Volume 5 – Chapter 30 (in-editing v2)

Volume 5 – Chapter 30

(I have another 800 words written already of Chapter 31 as well, will let you all know when I'm close to posting! See any typos/mistakes/something I forgot? Let me know in the comments!)

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“You honor us, your Grace.” Micheal bowed deeply, pulling Shin down with him, while crossing one arm over his chest. Shin matched Micheal’s movements, his crash-course in Noble decorum not going in vain.

Duke Armon chuckled as he gestured.

“Please, be seated.”  Micheal and Shin stepped forward, taking a pair of seats near the head of the table, directly to the left of the Duke’s own throne. All around them, dozens of Void Nobles moved to their seats, whether at the Table of Honor, or the lower tables.

Behind the Duke’s throne, Micheal noticed the figure of a Void Noble, standing in the background. The Noble’s eyes were piercing, constantly flickering about the room.

‘Tywel Kathos.’ The Chief Steward of the Atlas Duchy.

‘And its Spymaster.’ A fact humanity only learned many years later.

“It is Axellion’s honor to host a Grandmaster here in my court, moreso a Grandmaster who rose to the occasion and aided my people.” Duke Armon’s voice boomed as he spoke, giving Micheal a slight, but genuine, nod of appreciation.

A hush of quiet whispers broke out as it was revealed that Micheal was a Grandmaster – none of the nobles present had dared go even in the vicinity of the Apex, and information about his Abilities had yet to spread…

Until now.

Immediately, every eye in the court turned towards Micheal, reevaluating his entire existence.

For, if there was thing consistent above all others about Void Nobles, it was this:

They respected power.

Real, true and tangible power.

You could be a terrible villain, but if you possessed enough power, here on the Third Layer, you’d be worshiped as a Hero all the same.

“Now, let us feast!” The Duke raised a glass and a round of cheers rang out as the feast officially began.

The music took up a lively tune as platter upon platter of food was ushered out, carried in by servants and maids alike.

Huge plates full of steaming ribs, slathered in red sauce. Fatty, ‘Perchu’ Chickens, grilled to perfection. Fine, golden bread covered in warm honey and butter. Sweet fruits native to the Third Layer alone, coated in their own unique version of sugar, ‘vera.’

Some of these ingredients were distinctly human – in particular, while the Third Layer had equivalents for wheat and butter, there were no bees native to the Shattered Plane.

‘They must have Humans supplying them honey, via the Shop.’ It was one of the many ways humanity could leverage the mystical Shop, using it to their advantage.

Some common items or foods on Earth were considered luxuries here on the 7 Layers.

Micheal and Shin both began to take part, Shin grabbing a whole handful of ribs and some fruit, while Micheal stuck to the Perchu.

The fatty grilled bird brought back memories of the first timeline, where he’d fought for years in a Knight Company, here on the Third. Perchu was considered a rare delicacy.

“I’ve heard a detailed breakdown of your efforts, young Micheal.”

The Archmage's voice was low as he spoke, not carrying across the room like previously, as he caught Micheal’s attention with a smile.

“Your courage is commendable. You and young Shin will be richly rewarded, come the Founding Celebration.” The prefix ‘young’ was a common way for older Void Nobles to refer to younger individuals that they viewed in a positive light.

Micheal bowed his head, donning a warm smile that he absolutely didn’t feel.

“I only did what I felt was right. You’ve welcomed humanity into your walls, it’s only proper and just that mankind stands with the people of Axellion.”

“Gahaha, now that’s what I like to hear!” Across from the table, Beareth von Atlas chuckled as he slapped his hand down on the table.

“If only all the Foreigners we encountered felt the same.” The Firstborn of the Duke shook his head.

“Indeed. Humanity has proven to be a race of honor.” Contrasz von Atlas cut in, sitting directly to Beareth’s right.

“My Knights would welcome a talent such as yourself, Foreigner or not.” Contrasz continued, his eyes boring into Micheal.

“Now, now, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Beareth chuckled as he slammed a hand down on his brother’s shoulder.

The Duke, in the meanwhile, finely sliced apart a large, meaty steak, content with letting his First and Secondborn take over the conversation.

‘Ah.’ Micheal had a sudden realization, though he didn’t let it show on his face.

‘They’re interested in me, individually.’ Suddenly, all of this made sense.

It was a bad habit, Micheal had, of comparing himself to the most powerful of foes and allies alike. It was a habit of necessity, as he prepared for what was to come…

But he also needed to recognize his own worth.

He was a powerful Grandmaster, which, here on the Third Layer, was a rarity. Even in the higher Layers, those who had mastered a Conceptual Power to a depth akin with ‘Grandmastery’ were rare indeed.

Purely by himself, he represented a very significant level of combat power, on par with an entire elite Knight Company packed down into a single body.  

In the eyes of these Void Nobles…

He was a walking weapon of mass destruction.

He watched quietly as the two brothers bickered, his face impassive.

By no means was he willing to intercede within a dispute between potential Heirs.

