Published at 16th of February 2024 2:23 pm

Chapter 2.8. Rubbing Elbows

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

“You doing okay?” Michelle asked, placing a hand on Nox’s shoulder.

The party and Kris had returned to the Wedge to change for the evening. They found Nox sitting on the vessel’s bow, snacking on dry rye crackers. The crew used them as rations during long voyages. Milk or tea for dipping made them more palatable and easier to break, but Nox had neither. He didn’t know whether it was the skipped lunch or the breakup, but he had a clawing pit at the bottom of his stomach and needed something to fill it.

“I’ll be fine,” Nox replied. “Things will be difficult for a little while, but I’ll get over it.”

“I’ve heard the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else,” Lillin added. She sat next to Nox with an arm around his shoulder. She had brought him a mug of mead, and it smelled as if she had bathed in the beverage. Michelle smacked the mimic-woman’s arm and got a cheeky grin in response. “I’m serious. A distraction will help to cope with this easier.”

“That’s what work is for—”

“Please tell me you’re not going to use this as an excuse to work around the clock, not eating or sleeping,” Lillin said, her eyes narrowing.

“That won’t be possible once we’re back in the city,” Nox replied. “Running the business and attending classes will ensure I can’t spend all of my time in the laboratory. Attending Professor Wolfheart’s classes on little to no sleep won’t end well either.”

“I’m sorry it ended so abruptly,” Michelle told him. “I know we haven’t known each other for particularly long, but if you ever want to talk, I’m here for you.”

“I appreciate it, Michelle—”

“I think we’re close enough for you to call me Shelly.”

Nox laughed. “Alright, Shelly. I’m okay. Really. This was inevitable.” He glanced at Lillin and Kris. “I probably mentioned this before, but there was always a countdown on our relationship. Lord Oakheart was never going to let it last. She and I also wanted very different things in life. Annabelle started delving because it was what her sibling and fiance wanted. Then she continued because we were her friends, and it helped her feel free. Her heart was never in it.

“Meanwhile, taking down Sundarshahar is the focus of my ambitions. Sure, things would be better if we could’ve found a way around all of that, but—” Nox paused. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does.” Michelle frowned. “You shouldn’t get into relationships thinking about the end date, Nox. That’s not right. It’s not fair to you or your partner. I certainly hope you didn’t tell Annabelle this.”

“That’s nonsense, Michelle,” Kris said. “Nox has goals and ambitions. There’s nothing wrong with putting them ahead of everything else. Nox didn’t make false promises or lie about his intentions. This is good. Your personal entanglement with House Oakheart was a complication and would’ve brought you nothing but trouble in the future. Romancing the nobility will eventually result in getting sucked into their politics and a ton of other nonsense.”

“You think all romantic relationships are bad, don’t you?” Michelle asked. “They distract from your war.”

“It’s not my war, Miss Beaufort. This is for all of us. If it were up to the cults or the Imperium's more nefarious factions, the gods would be ruling over us again with humanity at their mercy. We'd all end up residing in titanic dungeons. I’m not saying relationships are inherently bad. People like us should limit partners to other delvers or people who understand the importance of delving and our ultimate goals. Avoiding the nobility isn’t a bad idea either." She continued despite the Beaufort woman's glare. "I know you were once amongst their ranks, Michelle, but its true. Sure, many of them delve, but their reasons are wrong. Most of them are in pursuit of glory, riches, and power. They rarely take risks or push themselves. You’ll only find third or fourth sons and daughters in expert-ranked delving teams, and they're almost as rare as rain in the Yellowrock Wastes.”

“What’s your plan for the evening?” Michelle asked. “Will you attend Baron Edelweiss’ soiree, or would you rather spend the evening alone?”

“I’d rather spend it alone, but I actually made an interesting discovery today," Nox replied. "It's got a lot of potential, and I need a benefactor for my research. Perhaps someone in the baron’s court will be interested.”

“Just showing up at his table tonight will be good for your career,” Kris said. “You might not realize it, but today made all of us heroes as far as the baron and his court are concerned. Spreading your renown as mages and artisans is vital if you want to grow. Regardless of whether you can find a benefactor or not, you must attend tonight.”

“What did you—”

“How about you save discussing it for the dinner table?” Lillin asked, interrupting Michelle. “Perhaps someone will overhear you and shower you with gold.”

“You just want to see what they’re serving tonight, right?” Nox smiled, looking up at his dearest friend.

Lillin grinned. “I’ve never eaten at a baron’s table before. He’s going to have a load of fruity, sweet things, won’t he?”

“The barony is famous for its peach pastries,” Kris said. “You’re in for a treat.”

The baron’s soiree wasn’t as pretentious as Nox expected. The clothing was casual—for their station, at least. Drinks flowed, and people passed around pipes of sellis weed. Instead of guests sitting around long dining tables in front of pruned, pretty plates, they picked snacks from trays or piled plates with meat, vegetables, and pastries from stations lining the walls.

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There were pigs on spits, shallot tarts, peach pasties, devilled eggs, cured meats, aged cheeses, and titanic piles of pickled or fermented vegetables. It was reasonably simple for a baron’s feast. Nox noted the scarcity of bread or products that needed large fields to grow. The barony’s food stores were full but saved for the groups going out to resettle and the inevitable famines. The land would take months to recover and even longer before the crops were ready to harvest.

“Seriously? Just two kinds of pastries?” A middle-aged man grumbled, his plate piled high with pork belly, pickled cabbage, carrots, and three shallot tarts. “You think the baron would put together a better spread.”

“Rubeus Muriel Logan!” An older woman accompanying the man smacked the back of his head. “I taught you better than to complain at times like this! The baron was kind enough to shelter and feed us. Be more grateful.”

