"Why do I feel like I've been tricked?"
"You're overthinking it," Nassandra giggled. "But I'm curious. How did your graduation go?"
He raised his chin. "Of course, your big brother graduated rank 1!"
"We should definitely celebrate then!" she shouted excitedly.
"You just want to celebrate your birthday," he teased.
"We can do both, can't we?" Her big eyes made it impossible to say no.
"I suppose we could."
"You're the best!" The girl hugged him tightly.
"Alright, leave it to your big brother. We should get you a haircut too. It's getting too long."
"I wanted to keep it long though. Don't I look cute?"
He coughed. "Let's head home before the crowds arrive. Come on."
"You dodged the question!"
"I did? I don't remember."
They chatted as they strolled through the campus. Thankfully, Nassandra was not wearing her Ten Dawn uniform and robe. Nobody recognized them. Freon kept smiling, because he could tell that Nassandra's trauma was finally gone. She was back to normal. She was kind, too kind for this war-riddled world. He would shelter her from everything, be it killing or destroying, so she could smile in the end. That was his pride as her older brother! He clenched his fists. Low Condensed Drop Core Level was just the beginning!
"Oh, that's right. I got this invitation from the Second Sage. There's a banquet party in five days, and we're invited," Nassandra explained, pulling out a letter from her pocket.
"Ugh," Freon was disgusted.
"Don't say that, brother. You're a guest of honor!"
"I am?" His eyes widened in horror.
"Mhm, that's right. You should read the invite."
He sighed. "Alright… Are you going?"
She spread her hands helplessly. "I have to, since I'm a Ten Dawn."
"Engelsheft, Hochlaegen, and the Celestial Council… This isn't some small party."
"It's supposed to be a celebration party honoring our victory in the Second Great Kingdom War. The Second Sage said that more than five hundred people will be going, and that Princess Elizabeth, Sir Benedict, and Lady Shirley will be guests of honor too."
"I guess I don't have much of a choice. I can't let you go by yourself. That said, I don't have anything appropriate for a banquet party, and going in my uniform would be weird."
"Let's buy some new clothes then!"
"I didn't bring any money though."
"Hehe. Don't worry! I brought a lot of coins!" She patted a large pouch.
Freon was humored and pinched her cheek again. "When did you get so cunning?"
"I'm not cunning. I'm cute!" Nassandra retorted.
"Alright, whatever you say. The shops won't stay open for long. We should hurry."
"Shouldn't we wait for Yuna to come out?"
He shrugged. "Her parents are probably waiting for her, so I don't see a point."
She muttered to herself in disbelief. "My brother is really dense."
"What was that?"
"Nothing!"
Freon stared at her suspiciously before shaking his head. This little girl was growing up fast. He felt proud. It was hard to imagine that a mere eight years ago, they were a pair of orphans, digging through trash to find moldy food to eat. His sister was so thin and frail that she weighed practically nothing at all. She could barely walk, and he had to carry her everywhere. Hungry, thirsty, cold, and sick… Their faces were caked with dirt, their clothes filled with holes, and their minds drowned with despair. Back then, Freon thought about killing himself more than once. The world was unkind to him, so why should he persist? What was the point? But he chose not to because he would be leaving his baby sister behind and that… was utterly unforgivable! So, he carried on. He kept struggling. He pushed forward until… she was here today, happy and smiling. That was enough to confirm, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was worth it. Every last bit of it. Was this how being a father felt? It must be.
They hailed a carriage and headed for the market. Freon did not have the faintest idea about fashion or trends. Weirdly though, Nassandra seemed to know a lot. Freon was perplexed. She did not have that interest before. She was growing up faster than he expected… They arrived at their destination half an hour later. It was a wide city square with thousands of small shops set up. The streets were packed to the brim with people walking shoulder to shoulder, as the stench of sweat accumulated. That was not the only smell. Immediately, Freon could smell fried fish, grilled meat, and baked bread. His stomach growled in anticipation. At the same time, so did Nassandra's. They exchanged a glance and snickered. Truly, like brother and sister!
"How about we get something to eat first?" Freon suggested.
"Good idea!"
The siblings navigated the market with practiced ease, having come here often to browse around and shop. In truth, they could have gone to the upper class districts. Freon and Nassandra were both Low Condensed Drop Arcanists, the former a potential Ten Dawn, and the latter an active Ten Dawn. In the Zino Kingdom where Core Level was viewed highly, they were the equivalent of Engelshefts in all but name. However, they stuck to their roots. The snobby affluent nobles made them uncomfortable.
The food market was not that far. Freon inhaled the powerful allure of food. It was… overwhelming. His mouth began to salivate involuntarily, and his mind began to corrode under the hunger. How could such heavenly food exist in the mortal world? It did not make sense! And indeed, it did not. With a bit of willpower, Freon and Nassandra easily shook off the effects. It was simple to do if they knew the trick beforehand. If they did not, it was not necessarily a bad thing. The only thing that would happen is that they would be subconsciously guided to a food stall and buy things. After that, the 'effects' would be dispelled without a trace. This was a basic wind-type spell, meant to amplify and circulate the smell of the products they were selling. In order words… it was a form of advertising! In the Alzar Kingdom or the Xingyuu Empire, people would shout to hawk their wares. Here in the Zino Kingdom, people would use magic!
Unlike what most people thought, using Arcania in a public setting was permissible… given some limitations. First, it could not inflict lasting damage to people or property. Second, the duration could not exceed ten minutes, and the range could not exceed a certain distance. Third, it required a permit issued by the local government. This wind-type advertisement spell was not rare. Freon released his Magic Perception and instantly sensed more than a hundred Arcanists doing it. He could accurately pinpoint their exact location, strength, and range. Their Core Levels were mainly Low Gaseous Fog with a few at Medium Gaseous Fog. Knowledge of how to awaken Cores and cast spells was publicly available. It was no secret. But despite its availability, there were not many Arcanists. It was the same as picking up a sword. Anyone could do it; however, very few could become a sword master. These shop owners and employees… they might have spent years, maybe even decades, to master a single spell. That was the limit of their talents. This could have been Freon's future too.
Which was not to say these shop owners and employees were failures… Instead, it was the opposite. Freon's attention was pulled away when a lifelike crane, birthed from flames, soared into the sky and crashed down onto a grill to roast a succulent pig. At another stall, noodles were continuously flung into a hot water bath, as the water was drawn out into a beautiful celestial river. There was a third stall, where it was actually snowing… due to the precise control of wind and temperature. As usual, Freon and Nassandra were amazed. Although these people only mastered a single spell, they pushed it to the absolute extremes, transforming it from something mundane to something extraordinary! They perfected their skill to a point that even Freon and Nassandra could not recreate. This was the result of decades of hard work!
These three stalls attracted the most customers, but there were many other similar performances seen throughout the market. Of course, their frequency was not very high. Gaseous Fog Arcanists lacked the Magic Energy reserves to sustain it. Still, it was exciting to look at. This kind of show could only be seen here in the Zino Kingdom's capital. Nowhere else in the human world was there something close. That was why this city was so special. Furthermore, it demonstrated that Arcania had uses beyond warfare and bloodshed. It challenged the belief that Arcanists were merely living weapons. They should not be feared but embraced. Sadly, this was not something that could be changed in one lifetime. Perhaps, neither Freon nor Nassandra would live to see that day.