Paige eyed the brightly lit outdoor training grounds and frowned. A large tent stood in the center of the training ground. The perimeter was surrounded by lit torches, though the rest of the school was lit by condensed [Mana Light] placed every so often. She stared at the last well lit post as she walked to the very unusual location for a banquet.

“So, you never told us that the banquet was going to be in the middle of the training grounds,” Paige whispered to Zenith.

“Lily hadn’t told me that either. I mean, it’s being held at a school. What school doesn’t have a ballroom or something?”

“Apparently this one. It was an old castle, Zenith. Buildings aside, they probably focused more on practicality than formalities.”

“Still,” Zenith held her hand tightly. “Does it really matter that much, Paige?”

“Yes, actually. I wouldn’t have worn this dress for one. And it makes it a bit harder to implement our plan.”

Paige could tell that Zenith was looking her over, but she was telling the truth. Their dresses were really meant for the indoors. Even now, she could feel her dress sticking to her legs as she moved forward. It would make for a bad first impression, should she meet anyone before she entered the tent.

Zenith’s dress was a faded green dress that was cinched at the waist by a leather band, a wavy pattern representing the wind was stamped into the length, while the buckle was a mountain and a tree buckle that interposed itself when it was locked. Nick had made it special for her, to represent both of their affinities. Her blue wardstone shone with a subdued light as it reflected the light of the fires around them. Zenith’s wand was snugly in place on the left arm by a simple cloth band, though her long sleeves would be able to hide it from most who were not looking for it.

Paige had elected to wear a simple autumn dress, one that perfectly defined her as a Farmer. Her outfit was a solid blue, much like her overalls, though the material was far nicer. Her dress flowed freely around her feet, while a row of buttons traveled down her side to her waist, holding the upper portion of her dress tight across her body, nicely outlining her curves.

But it was Paige’s accessories that were problematic. Her hoe was still with her, the shaft tied with a leather band which crossed her body. Her hands were covered in worn leather gloves while wrists were laced with thin metal bangles, each one slightly different than the next, though they hardly jingled as she moved. And a simple necklace with a red ruby ring and bluestone, slightly larger than the one Zenith was wearing.

Paige sighed in her heart as Zenith eyed the Imperial Stone she was wearing. It wasn’t her usual one. No, she knew that one would be far more eye-catching, for really good reasons. And while she desperately wanted to be left alone, she knew that was no longer an option, not now that they were effectively stuck here.

‘Unusual circumstances, for sure. But since there are no other Imperial Servants around, I can probably afford to show it off. Geh, this is exactly not what I wanted to do. Heh, at least Nick and Tyler have one as well, so we all stand out equally… I hope.’

“So, do these gloves work? You did do it correctly, right?” Paige asked suddenly.

She looked down at her worn leather gloves. Her original idea of killing Markus’s old Party was out the window now, because of one thing Lily had said.

Her Family.

Just like how they had raised Markus, Isabella had to have been raised by his Party as well. And Paige knew how it would look if she walked in and attempted to kill Isabella’s family, especially if she had lost her memory as well. The Shaman was her best choice, based solely on her conversation with Markus at the Mausoleum when he had attempted to kill Isabella to stall her.

“She’s innocent in all of this, Markus.”

So, her entire idea was to engrave a magic circle, hidden on the inside of the glove and talk with the Shaman. If they were okay with cooperating, then it was acceptable. If they weren’t… well, they wouldn’t be able to kill her, not without Markus blocking her.

“We’re going to have problems if someone questions why I am wearing this, Zenith.”

The only material they had that was thick enough to block out the light was leather, so Paige could only hope that her wardstone would distract everyone from her odd choice of accessories.

“Well, we should have used a lesser reagent then, Paige. Of course mithril will shine through most other material when it is activated. Honestly, I’d be more comfortable if we had more time to do a trial run. But if the book you had was accurate, then it should be casting a [[Silence]] bubble around us, so long as you are holding hands with someone. I haven’t seen any indication that it’s not working.”

“Okay, just remember the plan. Be on the lookout for three females, one male. All high classes and we should assume that they had received support classes, just like us. We don’t exactly know who is coming, but if they are not from the Royal Family, then we can assume it is them.”

“And if they attack us first? You’re positive the mana shield will activate, even when I have it attached to my leg?”

