[TWS] Chapter 315 – More Gifts

After the brief ceremony, Civienne guided them to a banquet hall where she invited everyone for a celebratory feast and a ball. Tina’s squadmates were brought in too, of course. They were part of the celebration. But, besides the heroes of the recent event, the mesmerizingly spacious chamber was also full of important figures in the Elf Nation.

Miria couldn’t stop fiddling with her pin while sitting at a fully set table next to Asterios and the other girls. No one said anything about it since they could feel how amazed and proud their feline friend felt. It was the first time she’d received something this official personally and she just couldn’t stop staring at the pretty badge with pure joy in her black eyes.

Asterios respectfully shared a few polite conversations with the people who approached him or the girls, mostly listening to the words of gratitude, respect, and hope for future assistance and guidance. Some noble figures seemed a bit snobbish with their demeanor, but he and the ladies were pretty sure that it was just how many elves held their posture and expression. While the queen always acted more or less cold, they emanated a proud aura, keeping their stances straight and chins up high.

While Civienne had arranged their seats at the same table as she and the Elders could be found, Tina’s subordinates weren’t placed that much farther from them. They had received their own spot, shared with some high-rank sentries and wardens. From the looks of it, both sides were enjoying their time feasting and sharing stories from their homelands.

The banquet wasn’t transmitted to the citizens through the hanging projections so everyone could simply relax, to the level that still remained properly respectful to the queen and the people being celebrated. Althea kept herself mostly on the sidelines, which worried Asterios at first, but she seemed to be enjoying herself acting like any other elf, even if she was a Dragon. Since it was a closed party, no one questioned her presence or identity. The queen herself had verified all guests.

After another round of polite conversations, both Asterios and Civienne returned to their table with the goal of taking a moment of rest amongst themselves. Miria instantly jumped to his aid and offered some delicious-looking pastries for his culinary pleasure, feeding them to him personally. Tina soon joined her with her own suggestions and the two entered a small contest of finding the dessert Asterios enjoyed the most.

The entire hall turned a tone quieter without him and the queen wandering around the floor. Asterios looked at Civienne, who sat on the opposite side of the table, alongside the Elders, while he and his companions took the other one. Currently, the Elders were gone, usually moving as a tightly-knit group.

He waited for Miria to finish bringing him the last bits of a leaf-themed cake. “I’m a little surprised Imadil and Cynthia aren’t here. Wouldn’t someone of their position and skills be considered quite important to the kingdom?”

The queen wiped her lips with a napkin before glancing up. “They are. Enough to see no repercussions for rejecting the invitation to the royal banquet. The messenger I sent to them returned with the information that they don’t plan on leaving their workshop on this day. They are supposedly working on something important and don’t want to be interrupted.”

“Damn. You really need to be someone to turn down the queen.” Grea snorted.

“You are talking as if you wouldn’t have done the same with King Welrond’s invitation if you were in the middle of working on something for Ast.” Tina rolled her eyes.

“Duh. There’s only one man that gets my unconditional loyalty.” The demon woman grinned impishly. “Besides, what is some king in front of an emperor?”

Asterios shook his head at her sultry gaze.

“You aren’t that far off with your example,” Civienne said to Tina. “The message said to inform you that they will be expecting your presence after the banquet, whenever you would find some spare time.”

“Then we’ll have to see what they need soon. Perhaps they ran out of resources,” Asterios mused.

“Wouldn’t they have contacted us if so?” Bryn pondered.

“Maybe they didn’t want to interrupt our celebration,” Selene suggested. “And if they get even half as focused as Grea gets during her work, they aren’t going to pay much attention to the outside world.”

“Hey! It was one single time I got so engrossed in my thoughts on a certain lecture that I didn’t notice you coming in!” Grea huffed.

“Neither did you notice being called out, moved, stripped waist-down, and repositioned in a quite entertaining posture. I will never forget my Lord’s face when he walked in on you like that.” The fox lady chuckled mischievously.

Asterios most likely wouldn’t either. Finding Grea on all fours atop one of the stone island counters with her nose in a book, ass up in the air, and legs spread wide while her dress was hitched over her back had been quite the sight he hadn’t expected when entering the lab. Tina and Selene had gotten quite the scolding that day for putting her up on display like that. It wasn’t just Asterios who could have walked in on the completely exposed demon lady.

