They all had an enjoyable time at the tower of War Knights. They did lots of things, Sapphire even had the opportunity to spar against Ezume, though she lost in the end. The sun was beginning to set and it was about time to head back to the capitol.
['Teleport' has activated]
Sapphire carried Emi on her back, through the portal that opened up. Someone was a little late to follow, almost not making it in time.
"W-wait! Hold on guys!" Mary shouted.
She leaped forward, making it into the portal as it closed.
Once to the other side, the three of them were all back to the huge capital of Ashetira. It was a beautiful place at night. When the many luminous lights would turn on, it was a sight to behold.
But like all things, the sight of a tragedy could ruin the moment.
"Oh my. What happened over there? That's so horrible." Mary pointed at a disastrous scene off at the side. A portion of the stone road looked to be destroyed. The ground was covered in dried-up blood and white sheets hid the numerous dead bodies. Whatever happened took place way before they got back.
Everywhere you looked, a knight could be seen, either investigating or asking passers-by for any information.
"Maybe you shouldn't keep looking over there." Sapphire suggested.
Mary listened well and turned away, but she couldn't erase the sight from her mind, it was definitely going to be latched onto her consciousness for a while.
Sapphire was all set and ready to find an Inn when a woman's voice approached from behind.
"Woah, Hey Sapphire. I didn't expect to see you here."
The long and smooth black hair, the soft purple eyes like gems, it was Jean.
"Oh, Hey jean. I didn't expect to see you either. Were you one of the knights investigating that scene?"
Jean blankly looked away and nodded. It was written on her expression, she was distubed by the incident.
"I was. Looks like the Dark Mages are stirring up more trouble. Lucky for me, I get to go home now. Someone more suited for the task is on their way to take over."
After explaining, she threw out a friendly question to change the subject.
"Do you have any plans for tonight?"
Sapphire answered, "No, not really. I was about to try to find a good Inn to stay at for the night. Maybe a luxurious one because why not. I could afford it."
Excitement washed onto Jean's face, almost like an opportunity opened up for her.
"If you guys are looking for something luxurious, how about all of you come stay the night at my mansion? You don't need to worry about payment."
"Wow, really? That's too generous. Are you sure that's okay?"
"Yes, of course. It's the least a servant can do for her master?"
Those choice of words did bring questions to Sapphire's mind, but she chose to address them later on rather than now.
__________
"Welcome to my home." Jean opened the door to her mansion.
The polished wooden floors sparkled, there wasn't a smudge to be seen.
The living room had the lingering scent of calm lavender, and the sofa was rich with warmth and softness.
When focusing on the other items hanging around, it was complex.
Shelves with antiques dolls and tea sets. There was even a piano with keys as white as snow. When looking at the ceiling, there were pleasing designs to set your eyes on.
"Woahhhhh. You live here?" Mary asked in awe.
Jean nodded, eager to show off something else.
"I do. If you like this much of the mansion, I bet you guys are going to love this. Come, follow me."
She led everyone to the second floor, stopping at an area meant for events like parties and such.
"Is this what you wanted to show us?" Sapphire asked.
"Nope. This is what I wanted to show you..." Jean stepped ahead, pushing the balcony doors open.
She leaned her back onto the railing and inhaled the fresh air.
"...Come look at this view." she insisted.
The instant Sapphire and Marry set foot outside, they were stunned by the beautiful view. Here, the entirety of the town was visible, as well as all the dazzling lights. Being just the right distance away from society, they also had a view of the vivid starry night.
The last time Sapphire was able to appreciate something like this felt like forever ago.
"...Incredible." She muttered.
Mary, on the other hand, was used to seeing the night sky, but she enjoyed the town's lights.
"The capitol looks so beautiful."
Jean's lips curled into a genuine smile of happiness and she exhaled.
"I knew you guys would like it."
Each of them enjoyed the scenery for hours while talking, until they found themselves becoming sleepy. Sapphire and Mary were shown to their room where the marshmallow-like beds guided them to sleep, into the world of dreams.
___________
That next morning, Sapphire sprung out of bed when she awoke. She did some quick stretches and ran over to the mirror, getting a look of her messy bed-head. To her luck, there was a brush on the dresser which she picked up. Getting the complicated knots off her head, she was ready to head into the hallway. As her hand pulled the door open, A man greeted her.
With brown eyes and black hair, he held his palm over his heart while bowing.
"Morning, Miss Sapphire"
He was your average looking man, but Sapphire found his expressions to be somewhat charming. She roughly shook her head, snapping out of the daze.
"I assume you're a buttler?"
The man answered with a shining smile, "Sort of. It all depends how you look at it. I am partially Ms.Jean's buttler, bodyguard and personal mage."
When really focusing on him, Sapphire got a glimpse of his stats.
['Analyze' active]
{HP: 118,980 | Mp: 2,800,000 | Atk: 25,000 | Speed: 321 | Endurance: 1,230}
The butler spoke, "Right, I nearly forgot to give my name. My apologies, I am Glynn Sylvian Wang, but go ahead and call me whatever you'd like."
"I'll go ahead and just call you Glynn."
"Now then, shall I go fetch your breakfast for you? Or would you rather just have it down stairs with everyone else?"
If this was her home world earth, Sapphire would prefer to eat alone in her room, away from socializing. But, people in this world were a little easier to have a conversation with, she didn't have to worry about someone looking for a reason to get offended. She also didn't have the worry of other girls making 'appearances' into a competition.
"I'd like to go eat with everyone else."
"Understood, I will lead the way."
When Sapphire arrived in the dining room, she was astounded.
There was a long wealthy table that you'd usually only see in movies. Hanging down from the ceiling was a yellow-shining chandelier, just looking at it could turn your eyes to stars.
Glynn pulled out one of the chairs, allowing Sapphire to have a seat.
The plate in front of her had a well-prepared breakfast.
Three stacked pancakes, covered in syrup and what appeared to be whipped-cream. On the side were blueberries and chopped strawberries.
Jean and Mary came into the dining area as well, also getting seated.
And as usual, Mary was practically drooling at the sight of tasty food.
"Ahhhh, looks so good. I have never seen such a breakfast."
It wasn't long before she started chowing down.
However, Jean and Sapphire ate at a steady pace.
"I hope the both of you are enjoying the food my buttler prepared," said Jean.
Sapphire made sure to finish chewing before speaking.
"I am. It's very good. Exquisit, I should say. I have to thank you again for letting us stay here."
Jean covered her mouth while giggling. "You are more than welcome to stay as long as you'd like. It's the least a servant can do for their master."
Sapphire recalled Jean's similar words the night before, calling herself a 'Servant'
"Servant? You did mention something like that last night. What do you mean by that? " Sapphire asked.
Jean wiped down her lips with a napkin and explained.
"When a War Knight pledges themselves to a person, that War Knight becomes their servant till the end, following their every order."
"Wait! So that means you are my servant??!!" Sapphire tried not to choke on her food.
Jean gave a noble smile, "That is correct. I am your personal War Knight. That means my butler will also be serving under you as well."
Sapphire was trying her best to fully grasp the situation, but before she was able to, Glynn was already kneeling at her side.
"If my master has made the choice to serve under you, it will be my pleasure to do the same, Miss Sapphire."