We arrived at the guild opening ceremony a couple of hours late, deliberately. Even so, I found that they had barely got through the opening segment of the function.

Dozens of tables and chairs were laid out in rows and columns in the magnificently built new hall that boasted marble flooring and decorated walls adorned with light fittings, intricate carvings, and the guild tapestry. Flowers of various colours and shades bloomed in chunky earthen pots placed at every corner, wafting a sweet odour among the crowd clustered there.

Diana and her mother had saved seats for us. She lamented not being able to get into the front rows, but most of us, and even the Stonecutters, took it as a welcoming surprise. Most of the awakened denizens of the town were present, along with the non-denizens, whose number was equally impressive. At any rate, there was no shortage of food, as people were gobbling it up irrespective of who was speaking at the podium.

Then finally, Quintus Septimus took the stage. His entrance brought immediate silence to the tables, all eyes and ears turning towards the new guild leader. He began by paying homage to the old guild leader, asking everyone for a moment of silence for Old Rowin's soul. For the rest of his speech, he kept mostly to business. The man had a high patrician look about him — and rightly so — but he seemed to fall into the opposite spectrum of nobility from Daenerys.

"Before the incident," Septimus's voice was slow and deliberate, carrying the same weight as his figure. A tone like his had to be practised. "The Serpent's Spite had no incentive that necessitated taking a greater hold of Karmel. The people here are simple and honest. The handful of awakeneds of the town were more than sufficient for most times. However, that changed before this solstice, when large swarms of demons besieged the town.

"I won't remind you of what you lost, but I'll say that the Serpent's Spite won't fail you again. There may be other guilds that join here to protect Karmel and the surrounding regions. I do not speak for them, but we, the Serpent's Spite, promise to keep our hands free from local and foreign politics, and to honour the task of protecting you, while still providing our best to encourage and nurture the talents of Karmel.

"Without further ado, let's welcome a new dawn for us, for Karmel, along with all the young talents we have welcomed to foster."

He clapped his hands and, at the signal, I spotted Tulia entering the stage, bringing eight children along with her. Among them stood my classmates Marcus, Charis, and Keith, along with a few familiar faces—students who had returned from conscription. On the other side stood an older boy with darker skin. Ulrich was the headmaster's apprentice and had gone to Klearon for a greater chance at fostering his talent. Now he returned with the guild as a Noble Class Shaper.

"So it wasn't only Diana they've been trying to recruit," I muttered.

"Obviously not," Uncle Dalin said. "Here, they were merely showing off the young ones, though they've convinced a few of the sentries and militia to lay off their jobs to join them as well."

"They came for you too, haven't they?" Mum said, sitting across from him.

"With the town awash with rumours," he said, "it didn't take long for them to work out whom they needed to recruit and whom they couldn't. And since you two are unapproachable, they came for anyone who came out stronger from the incursion."

"They have an early advantage over recruitment, but you should get used to receiving more of these proposals once the other guilds come along."

"They gave a good proposal, though," Uncle Dalin said. "Came fully committed, offering large bonuses and quite some perks, like having Eran in the training programme they have. But being bound to a guild was never my goal, nor do I find the offer they have for my son all that charming."

"Well, that makes two of us," Father said, sipping his juice. He was a non-drinker, even stricter about it than Mum.

"Honestly, I could do with some good work," the Prestigious Swordsman said. "My children are growing. Now they need the support more than ever."

"As I said," Mum interjected, "the door of opportunities did not close with Serpent's Spite. All the guilds in Klearon will line up to recruit you, if you present yourself."

"You may have advanced to the Prestigious Class late, Dalin," Father encouraged, "but your abilities speak for themselves."

"That's the issue, though. I don't know if I want to move out of Karmel. We poured a decade into building a home; leaving here would feel like leaving my old home." His wife clasped his palm. He sighed in exasperation. "A part of me wants to leave, however. I feel it would be better if my family stayed somewhere safer than Karmel. Any big city has a proper structure and defence system against what we faced." He gestured to the stage, where someone was still speaking. "Truth be told, without you two, Master Jinn, Lady Ashlyn, there would be no Karmel for them to boast about."

