Chapter 21: Invitation

Fang questioningly looked back at the head of commerce; he was just an unknown nobody.

Tentatively, Fang asked, “Miss Valeria, can I ask, why were you looking for me?”

She let out a small laugh. “It’s nothing big. Fang, if it’s convenient for you, I would like to invite you to my home tomorrow night.”

“Visit?”

The woman nodded. “Yes, I’ll have dinner prepared for us.”

Flattered, but confused, Fang wondered why someone like the head of the chamber of commerce would invite him.

“Will you?” She softly asked, jolting Fang from his thoughts.

“Miss Valeria, although it may be rude, can I ask why you invited me? I’m just a poor student, not rich enough to be qualified as your guest, right?”

“Fang, I’m sure you meet my qualifications, and for you, this isn’t an opportunity you can miss.” She smiled, “but this isn’t a good place to talk; we’ll talk in detail tomorrow night. Before that, I want to make sure – would you like to visit me?”

Somewhat hesitant, Fang couldn’t help but agree to that compelling voice. “Yes.”

“Tomorrow evening then, I’ll send someone over to pick you up, see you then.” Valeria’s body disappeared into the shadows as dim lights illuminated the solitary man on the road.

--- --- ---

The appearance of the mysterious woman occupied Fang’s mind for the entire day, as he came up with many theories as to why she wanted to see him, but thinking them through, they all didn’t make sense. And without knowing it, it was the afternoon already.

Today was another holiday, the energy tower being shut down for maintenance. Usually, Fang would go to the training grounds to practice his skills, though, filled with anxiety, he directly went back to his residence.

From the hallway, he saw Blue trying to open the door, still, it wouldn’t open as it was the wrong key.

All these days Fang hadn’t seen Blue, so this was a welcome surprise. Happily, Fang shouted, “Hey Blue!”

“Ah, Fang?” Blue looked up and saw Fang, and her expression immediately turned complex.

Suffering a heavy mental blow from the loss of her first kiss, Blue was depressed in these recent days, and she couldn’t muster the motivation to follow Fang around anymore.

“Let me do it.” Seeing how Blue couldn’t open the door, Fang grabbed his keys and opened it.

Before his roommate went back into his room, Fang said, “Blue, if it’s okay with you, can we talk?”

Blue hesitated, then stopped. “About what?”

“Well, I’m worried about you,” Fang coughed. “I know that a number of uncomfortable things happened between us, and you feel at a loss.”

Blue’s face held a slight blush, accompanied by anger.

Damn, please don’t mention that night again, don’t you think you’ve bothered me enough?

Obliviously, Fang continued. “But Blue, it was a small accident, just that you had too much to drink and played a slightly excessive joke. I really don’t mind at all, it’s okay now Blue, you’re wasting your chances holing up in your room.”

A slightly bad joke?

Blue’s eyes widened, you think losing your first kiss is just a joke?

Fang walked over and patted Blue on the shoulder. “To hell with the unpleasant past, cheer up Blue, you may look pretty delicate, but I believe you are a strong person. Even if there are some minor obstacles, you should be able to get over it and look forward – after all, you can’t live in the shadow of your past, right?”

Blue became silent.

That’s right, I’m the genius Scarlett; how could I give up with this setback?

Fang, since I lost my first kiss to you, I’m going to take my sweet revenge to reimburse that ten times over!

From now on, I won’t run away!

Blue turned her sunken, dark eyes towards Fang. “Well, Fang, you’re right, I need to face the future bravely!”

Seeing his roommate’s mental state take a turn for the better, Fang was thrilled.

Blue couldn’t wait. “Hey Fang, do you want to head for the arena tonight?”

“Tonight?” Fang had a difficult expression on his face. “I can’t go tonight, I have to go somewhere else.”

Blue asked, “With Durin?”

Fang shook his head. “No!”

“Then with Mii?” Blue had already made up her mind – if Mii and Fang were dating, she’d take every opportunity to destroy their own, happy little world.

“No, not Mii!” Fang replied to Blue’s shock; as far as Blue knew, her roommate only knew three people in the training camp: Durin, Mii, and herself, so on a rare holiday, where and with whom could he go?

“Tonight, I was personally invited for dinner,” Fang slowly continued, “her name is Valeria, and from what she said, the head of the chamber of commerce.”

Although telling another person that he was going to meet wasn’t very courteous, he still wasn’t sure if Valeria invited him with malicious intents or not. Wary, just in case he got into an accident, he told Blue so that if he did go missing, Blue could alert the experts of the camp.

Blue blurted out, “What, Valeria, the head of the chamber of commerce?”

“Yeah,” Fang answered. “Wait, Blue, do you know Valeria?”

“Well…” Blue hastily improvised, “I heard rumors that the chamber of commerce in Minuet City was pretty famous.”

Fang didn’t notice the stammer in Blue’s voice and responded, “Oh, I see.”

Blue knew Valeria was really the head of the chamber of commerce, and she was quite infamous inside Minuet City. It wasn’t just rumors, she witnessed the rise and fall herself.

The tragedy of the talented beauty inside the chamber of commerce, with a limitless future. A single event was all it took to change the fate of the gifted woman completely.

But why did Valeria want to meet with Fang?

Curious, Blue asked, “Do you know Valeria?”

“No, until yesterday, I’ve never met her.” Fang shrugged. “I don’t know the reason why she invited me, all she said was to come visit and have a meal with her.”

“Oh.” There was nothing Blue could do about it if Fang himself didn’t know why he was going.

“Blue, I have to go, Valeria said she’d send someone to pick me up, and I don’t want to keep her waiting; let’s go to class together sometime tomorrow.” Fang hurriedly said as he went into his room, changing into a clean set of clothes. He rushed to the magic camp and told Mii that there was something that he had to go deal with tonight, and then headed straight towards the gates of the school.

A white carriage was firmly shackled to a pearly white horse with long, majestic wings; though the majority of monsters were aggressive and hostile, some could be tamed at a young age such as this Pegasus.

After Fang arrived, a sharp woman came out of the carriage. With rimmed glasses and brisk, precise steps, she came in front of Fang. “Excuse me, are you the student Fang?”

Fang nodded. “Yes, and you are…?”

“My name is Rhodes, Valeria’s personal secretary, please to meet you, Fang.” She crisply shook his hand, then said, “The head is preparing dinner, so I came to pick you up, sir. Are there any problems, or are you prepared to leave?”

“No, no problems at all, thank you.” Fang was taken aback by her respective manner; from what it sounded like, Valeria was prepared dinner herself and her secretary was picking him up. Wasn’t this too much for an ordinary student?

What qualifications did I have to be treated so nicely?