The trio rode the train all the way through the countryside. They were officially transferring to a new territory by the second day. This territory was known as the Griffon territory. Just like Leviathan was named because of the ocean, this territory was named for the mountains and the indisputable masters of said mountains. Of course it was also known as the territory of gems and metal. This was where the largest metal and gemstone mines were located. Owari was half tempted to look around but decided against it. It was too far from his base of operations to be viable.

After another half a day travel from the border they arrived at their destination. It was Griffon city, the biggest and most important city in the territory. It was a lot like Leviathan city in layout, but the buildings were more light in color and had a brown and white color scheme with wide roofs and perches on many of the houses. This territory was famous for its birds and other flying magical beasts. Some people even raised ordinary birds.

Owari and Noel walked around the city with some interest. They looked around and found that most of the places were taken up as many visitors came into town around this time. Geniuses and people hoping to be recognized by said geniuses flocked here. In the end because they were so late they only found two rooms left in a half-decent hotel.

“Girls in one room, guy in the other.” Owari joked.

“I wouldn’t dare sleep in the same room as my lady.” Morgana smiled.

“No, of course it is fine. Otherwise where would Owari sleep?” Noel chuckled.

“Of course there is another option. After all the two of you have slept in the same room before have you not?” Morgana continued to smile.

“That was different. It was in a car.” Noel was much more composed than normal. She was getting better at this kind of thing.

“Who was it that was sleeping against me every night in the train car?” Owari looked at Noel with amusement clear in his eyes.

“Fine, we can share.” Noel put on a cocky grin.

“I’m not sleeping on the floor.” Owari said as they paid for the room and walked to their rooms. The poor young lady behind the counter was flustered by the sudden development and only nodded along as she wasn’t sure she could keep her cool if she talked.

“That’s fine.” Noel continued the conversation out of earshot. “You don’t sleep anyway.”

“I plan on sleeping tonight. Meditating is fine most days, but I want some real sleep before I have to do something as stressful as going to a party.” Owari refuted her.

“Fine, I’m not sleeping on the floor either.” Noel replied confidently.

“That’s fine with me. I always wanted a body pillow.” Owari joked, causing Noel to blush hard. “By the way Morgana, I was wondering if you could do something for me.” He left Noel to stew in her embarrassment.

“If it’s within my ability I would be glad to help out the young sir.” Morgana spoke respectfully though she had a smile clear on her face as she listened to their antics.

“I was wondering if you could take my bank card and go buy me something for the party tomorrow. Nothing too fancy but enough not to look like a country bumpkin. The budget is 800 credits.” Owari held out his bank card.

“I would be delighted to do so.” Her eyes lit up. “Please watch over the young miss until I return.”

“Of course.” Owari nodded as they reached their rooms.

Noel and Owari entered the room and looked around. It was on the smaller side, one of the reasons it was still available probably. There was a small end table in the room but no other furniture besides the bed. As for the bed, it was a bit bigger than a single bed, but smaller than a typical double bed. Seeing it Owari could help but chuckle, meanwhile Noel just smiled. It was going to be a long night.

After that they mostly waited around for Morgana to get back. After only an hour she returned and knocked on the door. Owari and Noel who were lying in bed together got up and went to the door. Outside was Morgana waiting with a bag which she handed to Owari along with his bank card.

“I managed to purchase something adequate for only 500 credits.” She was as reliable as ever even in an entirely new city she could do something like find a good deal.

Owari went to the bed and laid the clothes out. There was a plain white shirt, black slacks, a pair of casual dress shoes, as well as a red tie. Mostly normal so far, the odd part was the tailcoat. “What’s with this coat?” Owari asked with some curiosity as he lifted it and looked closer.

“It used to be standard issue for butlers in the past. However in recent years it has been brought back as a fashionable suit to wear in public. I felt it fit you more than the typical suit coat due to the length.” Morgana explained.

“I wasn’t really aware of current trends. So I take it you already checked on the type of party it is? I’d hate to dress up for a casual party.” Owari looked at the clothing skeptically. Really he just wanted an excuse not to wear it.

