The dawn announced the beginning of a new day. As the sun began rising up the sky, its rays passed through the curtains of the bedchamber in which Edward was lying, coming to touch his face. Feeling the slight heat, the young spellcaster opened his eyes, and let out a yawn as he lifted his torso and sat up on his bed, before stretching up his arms. He was dressed solely in a white light shirt, and shorts of the same color. As soon as he was out of his bed, the young man collected a red gown hanged onto a hanger a few steps away from the bed, and wore it. In that moment, he heard knocking at his door.
"Come in." the spellcaster said. The door of his room opened, and Andrew was revealed to be at it.
"Good morning, master Edward." he said, with a smile on his face.
"Good morning, Andrew." Edward replied, smiling back.
"Your father is awaiting you at the private meals chamber, where you will find breakfast." his servant added.
"Thank you." the young mage replied, with a nod "I'll see you there." He then left the room and walked down he flight of stairs until he reached the plan under, followed by Andrew. In the private meals chamber, he did found his father waiting, sitting at a table upon which a tray containing dishes filled with various kinds of cheeses and slices of bread, as well as a bowl filled with strawberries, three cups and a teapot filled with smoking tea, with the addition of three small glasses of milk to pour in. The imposing mage was dressed in a burgundy gown, over an azure light shirt and light long pants of the same color.
"Good morning, Edward." the man said, smiling at his son as he entered the room. The same smile was gracing the young man's features.
"Good morning, father." he replied, as he sat at the table. Then, Derrick made a sign to his servant, who joined them. The three immediately poured some tea in their cups, and then poured in some milk from their glasses, and stirred it with small spoons. They didn't neglect to chat, while they were eating their breakfast.
"How was your night, sires?" Andrew asked.
"Excellent, thank you." Derrick replied, after having gnawed a bit onto a piece of cheese.
"I agree. A great night." Edward added, before nibbling on a fresh strawberry, and then asked "What about yours, Andrew."
"It was a nice night for me, as well, sires." Andrew replied, with a smile, before turning to Derrick "Master Derrick, I trust you have already surveyed the requests to the workshop."
"Yes, Andrew. Last evening." the alchemist readily replied.
"Excellent." his servant stated.
"What shall it be, this time, father?" Edward asked, driven by curiosity, as he began sipping his own tea.
"I am to deliver stocks of liquid fire to the couriers, who will then bring them to mines in the north of the country." Derrick replied.
"Torches and lanterns, I take it." the young spellcaster commented, before taking another sip of his hot beverage, to which his father replied with a smile and a nod:
"Exactly. Furthermore, I was able to find a use for the troll blood you collected, as well."
"Is that so?" Edward asked, to which the father nodded once more, and added:
"Yes. Medicines are needed in the Warren Robertstone hospital."
"Made out of troll blood, synthesized last evening and ready to be delivered." the young mage replied, to which Derrick nodded, his smile not fading.
"To all of this must be added the reply to master Thomas's letter." Andrew noted, to which the family head nodded once again.
"That's indeed right." he replied "I shall head to the city hall to consign it. From there, it will be sent to the expedition party." The servant smiled, before turning to his other table companion.
"As for you, master Edward, I imagine you shall head to the Guild once more." he commented.
"Yes, that is my intention." the young spellcaster replied, with a nod "I, too, have my duties."
"Yes, indeed." Andrew said to that reply, before asking "Do you think you will be called for another request to assist the security militia of a small town?"
"To be fair, I hope today it shan't be the case..." Edward replied, sheepishly, raking the back if his head with a hand, to which Derrick and Andrew let out a slight laugh. They then continued their breakfast.
...
Jonathan had awoken to the rays of the new day's sun, as well. However, he had immediately proceeded to an immediate mild cleaning and to dress himself in his uniform, before joining Celia, Rethas and the children in their breakfast, alongside Kimberley.
Baskets of fruits and pouches of biscuits were disposed on the ground, and the children were sitting in circle around them, as Celia laid next to them small bowls of milk in which they could dip their biscuits. In the meantime, Jonathan, Rethas and Kimberley were a few steps away from them, eating strawberries, slices of apple and pieces of cheese, combined with a nice morning tea, Gladius was present as well, not too distant from its master, perched in front of a bowl already filled with fodder.
