Once Isabella and Saffra were ready, Vivi warped their party of three to an anchor set a quarter mile outside of Sundermere, the capital city of the Eastern Kingdom.
“I don’t actually know where the Alabaster Rose is,” Vivi admitted to the two girls, and Isabella responded with a blink of surprise and Saffra with a nonchalant expression—the catgirl was definitely more accustomed to Vivi’s… lack of planning, as she would generously call it. “So we’re going to have to ask around.”
After flying down into the town square and finding a well-meaning-looking older woman, she did just that. Unlike Malach’s hole-in-the-wall shop, the Alabaster Rose was not just city-famous but world-famous; everyone in Sundermere knew its name and where it was. Getting directions was easy. Though the older woman seemed surprised by the question and studied Vivi curiously for it. Probably because asking for directions implied she intended to visit, which thus made her someone of importance.
Since she was being more liberal with her magic, she cast [Invisibility] and [Fly] on the three of them and quickly hunted down the restaurant by soaring over the dense crowds on the streets. Sundermere was not quite as populated and sprawling as Meridian, but the two capital cities were in the same ballpark, meaning walking normally would’ve taken a while.
When she found her target, she set down on the street. A sudden wariness came over her at what she saw. Truth be told, she’d assumed that Petra’s restaurant would be meant for adventurers—something resembling a cozy inn or a guildhall perhaps. What she found was nothing of the sort.
The Alabaster Rose—as maybe Vivi could have deduced from its name alone—was an elegant building constructed entirely of smooth marble and glass, with well-tended greenery crawling up its walls. Two pillars held up the overhang of the restaurant entrance, which itself was situated at the intersection of pristine cobblestone streets. A stream of carriages was depositing individuals wearing what was at first glance noble’s dress, and staff in white livery were receiving those nobles in quantity. It appeared to be a busy evening.
Thus, Vivi’s previous notion was dispelled in an instant: Petra’s restaurant was clearly not meant for adventurers. The average patron of this establishment was from the upper crust of society.
She’d known it would at least be a place mithrils and higher congregated, not commoners, but she hadn’t expected that most individuals would be nobility. Her enthusiasm for the upcoming event waned considerably. She’d dealt with the upper class too much as of late. She hadn’t even particularly enjoyed the Convoy’s Lounge, and the aura of elegance the Alabaster Rose exuded was several steps up from that.
She was in a little too deep to be canceling plans, though, and no matter if the restaurant’s aesthetic fit her preferences, she wanted to see what Petra had been up to over the past century. This establishment was her life’s work.
Mustering up her flagging eagerness—and with a rising trepidation over the fact that procuring a table might turn out to be harder than she’d assumed—she led Isabella and Saffra to the overhang. The two girls gawked around, Isabella subtly and Saffra not so much. Only Isabella looked like she might belong here, with her fine navy blue dress, refined steps, and perfect posture. One look at Vivi and Saffra, on the other hand, and people could tell they obviously didn’t. Perhaps Vivi should have put on something a little classier than her plain black robes.
A man wearing a white uniform with a rose tucked into his pocket met them, his face not betraying an ounce of suspicion or doubt. He greeted them with the same level of hospitality everyone else was receiving.
“Good evening, miss. You have a reservation with us, I presume?”
She’d at least known to expect this much. Reservations would’ve been the norm even if the Alabaster Rose hadn’t been a fine-dining location. The ‘most respected restaurant in the human kingdoms’ would be booked out for weeks in advance, if not months, no matter who it catered to.
Thanks to her stats, she could slow down her thoughts to where a second stretched into minutes. That ability was proving invaluable for preserving her reputation as ‘the Sorceress.’ Because if she hadn’t had so much subjective time to decide on how to respond, she definitely would’ve made a fool of herself.
“I don’t,” she replied coolly. “I haven’t been in the human kingdoms for many decades. I heard this establishment was worth visiting, but don’t have a reservation. I’m willing to pay for the trouble—for a table with seating for five, please. As private as possible.”
Rather than eyeing her dubiously or even outright dismissing her, the middle-aged man considered her with a thoughtful look. A location this important was probably accustomed to hosting unexpected guests of potentially very high status. Other Titled had surely shown up unannounced before.
“Of course.” The man smiled politely. “Though I’m afraid it is rather difficult to find an opening without a reservation. This evening is especially busy. Might I ask who I am speaking to, miss?”
Ah. She should’ve opened with that.
Obviously, she wasn’t going to announce herself as the Sorceress. Having to deal with the High King and other various polities had exhausted her as much as she’d known it would. If anything, she’d grown less fond of the idea of wearing her name and face around publicly. Any time she could get away with masquerading as a normal person, she would.
And in the instances she couldn’t get away with being a normal person, an orichalcum-rank mage would suffice. That still drew unwanted attention, but a far more tolerable amount.
