Scáthach dragged Artoria off somewhere.
Apparently, they weren't as interested in clothes shopping as I was. But, it's their loss, because I looked fabulous. I wasn't upset, we would reconvene in a couple hours or so, and I wasn't going to tell them they weren't allowed to go have fun without me.
Besides, the main point was a brief visit Nuwa's Palace, this was just a small side stop for a bit of fun.
I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn't help but smile.
"How do I look?"
"Young Master, you're like a Dragon amongst Mortals." The Guide praised.
Did I know it was fake?
Yes.
Did I care?
Not at all.
I had some white robes which…I wasn't quite sure the name of. They were based on traditional Chinese garb – Hanfu, but I wasn't sure if there was a specific name for these in particular. Basically Loose fitting and elegant Daoist Robes.
And of course, there was one piece of my ensemble missing.
My guide handed to me the last piece.
A decorate fan.
I was sufficiently ready to court death. Now, I just needed to get into situations that caused this to occur. But I'm sure that won't be too hard, I already had some things in mind.
Regardless, I handed the Guide another handful of gold.
As a proper Young Master, I have to be generous with gifts to my subordinates.
Maybe I should find a fatty to follow me around and praise me for everyone to hear? And when they inevitably get beaten up, I could go take revenge.
I'm sad that I didn't have more time available, thus I had to make do with what I got.
"What's on the agenda?" I adjusted the collar of my robes a little to make it comfortable.
"Young Master, I know the best restaurant in town, if you're interested." He offered.
Well, that's what Artoria wanted, but Scáthach pulled her away for God knows what. May as well check it out, might even find Artoria there.
"Anything fun on the way?"
"We can pass through the market to see if anything catches your fancy, Young Master." He stated.
Oh, that sounded fun.
"Lead the way." I gestured, making sure to leave a sizable tip for the shop owner.
As a proper Young Master, I needed to flaunt my wealth.
As soon as we stepped outside, however, I had a question that popped into my head.
"Guide." I asked, making sure to use his title because that's how a Young Master would. "I'm curious about where this city is located. Regular Humans can't access this place, what's this realm called?"
Honestly, it seemed similar to Kyoto in a sense. Like, a pocket dimension slapped ontop of the regular world. I would almost call it something like the Underworld as well, but it's not that shut off.
"We simply call this the Immortal Realm, Young Master." He answered helpfully. "The Heavenly Courts sit atop in the Heavens, we, the Immortal Realm are below, then the Mortal world is below us. Long ago, when Immortals and Gods retreated from the world, they cut off a section for us to continue to live."
Ah, sounded about what I guessed.
They made their own pocket dimension not dissimilar to Kyoto, but on a far wider scale. I could imagine that the Nine Realms I'll be visiting were something in the same breath as well.
"Are the people that were born and live here…do they know about the mortal world?"
My guide pulled out a phone, holding it up for me to see.
Way to ruin my immersion.
"….are you just playing a character?" I had the sudden realization.
He coughed awkwardly. "Of course not, Young Master. Just as you are the brightest star in the sky, I am but a humble Guide."
Right, he's just fucking around to earn money.
You know what? Who cared?
"Here we are, Young Master." He said as we walked through the crowded street, opening up to a wide bazaar full of many different shops and street stalls. "Many strange and interesting trinkets can be purchased here. All that matters is your own luck."
Almost immediately I bumped into someone.
And honestly, it wasn't on purpose, this place was just packed to all hell and I was gawking every which way because it was honestly fun to see.
My head snapped to the person who I bumped into, and it was a man, perhaps a few years older than me with rather sharp features and cold eyes.
Next to him was two people with covered faces and black robes that looked a lot like bodyguards, and they were giving off a hint of killing intent as the Younger Man in the front stared at me.
I may have felt some semblance of excitement in my heart.
My first encounter!
I snapped my fan closed and stared at him, waiting for him to say something provocative so I could respond.
After a moment, he suddenly relaxed, and his expression softened. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." He offered an apology with a genuine smile.
And like that, I deflated along with all of my excitement.
"No, no, it's fine. With how many people are walking around, it's inevitably going to happen." I waved off with a small sigh in my heart.
There was nothing else and they went on their way.
"How lucky, Young Master. It's rare to meet the son of the Mayor on the street. It's said that he's one of the most kind and approachable masters in the city. He often volunteers at the Academies to teach younger children in his free time." My Guide spoke excitedly.
"Yeah….lucky." My lips thinned.
Of course I would run into the saint amongst the cities' population. But I'm not distressed, this was a big city, I'm sure there are plenty of people who will make me court death here.
"Mr. Guide, point me at something lavish to spend my money on."
He wasn't befuddled by my abrupt request, instead he pointed at a stall. The owner of which, immediately noticed.
He quickly pushed his more expensive goods out as I came close.
"My Lord, look at these –" The Stall owner began to speak, but I held a hand up to stop him.
"Ahem." The Guide cleared his throat. "My Young Master, would like to see your wares."
The owner looked at me blankly, but quickly recovered. "Of course, Young Master, I have rare and exquisite –"
"Don't care, I'll buy it all." I let out a bunch of Gold onto the counter, enough that it began to spill over and roll across the ground.
Without another word, I swiped everything on the counter of his stall into my ring without another look.
"My Lo – young Master, look what I have!" A woman nearly fell over herself running towards me with some vases in her arms.
"I'll take it." I didn't even look again.
A Young Master must be prodigal with their money.
As if the flood gates opened, dozens of people now rushed over.
"I have a rare thousand-year-old Ginseng!"
I'll take it.
"Young Master, that one looked barely a decade old…."
I ignored my Guide.
"Look, Young Master, this Ancient Bronze Bow was once wielded by an Immortal!"
"Nice, I'll take it!"
"Young Master, it was rusted from sitting out in the rain too long…."
"How about my Jade Imperial Seal! It's been in my family for generations, and legends say that it was once used by the cousin of an uncle of an acquaintance of someone in the Heavenly Courts!"
"Ooh, Pretty. I'll take it."
"….It has a 'Made in China' Mark half scratched off…."
"This Million-year-old Immortal Spirit Herb, gathered form the peak of Kun Lun, where Immortal Fairies sung under the moonlight for 10,000 years, wearing nothing but – "
"Too long, I'll take it."
"...that was a weed he pulled from the side of the road seconds ago…."
I just went around and grabbed whatever was in everyone's hand, giving them a modest sum for. Finally, I threw my arms up, letting a bit of gold hit the ground as they scrambled to claim it, giving me an opportunity to step out of the crowd.
My trusty Guide followed behind me dutifully.
"Well, that was fun." I said wistfully. "Truly, I am a generous Young Master."
"That is certainly a word that can be used in some circumstances." My Guide said dryly.
"Hey everyone, some idiot is buying any random crap!" I heard a shout from the other side of the crowd.
"Huh, I wonder who they're talking about. Looks like someone is going to get scammed." I hummed.
"…..Unfortunately, they will never be as wise and intelligent as you, Young Master."
Ah, I loved compliments.
"Oh, that shop looks nice." A new thing grabbed my attention.
"This shop is rather famous, Young Master. Please be careful, they have the backing of –"
I didn't need to hear anything else!
I ignored the guards standing outside and pushed the door open.
And once more, a Shop Owner greeted me immediately upon entering. "Welcome, Young Master." He said with a glint in his eyes. "Please, browse at your leisure, if you desire anything in particular, I will do anything I can to provide."
