“I know that the mistress will be disbanding the guild soon…”
“What…” Soren’s eyes widened. He was not expecting him to say this at all…
“Is it that outlandish?” Myrin chuckled. “I’ve been with the mistress longer than anyone else in the guild… How could I not know her plans?”
Soren sneered, “Are you sure you didn’t just read her mind like usual?”
“By the blossoms, no! Do you think I’d get away scot-free if I tried?!”
“Fair point…”
“The point is,” he followed as his shoulders slumped, “I… I knew that one day, this guild would be fractured. And that attack from the Vynasians made things even clearer. After all, it is no longer safe to stay in Celestine—both the Whispering Dream and the Fallen are aware of our existence.”
Soren waited for a moment then looked into Myrin’s eyes, “And you’re okay with this? Losing your home? Shouldn’t you just follow after the mistress? I heard she was planning to return to the academy…”
The silence between them was sharper than any blade…
Eventually, he heard Myrin sigh. “My home is not lost as long as Sienna is alive. I can return to her at any time.”
Soren chuckled and walked past him. Myrin watched his back for a moment then shook his head. He quickened his pace to catch up to him.
“So what’s your answer, you’re not going to oppose me joining you?”
Soren turned around slightly—his face, expressionless: “I oppose.”
“What?!” Myrin flinched. “Why?!”
“First of all, you didn’t provide a reason for your request. And second, your face is annoying.”
“You mean handsome,” he retorted. “Just say you’re jealous!”
Soren shrugged, “I don’t know, that Silmar fellow seemed more handsome to me… Even Tina liked him.”
Myrin’s lips twitched. He froze for a second then continued walking after him. “Of course he would be more beautiful—he’s one of the nine saints of Yadria! You’re just messing with me now, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“.....” Myrin found no words to say. They carried on in silence as their steps echoed off the thick, cobblestone walls. Eventually, they turned the corner.
Soon, Myrin sighed in defeat. “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you my real purpose…”
“Took you long enough,” Soren smiled.
Another moment passed before Myrin finally spoke, his voice low and careful:
“The Runic Acquisition Festival. Have you heard about it?”
Soren froze and turned to face his elven companion. He was surprised to hear that question. The Soothing Bard smiled and crossed his arms.
“It seems you have.”
Soren nodded, “Elven scholars are pretty rare in Celestine, but the few that show up at the library speak of it in passing.”
“Well that just makes my job a lot easier!” Myrin chuckled. “I’ll keep it short—you’ve been invited to participate! You don’t have to thank me!~”
Soren’s jaw almost dropped. “Myrin, I love pranks too, but be serious for a moment.”
Myrin chuckled, “I am being serious!~”
Soren shook his head and kept walking ahead, “Ridiculous. You think I am not aware of your customs? That event is revered by all who worship the Flower Maiden. It is sacred to the elves only. A lowly human participating would throw all the nobles into an uproar, especially now that Yadria is preparing for war…”
Myrin shook his head, “Believe me, I too am surprised by this development, but I am telling the truth—Sylia herself told me to invite you.”
What?! He had forgotten how many times he had been flabbergasted by now…
“Indeed,” Myrin confirmed. “She told me personally when I was acting as Aellora’s ambassador last time.”
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All Soren could do was stay silent. He had no idea how to reply.
Myrin continued, “As you know, Yasini’s Paradise begins on the 90th day of Vyak. It's currently the 76th… In about 15 more days, The Blessed elves will one by one fall into a deep slumber and enter Her blessed domain. However, many foreigners are only aware of this custom, and not the other half of it.”
“The other half?” Soren furrowed his brows.
“Yes, the other half,” Myrin nodded. “While the followers of the Flower Maiden will be entering Her domain, the spirits that already reside there will be entering our world instead.”
“Huh?!”
Myrin chuckled, “Surprising, isn’t it? Spirits in general have no major way of interacting with our world since they possess no physical bodies. That is why they form contracts with mortal beings, either through the possession of Living Hexes or through deception like the daemons. But that all changes during Yasini’s Paradise. While the followers of the Maiden are allowed entry into Her domain, the fae spirits that serve Her are also allowed to flow into our world freely.
“There is a myth attributed to this that many around the continent are aware of—something they call The Nights of Twilight. During this period every year, many have observed strange phenomena around their homes, such as furniture moving on its own or food disappearing silently during the night… These strange happenings are most likely due to the fae spirits spreading mischief, but not many are aware of this.”
Soren rubbed his chin, “But what does this have to do with the Runic Acquisition Festival…”
Myrin smiled. “Simple! The maiden allows us to hunt down these spirits.”
“Huh?” Soren tilted his head. “Wait, are you saying we will rob the spirits of their rune fragments?”
