Chapter 522
Creatures smart enough to distinguish trash from gold were also so dangerous that it wasn't worth facing them unless there was a rich bounty on their heads . In such cases, one had to be as wary of the competition as they were their target .
More than one group of mercenaries had been slain by another waiting in ambush for them to soften the prized creature . What idiots called 'adventure' was actually a high risk, unknown reward business, yet it was the only path to wealth unless one was willing to submit to a noble .
Friya had invested time and effort into her personal guild, but its revenue was still far from ensuring that its members would put their honor and friendship above a mountain of gold .
"Hi, Lith . How long has it been? Three years?" Even if the crowd didn't make way for her, Lith could notice Phloria from a mile away, and not because of her height . Her scent and the sound of her footsteps were so deeply ingrained in his memory that he could recognize them anywhere .
She was wearing a silk satin sky blue evening gown, with a v neckline . Part of her hair was down, like a silky black waterfall that reached her waist, while the rest formed a tress resembling a wreath over her head .
Nostalgia put a sad smile on Lith's face, which was quickly replaced by a raised embrown when he noticed that, together with sapphire parure, she was still wearing the gold lily shaped pendant he had gifted her years ago .
"Almost four . " Only after giving her a small bow did he realize that she wasn't alone . A handsome man in his early twenties was walking arm in arm by her side . He was almost as tall as Lith, with pitch black hair and grey eyes .
His tuxedo emphasized his lean but muscular build . If not for Jirni's words about him, Lith would have been happy for her .
'Phloria deserves someone better than I was . It's the reason why I let her go . How strong is this jerk, Solus?' He thought .
'A clean cyan mana core and trained soldier level of physical prowess . Kallion seems to be a perfectly normal human . Phloria, on the other hand…'
'What about her?' Lith suddenly remembered about her impurities moving, just like it happened to Yurial before his untimely death . He had sent Tista to check on her from time to time and according to his sister, Phloria wasn't supposed to Awaken .
'Her mana core has gone from cyan to bright cyan and her mana flow is abnormal . Maybe we should check her with Invigoration . '
Lith cursed his bad luck . He had no reason to touch Phloria without making Kamila jealous, nor could he ask to speak privately about her health in the middle of the gala . Lith was renowned to be a great diagnostician but spotting an asymptomatic illness with a single glance was something not even Manohar was capable of .
An awkward silence befell to the group after they had introduced their respective dates . Neither of them knew what to say, at least in front of all those people . Small talk was cheap, but speaking their minds would make things even more awkward .
"What a lovely corsage you have, Kamila . I'd never seen anything like that . Did Lith forgemaster it for you?" Phloria unconsciously touched the dimensional amulet he had gifted her at the academy .
It didn't have just sentimental value to her . Phloria had yet to find a better dimensional storage . Orion had studied it for several hours, yet not even he had proven capable of such a feat since Lith had used true magic to make it .
"Yes . It's called a Camellia . " Kamila replied with a radiant smile as she marked her territory . She didn't feel threatened by Phloria, the two of them were too different to make any kind of comparison .
Yet she didn't miss the tension Phloria's arrival had caused and she wanted to make things clear with her without being rude .
"It's wonderful . " Phloria tried and failed to hide how those words stung at her, betrayed by a twitching smile .
"Would you be terribly jealous if I stole your date for a couple of minutes? A wound from my last mission has left me with phantom pain the army Healers cannot explain . I'm in dire need of a second opinion . "
"Well, to be perfectly frank, yes . " Kamila giggled to make it sound like she was joking . "However, I know how seriously Lith takes his oath as a Healer and as fellow army members, we have to support each other . I'll wait for you here . "
The atmosphere tensed up to the point that the bystanders held their breath hoping things to escalate, but neither of the two women said anything nor stopped smiling .
"We'll be right back . " Phloria gave her guest a curtsy before turning her back to them and walking toward a side room while Lith tried to keep up with her pace .
"That was… intense . " Kallion laughed as soon as Phloria walked away, to make sure she couldn't hear him above the noise of the small crowd around them .
"Maybe a little too intense . You've gone overboard miss Yehval, I think you should apologize for your behavior when they get back . " His cold smile didn't extend to his eyes as his words triggered whispers and chuckles among the bystanders .
"You're overthinking, mister Nuragor . " Kamila disrespected his title just like he had done to hers . She was still afraid of the crowd, but not enough to let a pompous jerk order her around while she was an honored guest in her mentor's house .
"Some gestures come naturally when you really care about your partner . I hope you'll find someone like that soon . " The whispers and chuckles intensified . None had missed how quickly Phloria had dropped Kallion's arm, nor that she hadn't talked to her date before leaving .
"I'm sorry to say…" Yet his stone cold voice didn't sound sorry at all . "but it's not a matter of caring, so much as of upbringing . Flaunting that small trinket of yours was unbecoming of an army officer, even for one with a shady family like yours .
Also, it's Mage Nuragor to you . "
"I guess you're right . Not even my disowned father would use such double standards . If you're going to flaunt your title, then it's Lieutenant Yehval to you . " Her rebuke made him turn red from anger, but he didn't dare to continue .
Most of the nobles were on his side, but Phloria's sisters were not .
"I'm sorry if I've offended you, that wasn't my intention . I just wanted to warn you that the other guests may find your 'gestures' rude . I understand you are new to environments such as this, but your behavior could embarrass Great Mage Verhen . "
He gave her a small bow as an apology . Between his words and manners, Kallion had put Kamila between a rock and a hard place .
She could either refuse his apology and risk appearing petty, or accept them and be forced to in turn apologize to Phloria even though she had done nothing wrong .
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