Chapter 99: Faith

Mizu and Arthur stayed a little while longer underneath the city before heading back. The party was still going in full force, and nearly everyone was there.

“Karbo, I’m not drinking that,” Eito said. “I felt like I was going to die the last time. And the time before that. Arthur, tell him.”

“It’s true. I had to bring him back to life with tea,” Arthur said, even though he knew full well that Eito would get worn down and give in eventually.

“You see? I shouldn’t drink so much,” Eito exclaimed.

Karbo laughed. “What do you mean, so much? Last time you had one mug. One. I just wanted you to taste it.”

“Wait, really? That was from one drink?” Arthur asked.

“One strong drink,” Eito said. Arthur glanced at Karbo, who shook his head.

“No stronger than wine,” Karbo added.

“How?” Arthur said. “You looked like you had drunk a distillery.”

“I have…” Eito coughed. “A weak constitution as far as alcohol is concerned. Which is why, Karbo, I’m saying no. Maybe another time.”

Karbo shrugged and moved off to find another victim, seeming to settle on Ern, who looked only mildly surprised to find himself on the receiving end of Karbo’s booze-gifting.

“You know, I’m proud of you,” Arthur said to Eito. “Resisting peer pressure. Making good life decisions. You’re all grown up now.”

Eito laughed. “That makes two of us. Mizu said yes, I sense?”

“How did you know I was going to ask her?”

“Arthur, I’m an old man. And I was never much for… social things. But I knew. Everyone knew. I think there were paving stones that knew you’d try to bring that girl to wherever you were going to go.”

“That didn’t mean I was going to go.”

“True. That was less sure. But I would have been surprised if you didn’t. You’ve been involved in big things ever since you got here, Arthur. Some bigger than you’d think, especially the ones that weren’t as exciting as the others. But they were all big.” Eito accepted a tea Arthur had just finished assembling from the ingredients at hand. “Everyone, Arthur, is caught in the wind of the system, but some catch more of it than others. In that sense, your sails are as big as any I’ve seen.”

“You think we’ll do okay out there?” Arthur asked. “The others and me?”

“You want my professional opinion?”

“Sure.”

“Then it’s time to put my trainer hat back on. Let's start. There’s Milo, who I believe right now is involved in an eating contest with Onna, who everyone seems to forget is a high-strength, high-vitality combat class. And yet, he’s a genius.”

“Really?”

“Very much so. The work he’s done for you is one thing, but since then, he’s been taking on projects for the city here and there, and accomplishing things in ways nobody else thinks of. And he’s smart enough to keep it quiet,” Eito said with quiet proud.

“I would have expected him to brag,” Arthur said.

“And yet, he didn’t. There’s more there than you’d think. Then there’s Rhodia. Not a genius, but practical ceramics classes don’t need to be. She’s consistent, hard-working, and maintains quality at high output. Every day, she gets a bit better. The day will come when settlers of whatever town she goes to pass down the unbreakable dishes she made. Pottery and ceramic classes aren’t about moments of inspiration. They care more about patience and the willingness to do the same thing over and over again for just a tiny improvement,” Eito praised.

“So machines, metal, and cups,” Arthur concluded softly.

“And water. And that’s not a matter of genius, at least not in the same way. Wellers are artists.”

“Really? I’ve seen Mizu covered in mud enough to doubt parts of that.”

“Don’t. She works in the mud because it helps the art. I don’t understand every aspect myself, but I know the wellers don’t tolerate people who can’t hack it,” Eito said as he waved into the crowd. A series of waves came back at him. “And every one of them loves her. Speaks highly of her. I wonder if you know just how much of your shop’s success has to do with her water.”

“I had some guesses,” Arthur said.

“I bet you did. And that’s water covered, which is important for, oh, dozens of things. And then there’s the fact that you’ll have some of the heaviest hitters in the world a few towns away. Karbo is about the best there is. Beyond him, there’s also a smattering of combat classes that’ll be around to take care of anything that might come up. Monsters and danger are a bit more common out on the frontier, though everything is generally manageable. But that’s not who I’m most excited about.”

“Who?”

“That owl. And you.”

“Wait. I make tea and Lily doesn’t have skills yet,” Arthur said. He paused and then teased his tree trainer. “Are you sure you didn’t get the fumes from Karbo’s cup?”

“No, I’m serious.” Eito took a drink from his cup that was full of tea, then held it up. “Quality-of-life is important, so you have that going for you right away. People go to frontier towns for the opportunity, Arthur. They stay for those around them, especially the cooks. Add the fact that you can do dozens of practically useful things with the tea and that you are far from bottlenecking any time soon…”

“But why Lily?” Arthur said. “Not that I doubt you. She beat the system itself in an argument after all. But she’s young and just got her class.”

Eito shook his head. “I have no idea on the specifics. But some people were born to do what they do, and that girl was born to be an assistant. That’s rare. We have assistants in the city. You’ve met them. Despite what you might think, the ones that we have in the city are about average when compared to all the assistants in the empire, perhaps slightly above. But the city still treats them as strategic resources. I don’t know what she’ll be exactly, but it’ll be something. Get ready for it, Arthur. Because I’m sure that, in the long run, the story of the town you found will include her. Maybe even be about her.”

“Yeah.” Arthur looked at Lily, who chose that moment to jump off a pile of crates, ambushing Karbo from behind before hanging off his neck like a tiny feathered backpack. “I can see that being the case. So, what about you, then? Off to the frontier?”

“Me? No. The last thing people need in an expansion is help with growth. The work handles that. I’ll stay here, where I’m needed. Safe, for a time, from Karbo’s mischief.”

“Well. Too bad. I’ll visit, I promise.” Arthur put his hand on Eito’s shoulder. “And Eito? You’ve been a good guardian. Even if I didn’t end up being all that easy to guard.”

“Oh, that was over once Ella took over. Or shortly after. But I did enjoy the title. So go, Arthur. Have fun. Do big things. Build a new world, better than the old one.”

“That’s a tall order,” Arthur said.

“You have the manpower. I have full confidence that I’ll be bragging about you at parties one day,” Eito said as his lips curled upwards. “I’ll say that I once trained Arthur and everyone will want to hear that story.”

“I promise I’ll visit.” Arthur nodded to Eito and then glanced at the party.

“Go, I’ll stay away from Karbo for a bit longer,” Eito said.

With a final thank you, Arthur went and joined the others.

The party went on for hours and hours, well into the night. It seemed like the whole town stopped by at some point or another. Minos broke out his maps, telling everyone about the wonders he had seen out in the barely charted wilderness and making it sound like a perfect paradise.

People danced. People sang. And, Arthur noticed, everyone looked just a little nervous under the surface. A little bit afraid of what was coming. The apprehension was real. But so was the hope. Every demon there, from the largest to the smallest, expected that the expansion was the beginning of a fantastic new world. One that would be better than the old. The next step for their world.

For them, that was just the way it had always been. For Arthur, that faith was newer. But it was faith, closely held and genuinely shared.