“I have. Those from prominent backgrounds typically wear more fancy clothing. Even most ordinary hunters try their best to look presentable.” Morgana confirmed.

“Fine.” Owari sighed in defeat. “I just hope nobody mistakes me for a servant.”

“They shouldn’t. The servers at the party will not be wearing coats. It’s to distinguish them from guests.” Morgana chirped in.

“You really did your research.” Noel spoke up in surprise.

“I had worked on the assumption both you and the young sir would reach gold rank before the time of the party.” Morgana had seemed to put a lot of faith in them.

“I’ll wear it, I guess it couldn’t hurt to get dressed up once and a while. Especially now that I don’t look so bad.” As Owari said, his affinities like for anyone else tended to change their body to some degree. His earth affinity gave him stronger features and his metal affinity that had been building due to the treants fruit made his features even sharper. This removed a lot of his sickly feeling, though his skin color might still give off that impression.

“You always looked good.” Noel said from the side.

“As if I’d believe that you aren’t just saying that because of your feelings.” Owari smiled.

“But you’ll never be able to find out the truth since I’ve liked you since shortly after meeting you properly.” Noel also smiled.

“How cute, to fall for your savior. It’s too bad I don’t wear armor huh?” Owari joked.

“I fell for your strength as well.” Noel refuted him.

“I’m sure you did. But it doesn’t change what I said.” Owari shot back.

“Fine you win this one.” Noel mostly gave him the win because she was getting embarrassed due to Morgana smiling to the side.

“Of course I do.” Owari knew exactly what she was thinking.

“Since the train ride was long I plan on resting for the day before the party tomorrow.” Noel huffed and laid in bed.

“I shall take my leave then.” Morgana retreated as soon as she realized where this was going.

“Thanks for the help.” Owari finished packing his clothing back into his bag as she left.

“I’m just doing my duty.” She smiled as she closed the door.

“Now then, I think I’ll rest too.” Owari went and laid in bed.

Despite her seeming resistance to the idea earlier, Noel easily shifted and laid against him. “Finally alone again.” She smiled happily.

“You sure look comfortable.” Owari kissed her head. “So what do you think will happen at the party?”

“Who knows, but I hope it isn’t too boring and doesn’t have too much politicking.” Noel sighed. She didn’t really believe it would turn out the way she wanted.

“Only one way to find out.” Owari chuckled. He hadn’t really had to deal with this stuff before. He just hoped the fact that they were together would make it all easier to deal with.

The two chatted and relaxed for the rest of the day. At some point Noel fell asleep mid-conversation as usual. She immediately threw her leg over Owari’s and reached her arm over him. He just laughed lightly and kept his arm under her to use as a pillow as he fell asleep as well. He had expected this much, after all she was a messy sleeper.

When morning came it was unsurprisingly Owari who woke up. At some point in the night Noel had managed to wrap her leg with his and was clutching his shirt with her absurd grip. In the end Owari didn’t bother trying to escape. He just laid back and relaxed until she woke up. When she did wake up however she didn’t show any signs of separating from him and in fact she got closer.

Owari reached his arm over and brushed her hair away from her ear and leaned in close to whisper. “You aren’t as sneaky as you think you are.” Noel visibly jumped from this and opened her eyes with some embarrassment clear on her face. “Not that I mind.” Owari finished as he went back to relaxing.

“If you don’t mind, why did you have to be so mean? My ears are sensitive.” Noel pouted.

“Are they? I’ll keep that in mind.” Owari chuckled.

“For what exactly?” Noel couldn’t help but ask.

Owari leaned in one more time. “I guess you’ll have to wait and find out.”

“You’re teasing me again.” Noel glared at him.

“Just don’t let it get to you then.” Owari grinned.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Noel smiled.

“See, now you get it.” He kissed her head.

“When is the party?” She asked.

“A few hours I think.” He replied.

“Good, let’s stay like this awhile.” Just like she said the two stayed just like that for the next few hours.

“I think I smell like you.” Owari noted as he stood up.

“Good.” Noel went over to grab her bag. “It’s too bad once we get changed it’ll fade.”

“What are you a cat?” Owari laughed at her behavior.

