"Someone of priority… Is there something I've heard about her that doesn't fit with those two? Nope. Thinking about it repeatedly isn't going to change reality. Sure, her mom is extremely famous. And sure, her role is probably a bigger deal in Xarzin Lawqizarch than I can imagine. They're never very casual about anything connected to their emperor. If her ensemble is basically a means for the emperor to celebrate his master as well, I can't imagine they pick their main singers casually. Her mom is probably directly connected to the current emperor, at least." So far, Chiaisei has mentioned at some points how her mom is a spell singer, yeah? And a famous one? To put more detail, she is the main singing voice of a group called "The Divine Hymns for the World's Soul", created by none other than their homeland's Eternal Emperor (Other eternal rulers usually come from species better built for immortality, so these ones are the only who get the imposing title). According to the source, this was his way of trying to portray and show the world the beauty his master, Lady Saeynomalia, saw and demonstrated in magic. The group originated due to the passion the Soul of Harmony showed for music, seeing as according to records she was frequently seen singing, dancing or just generally making songs out of anything while her group of Disciples was resting between lessons.
Seeing as Lady Saeynomalia made constant usage of Favighea while doing so, the original emperor got the idea of building an orchestra applying those same techniques at a later point in time. To do so, he created four main groups, each specialized in utilizing one of the forms of elemental casting to enhance their ability to do music. Each of those groups was known as the Divine Hymn of a word associated with each casting element, so in the case for the wind, "The Sky's Divine Hymn." Details, details. If I don't explain this it would be hard for you to gauge how important the woman I'm writing and was thinking about really is. The four groups also have a leader for each, who serves as one of the main participants for it, the maestro and the magical guide, being the one responsible for directing and sustaining most of the spellcasting the Hymns use for their performances. Each of the separate elemental Hymns will occasionally perform alone, but they only play together in ceremonies of the state. Chiaisei's mom is the main voice for the wind group, being called "The Cerulean Sky's Voice." Bonus pressure on her due to the fact wind casting plus music was the most obvious combination of the bunch, as well as the fact the World Sage is known for loving to sing, and she is kinda supposed to live up to that passion.
So basically, my girl Chiaisei is indirectly connected to her country's ruler, who is also one of the First Disciples, and known as the most powerful mage to ever be born from humanity (in no small part due to achieving pseudo immortality). That, and it was also possible her mom had come into contact with Lady Saeynomalia in the past, or at least has indirect contact with her. That's a lot of political weight, even if the emperor never really seemed like the kind of person to throw their name around casually. Especially when you consider the fact the Eternal Emperor is basically the only human voice in political circles our kind doesn't usually enter, like the Ageless Council. Pretty big deal, right?
Still, Xarzin Lawqizarch didn't really engage in the sort of shit that would require something like this "priority guest" treatment in the first place. Some of our aristocratic habits were seen by them in almost the same alien manner as an elf might see this sort of thing, and since contact with them happens more frequently, that made it harder for someone not to know that detail. Someone like our mysterious girl behind the curtains sounds way too smart to miss this point. So now that we're caught up on the same logic, here's the question that was chasing me.
"As much as one could consider some of this stuff of higher potential threat… There is no way they would reserve this treatment for her but not high nobility, right? Clarssimin and Siegdrazir come from places that also hold this practice, after all. And sure, they might know the most important human ruler in this world. Her mom works directly for her and all. The emperor likely is indifferent to these rules, though. This probably reduces the weight when it comes to people from Xarzin, kinda like with elves. The same can't be said about the countries taking part in this directly, that said. And if this doesn't apply to the high nobility around here, who else would it apply to? Especially those two. If they couldn't get this treatment, basically it would only apply to royalty by this point. That likely means the same sort of situation might have happened back then as well, right?" If my understanding of these rules was correct, it was indeed likely the same kind of thing happened with my old unit. There couldn't be a whole lot of high nobles joining the guild, so accepting two of them meeting out of chance got kinda harder.
"And if that's the case… The whole talk about me being bait probably included those two, yeah? But why would there be five fish? The only other that might count by that rule is Galmindris. That only makes the whole "bait" thing stranger to figure out, though. Way less in common to draw between her and the other three. Still… Nalfimiria plainly said there was value for this string puller in my bait status. And judging by their end goal, that might imply… No, I shouldn't be this optimistic. For now, I should just keep moving under the assumption these friendships won't last that long. Or at least not the part of them connected to work." While recalling the day's events, my main priority was figuring out how some of the information I had heard could affect this situation.