"The children appear to be quite excited, don't they?" Kimberley commented, observing their joyous restlessness.
"Well, it is a positive sign, don't you think?" Rethas replied to the Tiefling's statement.
"I concur." Jonathan said "But the best sign of all is how common such restlessness is in them."
"Without a doubt, sire!" Celia replied her master's comment, joining him once she had given bowls of milk to all of the little ones "It means these children are still sensible to the call of life."
"We have been lucky to find them when we did." Rethas stated.
"Undoubtedly." the young commissioner replied, with a nod.
"We all have been, here." Kimberley added, a statement to which her master and her two fellow servants could only agree.
It didn't take too long of a time for the four adults to finish their breakfast. As Jonathan began stepping away from his servants, he was immediately surrounded by the children.
"Are you going?" the little half-orc asked, to which Jonathan knelt at his level and nodded, smiling warmly and surely at him. The two moon elven children were the first to step forward and hug him, followed by the rest of the little ones. The young commissioner returned the hug. When they pulled away at last, Jonathan could stand on his feet once more.
"Come back soon, Jonathan!" Baa'ki exclaimed, to which the raven-haired young man nodded. The children waved him off with both of their hands, as he walked through the portal that would have brought him back to his abode, followed by Kimberley.
Eventually, they reached the door of the very same mansion.
"Best of luck with work, sire." Kimberley wished her master.
"Thanks, Kimberley." Jonathan replied, with a smile, before leaving the building, as the door was closed behind him by the Tiefling.
...
In the meantime, after tidying himself up, dressing up in his usual clothes and robe, and collecting his cane, Edward had left the Raven's Nest as well, alongside his father, and was heading towards the Guild office in the city, while Derrick, who had torn his path from that of his son, was heading to the distribution offices to which he would have consigned the liquid fire for miners' torches and lanterns.
On his way, Edward crossed paths with Jonathan, who had just started his shift as Commissioner of Justice as well.
"Good morning, Jonathan!" he immediately exclaimed, with a bright smile.
"Good morning to you, Edward." The commissioner replied, with a smile of his own "Heading to the Guild, are you?"
"Yes." The young spellcaster replied, to which the raven-haired youth's smile widened.
"In that case, it looks like we'll be walking along the same stretch, for the time being." he stated, arousing pleased surprise in his brother.
"Is that so?" the mage replied, with a chuckle, as he and Jonathan began walking side to side.
"Hopefully you won't be needed for a temporary assistance to a security militia, today." The commissioner commented, to which Edward chuckled.
"Hopefully..." she replied. Jonathan then asked him:
"By the way, what will our father have to concern himself with, today?"
"He'll be selling some more medicine, as well as liquid fire for the miners in the north." Edward was quick to reply.
"Ah, yes." Jonathan mused "Our mines up there, among the dwarves..."
"True." His brother nodded at his musings "One could say that they're a shared property between dwarves and us humans, where our races work side by side..."
"Furthermore, dwarves are well-versed in the alchemical arts, as well." Jonathan added "When they came to share their skills with humans, the alchemical profession saw a boon, from which many workshops were born, that to this day, work alongside our father..."
"And that without making mention of the explosion that smithery had seen. Something believed to be impossible until then..." The spellcaster stated, a proud smile on his face "I believe it to be one of the greatest accomplishments of the Guild: having taught that when races come together, growth springs from such fortunate peace."
"Well, the creation of such a peace was among its purposes, ever since it was instituted, no?" The commissioner wondered, before further stating "Besides, if I remember correctly, one of our ancestors was among the founding fathers of the Guild..." The young mage could only nod at that statement, filled with pride as his smile widened.
"Ah, yes. Terence Crowley. A name that shall never be forgotten." he stated, nostalgically. Almost solemnly "We place our best efforts in continuing his good work ever since."
"Not only that..." Jonathan then mused "I believe it's from Terence's time that our oldest alliances originated..."
"I take it you refer to our centuries-old friendship with the Darlingtons." Edward mused, to which his brother nodded. "Indeed, Winston Darlington was among Terence's dearest friends, as well as one of the founding fathers of the Guild, alongside him..." It was then that they realized to be right in front of the door of a notorious tailor's shop, known as "The Blue Thread", at which three people, well known to them, were standing.