“Perhaps, now shoo. I have to get changed.” Noel made a waving motion towards the door.

“Fine, see you in a bit.” Owari chuckled and left.

Noel came out a bit later. She was wearing a long dress with stockings and long gloves that covered her arms. The dress was a bit frilly and was a light blue with many white lilies on it. She also had her signature sun hat on. “What do you think?” She asked cutely, looking at him with round eyes.

“I think it looks cute.” Owari smiled as he walked over. “Now shoo, I have to get changed.” He teased her by waving away from the door.

“So mean.” Noel just laughed and moved out of the way.

Soon the two, plus Morgana, made their way to the venue. It was a large hall built specifically for large events. Mostly weddings and expensive birthdays. There was a similar building in Leviathan city. The hall was large, to the point that it cast a shadow on the buildings to the sides of the hall. It had a rounded roof and marble pillars holding it up. It also had electrum and orichalcum decorations. It was clearly a very expensive building.

There were a number of people here, some arriving by car and some walking. There was even one who showed up in a carriage led by horse type magical beasts who were twice the size of normal steeds and crimson red. Neither Owari nor Noel showed any sign of reacting to these shows and merely made their way to the entrance. Noel had her arm looped through Owari’s as they approached the hall.

“Proof of identity and ranking please.” The young man taking in guests said professionally. Owari and Noel both took out their identifications and hunter’s licenses which had been updated back in town. When he saw Noel’s identification he seemed to become straighter and his tone was more serious. “Go right on in.”

The two merely smiled and walked inside as though this was normal, because in reality it was. As one of the top families on the continent the Silverbloods were incredibly well respected. It was easy to forget sometimes with how Noel acted so casually at times.

“Did you see that crimson horse pulling that carriage?” Owari and Noel overheard from nearby. A small group of people were gossiping as usual.

“Of course. That should be a member of the Vermillion family.” Another spoke.

“Of course they would have someone here. Their as famous as the Silverbloods for their powerful members.” The first person spoke again. Though he didn’t seem at all bothered about said impressive family. Of course as a genius himself he had no reason to worry.

Owari noticed Noel tense up as she heard this. “Bad blood with the Vermillion family?” He asked curiously.

“You could say that. We use similar methods to grow our family members. However they don’t always act with the best of intentions so our families clash a lot.” She relaxed a bit after hearing Owari.

“No need to worry. I wonder how old they are. I don’t see anyone our age around.” Owari noted as he looked around to see people in their late teens.

“Probably the same as us. They are very impressive after all.” Noel didn’t seem worried about it though.

After saying their piece they continued to walk arm in arm as they curiously listened in on conversations. This way they got a clear picture of who would be there and who wouldn’t. This knowledge was important to set up connections today. That was the reason they agreed to attend such a boring party after all.

“Hello there.” They heard a voice from behind and turned to see Lance approaching.

“You found us first.” Noel laughed lightly.

“You do stand out to be fair. So you two seem closer.” Lance noted. He did know they went on vacation together so he wondered what had happened.

“Just more public.” Owari smiled only to get an elbow to the rib. He endured it dutifully. “I deserved that.”

“Of course you did.” Noel chuckled. “But yes we are closer. Both literally and figuratively.”

“I can see that. So you reached gold rank after all?” Lance wasn’t too surprised.

“Just barely.” Owari sighed in disappointment. His vacation time cut into his potential training so he wasn’t as strong as he liked.

“I still have no regrets about taking the time off.” Noel added from the side.

“Me either.” Owari quickly added as well.

“Well it’s good you two got a vacation. I’ve been taking some time off as well to relax and enjoy the town. There’s a lot to do here.” Lance looked around the venue, scanning the crowds.

“Looking for someone?” Owari asked.

“Nobody in particular. Just seeing who is here. Gotta get back to work some time.” Lance chuckled.

“Speaking of which we have a business proposition for the amber agency. Let’s talk about it later.” Owari said casually.

“Knowing you it’s something ridiculous like another mine of some sort.” Lance laughed a bit.

“Two actually.” Noel smiled.