“I’ll accompany you if you don’t mind.” The queen brought him back from the depths of his memory. “There’s a topic I would like to bring up with them and it would be immensely tough to get their attention at a time like this.”

“Not a problem. We’ll be honored.” He nodded respectfully. “What about Althea?”

“I’m fairly certain she would like to remain by your side anywhere you go after the banquet,” she replied, taking a glance at the table which hosted the emerald-haired lady. “Let me remind you that it’s not necessary to stay until the very end. People are free to leave whenever they wish. Any of them.”

“Alright. We’ll remain here a little longer to have some more fun. No reason to show up too soon at Imadil’s since they would have told us if it was something important or critical,” Asterios replied. “Perhaps someone would care for a brief dance?”

The music had just switched into something a bit more lively and faster and the girls perked up. They exchanged glances and flicked their wrists. A pair of stylized dice appeared on the table in front of each of them and they rolled their own sets all at the same time. Asterios observed with fascination as they duked it out between themselves, establishing an order to the upcoming dance. Grea and Bryn tied for first place and had to roll once more, which shockingly turned into three more rounds as their scores continued to land on the same values. In the end, the Valkyrie won and beamed at the demon lady, who visibly deflated.

And so, Bryn accompanied Asterios to the dance floor and they shared a pleasant time to the beautiful tune. Elven music was slower and more refined when compared to the songs and symphonies they had experienced amongst the humans. It made for a much more sensual and intimate moment as they swayed their bodies together without paying any attention to the onlookers.

Naturally, everyone got their turn and Asterios danced with all his mates, finishing with Tina, who’d been unluckiest in their little game. After that, he took part in one more dance. As the closing act to the musical segment, he respectfully asked Civienne out and their little show was full of respect and grace, displaying the cordial relationship between the nations.

Of course, the queen retained her icy expression and authoritative aura the entire time.

Afterward, everyone settled down again to enjoy a slower moment, sharing some chilled drinks. The spring water the elves offered was the best thing they had all experienced. Tina and Silvia couldn’t stop discussing it together, sure that such an exquisite drink would make a killing amongst the noble households in their region.

Then, a quite unexpected but familiar voice rang out in Ast’s head.

~Helloooooooo! How is my favorite son doing? Am I perhaps interrupting something important?~

Asterios snorted at the smug tone of his mother. The girls turned their eyes to him and he decided to open the incoming conversation to them.

~You have only one son. Unless something changed since our departure,~ he replied with a smirk. ~And that depends on what you consider important. Us having a nap piled up all together on the bed? No. A grand banquet held by the Elf Queen in our name? Possibly~

~Oh, good, you aren’t busy then. I would seriously hate to interrupt your… nap.~ She giggled teasingly, making him share an amused glance with his mates.

~So, what can I do for you? Did something happen back at home?~ Asterios asked.

~Everything is alright. I’m just checking up on you since we haven’t heard from you for a moment. From your earlier words, I assume things have concluded well on your delegation?~ Kindra probed.

~Yeah. We’ve had our hands a bit full in recent days. But we are done with all the crucial matters. It won’t be long before we return. We’ll depart soon. And we are going to bring a new friend home,~ he answered.

~Don’t tell me you seduced another princess already?~ He could feel her grin, then she gasped. ~Is it the queen?~

Asterios caught himself before he choked on his drink. ~No, Mom! What the hell? And she doesn’t have any daughters or kids in general anyway.~

~None that the public is aware of, at least,~ she countered. ~I don’t judge, you know.~

~No, you just match me with every smart and pretty girl in this realm.~ He scoffed mentally while the others chuckled and giggled. ~She agreed to come with us to teach me a thing or two about my unique situation. There are no other hidden motives there.~

~Mhm. Just like with that other teacher of yours?~

Grea’s bite of a delicious cake went down the wrong pipe and she exploded in a coughing fit, capturing everyone’s attention. Tina and Silvia quickly jumped to her aid, smacking their friend’s back while Bryn stood by, ready to offer more magical aid if necessary. Thankfully, it wasn’t needed.

~Anyhow, I’m glad to hear that you are having fun out there. I can’t wait to meet the new lady. Or ladies. We did feel two more presences joining this little, mental community. You know that you don’t need to hide anyone from me, right? As I said, I don’t judge, even if there already was someone in the past or they might already share quite tight bonds,~ Kindra added.