I might not have thought too hard about those hints while they were being offered, but that didn't mean I considered them irrelevant. One way or another, they either concerned some of the people that had been getting ready to sleep in the very same building I had been pondering on this shit about, or people with whom I had been friends with for way longer. Maybe they didn't say much that wasn't vague about me, yet those connections still meant those details could be relevant sometime later. After all, if some of the big shots in the background that caused the situation were scared of the contacts Chiaisei or Nalfimiria might have, for me the equation was more straightforward. Be it with them or my two friends in the other group, they were already a part of my life. Not just my livelihood, but also the personal part of it, regardless of how long this deal lasted. If the optimistic daydream on the back of my head I had been thinking off from time to time did work out, this also would end up solving one of my current dilemmas for me.
"Still, at the first sign the issue will resolve on itself and I'm already all hopeful. Damn, am I lazy or just useless with this sort of thing? …Even if it does solve itself, that doesn't change the fact I promised them all to find the answer. If I don't, there is no guarantee I won't cause any problems later on. And yeah, a lot of time has passed already, huh? I should probably try to find the guts to talk about this sort of thing, or at least learn to introspect better. I can't count on getting answers easily, even if we're living with a therapist who may already know more about the situation than I do. Still, though… I gotta find a way to handle these things that doesn't end with night terrors. Soundproof walls can't do a whole lot when you're sharing a room, huh? I probably should be sleeping alone, but Chiaisei asked to share a room even while knowing about them. The nightmares will lose their strength after I have an answer at least, right? It would likely still take some weeks for us to return to working together, yet the promise will be fulfilled… That would mean less chances for any loss. None of them should be hurt because of me… Someone's coming to the balcony."
I stopped my line of thought after hearing footsteps getting closer. My thoughts weren't at their maximum speed at that point, so I had been somewhat wary as not to be caught by surprise by anyone else. As the rest of the group was getting ready to sleep, I sort of just slipped by to the balcony for a brief moment alone to think better. Being around others usually drew most of my attention, yeah? And if I did end up losing my focus inside the pouring thoughts, it was best to do it in a place without an audience. No point in causing worry to others when there is no gain to doing so. Which was also part of the reason why I kept a sensorial extension inside the corridor leading to the balcony I was on. For one, so that I could have a warning if someone was heading for my same position. For another, putting my concentration on a spell made it less likely I would end up directing my full cognitive level to lambasting myself, therefore reducing the odds of someone walking in on me like that.
After turning to greet my visitor, I noticed it was Nalfimiria herself. She was wearing her PJs already. The night was kind of chilly, but the one piece outfit didn't extend for much longer than her shoulders and thighs, standing as evidence this level of cold was ineffective against an elf. Something about seeing her in casual clothing made her feel more attractive, both then and before that point. It kind of made it clear looking good wasn't something that required any effort from her. After knocking playfully on the door to the balcony which was already open, she drew in closer to me, resting against the border of it in a similar way that I was to my side. The balcony wasn't big in the first place, so that didn't take that many steps. After first acknowledging each other's presence, we spent a second in silence, though. Which might have sounded strange to the others, seeing as we were the two most talkative members of the group, but it did feel nice.
—Isn't this place a bit too chilly for humans at this time?
—Well, kinda. Warming up with fire magic isn't tough if only by this much. — I answered, looking her way. Fire magic doesn't necessarily involve fires, by the way. You can use it just as a method of conjuring heat.
—I see. The skies aren't particularly impressive tonight either, are they?
—Yeah. Early spring isn't usually the ideal time here for observing it. It's somewhat motivating to look at, even so. Like if in the situation the stars need to make an extra effort to show up. Makes me want to try ever harder too. — I said, pointing at one of the stars that were fully visible. Since I couldn't spot its constellation - supposing it had one - I didn't have enough knowledge to identify it. But based on its size and brightness, I estimated it was either closer or bigger than the average for the sky dwellers.
—So our star girl is a stargazer? Did your parents pass on the habit ironically perhaps? — She said, smiling along. I chuckled at the comment, before returning her a reply.
—I wouldn't say I'm a stargazer necessarily. But knowing some things about them makes traversing the wilds during the night much easier. I did memorize the position of the original Fasnilthar though. Since people bring it up so much, I always felt enticed to look for the Guiding Spear when the stars became a topic. — I explained. At that point, the spear wasn't visible though, as there were some months in which it couldn't be spotted from inland.
—Understandable. If the story behind your name is well known, might as well prepare for comments regarding it. And I do like keeping a few notes about the stars as well. Magical lights can feel pretty lacking when in the middle of a forest during night, and keeping track of your placement can be incredibly important, if the ambient lacks any clear landmarks. Few landmarks are as persistent as stars, you could say, if you even consider them that. Though I do wonder… Is something bothering you? — She said, glancing at me patiently.
