Chapter 74 – Petals in the Living Room.

Late afternoon fell gently over the Bastion of Greed.

In the manor's living room, the atmosphere was one of an almost sleepy tranquility. Kael sat on the floor leaning against the stone fireplace, applying vegetable oil to the leather straps of his Volcanic Shield. Aurelia-Elysia was sewing the hem of a new cushion in the corner of the sofa, humming softly, while Seraphina occupied the coffee table with her silver grimoire open, analyzing notes on the Imperial Core that Master Volkan had set into the book's spine.

In the basement, Diana was finishing sealing the wooden crates storing the hundred bottles of Lust Mist Purification Elixir she had promised Cassian.

It was at the exact second Seraphina dipped her quill into the inkpot that the living room's temperature shifted.

It was not a gust of wind or an aggressive burst of magic.

The air in the center of the room simply folded into a translucent spiral of silver and pink light. A breeze carrying the sweet scent of lotus flowers and noble fruit wine swept the velvet curtains, and out of nowhere, seated comfortably on the arm of Diana's armchair, a figure materialized.

He wore a long coat of white silk and pure silver without a single visible seam, immaculate dark trousers, and had his long silver hair tied in a loose ponytail. In his right hand, he held a hand-painted porcelain box filled with candied chestnuts infused with magic lavender.

Seraphina raised her eyes from the grimoire page.

The ink quill slipped from the young summoner's fingers, falling onto the parchment and staining the edge of the sheet with a black blot.

Her round glasses slid half a centimeter down her nose.

Seraphina activated mana analysis out of pure academic reflex.

The millisecond the girl's spiritual perception touched the presence of the man seated on the armchair, her mind was flattened by a sensation so overwhelming, so colossal, and so infinitely vast that the air in her lungs simply vanished.

The System interface in Seraphina's eyes flickered in static noise: [Level: ??? - Absolute Threat].

Seraphina turned pale as candle wax, her mouth parting without making a sound, her hands trembling on the tabletop.

She had been born in the Second Circle. She had studied the lineages of the Great Houses for years in her grandfather's library. She recognized that face, that silk of Asmodeus, and those violet eyes that looked like twin ancient stars.

“C-C-Cassian…?” Seraphina stammered in an almost inaudible whisper, her legs locking beneath the sofa's upholstery. “The… the Silver Lotus of Asmodeus…? The Supreme Candidate for Lust…?!”

Kael merely raised his eyes from his shield, lifted his free hand, and gave a casual wave with his gauntlet:

“What's up, Lord Elf. Brought sweets again?”

Aurelia-Elysia didn't even stop stitching the cushion, letting out a cheerful laugh: “Good afternoon, Cassian! Want a cup of tea? The water just boiled.”

Seraphina looked at Kael, then at Aurelia, her brain going into complete short-circuit. That was a Level 118 monster, the most powerful being in the entire Ivory Citadel, and the vanguard and priestess were treating the entity as if he were a distant cousin stopping by for afternoon coffee.

***

Cassian tossed a candied chestnut into the air, catching it with his mouth with a charming smile, before holding out the porcelain box toward Seraphina:

“Go ahead and take some, glasses girl. These are chestnuts gathered in the hanging orchards of the north sector. They help stabilize summoning mana channels.”

Seraphina blinked, paralyzed, unsure whether to kneel on the floor in aristocratic reverence or accept the chestnut.

Diana's firm steps echoed on the basement stairs.

The Commander came up to the room carrying the delivery manifest on a wooden clipboard. Upon seeing the Level 118 man lounging comfortably on the arm of her favorite armchair with one leg crossed over the other, Diana's expression hardened into an instant scowl.

“Cassian.” Diana said, her icy voice echoing through the room. “How many times do I have to tell you to use the main gate like a normal person instead of tearing open space in my living room?!”

Cassian brought his hand to his chest in a dramatic feign of hurt, his violet eyes glowing with pure amusement:

“My, what a cold welcome, cutie! I brought fine chestnuts and you greet me with a sergeant's scolding?”

“I AM THE COMMANDER, YOU SHOW-OFF ELF!” Diana shot back instantly, her face scowling, slamming the wooden clipboard onto the coffee table. “The hundred bottles of Mist Purification Elixir are crated in the basement. Ninety percent purity, ten percent above what you requested. The favor of our alliance is officially paid.”

Cassian arched his silver eyebrows in genuine surprise.

He snapped his fingers, and two reinforced wooden crates floated up from the basement through the air, coming to a halt beside the armchair. He popped one of the latches, pulled out a crystal vial, and uncorked the silver stopper, inhaling the dense bluish vapor rising from the liquid.

A spark of authentic admiration illuminated the Level 118 man's gaze.

“Ninety percent purity on a batch of one hundred units…” Cassian replaced the stopper with reverent care. “Diana, you are a true monster at the alchemy workbench. My infantry generals were going to have a rough time on the sulfur fissure expedition next week; with these elixirs, we will cross the poisonous mists without losing a single man.”