“Yes, Zenith. My friend made it especially for me. The mana shield will only stop fatal attacks. If it doesn’t activate, it’s not a fatal attack.”

Zenith sighed in relief while Paige rolled her eyes.

‘Tch, she seriously thought it was a design flaw? Has she never seen a working mana shield before?’

Walking forward onto the training grounds, Paige gave a slight smile to the guards stationed there, who was staring quite noticeably at the two of them.

Paige shyly smiled at the man and started walking forward. She was quite surprised when the man stepped in front of her, barring her path ahead. She was even more surprised when he started stuttering.

“D, d, d, d, do you have an invitation, madam?”

Paige blinked. Invitations? Why on earth would something like that delay her?

“We received a verbal one. Hurry up and announce that Miss Zenith Brent and Miss Paige have arrived.”

“I, I, I, I need to see some form of identification.”

“...Our Wardstones are enough, soldier. I don’t care who has given you your orders. Disrespect to the bearer of an Imperial Sigil such as this is the same as offending the Scion in person. So. Move. Now.”

“Bu-”

“I’ll take it from here, soldier. By the Order of the Queen,” a clear voice called out.

Miranda stepped out from the inside of the tent, walking forward with a slight gait. Paige frowned as she eyed the girl. Her dress was a solid black one-piece, a conservative enough dress for someone who wanted to blend into the background.

‘Her injury got better. That’s good. Though, the Cleric hadn’t healed her leg fully. Complications?’

“Miranda, it’s nice to see you again. You should probably ask for a different healer for your leg though. It looks like you’re still a little stiff.”

“Yeah, there were a few complications to the healing process. But it’s getting better, so it’ll be fine.” Miranda stopped and stared at her necklace, her eyes darting between hers and Zenith. “I am glad that you are able to make, Imperial Servant Paige. May Alcudia’s light shine in the darkness.”

“Geh, don’t start with that. Farmer Paige. When this is all over, I’m going back to being unknown,” Paige muttered quietly. “Your report probably doesn’t help my case at all though, does it?”

Miranda smiled slyly. Paige was in a hurry to find the merchant after seeing the statue and had forgotten one little detail in her haste. She had no real way of binding Miranda, not without adding her to her Party.

“I made it truthful as possible. Hello, Miss Zenith. You look very different than the last time I saw you. Clothes really do make the person, huh? Oh, will Imperial Servants Nick and Tyler be joining you soon?”

“They’ll be here in a moment after they drop off Markus with his new Party.”

“Great! We’ll give them some time to socialize before they come here. First impressions are key, after all.”

“No kidding,” Zenith murmured.

“Well, if you would allow me the pleasure, I will help introduce you to the people of interest, as well as shielding the two of you from those who would like to curry favors from you.”

Paige chuckled.

“Hah, the queen really knows her stuff. Let me just throw my arms around you while we do it, just to better give the impression that we really know each other well.”

Paige slipped an arm around Miranda’s, though she chose her side carefully. There was no need to injure the girl’s leg more than necessary.

“Paige…”

“Relax, I know how to act. Hey, so who is already here?”

“The Royal Family, Healer Hall, and the kids' families are already here. The Queen also invited a few of the local merchants and nobles from around the area as well, just for the pretense of honoring the Imperial Family.”

“Great. Well, we can ignore that entire group then. Zenith, you don’t have to say anything to them, and it’s up to you to decide if you want to reply to any of their questions.”

“I know how to act like a Diplomat, Paige. All Mages get trained in common courtesy. Not like someone I know.”

“Fine. Let’s see who has more political acumen then. The winner gets a favor,” Paige smirked internally as Zenith’s face subtly changed. “Come, Miranda. If you’d be so kind, do not announce us as we walk in. We’ll meet the people we need to in due time.”

Miranda nodded, though her eye landed squarely on Paige’s hoe.

“I will need you to leave that outside, of course. And the bangles on your wrist,” she pointed over at Zenith too, her eyes looking her up and down for potential threats. “And your wand. Just as a precaution.”

“...I’m surprised you don’t ask me to take off my necklace and gloves as well. Should I ask why?”

“Lily mentioned you made all of her dresses. And Tyler said the same about his armor. So chances are high that you know [Craft Modification]. No need to let you bring in more material than not,” Miranda replied cheekily.