Though, would Nysari’s identity suffice? The Alabaster Rose seemed pretty important, and orichalcums weren’t that rare on a global scale.
Might as well try.
“Nysari Keresi,” she said. “First Blood. Mage of the tenth elevation.” She gestured at Saffra. “This is my apprentice, and this is”—she paused as she wondered what to call Isabella—“a ward of mine.”
She could tell by the unfazed expression on the man’s face that it wouldn’t be enough. Nysari was neither Titled nor the head of her family—and was foreign nobility, not local, though she wasn’t sure whether that helped or hurt. If the restaurant did have some sort of emergency table reserved for edge cases like her, it would surely be meant for individuals of true importance. A surprise visit from royalty, a Titled, or a Grandmaster craftsman as the minimum example.
Well. Maybe she could put that ridiculous wealth of hers to use? To save herself from an awkward situation?
Mentally accessing her inventory, she paused as she realized she had no clue how much of a bribe would be appropriate. Over the past dozen or so days she’d been here, she’d familiarized herself somewhat with social norms, but only somewhat.
What was a good reference? She had paid Rhek Verontell, Master Leatherworker, just shy of a single starmetal piece to craft Saffra’s adventuring gear. And Rafael had chosen that price, so it was a reliable benchmark. But that had been a standard commission—bribing her way into a famous restaurant running at full capacity would call for more, right? Especially since Rhek had only been a Master craftsman. Petra was a Grandmaster, if not a Legendary cook, and a world-famous one thanks to being from Vanguard. Vivi also didn’t want to accidentally offer too low; always better to overshoot than undershoot when using money to influence someone, especially when the loss of the coin wouldn’t affect her in the slightest.
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Her stats allowed for longer deliberation than most, but not infinite. She solidified her decision and withdrew two pieces of starmetal. The white-blue otherworldly metal glinted in the light.
“I understand that my arrival is unexpected. But I would appreciate your cooperation in this matter,” she told the staff member.
The man’s face went blank. Vivi understood immediately that she’d misjudged the situation. Was it because she’d proposed a bribe at all, or because she’d offered too little or too much? He stared at the coins, breaking the until-then-perfect hospitality he’d been showing. Maybe because of how well composed he’d been even when dealing with foreign demonic nobility, she realized quite how big her blunder was.
Disbelief began creeping onto his face as the seconds agonizingly stretched on, which answered her question: the bribe itself wasn’t out of hand. But she’d overshot the appropriate amount rather significantly.
Yet her logic made sense, didn’t it?
…she supposed she’d paid handsomely for the crafting commission, since it had been a rush job. One that had taken a Master Craftsman’s entire evening, not a single course of dishes that Petra herself might not even be attending to personally. She probably had a whole kitchen staff handling most of the work.
Two starmetal even put a tiny dent in her own bank account, not that her true wealth was remotely in coin.
Only after a full ten seconds of staring—an eternity to be holding two starmetal out as a bribe—did the white-uniformed man finally jerk back to awareness.
“O-of course, Lady… Nysari,” he struggled to say, trying for a smooth tone of voice but thoroughly failing. He accepted the two coins, gazing at them disbelievingly for yet another two seconds as if doubting the truth of his own eyes, before finally tucking them away. “I believe… we can find accommodations, yes. A party of five, you said?”
Vivi felt Isabella’s and Saffra’s eyes drilling into her. She purposefully didn’t glance at them to see their reactions; she was already mortified by what was happening.
It did work though, didn’t it? she mentally defended herself.
“Yes, please,” Vivi replied aloud.
“And might I ask who will be joining you, my lady?”
She guessed she had no good reason to hide it, at this point. “Archmage Aeris and his apprentice.”
A long silence.
“Archmage Aeris,” the man echoed. “The Guardian Sage?” That was the Title the Human Kingdoms had granted the old man, apparently, though she hadn’t ever heard it used in Seven Cataclysms. The modern ranking system in general hadn’t existed in the game. “Prior Headmaster of the Thaumaturgical Institute?”
“Yes,” Vivi said. “That’s him.”
Now that she was thinking about it, she could have just used Aeris’s name to sneak her way in, rather than a bribe. She really was terrible at this.
The man renewed his faltering smile. “I… see. We are incredibly honored to be hosting such esteemed guests. Please, let me get you seated.”
Well. It seemed her claims had been accepted at face value, which was nice. She would surely be kicked out if Archmage Aeris didn’t appear, though—his presence would settle the matter of whether she was lying rather clearly.
Vivi mentally gawked around as they were led into the Alabaster Rose. Only the High King’s Palace rivaled the lavish interior, and once more she felt distinctly out of place as she walked through the wide hall with tables scattered sparsely about. Her eyes lingered on the massive chandelier hanging in the center of the room, light glittering on a thousand carefully carved crystal pieces.
