The port city of Moradale.
An ivory spire reaches into the sky.
It was dwarfed by its elder brother, the spire city.
Its mana created an aurora in the evening sky.
The signal lights from the zeppelin docks flashed as the ships docked for the night.
The RazenHeir carriage arrived at the main hall.
A pair of knights led from the front.
A symbol of a phoenix was pinned to their black uniforms.
Thud. Thud.
Their champion marched close behind, watching over them.
The sound of Hikari's boots.
Her dress fluttered in the wind.
Her long, muscular leg.
The blood-ruby adornments glowed even brighter as the evening faded.
The silver glittered in the lantern light.
They marched towards a grand mansion twice the size of the RazenHeir estate.
It's lavish decor.
Knights in imbued armour forged in the workshops of the spire city.
They reached the foyer.
A gathering of young men in their smart suits.
Hikari senses their mana.
They were the young knights of the Moradale houses.
Thud.
The sound of her heavy boots attracts them.
They turned their heads and stared at the giantess.
Her silver hair fluttering in the wind.
Her ruby-red eyes.
The top of her cleavage.
A wine glass smashed into the ground.
The wine splashed all over the young man's trousers.
A fine pair of trousers worth a knight's monthly wages.
The maids rushed to his rescue with their cloth.
The carriage docks at the forey.
Ria steps out.
A pinkish silk dress, glass slippers.
Fresh white four-petaled flower with a subtle fragrance.
Her scarlet hair, bright blue eyes, fair skin, a touch of makeup powder.
She saw the boys tilting their heads backwards.
She blushed.
She knew what they were looking at.
As she walked down the carpet, they paid her no heed.
"Hey! Giants are not allowed! How did you get into the estate grounds!?" A grey-haired butler bellowed.
"Sorry"
The butler turned to the guard captain.
"What are the guards doing?"
The Guard captain turned away, pretending not to hear.
The butler placed his hand on his shoulder and forced him to turn around.
The man was sweating in his helmet; his crotch was bulging and wet.
"What is this disgraceful conduct!? Go fetch your crotch guard if you can't control yourself! Now as for you-"
"Excuse me."
A meek voice.
The butler didn't notice at first.
"Good evening, young lady. You're?"
"Ria RazenHeir."
"Ah! The Razenheirs. To whom do I owe the pleasure?"
"That giant is my knight. I do believe we have sent word of her arrival ahead of time."
The butler was stumped.
The old butler straightened his back and looked Hikari in the eye.
His old age made him immune to her charm, unlike the young men in the background.
"I deeply apologise; I'll trouble you no more."
The butler bowed and walked away.
"I'm afraid you will have to stand guard now. I'll be sure to get some nice food for you afterwards."
"Enjoy yourself."
Ria smiled back and walked into the main hall.
Hikari looked over her tiny lady as she shuffled her way along the carpet into the hall.
"This way."
A maid approached her and beckoned her to follow.
Hikari shuffled her boots after her.
Guardian knights from the houses attending the ball lined up along the side of the mansion.
The knights on either side of her tensed as she took her position.
She could sense them sneaking glances at her.
A pair of mages walk past her. The man in bright blue robes turned his head.
He stopped in the middle of the pavement.
His light robes could not stop the summoning of his dragon.
Wham! His partner bashed him across the face and dragged him away by the ear.
The estate grounds got quiet.
She began circulating her mana.
Sentry duty was the most uneventful task a knight could ask for.
She glanced at the knight on her right.
Light armour. His dragon stands.
He looked straight and maintained a stern expression, hoping no one would notice.
Three swords strapped to his back.
"A spell blade?"
Hikari sensed the mana in the sword.
His bracelets contained a set of matching runes.
She peered into the man's eyes as he tried to sneak a glance at her.
…
Her mind space.
An empty courtyard.
The spell blade stood opposing her.
His physique was modest, reaching her knee height.
A sword floated out of its scabbard.
He ignited the runes.
Arches of energy fizzled from the tip to the handle.
Hikari took her stance.
Dagger in her hand.
The floating blade lunged at her.
Clank! She parried. Sparks of energy stung her hand as the metal touched.
The blade was knocked far away.
The spellblade lost control of his blade.
He unleashed his other two blades.
Their paths diverged before converging on her from awkward angles.
Hikari studied their movements as they whizzed through the air.
Clank! Clank! With one swing, she parries them both.
The blades hit the ground.
…
The cool breeze gently nudged her heavy hair.
The spell blade standing to her right suddenly ran off.
The estate was quiet again.
A party with hundreds of people was happening on the other side of the wall.