My inner Young Master instincts flared up as I wanted to immediately buy everything, but I was actually taken back by the quality of stuff here.
Walking towards the immediate selection, I picked up a piece of jewelry that caught my eye. "This is beautiful." I held it up to the light. It was a necklace with a purple Amethyst in the center with two birds – presumedly Phoenix's wrapped around it, both a light red—Orange that offset the center Amethyst surprisingly well.
Honestly, the color reminded me of my mom's eyes.
Now that I thought about it, I think Venelana's eyes caught my attention so much because my mom had a similar eye color.
I was honestly so caught up in my own head that I didn't even realize that someone entered the shop as well until I heard a surprised shout.
"It's perfect!" A younger girl exclaimed, pointing right at me, rather the piece of jewelry I held in my hand.
"Shop keep, wrap it up, I'll buy it right now." She said, still pointing at the necklace in my hand.
"I'm Sorry, Young Miss." The Shop Keep politely bowed. "But this Young Master has picked it first."
The Young Lady frowned, the intimidating looking burly man behind her reminded me to quickly slip back into my Young Master Persona.
"You, state your price." She demanded, obviously addressing me.
"No thanks, I'm buying it." I denied her.
"Do you know who I am!?"
"Nope." I found my excitement building back up again.
"Hand it over, or else!"
"Or else, what?" I said, challengingly.
"I'll….I'll!!!!" She built herself up, but the bodyguard put a gentle hand on her shoulder and all the tension immediately deflated.
"Young Miss, you know better than to use your status to bully someone to give you what you want." He said gently.
"I know…" She relented. "It would have been perfect for mom's birthday…" She let out a sigh. "Fine, I'm sorry." She said softly towards me, presumably at her borderline harassment. "Let's go somewhere else, maybe we can still find something good."
"The Madam would be thrilled with anything you find, Young Miss." He attempted to soothe her.
"Guide." I whispered. "Is she another paragon of virtue in the city that I should be aware of?"
"The Bai Clan is known for being generous and virtuous. Rumors say that the Young Miss is cold, but secretly warm to those in need. They say that many people she crossed paths with that were down on their luck mysteriously received help from unknown sources."
…..god dammit.
What's with my shitty luck?
I let out a long sigh of my own.
"Wait…..you can have it." I held up the necklace.
[***]
"Young Master, why do you seem to be in a bad mood? The Bai Clan's promise of a favor owed is not a small matter, even if it's from the Young Miss of the clan."
I sighed even harder.
"Just…..is there something fun around here that attracts a lot of people?"
"The Arena –"
"Pass." I rejected.
Scáthach was probably having fun there, I didn't want to intrude. At most, I would check up on her later.
"There is a Jade stone cutting gambling den nearby?" He said almost uncertainly.
But I found a new burst of motivation. "Excellent!"
The Guide, for some reason, wasn't as enthusiastic about it. But another handful of Gold did light a fire under his butt.
He quickly led me through a few alleys into….I didn't want to call it unsavory, but certainly a step or two off the beaten path.
The people around definitely had a rougher look about them. More were carrying weapons openly, not that it was dissuaded anywhere. But it was more predominant around here.
I, of course, flung my fan open once many gazes landed upon me.
As a Young Master, I must present myself properly at all times.
"Here we are, young Master." My Guide said as we approached a…I almost wanted to call it a shop, but it was a bit more open. Not quite a stall either, but perhaps a mix between them?
Lots of tables, lots of rocks strewn about.
Stone Gambling was weird. Interesting, but undeniably a weird pastime that people get into for some reason.
Essentially, you have a bunch of rocks that may or may not have Jade inside of them. You pay for the rock and gamble on that by cutting it open.
Simple and easy to understand.
"Young Master, please don't buy all the rocks. While the owners will allow it, you would be unwelcome back and cause annoyances to others."
"Do you really think I would stoop to such means?" I harrumphed, slapped my fan closed. "This Young Master was born with innate luck! I choose that rock." I pointed at a random rock.
My Guide, for some reason, didn't look like he believed me. He walked up, paid for the rock on my behalf and practically plopped it into my hand.
"This is going to be worth a fortune, just watch." I said proudly.
"Do you care to wager, friend?" A voice I didn't recognize approached.
A man with a small ensemble came forward. He had very delicate features and practically screamed Young Master vibes.
"You dare bet with this Younger Master?" I held my head up high.
The Young guy sort of blanked for a moment. "…..yes?" He looked confused and then looked at my Guide who gave him a shrug for some reason. "We each open our stones, loser pays the winner twice the stone's price."
"Very well, I accept your wager." I gestured for him.
The Young man carefully used a knife to cut open his stone, splitting it open, he revealed a small jade core. "Not bad." He held it up for everyone to see. "Do you need to use my knife?" He held it out.
I took it hesitantly.
Because I realized in this moment, that I had no idea how I was supposed to do this.
I stared at the knife and at my rock, and did the most logical thing. I threw my stone at the ground, shattering it.
They were stunned by my resourcefulness.
But probably also the fist sized Jade that was also broken along with the stone. It was about three times the size of his own Jade.
"Well, looks like I'm the winner." I said smugly.
The guy looked at the stone on the ground and frowned, looking back up at me.
"Something wrong?" I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to inevitably renege on his bet.
Oddly, he did not. Instead, he let out a small sigh, squatting down and scooping up the pieces of Jade that shattered. "How unfortunate, that was a nice piece of Jade. It would have made a wonderful carving. If you didn't know how to open it, all you had to do was ask. If you want I can show you?" He offered, rather politely in all honesty. "Oh, let's calculate how much I owe you first."
…..With how easily he just accepted the loss, once more, I felt all my bubbling excitement die down. "I was just playing, you can keep the jade if you want. Sorry for making a mess." I couldn't help but apologize, essentially calling off the wager after the fact.
Was I just meant not to have my own Xianxia adventure?
"I won't take your jade for nothing." He laughed. "Keep my knife, it's a little less than the Jade, even shattered as is, but hopefully my friendship can even them out."
Well, he seemed nice.
As the saying goes, don't slap a smiling face.
Or something like that, I don't really remember and my Chinese idioms aren't really up to par.
"I was about to go to a restaurant, um…."
"Immortal Cloud Restaurant." My Guide stated for me.
"Yeah, that." I nodded.
If all else failed, I was one hundred percent sure that I would have a Restaurant Encounter. There was absolutely no way in hell that I wouldn't run into someone there that wouldn't start something so I could court death.
And the food would probably be delicious.
I was no Artoria, but I was still a bit of a glutton.
"Did you not hear?" He tilted his head.
"Hmm?" I blinked.
"The Immortal Cloud Restaurant was nearly destroyed not hours ago. Rumors are that some unsavory people started a fight with a young woman and caused the destruction of the Restaurant." My new friend informed me.
….great.
Just…fuck my luck.
With another long sigh, I sagged my shoulder. "Just forget it then. I need to go to the Arena to see –"
"The Arena is closed." My New friend also informed me. "I heard that someone destroyed it earlier as well."
...
"Just….take me to the mount rentals."
I'm done.
I'm just going to wait for Artoria and Scáthach to finish up whatever it is they're doing.
[***]
The rental place wasn't that far away, and I didn't care to play around anymore. My disappointment was immeasurable and my day was ruined.
Why did not a single person accost me!?
Was it so much to ask that some asshole Young Master start a fight, then lose, then call his many times great grandpa to get revenge for some tiny slight that escalated into some ridiculous scenario so that I'm fighting ten immortal sects!?