He frowned for a moment before fully realizing the implications of her words. ~Good gods, Mom! How could you even think I would go after both at the same time?~

~You know, some women age like fine wine, they just get better with more time. And after popping a baby or two.~ She giggled once more. ~There are many men who appreciate their ladies with some experience.~

~Do you have any idea how awkward would that feel for the daughter?~ He swiped down his face while sighing heavily.

~I mean, if it was me, I would want the best for my mother, and she would obviously want the best for me, and if the best was—~

~Enough,~ Asterios interrupted her. ~This is getting out of hand and I can’t tell which part is serious and which is just you being you. I’ll talk to you after we get back. Maybe then you’ll calm down a little.~

~Mean.~ Kindra pouted, then smirked. ~Take your time. We might have something for you guys to check out but it’s nothing critical. And remember, I will always love you no matter what!~

He shook his head as her presence faded away with a fleeting giggle. Asterios was glad he hadn’t included Civienne in that conversation and kept it locked strictly to his mates. To be perfectly honest, Kindra had no idea how close she was with her theory about their new friends’ relationship. Dangerously close. Just maybe not exactly in the way she’d imagined.

It took quite a while for Ast’s mind to move off the awkward thoughts his mother’s teasing had fueled into his brain, but with the girls by his side, it wasn’t impossible. They soon focused back on the banquet and enjoying themselves. After about an hour or two, they decided to politely slip away and Civienne promised to meet them in front of Imadil’s smithy once again.

They took their time walking through the undergrowth and the earthy tunnels, giving her a good window of opportunity to take care of any unexpected interruptions and the preparation of the dress-up the queen used while wandering around the settlement incognito. When they reached their destination, she was already there in her Cini persona, alongside Althea. It was always a confusing sight to see the queen’s very different sides depending on her outfit.

Gathering in front of the entrance, they let Asterios knock on the door. But, as expected, no one noticed or answered, so he sent a brief message to Imadil through their connection. Cynthia showed up a moment later with a gentle smile and invited everyone inside, leading them to the center of the workshop.

“You came early. Did the banquet already end?” she asked curiously.

“We enjoyed the hospitality as much as we could,” he replied. “And also, we didn’t know what exactly you needed so we decided not to delay unnecessarily.”

“I apologize for taking away your guests then, Your Majesty.” Cynthia made a polite bow toward Civienne.

“We partook in all the important celebrations. There is no need to apologize.” The queen waved her hand dismissively, speaking in her usual tone.

“Well, what did you need from us then?” Miria bounced on her feet excitedly.

“To give you the rest of your equipment, of course.” Imadil joined them while wiping his hands, standing next to his daughter. “We have a few things that could be of use to you. And might make your life a bit easier in the future.”

He gestured at one of the artisanal counters and they followed his lead. They arrived in front of six suitcases lying closed on its surface. Each one had a different color and the girls instantly realized that they matched their rings. Asterios could feel their rising excitement and anticipation.

“It took a bit longer than your weapons since there were more parts to take care of. We had to pick what to focus on, this or your weapons, before the big finale, so we are giving you the rest of your equipment only now. Go on and open them. I’m sure you can tell which belongs to who.” Cynthia brushed her palm over the scarlet case.

There was enough space between them for the girls to go all together and they opened their presents at the same time, revealing a set of clothes and armor inside each suitcase. The interesting thing was the fact that the garments were almost identical to the attire they were usually wearing, save for some minor differences. The girls all looked a bit confused but also surprised and intrigued.

“I assure you, these aren’t just normal spares for your current clothes.” Imadil chuckled. “Who wants to go first? We prepared a changing roo—”

Before he could finish, Miria had already discarded her top and was in the middle of yanking down her shorts. She appeared before them in just her underwear in a flash, with completely no regard for their presence. Her tail swayed from side to side in visible exhilaration as she began putting on an almost mirror copy of her leather armor. In just a few seconds, she was done, spinning around to face Asterios with a wide grin, her ears twitching adorably.

The main difference in her outfit came in the form of additional bracers covering her forearms, which she’d pulled on through the fingerless gloves at their ends, similar to what Asterios had used with his previous Spellslinger and Poison Fang. The other part was the shin guards which extended from her high adventurer boots, also covering her knees with armored pads, and even reaching up a little bit onto her athletic thighs, still leaving an alluring patch of uncovered skin for all to admire. Lots of material now had a barely noticeable scale pattern, clearly inspired by Ast’s own scales.

