Tyuan Yi'Ung's jaw dropped as he recognized the young man that stood in front of his door.
Elegant robes that pooled down to just above his feet, an unusual color of white that was only traditionally worn by those in the Archelio family.
Despite the unusual choice of color that he had donned, it did little to confuse Lord Yi'Ung with the identity of the white-haired male with blue eyes. Those in the Archelio family possessed amber eyes, while those from the ruling family of Nihlahim possessed blue eyes.
Not to be confused with the Vessard's own blue eyes.
"P-Prince Pentajis!" Tyuan bowed deeply, remembering that this specific Prince was one of those that cared not for the hierarchy or ranks of a family's house.
"No need to bow." Zylaorfier rose his hand up, much like how the Prince of Oceania had, except this person was genuine, unlike the perverse prince that had approached Tyuan the previous day.
"No, I must. My daughter has told me of your assistance. The nerve of that damned Prince of Oceania to touch my daughter."
Zylaorfier gave a smile that was full of ire. "Had it been anyone else, they would have done the same as I. It is not right for Zuxara to go to these lengths to satisfy his lust for women."
"Yes indeed." Tyuan extended his hand to Zylaorfier, the younger male accepting the hand. "Nevertheless, I would like to extend my thanks to you."
"If that is the case, then I would gladly accept it." The young male raised his hands together as a sign of respect, bowing his head to his elder.
"Oh, where are my manners?" Tyuan stepped to the side, waving in the Frost mage. "Come in, come in! I will gladly serve you while you are here."
"I appreciate the hospitality. " He gave a warm smile that the older man returned.
"It is the least I can do. Here, follow me."
The Yi'Ung manor was smaller than most noble properties; Houvdon's deduction about them being lower nobles was indeed correct. Despite this smaller size compared to his own, the Archelio manor, or even the Pellemeur manor, it was still big enough to fit the look of a noble house.
The railings of the open walkways were lined with all kinds of bushes and flowers. Zylaorfier smiled gently as he looked at the beautiful plants that grew effortlessly.
Even those at his house did not grow as beautifully as those here, and he was a mage that was renowned as one of the rising medical mages.
"May I ask who grew these herbs and flowers? They are certainly beautiful and breathtaking."
Tyuan gave a small smile, a look in his eyes turning distant as he recalled memories of his two children and their mother. "It was my two daughters and my wife. Sadly, it is only maintained by my oldest daughter now."
"I see." The mage of Frost knew that it was better to not ask further questions. The underlying tone of words were wistful, almost as if it wasn't possible to go back to those times. While he was similar to his friend in many ways, one of the most glaring differences between the two was that Zylaorfier knew when someone didn't want to talk more, while Houvdon continued to ask questions and push the issue.
How ironic, considering Houvdon was one of those that did not wish to elaborate further than what they have already stated.
After a few more moments, they entered what looked to be a waiting room, considering how open it was, with few things within.
Chairs were assembled, lining straight down from the open doorway. At the very end of the room were two chairs on either side of a wooden table, these chairs at the end facing the door. Between each chair was a small square table, where teapots and cups rested unused for now.
He knew that was where Tyuan sat when he had visitors.
Tyuan strode to the same chair Zylaorfier had deduced was for him, and the young male sat down on the closest chair to him. Because the chair faced forward, he had to tilt his body slightly so that he was able to look at Tyuan without having to twist his head all the way to the side.
"Prince Pentajis, I never asked you what you were here for. What exactly are you doing in my home?"
He smiled pleasantly. "I was actually going to ask if I could take Serene to the Lantern Festival? It would be a shame for her to miss it because of what happened the previous day. With me by her side, none will dare touch her."
"You wish to court my daughter?" He leaned his head down as his eyes narrowed at Zylaorfier.
"No, I just wish to take her to this festival to clear her mind of the unpleasant events of yesterday. I don't have the intention of starting something with your daughter." Zylaorfier continued to smile, the curved lips never turning downwards.
"I...see." Tyuan didn't know how to respond to such words.
"Is she awake?"
"She should be, she is an early riser. She should be in her room."
"Great, I'll be on my-" Zylaorfier stopped halfway while he was rising. Tyuan raised an eyebrow and the ice mage sat back down. "Actually no, that is inappropriate, even more so in the presence of her family. I would wait for her until she comes out herself. I would not trouble you with rumors of me visiting a girl's room."
