably something that you don’t want spread around. But trust me when I say this Ilunor — I have neither the desire nor the rotten character to leak this sort of sensitive information. And since we’re both in this together, I just want to know — what exactly does the library have on you? As in, what could the library have agreed to, that allowed you to more or less leave scott free?”
The Vunerian took my cue to stop, and halted just before the periphery of the exit.
This was one of the rare few moments where he refused to meet my gaze, instead, electing to sidestep it entirely by keeping his eyes shut.
“Our agreement… is a personal matter, Emma.” He offered. “I… cannot, and will not divulge such a sensitive matter.” Ilunor spoke in a way that provoked some genuine concern in me.
This was especially more worrying considering my new found knowledge on the existence of literal mind-bombs, primed to activate when certain topics were touched upon. The library had promised me it wouldn’t go that route, but I just needed to double-check, especially given how vague the Vunerian was.
“Is this like… one of those mind-curse things that Mal’tory had put on you before or—”
“No! No… I would’ve never agreed to that even if the library had offered. No. This… is a matter which whilst I have the freedom to divulge, I simply do not wish to divulge.” He quickly interrupted, clarifying and putting that concern to rest.
The library definitely got brownie points for not stooping to that low, at least in my book.
“So it’s that sensitive, huh?” I offered, before quickly registering the library’s earlier statements. “This… doesn’t by any chance have something to do with the cryptic message the librarian gave you before we left today, did it? Something about how it was reminding you to return by the end of the week as per the agreements, or else… what was it?” I paused, as the EVI brought up the transcripts of that conversation word-for-word. “Something about how you quote: ‘seem to be growing greener around the gills by the day’?”
That statement, repeated verbatim, caused Ilunor’s whole body to shiver in place.
And for a moment, I swore I could see his scales going pale with dread.
“I’d prefer if we moved on, earthrealmer.” He urged, walking forward and then dropping the privacy screen altogether.
“So long as it’s not something life-threatening, then I guess I’m fine with whatever you have going on, Ilunor.” I offered, trying my best to de-escalate from that conversation.
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The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. Dragon’s Heart Tower, Level 23, Residence 30. Local Time: 1755 Hours.
Emma
There was a collective move, initiated by Thacea, towards having dinner delivered to the dorms rather than eating out in the grand dining hall.
The reason for this was simple — we’d caused enough buzz today already. Heading to dinner, at an end of the week dinner at that, was just asking for trouble.
Or, in Thacea’s own words… “We’d be required to make a statement as to our intentions as a major player in the greater games. And whether we like it or not, a statement will be drawn from even the most innocuous of actions, be it silence or a standing ovation.”
And whilst Thalmin agreed, it was Ilunor who argued for our presence in the grand dining hall.
“Our very absence will be a statement in and of itself!” He argued.
To which Thacea nodded in agreement, ending off the back and forth with a series of simple conclusions.
All of which, boiled down to one very simple notion that even I could get behind — damage control.
“Whilst I do agree with your statements, Ilunor, I believe you’ve already garnered what you wanted from your bold and drastic social maneuvers. In addition, I believe Emma has likewise already made enough of a visible statement as it stands. To expand on both of these dramatic successes born of action, through the spoken word, would be to risk the integrity of those successes outright.” Thacea, to my horror, had somehow managed to draw out all of her points on a magical blackboard; one that I’d assumed was just a set piece up to this point.
“The crowds have now had ample time to draw their own conclusions on the results of the impromptu competition.” She continued, more bullet points forming on the blackboard along with chalk visages of our classmates. “What remains is now a fight for scraps, a battlefield where words will be misappropriated and misconstrued. I believe it was Thalmin, Emma, and even you, Ilunor, who said that actions spoke louder than words. Well, that time for action has come and passed.”
“Now is a time for words from those that have lost the fight for action. And if we were to enter what is now the lion’s den, we would surely spend the rest of our evening under fire, which would risk everything we had fought and gained from the day’s events.”