Apparently!
Bright side, Apparently Artoria and Scáthach were already here and waiting for me.
"Thanks for putting up with me." I tossed my Guide a big bag of gold.
"Shit, for this much money, I would call you my grandfather." His tone and character immediately dropped after I basically told him his job was done.
Even so, I couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it from his perspective.
Regardless.
I ignored the sights, the various beasts and devices that stimulated flight and just went straight for my head into Scáthach's chest.
"Student, did you have a pleasant evening?" She asked, accepting me without complaint.
"No." I didn't whine. "Did you two have fun at least?"
Artoria and Scáthach looked at each other.
"It was…..interesting." Artoria said cryptically.
"What did you two do?"
"We separated early on." Artoria informed me. "I sought out a meal. It was strange, a young man approached me and continuously tried to dine with me. I rejected him, but he further brought people over to attempt to persuade me."
"….did he eventually try to force you?"
"Yes?" Artoria tiled her head. "How did you know?"
"…..lucky guess." I forced out.
"I was unfortunately forced to fight. They were no threat, but they brought about much destruction to the restaurant. I compensated the owner, of course. But it was a most confusing experience."
And suddenly, some things made sense.
"What about you?" I looked up from between Scáthach's bosom.
"I separated from the lass to go explore this Arena of theirs." She replied. "It left much to be desired, but I allowed myself to fight equal to any opponents I came across to make it more enjoyable."
"I heard the Arena was destroyed." I pointed out.
She smiled wistfully. "Yes, some brat came to me and demanded that I throw a fight due to some passing of money."
"And you rejected, I assume."
"No, I accepted but still won." She grinned.
Hah.
"How'd that end?"
"The brat attempted to send one of his bodyguards to attack me, I felled him easily and taught the boy a harsh lesson, but allowed him to leave with his life. He did not take my warnings to heart and gathered a greater force some time later. I once more dispatched them, but he called for his father."
"Let me guess, he was part of some big clan?"
Scáthach tilted her head similarly to Artoria. "Yes. He would not stop speaking about it as well, and using their name to try and threaten me. Truthfully, it only made me hit him harder."
"And that's how the Arena got destroyed?"
"Yes." She nodded.
"And it didn't end there, did it?"
She shook her head. "They would not leave me be, so I sought out their home and had words with some 'Ancestor' of theirs until they relented. It was not an unpleasant afternoon." She said simply.
"…yeah it sounds like it."
"Is something wrong, Wilhelm?" Artoria looked at me. "You seem depressed about something."
"It's nothing." I waved it off. "So, you guys already get a ride or…?"
"Yes we procured a mode of transportation." Scáthach informed me. "Come, it is waiting for us." She grabbed my hand and led me to the side.
There was no one really guarding or waiting, only a large kite-like wooden contraption floating above the clouds below.
They both stepped onto it without any fanfare, and I followed suit.
"Come, it is a mild ride to our destination." Scáthach said, patting the surface as she sat down on it. "Tell us of your day. What mischief did you get up to?"
I sat down between both of them as our thing started flying away from the city. It was going fairly fast, all things considered.
And the more I looked at it, the more it looked like an oversized kite.
"Surprisingly, nothing happened."
"Why do you sound disappointed, student?" Scáthach quirked an eyebrow.
"I may have had certain expectations that were dashed. It's fine, it was just a stupid thing." In all honesty, I was being a bit silly to expect things to unfold like some bad novel.
"Come, student, place your head upon this Scáthach's thigh." She patted her leg.
Well, I certainly wouldn't say no.
It would be a bit of a flight, so I could relax until then. Only, as soon as I put my head down, she grabbed hold of me.
"What are you –"
"Lass, you take off his bottoms, and we will switch halfway."
"Very well." Artoria smiled.
And I was about to question what she was talking about until she started pulling off my Robes.
I guess today wasn't so bad afterall.
[***]
I quickly fixed my clothes. As the destination was getting close, both of them started fixing theirs as well. It would be kind of awkward if we arrived mid…..compromising positions.
The destination, if it could be called that, was a mountain.
Again.
The people here really liked their mountains.
I can't say it didn't look majestic from a distance. Because holy shit did it look like something out of a fairy tale. There were literal dragons flying at the summit. Or…..members of the Dragon Race. I think those were Flood Dragons, so wherever those land on the hierarchy.
But it was quite the sight.
Even with what we've seen already, this place had more of an ethereal vibe to it.
Sacred, if you will.
The clouds parted a bit more and we got a better view of why it was called Nuwa's Palace.
The Mountain was apparently more of a decoration in comparison. Because the Palace itself, while looking somewhat rudimentary and basic at a distance, it still held a sort of regal and archaic feeling to it that made someone unconsciously give it a certain respect.
Regardless, I wanted something good to make up for this trip!
Not that the last two hours with Artoria and Scáthach didn't make up for my disappointment thus far...but I wanted something new and shiny.
My inner Dragon Demanded it.
[Yo.]
Huh.
Hey Ddraig, did you ever have a big hoard?
[Yeah, but that White asshole spat his poison all over it way way long ago. One of the reasons we fought…I think, maybe we started fighting before that. It's been a long ass time.]
Huh.
Neat.
Great Dragon that lives in my head, what advice do you have for me?
[Eh, never heard much about Nuwa. Probably shouldn't try to flirt with her though.]
Thank you, oh Great Dragon.
The Giant flying kite landed at a…platform? Some dedicated place to land I would presume considering that everyone has to fly here.
As soon as we stepped off, the kite turned around and flew away.
How convenient.
"Do you have any expectations here?" Artoria asked. "We came in a much more casual manner than I would expect."
"Expectations?" I repeated, pursing my lips. "Well, she already knew we were on our way. It was an opening invitation, which around here was basically a 'come when you have time' type deal. It was expected that we come within a certain time frame to not be rude. As for my own expectations…..she seemed nice. I doubt anything will happen."
Even when I tried to look for trouble, it didn't find me. I doubt we will have any problems here.
Right, easy matter.
Pop in, say our pleasantries, she gives me something to absolve her of any perceived debt, and we go our separate ways, maybe to cross paths again in the future.
Well, it was nice scenery if nothing else.
I was tempted to start taking pictures to share back home but….I didn't want to be rude in someone else's house. By how the Guide reacted when I mentioned Nuwa, she was revered pretty heavily, so I didn't want to be disrespectful here.
There was a winding path up to her manner with a gate blocking.
As well as a single person blocking said gate.
"Halt, this place is forbidden, return from whence you came!" A feminine but cold voice resounded, coming from the woman who blocked the path.
She wore white robes and a veil covering her face with a sword at her hip.
"I thought you said we were expected?" Artoria looked at me with an eyebrow raised.
"We are." I furrowed my own. "Nuwa is expecting us." I directed towards the woman.
The woman was about to respond, with something presumably the same as before, but a little paper crane came flying through the air, handing on her shoulder. She looked at it, as if it was relaying a message.
I couldn't see her expressions behind her veil, but I could vaguely tell she didn't look pleased.
"The Goddess is expecting your arrival." She suddenly changed demeanor, bowing politely. The Gate behind her opened. "Please enter."
As we all walked forward, her sword flashed out and it was held up in front of me. "You, are not welcomed."
"Pardon?" I looked at her.
"Men are not allowed inside." She sniffed. "You will wait outside. The other two may enter."
"….are you being serious?"