He gave a small smirk at the young male, in his mind thinking about how he continued to surprise him.
Even if he were lying about his intentions, he would have no need to go this far to be polite.
He felt as if Zylaorfier was truly being polite to the family as to uphold his as well as their unsoiled reputation.
"You sure are interesting Prince Pentajis." The Yi'Ung father gave him a look.
"I like to think that myself. That's the reason why my friend Houvdon keeps me around." Zylaorfier rubbed the side of a cup, pouring himself some tea. He gave a smile full of mirth. "He may have a really bad temper despite his coldness and indifference, but he is much smarter than me. He always asks me for my thoughts despite him already deciding on what to do. Even with this, the things he does always proceed smoothly even if he doesn't follow my advice."
"I have heard that you answer many of Prince Archelio's questions? How can he be smarter than you if you answer his questions?"
He gave a nod. "Yes I do answer his questions, but these questions are not about what he should do, but rather the truth of something. Even if he doesn't listen, the friendship between us is built upon us understanding what the other needs and wants. I have more general knowledge overall, but his combat and political methods are much better than I can ever think of in a week."
"I am somewhat understanding what you are saying." Tyuan rubbed his chin.
"Father!"
Both men perked up as they heard the soft call of a delicate female voice.
Her light amber eyes widened as she saw the other seated male.
"Prince Pentajis." She bowed in respect and gratefulness. Zylaorfier gave an easy smile as he looked at Tyuan. The Yi'Ung waved his hand, giving permission for the ice mage to ask Serene.
"Serene, would you like to go to the festival with Prince Pentajis?"
Her eyes widened as she looked at her father. He gave her a smile as he closed his eyes, giving her the choice to either reject or accept the offer from one of the most praised Princes that any woman would have the honor of going to such an event with.
Even if the Lantern Festival was set up for unknown reasons relating to the Greater Beings the Seclusion Church referenced, many saw it as a romantic event for couples and single men and women to meet each other.
While it was rare for two singles to become a pair, it was entirely possible. One such couple was the Prince of Kolorta and his wife, who had just recently given birth to the newest prince of Earth.
"Sure, let's go. It'll be fun."
-----
"Kryva are you ready?" Houvdon knocked on the door of the guest room, where Kryva Pellemeur was temporarily staying until they went back to Pellemeur Manor.
"Yes, give me a few more minutes."
"You said that a few minutes ago." His words may have seemed to be full of impatience, but his eternally frozen features showed no hint of any annoyance.
"I'm not done."
Houvdon sighed as he crossed his arms, leaning against the wall across from the door. He tilted his head back so the back would touch the wall. He closed his eyes, his body slumping as his crossed arms fell to both his sides.
As he waited, his thoughts shifted into a darker area that was not fit for the current day's celebration. While the Lantern Festival was to symbolize the start of new beginnings and wishes, he thought back to almost a decade ago.
Ten years without a single minute of rest.
He opened his eyes as he looked down at his hand. He turned it upwards as a small ball of light formed within his open palm.
He stared at the magic before closing his fist, the light disappearing as he turned to the door that was slowly creaking open.
She stepped out, wearing a very unusual color.
In fact, both Houvdon and Kryva were wearing very different color schemes then what they usually wore. Kryva usually wore a bright or dark red, while Houvdon usually wore any assortment of white robes.
However, Kryva was currently fitted in beautiful blue robes embroidered with silver branches that looked very similar to cherry blossoms. The outer garment was thin, almost completely transparent, displaying the light blue robes that were underneath the silk cover.
"Alright, let's go." Without even sparing her a second glance despite her new look and color, Houvdon turned away from her.
Her jaw dropped open at the lack of reaction from him. "W-wait!"
He turned around, for the first time showing some type of annoyance. "What? Did you forget something?"
She fidgeted, uncertain. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she lowered her head, muttering, "How do I look?"
His eyes softened as he took her in, staring at her intently. She felt her face practically burning as Houvdon continued to look at her silently. He reached out and held the side of her head, rubbing her temple gingerly with his thumb.
Despite the immense embarrassment, she couldn't bring herself to look away from the beautiful mage in front of her. She could only stare into his deep amber eyes that only seemed to soften for her.
He pursed his lips, almost as if he were actually thinking how to respond. "Good."
