The Simulacrum

One-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three. Left foot goes there, right foot goes there, rinse and repeat. Honestly, whoever invented the waltz had to be some kind of marketing genius, as I have no idea how something this simple could become the staple dance of ballrooms around the world. Elly was really into it though, so I kept my criticisms to myself.

After starting the banquet with two wrong feet, who would've thought that the dinner following after Naoren's introduction would be entirely civil and lacking any crazy developments? I sure as hell hadn't, yet after we all sat down and Abram dispensed another round of greetings, the actual 'eat your fancy food' part ended up uncannily calm. Also, not particularly filling, because we had tiny portions. It was so that we could taste every course on display, but even so, putting just three pieces of sweet-and-sour pork cutlets and half a lettuce leaf onto a plate and calling it a dish was getting a bit too close to a hidden camera gag for my liking.

Anyhow, once everyone around the main table had a bite, the musicians started playing again, everyone got up, and it was time to hit the dance floor. At least as far as 'hit' applied here, considering it was the Blue Danube Waltz we were talking about. It took the girls three rounds of roshambo, but it was ultimately decided that I'd dance with the princess first, and she was having way too much fun, to the point I almost had a hard time keeping up with her. I say almost, because come on. It's a slow waltz. There was only so much energy she could put into it before it became something else entirely

"Ufufu! All that practice is finally paying off!" she whispered during a brief pause in the music, and I figured she was referring to me.

Since the Christmas ball was right around the corner, we've been taking dance lessons during PE classes for the past two weeks. Elly didn't really need them, because duh, but the same couldn't be said about me. That said, I'd like to think I was getting pretty decent at this.

Then, just as I was thinking that, I lost my rhythm and nearly ended up stepping on her foot, but was saved by the coda coming to an end. There was a short break before the next round, so after beaming at me, Elly did a small curtsy and dashed off to the side where Judy was waiting. The two of them shared a fist bump, which was pretty weird considering the surroundings, and my assistant walked over.

"So? What's the plan?" Judy asked and sidled up to me.

"We dance?" I blurted out, resulting in a flat look.

"I meant, after the dance."

"Oh, that?" I mused, but since the musicians were already playing the opening chords, I took her hand and pulled her into the closed position before I scanned our environment for the important players at this banquet.

Abram and Naoren walked off somewhere in the company of a couple of other Draconian men, most likely to discuss business, and they haven't returned yet. Emese was down by the smorgasbord, chatting with the ladies and, oddly enough, the annoying grand elder. I found Lord Grandpa in the crowd, and he was talking with… Ammy and Mike? Holy crap, was she introducing the guy to him? That looked juicy. As for the childhood friend duo, they went up to one of the balconies overlooking the ballroom a while back, and based on their red dots, they were still up there, probably doing something silly. Or some UST-laden slapstick comedy event. Which, now that I thought about it, was also silly.

In any case, the waltz had already begun by the time I completed the headcount, so we went through the motions while I collected my thoughts.

"First things first, I'll hit the cold cut tables," I whispered. "After that, I think I should start by tagging as many important people as possible."

"Such as?"

"Naoren is obviously the main target. I'll also try to mark people with significant-looking hair on the Western Draconian side." There was a flourish in the waltz here, so I reflexively twirled Judy around before we returned to the closed position. "That Elder Whatshisname is still rubbing me the wrong way too, so I'll try to get him as well."

"He doesn't look like the type who would accept a handshake, especially after how you talked to him."

"I'll improvise."

"So long as it doesn't cause another incident," my dear assistant stated flatly, so I flashed a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, Dormouse. I'll be very discreet. Unless he says something annoying, in which case all bets are off the table."

"Before you do that, should I try to get some information out of him?" I must've looked confused, as she clarified, "He's with Emese. I could use her presence as an excuse to make contact."

"Good thinking. Make sure you take the princess with you though, just in case someone needs their nose broken."

"Why do you have to keep jinxing things like that?" My girlfriend's grumbles were soon lost in another change in the music, but once we found our pace again, she asked, "Are you going to bring up the Knight proposition today?"

"Not likely. If this Naoren guy was more of an easily excitable battle maniac or one of those arrogant young master types we talked about, I might've tried my luck, but he strikes me more like a quiet mastermind archetype."

"Troublesome."

"Very. It also doesn't help that the appearance of this elder something-something is complicating the situation."

"It's grand elder Xinji."

"I know. I just couldn't come up with a sufficiently undignified nickname for him yet." I paused here and ventured, "Should I just go with the classic 'Fu Manchu'?"

"Too racially charged. Also, he doesn't have the tapered mustache, so it would be confusing."

"True, but he does have a moustache, so… Elder Stache?"

"Chief, if you are determined to waste precious brainpower on silly things like this, at least do it properly."

"Fine. I'll come up with something better later. Anyways, what were we talking about?"

"The appearance of grand elder Xinji complicating things."

"Right. We have to figure him out before we move. Also, there's that spiky-haired guy too."

"Zihao."

"Yes, him. There's no way someone so distinct would show up right at this junction for no reason."

"Narrative shenanigans?"

"Practically guaranteed. By the looks of it, he seemed more like a traditional martial artist type, so maybe our nebulous Narrative is setting up a two-pronged attack? Naoren is the brains, while this guy would be the brawn."

"What does that make the grand elder?"

"Probably our antagonist hidden in plain sight. Expect conspiratory shenanigans concerning clan-politics and wounded prides."

"You mean faces."

"Same difference."

Judy nodded along, and we continued to make the rounds on the dance floor for a while longer. I figured we would probably stop when the music did, but just as it ended, she sprung an unexpected question on me.

"Chief? Are we really engaged now?"

I was so slow on the uptake that the next song already started. We were in the middle of the dance floor, and the placeholders around us (plus Ammy and Mike, but that was beside the point) began dancing at once. We couldn't exactly just walk off at this point, so I pulled her closer and we also joined the people surrounding us for another round.

"I'm pretty sure we are," I answered her at last. "Dad-in-law announced it in front of everyone."

