Taking one last glance at the charming town from the sky, Asterios leaned to the back and dove towards the ground, much to Miria’s delight. She giggled and laughed while cheering him on as they descended at a quite fast pace. He would lie if he said that he didn’t enjoy his ability to fly too.

Not wanting to attract any unnecessary attention, Asterios stayed away from the edge of Glimmervale and brought them down a safe distance from it, spreading his draconic wings wide to stop their fall in a controlled manner. Dropping onto the ground from just above the surface, he let Miria slide off his arms.

Selene soon joined them and found the panthergirl joyfully stealing Ast’s lips, hugging him very affectionately from the front. Her entire posture was bouncing from excitement.

She chuckled softly, shaking her head, and stepped closer, notifying Miria about her presence by clearing her throat. Miria slowly withdrew herself with a heavy blush, sneaking a few glances at her vulpine sister-mate, which made Asterios chuckle a little too.

He brushed through her black hair. “No need to be shy about it. I get where all the excitement came from. And I’m all yours anyway.”

“I guess I can see it too.” Selene smirked at her. “I’ve been able to traverse the air with spiritual platforms but flying is truly something else. Though, watching you, I’m kind of regretting gaining that ability,” she added playfully.

“Sorry, ehehe~” Miria showed a timid smile.

Asterios scratched behind her ears for a bit longer until she stepped aside. Sensing her intentions, he pecked her cheek lovingly and walked closer to Selene, pulling the fox lady into a gentle hug too. They stared at each other while smiling.

“Nothing says you can’t hop on whenever you would like to too,” he said calmly.

“I have a better idea,” she replied with a trace of mischief in her eyes.

Knowing well what Selene had in mind, Asterios shook his head with a quiet chuckle.

“Fine. I might let you carry me again one day.”

“Wonderful.” She smiled beautifully and placed a short but passionate kiss on Ast’s lips. “Now, what are we going to do next, my Lord?”

Asterios turned around to glance at Miria. “You think you can make one more round?”

“No sweat, Master!” She puffed her chest proudly. “What for?”

“Guildmaster Suanori.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah. If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you to bring her here on foot. For obvious reasons. Or I can fly her here,” Asterios suggested.

“No need! I can take care of it!” Miria beamed at him.

“Great. Thank you. I wonder if she will be able to hold onto you, though.” He rubbed his chin.

“We will figure something out, Master. Just leave everything to us.”

Asterios nodded. “Alright. Do you need a refill before you go?”

A faint blush tinged Miria’s cheeks with a rosy shade again. “I’ll be fine, Master, thanks to the earlier… kiss... I’m pretty much full.”

“Got it. Umbra will send you back then and pick Silvia up to transport her in the meanwhile. And speaking of transporting…”

As he glanced to the side, a red portal arose from the ground and Tina walked out of it with a tiny blush.

She giggled quietly. “I forgot I can do that. It’s still somewhat hard to actually accept, I guess.”

“Trust me, I get it.”

Asterios smiled at her and exchanged nods with Miria. She plunged into the ground with Umbra’s shadows and they were left alone. While waiting for Silvia to be brought to them, he took off into the sky once more, showing Tina the town from above too. Selene soon joined them with the princess in her arms.

Waiting for Miria’s delivery, they chatted together about Glimmervale. Silvia shared with them what she knew about the town, which wasn’t exactly that much, but she had checked a few things she deemed to be potentially useful for them. She pointed at the most important locations and buildings, like the unused Adventurer’s Guild, for example.

After about the same time it had taken them to reach the town, Asterios sensed Miria closing in on their position. They quickly returned to the ground and waited for the big black panther to arrive so that they could greet Suanori and he could supply Miria with some more mana she had spent on the run.

But, everyone froze when she finally stopped in front of them with a slide.

“Uhhh… Miria? Care to explain this?” Asterios raised a brow at her.

Instead of Guildmaster Suanori, something akin to an elongated cocoon made of vines was strapped tightly to her back. It looked a little funny, like Miria wore a backpack while in her panther form.

~She kept falling off again and again so we had to fix the issue somehow,~ Miria explained mentally and nudged the package with her head a few times.