Her jaw dropped open again as he came up with a single simple word to describe her. Flustered at expecting more, she pushed his hand away from her as she stepped around him.
His hand shot out quickly, gripping her wrist and pulling her back. She let out a gasp as she was forcibly pulled into his chest. She took a quick step back so her face wouldn't be against his rather broad chest.
Even with the step backwards, they were still in close proximity. She felt her cheeks heat up again as he stared at her intently.
"W-what?" She cursed herself, unable to even form a word without stuttering.
"How do I look?"
She felt like palming her face with such a question he asked back to her, clearly not understanding her intentions behind asking it in the first place.
This boy didn't understand. He only knew about matters involving life and death, nothing about building a relationship. In fact, Houvdon probably had an emotional intelligence at the level of zero.
Yet, she could only bring herself to admire his look.
Differing from his usual white robes, now he wore a rather "colorful" attire. The outer garment was a deep black, not transparent like her own outer robe. Underneath was a dark blue, almost black just like the outer garment. Speckled across the dark blue fabric were light blotches of white, almost like the stars.
Despite the dark colors, it contained much more feeling than his usual plain white robes. Not only that, his blonde hair was now a deep blue, almost black. She didn't know how he managed to change his hair color, but she wasn't complaining about the change. In fact, she rather liked the look of Houvdon when he wore darker colors.
The blue hair matched the darker attire much better than his old blonde.
Her cheeks flushed as Houvdon stepped closer to her, causing her to step backwards again. Her back hit the wall as Houvdon took the final stride to stand in front of her.
He placed his hands behind his back leaning closer as his head tilted down. She turned her head away as she couldn't bear to look at his face.
Otherwise she would struggle to speak like how she always did.
What happened? Why was she suddenly so flustered around him? She was fine the previous days.
Was it due to his closeness and his current out of character personality? Houvdon Archelio was not one to be this close to a woman.
"Good." She almost stuttered when she spoke the single word, intending to throw it back at him.
"Good." He nodded, satisfied with her answer. He stepped away from her, finally letting her breathe normally, seemingly unaffected by her and her intended sass. "Alright, let's go since we both look good."
She didn't see the small smile that graced his lips.
-----
Kryva swooned as she looked at the lanterns that lined every street.
"Wow, look at how beautiful it is!"
She gave a wide smile. She looked back at the Light mage, pointing upwards.
Houvdon bowed his head as a small smile graced his lips, hiding his rather humane emotion away from her.
She was acting in a similar way to Luna, differing from her previous two attitudes with him. She used to be flustered and reserved with him, but became confident enough to even openly challenge and question his views.
Right now, she was acting like a normal girl.
Just like how everyone else should be around his age. They should all be acting like normal people, not struggling for power or preparing to fight in a war they had no part in.
He looked back up, meeting her red and purple eyes. "Yes, it is."
Kryva paused. "Hey, where should we go first? This is my first time actually going to the Lantern Festival."
"Let's eat first. There is a place me and Zylaorfier often go to."
-----
The moment they stepped through, they were able to spot their friend.
Even though he was wearing a different color than he usually wore like her and Houvdon, they were able to recognize his presence alone, much like how those in the street parted for the two of them despite not knowing who they were.
Houvdon's hair had almost made him unidentifiable, many wondering which family such a strong presence belonged to. There was no family in the Delusional Lands that possessed both blue hair and amber eyes.
He beckoned with his head, walking straight towards the one wearing a rather bright white color.
"You are already here."
The girl jumped in slight fear, while Zylaorfier continued to calmly eat, as if he already knew that Houvdon was approaching him.
"Yes. I see you brought Kryva along as well."
Houvdon turned his gaze towards the girl that sat next to the ice mage. "And this is the girl from that day?"
Serene widened her eyes, looking at Zylaorfier in confusion, obviously wondering how this person knew her.
Zylaorfier raised a single eyebrow at her, letting her introduce herself.
"I am Serene Yi'Ung." She gave a small bow as she stood. "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Yi'Ung?" Houvdon furrowed his brow.
"You know of my family Sir?"
Zylaorfier finally looked up, as if wondering how Serene did not recognize the Houvdon Archelio. When he laid his eyes upon Houvdon's dramatic appearance change, his eyes shined with understanding.
"You changed your look."