“...you’re smart. I hope the queen is paying you for your smarts,” Paige acquiesced after a second, slowly removing her hoe and bangles before placing it before Miranda. “I do want these back.”

“We have secure storage inside. In fact, the Healer Hall guarantees all the people gathered here today will be safe. Them and their equipment, of course,” she juggled the items in her hands before settling to use the hoe as a makeshift walking stick. “Now that safety concerns are settled, I welcome both of you in the name of the queen.”

Paige walked in step with Miranda and parted the cloth door open for her, grabbing her wardstone with her free hand. Miranda gently shook her arm free as they entered and carried the items to a nearby Protector, allowing Paige a moment to survey the room.

The room was fairly lit, with the majority of light projecting from a rather large [[Mana Light]] spell. A waste of mana, for sure, but she wasn’t about to complain. It would take far more candles than appropriate to light the room otherwise. But a quick glance told Paige which group of people were in the know and which weren’t.

The Queen and the Healer Hall was easy to spot; their protectors were aligned in a circle around them, clearing a space for them amongst the fairly spacious room.

Paige couldn’t quite see her friend from where she stood, but she could spot that Miranda had sent word over to the queen. But Paige did catch a familiar face, though it had taken her a second to realize whom she was thinking of.

Headmistress Prim. She still held herself as she remembered, but the scar across her face was noticeably different.

‘I wonder how she survived the Elder Dragon attack? That’s not something she should’ve been able to survive, alone… A Blessed True Hero. I guess Peter could’ve taken on three, though judging by the scarring he wasn’t able to divert their full attention. Still, it’s a rather light wound, all things considering.’

Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of another person, one that should not be anywhere near the borderlands. Prim’s guard was following behind her, but Paige could tell that he had already noticed her staring at him.

‘...A High Protector. Here, of all places? Shouldn’t he be protecting some ancient artifact or something at the Imperial Healer Hall? Coincidence, or planned?’

Paige stepped to the side as Zenith walked in confidently, her head held high as she walked directly toward the Queen. She could hear the gasps as people recognized what Zenith was wearing and was glad that she had hers still in her hand.

The crowds tentatively surged to Zenith’s destination, the Queen. Paige let out a sigh of relief as soon as Prim and her protector was out of sight and continued to scan the room for the one person she was looking for. She failed to find the Shaman in the time it took Miranda to walk back.

“Miranda, I thought you said the parents were already here? I see Emilia and Kate, but I don’t see anyone who fits a Cleric’s family,” Paige whispered quietly.

“They’re here. Miss Stella, Luna, and Shavie are all here,” Miranda whispered quietly.

Paige memorized the names, thankful that Miranda knew that much.

‘Shit, I don’t see the Shaman. Did she change bodies as well?’

Sighing, she gave up on trying to mark their locations and focused on their last party member.

“Well, you can introduce me to them last. Let’s...say hello to the Healer Hall first, since Zenith is already meeting with the Queen.”

It would be a risk, but she already knew that there was a High Protector stationed here, which left her little to no wiggle room in dealing with them. She was certain that she had been marked as a Party Leader though, as the tingling sensation since she had seen him had never stopped.

Paige led Miranda by the arm, walking forward as she slipped her wardstone between her and Miranda’s arm, concealing it from any prying eyes. She was relieved that Miranda had only squirmed a little before she got used to the hard stone pressing into their arms.

“Miss Paige, -”

“Paige please, Miranda. We are all adults.”

“I’ll remember that. But is there a reason why you are hiding your wardstone?”

“Zenith is already a good figurehead for our Party. The fewer people know I am with them, the better.”

“But you said that the other members will have their stones out?” Miranda pointed out.

“Fine, I want to deal with certain people quietly before I start being watched. Happy?”

“Quite.”

Paige rolled her eyes at the girl’s admission. That was why it was hard to work with upbeat people like her, she realized. Upbeat, or perhaps a better word would be passionate. She evaluated her acquaintance with a steady gaze. Miranda clearly wanted to make the world a better place. Or at least fair, that much was certain.

‘She’s very patriotic. Though, she’s oddly perceptive about everything too. And why does she care about my actions so much?’

That vexed Paige the most. It hadn’t taken much for Paige to notice that Miranda was trying to force her to protect Alcudia.