I was honestly at a loss for words. For a culture that places such a huge emphasis on face and respect, this was a gigantic slap in the face for a supposed Guest.
"Fuck it, I'm not dealing with any of this nonsense, let's go home." I decided.
Whatever games were being played, I wanted no part of it.
"How dare you!" The Woman's voice was raised. "You were summoned as Guests" She said, directed towards Artoria and Scáthach who weren't really giving her the attention she probably wanted. "And you, will wait outside!"
I looked her dead in the presumed eyes, and flicked my hand, producing a portal. "I'm going home."
"You will wait here!" She growled with a strange anger in her tone.
Right, this wasn't fucking suspicious at all. And I'm fairly sure she was used to being able to boss people around due to her position.
"Or what?" I narrowed my eyes. "Are you going to kill someone that Nuwa invited as a Guest?" I rolled my eyes. I instead turned around and began to walk to my portal.
Almost as if on cue, another person came flying over at extreme speeds.
One of the women that I recalled was at Nuwa's side at the meeting.
"Junior Sister, you overstep." She called out, intentionally loud as to probably halt my attempts at leaving.
"Senior Sister, I –"
"Return to the Palace for punishment, I will escort our guests." She said sternly.
The Woman who held her sword up trembled slightly, before sheathing it and bowing her head in acceptance. She rose up into the air, flying back to the palace on her own.
"I apologize on my Junior Sister's behalf." The woman, I don't even know her name, bowed politely to us.
"Give me a reason why we shouldn't leave." I cut right to the chase.
The woman seemed surprised by my bluntness. Which, wasn't that surprising in hindsight, their culture emphasizes polite overtures even when insulted and insulting others. "The Goddess will give you a suitable explanation."
I waved my hand, dismissing the portal.
"Fine, let's see what your Goddess has to say." Artoria and Scáthach would follow my lead.
I was insulted on her doorstep, so I better be given a proper explanation.
Nuwa didn't seem like the type of person to burn a bridge like this for no reason, so we'll see.
"The Goddess prepared a Banquet for your arrival." She spoke, not commenting on my words, instead, politely leading us up the path to her Palace.
Normally, I would be all for the sightseeing some more, but at the moment, I was understandably peeved.
She led us through the front door, but obviously no one was in a chatting mood, so she didn't stop or narrate our walk.
Instead, she directly brought us to this supposed Banquet Hall
There were many women lined up on either side. Along with the Goddess herself center back, elevated to a higher position.
Some looked at us curiously, some disdainfully, some uncaring. But the Goddess herself looked…amused?
There was no grand entrance or introductions, instead our guide led us to seats next to Nuwa in a place of honor by their standards.
I didn't immediately cause a scene, and instead knelt down at my spot like everyone. As per tradition, there were no chairs, and the tables were small, one-person tables in front of each spot. It was very similar to Japanese tradition in this regard.
Without a chance to speak, everyone had a bowl of rice put in front of them.
It may have seemed odd, for something as grandiose as Nuwa's Palace, but even from this distance, I could feel the aura this mere rice radiated.
Looking at the people in the hall, they were eating the Rice grain by grain.
Curiously, I took my chopsticks and ate a grain.
As soon as I swallowed it, I felt something flow inside of me. It wasn't a lot, but something permeated my inners, something warm and welcoming.
Artoria and Scáthach also casually ate, obviously noticing as well, but they were also not perturbed because it was entirely beneficial.
If a regular human ate this bowl of rice, if they didn't die, they would probably become superhuman.
"You certainly are not one that acts according to customs." Nuwa's voice reached my ears. It was…not quiet, but it was obvious she did something to make sure others couldn't hear other than us and my girls.
"Do you mean when you had someone intentionally sit at the gate to greet us that would be disrespectful?" I replied casually.
"….and you are certainly blunt." She giggled.
"Customs indicate a similar standard of social values. I am not from your part of the world, I don't hold what you hold in values. My perspective and experience are vastly different from what you're used to dealing with." I explained calmly. "Did you expect me to fight her?"
"I did." She didn't deny it.
"You wanted me to humble her then." I could put two and two together.
"It was my intent." She once more didn't deny it. "I would have sent my dear disciple to arrive in time to save her Junior Sister after a sufficient 'humbling'." She seemed amused by my wording. "Then I would have offered you a proper apology as per our ways."
"But then I was just going to up and leave without you being able to correct the offense you gave me." I mused.
"As I said, you do not act how one would expect." She again spoke openly about her intentions.
"The quickest way to become my enemy is to attempt to manipulate me." I put my chopsticks down. "I despise when others attempt to secretly dictate my actions or subtly manipulate me. If you had simply asked, I would have helped you happily."
I caught her amused expression shift ever so slightly. Her snake-like tail that was swaying behind her came to a stop. "It seems I have erred. I apologize."
I nodded, accepting it.
It was…a miscommunication based on differing cultures. And I would leave it at that.
"You specifically wanted me to do it. Does it have anything to do with me being a man?" I asked.
"You are perceptive." She answered. "Little Wei Xiaoling is very talented, perhaps the most talented disciple I've taken in the past several centuries. Unfortunately….her life was not an easy one and her views mirror it."
"Ah, I can see where this is going." It's not hard to guess what a woman who has a hatred towards the opposite sex had to experience.
She didn't quite elaborate, so I didn't ask. Even if I didn't like that icy girl, I wasn't going to pry into that kind of thing. "There are two factions within my Palace. I've taken in only Women, it originally wasn't intentional, but it simply turned out this way. One side is….open, knowing of the world, and not caring about divisions. The others are like Little Ling'er who see our segregation as just and proper. By extension, they also do not wish to join the gathering of other factions. I intended to have her join with the younger generation of children as per the meeting, but there has been push back."
"So you wanted me to fight the supposed Genius Disciple you were raising, humble her, have her look beyond this little corner of the world?"
"That isn't wrong." She nodded.
Made sense, multiple birds with one stone with my arrival.
"Why me?" I asked. "Besides the obvious of me being here. I'm sure you could have found someone who practices similar cultivation. Or hell, ask Odin to send someone. You barely know me."
"You are young, extremely so. Even Ling'er approaches her third decade, but you vastly outstrip her in power. I do not know if I would be able to defeat you in battle. I wanted her to understand that there are taller mountains that she can climb, but she refuses to see past this one." She paused for a moment. "And you were chosen because you have a very interesting ability."
I was betting there was more to it than that. Some interpalace politics that she was settling in place. Sure, she could order all her people how she wished, but that only built resentment. And she seemed to genuinely care about everyone under her, so she was trying to be soft in her approach.
"And what ability of mine caught your fancy?"
"I noticed it from the gathering. You have a very impressive ability to infuriate anyone you desire." She responded with the same bluntness returned to me.
"Thank you." I took it as a compliment.
"You're welcome." She returned to her previous humor.
"He's not that bad." Artoria frowned.
"I am on the fence." Scáthach noted.
"Goddess Nuwa, are you sure this is the…..wisest method?" The woman who had led us here, she was at Nuwa's side and was apparently one of her confidants because she was listening in this entire time.
"I believe he is up to the task." Nuwa stated.
"But –"
"Can I get a fork to eat my rice?" I interjected randomly.
You could just see the slowly built disgust form on her face as she registered what I said.
"I retract my words." She relented.
Nuwa just nodded with a hint of smugness. "One of them will bring up the issue, and it will inevitably devolve into a contest of strength. I will have little Ling'er represent them as she is the closest to your age."