“Let’s begin with the most crucial features,” Cynthia said, moving next to her. “The entire thing is reinforced with plates of metal from one of the many blood fusions we successfully achieved. Good luck piercing it with anything less than the finest alloys or Dragonsteel. Then, the leather isn’t actually leather but the result of another fusion that came out with similar elasticity. It can negate most magical attacks that hit it, with the highest resistance to fire, unsurprisingly.”

“Amazing! It does feel a tiny bit heavier, but also pretty much perfect! It’s like I can swing faster and jump higher!” Miria did exactly that.

“That’s because the bracers and leg guards are interlaced with sheets that enhance strength and agility respectively. You can pour your mana to further boost the effect. Additionally, the entire thing is fitted with magical circuits and arrays perfect to aid your strengthening techniques. They raise the efficiency, power, and output,” Imadil continued.

As Miria was examining herself, Selene was already wrapping up her change, turning around in a perfect copy of her oriental battle dress.

“Now, this here is similar but different,” Cynthia continued. “Another ore, another result. All of this is made with metallic threads that came out of its fusion with Ast’s blood. Their spiritual conductivity is unmatched. Not to mention their durability too. You can use your sleeves to parry or block most slashing attacks. Of course, the impact will still be there, but you won’t get cut. This should work great with your external spiritual circuits.”

The fox lady nodded appreciatively while stroking the black and dark blue sleeves. She could feel them resonating with the patterns on her skin. It felt comfortable.

Next was Tina, whose blazer was now silver-gray instead of cream. Her short skirt got much darker, almost bordering on black. Asterios kind of like the new color scheme. It fit her pretty hair and light skin. She sent him a shy smile while delicately twirling her hips with her hands behind her back.

“For you, not much actually changed, besides the added defense,” Imadil said. “The metal threads used to make your blazer, skirt, and kneesocks are closely related to those used in Selene’s outfit, but they are much lighter since they aren’t spiritually charged. They offer similar physical and magical protection as Miria’s armor, though on a lower level in the latter aspect so as not to hinder your own spells. Plus, you don’t have to worry about ever getting wet.”

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Tina muttered under her nose while meeting Ast’s gaze as her blush deepened.

He chuckled quietly, hearing her perfectly well.

“I assume mine is the same as shortie’s?” Grea put her hands on her hips, spinning around in her new robes.

“More or less, yes,” Imadil replied. “With many more layers, your physical defense is much higher, but there’s nothing too special about these threads. They are the lightest while still remaining almost indestructible.”

“Damn. I won’t be able to have Asterios rip them in half on me anymore? I don’t know if I want them, then.” She snickered with a sly grin.

Asterios ignored her quip and walked closer to Silvia, who was about to put on her new chestplate. She noticed his arrival and showed a grateful smile as he helped her out just like in the past. With all the clasps firmly locked, he stepped back to let her take a look at everything.

“I think you can guess what we did here,” Cynthia spoke to her. “Everything is fire resistant. The cloak and gloves further enhance that element. But, it’s the plate that’s the main star of the set. It’s not only durable and weighs next to nothing but you can heat it up to the best of your abilities and it won’t burn your skin in the slightest. This metal will remain cold on your side while melting anything it touches on your opponent’s side. Hitting it with steel is like using a stick made of butter.”

“That’s perfect. Thank you.” Silvia made a polite nod her way.

“And finally, this one.” Imadil smiled proudly as Bryn rapped her knuckles over her new set of armor with the same design. “It’s actually gotten what we intended to do for all of your outfits but managed to achieve only with this one ore that showed the affinity with light. After you fill it with your mana, your entire body will be covered by a powerful barrier that’s invisible until struck. It can only work while you also wield the tiara with the golden gem. You can alter the barrier but not much, only being able to extend it forward enough to form a full-tower shield.”

“That still can save someone’s life if used correctly,” the Valkyrie replied. “I appreciate this gift.”

“We didn’t want to interfere with your style so everything is as close to your other sets as possible,” Cynthia added. “But, that’s not all. These clothes are also capable of self-cleaning, and self-repair to a certain extent, and are linked to your rings. If anyone ever manages to steal any piece from you, it will return to your spatial storage in a flash. These clothes basically can’t be separated from you through any means.”

