[6/1 (Sunday) - Morning]
[Beacon Academy — Dorm Room]
With so many requests piling up, Clerval took a moment to consider his options.
After a brief pause, he sent out a series of polite messages declining the others before dialing the one person he had decided to spend the day with. The call connected after just two rings.
"Good morning, dear Wanderer. I hope you've slept well. Have you made your decision to accompany me to the Velvet Room?"
"I'll be there," he replied simply.
"Very well, I shall see you after lunch. Goodbye."
The line went silent shortly after. Placing the Scroll back on his bed, he rose and headed to the bathroom to freshen up for the day ahead.
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[6/1 (Sunday) - Afternoon]
[Vale — Zone 8 (Commercial Area)]
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"See you later, Clerval!"
Waving back at Team Juniper, who had arrived on the same Bullhead for their own agenda, he continued through the bustling streets of the commercial district. Gradually, the noise of the crowd thinned as he made his way toward the quieter edge of Zone 8, where the door to the Velvet Room was located.
As always, the area near the door was void of passersby, save for the presence of his attendant waiting nearby.
He gave a polite nod when their eyes met.
"Welcome back," Mary smiled as she stepped aside, presenting the door. "Shall we?"
Clerval turned the doorknob and pushed it open, stepping into the world of velvet blue with Mary following close behind.
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[6/1 (Sunday) - Afternoon]
[Velvet Room]
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Opening his eyes, he was met with a faint sense of déjà vu at the absence of the usual occupant. It felt strange not seeing Igor seated in his customary spot, even though they had only known each other for less than a month.
"Welcome to the Velvet Room." Mary smiled after a brief pause. "I've always wanted to say that."
She stepped forward and gently placed her tome onto the table.
"As I mentioned before, I would like to assign you tasks to help you grow more familiar with the primary service of the Velvet Room, Persona Fusion," she explained. "After preparing a list, I believe you are ready for my first request."
Flipping open the tome, his gaze landed on a familiar entry within its pages. Odysseus stared back, raising his sword at him.
"This is the Persona Compendium," she continued as she turned through it. More entries appeared, revealing Personas he had acquired, each documented with their history, Skills, and Traits.
"With it, you can record and inspect every Persona you've obtained," Mary said. "And even review possible fusion outcomes based on the materials used. For example..."
Two glowing blue cards formed in her hands, hovering above the Compendium before she placed them gently onto its surface.
In an instant, the pages flipped rapidly on their own, settling on a specific entry. A Persona appeared within, its form obscured in shadow. Only its name, Arcana, Skills, and Traits were clearly visible, while the rest of its details were filled with unreadable symbols and fragmented text.
"Fusing Pixie and Apsaras will result in the creation of a new Persona—Nekomata of the Magician Arcana."
With a light motion, the two cards dissolved into motes of blue light. The Compendium then slowly flipped back to its previous position, returning to Odysseus.
"However, the main function of the Persona Compendium is..."
With a flick of her wrist, another card materialized in her hand. Turning it over, she revealed the Persona, Odysseus.
"You can use it to resummon Personas previously fused as materials."
She handed the card to Clerval, who accepted it carefully. The moment he touched it, the card shattered into fragments of light that seeped into his chest.
In the next instant, he felt an additional presence settling within his Stock. A familiar warmth spread through him as the rest of his Personas greeted the return of Odysseus.
"Since this is your first time resummoning a Persona from the Compendium, the cost will be waived," Mary said.
... He tilted his head slightly.
"I... have to pay?"
"Of course," she replied with a small, serious nod. "Resummoning Personas requires payment. The cost is listed at the bottom of each entry."
Clerval opened the Compendium again and immediately let out a groan. Even Angel would cost 42 Lien to resummon. Somehow it always came back to Lien, he griped.
"Now that I've explained enough, I will, as humans say, 'hand you the wheel,'" Mary said, stepping back into her usual position. "Please fuse an Archangel with the Skill Zio."
He glanced into his wallet, mentally tallying his remaining funds... then sighed quietly and got to work.
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It took him seven minutes to map out a viable route toward an Archangel.
First, he would need to resummon Angel—which, while a pleasant reunion, came with a rather painful price tag. He reluctantly handed the Lien over to Mary in exchange for Angel's card.
Next, he would fuse Angel with Pixie, creating a new Persona, Forneus of the Emperor Arcana, after making sure that it inherited the Skill Zio from Pixie through Skill Inheritance.
Finally, by fusing Forneus, which is now carrying the required Skill with Apsaras, the resulting fusion would produce an Archangel of the equipped with Zio.