Thacea once more made an exceedingly solid point.
And even Ilunor in his bloated arrogance took a moment to ponder that.
Though it was Thalmin of all people who seemed to be in disbelief, as he turned towards Thacea, then Ilunor, with a look of genuine surprise.
“Did… Ilunor actually say that, Thacea? I don’t ever recall him—”
“It matters not if I said it, Prince Thalmin!” Ilunor interrupted him before he could continue, somewhat flustered, his scales deepening in color instead of becoming pale like earlier. “In any case, you have a point, princess.” He quickly turned his attention towards Thacea, disengaging from that sudden and abrupt turn to Thalmin.
“As a result of our planning, and my misadventures with the earthrealmer, we’ve neglected to use this afternoon’s precious time towards preparing for our social aims for dinner. We would be woefully under-equipped for any social engagements, and thus, we’d have little to gain and all to lose.” The Vunerian nodded once more towards the princess, just short of a bow.
“It would seem as if your experiences in quiet inaction are serving us well, princess.” He quickly added, though I couldn’t help but to narrow my eyes at that obvious backhanded compliment.
“What’s left now for those partaking in tonight’s dinner is a game for the sore losers and those that might want to color Emma’s victory for their own aims.” Thalmin promptly entered the conversation, completely side-stepping Ilunor’s egregious slights by throwing his hat into the ring.
“I’d say it’s more our victory, Thalmin.” I promptly chimed in, eliciting a cock of the wolf prince’s head. “Don’t discount your actions in the field. You did an amazing job smoking Ping in most of the competition.”
“And do not forget your own winnings as well, Prince Thalmin.” Ilunor added. “As paltry as your bets were, it was an effective statement all the same.”
The lupinor prince didn’t seem to know what to make of Ilunor’s underhanded compliment, although he did regard mine with a solid nod, as Thacea took over as the group mom once again, and immediately dialed what I was beginning to refer to as ‘room service’.
An action that I’d seen Ilunor do many times now, but rarely out in the open.
The princess moved over towards one of the many mirrors in the room, and with a wave of her hand along with a burst of mana radiation, she was immediately ‘connected’ with a room I hadn’t actually visited yet via magical video-conferencing.
It looked to be something similar to a restaurant’s reception area, with a front desk and several staff manning their posts, all dutifully scribbling down what was probably the unending list of orders for the kitchen.
“How may I be of service, Princess Dilani?” An elven face suddenly came in to take much of the field of view.
“We require tonight’s dinner to be delivered to our lodgings.” The princess replied tactfully, and with that authoritative voice that I’d only seen her use with what I assumed were those ‘beneath’ her station — ‘commoners’, no doubt.
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
“It would be my pleasure, your highness.” The elf bowed deeply, before the ‘call’ abruptly ended with what I could only describe as the sound of splashing water.
Following this, we were once again left to our own devices, with each and every one of us in varying states of tiredness from what was probably the most physically intense, yet practically low-stakes day of the week.
“Heh… this has been… quite a week, huh?” I offered, throwing out some small talk in the hopes of striking up a conversation.
Whilst my attempts seemed to have initially failed, it was Ilunor who decided to respond in what I could only describe as his signature move. As he simply, and rather abruptly, skittered over towards his room, slamming the door lightly in the process.
Thacea, Thalmin and I were left alone.
But as was the mood of the moment, we all just sat there silently, contemplating things before the arrival of dinner.
…
5 Minutes Later
Dinner had arrived.
And our assigned waiter for breakfast was the one to tend to this rather luxurious platter, as he pulled in what could only be described as one of those room service dinner cars, and started setting it up using a combination of his limited levitation magic, as well as the built-in mechanisms hidden within the cart.
It took a solid five more minutes, but a verifiable buffet had now been set in the middle of our living room.
“I am at your beck and call, my lords and ladies.” He bowed deeply, before leaving.
I immediately grabbed a few items — some fluffy bread rolls, guava, apples, and even some dried nuts — before heading towards the M-REDD for the night’s experiments.