The ceremony continued on, though none of us paid much attention to it — at least Diana, Eran, and I didn't. As our parents stayed, we silently exited, giving some flimsy excuse.

"Do you feel like you've missed out on the opportunity?" I asked Diana, gesturing towards the boys and girls on the stage.

Diana looked at them for a moment, then shook her head. "Auntie said I'll have even bigger opportunities in the future. So there's nothing lost."

"Mum said that?"

"She also said not to compare myself to you."

"I know that one," I said, quoting, "comparison is always the killer of fun."

"Not when you're good at everything," Eran snorted. "Well, nobody said it to me, but I gave up on comparing myself to him ages ago," Eran muttered.

"Everything?" I cocked my head at him. "I'm barely good at two things, though: crafting and swordsmanship."

That stopped both of my friends, who joined hands to scoff at my words.

"Craft and sword, he says," Eran clicked his tongue.

Diana was not letting go of this either. "Ignoring all the little things involved with crafting—"

"And swordsmanship," interjected Eran helpfully.

"—and swordsmanship, you're still good at studying, you can draw great paintings, play the violin. Mhm, did I say you can literally fly? Command elements to your desire?"

I was about to say that some of the same skills carry over to others — like how designing fabricators trained my painting skills — but if I said that, both of them might beat me up.

Instead, I blurted, "Now that you say it, perhaps I really am something special."

Eran groaned. "Please, one Priam is enough, we don't need another."

We shared a chuckle, creeping our way out of the hall. The newer guild house boasted a long hall followed by interior areas for training recruits. It was long enough that it took us a minute to get out.

"What? That was it?" I grinned at them. "I thought you two were going to praise me more."

Diana snorted. "I guess it came as praise, but Eran and I are mostly exchanging our depression at following after you."

I cocked an eyebrow at them.

"Don't give that look," Eran snorted. "Not after you left Delric in the dust this morning."

"Hey, that was just—"

"Did I hear that right?" a melodic voice interrupted me. We turned to see Tulia. She craned her neck towards Delric, who'd been tagging along. "Did he leave you in the dust, Delric?"

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"Quite utterly, I fear," Delric said. "That's why I came late. I was wiping the dust."

Tulia shot him a curt glare. In response, Delric could only raise both his arms in surrender.

"If Old Man were here," she snorted, eyeing the twelve-foot statue before us, "he'd kick you in the nuts for quipping after being defeated."

"No, he'd slam his wand on your forehead for using unsavoury words first."

They both chuckled, though the humour faded once they gazed upon the visage of the statue. Well, mostly Tulia, whereas Delric was exchanging looks between the statue and the girl, too concerned to speak his mind.

"He'd hate the statue here. I can almost hear him complaining that it sticks out like a sore thumb." She shook her head, then turned back to us. She beamed at me. "Congratulations, Arilyn. Not just for defeating this sobbing nitwit; congratulations on advancing to Noble Class, and thank you for everything you did to protect everyone."

"Thank you," I muttered, unable to quite suppress my blush.

"At your age, they had to force me to face a demon. You wouldn't need any more advice from me. Still, don't be a stranger if you need some pointers."

I perked up at her words. "Are you going to stay in town for a while?"

Tulia gazed up at the statue one last time. "More than for a while. I'm probably going to be the go-to guy— well, girl —for the guild here in Karmel."

She sat on the stone bench rounding the statue. I gazed at her, then at Delric, and bit my lip, unsure if I should say anything.

"You know, he protected me from a monster," I said. "Without him, I would have lost completely."

"You and me both, then," Tulia chuckled. "But I'm glad you said that. Thank you."

We scurried along the familiar way back.

"Now I'm regretting not joining the guild a little," Diana said. "I could have learned so much from Sister Tuli."

"You still can," I said. "Didn't you hear what she said?"

"Yeah, I'm so glad that Teacher Ao is not here."