Cassian stored both crates inside his spatial ring with a smooth flick of his wrist.

***

Cassian leaned back against the armchair's backrest, looking over the group gathered in the room. His eyes rested on Seraphina, who remained huddled on the sofa, clutching her grimoire with the new Level 36 Imperial Core set into its spine.

“I see you've adopted yet another raw talent for your squad, Diana.” Cassian said in a gentle tone. “The last heiress of House Vesperis. A refined lineage of crystal summoners.”

Seraphina shuddered slightly upon hearing her surname spoken so casually by the Silver Lotus.

Cassian reached his hand into the inner pocket of his silk coat and pulled out two items, placing them on the coffee table.

The first was a refined set of six cups and a pitcher made of Lunar Mana Porcelain, whose white ceramic absorbed and purified any liquid poured inside.

The second was an oval, translucent stone the size of a bird's egg, emitting a deep purple glow: an Ancestral Spiritual Resonance Gem.

“Since you delivered the elixirs with ten percent more purity than agreed in our deal…” Cassian said, pushing the gem toward Seraphina and the tea set toward Diana, “…consider this a bonus from my House.”

He looked at Seraphina:

“That gem will reopen the third page of your book, girl. The spirit sleeping there belongs to your grandfather's bloodline; with the imperial core Diana forged for you, you'll be able to sustain it in combat for twenty minutes without draining your mana.”

Seraphina stared at the gem on the table, her hands covering her mouth, her eyes welling with an emotion so intense she nearly forgot her fear of the man's aura. That was a catalyst she had searched for for two years without success in the noble market.

“L-Lord Cassian…” Seraphina whispered, her voice choked. “I… I don't know how to thank you…”

“Thank your cheapskate Commander.” Cassian winked, laughing softly. “It was the quality of her alchemy that paid for the stone.”

***

Cassian's tone changed next, turning more sober as he turned to Diana:

“I came to bring you a warning about the board out there, kiddo.”

Diana crossed her arms, attentive. “What warning?”

“The border inquisitors of the Third Circle, Beelzebub's emissaries, have heightened surveillance at the Citadel's main portal.” Cassian explained, his voice dropping to a heavy seriousness. “A rumor has begun circulating in the deep courts about Malakor's fall and the awakening of a new presence of Greed in the Second Circle. They don't know your name or face yet, but the bloodhounds of the Circle of Gluttony are watching for any hunter leveling up too quickly.”

Cassian rose from the armchair with flawless grace, adjusting his silk coat:

“Make sure you get your squad to Level 50 over the next two months, Diana. Use the most isolated southern dungeons and avoid town hall public tournaments for now. When the crossing portal opens, you will need to cross the line with enough strength to crush any inquisitor who tries to audit your soul.”

Diana met Cassian's violet gaze with steely firmness.

“We are already at Level 35, Cassian.” Diana said with a small, sharp smile. “Reaching Level 50 is merely a matter of weeks and dungeon planning.”

Cassian smiled with genuine approval. He walked toward the living room balcony, pausing beside Diana.

Before the human girl could dodge, the Level 118 man extended his hand with the speed of thought and gave another affectionate, annoying pat to the top of Diana's head, messing up her black hair just to watch the vein on her forehead throb with anger again.

“Take care, cutie.” Cassian winked with pure charm. “And make sure to eat more pies, you still look like an angry intern.”

“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE, YOU CURSED ELF!” Diana growled.

With a crisp snap of his fingers and a hearty laugh that echoed through the room, Cassian dissolved once more into a whirlwind of silver lotus petals that swept out into the evening breeze.

***

Silence returned to the Bastion's living room.

Seraphina sat on the sofa with the Resonance Gem pressed against her chest, taking deep breaths as if she had just surfaced from the bottom of an ocean.

“The Commander…” Seraphina looked at Kael and Aurelia, still dazed, “…talks to the Silver Lotus as if he were an annoying neighbor who came over to borrow sugar…”

Aurelia-Elysia laughed out loud, grabbing the new Lunar Mana Porcelain pitcher to prepare evening tea. “I told you our faction is different, Seraphina! No one here is afraid of anything!”

Rhea approached Diana with a sweet smile, using her hands to fix the Commander's black hair that Cassian had rumpled.

Diana sat in the armchair, adjusting her jacket, looking at the Lunar Mana Porcelain tea set and at the new gem that would strengthen Seraphina's summons.

The balance of 334 Silver Coins (33.4 Gold Coins) remained intact and untouched in the vault.

The cards of the Third Circle were on the table. Gluttony's inquisitors were watching the borders. But with thirty-three gold coins, dragon gear, and five united minds, the Arcane Greed Faction was ready to launch its final march toward Level 40.

Final Notes:

I really, REALLY like Cassian, he's pure style, so good.