“Oh, yeah? What about this?” Grea smirked.

“Professor!” Tina cried out as the demon lady snuck behind her, skillfully unpinned her blazer, yanked it off the shorter girl, and tossed it through a freshly opened gate, closing the portal immediately.

As Grea raised a brow at her, Tina continued to glare back with a frown, at least until her brows rose slightly. She then snapped her fingers and the blazer appeared back on her with azure light. Sticking out her tongue at her rude ex-teacher, Tina buttoned it up again.

“Shit. It worked.” Grea turned to Cynthia with wide eyes. “Can you get it to work with some underwear? I swear I lost count of how many times I forgot my panties back at home and had to go bareback for the entire day at the academy.”

“You did what?” Asterios gaped at her incredulously.

“Hey, it’s not like anyone would notice with how chaste my robes are. I just couldn’t be bothered to walk back.” She shrugged nonchalantly. “Besides, you were the only one getting close enough to have a chance to find out.”

“And let me guess, those times coincided with the days you seemed to be an even bigger tease than usual?” He squinted at her.

“I neither confirm nor deny leaning further back in my chair than usual or crossing my legs back and forth at much shorter intervals.” She waggled her brows.

He shook his head, knowing that she’d been a lost cause since the very beginning.

“Nevermind. Thank you for the outfits, Imadil, Cynthia. I’m really grateful. Anything that makes the girls safer is a huge boon. We are getting ourselves into more and more trouble recently. And our opponents aren’t getting weaker either.” Asterios thanked the elf duo wholeheartedly.

“Is there nothing for Master?” Miria asked, hugging his side.

“We are still working on something that could work well with his spiritual attire. It’s unfortunately something very sophisticated, especially with two different draconic energies in his body. I apologize, but this is the hardest challenge we’ve ever faced up to this day and need more time.” Imadil bowed to her.

“Now it’s actually three energies, though the new one isn’t exactly draconic,” Althea chimed in for the first time. “And don’t worry. I plan to help Asterios gain a better understanding of that ability. His materialized armor will rival the toughest alloys available in this realm and many other known worlds. Plus, he has his scales. After some practice, he will be able to instinctually bring them out moments before getting struck.”

“If I’m not mistaken, we’ve already met, through the mirror, I think. But, my apologies, we didn’t catch your name, My Lady.” He politely skipped his head.

“You are correct. I’m the friend Queen Civienne introduced to you. My name is Althea, but you don’t need to concern yourselves with me as I’m no one significant. Additionally, I will be leaving this place alongside Asterios,” Althea replied.

“Ah, speaking of which, when are you planning to return?” Cynthia turned to Ast’s group.

“Soon. A day or two, perhaps? I’m pretty sure everything is wrapped up and we just don’t want to disappear right after the ceremony,” Asterios answered her question.

“Great. We made it just in time then.” She smiled at him softly. “We are in need of a favor, though.”

“Whatever you need.” He smiled back.

“All of this transferred to Glimmervale.” Cynthia spread her arms wide. “Ideally, through the help of your shadowy friend so as not to risk anyone even seeing these contraptions and devices.”

“So, as I thought, you aren’t going to stay here,” Civienne joined in.

Imadil regarded her respectfully. “No, Your Majesty. We never intended to. This was a great breath of reminiscing air, but as we said on our arrival, we’ve found a new home. But, without all of our tools, we can’t perform to our utmost abilities there. We came here to provide our new master with adequate equipment during his visit, and to find a way to move our workshop. I hope you aren’t going to try and stop us, Your Majesty.”

The queen stared deep into his eyes before sighing heavily. “I have had no authority over you since that fateful day. Your return was a blessing, albeit a short one. It would be rude of me and all you’ve done for our people to lock you down here against your will. You may rest easy knowing that I personally approve of the choice of your new master and extend my full support. I will be honored if you promise to look after my friend too.”

“It would be our honor instead,” he said and bowed deeply with his daughter.

“Let’s start the preparations for your departure, then,” Civienne added with a nod. “Glimmervale will soon see a lot of positive change.”

★━━━━━━━━━━━━Author's Notes━━━━━━━━━━━━★

There will be one more tomorrow (Sunday) alongside the missing BIAW chappy. Time to return home and see if anything changed ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I wonder if we can chill there for at least a moment before shit goes wild again.