"Any restrictions?" I asked.
"Please do not maim or kill." She replied. "And I will offer a suitable reward to you afterwards, along with an additional gift as an apology."
Well, it seemed that Young Master Schweinorg wasn't quite done yet.
[***]
A/N
As I said, it's not a Xianxia Arc, it's like two chapters then back to the main stuff.
Anyways, if you want to read 9 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone
I also have a boosty for people who can't use the above with the same name.
Artoria Pendragon POV
This had been an interesting experience thus far.
The Grail, upon my summoning, provided me with the barest context for the culture I found myself in. Thankfully, I was not the center of attention, and I was content to stay quiet and observe as Wilhelm navigated the situation.
For better or worse.
The latter was far more likely.
For a being of this Goddess' caliber, she was very calm and soft when speaking. Despite the awkwardness of our entrance, and my own opinions on such schemes around us, she treated us well as guests.
Specifically, it felt as though she treated Wilhelm as an equal.
Perhaps one much younger and less experienced, understandably so, but an equal all the same.
And I believe this is the first time I have ever seen someone ask Wilhelm to cause trouble. I didn't know if I should laugh or prepare for the worst.
Wilhelm has always been a trouble magnet.
I love him dearly, but where he went, trouble will follow, by his hand or not. At least this time, it did not entail a being of the Goddess' caliber in conflict.
His last conflict with a God of such strength caused a commotion that was hard to manage. I could not fault him for the situation, and even respect his decision to intercede on behalf of Izanami. He liked to say he was not a good person, but he has a very specific sense of honor that I can sympathize with. And I cannot say I would not have acted the same if I were present.
Izanami was ... .reclusive and perhaps introverted. However, I considered her a friend and I enjoyed her company. I did not allow anyone to cause her problems in my presence.
However, that did not dismiss the situation that resulted from Wilhelm's actions.
It was the reason Scáthach and I decided to come along.
We decided the two of us were the correct choice when meeting another being on the same level with unknown intentions.
Even so, this was a particularly strange situation.
The Goddess stood up from her seat and everyone in the room quieted down. A solemn reverence that they all carried. A single word, a simple gesture, and they would gladly die for her. I could see it the same way I could all the years ago with my own people.
"Everyone, I believe it's time to address the issue of our gathering." She turned, gesturing to us. "We welcome Guests from afar to preside over our discussions. We have Scathach, Hailing from Ireland far to the west. We have Artoria Pendragon from a neighboring country of England, and we have Wilhelm Schweinorg from our own neighbor, Japan." She introduced us to everyone. "The topic of this debate is whether to join with outsiders. You all know the contents, so I will not elaborate on that. I will listen to arguments and decide."
An interesting stance to take.
Even though a simple word of hers would settle any debates, she allowed them to argue for their own views.
I found myself agreeing with her position.
It would be easy to simply force her own opinion, perhaps she would do so in any other situation. However, this matter pertained to their own situation, thus she was allowing them some autonomy. This would soften the inevitable dissatisfaction of the 'losing side'.
It shows her care for her people by taking this measure.
It was easy to order and dictate. It was harder to listen to one's subjects and move their hearts in accordance with your desires.
Her opinion was, however, obvious from what she asked of Wilhelm.
It was easy to see the divide.
One side was looking at us with disdain and annoyance, mayhaps bordering hatred.
The other, indifference or even interest and curiosity.
"I Shi Ning will speak against it." A woman from one side stood up, the opposition.
The woman standing near Nuwa who spoke before looked at someone on the opposite side. As if rehearsed, she stood up as well.
"And I Xia Xiaohui will speak in support."
They were wearing identical garb as far as I could discern with little difference. Perhaps a uniform for those who practice within this palace?
It was hard to say and they both gave off a chilly atmosphere. Not merely the unspoken tension between them, as I akin it to a genuine coldness that permeated them both.
I do not know what methods they utilize, but I could guess it involved Coldness to some expect, perhaps Magic based on that?
No, they had Swords at their sides.
I was unsure of how they would fight and found myself curious.
"Why must we support some barbaric outsiders?" The one named Shi Ning coldly snorted with disdain.
"How ignorant, did you not even bother to read the parchments provided?" Xia Xiaohui countered. "If you can't even understand the most simplistic reasoning, why even stand up at all?" She harrumphed. "We lend aid, because aid is needed. We stand on the side of righteousness, and to protect the Mortal Realm."
"Equivocation." The other denied. "You try to muddle everyone's head with words such as Righteousness. What Righteousness? What 'protecting' of the Mortal Word? Is the Mortal World threatened? Is there some great Demon that is wreaking havoc that we are unaware of? Why does the Heavenly Courts not settle it? Why must we get involved?"
The one in favor smiled. "They are involved." She paused looking around. "The Heavenly Courts have even become involved in Mortal affairs for the first time in a millennia. They ally with outsiders, they combine resources and gather heroes. Does this not speak of the direness of the situation?"
"If the Heavenly Courts are involved, then we are unneeded."
"Are you saying that Nuwa's Palace is irrelevant?"
"You put words into my mouth." Another cold snort echoed out. "We are not the Golden Armored Soldiers of the Jade Emperor, we do not March Off into War. Why do you want to sacrifice our sisters for some conflict that does not encompass our borders?"
"Sacrifice? Do you believe our Sisters so weak?"
"Weak? Perhaps not. But I do not trust outsiders to not scheme and sacrifice our Sisters for their own gain!"
"So you want us to bury our heads in the sand like cowards!?"
"Cowards!? A Dragon is not a coward for ignoring the stirring of ants!"
"You believe that outside of this Palace are ants?"
"Hmph, Barbarians and Mortals. Why care for them? No one dares to cause trouble for The Goddess." She said dismissively.
"I see, so you believe the guests that the Goddess personally invited here are Barbarians and Ants?"
The one in opposition narrowed her eyes realizing the trap she walked into. "We Cultivators of Nuwa's Palace need not get involved. You do not use a rock to smash an Egg, why send our sisters?"
"Do you dare back up your words?"
"Why would I not!?
"Then let us settle it properly! You think that we are above them? Then I invite one of our Guests to fight any of our Sisters. Words are empty, let strength speak for us now. If what you said is true, then you should have no trouble defeating one of our barbaric guests without trouble."
"Y-you dare to disrupt the peace of The Goddess' Banquet, you –"
"I approve." The Goddess interrupted. "My disciples have stayed within these halls for many years, they have become ignorant of the outside world. It is a good opportunity to broaden your horizons and to see what exists beyond our own borders."
The opposition frowned.
I believe it is obvious to everyone where the Goddess leaned at this point.
A verbal argument was never going to settle a matter such as this. The opposition stands aloof, considering of nothing outside of this place. They look down on us outsiders, and refuse to acknowledge us.
I was tempted to offer myself up to teach them a lesson, but I knew this battle belonged to Wilhelm.
Despite not outwardly showing much expression, I have known him enough to see the hidden excitement in his eyes.
I would not take that away from him, especially if it led to no trouble.
"Let the youngest fight." Goddess Nuwa stated. "Ling'er, where are you?"
"I am here, Goddess." A familiar voice sounded from the back of the opposition. The same woman who barred our path and insulted Wilhelm so blatantly.
"Wilhelm, would you be inclined to join her for a spar?" The Goddess Asked.
"This Young Master will accompany her." Wilhelm stood up.
I resisted the urge to palm my face.
Thankfully, the Goddess only found amusement in it.