Shin, in the meanwhile…

“They play ball under the islands?!’ His best friend gaped as he casually spoke across the table to the Duke’s Thirdborn, a thin, reedy Void Noble named Kasos von Atlas.

Kasos wasn’t considered in contention for heir due to his middling personal strength, and had thus turned his focus to trade. Micheal vaguely remembered that he had founded a trading company, bringing in large amounts of wealth to Axellion, transporting human-spawned goods all across the Third Layer.

“Yes, yes.” Kasos nodded, his eyes beaming as he spoke with passion.

The one other thing Micheal knew about the Thirdborn was that he was an Underball fanatic.

“The match between the Skyriders and Axellion’s own Stone Giants is happening the day before the Celebration! In honor of the Stormbringer's demise, Father has doubled the prizes!” He went on excitedly.

“I have a whole set of First Tier tickets, I’ll see to it you and your friend each get a pair, Shin.” He smiled back at Shin.

“That’s awesome! Thanks so much!” Shin grinned back, giving the Void Noble a thumbs up.

“Think nothing of it. Underball is something everyone should enjoy!”

‘How the…’ Micheal minutely shook his head.

If he didn’t know better, he’d swear Shin possessed a Conceptual Power related to Friendship.

“It sounds like a sick sport!!” Shin replied.

Underball was the most popular spectator sport, here on the Third Layer. It was a dangerous mix of soccer and lacrosse, with the use of powerful Abilities or Spells completely legal as long as they didn’t try to maim or kill other players.

The game was played on the underside of a large cluster of floating islands, where complex gravity nets had been set up in accords with the Underball League’s regulations. Spectators watched through a series of Magic Screens, or, if they were rich or had connections, through specially designed Void Ships with a front row view of the action.

‘Good job, Shin!’ It couldn’t hurt, making a good impression on the Duke’s more influential family members.

It also didn’t pass by Micheal’s notice how here, at the head of the Table of Honor, there wasn’t a woman present, not until you got a half dozen chairs down.

‘…’ He pushed the unpleasant observation aside, focusing back on the present.

The feast went on, as it ever did.

Fine foods were eaten, backroom deals struck, allies and enemies alike meeting on the battlefield of Nobility.

There were performances, Void Natives juggling bolts of energy, a troupe that put on a dance performance intermixed with Ice Magic, and even, of all things, a human juggling act.

As the feast began to die down, and Void Nobles began to get up, many moving off to the dance floor, Micheal finally found the opportunity to broach a topic with the Duke, just before the man was about to stand up, after both the Duke’s First and Secondborn had already left.

“Another Human Grandmaster?”

“Yes, Bastien Amiot. Have you heard of him, perchance?”

Duke Atlas tapped his finger on the table exactly twice.

In the background, the Duke’s Spymaster made a slight, imperceptible motion that only someone with Micheal’s senses and awareness could have noticed.

Immediately, the Duke gave a slight nod.

“I believe so. He’s active near the Inner Sea.”

Micheal resisted the urge to give any reaction, maintaining perfect decorum as he bowed his head slightly.

“He’s a fellow Grandmaster I have immense respect for, and one who has recently gone missing. If possible, I humbly would request any information you may have on the matter.”

The Duke titled his head slightly, before giving Micheal a slight nod as he got to his feet.

“I’ll look into it. You’ll have a response before the Founding Celebration.”

'Success!' The Duke clearly wanted to win him over, and Micheal absolutely took advantage of that. It was for a good cause too, so he didn't even feel guilty.

The Duke immediately set off, his eyes flickering briefly as he noted that Micheal gave a slight bow in response, following proper Void Noble etiquette, before walking down the table and offering his hand to one of his Wives, halfway down the Table of Honor.

‘If nothing else, at least he won’t see me as a savage.’ He thought as he watched the Duke lead his Second Wife to the dance floor.

Shin, in the meantime, had left the Table of Honor, and rejoined Vesper on the other side of the Grand Hall, after giving Micheal room to talk to the Duke privately.

“The hero of the hour!”

Just as Micheal was getting up, a man’s voice caught his attention. Micheal turned his head, seeing a familiar figure.

Kim Jiwoon gave Micheal a friendly wave as he walked up to the now empty head of the Table of Honor.

“I heard-“ Kim Jiwoon paused, whatever he had been about to say dying in his mouth.

For… the moment the two of them locked gazes…

Both of their eyes widened as they felt a resonance, through their very Souls, a recognition on an almost instinctive level…

For just the briefest moment, the Life Orbs hidden within each of them pulsed, recognizing the presence of other Life Orbs.

Kim Jiwoon’s mouth fell open, before he instantly recovered, a charming smile reappearing on his face. His eyes, however, took on a different light, a more serious demeanor.

“I hear the gardens are lovely this hour, a real treat for us lowly humans. Quiet, too.” He waved towards one of the exits with a lopsided grin.

“Shall we?”

Micheal slowly stood up, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the man, whose famous legend and feats were part of what inspired him to become a Life Orb Master, here in the second timeline.

“Yeah.” Micheal grunted, in a rare moment of humor, his expression deadpan,

"I'm down to stare at some plants."

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