I sighed, being reminded of House Daenerys again. Honestly, I did not detest Ao as much as I detested his uncle. The way Father had left Ao did give him reason to be antagonistic towards us, despite it being his nephews who had started it first. On top of all that, he turned out to be a coward. There was nothing wrong with that. I had multiple cowering thoughts all the time. And despite the thoughts, I had not fled. There was no place for a knight, a guardian of the realm, to be a coward.

"There's still an hour before evening practice," Eran said. "Should we begin early today?"

"No," Diana said before I could reply. "I swear you two are all about work and practice. Why don't you do something fun?"

"But practice is fun," Eran and I said in unison, and then exchanged a grin.

"Blight and ashes, I need some girl friends," Diana whined. "Both of you can only think of work, work, and work. I swear if there was no ceremony today, Eran would be fixing someone's roof, and—"

"Hey, that may not be fun, but it's necessary work," Eran said, as I nodded along, being the dependent friend I was.

"—And don't get me started on you, Arilyn. You've been sequestered for too long in the workshop since you began working on Eran's—"

She froze, her palm clasping over her lips. Unfortunately, the damage was done.

"My what?" my best friend asked, glancing between us. "You're making something for me again?"

He sounded more alarmed than elated about it.

"Well, since you'll be in the tournament, you'll need something new and good, no?" I said, glowering at Diana. It was supposed to be a surprise for Eran.

"But I've the sword from the institution," Eran frowned. "And you've already given me too much. I cannot ask for more."

"You didn't ask for it," I said with a sigh. "But your father literally delivered whatever I need to make you a new set of fabricators."

My friend blinked. "Father did? But why hasn't he said anything?"

I believe he wanted it to be a surprise as well. But in the end, we could only blame Diana and her big mouth. She gave me a pleading look, knowing how seriously I took a surprise.

"So you're making armour for me?"

"And a bow and arrows, with room for some more."

"Don't you need to measure my sizes for it, though?"

I spared him a look. "I already have."

"When?"

I gestured towards my eyes.

"I should have guessed as much," he laughed. "Can I see what you're making?"

"It's—I don't know. It's still in the prototype stage." I measured the pleading gaze he was giving me and acquiesced. "Fine, let's go. But I warn you, it isn't like Alea's Stormguard set at all."

"I won't be able to fight with it?" Eran's mood dampened drastically. He tucked his fist on his forehead. "Silly me, I don't even have aura. How will I even control the flight, even if it had it?"

I could probably find a way, though I did not raise his hope. Eran was still keenly enthusiastic to see what I was up to, so we jogged our way back.

However, once we reached the vicinity of our home, we faltered, finding an elderly man resting on our very porch.

"Who's that?"

I inched forward to get a better look at the man. His face was familiar, as was the kaftan draped over his shoulders. Although no more worn or dirty than I remembered, it still gave Master Kaius a rather vagrant look, especially with the gruff grey beard and unkempt hair touching his shoulders. He had a lute tucked on his back along with a bent shaft wrapped in cloth.

"My lad," the elder opened his eyes, sitting straighter. "Seems I haven't been that late?"

The man was not as wizened as Knight Captain Gaius, though anyone could say the years had been tougher on him.

"I came as soon as I could." He bit his lip with a chuckle. "Well, that's a lie. I came right after finishing something."

Honestly, I had thought we would get a message first, not have the man present himself literally at our doorstep. But this was good too. I was dying to learn more about my abilities.

"My parents are at the local guild. Wait a moment, I'll go and call them."

The elder waved his palm to stop me. "Let them be. I'll be here for some time. We'll have all the time to catch up." His eyes darted towards my friend. "First, why don't you introduce your friends?"

My friends did the introductions themselves as I opened the door for us to enter.

"And I'm Kaius," the elder said. "Mostly a wayfaring bard, though nowadays more of a starving poet."

And he did give the look as well. The first thing he did was venture into the kitchenette to salvage some fruit and water to savour.