The center of the hall was wide and open, and it was easy for them to spar without problems. However, even so, The Goddess moved her hand and a barrier was erected over them.
Wilhelm decided to take out his staff it seemed, focusing more on Magic.
"Do you believe this is a good idea?" I asked.
"Let him have his fun." Scáthach replied. "He is young, he is allowed to play around like this."
For some reason, I was recalling the spars I had with Kay when we were younger. Despite Kay always losing the spar, he would make up reasons and argue that he actually in fact won due to some strange reasoning and yet, I could never beat him in an argument.
Wilhelm was giving me the same feeling right now.
I didn't….dislike seeing Wilhelm having fun like this. I was not against him finding trouble the majority of the time either. It would be very hypocritical of me to say that he should never get involved in matters with how often my own Knights found themselves in the strangest of situations.
No, in fact, it was a good contrast to how downtrodden he was from earlier. I really did not like seeing Wilhelm being sad for any reason, even if it was something as nonsensical as not finding trouble during his evening.
"He has far too many burdens for someone his age. Let him have his fun when it comes."
"Yes." I agreed.
"Come, I will allow you to have the first ten thousand moves!" Wilhelm declared.
And I found myself sighing in my heart.
I loved him dearly, but he needed a smack upside the head every now and then.
"Ignorant." The girl hissed, already getting upset and he barely started.
Scáthach was smiling and giggling under her breath.
Was it him having fun or was it you?
Truly, you both are far too similar in certain aspects.
"You court death!" She drew her blade.
"Yes I did!" He said proudly.
The girl was confused and didn't get it and I could guess he was referring to Izanami in this situation because he was looking much too pleased with himself.
"Do they really not know Wilhelm? He should be rather famous at this point. And even so, does this girl not recognize she is outmatched?" I shook my head.
"Most of my Disciples do not care about the outside world. Even within the Immortal World, they are isolated, let alone the Mortal World. And as for measuring her opponents strength…..she is far too used to using her own Cultivation as a method of measurement. She has never experienced someone who does not utilize the same system of power as her." The Goddess answered my question.
Ah, the reasoning does make sense.
She is hesitant due to the situation, and perhaps an instinctual regard for her opponent, but no threshold to measure Wilhelm's strength that she is familiar with.
Yes, they have grown up too isolated and being unable to measure her opponent properly will lead to her death if she is not careful.
The woman started off, propelling herself forward with a good speed, stabbing towards Wilhelm.
He of course erected a barrier as her sword clashed with it, unmoving.
"You have eyes, yet you are unable to recognize Mount Tai!" Wilhelm declared.
And….I have no idea what that meant but for some reason, the girl tensed up in what appeared to be a hint of anger.
"Blooming Lotus!" The Girl shouted, and ice gathered around her blade, forming sharp figures of flows. She slashed at him, they expanded outward, increasing the power behind her strike exponentially.
Wilhelm's shield shattered, but he didn't move.
"Zun Haal Viik." Wilhelm casually spoke. The Draconic Words recognizable to me at this point.
The Girl's sword when flying away.
Her eyes widened in surprise, but to her credit, she threw out a palm strike. "Lotus Blooms twice!"
Another Icy Lotus appeared within her palm and it exploded outward, enveloping the entire area.
"Feim zii Gron." Wilhelm's words were not loud, but still audible above everything.
He turned intangible and the attack simply passed him through.
The Girl took the opportunity to grab her weapon again, taking a defensive stance a fair distance away.
"Petty tricks!" She declared, swinging her sword, producing an attack similar to Wilhelm's. The slashes carried a distance towards him.
So this is where he learned it from?
Interesting.
"Feim Zii Gron." Wilhelm said again, once more turning intangible and the attacks passed him helplessly.
The girl almost stumbled at him using it again. Perhaps she believed it was not something he could use continuously?
"Do you dare use any other moves!?" She tried to goad him.
"Zun Haal Viik." He answered her with the earlier words, her sword went flying out of her grasp once more.
"Y-you…!!" She found herself at a loss of words momentarily. Mayhaps, I felt the tiniest bit of sympathy for her. But she also insulted the man I loved, so I found myself leaning more towards a deserving lesson. "I will whip you a thousand times after I defeat you!"
"….kinky." Wilhelm replied.
"S-shameless!" The girl's tinged red face was clear even behind the veil she wore.
"You're the one who said it." Wilhelm harrumphed. "A mere toad wanting to eat swan meat!" He accused.
For some reason, Goddess Nuwa was stifling a laugh and looking like she was trying her best to not show it.
"Ah!" The girl shouted, retrieving her sword again. "Jade Ice Dragon!" She shouted again, and an ethereal Dragon appeared behind the girl, enveloping her and her sword. Her aura magnified several degrees. "Take this!" She shouted.
"Boop." Wilhelm tapped his staff against the ground, and the stone beneath the girl turned to stand, making her feet sink as she was about to move, so she instead fumbled and fell down, her attack, as it were, shot off awkwardly into the side of the barrier.
….it was certainly majestic.
"You're courting Death!" She all but screamed, repositioning herself upward from the slight embarrassment.
"You already said that one, try something else." Wilhelm hummed, putting his staff over his shoulder. "What about 'you don't know the immensity of Heaven and Earth!?' Or 'The Path of Heaven was before you, but you chose hell!"
For some reason, I do not believe Wilhelm's advice was taken to heart.
The Girl suddenly exploded outward with more power.
"Oh dear." The Goddess sighed. "She's really going to use something like that in a fight with no stakes?" The Goddess didn't stop her, nor explain, but she looked dissatisfied.
The Girl raised her sword up, and the hall changed.
A Blue Moon appeared overhead along with a starry sky.
"Azure Moon Reflecting the Winter's Radiance!" She shouted, and a deathly cold permeated the surroundings. The original Barrier of Nuwa's was apparently not enough and she redoubled her efforts to contain it.
I noticed why The Goddess was displeased as blood seeped from the girl's mouth and nose.
Did she harm herself to use that?
It was not worth it for a spar.
"You're a Frog in a well!" She sneered.
"Hmph, the Mantis Stalks the Cicada, unaware of the Oriole Behind!" Wilhelm shouted.
"….does he know what that phrase means?" The Goddess Looked at us.
"Most likely, but I believe he is just saying random things to annoy your disciple." Scáthach answered.
That does sound like something Wilhelm would do.
"Ahh!" The Girl yelled, swinging her sword, bringing a with it an avalanche of snow and ice. "I'll teach you how to write the word Death!"
"Jokes on you, I dropped out of school!"
Wilhelm, don't gloat about that….
"Our shared Lover is certainly talented." Scáthach noted from the Goddess's earlier comment about him being talented in angering people.
"Do you reject your allowance?"
"No." Scáthach shook her head. "He is enjoying himself, so I do not. However, I will give him a thorough beating later."
"As deserved." I nodded.
"It turns out you were actually pretending to be a Tiger to eat the Pig!" Wilhelm held his staff up.
"That's not how it goes!" The Girl's screech was audible over the oncoming torrent of cold.
Still, the Goddess hid her laughing at her Disciples' increasing anger.
"Do you dare take this attack head on!?" The Girl challenged.
"This Young Master will take your challenge!" Wilhelm declared. "If I take a half step back or avoid your attack, I will write my name backwards!"
"Then die!"
"...Feim Zii Gron." He became ethereal again, the attack passing right through him.
Should I have expected anything different?