“But, Mother! I—”

“But nothing! The season’s harvest is ruined, and Yggdrasil knows what blight has infected our soil. The peasants need the grain more than we do. You should be happy Edelweiss isn’t blowing all of his stores on a damned feast. It means the barony has a chance to recover and survive the coming blights.” Her volume dropped. “The fool shouldn’t be throwing a feast at all. Just behave, will you?”

“Sorry, Mother.”

Even Lillin didn’t overload her plate like usual. She took an almost normal volume of meat and potatoes but didn’t hold back on pickled vegetables. Nox didn’t have much of an appetite, only helping himself to a few slivers of rare beef and a shallot tart. They spotted Kris and Michelle seated on the far end of a long table, talking to a trio of men. The professor waved the pair over. Nox and Lillin joined them, sitting facing each other.

Beautiful women in light, low-cut clothing wandered around Nox, but he struggled to find interest in them. When still with Annabelle, Nox would let his eyes wander. ‘Taking note of beauty,’ he called it. Apparently, some women found it offensive. Fortunately, Annabelle wasn’t one such person.

Nox hated wallowing. He especially hated feeling the way he currently did. Victory over the myconids and his creation's unexpected functions had him brimming with pride and excitement only hours prior. Now, he wanted to be far from people, ideally lying on the Wedge’s deck and star gazing. At the same time, he eventually found himself watching the people around him.

The barony's citizens were just happy to be alive without scorching their lands black. They laughed, sang, and danced. Couples kissed openly, holding and embracing one another. Groups toasted their fallen comrades by sharing their achievements or amusing anecdotes. A few discussed the future with hopeful and excited tones.

Despite the death and destruction, it was an opportunity for growth and renewal for many. They discussed changing the focus of their estates and employees, exploring new crops and products, or capitalizing on the infusion of life essence to the environment.

"So what is it you discovered today, Nox?" Kris asked, pulling Nox out of his daze with a gentle nudge to the ribs.

It took Nox a moment to gather his thoughts and articulate them. "My flame slimes did more than destroy the myconids' nervous systems," he replied. "This morning, I found all the local strays feasting on the fungus. I need more time and resources to experiment and confirm my findings, but I think we can turn things around faster than the locals think."

"That can't be right," one of the men at the table said. He had salt and pepper hair and wore a silken white shirt with half the buttons undone. His tanned skin and muscles suggested he worked outdoors or spent several hours a day combat training in the sun. Nox guessed he held a high-ranking position in the baron’s army. "The mages say the fungus is toxic, and the spores will infect and kill things from the inside. The cats will need to be culled."

"The spores aren't as potent as before, and the life essence is more evenly spread out through the myconid flesh. I'm no expert and am going off observations, but the samples I inspected showed no toxicity."

"Share your hypothesis, Alchemist Ratra," Kris said, shooting the man and Michelle a mischievous glance. The professor appeared amused, and Nox wasn't sure why.

"The myconid nervous system controlled the spore's potency. Perhaps there was some telepathy involved in how and when they triggered and how they took control," Nox replied. "Without concentrated life essence and the origin body functioning, the spores from the large myconids aren't much of a threat. I need to observe the specimens over at least a month to confirm my hypothesis." He glanced at Michelle. "An expert life mage's opinion would help as well."

"Of course!" Michelle exclaimed. "Your lack of enthusiasm before left me thinking you encountered something minor. This is great. Even if your product goes nowhere, a safe source of untainted life essence could improve a bunch of lives."

"What about the toxicity?" The salt-and-pepper man asked.

"My flame slimes appeared to have purged all the toxic essences," Nox replied. "Again. I'd like to study my samples more and observe the cats that have been eating them, but so far, I haven't observed any ill effects. A couple of blood samples had signs of cancerous cells, but that's to be expected after consuming concentrated life essence in such quantities."

"That's brilliant!" The man waved down a server carrying drinks. "What's your poison, Alchemist Ratra?"

"I'm not much of a drinker."

"What about sellis weed?"

Nox pulled down his collar, exposing his chest and the Sigil of Immunity. "Neither the herb nor alcohol do much for me. I enjoy the taste of mead and fortified wines, though—"

"I've got one of those too." The man grinned. He pulled open his unbuttoned shirt further. An identical tattoo sat on his left breast. It wasn’t nearly as developed as Nox's sigil. The man leaned forward and spoke softly. "Tell me, Alchemist Ratra. Are you familiar with Spirit Caller's Tea?"

"Mostly with brewing it," Nox replied.

“Try it if you want to have a good time and can afford the cost. The psychedelic effects are more potent than sellis weed. You won’t have to deal with any hangovers, headaches, heart flutters, or stomach issues the following morning.”

“No side effects at all?” Nox raised an eyebrow. Meanwhile, Lillin removed two flasks of the concoction from her spatial storage.

“Just vivid and colorful dreams.” The man claimed one flask, removed the cork and sniffed at the contents. His eyes widened. “This smells great. Mind if I indulge?” He didn’t wait for a response. The man emptied his almost empty cup on the floor and filled it quarterway with tea. He took a slow sip. The man exhaled slowly, and his shoulders slumped. “I’ve never had Spirit Caller’s Tea of this quality before.” He glanced at Kris. “You weren’t kidding. Your apprentice is far too skilled for his journeyman rank.”

“I’m flattered.” Nox filled his cup. Usually, he wasn’t one to indulge in mind-altering, but he disliked his current state of mind. He took a swig before offering the man a handshake. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced. Nox Ratra. Journeyman Alchemist, Mage, and Professor Kris’ apprentice.”

“Easton Edelweiss. Lord of the land and baron.”

The pair shook hands. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Baron Edelweiss.”

“As I have about you. In the current setting, just Easton is acceptable.”

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