“M-REDD Daily Experiment Quota achieved.”
“Mmhm. Roger that. However, I just want a snack first. I’m fast-tracking us into the meat phase of the M-REDD experiments. There’s no way I’m ending tonight without at least sinking my teeth into some fresh meat. So we’ll de-manify what we know works for me first. Then, we’ll have the M-REDD working on the meat later.”
“Acknowledged. Accessing reference material M-REDD EXP-27-a: physical parameters for the desaturation of meat-based foodstuffs.”
10 Minutes Later
Thacea and Thalmin had begun going through the various platters, consisting of anything and everything from whole roasts to glazed hams to what looked to be the contents of an entire aquarium, tropical fish and all, presented in a perpetual steamer.
Thacea gravitated towards the fish, whilst Thalmin moved in towards the roasts.
It was around this point that I began slicing what could only be described as the thinnest slice of meat imaginable.
It hurt me to slice into that tender and juicy turkey-analogue in a way that barely broke into a few millimeters worth of meat.
Thalmin was the first to take note of this, his head cocking my way, and his expressions growing to one of genuine concern. “Emma… you really needn’t be so frugal. We won’t be finishing this platter ourselves, so you’re more than free to help yourself—”
“Oh, nono! It’s not like that, Thalmin.” I interjected with a chuckle. “Trust me, if I could eat this thing whole, I’d have inhaled it in a heartbeat.”
That statement… was perhaps a bit too colorful to translate, as Thalmin’s expressions shifted to one of sheer shock, surprise, before following it up with a mirthful, fangy grin, ending in a hearty laugh. “Spoken like a true Havenbrockian warrior, Emma Booker of Earthrealm!” He went so far as to get up from his seat to pat me on the back. “Now tell me, I’m assuming your inability to inhale a whole bird is a direct result of your… artifice’s shortcomings to… hmm… how do you say it… drain it of mana?”
Thacea had already raised a brow the first time I’d used that colorful phrase, the second time however, caused her to simply sink her whole face into both hands.
“Correct, Thalmin.” I nodded affirmatively, with a smile of my own. “So suffice it to say, I’ll have to start off with small sample sizes first just to see how the machine fares with meat, and if local meat is even compatible with me at all.”
“My greatest condolences, Emma.” Thalmin spoke with a heavy heart — almost too dramatically, I could say… and he’d yet to have touched any hard drinks. “For your sake, I hope your artifice will be able to provide you with the sustenance you need. I cannot imagine being forced to go without meat for an entire year.”
That thought alone sent shivers down my spine as I could only nod warily in response. “Yeah… me too, Thalmin. Me too.”
“In any case, I suggest you try the fish next, Emma.” Thacea chimed in with a delightful chirp, clearly trying to lift up our spirits. “It’s a far more delicate experience than any land-based creature, and I quite prefer it.” She offered, prompting Thalmin to politely, but firmly, counter that statement.
“Too delicate, for my liking, princess. I’m sure Emma’s more of a land-meat eater, aren’t you Emma?”
They both turned towards me with expectant gazes, as I once more felt like I was at a family dinner table, with friendly banter somehow leading into me becoming a tie-breaker for an impromptu disagreement.
“Ehhhhh…?” I offered first with a shrug. “I mean, I love snowfish and seabass.” I began, prompting a wide-eyed look of satisfaction from Thacea. “But I also love some good old-fashioned steak, and especially fall-off-the-bone spare ribs cooked long and slow in some barbecue sauce, then paired with some of my Aunt’s crab-fat fried rice…” I began trailing off, garnering a look of approval from Thalmin.
“So… what do you prefer, Emma? Land-based meats.” Thalmin began. “Or sea-based meats?” Thacea concluded.
“I… like both equally?”
The pair’s eyes narrowed, as they turned towards one another, before facing me with an equal look of frustration.
“Oh come on now!”
The banter would continue.
And yet, Ilunor was still nowhere to be seen.