"Pardon me," he said, chugging a glass full of water. "The years have eroded away all my shame."

I didn't know what to say to that, other than to take him into the study.

"You've grown quite a lot since the last time I saw you," Master Kaius said. "In dashing heroics too. I guess even youth can't stop the gallant blood from acting up. Care to tell a bit about your misadventure, my boy? I've heard bits here and there, but nothing beats hearing it from the source. Maybe I'll even write a song or two about you."

"It's really nothing special," I said, quite worn out from telling the same story a dozen times. Besides, I was unsure if I'd like a song about myself.

"He literally saved my life from a swarm of demons," Eran perked up. "Then he went on and did something unheard of to protect the townsfolk, and still says it's nothing special."

"But it really is nothing," I said, standing up for myself. "If you were in my shoes and had the power I had, you would do the same."

The retort froze on Eran's lips as his eyes narrowed. "Well, I'm not sure I would manage what you did, though."

Master Kaius laughed boisterously before gazing towards the paintings on the wall. "That's a soulful painting."

"I try my best."

"I see you've already taken a step or two into what I will teach you."

A line appeared between my brows, unable to understand what exactly he was pointing at. But the elder did not explain.

My parents returned in about half an hour and, by that time, I had managed to show Eran the prototype for his armour set and what it would look like when finished, before listening to Master Kaius play his lute. He even asked me to play a tune or two. I'd got quite good at playing the violin, but before a master like himself, mine was but a mere imitation.

"How did you get so good at it?" I asked.

"That's a trade secret," Master Kaius grinned. "I might share if you promise to give me a painting of yours."

"Deal."

"Then here is your secret." He came near to whisper in my ear, "It takes practice. A lot of it. Now don't go sharing it with the crowds, my lad."

My friends chuckled, even my parents joined, clearly having heard the whisper.

"I wouldn't even dream of it," I said through gritted teeth.

"I'll be waiting for a masterpiece then. Hopefully, by then you'll have learnt not to readily agree with everything."

I couldn't believe I had been swindled so easily.

Master Kaius's appearance called for a festive dinner, though it couldn't persuade Father to postpone the evening training. Even the elder joined to see what we were up to. He merely watched the whole way without sparing any words of advice.

Finally, when darkness fell, we all sat in the study to talk about more serious matters. Before we got into it, though, Master Kaius heard everything from my parents—everything from the demon invasion to how I'd got myself a prime seed to the offer Knight Captain Gaius had given my parents.

"That's quite something to wrap your head around," the elder said, sipping the herbal tea. "But I'm glad you all came out safe and stronger from the obstacles. I quite like this tea, from Yareen, isn't it?"

"You certainly know your tea," Mum smiled.

"You know I own some land there. Had it leased to a good fella some century ago. I'm not sure if his descendants will return it to me, however. Yareen has grown to be quite some place."

After some further tangent, he went on to give a thorough check of my essence seed. He didn't seem to hold a speck of essence, but with aura and some intrinsic abilities, he seemed to be managing fine. At least the shivers that ran through me gave evidence to that.

"It's still in the infant stage and not without flaws," Master Kaius said, "but it is a prime seed, all right. It's fascinating, isn't it, that a child with no knowledge of it managed to form one? Hade is going to lose his mind if he hears about it, which gives us all the reason to keep it from him."

"Well, more than fascinating," Mum said, "it's quite horrifying to me. And I don't want your Hade anywhere near my boy."

"Still iffy over old matters," he sighed. "Well, you should be horrified, being the smarty-pants you are."

I exchanged a look between my parents and the elder. There was some gall to call Mum that.

"Your mum has probably guessed it. But if I were to say it in simpler words—words that I'm allowed to say—a prime seed is the foundation required to hold transcendent power."

I already knew that. Theoretically, I could advance all the way to Mythic, and even to classes higher than that. But that was merely theory, or else I'd be terrorising the world with my power right now.

But the older man was not finished yet. "Which, in retrospect, makes it the perfect vessel for the Daemons."

Well, now I could imagine Mum's horror.

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