Chapter 146: Ora Ara
The weeks pass in a flash, and now I have a clone arriving at the Lunaleyan Islands. I have kept an eye on Tana, since he looked rather depressed, but if I were to comfort him it'd just make things messy. I may have lost one friend, hopefully only temporarily, but I gained another with the fairy queen and, I guess, the other snow fairies too. I have visited them almost daily, but I eventually had to break the news to them that I'll have to be gone for a few days while I attend these diplomatic meetings.
Ting! Your Bond has obtained levels 601-646!
Ting! Your Class, Fairy Summoner, has obtained levels 255-268! 210 status points awarded.
My training paid off with several levels and a lot of money from monster materials. My Class level progression is slower as I’ve focused more on using just my Bond to fight monsters, really only using my Class against the bosses.
With five hundred forty stat points to spend, I put three hundred into charisma – bringing it to one thousand twenty – to increase my mana flow and how fast I can channel spells, because having ten-minute-long casting times is not acceptable anymore. I put the remaining two hundred points into my mana generation to reduce the cost of operating my clone so far away. I am still in the negative and still need to rely on batteries, but I gained about forty percent more time.
Maybe I can get a cost reduction skill for operating this far away; that will be something I really need.
I land at the same spot as last time, Ruluna already waiting.
"Greetings," she curtsies.
She is wearing a formal dress with flame designs on it. Standing next to her is Headmaster Vulpun – accompanied by several guards, both from the Order of Flame and the city – and Lady Vanu Runa Lysha, wearing the gift I gave her, her long hair blowing in the breeze.
"Welcome back, Alysara," Lysha greets me with a curtsy.
I respond in kind and follow them down the hill to a carriage that we ride into the city. The carriage is large and gilded in gold; jewels and other precious metals break the monotony, but it is entirely too much, it's practically shouting, "I'm super rich!". The inside is even gaudier, as if they held back on the outside, with every inch decorated in gems and gold to the point of impracticality.
Runalymo culture loves their decoration, but at least we show restraint, and value whether or not something matches. Pick a theme and color palette and stick with it.
Inside, the seat's backrest does not meet the seat; instead, there's a cubby for our tails… which is entirely too small for mine, of course. While the seat is cushioned, it seems to have been done with reluctance, and with expensive materials rather than comfortable ones.
"You come to us as an illusion again," Lysha says, sitting on the uncomfortable-looking seat. "I understand the first time, but you have diplomatic immunity now. There shouldn't be anything you fear; we will protect you."
It's going to come out eventually that I am not on this island, but I will keep this secret for now.
"I have my reasons," I say, hopefully sounding mysterious, as Ruluna climbs in, not looking too happy to be back in this. She shoots Lysha a pleading look that goes entirely unnoticed.
"We have a right to know who we are dealing with," Vulpun says, sitting next to Ruluna, his face matching Ruluna's unpleasantness.
They say no more, seemingly letting the issue go for now. The carriage starts rolling, and Vulpun and Ruluna both scrunch their faces in quiet pain.
Just how bad are these seats? It's a good thing my clones can't feel them.
Lysha seems to be fine with it, or at least she is not letting discomfort show. It is worth noting that this carriage is one of a kind, and I recall it being stationed at Vanu Runa's estate last time I was here.
"You have proven yourselves too difficult to trust last time," I reply politely.
"I apologize for that," Lysha says. "My father suggested a deal without thinking it through. We have taken great care to draft a deal that we both can be happy with, with the cooperation of the other cities."
"What's with the rush?" I ask, "You are looking to defend yourselves from potential war, I understand that, but Runalymo weapons won't be as good as what you can make with those Leviathan materials."
"Your people can make really powerful weapons already, so if you use the Leviathan materials, it will be as good as it can be; who knows, maybe your people might earn a legendary point or two with these materials," Vulpun says.
I'm going to have to reveal something, and it's not good to lie.
"Your gifts were a product of one person; most Runalymo can't make weapons of that strength, at least not until recent... findings are more widespread.”
Vulpun and Lysha glance at each other.
I might have said too much. I should get my other minds in on this; I am not so naive as to think that diplomacy only starts when the meeting does. As long as I am talking to these people, I need to have my roles active.
They know better than to ask, but they can probably deduce that my 'findings' are about mana.
The carriage finally stops at the Vanu Runa's estate, a place equally as gaudy as the carriage but more comfortable-looking. Still, it is like looking at the Empire's palace again.
Vulpun and Ruluna are the first to leave the carriage, almost jumping out for freedom.
"Your family really likes to show off wealth," I comment, keeping my personal thoughts to myself; after all, if you have nothing nice to say, then it's best to keep quiet.
Lysha smiles widely, clearly proud. "Gold is all about value, right?" She refers to her Bond.
It makes sense; gold is more about value here, not beauty, so looking at it from that point of view probably helps her Bond level up. Surrounding herself in the most valuable things may help her 'connect' with her Bond; trading and business probably also help her a lot.
"There will be a ball in the evening for us to get acquainted with everyone," Vulpun says after clearing his throat. "All the major Houses will be there, as well as the heads of the lesser Houses. We'll be going back to the Order now; enjoy your rest."
"Come, let me show you to your room," Lysha says as the other two leave. "I'd invite you to dinner later, but you'll have to be here in person to be able to participate."
What am I gaining by keeping this secret? All it is doing is sowing distrust and paranoia, and in the end, it's going to have to be revealed that my real body is not here.