After Soren contracted himself to Tazzith, he had poured countless hours into researching how Spirits work. According to many scholars, Spirits are simply a reflection of how the Law of Mirrored Influence functions… On occasion, Abstract Rune fragments that gather enough influence on their own tend to manifest their own consciousness, giving birth to the spirits that roam across the Beyond.
After obtaining Tazzith’s status sheet, he had theorized that the “Spirit Body” listed on His information was exactly that—something that had been forged from the abstract rune He had been born from. In a way, a Spirit Body was essentially a Soul Weapon, similar to how some Phantasms could manifest their Soul Weapon as enhancements to their own body parts. That was the essence of the Augment-class, after all.
And if that logic stands, then it would mean that defeating a spirit that holds a compatible Abstract Rune could be a viable way of obtaining one…
“It is just as you’ve guessed,” Myrin confirmed. “That is what the Runic Acquisition Festival is all about. While Yasini’s Paradise is underway, the three Saintesses will select certain individuals to participate in the hunt. Those who are able to defeat the spirits they challenge in combat will be granted a fragment of their rune. Many of the young elven nobles will be participating.”
“But I thought the blessed will be heading off into the Maiden’s embrace? How would they participate if they’ll all fall into a deep sleep…”
Myrin smiled, “Good question. Yasini’s Paradise isn’t instantaneous, you see. It's an event that will last till the 180th day of Vyak. Not everyone will enter at the same time. And those selected for the festival by the Saintesses will have their entry delayed through Their authority.”
They walked in tandem as Soren’s thoughts danced wildly. He glanced over at Myrin and smiled. “So that’s why you want to join me? So that we can hunt for spirits together?” It wasn’t a bad proposition. After all, one of Soren’s goals was looking for his next Abstract Rune. There was only five months left till his Epoch Star moves…
Myrin nodded, “With our abilities combined, wouldn’t our chances be higher? And also… I have a feeling that this year’s Runic Acquisition Festival won’t be simple…”
Soren immediately picked up what he was hinting at. “You’re talking about the Whispering Dream?”
“Indeed,” He nodded. “Although I don’t know his identity yet, I am still sure of our theory from before—that he is one of the nine saints…”
Hearing this, Soren stopped walking, prompting Myrin to stop as well. He looked at him in confusion.
After taking a deep breath, he looked into his eyes and muttered:
“You’re aware that I got kidnapped by him before the Crimson Ritual Incident, correct?
“I already discovered his identity—he’s Silmar, brother of the Saintess of Dreams, Sylia.”
The revelation left Myrin stunned. He tried to say something but his words came out wrong.
“I-impossible…”
Soren sighed, “It surprised me as well… I had thought it was Luvin for a while too. He has been hiding it pretty well, hasn’t he?”
“Who else is aware of this?” His voice quivered.
The pair continued walking while Soren answered, “Only you and the mistress now. I didn’t want to burden Cassia with this information since, as you’re aware, Silmar’s abilities are… strange… From what I’ve witnessed, he has the ability to enter people’s minds and manipulate them without their awareness. Knowledge about his true identity could be dangerous.”
Myrin clicked his tongue, “You seem to care more about Cassia’s safety than my own…”
“Of course I do,” Soren chuckled. “Your life means nothing to me.”
Myrin shook his head in response as Soren shrugged, “And besides, if you plan to travel with me, you’ll need to know about this. After all, that bastard is likely going to come after me again.”
“Why is he so fixated on you?” Myrin frowned.
Soren glanced at him and smiled, “For the same reason you all were fixated with me! Yarian’s Celestial Fate has some strange connection to my arrival in this world…”
“So what you’re saying is, you’re essentially a trouble magnet…”
Soren laughed dryly, “What, are you regretting your choice to join me now?”
Myrin shook his head, “No, the opposite actually. It would be best if he seeks us out first—it will make taking care of him a lot easier…”
“That bastard is most likely a Magister just like Mistress Sienna. How are we going to defeat a 6th Circle magus?”
“It seems you’re still inexperienced, Soren.” Myrin grinned. “Did you think we are the only ones looking for him at the moment? There are countless guilds and forces scouring the continent for his existence. Even some Archmages have joined in on the hunt.”
Soren nodded, “I plan to head North through Staterra, so I guess we’ll need to seek out the help of the Silver Moon Church?” Although he did somewhat hate the idea, it was the best he could think of.
Myrin rubbed his chin. “Most likely. Though, their paladins aren’t the only ones we can seek. Countless other hidden forces exist there as well. I have a connection with one of the shadow guilds there, actually.”
It seems it wasn’t a bad choice to include him on my trip… Soren nodded, “Then that will be our plan.”
Myrin stepped ahead of him and stretched his arms, “By the way, do you have a name for our new group? We technically won’t be guild members anymore…”
Soren thought about it for a few moments then smiled. “I do. It's a name that reminds me of a certain book I enjoyed reading in the past…
“We'll call it the Fellowship of the Runes.”