“Well I’ll be leaving this to the higher-ups. Last thing I want is to mess up this kind of deal.” Lance wonderfully shifted responsibility.

“Hey there Lance.” Suddenly someone else interrupted their talks. He was a tall man with sharp features. He had a laid back atmosphere.

“Hello Gregory.” Lance smiled upon seeing who it was. Owari and Noel noted it was a genuine smile. “Gregory, these are my friends Noel and Owari. And to you two, this is Gregory.” He introduced everyone.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He held out his hand.

Owari shook first, noting that he was shaking lightly showing he wasn’t testing him. The same here.” He smiled.

Next Noel shook his hand, noting he wasn’t taking advantage of her gender and treated her the same as Owari. “The pleasure is ours.” She also smiled.

“Ours?” He wondered what she meant by that.

“The two of us, as well as my maid.” Noel shook Owari’s arm slightly to draw attention to it.

“I see.” Gregory smiled widely.

“I’ll let everyone know, but Gregory is a part of the Aquila family.” Lance piped up.

“Oh?” Noel was intrigued. The Aquila family was another of the top five families. The were famous for their bird type magical beasts and aerial mystic arts.

“That’s case. Lance and I met at a get together once held by the Amber Agency. He was still new to everything but I showed him the ropes.” Gregory said cooly.

“Is that so? How interesting. To reintroduce myself though, I am Noel SIlverblood.” Since the other party had their identity exposed she decided to let her identity be known as well.

“Silverblood? How interesting. A Silverblood and albino, while also being gold-ranked at such a young age. I can imagine how proud your family is of you.” Gregory didn’t pull his punches at all and laid everything out calmly.

“They aren’t yet aware of my rank.” Noel informed him.

“I see.” After hearing that he was a bit skeptical but didn’t show it. Then he looked at Owari curiously. Who was the one accompanying such an impressive individual.

“No need to look at me like that. I’m just some random independent hunter.” Owari chuckled.

“An independent hunter accompanying such an impressive Silverblood while managing to reach gold rank on your own? You’re anything but random.” Gregory again didn’t pull any punches.

“How do you know I got here on my own?” Owari asked curiously. Most would probably assume he got help from Noel and her family.

“The confidence you walk with. Not only that but how you look at everyone. It’s clear you’re experienced in battle.” He seemed to catch onto small details rather well.

“As expected from a member of the Aquila family. Sharp as a hawk.” Owari didn’t deny that he was self-taught.

“You truly are impressive. I wonder how strong you are exactly. Though I have no intention of challenging you. I can see that love of battle in your eyes.” Again Gregory made an astute observation.

“Wow you really nailed him down.” Lance laughed from the side.

“All those grueling hours of teaching are finally paying off. Not that it’s very useful. All that is stuff I could figure out by asking.” Gregory also laughed.

“Though it’s another question of whether someone is willing to give that information.” Lance shot back from the side.

“That’s true.” Gregory nodded.

Just as the conversation was dulling down and before they could move on, another voice came from nearby. “Well this sure is a nice gathering of people.” A bigger man dressed in simple clothing walked over.

“Anyone know him?” Lance looked around to see everyone was all question marks.

“Nah, I’ve never met any of you. You just seemed like the least stuck up group around here. My name is Ignatius. I’m from the Yellowstone Agency.” He laughed heartily.

“I’m Lance. From the Amber Agency.” Lance introduced himself.

“Gregory Aquila of the Aquila family.” Next was Gregory.

“Noel of the Silverblood family.” Noel introduced herself gracefully.

“I’m just Owari.” Finally was the least impressive Owari.

“Just?” Ignatius raised an eyebrow.

“He’s an independent hunter.” Noel answered for him.

“Impressive.” Ignatius laughed heartily once again.

“Same to you. You seem quite young.” Owari said, shocking everyone.

“How could you tell?” Even Ignatius showed his surprise.

“Just a guess.” Owari played it off, but nobody believed him. He didn’t hide that he was lying.

“Well it’s true. Though not as young as you two.” He didn’t seem at all bothered that his age was revealed.

“Thank you for the compliment.” Noel accepted it calmly.