"That's the problem. It was announced by him, but you never proposed."

"Do I have to?" She was visibly unamused, so I hastily added, "Come on, Dormouse. I'm kidding. Of course, I'll propose you two properly one of these days, but this isn't the right time or place. I mean, it's a big deal, so I'd have to prepare all the flowers. And rent a scenic restaurant. Oh, and you can't forget the airplane with one of those 'Please marry me' ribbons trailing behind it."

"Chief, I'm serious."

"So am I." I stood my ground. Not literally, as we were in the middle of a dance, but still. Judy was still unsatisfied, so I told her, "Listen Dormouse. Against all odds, our relationship is working out astonishingly well at the moment, but you know me and my view on these things. I'd rather wait a little longer to see if absolutely everything works out just right, and if we still haven't strangled each other in, say, a year, I'm going to give you a dream proposal. With roses and champagne and everything."

"I can't say I approve of your negative outlook on our relationship."

"Hey, I told you I'm a pessimist. If you ask me, it's the people getting married while high on the honeymoon period, without any further plans, who are the crazy ones."

My dear assistant remained silent for the next minute, then stated, "Fine. I'll put your official proposal on hold for now. However, no airplane."

"Awww. How about some fireworks then?"

"Only in moderation."

"Fireworks that spell out 'Please marry me'?"

"I don't think such a thing exists, but even if it does, mo-de-ra-tion."

"Fine, fine. I can accept that compromise."

I used the beat between the steps to lean forward and plant a light peck on her forehead to punctuate my words. It worked well, and we finished the waltz in a cozy silence. However, the moment it was over, we beelined towards the princess impatiently waiting on the sidelines, lest we would be caught up in another round.

"Boo! Judy got two dances!"

"It was an accident. I'll take you for another round later," I said in an attempt to mollify her.

She wavered on the edge of sulking, but ultimately said, "You better."

I was about to leave it at that, but my dear assistant pointed at her forehead. It took me a second to realize what she meant, but then I gave a peck to Elly as well. Keeping things balanced like that was tricky like that.

In any case, I divulged the plans to the placated princess, and the girls soon left to join Emese's group. As for me, I made good on my promise and headed towards the closest buffet table post-haste. Even though the party had been going on for a while, the various foods on display were still impeccable. Whether that was due to the placeholders not really eating much, or the maids sneakily replacing the plates over time, I couldn't tell. It didn't matter either, and I initiated my raid on the defenseless dishes.

"Oh. It is you."

My one-man encirclement of the table came to a sudden halt when a familiar voice addressed me. I followed it to its source and found an especially dismal Lord Grandpa staring at me with tall glass in one hand. He was dressed the same as usual, just with a slightly fancier robe.

"Good evening. I thought you put down the bottle," I greeted him and pointed at his glass.

The old man narrowed his eyes, then let out a low grunt and finished his drink in one go before completely ignoring my comment and saying, "I suppose congratulations are in order."

"Do you mean the engagement? Thank you." The old coot nodded, and I took the opportunity to glance around and ask, "So, are you alone? I expected you'd have more of an entourage."

"Gowan excused himself claiming a new breakthrough in his research. He has never been good with formal occasions like this," the arch-mage mused, then exhaled a shallow sigh. "As for my granddaughter, she is currently mingling in questionable company."

"You mean Mike?" I took his disapproving silence as a yes, so I told him, "Well, I suppose he's slightly questionable but mostly harmless."

"Mostly harmless," he repeated after me.

"Yeah. Just don't let him near sensitive intel or documents for now. He's not a bad guy, but a little impulsive and unsure about his own allegiances."

"So it is just as I thought. You are the one responsible for his presence in my granddaughter's life."

"No, not really. Or rather, I'm only slightly responsible." I paused to organized my thoughts and ultimately admitted, "Well, fine. Maybe I'm responsible in a sense, but it's not some kind of grand conspiracy."

"Please excuse me for not believing your words for a second."

"Hey, I'm serious!" The old man was still giving me a look that said he wouldn't trust me as far as he could throw me, so I gave up on the topic and changed the direction of the conversation by asking, "Putting those two aside, what about Sahi and Pascal? I thought they'd be attending with you."

The arch-mage's face twitched like he just smelled something really sour.

"I assure you, neither of them was in any way interested in attending this banquet."

"Really? Say, have you ever heard of the term 'suspiciously specific denial'?"

"No, I cannot say I have."

The old coot was obviously playing dumb, so I got ready to do a Far Glance at our subjects' general direction. I never got around to actually doing it though.

"Ah, here you are!" the princess exclaimed from the crowd, and when we made eye contact, she beamed at me and rushed to my side, the placeholders parting around her like the Red Sea. It was only when she was right next to us that I noticed that there was someone else trailing behind her, a petite girl with long brown hair. She was almost a head shorter than my girlfriend, and it took me a second to realize why she looked familiar: she was the girl hiding behind Elly during the previous ex-fiancé incident. She originally had a more elaborate hairdo and her makeup was now gone, but she still had a simple, girl-next-door kind of charm to her.

"Good evening, Lord Endymonion," the princess greeted the arch-mage once she realized he was in my company, and her friend followed suit.

"Good… evening, sir."

She did an awkward curtsy, but no one seemed to mind it. Meanwhile, Elly turned back to me and presented the girl next to her.

"Leo, this is Vivien, my best friend from middle school. Vivien, this is Leo, my fiancé!" She put a lot of extra emphasis on the last word, and beamed an adorable, if a little silly, smile at me.

"Hi, Vivien," I greeted the new girl, and she all but hid behind my girlfriend before she answered in a barely audible voice.

"It's… my pleasure to meet you… sir Chimera Slayer."

"Aw, come on, Vivi! Don't be shy!" the princess encouraged her by patting her on the back.

"I… um… I wanted to thank you for your help," she whispered in a barely audible voice, completely avoiding eye contact. Still, she was Elly's friend, so I figured I should be nice.

"Don't even mention it. I hope you're all right."

