PftA Book 4 - Chapter 40 - Formal Occasions

“I don’t understand your dilemma,” Zavira said as she stepped beside me.

On my bed were two piles of cloth that presumably comprised two separate sets of elaborate robes: one in black and one in white. The fact that they appeared to be little more than strips of cloth wasn’t the issue; it was what they represented.

Having seen the finished product, I knew that both garments were far fancier than what I was used to wearing. They were even more elaborate than the formal Elder robes I’d worn during my promotion ceremony.

They were so complex, in fact, that I needed Zavira’s help putting them on. Since [Equip] worked off of my understanding or experience wearing something, it wouldn’t help me with donning either extravagant outfit.

“I wish I could just wear something simple,” I lamented before glancing at my best friend and narrowing my eyes. “Are you wearing something like this?”

Zavira smiled playfully and picked up a folded piece that looked different from the rest of the white strips of cloth.

“Nope! But I’m not the guest of honor. Here.” She handed me the item. “Wear the white one. It’s more appropriate since you’re going as a representative of the Epikairos Sect. The base layer should be easy enough for you to figure out.”

Seeing no reason to argue with her choice, I quickly changed into the thin bodysuit she’d handed me. The item was worn under the elaborate layers of enchanted cloth but wasn’t very different from regular under-armor, aside from the fact that it only reached my thighs and was a single piece.

“Are your parents going to come?” Zavira asked as she handed me a long piece of cloth once I got the bodysuit on.

Seeing my blank look, Zavira sighed and wrapped the cloth around my torso. I would have never suspected that was where it went.

“Dad and Caesi are coming,” I replied as I watched how Zavira layered the decorative pieces. “Mom has some event going on with her hospital, so she couldn’t make it.”

That wasn’t the only reason, I was sure. The recruitment ball being sponsored by her hospital didn’t actually overlap the auction, so she could have feasibly made it to both. But it made a good justification for not coming.

“That’s too bad,” Zavira said before stepping back and nodding. “There. Now we just need to add the affinity accents, and you’ll be ready.”

I glanced at the mirror leaning against the wall of my new home.

My long, black hair was left unbound since I was going to a social event. Leaving it loose signaled that I had no expectation of violence or was totally confident that it would not get in the way if violence was necessary.

Given my background, most would consider it was a bit of both.

My eyes were dark purple with flecks of shimmer, surrounded by a noticeable black ring along the edge of the iris. I couldn’t recall whether the ring was a new addition from gaining an Arcane affinity or if it had always been there since I didn’t spend a lot of time staring into my own eyes.

My earrings had a [Makeup] enchantment, which kept me from needing to bother with physical enhancements. I didn’t necessarily need them, but a little added color here and there went a long way toward improving appearances.

Zavira twisted the special set of belts that went with the outfit around my waist before tying it off. She then moved on to add several small ribbons and thin strands of beads that I hadn’t noticed beneath the pile of white cloth. The end result was honestly quite impressive.

“You look beautiful,” Zavira said, stepping back.

I flushed lightly. “Thanks. And thanks for helping me get ready. I didn’t want to ask a stranger to help, and since Kai is technically my date…”

It wasn’t a real date, and we both knew it. It was more a matter of convenience than anything else. The arrangement also had the added bonus of serving as a buffer against anyone who might want to get too close.

I really wasn’t interested in getting involved with anyone during my limited break from the dungeon. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone involved.

“I get it. I’m glad to help,” Zavira said with a grin before shifting her clothing to something more formal but not quite as elaborate as what I was wearing. Her outfit looked more like an actual dress, making me a bit jealous.

“It’s so unfair,” I muttered as I eyed her new outfit.

“Says the tri-affinity mage.” Zavira rolled her eyes. “Okay, drop me off at my sect’s teleporter, please. I promised Kestin we’d go to the auction together.”

Since we’d entered my personal dimension from the teleportation platform, it took barely a thought to move Zavira there.