Houvdon ignored his friend, continuing to analyze Serene. She turned her light amber eyes to Zylaorfier in uncertainty, but he wasn't even looking at her. She then turned to Kryva, who stood just behind Houvdon.
She gave a small smile and bowed her head.
His own amber eyes glowed with power as he finally recognized the name of Yi'Ung.
"Father Tyuan Yi'Ung, First Daughter Titania Yi'Ung, Second Daughter Serene Yi'Ung. Rank of Lesser Noble."
Serene's eyes widened as she stood, her hands held outwards in caution. Her amber eyes glowed with power as the three assembled mages felt her aura course through her body.
This gathered the attention of all other patrons, who turned to look at the commotion at the rather honored table with just the presence of Zylaorfier Pentajis.
Houvdon waved his hand at the crowd, all of which simultaneously turned away and continued to eat their food and go on with their business.
His gaze was cold as he stared at Serene who shivered at his rather emotionless look. Despite this cold look and harsh appearance, his frozen features still held a hint of conflict.
"Do you truly not recognize me?" He turned his head, looking slightly downward at the table of food, but his left eye still looking at her.
She was silent, but her aura slowly calmed as it receded back into her core. Her eyes finally flashed with recognition as she recognized the rumors of the emotionless prodigy that skyrocketed upwards into the power rankings between the age of seven and eight years of age.
"M-master Archelio."
Both Zylaorfier and Kryva turned to look at Serene in shock as she used a title not many use. The only ones that called another person "master" were those that-
-worked for the higher noble class.
"A pleasure to meet you once again, Serene Yi'Ung. It has been years since we have formally met, has it not?" Acting as if he had not just practically threatened her a few moments ago, he seated himself at the table beside Zylaorfier, facing Serene. Kryva sat at the final seat, between Houvdon and Serene.
"Yes, it has." Serene said stiffly.
"You have ascended to Rank 2 Mage as well. Interesting."
"Hold up." Zylaorfier placed his hand on the table, cocking his head as he leaned forward, closer to Houvdon. "You two know each other."
He placed his hand onto Zylaorfier's face and pushed him back roughly. "We have met only a few times. The last time we officially met was three to four years ago? The last time we saw each other was a month ago in the hallway. There was no other time between the two times. I simply didn't recognize Serene in the hallway since so much time has passed."
"What did Kryva do to you? You are talking much more than before." All of a sudden, Zylaorfier changed the entire matter Houvdon was explaining, looking at the Flame wielder. "Both of you are dressed differently too."
"What have you done since you left the gathering?" Houvdon motioned for both Serene and Kryva to continue and start eating respectively. The two women proceeded to follow his unspoken words, with Kryva waving her hand at the waiter for a bowl. "I didn't expect you to go to the Festival with Serene."
"Hey, don't avoid the question." Zylaorfier practically pouted, which didn't fit his actual look nor his personality.
Kryva had to hold in a laugh at how atrocious the Frost mage's face looked. Serene was the same, except she did a much better job at hiding it than Kryva.
"I changed my look because I wanted to. Same with Kryva. Now your turn."
Zylaorfier's face changed as the playful look changed into one of coldness, so similar to Houvdon. Both women were able to see the similarities between the two friends.
"Zuxara."
With just a single word, did both Kryva and Houvdon understand what had happened. Kryva to a lesser extent due to her lack of time spent in the noble world, but still being able to understand what had happened.
After all, a similar thing had almost happened to her, except Houvdon was there to stop it just as Zylaorfier was there to assist Serene.
Serene shifted uncomfortably as the lord of her house turned his eyes to examine her.
"She looks fine. I suppose you got there in time?"
Zylaorfier nodded as Serene looked away from him, staring down at her half-eaten food. He made a sound, and Serene shakily continued to eat.
From the looks of it, it was almost as if they were forcing her to eat while they talked about disturbing matters.
The three of them continued to eat, while Houvdon only turned his head to watch Kryva as she ate with exquisite table manners.
"Are you not hungry? The food is rather good." Kryva stopped in the middle of eating, looking at him in concern.
"It's good enough watching you eat."
Simultaneously, Serene, Zylaorfier, and Kryva choked on their food, almost spitting it out in surprise at the complete unnatural words that had just been uttered by Houvdon. Their loud gagging attracted the looks of the patrons once again, except Houvdon waved his hand to dismiss them once again.