"Y-Yes, I'm fine, just…" She hesitantly glanced up at me, but quickly avoided my gaze and began shuffling her feet. I had no idea what was going on, but at last, she worked up the courage to step forward and suddenly exclaimed, "C-C-Can I get you autograph?"

I was so taken aback it took me a second to realize she was holding out a notepad and a pen to me. I glanced at them, then at Elly, and she urged me to take them. While I was still a little baffled by this whole situation, if she wanted me to do it, I figured I might as well oblige, so I took the pen. Then I paused as I considered what I should write. This was the first time anyone asked for my autograph, and I was woefully unprepared. Though, to be fair, who the heck would be prepared for something like that? Anyhow, my cursive was pretty terrible, but I figured writing out my name in all capital letters would've been rude, so I did my best.

The girl remained expectant even after I wrote my name down, so I also added a curt 'For Vivien' at the end. Her face lit up at once, and she all but snatched the notebook out of my hand when I handed it back to her.

"Thank you!" She turned to my girlfriend and exclaimed, "I can't believe he really gave me his autograph! The girls back home are going to be sooo jealous!"

"Why would anyone be jealous of that?" I murmured, and the old man next to me scoffed like I just said something stupid.

"It appears even the great Leonard Blackcloak Dunning has a blind spot for his own fame. You have become quite the household name in the last couple of months."

"I'm not sure how to feel about that…"

My response drew a schadenfreude-filled chuckle out of the annoying old coot, but before I could give him a piece of my mind, a pair of newcomers drew the attention of our slowly swelling group, and their appearance made Vivien once again hide herself behind the princess.

"I hope we aren't disturbing your discussion, but I felt obliged to share a few words with you," the tall, gaunt man in the front spoke with an apologetic smile and came to a halt next to me. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I'm Dobry Smok of the Smok family."

He offered a hand, and I took it without any reservations. Free marks were always welcome.

"Leonard Dunning, though considering the scene we made not too long ago, I'm sure you already know."

"Indeed," the man's lips parted in a good-natured smile that looked slightly off on his face. "In a similar vein, I believe you're already acquainted with my brother."

Saying so, he gestured for the boy standing a step behind him to come forth. As he did, the brunette girl behind Elly shuddered and tried to make herself even smaller.

"I'm deeply sorry for the scene he caused. As the representative of the family in my father's absence, I'd like to apologize for his behavior and also express my sincere appreciation for your contribution to the bloodless resolution of the situation."

It took me a second to untangle his sentence, but then I glanced at the younger guy and pointedly stated, "I believe there's someone else you should apologize to."

The moment I said that, the younger brother shuddered and turned to the girls with what appeared to be borderline panic.

"I'm sorry! I don't know what I was thinking! Please forgive me just this once!"

I was getting steadily more confounded by the situation, but Elly took it in stride and encouraged her friend to respond. She was hesitant at first, but then she stood straight and said, "I… don't want to cause trouble for anyone, so I'll overlook what happened."

"Thank you!" the younger one (Dupek, I think…) exclaimed like she just removed Damocles's sword hanging over his head.

"With this, I hope we can put this terrible incident behind us," the older brother cut in, all but pushing the other guy back, seemingly worried that he would put his foot in his mouth again if he was allowed to stay in front for too long.

"If she doesn't want to pursue the issue, then I suppose we can," I said when no one else spoke up, and the gaunt man also let out a soft sigh of relief.

"Wonderful. In that case, we must excuse ourselves." Even after saying that, he remained still for a second of five, and once he finished vacillating, he reached into his breast pocket and handed me a black business card. "I hope in the future we could have a friendly discussion under more private circumstances."

I took the card with an ambivalent, "Maybe," and the duo immediately turned on their heels and disappeared into the crowd. Staring at the piece of plastic in my hand, I remained stock-still for a while before the words, "Okay, what the heck was that?" forced their way up my throat.

"The Smok heirs came over to ingratiate themselves to you," Lord Grandpa gave his answer in a weary tone.

"I guess, but why would they want to do that?"

This time the old man eyed me for a while before he gave me his next answer.

"Young man. Are you perchance truly unaware of the nature of your reputation among the ranks of the Mystics?"

"I didn't even think I had one until now," I admitted, and the arch-mage looked at me like I was some kind of endangered species.

"I have heard of some people possessing a blind spot for themselves, but I have never expected to encounter such a severe case in person."

"Very funny," I grumbled but got no reaction. In fact, the old coot was looking past me, and when I followed his gaze, I met the eyes of Abram making his way through the guests like a particularly unsubtle ice-breaker ship, and he also had a familiar bespectacled man following behind him.

"Son! Are you enjoying the party?" he spoke with his usual lack of indoor voice, and I shrugged.

"It had its ups and downs, but it's all right."

"I share the sentiment," Naoren agreed with me as he came to the forefront.

"Are you done with the negotiations?"

My inquiry made him raise a brow and nod.

"My talks with clan head Abram have concluded, yes." For the next five or so seconds he stared at me, and I maintained eye contact without backing down an inch. At last, Naoren exhaled a shallow sigh and asked, "Would you care to move to a more private area? I believe we have much to discuss."

"Do we?" I sneaked a glance at the others, but Lord Grandpa completely disappeared, while Abram was in the process of giving the stereotypical 'Wow, you grew so much since I've last seen you!' talk to Vivien. The only one who was paying me any attention was Elly, but she just gave a thumb up with a 'Go, get 'im, tiger!' kind of smirk. I had no idea what she expected me to do, but considering that my main goal for the evening was marking the bespectacled man in front of me, I figured I had nothing to lose and told him, "Well, I guess we might as well do."

"Indeed. I believe the room where I consulted with clan head Abram should be still vacant."

"In that case, lead the way."

I gestured to Elly to let her know I was leaving, and this time she gave me two thumbs. Once the ball was over, I really had to ask her what she meant. For now, I focused all my attention on the Eastern Draconian boss walking in front of me and prepared myself for a tense, passive-aggressive, and potentially dangerous private meeting. In any case, whatever he wanted to discuss with me, I knew for sure I wasn't going to agree with any of it.