But the sound-proofed walls prevented her from hearing them.
She circulated her mana as there was little else to do.
She looked out into the distance.
More estates.
Large plots of land with lavishly decorated mansions.
She could see the lights coming from the windows.
The glow of mana from the arcaneums.
The city of Moradale behind her.
One of the highest concentrations of military power anywhere on the continent.
Clank. Clank.
She glanced at the knight on the right.
Heavy armour. Dozens of interlocking plates.
His physique matched its weight.
A massive crossbow, big enough for her to wield.
A tower shield resting by his side.
Clank. Clank.
His armour rattled as he adjusted his hip.
He sneaked a glance at her.
…
Hikari's mind space.
An empty courtyard.
The heavily armoured knight stood opposite her.
The mechanism in his suit lifted his heavy crossbow up and mounted it on his shield.
Hikari put up her guard.
The flat side of her dagger facing outwards.
Tilted at an angle to deflect projectiles.
His heavy suit hummed like a steam engine.
A suit powered by mana.
Hikari channeled her mana and raised her barrier.
With a burst of energy, the heavily armoured knight suddenly thrust himself backwards.
Hikari kept her eyes peeled.
The ballista bow drew to its maximum.
It released.
Clank! In a split second, a ballista bolt crashed into her dagger and bounced off her back.
The knight's armour hummed.
He bent his knees and thrust himself up onto a wall.
He fired again from his elevated position.
With light footwork, Hikari turned her body and dodged the bolt.
…
The cool breeze gently nudged her heavy hair.
She glanced at the armoured knight on her left.
His armour rattled as he adjusted his hip.
The spell blade came back with a fresh change of pants.
Crotch armour strapped tightly to his waist.
Hikari looked down again.
An old wizard suddenly appeared before her, studying her intently.
His brow and hair were so thick that its a miracle that he could even see.
Despite his dainty appearance, she could sense a tremendous amount of mana within his misleadingly frail body.
"Ho! Ho! Ho!" he began to laugh, stroking his silver beard that extended down to his legs.
…
Hikari's mind space.
The silver wizard stands opposite her.
He raises his hands.
Wrinkles and spots show his age.
But his mana pool did not.
Energy zones appeared around the courtyard.
Hikari could sense them.
Sudden bursts of white lightling out of nowhere.
Hikari stood her ground.
The silver wizard gathered energy in his hand.
The rings on his fingers flared with power.
A white ball of mana flew towards Hikari.
She focused her barrier and blocked it head-on.
The ground was charred where the white lightning struck.
…
"Ho! Ho! Ho!" he turned and walked away, continuing to stroke his beard.
His back bunched, leaning on a stick to support himself.
Hikari continued circulating her mana.
"Heels."
She just remembered her heels.
Her boots were still stained from fighting the cultists.
They were cleaned just enough to march to Moradale, as her heels would make it difficult to cover the distance.
Hikari placed her heels on the ground before her.
She disassembles her boots, stacking the wyvern skin behind her.
The sound of coughing came from either side as the stench of her marching socks was unleashed.
She stepped off the boot soles.
Her socks touched the ground.
The well-kept estate grounds would not dirty them.
She raised one foot up and pressed the sole with her thumb.
Her feet felt stiff after half a day of marching.
The glances turned into stares as she lifted her other foot.
She could smell the stench of her socks that carried the sweat of a workout and a march.
She lifted her foot and let the wind air her sock.
The wind carried it through the estate grounds.
The stares and the coughing from the knights on either side of her
"Socks?"
She tried to remember if her lady had instructed her to wear her heels with or without them.
She disassembles anyway and piles them up behind her.
The wind blew from left to right.
The spell blade standing on her left ran off again, having wet his pants a second time.
Beads of sweat on her bare skin sparkled in the lantern light.
She slid her foot onto the heels.
The cool, dry surface of new shoes.
The straps criss-crossed over her foot.
Clack! She made sure they were nice and tight.
The steel bore made a loud sound on the pavement, drawing the attention of an entire estate.
She slid on her other heel.
Clack! Clack!
She remembered her lady's instructions on walking in heels.
Imagine a straight line on the ground in front of you; place your heels on that straight line on every step.
Hikari takes a deep breath.
Clack! Step by step, she walked.
Clack! Pause.
Clack! Pause.
The flat pavement made it easier.
Her dress fluttered in the wind as she walked.
The blood crystals sparkled.
Her skin glowed in the moonlight.
Clack! She reached her starting point.
Anchoring on the bore, she turned and faced outwards from the mansion.
A crowd gathered in front of her.
Murmurs.