"It's not that I don't want to join you for dinner, it’s that I can't," I say. "My real body is still at my homeland."
Lysha stops in her tracks, the gears in her head refusing to function as she tries to process my revelation.
"You mean..." Lysha tries to say.
"I'm not actually here, I never was, and operating this illusion at this distance is taxing. I only have enough mana to sustain it for a day and a half for now." I try my best to 'stare' at Lysha's eyes, which doesn't work with my eyewraps covering my clone's eyes. "I've now put enough trust in you to reveal this, so I expect at least the same amount of trust in return."
If I am going to need to reveal something, then I might as well use it to try and gain favor.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Governor Ora Ara Van steps out of his beautifully decorated carriage, drapes of the finest silk hanging from it, fluttering in the wind like a graceful dance. His sister, Ora Ara Ryn, steps out looking like a beautiful jewel, her mana silk dress producing illusory effects to make her stand out; beauty needs to be seen and admired, after all. Together the golden-haired twins walk down the violet carpet that has been laid out. Governor Vanu Runa Orlan greets them at the door.
"Beautiful evening to you, Orlan!" Van says, greeting him with a striking pose, flexing his admirable muscles. Ryn greets him similarly, standing like she is posing for a painting, pushing out her voluptuous form. Her long hair makes for a great backdrop for her beauty to stand out even more.
Van and Ryn make sure to extend their Bond presence as far as they can to let all know they are coming.
"Please don't do that," Orlan says. "Control yourself for one party at least! We have a guest of honor."
"Hahaha!" Van laughs heartily. "I heard she is gifted in Beauty as well! We will surely get along!"
"Will you at least quiet down?" Orlan says.
"Alright, alright." Vana concedes, lowering his voice to 'normal' levels and retracting his Bond presence to an acceptable maximum.
"I don't feel her presence. Mayhap she has yet to earn it?" Ryn asks.
"I don't know," Orlan shrugs. "She is using an illusory body to interact with us, apparently; though, she is still in her homeland, which speaks volumes about her abilities."
Van and Ryn share a glance, making sure they are on the same page. House Ora Ara's secret technique is one that makes a body double, intelligent enough to be convincing if the skill is properly evolved. But to be able to operate it at such an extreme distance must mean she has Class skills allowing her to do so, perhaps some sort of stabilizing skill.
"Thank you for sharing this information, Orlan," Van says, flexing again and increasing his Bond's pressure. "We will make sure this ball is suitably beautiful for this guest of honor!" Van raises his voice to the proper volume, making Orlan wince.
"Keep it down, Van!"
Van and Ryn pay the Governor no mind, instead mingling with the other guests.
The main event has yet to start, so smaller discussions are taking place. Van spots Ora Rula Tolan dueling with Kineto Lova's prodigy child, Kyrran. House Ora Rula began as a union with House Ora, obviously, and House Vanu Runa; they changed Runa to Rula, so they don't share the same family name from another House.
House Ora Rula is a lesser House, but they still share the Ora House name, and thus, they are family to Van, no matter how distant. Not that they are very distant, since lesser Houses often marry into main Houses.
"Borala!" Van's voice booms as he sees Kyrran's mother giving her son tips. Governor Kineto Lova Borala's ears twitch as she turns toward Van.
"You're here already, Van? Still loud as ever, I see." The yellow-eyed, black-haired woman in a military-style dress scowls at him.
"Of course! Hahaha!" Van laughs merrily and flexes in greeting. Ryn went off somewhere else already, so no one else is there to match his beautiful pose. "Overseeing the duels again, you battle Bonds always love your duels," Van gives another hearty laugh.
"And you beauty Bonds always likes to be the center of attention. At least we set up events for others to enjoy." Borala's ears are folded back as if someone were yelling at her, which is strange because no one's yelling… but people often do strange things like that, so Van ignores it.
"So, where is our esteemed guest?" Van asks, looking around.
"Orlan has her hidden away until everyone arrives," Borala answers nonchalantly.
Orlan has been messaging all the main Houses about a great trade deal with some other place. However, what intrigues Van most is how this 'guest' can have a body double negotiating in her stead. Body doubles are great for giving speeches and being in other places where one might expect assassination, but they aren't so good as to be trusted with sensitive tasks.
"Speak, and it shall arrive..." Borala says, looking past Van. He turns around to see Orlan taking the stage.
"Now that everyone has arrived, allow me to introduce you all to our guest, Ambassador Alysara!" Orlan says with an enhanced voice so all can hear.
Stepping out backstage is a beautiful young girl, not even at her third evolution yet, with three very long tails gracefully dancing behind her. Her blue and gold clothes match well with her hair, and her posture is as if she is holding elegance at all times, not the brief times Van poses. It is clear to him that she is no slouch in her Bond. She demands all the attention around her without needing to flex, pose, or do anything.
She is absolutely beautiful, to Van more than most because he understands what it means. If only she were older... But perhaps Van's younger brother, who seems to be a year older than her...
Van shakes his head, this isn't even the real deal and she has him enthralled; she is a true master of beauty. So stunned is he that it takes Van a while to fully realize what he is seeing; she is wearing eyewraps. Perhaps she is wearing them voluntarily, but every beauty Bonded needs to see to truly appreciate the beauty in the world; her being blind is more likely.
Yet her blindness only makes her mastery of beauty all the more impressive and, to be honest, music is beauty for the ears; Van would be willing to bet his Governorship that she knows how to play.
Well, let's meet this pretty little Ambassador.