"I must admit, I've always been rather partial to tea, as opposed to other traditional beverages," the bespectacled Draconian sitting in front of me mused as he held his earless cup in both hands, and I couldn't help but nod and raise my own cup in response.

"I can completely agree with the sentiment."

"Is that so?" Naoren whispered with an amicable smile and took a careful sip from his cup. "Do you prefer green or black tea?"

"Either or," I responded and took a whiff of my own drink.

It was only the two of us in a comparatively small, yet still just as lavish chamber right next to the ballroom. It was specifically designed to hold private meetings during social gatherings, and as such, it was sound-proofed to the point I had to strain my ears to catch a few stray notes of the music on the other side of the wall.

We sat face to face on fancy leather-bound armchairs, with a small coffee table between us, and half a dozen old-school, gas-lamp style light fixtures illuminating the walls and the paintings on them. More importantly, we had a fancy porcelain tea set sitting on the table, and a steady stream of steam rising from the fat yet elegant pot in the middle.

"I personally prefer green teas. The mellow, delicate taste always helps me to calm my heart." He paused here, and his lips parted into an almost mischievous smile. "Do you care for a challenge?"

"Depends. What do you have in mind?"

Naoren's smile widened and used both hands, still holding his cup, to gesture towards the teapot.

"This tea is a sample brewed from the blend we brought along as a gift to our western brethren. I'm curious if you can identify it."

I glanced at the pot, then back at him, and ultimately shrugged. It wasn't like I had anything to lose other than my title as a 'tea aficionado'.

"I'll give it a try." I took another whiff of the tea in my mug, then a careful sip. "This is certainly familiar."

"Is it?"

Naoren sounded unexpectedly intrigued by my comment, but instead of saying anything else, I drank another mouthful.

"I'm sure it's a green tea blend. You brought it, so I'm fairly sure it's not a Japanese blend, and based on the creamy feel and the slight aftertaste of almonds… I'd say it's Dragon Well tea."

"Well, I'll be damned," he whispered between two sips. "It's indeed Longjing. I didn't expect you to recognize it right away. You are indeed knowledgeable in the art of tea."

"You're making me blush." I finished up my cup and put it back onto the tray before adding, "To be perfectly honest though, I cheated a little. Sebastian brewed me this exact blend about a week ago, and I could still recall the taste."

"Sebastian? Ah, you mean the Dracis Clan's mysterious servant."

"I wouldn't necessarily call him 'mysterious', but sure, it's him."

"I didn't expect you two would be on such good terms," my bespectacled conversation partner noted with an odd glint in his eye as he closely observed my reactions.

"What can I say? While he might look unfriendly, gruff, and insufferably smug at first glance, if you scratch the surface, you'll soon realize that he's infinitely more unfriendly, gruff, and smug underneath." Seeing that Naoren was looking increasingly perplexed, I shrugged and added, "That said, he certainly grew on me."

"If you say so."

Since he still hasn't finished his drink, I figured I would keep the topic rolling a little longer.

"Honestly, we kind of started off with the wrong foot, but he's been decently helpful, and even taught my assistant how to make great tea, so I can't stay mad at him."

"You have an assistant?"

"Oh, that's just how I call Judy. Force of habit."

My company remained silent while he finished his drink, yet the moment he returned it onto the tray, his eyes narrowed and he crossed his legs with an air of provocative nonchalance.

"Judy Sennoma, if my memory serves right. Your second fiancée." Naoren linked his fingers in his lap and added, "I believe she will serve as a perfect segue into the topic we must discuss."

"So it means the preambles are over, huh? Just a minute." I forestalled him with a raised finger and refilled my cup. "What? The pot is only half empty."

"You mean half full," he corrected me, and I exhaled a soft 'Bah' under my breath.

"Let's not get started on the whole pessimism versus optimism thing again."

"In that case, let's save it for later," he granted me and followed my example, filling his own cup nearly to the brim again. "May I continue?"

"Be my guest."

Naoren slightly nodded, and after taking a sip, he breached the topic with the delicacy of a tomahawk missile.

"Put simply, your sudden appearance, and engagement, had dashed many of my plans."

"In my experience, those are usually a waste of time anyway."

The man with the glasses acknowledged my comment with an ambivalent shrug and continued without missing a beat.

"To be honest, I can't blame clan head Abram for enticing a rising power early. Your reputation does precede you, and I can't say I wouldn't have done the same if you began your operations within my sphere of influence."

"Entice?" I repeated after him with a frown and firmly shook my head. "Let's nip this misunderstanding in the bud: my relationship with Elly isn't politically motivated, but rather the results of a series of small misunderstandings, coincidences, and mutual attraction."

"Truly? Forgive me, but based on your actions during this banquet, I can't help but doubt that."

"Doubt all you want, it's still genuine," I huffed, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bothered by what he said, so I grudgingly asked, "Also, what exactly do you mean by 'my actions'?"

Instead of answering right away, Naoren raised his cup to his mouth. Very. Slooowly. Probably just to mess with me.

"The first instance that raised my suspicion was the sheer vehemence of your reaction upon the grand elder labeling your second fiancée as a concubine."

"What's strange about that?" I inquired, but he gestured for me to let him finish.

"Then there was your behavior during the dance. You had a quick, awkward dance with Lenore, but then spent almost twice as long with your other fiancée, showing obvious favor."

"It wasn't awkward, I just had a hard time keeping up with the princess, and... How the heck do you even know about any of this when you were negotiating with Abram at the time?"

"Let's just say I have eyes everywhere."

"So do I, and that still didn't answer my question at all!" The bespectacled Draconian remained smugly silent, completely deaf to my objections. "Listen. You really seem to be laboring some odd misconceptions, so let me state this again, on no uncertain terms: I'm. Not. Engaged. To. Elly. Because. Of. Politics."

"Yet your actions say otherwise."

"And I'm telling you, you're reading way too much into way too little."