The vines retracted and Suanori slid out of the open cocoon, landing on all fours next to Miria. Asterios and Tina stepped forward to help the guildmaster stand up as she took a deep breath and sighed heavily. Her hair was a mess but she looked fine in general.

“Thank you… This still wasn’t as bad as that shadow thingy…” She chuckled wryly, gradually regathering her wits.

Everyone waited a moment so that Miria and Suanori could get some rest and then got ready to move.

“Any suggestions on what we should do first?” Asterios glanced between the princess and the guildmaster.

“I can let one of the guards know that we are here as we go through the checkpoint. We are being expected but the people taking care of the preparations for the public announcement would surely appreciate the heads up,” Silvia replied first. “And while they are working on it, we could check the guild?”

“I agree with that. It would be nice to start with the guild so that we know what we are standing on exactly. You could bring the others here afterward and we would just do our thing, letting you take care of your matters undisturbed.” Suanori nodded.

“It’s decided then. Let’s see Glimmervale from the inside,” Asterios said and they began walking towards one of the watchtowers.

He reached out to Bryn through their connection to ask if she would like to join them but she had something to do on her side and apologized for not being able to do so. Of course, Asterios told her that he respected that and was only checking on her as she didn’t need to come if she was busy but was welcome to accompany them whenever she wanted.

Therefore, Asterios, Miria, Selene, and Suanori strolled through the streets together, with Umbra watching over them from the sky, after letting the guards know about the purpose of their visit, of course. The town seemed quite lively. It wasn’t as big and bustling as Rosewind but plenty of people busied themselves around, just going on with their lives.

As they had seen from above, the majority of the buildings were made of cream stone or brick with reddish roofs. Some white ones appeared here and there too, creating a very charming and welcoming atmosphere. Most decorations, porches, and signposts were wooden, enhancing the view even more.

No one was surprised to see a lot of elves amongst the population. The king had mentioned that fact and Glimmervale was located not that far from the border with their nation. Asterios could recognize High Elves, Wood Elves, Dark Elves, and even some Abyssal Elves in the crowd. They reminded him of the changeling’s partner but it wasn’t proper to judge people by stereotypes.

Naturally, other races mixed in too. While elves dominated the sight, humans, dwarves, and demons could be spotted roaming around too. The ratio was clear, though. Glimmervale could have been an elven settlement if it was on their side of the border.

Cutting their sightseeing short since they had things to do, they arrived in front of the local Adventurer’s Guild building. Right from the facade, it was obvious that the establishment wasn’t given a high priority when it came to maintenance. The wear was visible to the naked eye.

But, it wasn’t bad. The building was clearly smaller than the one in Rosewind. It had only one additional story and was made purely of wood, standing out amongst the neighboring houses quite a bit.

“I’ve seen worse,” Suanori commented, placing her hands on her hips. “Let’s check the inside.”

Everyone followed her lead and entered the main lobby. The guild was pretty much abandoned, turned into what looked like storage of some sort. Fortunately, it wasn’t ruined or anything. On the contrary, all the tables, benches, chairs, and other furniture were neatly banded together and collected in various places. A slim layer of dust could be spotted on literally everything, though.

“Not bad, not bad at all.” The guildmaster sighed in relief. “It will take a moment to get it up and running but the place feels quite…”

“Charming?” Miria finished for her and Suanori nodded.

“Yes, pretty much that. Even in this state, it’s all small and cozy. It brings back memories, you know? As a kid, I started out in a similar place, beginning my adventuring journey. The guilds in tiny villages and settlements were always the ones you just loved to return to.”

“I guess I can’t really say much regarding that as the only one I’ve seen for most of my life was Rosewind’s,” Asterios commented. “But, it certainly does feel nice. And it surely will feel even nicer after you guys take the lead.”

“First, we need to get in touch with someone who can instruct us on where to move the boxes taking up the space here.” Suanori roamed her gaze over the hall.

“Maybe I will be of use in that regard.”

Everyone turned around towards the source of the new voice and found an elven man standing at the entrance. He wore a simple but quite noble uniform in blue shades, decorated by a brown cape. The man had short dark gray hair and a single monocle on top of his nose. As usual in the case of high elves, it was hard to judge his age just from looks.