"Ah. That's why she's here." I figured, guessing the topic up until then was merely a start up for this one.
—Oh. What makes you think something is? — I said, trying not to give her any confirmation from the start.
—The day has been long, hasn't it? And you haven't left the group for anything other than bathroom breaks so far. I'm just assuming you wanted to think over something before shutting eyes for the day.
—Yeah, pretty much. I was just wondering… — I gave a brief pause to my reply, in order to think about the best way of phrasing this matter. — About the whole stuff concerning priority guests and all. Some of it kind of reminded me of my previous group. So I was just taking some time to draw more similarities and comparisons between the two units, or at least the members of interest in each. — I told her my worries briefly. Figured that depending on how much she already heard through her coworkers, explaining things any more would be unnecessary.
—Oh, that. Yeah, I can see some of the common traits myself. Not like I know the patterns behind this whole deal, either way. Guessing the comments about bait made you more interested in the similarities as well? — Nalfimiria said, looking a little relieved at my answer. It looked like she didn't think much of my theory.
—Yeah. It would be really nice if bait means what I was thinking it does, though I'm not exactly certain. It would help if you just said what you meant by that, you know? — She laughed a little upon hearing my request. "Those two definitely were having fun with this whole talk of bait, huh?"
—Oh, but if I did this now, Chiaisei would probably get upset with me for spoiling the mystery. Why don't you try asking her again? Though this time, try softly whispering it in her ears, after sneaking into her bedsheets. Who knows, it might help convince her. — I had no clue how her suggestion was supposed to help.
—If she is being secretive enough to get upset if you tell her, how in the abyss would that help? Doubt I could do much to seduce a person normally, but with this girl? And to get an answer to something like this? Yeah, I don't get that plan. Was it offered by Kalfisnar?
"What's up with sisters telling me to be a sexual menace? I thought this kind of harassment was a talking statue specialty within their ranks." Fun fact about talking to Kalfisnar's statue is, since the date I first had any about 70% of our talks ended with her telling me to go fuck someone close to me. That included Chiaisei, seeing as temple visits were included on our days together at the city. Evidence suggested that was a horrible idea, so I just sort of concluded that was another case of Kalfisnar giving intentionally useless advice.
—Was it? Who knows, maybe I've just been learning her ways through exposure by now. Despite appearances though, I do think the future is looking up for all of us. Being "bait" will help with that, even if you don't know what that means. So don't worry too much. If things can't fix themselves, all you gotta do is learn from them and do the fixing. So, what's the lesson in this case? — She asked. Her smile felt bright and warm as she was talking, like if her optimism in this case was the truest thing in the whole world. It might have been more inspiring, if I had clearer instructions as to what to do with her words, or to what they even suggested.
—In this case, I should get better at reading metaphors, I guess. For the rest… Can't say I have the lesson figured out yet. Is that part of the answer also something that is looking up, as you say it?
—Right! The evidence is piling up, miss of dawn. If you can't solve the mystery soon, our winter princess, currently wondering where the two of us are in the room, might take it up for herself. From there, the solution is incredibly simple, really. Game is practically solved already. — She was being just vague enough to where I wasn't sure if she already heard about the whole situation back with my past group or just making stuff up on the spot. Whether she knew what she was actually talking about or not, it was nice to see her acting with so much confidence while declaring as much. "I wish I had some more of that."
—Is it now? Well, glad to see you're so sure of that. Doesn't seem to me like you have much footing for it, though. — I said, still unsure of whether we were even having the same conversation. Nalfimiria's smile remained unflinching, even at the playful jab.
—I wouldn't say it's just about what footing there is. It's more like a necessity, or so aunty would say.
—Oh? How so?
—For victory, of course. Whatever that may entail, victory always stems from relatively simple steps. Understand the problem, find solutions or if there are none, discover methods of avoiding the danger, and then execute the plan with precision and confidence. If I was doing the first two steps on my own, this scenario might be more complicated, though all I gotta do in the present is moderate someone else's plan. And with a planner like this one, I have no reason for doubts! So I gotta stay confident, or else teach will be disappointed in our next meeting. My job is simple, so I gotta do it well! — The steps she described made sense, but I had no clue how this plan would fit in this situation, or what it was even about. The brief mention of this "aunty" and later on "teach" also seemed to make her gleam a little. I imagined this meant she was expressing herself somewhat sincerely, at least, even if I had no clue how my personal life might factor into whatever plan she was executing.