"Do you think so?" He let out a soft huff and finished his cup. "From my point of view, it all seems so obvious. You already had a lover, but you required the support of the Dracis clan, while they needed a suitable independent consort for their heiress. As such, you reached a mutually beneficial compromise: you would marry into the family, while also maintaining your relationship with your original lover. I presume holding up the veneer of a harmonious relationship to the outside was a small price to pay."

"... No offense, but if that's how you see things, you really, really need to see an optometrist." I downed my remaining tea in one go and roughly placed the cup back onto the table. "I don't know how else to say this, so please try to listen closely this time. Elly and I? We love each other. That's why we're together. Period."

"If that's the case, then how come you only announced your engagement today?" Naoren swung back. "It's almost like you specifically waited until the grand gathering just to spite my efforts at establishing an alliance by matrimony."

"There's no 'almost' there; that was the point. Also, our relationship and the timing of the announcement are two separate matters. Don't conflate the reasons behind them."

Naoren remained still for a beat as he scrutinized my face, then uttered, "So it was on purpose."

"Of course it was! It's our way of saying, 'Back off, she's with me now'," I told him flatly, and the Draconic bigshot let out a surprised hum.

"Such directness is... refreshing. Unfortunately, I can't back off." Naoren linked his fingers again and stressed, "I require Lenore."

"Well, tough luck."

He more or less ignored me and said, "Our bloodlines had been left to branch out and decay for far too long. If we are to survive in the modern age, we must consolidate the clans, both in terms of leadership and our bloodlines. For this reason, I must unite our family with the Dracis, and so I absolutely cannot back down."

"Oh, yes. The noble goal of unification. How nice." Rolling my eyes, I crossed my legs and rested my chin on my fist. "And by complete coincidence, this union would have you at its head, holding all the power and authority, right?"

"My intentions are far from selfish, I assure you. I merely wish for security."

"Security," I repeated after him with a squint. "Let me guess: this is all about the Knights."

The man at the other end of the table let out a tired sigh.

"In part, yes, but they are but a symptom of a greater problem."

Okay, that was definitely intriguing, and seeing my interest, Naoren decided to elaborate.

"We are an ancient lineage. We collectively hold unimaginable prestige, wealth, and power, yet we couldn't eradicate our scourge to this day. Ever since I was a boy, I wondered why, yet I only really understood the problem once I became the head of my clan. We have made too many enemies, scattered our bloodlines too wide in search of wealth, and left ourselves vulnerable to the people preying on us. Worse yet, some viewed this threat to our very existence as a tool for their own advancement, selling out their kin to the Brotherhood over meaningless feuds and disagreements. So long as we remain divided, we remain weak and exposed. I took it upon myself to unite our kin, and to do that, I need this alliance. I need Lenore."

Putting aside his needs and whatnot, I had to say I was intrigued. I originally didn't intend to bring up the topic yet, but I figured this was a great opportunity to test the waters.

"So, if I get this right, you want to unify both the Eastern and the Western Bloodlines to form a united front against the Knights and your other 'enemies'." He nodded, so I continued with, "Well, I hope you realize that Draconians have so many enemies to begin with because of all the unsavory business some families engage in."

"You mean organized crime."

"Of course, I mean organized crime," I scoffed. "I presume you want to crack down on that too, right?"

"Eventually."

"Neat. So, what if I told you that doing so can also solve the whole Knight-problem as well?"

Naoren silently sized me up for a while, and ultimately relaxed his posture.

"I find the prospect highly dubious, but for now, you have my attention."

"Simply put, the Knights are attacking Draconians because of two things: a simple dogma saying that all Draconians are evil, and centuries of grudges. There is little you can do about the latter for now, but what if we challenge their preconceptions on the former? So long as Draconians remained 'innocent', by some measure of the word, the Knight would lose their justification to attack them."

The man blinked at me uncomprehendingly and finally uttered a flat, "You can't be serious."

"Oh, but I am. Of course, such an arrangement would require some concessions, but in theory, so long as no Draconians engaged in criminal activities, played nice, and gave to the community, the whole conflict could be quenched."

"I still don't see the through line. Even if our kin ceased all 'unsavory activities', as you called them, how can we expect the Knight to simply end their attacks?"

"It's not that difficult though. All we really need is a strong collateral to get the Knights to the negotiation table, the collaboration of the most influential Draconian families, and maybe some kind of regulatory organization to keep everyone in line, and the Knight problem would pretty much solve itself."

"Even if we presume that there's a way to convince our kin to cease their incriminating activity, how would we ever gain collateral on the Brotherhood?"

"I can do that," I proposed, and the bespectacled kept staring at me in mild befuddlement.

"Normally I wouldn't readily believe such claims… but I've learned that it was the information you provided that allowed us to evict the Brotherhood from their strongholds within our territories. I presume it means you already have a collaborator working for you amongst their ranks."

"In a certain sense, you're correct."

"And you believe you can force a ceasefire."

"No, I think I can do you one better. How does a complete and permanent cessation of hostilities sound to you?"

The room once again fell silent as Naoren contemplated on my words, and I let him do so for as long as he needed. Unfortunately, his thoughts somehow ended up straying in a completely unexpected direction.

"Based on what you said, I reckon you've already had a plan like that in motion. If I consider the requirements of such a grand plot, it certainly puts your relationship with Lenore into a new light."

"Okay, I have to amend my previous statement: you shouldn't just see an optometrist, but also have your ears checked, because I'm getting really tired of trying to explain our relationship to you, and you apparently aren't listening."

Naoren closed his eyes and shook his head.

"... Fine. I'll henceforth grant you the benefit of the doubt and provisionally accept that the three of you aren't engaged as part of a political play."

"How gracious of you."

"Unfortunately, this also means we are at an impasse. I was planning to match whatever support clan head Abram promised you, but if I was to believe you, such an offer would be not only counterintuitive, but downright insulting."

Look at that. Some common sense. Why was it so rare around these parts?"

"Yes, it would."

"However, I still require Lenore for my plans."

"I said it once, I say it again: tough luck, buddy."