45 Minutes Later
The dinner, filled with a flurry of back and forths, with banter on local foods and cuisines, continued in earnest.
It reached a point where we’d begun discussing the history, lore, and intricacies behind the dishes presented on the table, as the culinary preferences of both realms, and earth’s, were exchanged with little to no filter.
This was the cross-cultural information dissemination I was trained for. The CCID exercises were paying their dividends now, but in a way that wasn’t exactly necessary, at least not in this particular interaction.
Because instead of treating this as part of my diplomacy job… I felt more at home than ever, with both Thacea and Thalmin feeling more like friends rather than just stuffy diplomats at a dinner table.
“So, let me get this straight.” I began. “Your local cuisine — at least in the capital of Aetheron — is mostly seafood-based, correct?” I began summarizing what was in effect a whole half hour’s worth of carefully retold history.
“That is correct, Emma.” Thacea nodded proudly. “Whilst the royal family is not native to the capital region, as with most who call the Isle of Towers home in the contemporary era, most of our culinary arts are now inextricably tied to the seafolk who originally call the coasts home. Thus, whilst most avinor species-types aren’t at all equipped for life at sea, most capital culture thrives off of the ocean’s bounty provided to us by the seafolk, and as a result, we owe a great deal of gratitude to the seafolk for serving as the foundation for our contemporary cuisine.”
“On the other hand, your culinary inclinations are far less seafood-intense, Thalmin?”
“Indeed, and quite unsatisfying to the discerning Nexian palate.” He admitted, parodying Ilunor’s Nexian attitude. “Historically speaking, it’s always been that way. Trade amongst the disparate Havenbrockian states was notoriously difficult. Given most of the riverways freeze over during the long winters, spices and other such commodities were a rarity, and with few settlements and kingdoms present around the regions where spices are typically found, the more colorful palates of the Nexus and Aetheron would find themselves quite disappointed by our more basic dishes that involve less intense flavors.” He surmised.
“I wouldn’t consider that a negative, Thalmin. If anything, working with fewer ingredients means you get to focus on the fundamental flavors; extracting what you have on hand and focusing instead on the quality and intrinsic flavor of your meat and produce.”
This garnered a smile from the lupinor as he nodded in response. “You definitely get it, Emma. But yes, I am quite… surprised, even though I shouldn’t be, at the sheer amount of… as you put it, fusion dishes in your realm, Emma.”
“Fusion dishes and their popularity as a whole specific subset categorized in the culinary arts has long been a thing in my world.” I quickly added. “It was inevitable, a result of both trade and the movement of people through the interconnectedness of my world.”
“A historical trend we have in common, Emma.” Thacea nodded.
“It was the extraordinary levels of interconnectivity of Aetheronrealmers, granted via flight, that perpetuated so much of your cross-cultural fusion dishes, correct?” Thalmin inquired.
“Indeed. And I’m assuming the same can be said for earthrealm, especially given the… lengths to which Emma’s people have pushed for interconnectivity through various artifices aimed to bridge the physical gap.”
“Yeah! That’s definitely part of it. The world becoming smaller does contribute a lot towards that sort of thing.” I replied with a jovial smile, one that turned to concern as I once more noticed a lack of any counterpoints made throughout this generally positive conversation. “Ilunor’s been gone for way too long.” I quickly noted, diverting the conversation, prompting a perk of both Thacea and Thalmin’s brows.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go check up on Ilunor, this is completely out of character for him and I need to see if he’s alright.” I spoke as I got up, walking over to Ilunor’s room, before knocking hard on his door.
“Ilunor, are you alright in there?” I hollered.
Yet there was no response.
“Ilunor? Come on now, I’m getting worried.” I continued, my mind fixated on the issue of the library and curses from our earlier conversation.
Still, there was no response.
It was around this time that Thalmin got up, reaching for the door, before opening it with a solid shunt.
The scene we were greeted with… was something I wasn’t at all expecting.
In front of me… was a small pile of gold coins that had collapsed in on itself, forming a sort of nest of gold coins.
