It wasn't that simple to take two sixth-year students with her to the Tower. However much Sofia and Juliette protested that they could make their own decisions since they were already in their age of majority, their protests were overruled by the Academy's authorities.
Juliette was stymied by her family; her mother practically cried a river and countered Juliette's arguments with a heavy emotional appeal. Sofia was on the scholarship program and going on an impromptu trip without going through all the hoops of the administration was just not gonna happen on Yuriko's timeline. Plus, with Juliette being unable to go, Sofia was shackled back into the academy by her partner.
So it was with tearful farewells that Yuriko and her companions left Greyith Fortress, and while she regretted not being able to bring her disciples with her, she left them the forms of the remaining Styles they hadn't mastered.
"Progress as you can, and continue to the next Phase once you've found yourself stuck," Yuriko advised. "Don't be hasty and try to learn them all at the same time, you'll just mix them all up. Hmm, you can follow the cycle espoused by Briarwin Academy for the primary four Elements."
Yuriko chuckled at the shocked and scandalised look on both women. Briarwin and Niria Academies were rivals, after all. "Take care." She said and then left.
Yuriko intended to fly towards Bresia, but Monica insisted they take the regular carriage route in the evening.
"You're too conspicuous," Monica insisted. "Ishodir had their spies and watchers. Take the overnight carriage ride and arrive in Bresia by morning tomorrow."
"Eh? I'd rather not get stuck in those cramped carriages all night!" Yuriko complained.
"Hoh, you never complained before, didn't you?" Monica's eyes showed a teasing glint.
"Ah, well…" Yuriko shook her head, "I'd rather get things done as soon as I can. I…" She took a deeper breath. "There may be a chance for me to find my way to my home country through the Eternal Tower."
"Oh, of course. I understand." Monica gave a pensive frown. "Does that mean…?"
"If a way back is found, then a way to return shouldn't be impossible," Yuriko said firmly.
"I see. I've centuries left to live. I hope to see you again, in the near future," Monica grinned.
Yuriko tilted her head to the side and said, "Hmm, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were flirting with me…"
Monica stared at her for a long moment, then burst out laughing, "Oh, I am. But I'm more than willing to take my time."
"Oh, ehehehe," Yuriko chuckled while feeling her cheeks flush slightly. "I appreciate it, I guess."
"Heh, well, you've got what you need, so, uhm, good luck?"
"Thanks, Monica."
Dusk had already come. By the time the folder containing the paperwork arrived, she was more than ready to go. Well, even if they arrived in Bresia in a couple of hours, it wasn't as if they could march into the government building, submit the paperwork, and demand usage of the Portal Gate immediately, at the very least, they could acquire proper rooms in an inn. She'd already cleaned out her quarters during the wait, and there was nothing else holding her here. She picked up her companions and they flew towards Bresia City by following the road but soon they found out it was unnecessary.
Bresia City was brightly lit and stood out amidst the countryside. All she had to do was fly high enough and she could see it beyond the forests and farmlands. As they flew closer, she couldn't help but admire the sight.
Bresia was…square. Its streets, avenues, and boulevards were laid out in a grid, and it kept that straightness no matter the natural terrain. She couldn't see the fine details, but she was sure that there was no place that was more than a league square that was completely flat. The walls were high but looked festive with all of the lights on the battlement. From what she could see from a casual look, Bresia was divided into sixteen equally square districts, each divided by a short wall. The main streets had lamps that covered every inch of the cobblestones with light. The alleys and side streets sported islands of light.
From above, the city looked like it was covered with jewels, and the shape of it emphasised that the city stood apart from the rest of the countryside. On the city's eastern side was a three hundred pace wide river that led all the way to the Great Erithmus Lake. The entirety of that side of the city had piers and quays sticking out into the water, and most of the districts there were warehouses, taverns, and ramshackle buildings. The palace district was slightly off-centre, which felt odd to Yuriko considering everything else was symmetrical.
She and the others landed a few dozen paces from the southern gate. Thankfully, the capital city didn't close the gates at night, and they queued up to enter. The guard merely asked for their identification cards, and Yuriko showed her Adventurers' Guild card rather than her Academy ID. The same with the others except for Devotee, who showed off his restriction cuffs and papers indicating that Yuriko was responsible for him. Just past the tunnel, through the wall, was a brightly lit billboard with the city map. The tunnel led them into the 14th District which had a wide boulevard that led directly to the palace. The establishments alongside it looked to be luxury shops, or large mansions that the wealthy lived in. Or perhaps they were embassies, considering there were standards and flags that distinctly weren't Bresia's displayed over the gates.
"Mistress, shall we book rooms in that inn?" Saki pointed across the boulevard at an establishment named Rocklin Lodge. It occupied a space roughly fifty paces wide and had a walking park right next to it.
"For a night," Yuriko agreed. "Ryoko, please find out if they have room. There's no need to get the best ones either." She also had to withdraw her funds from the Bresian Bank. there should be a branch here in the capital, or she could go to the Adventurers' Guild bank, too.