He made a polite bow with a hand over his chest. “Ulyssen, at your service.”

“Hello. My name is Asterios and my friend here is Suanori, freshly assigned guildmaster of this place. Would you mind letting us know a little more about you?” Asterios asked.

“Oh, I’m well aware who you two are, My Lord, Guildmaster.” Ulyssen smiled at them kindly. “There’s barely any elf who hasn't heard about Guildmaster Suanori or the S-rank adventurer Vine Enchantress. Your arrival has already become a hot topic amongst part of the townsfolk.”

“Looks like the people weren't turning around to stare at Silvia or you.” Suanori chuckled softly at Asterios.

“I believe so.” The man nodded. “I certainly know more about our new lord than the common populace when it comes to looks. Otherwise, the white hair and red eyes would be quite hard to miss. But, returning to your question, My Lord, I’m a member of the Committee which aided the previous governor in managing various aspects of Glimmervale.”

“So, like the king’s aides?” Miria tilted her head curiously.

“You could say that, yes. Perhaps with a bit more power and authority. Each of us covers a different field and develops it to the utmost of our abilities and knowledge. While in a king’s case the aides suggest the plans, ideas, and projects for that person to pick from, the Committee members hardly need any approval. The lord functions more as a middleman between us and the kingdom, watching over everyone to make sure that they aren’t overstepping their boundaries, of course.”

“And how are those people chosen?” Asterios asked.

“Through voting and elections, usually. Everyone can submit their candidature into one of the fields as the members rotate every ten years. Naturally, the entries are properly screened and only people with actual knowledge or experience in that field are allowed to compete for the position. We are obliged to report the results to the kingdom too, after they are approved by the lord,” Ulyssen explained.

“Sounds pretty smart and fair,” Selene commented. “It certainly secures an influx of fresh perspectives and ideas every now and then instead of letting things stagnate.”

“To avoid swapping the entire Committee at once, each field has its own campaign with a year or two in between them, giving the new member time to get accustomed to their new position,” the elf added.

“Can someone stay for longer or do they have to step off?” Tina inquired next.

“It’s encouraged to let new people take over and that’s what we usually do but nothing prevents the current seat holder from applying again when the time to sign up and vote arrives. There have been cases where people were very happy with someone and let them continue contributing to the community for another term. Through voting again, of course.”

“It really sounds like a decent system.” Asterios agreed with Selene. “What is your field then, Ulyssen?”

“Logistics and transportation. In other words, these boxes here are my responsibility. I’ve already requested someone to clean up one of the warehouses to make some space for them. We’ll just need to move them if that’s what you would like us to do, and I assume you would.”

“That’s great and very appreciated.” Suanori nodded at the man politely. “When are they going to be able to help?”

“In about thirty to forty-five minutes, I’d say.”

“Hmmmm… Not much we can do before we get rid of those.” She scratched her head.

“We can move them ourselves, no?” Miria suggested. “We’ll just shove them through the gate and go to the warehouse. This will save time and they won’t have to carry everything through the streets.”

“I guess we can. Meanwhile, Umbra would bring your coworkers here. More hands will certainly be useful for the cleaning.” Asterios ruffled through her hair.

“Good idea. If it’s not a problem for Ulyssen.” Suanori glanced at the elf man.

“Not in the slightest. If you have the means to transport the boxes without much trouble then feel free to do so. I’ll lead you to the—”

He paused as a loud noise of a bell reached everyone’s ears. It clearly came from the outside and sounded quite powerful. The bell had to be decently big, possibly even massive.

“Is something wrong?” Asterios asked immediately.

“No, this is not an alarm bell,” Ulyssen quickly reassured them. “It’s too slow and calm. This tune is for public announcements. People are going to start gathering around the main plaza. I assume that the preparations to welcome the new lord are complete.”

“Well, that seems a little bit more important than a few boxes.” Suanori smiled at Asterios. “Let’s go and continue this after the ceremony. You don’t want to be late for your own inauguration.”

Everyone was in agreement about that and they followed the elf man outside. It took a moment to get used to the loud noise. The people didn’t seem to mind the volume, slowly heading towards the source while chatting amongst themselves. They followed the crowd, walking after Ulyssen.