Within that nest, was the Vunerian, loafing atop of the gold, with dilated pupils and an expression that I’d yet to have seen from him.
Pure and unfettered bliss.
It took a solid few seconds before he noticed us, and even then he barely even bothered to get up, merely tilting his head over from his supine state.
“Ilunor…” I muttered out. “What the heck is all of this?”
“Hmmph… the earthrealmer has the gall to ask what this is.” He spoke self-satisfyingly to himself more than anything.
“Listen, we were starting to get worried, alright? The least you could do is tell us why you haven’t joined us for dinner and exactly what’s going on—”
“I am rolling, Cadet Emma Booker of Earthrealm.” He stated smugly and a matter of factly. “That’s what all of this is. Or is it the sheer glut of gold that prompted the shock and confusion, hmm?” He shot back with a self-satisfied chuckle.
“No, not really.” I answered bluntly. “I was just worried.”
“Trying to hide your shock and awe at this flagrant display of wealth is quite unbecoming of you, earthrealmer.” He continued, his attitude having taken on a slight Nexian edge, as it seemed as if the spoils of victory were getting to his head. “Come now, there’s no need to restrain yourself. We can all be frank with each other, after all. For I know that even with all of the audacious manaless achievements of your realm, that one thing remains the same across all adjacent realms… the inability to amass gold and other precious metals, to the scale of ubiquity seen in the Nexus.”
“All of this—” The mock dragon emphasized by picking up a handful of coins and letting them slip through his fingers with satisfying clinks. “—is likely far from even your reach.” He managed out, gesturing at all of the gold around him, eliciting not even an ounce of envy from my end as I simply shrugged.
“My answer still stands, Ilunor. No, not really.” I double-downed.
This seemed to have gotten the Vunerian’s attention, as he began kicking at the pile of gold for traction, causing a small avalanche of gold coins to come clinking down onto the solid hardwood floors beneath him.
It was at that point that I reached for my pouch, one that had yet to have been accessed prior to this point, grabbing what looked to be a cylindrical candy dispenser. However instead of candy, it was instead filled to the brim with my mission-assigned barter material.
“Bluffing is quite unbecoming of—”
Plink!
I flicked a single gold coin in the Vunerian’s direction, as it landed directly on his forehead, causing him to yelp and hiss in response.
“Ow! What is the meaning behind this assault?!”
I merely sighed in response, pointing down towards a lone gold piece that stood out amongst the other pieces of gold in his little pile.
The Vunerian, to his credit, managed to pick it out from the shiny crowd rather quickly, as he immediately went to inspect it, even going so far as to grab a small monocle with which to scrutinize it.
“Hmmph. This is dead gold, earthrealmer. You cannot impress me with this garbage.” He chided back, before flicking the gold back towards my direction.
“Dead… gold?” I offered with a cock of my head.
“Yes, dead. Meaning it is merely gold as a mere metal. Gold that has yet to have been attuned by the Crown. Gold that is, in a sense, worthless.” Ilunor explained, prompting a lightbulb to suddenly light up in my head.
“Your magic makes it so that you’re able to transmute stuff, I imagine.” I surmised. “As in, a lead-into-gold sorta deal.”
“Lead into gold is such a trite example, but yes, earthrealmer. Transmutation, and such alchemical ends, are an age-old and highly mature field of study. This has forced gold, in spite of its innately intoxicating appeal, to have completely lost its luster. For any well-read mage can conjure up a steady supply of gold, provided enough mana is available, and enough alchemical materials are on hand.”
“So only gold that’s been minted… or in this case, ‘attuned’, is valuable. Since gold itself has become… effectively worthless as it’s now so readily abundant.” I concluded.
“Precisely, Emma Booker.” Ilunor nodded. “You catch on much quicker than I expected.”
“Yeah, no, this is Basic Economics Scarcity Stuff 101. Besides, we already went through this ourselves.”
…
…
…
“Excuse me?”