Owari looked around at the other groups curiously attracting everyone’s attention. “Looking for anyone?” Gregory asked. He knew most people here so he could introduce them if necessary.

“Not really. I’m just looking to see who the bigshots are.” Owari admitted.

“Bigshots?” Ignatius asked curiously.

“The people everyone are gathering around. Like them.” Owari gestured with his chin. There was a group all surrounding a guy with flowing orange hair.

“That would be Max Vermillion. He made a show of things coming here.” Gregory spoke up. “Of course he would be a focal point. Not only is he from a big family but he is also only 17.”

“I wonder how people would react if they knew a 16-year-old Silverblood was over here.” Ignatius said curiously.

“Probably exactly the same but more intense.” Owari was curious about one thing though. “How do they know who he is specifically? Although his carriage had the signature crest of his family that doesn’t mean they would know how old he is or what his name is.”

“Because he is very active in social circles. He has been since he was young. He was always a young prodigy. But he isn’t particularly bad of a person.” Lance answered.

“Is that so?” Owari squinted his eyes.

Seeming to sense something, Max looked up and noticed Owari looking his way. Owari smiled and nodded, and Max nodded back before seeming to think of something. He smiled and said some things to the people around him before they dispersed a bit. Then he began to walk over in their direction. Soon enough he arrived and looked at everyone present. They all returned his gaze undaunted.

“My name Max Vermillion.” He introduced himself. Everyone repeated the same greets they gave one another a moment ago. “Owari is it? An independent hunter? Quite respectable.” He nodded as though he was somewhat impressed but nothing more.

“You seem quite impressive yourself attracting so much attention.” Owari said openly.

“Thank you for the compliment.” Max nodded in acceptance.

“So might I ask why it is you came over here?” Noel spoke up, she was the person most qualified to speak to him so directly.

“I was just curious about your group. You all seemed quite impressive so I thought it prudent to meet with you.” Max didn’t explicitly state his intentions, but he also didn’t fully hide them.

“What’s so impressive about us?” Owari asked curiously as he continued to look around for various groups.

“Your skills.” Max scrunched his eyebrows at Owari’s disrespect.

Seeming to notice Max’s feelings, Owari looked at him. “While you are certainly impressive, you aren’t the only person I wish to meet tonight.”

“I see.” Max pursed his lips. He was clearly offended.

“You’ll have to excuse him, he is a very blunt and honest person. He tends to not hold his punches.” Lance tried to play damage control.

“I also don’t like how quickly he wrote us off. Either he looks down on us or is arrogant.” Owari threw in. “I’m at least willing to admit he is someone strong and therefore worth respect. But he doesn’t feel the same.”

“I’m sorry for the offense.” Max made an awkward smile. “I’m just not used to being outdone by those in my generation.”

“Well here everyone is the same. We’re all people who could be considered the top of our generation. It’s important to stay humble and remember you can always be better than you currently are. Otherwise your growth will stagnate.” Owari lectured him.

After a moment of thought Max nodded his head. “You’re right. I apologize for my previous behavior. We’re all in the same boat here. There is no reason to antagonize one another.”

“See, humbleness. It gets you a lot of places. My name is Owari, it’s nice to meet you.” Owari smiled and held out his hand.

Max took it and shook it. “My name is Max Vermillion, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The two reintroduced themselves on much better terms.

“Well that went well.” Ignatius stood at the side, shocked by what just happened. Normally calling someone out goes worse than that right?

“It’s true that I was being arrogant. It’s important to treat others who deserve respect with respect. The strong respect the strong and the talented respect the talented.” Max felt that he had made another step in his path towards true strength through this one interaction. “You’re quite the teacher.”

“I’m just imparting my life experiences onto others. It’s easier to get stronger when other strong people are putting pressure on you. That is what this whole thing is about isn’t it? Gathering all the geniuses and forcing them to realize they aren’t as special as they think they are. Just look at how many people are already here.” Owari gestured to the hall which was filled with dozens of people.

Everyone except Noel and Lance showed some surprise when they realized this. “You’re right, quite arrogant of us to believe we were unique with so many others at the same level.” Max admitted.