Houvdon only poured a cup of water for Kryva to drink to help her swallow, while both Serene and Zylaorfier had to pour one for themselves.
At least, Zylaorfier did. He poured two cups, and handed the one he had poured first to Serene.
When they all recovered, Houvdon was looking at them all with a blank face, almost as if he hadn't just said flirt-like words.
"Is there something wrong?"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all." Zylaorfier answered for all of them, his voice still high from the food that had gotten lodged in his throat. He stood and stretched. "We good to go here?"
The two women nodded, while Houvdon continued his impassive look.
While they did not finish their meal, they could always pick up some side food if they got hungry again.
They walked out together, the common people spreading out for them despite having no knowledge of any of their identities.
"The night is still long, where shall we go?"
Kryva looked at Houvdon, who then turned to Zylaorfier for suggestions. The Frost mage shrugged. "I mean, we can spend some time watching a play?"
"Plays are boring." The other three said all together, looking at each other in unison right after the words left their mouth.
"Well, I don't know." Zylaorfier threw his hands up in frustration. "Why bother asking me if all three of you disagree with what I suggest?"
They all shared smiles, even Houvdon had a small curvature of his lips that he quickly hid.
"Let's just go to the main event of the festival. There is no need to delay it."
Zylaorfier scoffed at Houvdon's suggestion, but followed him anyway. The two women as well, walking beside the men they had come to the festival with.
It was a merry group, the four of them somehow striking up conversation despite their large differences. Zylaorfier talked the most, gesturing with his hands as Kryva and Serene laughed at him while Houvdon would keep a cold face, even if his eyes slightly warmed as they filled with mirth.
Serene would laugh much more elegantly than Kryva, despite being from a lesser family. She would hide her louder laughs, while letting the giggling ones slip through. Her light amber eyes, so different from Houvdon's darker ones, was filled with light as she experienced a feeling no other lesser noble felt.
Basking in the presence of three Nobles, two of which were Grand Nobles, and the third on the verge of being selected as a Grand Noble to replace one of the other two families that were not the Archelio or the Pentajis due to Kirva Pellemeur's outstanding governance.
Truly a powerful group.
At the back of Houvdon's mind, he heard a distant voice. T̼̼̖̾͟͞i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟m̰̰̹͚̙̂ͦ͗͠ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧ i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟s̨̞̞̰͎͎̪̩͕̈́̀ͯ̍ͧͅ ṛ̣̬̫̍͌ͩ͟ụ̴̴̾̀͟͡n̫̫̘̗͕̲̲̎ͥn̫̫̘̗͕̲̲̎ͥi̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟n̫̫̘̗͕̲̲̎ͥg̬̬̱ͩ͋͟͟ s̨̞̞̰͎͎̪̩͕̈́̀ͯ̍ͧͅh̨͚͚͖ͯ̒̄͗͞o͙͙̙̘̙ͤͫ͞ṛ̣̬̫̍͌ͩ͟t͖͖̠̬͛. R̛̦̦̝̤͌̏͜͟͜ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧt͖͖̠̬͛a͔͔̜̗̦ͩ̅̎i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟n̫̫̘̗͕̲̲̎ͥḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧṛ̣̬̫̍͌ͩ͟, h̨͚͚͖ͯ̒̄͗͞o͙͙̙̘̙ͤͫ͞w̡̻̻̣͚̒̀ͅ m̰̰̹͚̙̂ͦ͗͠ụ̴̴̾̀͟͡c̨̨̣̮̝̈́̔ͯ̀͂h̨͚͚͖ͯ̒̄͗͞ l͖͖̰̝ͭ̀͘o͙͙̙̘̙ͤͫ͞n̫̫̘̗͕̲̲̎ͥg̬̬��̱͋͟͟ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧṛ̣̬̫̍͌ͩ͟ w̡̻̻̣͚̒̀ͅi̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟l͖͖̰̝ͭ̀͘l͖͖̰̝ͭ̀͘ y͙͙̪̰ͫ͌́o͙͙̙̘̙ͤͫ͞ụ̴̴̾̀͟͡ s̨̞̞̰͎͎̪̩͕̈́̀ͯ̍ͧͅt͖͖̠̬͛a͔͔̜̗̦ͩ̅̎l͖͖̰̝ͭ̀͘l͖͖̰̝ͭ̀͘?
-----
𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕰𝖓𝖉