—Moderate a plan, huh? Yeah, no idea what you're talking about. Hope it turns out well. Who is this aunty you mentioned earlier? Was she the one who taught you fighting? — I figured "teach" and "aunty" either could have had a similar role or been the same person. The advice this woman offered her sounded mostly devoted to combat, or other potential situations strategy might come into play, and the mention of victory in the speech sounded like something someone in the sisterhood of will might say. They were followers of a woman known as the Victory Star, after all. They likely picked up the habit of talking so much about victory from Lady Melynaris herself, seeing how often written conversations involving her ended leading to speeches about winning.
—Yep! Aunty, teach, both terms refer to my master, if that's what you're wondering. She's incredible! If you ever meet her, I'm sure you'll agree. She's just like, the best. — Something about her tone just sounded ecstatic once she started talking about this woman in full. To the point I imagined that if I prodded too much on this hole, she might spend the rest of our night talking about this aunty of hers.
—The best at what? — I asked, a bit hesitant, but still not convinced I should cut her off.
—Too many things to count! At first when I met her I was mostly interested in learning how to fight better, but she's just good at life. As a whole! She always knows how to answer the things I ask or need assistance with. And sometimes, she will just start answering questions before I'm even given the time to start. Just made me love picking topics at random to talk about with her all the more! — I was starting to worry if all of her choices for the endless amount of studying degrees she had were that well thought out.
"Maybe I should stop now, but… She is so enthusiastic right now. Inhaleeee, eeeexhale. Deep breaths now, Fasnilthar. Gotta measure my steps with care."
—Is that so…? Sounds like she is on the path as well, right? You two met at a temple?
—Not quite. She knows both of my parents, so she sometimes would visit back home. One day she tried talking to me personally. Apparently she met dad through grandma, as grandma claims aunty was also the one who taught her how to fight. That got me curious, so I started taking any chances at her time that I found. At first, she would only show up to talk and stump me on strategy games, but since I first dragged her to a training ring, I never let go! Something about the way she beats up rookies is just sooooo enlightening, if you ever meet her, you gotta try it! — If it felt like she was being more open and playful than the rest of the day, and the deeper she got into talking about this woman the less it seemed like she intended to stop. Which was why I figured that might be the point to cut her off, even if she did drop a pretty massive hint in that line.
"So this woman is old enough to have trained her grandmother? Probably at least 800, then. Possibly she is not even an elf to begin with. That would explain the signs of accelerated guidance Nalfimiria was trying to hint at earlier. This aunty might be the source for it. Would explain why Nalfimiria was as persistent as she claims she was on learning under her as well." Like Senshin mentioned, this kind of stuff was somewhat normal among the sisterhood. And whereas he still had his doubts on whether the rest of us had known as much or not, by that point I was aware this sort of thing would occasionally happen among path tracers. Since they had members whose strength surpassed the normal levels of magic, one of their duties was to occasionally find path tracers of interest and push their growth to speeds beyond what was normal. That wasn't entirely surprising for Nalfimiria's case, seeing as her grandmother status meant she likely was familiar enough with those sections of their order to recommend her own granddaughter. But it was still good to have some confirmation of what was going on on that end, at least. While I was pondering on these things, Nalfimiria kept talking, until she eventually reached out for one of my hands to shake me out of the distraction.
—Well, but since you're interested, maybe I should cover the story as a whole. This way, you will have more time to appreciate the details of it, down to aunty's every word. My, I still remember most of our conversations entirely. I first met her in 4254. You must have been a newborn back then, but my body had just turned magically stable, and I had only lived around two years of sexual functionality up to that point. As I was still getting used to my newly discovered freedoms, I practically joined an orgy once every two days, but never mind that-.
—Hey, it's starting to get late, isn't it? I'm feeling a little sleepy by now. Let's continue the story at a later point. — Based on her tone, I had the impression that if I didn't interrupt her, she would keep going for the next hour or so. It's the funny thing about stories told by elves. They not only tend to reflect the span of their lives in duration, but also tend to show the differences on how our kinds view time itself, seeing as sometimes one of them will just spend five hours straight retelling the details in one such story.
—Alright, but I'll keep this story tabbed for you. Preferably for when the others are ready to hear it as well. So, let's get back to the room, then.
After that, we offered the boys our good nights before heading to the room. We still talked a bit more there, however this was mostly the end for that day from our part. The story sort of will continue following this pattern, even if not necessarily to the same level of detail as our first day. Being that the point of this first book is mainly introducing what our routine was like, or at least the more relevant parts of it. Describing an entire day down to every last detail would probably triple the length of this already massive introduction, and not like we expect anyone to complain that restroom breaks weren't described. Still, I hope you will continue to enjoy these small pieces of our lives, both in the remainder of this part and what comes next. For now though, I'll leave you with the culprit of our meetings for some additional pages. See you soon!