Soon, they entered a spacious market square but the stalls and stands had been moved aside to make space for a raised stage. A bunch of people in official clothes stood on top of the platform while more and more residents gathered in front of it.

Their elf guide made way for them through the mass of bodies and they somehow managed to reach the stage without having to fly or jump above everyone’s heads. The gathered people quieted down a little after seeing unknown figures climb the stairs, watching the newcomers with great interest.

Silvia stepped closer to the six people waiting for them, including Ulyssen, and discussed something with the Committee members, most likely. Asterios and his companions roamed their gazes over the townsfolk in the meantime, still watching some people pour into the plaza.

She soon came back to them and glanced at Asterios.

“Let’s get this done with, then. There’s no big ceremony. I’ll just announce it officially and then you should probably say something. It doesn’t have to be a grand speech or anything.”

He nodded and stepped aside. Silvia walked closer to the front edge of the stage and summoned an artifact from her spatial storage ring. It was a similar device to the one they had seen during Tina’s graduation, meant to increase the volume of the user’s voice.

“Greetings people of Glimmervale,” she began, waiting a moment for everyone to turn completely silent. “As many of you might have already realized, I’m Princess Silvia, the daughter of King Welrond the Fifth. It’s my pleasure to be here today with an official decree from my father. I’m sure that everyone knows its contents so, please, allow me to do the honors.”

A brief round of applause filled the air, some cheers echoed here and there, and Silvia brought forth a fancy-looking bundle of two golden tubes. Everyone turned quiet again when she unrolled the parchment.

“In the name of King Welrond the Fifth—may the Eternal Flame watch over him—I hereby declare Asterios Hestizo, a respected S-rank adventurer and a trusted friend of the kingdom, and Tina Nobelle, the daughter of a Viscount of a reputable lineage and Sir Hestizo’s reliable partner, the new lords of the town of Glimmervale. Their appointment has been approved by the local Committee with a unanimous vote. We hope that this community will thrive even more under their watchful eyes. Please, welcome your new governors warmly.”

Shortly after people realized that she was finished, they returned to applauding the princess even louder and with more enthusiasm. Silvia glanced over her shoulder and nodded at the advisors. Asterios saw them nod at him and Tina so they walked with them to her side.

Two Committee members held a massive brass key together. The duo quickly figured out what was going to happen and extended their hands forward. They received the symbol of their authority over Glimmervale and the two advisors stepped back. Asterios and Tina raised the key together, evoking another booming wave of cheers, smiling at each other softly.

They then pulled it down and walked closer to the artifact. Asterios glanced at Tina to see if she would like to speak instead but received a faint shake of her head as an answer. She wanted him to do it as they held onto the key together.

So, he turned his attention to the crowd and everyone went silent.

“Greetings, everyone. I think introductions aren’t necessary after Princess Silvia did such a great job with them.”

Some chuckles rumbled through the audience.

“First, I wanted to say that this is a huge honor for us, but also a huge responsibility. I won’t lie, this is my first time receiving such an important and influential position. It’s quite obvious from our appearances that we are quite young, even by human standards. But, personally, I believe that age isn’t the best indicator of how wise or experienced someone is. That said, regardless of those two factors, I can promise everyone here that we will do our best to cooperate with the Committee to the utmost of our abilities. Glimmervale will certainly continue to flourish. Our first little input into that process will be the re-establishment of the Adventurer’s Guild under the leadership of Guildmaster Suanori.”

And another wave of cheering filled the plaza. Getting called out, Suanori walked closer to the duo and made a friendly wave at the crowd. Asterios could swear that the audience grew even more heated, especially the male half. He couldn’t exactly blame them. She wasn’t just a legendary adventurer of their kind but a beautiful lady too.

Seeing that the people of Glimmervale weren’t showing any signs of stopping their celebrations and expressions of joy, Asterios assumed that it was enough for the speech. He had a few other things in mind he could have said but it, fortunately, wasn’t necessary.

Ulyssen approached him and Tina with a warm smile.

“So, ready to find the lock for this big key?” he asked with a quiet chuckle. “I’ll give you a hint. It’s something located in the heart of the city.”