He once again ignored my quip and solemnly stated, "That said, my duty as the clan head, and representative of the Eastern Bloodlines, demands that I listen to any propositions that could save the lives of my kin, and so I'm willing to listen to the details of y—"

Whatever he was about to say was cut short by a muffled crash, followed by a small quake running through the whole building. Naoren looked up apprehensively, and my brain also kicked into a higher gear as I rose from my seat. We were in a soundproofed room, and yet we could still clearly hear the clamor outside, meaning something major had to happen. I Far Glanced using Judy as the anchor, and while being suddenly dropped into the commotion was a little disorienting, at least I could see that the girls were safe.

By the time I started moving, the bespectacled Draconian was already on his way towards the door, and I followed right after him without a word.

The scene welcoming us in the ballroom would've been shocking if I hadn't already taken a peek. I rushed past Naoren, pushing several placeholder guests out of the way. While most of them were confused and apprehensive, there wasn't any panic. To the contrary, a few onlookers seemed downright intrigued, and following their gazes, I quickly found the source of clamor. In the beginning, I was unsure whether I should find the girls first and ask them about the situation, but these reactions told me this wasn't an attack from the outside, and once I narrowed down the remaining suspects in my mental ledger, I redoubled my efforts to reach the epicenter of the attention.

As I got closer, I had to shield my eyes from a sudden flash of light, followed by a gust of hot wind. I pushed the last circle of gawkers aside and found the area in quite the sorry state. The ground in front of me was covered with way too much wooden debris, even considering the broken and upturned dining tables in the back. Under all that, the stone floor was cracked and even scorched here and there, and I quickly found the source of the disturbance by following the trail of carnage.

"Infernal Crimson Vermillion Lotus Blade!"

My eyes immediately honed in onto the source of the shouting, and before I knew it, I was already moving towards the spikey-haired redhead brandishing an oversized sword covered in flames, barely registering the black blur passing by my left as I did so.

Time slowed down to a crawl, as it tended to do in situations like this, and I focused my attention on the burning weapon. Or rather, the bundle of flames in the shape of an impractically huge single-edged sword. In any case, it was too dangerous to ignore, so as I closed in, I lashed out with both of my Phantom Limbs. The first strike cut through near the hilt, while the second one bisected the blade in the middle. As the magical weapon summoning spell technique whatever lost its cohesion, it revealed a surprised boy on the other side.

Whatshisface, the younger brother of Naoren, had his jawline partially covered with green scales, and his already bright red hair was glowing in a brilliant shade of orange, but otherwise he looked normal, if comically startled at the moment. His hands clawed after the dissipating hilt of the fire sword, and since he was already off-balance, I used the opportunity to grab him by the arm.

The moment my hand clamped on the guy's forearm, my sixth sense immediately warned me of incoming danger, and I ducked under his other hand, lashing out towards me. That was wholly uncalled for, so I gave myself some extra leeway when dealing with the troublemaker. I twisted his arm, firmly planted one foot in front of him, and with a solid yank I tripped him over. Long story short, in less than a second, he ended up flat on his stomach, with one arm twisted behind his back, and one of my knees firmly pressed against the small of his back.

It was only at this point that I paid any attention to the stunned silence surrounding me and glanced around. To my utter surprise, I found another person on the floor, with Naoren looming over them, his elbow pressed against their neck to keep them still. He looked back at me, and after a long beat, he lightly cleared his throat.

"My brother looks uncomfortable. Could I ask you to release him?"

"I will, the moment you let my friend loose."

The man with the glasses glanced down at the Magiformer-clad Josh, then back at me, and uttered a nonchalant, "Fair enough."

Without any further ado, he got off the guy and stood up, so I had no other choice but to let go of his brother in turn. The moment I released my grip on him, he kicked the ground and rolled away, then jumped to his feet with a thundering frown.

"Big brother! Don't interfere in my matters!"

Before he could say anything else, Naoren made his way over to him and knocked him over the top of his head, followed by a reserved yet at the same time scathing, "I told you not to cause a scene."

For now, I ignored those two and hurried over to Josh groggily rising to his feet. He still had his Magiform on, but even so, his hair was a mess, his left cuff was burned, and…

"Dude, I think your nose is broken."

"Thank you, captain obvious. I noticed," Josh grumbled, but despite his strong words, his legs looked anything but, so stepped closer to keep him upright.

Once I was sure he was steady, I tried to ask what the hell just happened here, but before I had the chance, we were almost tackled off our feet by the sudden appearance of a certain Celestial.

"Josh, are you all right? Oh no, you're bleeding!"

"It's not that bad," my friend told his frantic childhood friend, but honestly, he looked like he was just hit by a truck.

Angie completely disregarded his objection and patted him down while humming, probably using some kind of diagnostic spell. In the meantime, my girlfriends also pushed their way through the ring of onlookers, so I uttered I flat, "Sitrep, please."

"I didn't see much," Judy told me as she straightened my clothes. "I was with Emese by the other end of the room."

"I only saw Josh flying off the balcony," Elly added, and after some hesitation, decided to contribute by dusting off my knees.

Looking up, I found the balcony in question. It was hard to miss, considering half the railing around it and a whole column was missing. Oh, I see. So that's where all the wood came from. One small mystery solved. I was just about to ask about the big one again, but I was beaten to the punch by Naoren clearing his throat to get my attention.

"I'm afraid I have to go and apologize to clan head Abram about this chaos, among other things, and it appears your friend is in need of some medical attention as well. How about we conclude our discussion another time?"

"… Fine by me."

"Great. Now, if you excuse me, I need to have a long talk with my brother."

Saying so, he grabbed hold of the fuming younger guy by the scruff of his neck and unceremoniously dragged him away and out of sight, leaving only our little group in the crossfire of curious gazes. While I really wanted to know what went down here, Naoren was right about one thing: Josh needed medical care, and for that, we needed a more private space.