"Shameless!" The Girl yelled in indignation.
"Zun Haal Viik."
Her sword went flying out of her grasp again.
Her anger was palpable at this point.
"I don't need my sword!" She raised her hands up. "Let's see how long you can avoid me!" The Ice and Cold swirled around like a storm.
"Actually, I don't like the cold. Let's change the weather." Wilhelm's relaxed appearance was certainly sending alarms to the girl.
"What…?"
"Lok Vah Koor." Wilhelm spoke again, an invisible ripple shook the surroundings, forcibly dispersing the strange sky that appeared, returning everything to normal as the Girl's control of the cold diminished significantly.
The Girl…well, all her fighting spirit nearly collapsed. "Shameless, Dishonorable! You rely on small tricks and don't dare to fight me! All of you are the same!"
Wilhelm tilted his head, then glanced at the Goddess.
"I believe it's a good time to stop playing. Please show your true strength." The Goddess spoke.
Silently, Wilhelm's demeanor shifted and a new weight descended down onto the room. I was aware of what he did, shifting his source of power to his Spiritual aspect, pushing it down on everyone so they could physically gauge how strong Wilhelm was.
A good portion of the room faltered, falling if not outright passing out from the pressure.
There were a few that barely even reacted.
Perhaps only the ones closest to the Goddess.
As Nuwa herself did nothing to dissuade the pressure.
The Girl he fought, she turned pale and pressed to the ground. To her credit, she did not immediately lose consciousness.
He took slow steps as he approached her. Taking out his original sword, he stabbed it into the ground next to her head.
"That's right, I was just playing." He said simply, releasing the pressure from the room.
"Do you see?" Nuwa spoke once everyone had a breath to regain their composure. "What did she say? Petty tricks? That's right, Ling'er was defeated by petty tricks. Things that those outside our home can do with ease. And you fell for them so easily."
"Goddess, that's not fair." The woman who argued against from earlier spoke up. "He's –"
"He's younger than Ling'er." Nuwa spoke, shutting up the other woman. "He's younger than Ling'er yet, he has fought the likes of Susanoo-no-Mikoto from our neighbors to the east. The Storm God of Japan, for those of you unaware. He emerged victorious."
There was….silence. They stared at the Goddess with a mix of shock and confusion.
"Later, and most recently, he fought along with the Storm God against Indra." Nuwa emphasized the name of the Hindu deity, and they seemed much more receptive to his name over the Japanese God. "Even the Jade Emperor would respectfully Greet him and treat him as an Honored Guest."
She stood up, walking to the girl Wilhelm fought. She placed a hand on her, and her pale complexion alleviated slightly. "A few words and you were foolish enough to harm yourself for what? A friendly spar?" Nuwa shook her head, addressing the room again. "I will give you all the evening to contemplate what you've learned. We will reconvene and properly discuss the next course of action."
With that, another word and she gestured for us to follow her out of the room.
[***]
Wilhelm POV
"That was certainly something." Nuwa mused as we walked through her Palace.
"Thanks, I try my best."
The Goddess snorted. "Yes, I'm sure."
Well, it didn't go as expected, but I'm satisfied!
"Ah…"
"What?" Artoria asked.
"I never got to finish my Rice." I realized.
"Unfortunate, it was very tasty." My adorable Knight smiled brightly.
It might seem odd to call a simple bowl of rice a Banquet, but I was sure that bowl was worth more than what a normal person in this realm could afford after saving for years.
"I was hoping that one of those would interfere in your fight so I would have an excuse to join in." My teacher let out a small sigh.
"Your group seems fun." The Goddess just watched us out of the corner of her eye as we walked.
"There will not be a problem with Wilhelm humiliating your Disciples, will there?" Artoria asked.
"No, it was within what I expected. Even if I did not anticipate his enthusiasm." She pursed her lips. "But it will do them good. They've become arrogant and content."
Odin mentioned something similar with his own.
Artoria nodded in understanding.
"….perhaps you should keep far away from Ling'er though." The Goddess added. "After what happened, I believe she's going to tie her weapon to her hand and look for ways to cut immaterial things after she recovers."
Heh.
It's unfortunate that Disarming my opponents isn't something that works all the time. The strong you become, the more difficult it is. It's a great Shout to create an opening, but rarely does it just…..disable an opponent of mine so easily.
It's been a long time since I've fought someone on her level.
She was what? A High Class by the majority of the world's standards.
But she had very little true combat experience.
I would bet she's spent most of her time training.
But it didn't really matter to me, I washed my hands of the mess here.
"For thanks from the gathering, I wanted to offer you a reward." Nuwa spoke again. "My Treasure Pavilion is not the greatest, but I have collected quite a bit over the years. So I will give you an option, it has three floors. The First floor has the lowest level of treasures, and the third floor is where I keep the more exquisite and powerful pieces. You may either pick three treasures on the first floor, two on the second, or one on the third. And as an additional Apology, you may pick one additional treasure on the First floor regardless of what you choose."
"Generous." I mused.
"Maybe, maybe not." The Goddess replied. "I have seen the quality of your own treasures. You also wield the Spear of the Biblical God, and the Great Welsh himself. The treasures of that quality are far and few, most of which I possess are in my personal collection. There is nothing within that can match them."
Eh, that's to be expected. As far as weapons go, they're at the peak of the world.
"Where would you like to go first?"
"Let's start on the Third Floor." I may as well see what she considered the best of this place.
Nuwa merely gestured and the walls around us reconfigured. They opened up revealing a wide array of tables with all sorts of valuables presented. Weapons that glittered and shined, artifacts that radiated power, and odd trinkets that could give off strange feelings.
The first thing to grab my attention was an Arrow on a podium.
"Not bad." I looked it over.
"It is impressive." Scáthach agreed.
"It does give off a dangerous feeling."
"Ah, an arrow crafted personally by Hou Yi." Nuwa replied. "It has the ability to contain Fire and suppress the Sun and kill Immortals. Unfortunately, half of its power is sealed without the Bow."
"You wouldn't happen to have the bow?" I asked.
Nuwa laughed. "If I had the bow, it would not be up here for anyone to take. And the Arrow would be retained by me."
Fair.
That Bow would be on the level of the spear, easily.
There were more weapons, many powerful and wonderful ones. But….they were all inferior to my own. Even my worst sword was barely equaled by what I had glanced over so far.
"Wilhelm." Artoria called out to me and I followed.
Two swords sat side by side. At merely a glance, I could tell that these swords were of a high quality and on par with what I'm used to.
"Gan Jiang and Mo Ye." Nuwa introduced.
"The swords of love?" I vaguely recalled the story of the Blacksmith who's wife threw herself into the forge so he could complete the commission to the emperor and not be executed.
"The very same." Nuwa nodded.
I was tempted, they were…good swords.
"May I?" I asked.
"Go ahead."
I picked one of them up, and immediately, I realized that I had to hold the other one, otherwise it would reject me. I held both of them within my hands, feeling their weight. "They're good swords, but they're not for me."
I'm not much of a Dual wielder, and having to wield both of them simultaneously was a big downside to someone like me who switches between weapons depending on the situation.
There were certainly plenty of treasures I wanted, but there was only really one more that drew my attention.
It was a sword, or what remained of one.
I ran a finger along the hilt up to where the blade was shattered.
"Xuan Yuan." Nuwa introduced again. "The Sword of the Yellow Emperor." She spoke and there was an odd….nostalgic and loving tone in her words. I would almost liken it to a proud mother.