The various aromas wafting from nearby tables boded well for the upcoming meal and reinvigorated her faltering eagerness. This probably won’t be a repeat of the Convoy, she reminded herself. Even if she didn’t feel at ease in such an obviously high-class establishment, she wasn’t cramped inside a relatively small carriage with snooty noblemen. It would be a dinner with people she knew.
When the staff member guided her to a booth with room to move around inside and a curtain blocking them off from the main hall, her mood rose even further. The table was more private than she’d hoped for.
“I need to confer with my superiors,” the man said, smiling broadly. “I’ll return in a moment, Lady Nysari.”
She nodded, and he exited through the curtains, leaving her alone with Saffra and Isabella.
Vivi sighed immediately. “I didn’t realize the Alabaster Rose was this sort of restaurant.”
Saffra visibly stifled a smirk. “What sort?” she asked. The girl was definitely finding amusement in the whole… debacle.
But hey. At least Vivi hadn’t teleported the random service worker into the forest and cast tier-twenty magic as a ‘proof of identity.’ Heavy-handed or not, the bribe had worked, and without major incident.
She was improving. Baby steps.
“I expected more adventurers than nobility. Less marble and chandeliers,” Vivi said. “It’s fine. The food should still be good. What are the odds the ‘superiors’ he went to talk to are going to doubt the story I gave, though?” She sighed again, her exhaustion with the whole social situation strong enough to make even her usually stoic body emote. “It’s about time I told Aeris I would meet him anyway—let me do that, so I have him as proof before the staff gets back.”
Vivi pulled together a [Warp Anchor] into [Greater Warp] before either of the girls could respond.
About half an hour had passed since she’d left Aeris’s office, and the old archmage and his apprentice were both present when she knocked at his door. He answered, and she was ushered in. Tatiana all but jumped to her feet on Vivi’s arrival, even more nervous around her than Isabella was. Reasonably so.
“I have a table for us, but I’m afraid I had to use your name to get through the door,” Vivi told Aeris. “Honestly, I think they might kick me out if you don’t show up sooner rather than later. Nysari’s name definitely doesn’t hold enough weight on its own. I wasn’t expecting somewhere so… exclusive.”
Aeris digested that quick explanation with several blinks. “I would have expected demonic nobility of the First Blood to have few issues procuring a table, even without a reservation. But I know of the Alabaster Rose only by reputation.” He took on a wry expression. “I must say that I find something deeply amusing about the Sorceress using my reputation to her benefit, though.”
“It’s certainly much less troublesome than my own.”
For some reason, his amusement doubled at her words. “Indeed. I am barely a stray dragged in from the streets in comparison, am I not?” He swished his hand back and forth, chuckling. “Are you taking us straight there?”
Now the kind old man was laughing at her too. She guessed she deserved it. “I placed an anchor in the booth, yes.” Addressing the wide-eyed Tatiana for the first time, Vivi said, “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
Tatiana’s brain visibly short-circuited, and Vivi could see how several horrified responses tried to struggle through the metaphorical doorway of her mouth. “Not at all, Lady Vivisari,” she finally managed. “Thank you for treating me,” she emphasized.
“Are you ready?”
Two affirmations later, with both individuals touching their fingers to hers, she teleported them back to the booth.
Saffra and Isabella had taken their seats, and they jumped at the sudden manifestation of three people in the small space. Since Vivi had already revealed who their guests would be, they didn’t seem surprised to see Aeris—but they did hastily scoot out to greet them while standing, visibly nervous. Being around ‘the Sorceress’ had tempered them when it came to meeting famous people, but Aeris was still the most powerful human archmage in the world and a living legend in his own right.
“Saffra, Isabella,” Vivi said, gesturing at each of the girls in introduction. “This is Archmage Aeris and his apprentice Tatiana.”
“Um,” Saffra said. “Hi.”
The awkward greeting earned an elbow from Isabella, who seemed immediately embarrassed by the action and straightened herself out, tucking her hands in front of her. She responded much more elegantly with, “We’re honored to occupy your time, sir.”
Aeris smiled. “No need for the formalities, dear. Lady Vivisari is not the only one who is fond of dispensing with that frivolity when she can get away with it.” He grew serious. “I feel the need to apologize for the injustices both of you have suffered through,” he said, looking between Isabella and Saffra. “And commend you both as well. It is the Institute that should be honored for having hosted such exemplary young women, and we are twice shamed for failing you.”
Saffra and Isabella seemed dumbstruck by that opening, but Aeris moved on before silence could fill the air.
“Though those are heavy words, and given upon just meeting you—I apologize for that too, I simply felt compelled to state them. Now, let’s enjoy the dinner our hostess is so graciously offering. Please, take your seats.”