Luckily, the room I just came from was probably still empty, so I gestured for the others to follow me, and we left the circle of onlookers in a single file. I could hear dad-in-law's voice in the background, but for the time being, I was pinpoint focused on three things: getting Josh looked at, finding out just what the heck happened, and figuring out how this figures into our Narrative predictions. Also, the way Judy was fidgeting by my side like she really wanted to tell me something filled me with a certain sense of foreboding, but let's focus on one thing at a time.

"Okay, so now that we've all settled down, can someone please explain to me what exactly happened in the ballroom?"

"Not yet!" Angie objected. "We need to set Josh's nose first."

"Wait, is it that bad?" the guy sitting on the armchair I occupied just a few short minutes ago asked in alarm, but instead of an answer, his childhood friend only waved her hands over his head while humming a jazzy tune.

"You'll live," I reassured him, though it didn't have much of an effect. "If you want to get it fixed, use a Draconic pill."

"That's right!" came the enthusiastic agreement from the princess standing right next to me.

"It's worth a shot," Josh mumbled while searching his pockets.

We figured it out early on that, since the Magiformers technically summoned the outfits out of a pocket-space every time they were activated, we could store some of the blood-pellets required for Josh's power-ups in them. Since they were small, they would be unsummoned along with the clothes, and since time was wonky in the pocket-space, they would stay fresh indefinitely. It was a small yet useful discovery, since it meant that we could cut down on the number of times we needed to draw blood from the girls, though the ones Josh carried on him for emergencies still had to be replaced every once in a while.

That tangent aside, he finally found the case and popped a little red capsule into his mouth. There wasn't much of a change, but that wasn't surprising, considering he was already in his Magiform, but he let out a relieved sigh.

"It's a little better."

"Wow… your bone just popped back into place," Angie mused as she closely inspected his face. "Draconic vitality is something else all right."

Seeing that I wasn't going to get roped into trying to set my friend's nose anymore, I tried to raise my initial question again, but I was beaten to the punch by Judy tugging on my sleeve.

"Yes, Dormouse?"

"Elly said you had a discussion with Naoren Feilong."

There was an implicit question in her statement, and since the childhood friend duo was still busy, I figured I might as well bring her up to speed.

"We mostly just talked about our engagement. I also floated the idea of bringing the Knights into the fold, in vague terms, and while he found the idea crazy, he wasn't entirely unreceptive. Unfortunately, we got interrupted before we could discuss the topic in detail, but I guess I should arrange another meeting after the banquet and hit the iron while it's hot."

"Did you at least mark him?" Elly asked in a whisper, and after a long beat, I sheepishly shook my head.

"Didn't get the opportunity, but that just means I have another reason to talk with the guy again. On the bright side, I've marked his brother." I waited for some kind of reaction, but when I didn't get any, I continued with, "So, that's what happened on my end. Did you guys have any new findings on yours?"

"I wasn't looking much. I was too busy with Vivien," the princess admitted.

"As for me, I listened to the discussion between Emese and Xinji."

There was a long pause, so I prompted her.

"And?"

"And I'm still considering which would cause less of a scene; if I tell you about it now or if I let you learn about it naturally."

"… So it's something that would be revealed today, and it's something that would greatly annoy me." Before I knew it, my brows descended into a frown. "Don't tell me it's what I think it is…"

"I'm not saying anything yet," my dearest assistant left me hanging, but before I could press her, the childhood friend pair got up and came over, putting this entire conversation on ice for now.

"I finished with the first aid. His nose should return to normal in a few hours, I think."

"My Magiform still needs some repairs though," Josh added and waves his hand, showing off his burned cuff.

"I'll take care of that back at the base. More importantly, can either of you finally tell me why you got punched off a balcony?"

"I was kicked, and it's a short story," the guy in the middle growled, his expression suddenly turning grim.

"We found ourselves this nice, secluded place upstairs," Angie cut in.

"What were you two doing that required a secluded place?" I asked the obvious question, and they glanced at each other before the Celestial girl hastily explained herself.

"We weren't doing anything strange! We just kinda needed a quiet place to digest all the food and stuff." Josh nodded in agreement, so she continued with, "Also, to… you know? Discuss stuff?"

"What stuff?"

"Just stuff, okay?" Angie pouted, then forcefully waved her hand. "It has nothing to do with what happened anyway!"

"Right," Josh said in the company of another nod. "We were minding our own business, and then this guy just came out of nowhere and started hitting on this blockhead here."

"You must mean Zihao," Judy noted on the side, but she was completely drowned out by Angie's objections.

"I told you he wasn't, and I'm not a blockhead!"

"Yes, he was, and the fact you didn't realize it makes you a blockhead!" Josh shot back, and things were about to descend into one of their usual spats, so I raised a hand to forestall them.

"Focus, you two. You can figure out who was or wasn't a blockhead later; first, tell us what happened."

Josh let out a low grunt but did as I asked anyway.

"He grabbed her arm, and then I got between them. The rest was kind of a blur."

"Who threw the first punch?"

"That was definitely Josh," Angie answered, and this time my friend let out a softer, yet not any less indignant huff.

So, to summarize, these two were having another of their events, but then Naoren's brother showed up, he pestered Angie, and Josh got jealous, after which they briefly fought before we intervened. That… was almost certainly some kind of engineered, plot-relevant event. It also made a couple of pieces fall into place, now that I gave them a second thought.

For a start, this Zihao guy. Considering his unique appearance, I was sure he'd play some kind of role in my future headaches, and this encounter placed him into the 'rival for Josh' category. Whether that was the 'love-' or the 'run-of-the-mill-' variety was still up in the air, but it made a lot of sense in retrospect. The presence of Josh and company at the banquet was screaming Narrative shenanigans from the get-go, and since I was always going to be focused on Naoren, it made sense that the other important newcomer would be involved with our resident protagonist instead.

In any case, I exhaled a long sigh and told the gang, "Listen up. Making a commotion like that is apparently not that big of a deal among Draconians, but you should probably lay low for the time being anyway. You two should stay here, and after the banquet is over, I'll ask Sebastian or Melinda to pick you guys up."

"If you think that's best…" Angie mumbled, but then looked around and added, "But what are we supposed to do until then? We don't even have a TV in here."