“I figured as much already, after all this is my second time here.” Gregory spoke next.

“That’s a lot of strong people.” Ignatius’ eyes flashed.

“Indeed it is.” Everyone felt a slight chill when they heard Owari say this. Something about his tone made them feel their instincts flare-up. However when they looked at him he was just smiling as normal.

“No need to scare everyone.” Noel chuckled at the side.

“My bad. I just like to fight a lot, so seeing so many strong people got me excited.” Owari apologized with a somewhat sincere tone.

“Well I already knew that.” Lance just laughed lightheartedly, not bothered at all. However everyone else was surprised. Not by his love of fighting, but how their instincts reacted to his sudden desire for battle. It proved he wasn’t too much weaker than them if at all.

“Truly impressive.” Max couldn’t help but admit. Owari was younger than even him after all. In fact at the party there were currently no other 16-year-olds present.

“Thank you again. Let’s get back to the original point of all this. Getting to know one another.” Owari got things back on track. He didn’t like being the center of attention so much.

“Right.” Gregory agreed. “Well as I’m sure you all know, my family is set up here in the Griffon territory. I myself love bird type beasts and have a number myself. It’s one of the reasons I get along with Lance.”

“Why’s that?” Max didn’t get the connection.

“I have a tamed thunderbird.” Lance explained. This caused Max to feel humbled all over again. He truly wasn’t special, everyone here was impressive in their own ways.

“Truly something to be proud of.” Max complimented him.

“I haven’t tamed any particularly special beast, but I’m confident in my personal strength.” Ignatius spoke up. “I have an inborn affinity for earth. It’s quite a powerful one too.”

“I have a mud type magic beast.” Owari said offhandedly. “What a coincidence to meet someone from an earth specialized agency.” He smiled.

“Mud affinity? I’m jealous, that’s one of the few branches of earth affinity that has vitality enhancement.” He said with some envy.

“Does that mean you practice mud type mystic arts?” Gregory asked curiously.

“Good question.” Owari thought about it. “Not really I guess. I mean I add it in sometimes to enhance myself but mostly I use that mystic beast for other work. I mostly use metal, though I only have one technique.”

“One technique?” Ignatius was confused.

“I also have an inborn affinity.” Noel suddenly distracted everyone. “It’s the kinetic affinity.”

“That’s a powerful affinity. It should be among one of the most powerful.” Max was again humbled. Now he really understood what Owari meant.

“It is powerful, but it’s very mana intensive.” Noel admitted.

“Not that that matters so much for her with her mana reserves.” Owari added in.

“She has a lot of mana?” Ignatius asked with interest.

“She’s albino.” Lance wondered why Ignatius even asked.

“Hm? Oh right. I forgot because it’s rare.” He smiled with embarrassment.

“I do happen to have a lot of mana. Though I will admit that sometimes my condition does become bothersome.” Noel sighed. Owari slightly pulled her closer to reassure her.

“I think I understand what you mean. My skin is sensitive to the light as well, it can be quite bad during the summer. Though it’s nowhere near as bad as what you would have to endure.” Max could sympathize to some extent.

At this moment a pair of twins approached. They were quite pretty young women with brown bob cut hair and big green eyes. “Hello Max. Making new friends I see.” The one on the right spoke.

“Lin, it’s good to see you. I certainly hope I’m making friends and not enemies.” Max chuckled as he joked.

“Knowing you I’d say you’re definitely making enemies.” Lin said with a devilish grin.

“Yeah yeah.” Max waved off her insult. “So how are you and Lee doing? Enjoying the party so far?”

“So far? Not much has happened. Why do you think we came to bother you?” She said somewhat impatiently.

“Actually she just wanted to see you.” Lee said next to her earning her a glare from her sister.

“Anyways, are you gonna introduce us?” Lin looked at the group of people.

“It’s more appropriate for them to introduce themselves.” Max chuckled, he wasn’t nearly on friendly enough terms to go introducing them.

Everyone ran through the typical introductions. When they finished Lin said something that cause the air to freeze. “What’s a lame independent hunter doing with someone like a Silverblood.”