Thankfully, Gwendith, Heron, Saki, and Devotee had brought home treasures from their delve, though they hadn't sold them yet. Yuriko had made a preliminary examination, but none of them drew her eye. She didn't know their actual value, so she'd let her lovers take care of it tomorrow.
Ryoko returned soon afterwards, and said, "I've booked a set of rooms for us, mistress." The handmaiden didn't say the price, but Yuriko would ask later, in the privacy of their rooms. The check-in process was smooth. The interior of the lodge was just as luxurious as the outside facade.
The proprietress led them to their rooms in the east wing, second floor, 1st Suite. The door opened to a small sitting room leading to four doors, two bedrooms, a toilet and bath, and a small wardrobe.
"Boys and girls' rooms?" Yuriko asked Ryoko.
"If you want it," Ryoko said with a small smirk. "Though I think you and Gwendith can claim one, I and Saki can stay in the sitting room, on the sofa, and Devotee and Heron can stay in the other one." There was a sly smirk there, and a sudden thought intruded in Yuriko's mind, 'Or Heron and Gwendith can stay with you two."
"Ah," Heron interrupted, "Devotee and I can stay in the sitting room, you and Saki can take the other room." He looked at Devotee who nodded. As for Fluffington, the wolf pup drew quite a bit of attention, but it wasn't as if Magi hadn't formed bonds with beasts or Elementals before. Since Yuriko's papers included him as her familiar, his presence wasn't questioned. He prodded right into the master bedroom and plopped himself on the bed.
"You don't want dinner then?" Yuriko teased, but Fluffington simply wagged his tail and ostensibly shut his eyes. "Spoiled brat," she muttered.
"And whose fault is that, mistress?" Ryoko asked mildly.
"Ehehehe."
Although they had the option to stay in the room for dinner, she didn't want the boys' sleeping area to get dirty. Ah, Heron could probably sneak into her room tonight, though maybe she should give him a rest since she drained him twice now. His cheeks looked a bit sunken, huh. Ah, she should spend the time refining her Anima rather than playing around…
Hmmm, was it really playing around?
She couldn't help but equate her sudden control over the Mien with making love with a man the first time, and the second time around, though she might only be imagining it, she felt a small increase in her control. It was the same effect every time she and Gwendith made love, and during the long weeks of their absence, she noticed the lack of improvement.
So was the real way of improving the Mishala Mien by constantly having intercourse? Was that why most of her Clan members, at least those who inherited the Mishala Mien in full, were so promiscuous? Was that why Mum and Da always spent several hours wrestling in bed every night?
Her memories and dreams of Damien's life included that moment when he first met the Progenitor. The details were fuzzy even though she could easily review the memory. It had a lot to do with the weight of the existences within it, she was sure, and her mind protecting her from carrying too heavy a burden. All she remembered was that the Progenitor had been one of the most beautiful women she'd ever seen, and how Damien was almost instantly smitten. There were no memories of their bedroom adventures, thankfully, but she suddenly remembered one thing Damien said afterwards, "We are Lust now."
She could feel the weight of that memory, as well as the sense that she'd heard it before, and subsequently forgot…except she didn't forget now. Something had changed, and while she wasn't about to go having relations with any random person, she didn't mind exploring the possibilities with her lovers. Hmm, should she consider it as training too?
Ah, but she might fall into her 3rd incarnation's state if she handled it too casually. Well, better to let things flow naturally, she supposed.
Dinner was a hearty tomato-based meat stew as well as bread rolls. The table offered wine too, though it was dry and a bit too sour for her taste. She liked sweet things, after all. A pity they didn't serve chocolate for dessert, but they did have excellent fruit tarts. Well, she used up a few dozen strands of consciousness to beat away threads trying to stick to her Anima. While she had her Mien reined in, too many eyes were still on her. In fact, without the mantle of her Mien, those gazes felt a bit too uncomfortable for her liking. She switched her Mien to Serenity, and that seemed to help.
She spent the night refining her Anima, and when she finally fell asleep, it was in Gwendith's embrace. Fluffington covered the rest of the bed and was quite the welcome blanket too, and there was no room for another then.
The next morning, after a quick breakfast, she headed towards the palace district. At the same time, she gave Ryoko the paperwork to withdraw the rest of her funds from the Bresian Bank.
The palace wasn't a display of opulence that she normally equated with the name. Instead, it was a subtle display of wealth, but still, it was a complex filled with right angles, squares, rectangles, and straight lines. It was also the biggest building in the city. The public portions of the palace served government functions and she followed Monica's instructions on where to file her request. But she wondered if she might have to wait for weeks before she'd receive a reply. Anyway, once she was done, she left the palace building and walked towards the Portal Gate complex that was only a few blocks away.
After all, if she had to break the rules, she had to know where it was and how to open it.