"I'm sure you can come up with something."

"I have an idea!" Elly called out and walked over to the cabinets in the back, and after rummaging for a while, she let out a triumphant 'Hah!' and raised a rectangular box over her head. "I knew it! Dad loves to put cards into every guest room!"

"So… what are we supposed to do with a pack of cards?" came the next question, this time from Josh. "It's just the two of us."

Elly glanced at the pair, then at the poker set in her hands, then finally over to me.

"Do you want to stay here and keep these two company?" I asked, and my girlfriend shuffled her feet for a while before answering.

"Only if you don't mind…"

"It's not like we're glued together," I told her, but then I recalled something and added, "Just don't get too engrossed and lose track of time. I still over you a dance."

"That's right! In that case… how about I join you once I showed them the ropes?"

"Sounds fine to me."

The childhood friends also seemed receptive to the idea and were just about to set the table when we were interrupted by someone knocking on the door.

"Please excuse me." Melinda entered the room without waiting for anyone to let her in and did a small curtsy. "Lord Abram requests your presence."

"Do you mean all of us?" Elly asked with just a hint of disappointment, and the blonde maid instantly shook her head.

"I believe he meant future young master in particular."

"Is there a problem?"

She once again shook her head and told me, "I believe the esteemed guests have an announcement to make, and they are insistent about your presence for the occasion."

My eyes narrowed at once, and I glanced at Judy.

"An announcement. Is this really what I think it is?"

"If I told you at this point, it would just be anti-climactic."

"I'm fine with that," I pointed out, but my dear assistant remained staunchly silent, so after bidding the others farewell, we followed after Melinda, leaving Elly to explain how the blinds could be omitted when playing Omaha with just three players or whatnot.

The moment we arrived back at the ballroom, all eyes were focused on us. I didn't really care though, as I was too impressed by how well the place got cleaned up in a few short minutes. If not for the hairline cracks on the floor panels, and the balcony covered in black-and-yellow warning tape, one couldn't tell there was a fight taking place here just a few minutes ago.

We didn't gawk though and followed the maid up to the elevated area with the long table, where the Dracis couple and the annoying grand elder were already seated.

"Where's Naoren?" the question slipped out my mouth the moment we arrived, and Abram overheard it.

"Oh, they had to leave early," he told me with a sigh. "He said Zihao suffered some kind of backlash and his meridians have to be realigned before he would suffer from deviation." He paused here for a beat, then turned to the grand elder and asked, "Did I get that right?"

"In the broad terms," the old man granted with a hint of annoyance, and dad-in-law let out a relieved sigh.

"Good. I never fully understood how this cultivation thing works, so I wasn't sure I got it right."

In the meantime, we got seated, and I couldn't help but let my displeasure known with a soft groan. Well, there went my plans to continue my discussion with Naoren. I'll really have to set up a meeting with him ASAP, before he changes his mind on the topic and I'd have to start persuading him from the ground up all over again. I mean, it was a small miracle he didn't categorically reject everything I said on principle because of our disagreement over the engagement issue, so I really had to capitalize on the surprise headway I made, and do it soon. The fact I couldn't mark him yet was also annoying, but on the other hand, I still had to tag this old bastard over here, so I decided not to stress too much over it. In fact, maybe if I punched him, it could work both and stress relief and mark him which would be an efficient way to—

Oops. My temper was slipping again. I took a few deep breaths, and once I felt collected enough, I turned to the grand elder and told him, "It's unfortunate that the clan head had to retire from the party so early. Please tell him if he's still open to further negotiations, he should contact me through Abram."

He only gave me a slow nod that somehow managed to be disapproving, and after waiting for a few seconds to see if he would want to say anything, dad-in-law roughly cleared his throat to get everyone's attention and stood up.

"Dear guests! Before we continue the ball, grand elder Xinji Feilong wishes to address everyone present!"

He gestured for the old coot, and he also rose to his feet, crossing his arms and hiding them in his loose sleeves in the process.

"Thank you for the opportunity, clan head." Even though he was speaking softly, the old man's voice resonated as loudly as Abram's did a second ago. "I wish to address the assembled families with a simple proposal. We are all gathered here to deepen our bonds of solidarity among our dragon-blooded families. It's a precious occasion that scarcely comes by more than once every generation, and being able to witness such a fortuitous and auspicious event had this old one thinking. As the previous incident involving this young man's friend and my clan's second heir had shown, our younger generation is full of vigor. I ask, what better way is there to use this fervor, and to further elevate this rare occasion, but to let them test their mettle and grow their fellowship through competition?"

"Bloody hell… I knew it…" I whispered so low that not even Judy could hear it.

"I propose a grand tournament!" the grand elder exclaimed, his voice shaking the whole room. "Furthermore, our clan is not only volunteering to establish the venue and the rules of the contest, but I'm also willing to present three bottles of hundred years old Yaohei Elixirs to the winner, directly from my personal vault."

I had no idea what that yahoo-whatever was, but it certainly drew a lot of eager gasps from the peanut gallery, so it was probably something special. Not that I cared, as while the old man explained who, where, and how could participate in this ad-hoc martial arts competition, I pulled Judy over.

"You know what that means, right, Dormouse?" Before she could answer, I lowered my voice and growled, "The second war on the Narrative has officially begun."

"… You see, Chief? This is why I didn't want to tell you about this in the guest room. I knew you'd react like that."

"Hush, you, and focus." My girlfriend unsubtly rolled her eyes, but even that couldn't stop me from declaring, "The whole sentai-shebang was bad enough, but this really crosses the line! We're not, I repeat, we are not going to have a tournament arc!"

"Is there a problem, son?"

"Nothing, everything's fine," I told dad-in-law with a smile before returning to Judy.

"Is this really a hill worth dying for?"

I gave my girlfriend a flat look, then uttered an emphatic "Yes," before I immediately dived into planning anti-tournament counter-measures, because no haywire Narrative's going to just drop a bloody tournament arc on us on my watch, and expect me to take it lying down.