Even broken, I was tempted to take this.
A broken sword could always be reforged and even if it was a degree less than its original form, it would still be a sword worth wielding next to my other ones. I could only guess what it was originally like before it broke.
But, I decided against it.
"Let's see the second floor."
With another wave of her hand, another wall opened revealing what I assume was the second floor. It's funny, I'm pretty sure they were actually separate floors, but Nuwa probably couldn't be bothered to walk up and down whatever stairs existed, so she was doing this for us.
There are significantly more things on this 'floor'.
Also, I noticed the rows of scrolls and…..were those Jade Slips?
Basically, what Cultivators used instead of books.
But there were many.
Nuwa seemed to noticed my gaze. "This is where we keep the majority of our techniques and Spells as well."
Makes sense.
Third floor was for the really spicy things. Second floor was more of the main storage while first floor was probably more of an introduction or less impressive stuff or important stuff.
The quality noticeably dipped, but that didn't curb my enthusiasm.
But there was a lot.
"Would it be improper of me to ask for a suggestion?" I wondered what she thought I might want.
Nuwa didn't look perturbed. "Do you practice Onmyoji?"
"Somewhat." I can't say It's ever been my main focus. "I know a few spells, but it's something I use when a sealing spell is needed. But most of what I know is….well, it can't really keep up with the opponents I fight these days."
Really, the spell I use most there is the Five Elements Mutual Generation to amplify my other stuff.
Nuwa tapped her chin in thought. "The third shelf, middle section, I think there may be some things there that will interest you. They are not exactly the same, but they have a similar history and origin so it would not be too difficult for you to learn."
Artoria and Scáthach had wandered to the sides, looking at things, so I went to look at her suggestion.
Third Shelf, Middle section, there were scrolls, parchments, and Jade Slips littering it.
"Twelve Flood Dragons?" I muttered the name of one particular scroll and pushed it back. "Heavenly Cicada's Evening Song. One Dragon soaring the Heavens. Five Elements Sealing the Heavens. Fire Dragon's Fury…"
I was starting to see a pattern here….
I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but, well.
I atleast took a look at the Five Elements Sealing the Heavens. It was…..at its basic it was similar to my Five Elements Mutual Generator at first glance, but instead of amplifying a spell, it instead reversed it to seal away the immaterial.
Interesting, but not something I particularly needed.
I glanced to the side to see Scáthach join me out of curiosity. "Too Delicate." She pushed a scroll away. "Too flamboyant." She said to another. "Fancy and hollow. Interesting…..but too complicated. Weak…." She kept dismissing them. "Here, student, this one only requires that you sever your manhood, but it is rather interesting."
"I want to be petty and do it just to spite you."
"Hmph, as if I would ever allow you to take your cock away from me." My Scáthach snorted with a laugh. She looking through several more until she stopped. "This one." She said,reading over it. "It fills a spot in your repertoire." She handed it to me unceremoniously.
I trusted her judgment and immediately began reading it.
Mountain Sealing Incantation.
A sealing spell? I skimmed it over. It wasn't too complicated at first glance either, and while it used principals I did not practice, I was sure I could substitute them for other things.
Well, color me intrigued.
"I'll hold onto this and see if we can't find anything better."
Scáthach hummed and didn't respond, merely a nod as she continued to look through.
I went the opposite direction, finding some rather odd things thrown about on the shelves. Funny enough, I found a dusty tome on Western Magic.
Out of curiosity I flipped through it, it was rather basic, perhaps even intermediate at some points. Maybe I was being too harsh, it would suffice for someone to practice for a good portion of their life.
If they learned everything in it well enough, I could see a Magician becoming High Class in Strength, at the higher end of the spectrum.
Pushing it away, I noticed something peculiar.
A strange aura nearby, a few feet down. A thin layer of dust, and nearly hidden by other things. I pushed them to the side to reveal a rather thick rolled parchment made of unknown material, but…..it was strange.
As soon as I touched it, I realized it wasn't created by Mortal Hands.
There was power here, a significant power, but it was muted…depleted even.
There was nothing on it from the outside.
I unfurled it, and the first words written in an archaic text made my breathing nearly come to a stop. It was worn, barely eligible, but I could recognize the words and the feeling it gave didn't make me question its authenticity.
"….why do you have this?" My voice wasn't particularly loud, but it was enough that Nuwa, who wasn't taking much of an interest, suddenly looked over.
"Oh, I forgot that was here. It was given to me for something that happened many years ago, but at that point, well, you can feel it yourself. Its purpose was fulfilled, and it lost all of its power, so it's just a decoration at this point." Nuwa replied nonchalantly.
"Student, what did you find?" Scáthach was peering over my shoulder.
"Did you find something valuable?" Artoria asked.
"Can I take this?" I asked Nuwa.
"If you want that old thing, fine." She waved her hand dismissively. "I only kept it because of the sentimental aspect. It's not even worth putting on the top floor."
I took one last glance at the first words on it.
God's Investiture List.
I'm taking this, I don't know why, but I feel like it could be extremely useful in the future.
"Right, then I'll take this and the Mountain Sealing Incantation." I said.
"Hmm, good choice. That's a good spell, and if it's cultivated to its highest level, it's quite powerful." Nuwa Nodded. "Now, shall we take a look at the first floor?"
Scáthach and Artoria didn't question me. I would explain more later when we had more time.
I nodded to her and she did the same thing as before, opening a path to the first floor from where we stood.
Once again, it opened up to a much wider area containing a wide array of miscellaneous objects. And about what you would expect. This floor, I wouldn't call it trash by any means, but this was probably where they stored everything they found that could be considered a 'treasure' that couldn't make it to higher floors.
The quality was about what the majority of the 'things' I kept as my own 'treasures' in my storage. Good enchanted swords that I found in Skyrim? That was basically the same quality as what could be found here.
It may have taken a long time to find something worth it in here. If it weren't for the fact that my eyes immediately landed on what I wanted.
It was Magic, in that, It was the variety I was familiar with.
I analyzed it from sight alone, its enchantments and engravings I could decipher with my eyes closed. Flight capabilities, enhanced durability. Offensive spells. Lots of more miscellaneous things for it to work, but I saw it all. Oh, the spellcraft was utter shit, but that could be fixed later.
I ran up and immediately hugged it. "It's beautiful."
"….Wilhelm, are you serious?" Artoria asked me.
"I want it."
"There are….other things that may catch your eyes."
"Please, I want this."
"….what are you going to even use it for?"
"….I'll think of something." I pleaded. "Please let me have this, I want it."
Artoria let out a sigh. "If it truly makes you happy, then I will not object."
I happily hugged my new boat.
Rather, it was not just a boat.
It was a Pirate Ship. A….medium sized one…I didn't know the specific term or model of it. But it was like straight out of a movie. Sure, it was a bit damaged and weathered from the ages, but it even had a Jolly Roger!
A Flying Magical Pirate ship!
I took Sir Wiggles out, placing him on Artoria's head, much to her chagrin. "First Mate Sir Wiggles."
"This is what you chose?" Nuwa asked.
"Yes." I said happily.
Nuwa let out a laugh. "I didn't think this would ever get taken out of here. It appeared some centuries ago off the coast of China, causing some trouble for the Mortals. One of my Disciples at the time happened across them and took care of the people involved. I believe this ship is the source of the legends in the west….what was its name again….the Flying Dutchman?"
It took all of my self-control not to Squee.
Today was a good day.
[***]
A/N
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