Once that was done, I moved myself to the foyer of my dad’s home. I’d promised to pick up Dad and Caesi to save them the portal fees involved with traveling to Aegeas, and I also needed to ensure they were properly protected from the higher mana density before heading to the auction.

“I’m here!” I called out. “Are you guys ready?”

“Shhh! It’s the middle of the night here,” Dad admonished from the living room. I could hear him giving last-minute instructions to the babysitter he’d hired for the evening, so I waited quietly by the door.

When he and Caesi emerged a few seconds later, I whispered, “Sorry.”

Both were dressed nicely, but it was very obvious that the quality of the material used in their attire didn’t come close to the Tier Ten material draped over my body. Since I had no intention of taking the outfit into the dungeon with me, having it out-tier me was no big deal.

Dad was wearing a suit that reminded me of pre-integration Earth, while Caesi was wearing a long dress with several fancy sashes looped around her waist. The long strips of cloth trailed down the body of the skirt, making it appear fuller and more vibrant than it otherwise would have.

“It’s fine,” Caesi assured me with a smile. “Where’s your date?”

“We’re meeting him there. He got roped into helping with the event, so he had to go early.” I removed two rings from storage. “Here. These will negate any issues with the higher mana density.”

Once they slid the matching rings on, I handed Dad a storage bag.

“I made several items for you guys out of the resources we gathered on Agirock. Since you insisted on me keeping part of the loot, I figured I’d just have to find another way to force you to keep it.”

“Emie, really. You’ve already given us so much. The credits we made from selling everything—”

“It doesn’t matter,” I interjected. “I did the same thing for Mom, Daniel, and his wife.”

“Not Bell?” Caesi asked playfully, glancing at the small bag in her husband’s hand.

“No. She’s an Enchanter. She can do the work herself.”

“Daniel’s an Enchanter, too,” Dad pointed out.

“Yeah, but he can’t work with Tier Five materials. Bell can.” I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter. It’s a gift. Use it, sell it, or give it all away. I’m not going to be offended.”

I could tell he hated feeling indebted to me. It practically radiated from him. He still placed the bag inside his storage ring since he was far more pragmatic than prideful.

“We’re ready,” Dad said.

= = =

“Elder Momentia,” a handsome man in a black, tailored suit with a deep purple sash said with a friendly smile. “I am Count Renald Orion. It is so very nice to meet you. I was hoping to introduce myself to you before you entered seclusion, but it seems Fate had other plans.”

Seclusion was the polite fiction that the Epikairos Sect had given to the public to explain my absence so soon after the revelation of my existence.

Considering my background and the fact that many knew I was aiming for the pinnacle within a century, many had questioned the claim, even without my feud with the former Sovereignty Sect being made public.

It made little sense to go into seclusion after spending so much time in the dungeon, after all.

But now that I’d resurfaced an entire tier stronger, the egos of those who felt ignored and slighted by my lack of response to their various invitations were somewhat soothed. It was obvious that I’d been doing something to get stronger, and secluded training made as much sense as anything.

It certainly made it obvious that I wasn’t just avoiding those who might be seeking an alliance or connection with the Alliance’s newest tri-affinity mage.

For that matter, I wasn’t sure I still was the Alliance’s newest tri-affinity mage. Something might have changed during my time in the rift.

“It did not. You remain the most recent individual to have been verified to have three awakened affinities,” Lisa informed me.

I gave Lisa a mental nod of acknowledgment before focusing more closely on the Count.

I didn’t need to use Inspect, the evolution of Assess, to gauge the strength of the man, given his proximity. I could feel the Tier Eight mana radiating from him.

It was just as well since I’d been informed that using such spells was seen as insulting in such a setting unless one felt offended enough to consider a duel. In those cases, it was more important not to pick a fight with someone outside one’s metaphorical weight class.

Since the Count had honored me with a bow, I returned the gesture.

“It is very nice to meet you as well, Count Orion,” I said, emulating the man’s speech patterns.

“Please, call me Ren.”

“Then I insist you call me Emie,” I said with a smile.