[Will thy justice, and I shall serve.]
The presence that followed was overwhelming. Archangel had a pressure unlike anything he had felt before. It was, without a doubt, the strongest Persona in his current stock.
"Well done," Mary praised with a small, satisfied smile. "You have successfully created an Archangel with the Skill Zio. With this understanding of fusion, I have no doubt you will complete the remaining unique requests on my list."
She stepped forward, gently retrieving the Compendium from the table before closing it with a soft thud. A moment later, she extended her palm outward as a soft white glow began to gather within it.
"As promised, I shall reward you for completing one of my requests."
A brief flash of light illuminated the Velvet Room before fading just as quickly, his appearance shifting into something new.
"I took inspiration from my older sister's guest," Mary explained, stepping closer as she adjusted the black poncho now draped over his shoulders. "During her time as an attendant, Sister Elizabeth once obtained a photograph of her guest and their companions, all dressed in rather distinctive battle attire."
"I found the concept quite fascinating, so I've taken inspiration and prepared a set of battle armor for you."
Now dressed in the new attire, Clerval glanced down at himself.
A black poncho rested over his white shirt, the words 'F.O.O.L. (I)' emblazoned across the front. A black glove covered his right hand, while a two-finger glove of the same color fitted his left.
Gray armored bracers reinforced his forearms, and a white holster sat secured around his hips, paired with his Beacon-issued pants and gray sneakers accented in velvet blue.
He gave the poncho a light tug, noting how the fabric stretched with ease while feeling durable.
"How do you like it?"
Mary watched him expectantly.
Clerval paused for a brief second before a small smile formed.
"Can I get a few more sets?"
"... Very well." She turned abruptly, her back facing him. "I shall prepare more in the coming days."
... He felt that their relationship had grown stronger.
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[6/1 (Sunday) - Evening]
[Beacon Academy — DormRoom]
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"Dang, you got a wardrobe upgrade!" Yang praised as she gave him a quick glance around.
"You look cool! But why didn't you invite us out? We could have gotten matching outfits," Ruby paused. "Huh. Team Ruby, we could represent our team by dressing in matching outfits!"
"Repulsive idea aside," Weiss butted in. "Does the word 'fool' represent something? Even your pistol has the same engravings."
Blake answers her before he can get a word in. "In tarot card readings of the past, the Fool symbolizes new beginnings and limitless potential..." She gave him a glance. "Quite apt for a person with such a versatile Semblance."
He would have responded if it weren't for the sudden weight dropping against his shoulder.
"Not bad, firstie. You have some fashion sense in you." Turning toward the voice, he was met with an unfamiliar face, far too close for comfort.
"C-Coco!"
From behind, a rabbit Faunus—Velvet Scarlatina, if he recalled correctly—hurried forward and pulled the stranger away by the arm, giving a swift apology before the two disappeared down the hallway.
"That was Coco Adel from Team Caffeine?, I think," Ruby provided. "She's a team leader like me. I've seen her when we team leaders had a meeting about some event coming up soon."
A soft buzz stirred against his pocket as the team became increasingly animated over the event that they apparently hadn't even heard of before. Excusing himself, Clerval stepped away from the group and checked the message.
[Conversation with: MARY (?)]
[Mary: Again, is the outfit to your satisfaction?]
[Clerval has sent a sticker of an ash-blond boy giving a thumbs up.]
[Mary: Simply wonderful. I am glad that it fits you well.]
[Mary: I'll have your requested sets ready on your next visit to the Velvet Room.]
[Mary: Master Igor has now returned, so I shall be halting our conversation here.]
[Mary: Goodnight, dear Wanderer.]
[Mary: "Don't let the bedbugs bite," as humans say.]
[Clerval has sent a sticker of an ash-blond boy sleeping in a bed.]
[Mary has sent a sticker of herself giving a small smile.]
[MARY has gone ?.]
Shutting his Scroll, Clerval slipped it back into his pocket.
Almost immediately, he was met with the sight of Team RWBY attempting to talk Ruby out of buying identical versions of her outfit in different sizes for everyone.
With a deep breath, he stepped into the fray to save his fellow friends from the potential embarrassment.
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SOCIAL LINK RANK UP!
LOVERS (VI): Mary
Level 1 → 2 / 10
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NEXT UPDATE: 29 May, Friday
A/N: Wattpad and Webnovel readers had met the goals set last week, so there'll be a bonus chapter for the week!!
P.S. WEBNOVEL, GIVE ME A WAY TO ALIGN MY TEXT (center) AND MY LIFE IS YOURS!
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