‘Geh, first thing first. Figure out why that High Protector is here. And ideally, who he is.’

Paige led Miranda on a semi-random path, though she knew that it would intersect with the Healer Hall soon. Sooner, in fact. As she sidestepped a couple talking, she walked straight into Prim. Prim and her unknown guard.

“Cleric Prim, I haven’t had the chance to thank you for your help with healing my leg,” Miranda said as she patted her leg.

Prim sniffed. “And I see you are not following my instructions for bed rest either. Her eyes moved over to Paige. “And you are?”

“Farmer Paige, I’m a friend of Miranda’s. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cleric Prim.”

“A pleasure,” Prim said with a deadpan voice as she stepped past Paige. Paige knew that would probably be the most common reaction she would get from people now. Farmers were not high on anyone’s list. At least, not until there was a famine.

Paige shrugged and pulled Miranda aside as Prim continued walking forward, though oddly enough the High Protector bowed his head in acknowledgment.

“And what is a High Protector doing here?” Paige whispered as Prim’s guard stepped by.

The man stopped slightly. “Doing the same thing as an Imperial Servant, most likely.”

“Paige, that is Sir Glenn. He’s been helping the queen out the past few years,” Miranda whispered helpfully as she shook Paige off her arm. Her wardstone slipped out from between their arms and rested square against her chest.

Paige stopped and looked at Glenn, her mind racing as she thought back to her time in the heartlands of the Empire. She hadn’t had very many dealings with the Imperial Healer Hall, not with them being so close to the Imperial Family. But that name was familiar. And she knew enough to recognize a threat, and the man was one, for all he tried to hide it.

“... High Protector Glenn Fellis. Shouldn’t you be protecting the Grand Healer or something?”

“I could be asking the same to you,” he said.

“True.” Paige nodded.

She could tell that Glenn was evaluating her with a frown. Paige smirked. Even if he had the Skills available to check her status, her Class of Farmer was not faked. Though Paige had no idea how Miranda or those two Scouts had been so perceptive, she attributed it to their coincidental meeting and seeing her fight in the forest, respectively. Even she would be suspicious if she was in their shoes.

But Glenn was unsettled. Paige could tell that much from his deepening frown. If he had [Greater Intuition] or something, he should be feeling uncomfortable from being this close to her. Paige stepped forward slightly, watching as Glenn stepped forward to her left side. Her guard side.

‘Tch. I’m getting rusty if he could tell my offhand side.’

Paige gave a slight nod of her head and was about to walk away when Glenn whispered quietly, “The Queen and I have some things we need to discuss with your Party. About your situation here.”

Paige stopped and narrowed her eyes. That was all she needed to know from the Healer Hall. ‘Of course, the Healer Hall has something to do with this situation...Wait, about my situation here? Does he know we aren’t Scions? Or is he talking about the ritual?’

There were too many variables, though Paige realized the biggest one was still the ritual formation. From all accounts, that formation was something that had been etched around the Mausoleum for centuries, well before even she had been born.

Either way, it was not something to talk about in a room full of people. Paige bowed slightly, “In due time, Sir Glenn. Miranda, if you’d be so kind as to lead the way to the Queen? I think it’s time for me to say hello.”

Paige turned and started walking away from Glennwhen she realized that Miranda was nowhere in sight. Though, judging by the whispers around her, more and more people were realizing what she was wearing.

‘Just my luck. And now my guide is gone.’ Paige sighed and glanced around the room for someone she knew when she made eye contact with a stranger, not even a few paces away. Paige knew she had never met her before, but she was familiar in some way.

Paige tilted her head in thought as she looked the woman over. The woman’s outfit clearly labeled her as well off, though, judging by the stains in her fingernails, she had to be a Herbalist or something. But it was the eyes that made alarm bells go off in her head. She had a terrible time remembering faces and names, but she never forgot someone she fought against.

Paige stepped forward to the girl and reached out her hand. For her part, the woman stood there and waited. They both knew who the other was. The Shaman stared at her outstretched glove. Gingerly, she stepped forward and grabbed her hand.

Driving her mana outward, Paige waited until the tingling sensation passed, waiting for the magic circle hidden in her glove to finish casting the spell.

“Hello, Shaman.”