The polite back and forth was so tiring. It was practically the same with everyone who approached, though I didn’t extend the same offer of familiarity to everyone.

I mostly relied on instinct and impulse to decide who to be more casual with, and the Count struck me as someone worth befriending. It didn’t hurt that the man was quite attractive. If nothing else, he made good eye candy.

“I heard that you donated three Tier Nine items to the auction,” Ren commented as he stepped to the side and turned so we were both facing the majority of the crowd. “I’ve done a bit of Enchanting myself, though I’ve yet to surpass an intermediate skill level.”

“You have a Space affinity, correct?” I asked, making an educated guess based on his sash color.

Ren smiled. “I do. As do you, I’ve heard.”

“Yes. It is very useful for Enchanting, especially given the demand for spatial items,” I replied. “It’s also practically a necessity for working with three-dimensional runes.”

“I’d heard you were an Expert Enchanter,” Ren said, clearly impressed. “I suspected it was an exaggeration based on your status, but if you’re working with three-dimensional runes, I suppose the rumors must be true.”

“That depends on the rumors.”

“Reaching that level in a crafting skill is quite an achievement, especially given your age and combat focus.”

He sounded genuine, but others had said something similar with a definite tone of disparagement in the hours since my arrival.

With each interaction, the fact that I really wasn’t suited to this type of setting anymore became more and more apparent. Isolation had really done a number on my social skills.

Movement drew my attention to the side, and I saw Zavira walking toward me. Following behind her was a tall man wearing a dark silver suit with loose sleeves. The inner lining was mauve, as was the vest beneath the jacket.

The colors mirrored Zavira’s mauve dress with dark silver accents. Seeing them together, I couldn’t help but appreciate the balance.

“Hey, Emie!” Zavira said with a smile. “I’m sorry that it took so long to make my way over to you. I got distracted by some old friends.”

“I saw you go to the buffet at least twice,” I said with a grin, momentarily forgetting about my noble conversation partner.

Zavira flushed. “My friends were eating, and you didn’t bother feeding me when I helped you get ready!” she said indignantly. “Besides, it would have been rude not to join them.”

“Of course it would have,” I agreed. “And the food is quite good.”

“Exactly!” Zavira beamed before motioning toward the man now standing beside her. “Emie Momentia, allow me to introduce you to my date, Kestin BohAdamsteel. Kestin, this is my friend, Emie Momentia. We challenged the Realm Dungeon together.”

It took a minute to get through the expected back-and-forth of proper introductions. Once the formalities were over, I let out a relieved sigh when the two men started chatting.

“You’re quite the popular one,” Zavira said conspiratorially.

“Is that why you kept your distance for so long?”

“No. I really was catching up with friends.”

“And eating,” I added.

“That goes without saying. Besides, it wasn’t like you were abstaining this whole time,” Zavira said, glancing at my discarded plate sitting on a nearby wall.

“True.”

Zavira glanced around the large, open room. “Where is your mentor, anyway? He’s been gone for quite a while.”

“I’m here,” Kai said, emerging from the shadows of a nearby corner. With so many people in the vicinity, I hadn’t even noticed him there.

It was a little strange that he’d left me alone for so long while presumably assisting with whatever background efforts needed to be handled mid-event. I suspected he’d done it to force me to socialize a bit since I couldn’t imagine the sect actually needing his assistance at this stage in the event.

“Elder Kairos,” Zavira said with a bow.

Kai returned it before turning to the Count I’d been speaking with moments before.

“Count Orion,” he said with a nod. The action wasn’t cold, but it also wasn’t overly friendly.

As if waiting for my former Master to appear, a gentle tone sounded, informing everyone that the auction would begin shortly.

“It was very nice to meet you, Emie,” the Count said with a bow in my direction. “I hope we get the opportunity to interact more in the future.”

A notification popped up, asking if I’d like to exchange contact information with the man. I accepted since he’d been polite and didn’t come off as an arrogant jerk – unlike some of the others I’d encountered.

We also shared an affinity and an interest in Enchanting, which was always nice. It never hurt to have friends with similar interests.