"Speak of the devil..." Jonathan said, in a whisper, to which Edward nodded.
...
Right at the doorstep of the shop, surmounted by its trademark ensign depicting a white dove carrying an outstretched azure thread in its hind legs, two men and a quite young girl of 14 years of age were standing. The two men were dressed in white shirts, black trousers, black shoes and a black coat. One of them had short black hair and amber eyes, while the other, while bearing the very same amber eyes, had short silver hair, and slightly squared ears, betraying his nature as an half-elf. The girl they were with, slightly taller than a child, had long strawberry blonde hair, decorated with some ribbons along their length, as well as a tiara on her forehead, right above her sparkling magenta eyes. She was clothed in a dress which made prideful and abundant exhibition of the colors red and pink, complete with white frills at the ends of its shoulder puffs and at the end of the skirt part, as well as in front of the corsage. Under the skirt, she wore burgundy knee-high socks and red ankle boots.
"What are you doing, milady?" the black-haired sternly asked of the girl "We're supposed to head to the Guild! We cannot afford to dilly-dally!"
"Vincent, give me enough rope, will you?" the girl replied, almost protestingly "Is a member of the Guild not allowed to pay a visit to a friend while on her way?"
"Are you sure you do not truly intend to buy another dress here, milady?" the silver-haired man asked in a milder tone, to which the girl's tone became sourer, and annoyance could be easily perceived in it, as she turned her gaze to him and replied.
"It's not like we need to buy something every time we come here, Alfred!" she stated. The woman at the counter of the shop could only giggle at the scene unfolding before her. She had shoulder-length blonde hair, deep blue eyes and a completion which was slightly paler than that of most women in the city. She was dressed in the colors of a forest: a dark green top shirt complete with puffy shoulders, a long skirt of a lighter green, and open wedges underneath them.
"I'm happy to see you're as lively as ever this morning, Cathy." she stated. The girl then turned to the dressmaker and shook her head, before smiling back at her.
"My apologies, Melody." she replied. "You seem to be faring nicely, yourself. I'm glad to see that."
"Indeed." she replied, with a nod and a bright smile "Never a dull moment, here. You look lovely in your dress! I can see you've been treating it well." Cathy let out a soft laughter at that statement.
"Well, I have you to thank for it." she replied "Not to mention, you always look great! So much that I believe folk would easily take you for a highborn lady." It was Melody's turn to giggle once more, upon hearing those words.
"Why, thank you, Cathy." she replied "Such high praise is always an honor, especially when it comes from someone of high stature like yourself!"
"I take it that should prove that taste in clothes goes beyond societal boundaries." Edward felt compelled to intervene, in that moment, prompting Cathy and her two servants to turn to him. The girl, in particular, jolted upon hearing the voice of the young man bound to her family by ties of friendship.
"Ah, good morning, young lord Crowley." Alfred proclaimed.
"We apologize for our lady's uncouth behavior." Vincent stated after his fellow, yet the young mage was quick to brush off his words.
"There's nothing uncouth about that, Vincent." the young mage replied "In actuality, I always find it rather refreshing, to see lady Catherine Darlington being herself." At those words, Cathy blushed beet red for a moment, before spouting out, annoyed:
"Don't mock me, Edward!"
"It was no mockery, Cathy. I was being honest." Edward retorted, with a calm smile on his face, to which the girl could only grit her teeth, and finally let out a sigh.
"Good morning, Melody." Jonathan stated.
"Good morning to you, commissioner." The dressmaker replied "Oh, and to your brother as well, of course." Edward smiled and bowed slightly at that greeting.
"Now, Cathy, Vincent, Alfred." He then said "Would you mind if I walked alongside you, since we're all heading to the same place?"
"Alright." Catherine replied, not having fully recovered from what she believed to be a jab against her from the spellcaster.
"Oh, not in the slightest, young lord!" Alfred replied.
"By all means, go ahead." Vincent said. Edward smiled, and turned to his brother.
"This is where our paths diverge, Jonathan." he said "Best of luck with your work."
"Likewise to you, Edward." The young commissioner replied, smiling in kind, before waving off the presents and beginning to walk towards the Thetis river, from where his daily patrol would have begun, as Edward got ready to join Catherine and her servants in their walk towards the Guild Office.