Chapter 13: Gala

*Ding!*

“Ugh! Son of a bitch!”

*BANG!*

My flintlock fired into a man’s abdomen, one who just hit me with a metal pole. 

He slumped over after I kicked him away, proceeding to walk my way out. 

Over my face was the air mask. As Maxwell had said, it was crucial for staying healthy while in the Trenches. Sure, you could go in for a day and come out fine, but over several days? The mask was a lifesaver, especially since the smell of drugs and odor was unbearable. 

Even more, the air that I breathed was so fresh and revitalizing that it gave me more stamina. I could run and fight for much longer, which was similarly a lifesaver. 

*Ring!*

Suddenly, I felt my Aerial phone go off on my wrist. I looked at it and saw Rayla’s name.

I answered, her voice echoing in my mind.

“Hey sweet cheeks. How’s the job?”

“Fucking fantastic. Just got whacked in the leg with a pole.”

“What’s the other guy look like?”

“A bloody mess on the floor.”

“Then it seems you’re still fine.”

I smiled as we conversed in my mind. 

It had only taken two weeks for Sawn to activate the mind function of the Aerial 8 prototype. This meant I could carry out calls, see messages, and send pictures all from the comfort of my brain. But apparently, this was only because I was a summoner. Psyka, the power of the mind that summoners wielded, made all this far easier than with Knights or Warlocks.

We kept talking as I summoned a hatchet and chopped at a man who jumped out at me with a knife. 

*Splat!*

“So is that suit working well? Now that you’re testing it and all.”

“It’s definitely made a difference.”

I spoke while turning, flicking my arm and sending the hatchet flying. The blade buried itself into another man several meters away. 

Walking past the fresh corpse, the hatchet disappeared, going back to the dimension. 

Rayla chuckled. 

“I would hope so. You spent 30 thousand coin on it.”

“Yea. I mean, I’m not taking nearly as many wounds as I used to, but for those rare occasions, it’s definitely doing its part in keeping me alive. Just a few hours ago it managed to stop a sword from cutting through. It even mitigates some of the impact.”

“And it looks sharp on you.”

“Of course. That’s the most important part.”

I smiled as the end of the Trenches territory showed itself. 

Making my way into the territory of the Clockwork Association, I found a certain building number and knocked. 

“What?!”

“Special delivery!”

I yelled back to the rude voice. Soon after, the door swung open, revealing a short old lady. 

“Here! 2200 coin! Now get off my doormat!”

After tossing a sack of coin and snatching the package, the door was slammed shut. 

Compared to my recent clients, she was a saint. I turned and waved. 

“Pleasure doing business.”

“Off my doormat!”

Another yell came from the building, making me laugh. 

I then sighed.

“Finally done with the day.”

“Don’t you have class?”

“That’ll probably be tomorrow. I’m still on the verge of getting my second Authority. It’ll probably happen tonight.”

“Oh, well hurry and train then. You know, that’s another thing that’s always surprised me about you.”

“What’s that?”

I questioned while calling a carriage, having it take me to the Black Spider Hotel. 

Rayla spoke with skepticism.

“You’re strong for your level. I mean, you’re only Authority One, and you can kill those well above your own power.”

“Well, I still have trouble with Knights.”

“Yes, those tough ones seem to be your weakness. But again, you’re only on your first Authority.”

“Probably just the nature of my summons.”

I shrugged. I didn’t know how I was supposed to explain the technology behind guns in relation to the magical powers of this world. 

Soon, I arrived at the hotel. 

“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow. I’m home.”

“Sure thing, sweet cheeks.”

I ended the call with a smile. At the same time, I nodded to the Key Master.

He smiled back. 

“Good morning, John.”

“Likewise, Key Master. Thank you for the hospitality.”

“You say that every time you come through here. Instead, I should be congratulating you in advance on a successful advancement.”

“Heh, nothing gets past you.”

“I do my best.”

He tipped his hat as I walked past. 

“Enjoy your rest, John.”

“Thank you, Key Master.”

With that, I headed up to my room. 

Upon entry, I went and stripped my clothes in the bathroom. 

It was there that I turned on the bath and dumped them in the water. Just like that, my nice clothes had all the dirt and blood stripped right off them. 

Even the water slid off as I picked them back up. Perfectly clean in just a few minutes. That’s what 30 gold bullion gets you. 

The suit I had spent a significant amount of my savings on was, like my first suit, black with gold embroidery. As there was no worry about getting it dirty, defensively it could eat spells and block swords, and it could moderate its internal temperature, I decided that it would be my normal wear. Even my underwear had fancy enhancements on it. I called the temperature enhancement on it the ball chiller.

Being a summoner, I didn’t need to carry weapons on me like Knights did. Anything else I needed to carry was small and could fit in pockets, which my trench coat had plenty of. 

So I always looked good, though not overly outstanding. My suit wasn’t something that would catch the attention of anyone I couldn’t handle in a fight. 

After cleaning my body up for the night, I climbed into bed. 

It was 6 weeks past my encounter with Apocryon and the night at the auction house. Since then, I had been training my Authority and doing jobs. 

The Trench jobs really did pay more. The average job paid at least 3 times more than otherwise. The cost for this extra pay though were at least 8 trips to the hospital. 

I’ve gotten treated for stab wounds, poison, broken bones, and a slew of other small issues. I was lucky that this magical world had fantastic medical care, as with enough money, I could recover from everything without a hitch. 

I even bought some recovery pills from the hospital that I could take during battles. Those kept me going, temporarily keeping my injuries from getting worse and buying me time. 

I had really ridden the line of death over these past weeks. But hopefully things would be a bit easier soon. 

As I laid in my bed, I glanced at a large bruise on my thigh before grabbing a small book and crystal. 

They were the two items Maxwell gave me, and I had been training with them ever since. 

The process to train my Authority involved accumulating more power using the crystal as an engine. 

You couldn’t simply train your own power. That was like a battery trying to power itself. Instead, you needed an external energy source. That’s what the crystal was. 

And the book contained spell formations that allowed me to direct the power in a certain way that wouldn’t hurt me. Deviating from those formations hurt like hell, so I quickly learned how to use them properly.

Now, I was on the verge of getting my second Authority. 

I could feel it. In my mind, I saw the second star fill with energy over time. It was a tedious process, but now, it was almost completely full. 

“Just one more push.”

I mumbled to myself as I grabbed the crystal and started training. 

Energy moved into my body, bypassing my physical self and seeping straight into my mind. 

I could see the second star of 13 glisten. 

Then, an hour passed. 

It was at this time that I felt a reaction. 

All that power had reached a boiling point. 

I could suddenly feel a connection to the star. It was like a wall was breaking down. 

I was gaining access to something. Power beyond me was finally within reach. 

And I grabbed it. 

*Flash!*

The star shone before all the power swirled into a vortex. It shattered the wall, and before I could react, my mind was flooded with information. 

The second dimension was opened, and through it, I could see more spirits. 

But all the energy within me was simultaneously drained, leaving me exhausted. I staved off my desire to pass out though and looked into the dimension. 

What I saw… I didn’t know if I was happy or not. 

Percussion cap weapon, both pistols and rifles. 

The percussion cap system was far more reliable than the flintlock system. In fact, in the past several weeks there were a few days when it rained. Those days, I outright didn’t leave for work since my flintlock pistol couldn’t operate when wet. Even if it could, it would be horribly unreliable, and mistakes could mean death for me.

So Percussion cap weapons were definitely more reliable and easier to reload. But I had been hoping for something like a multi-chamber revolver. 

“…Well, things aren’t going to be that much easier. I’ll probably have to climb to Authority 3 before getting six shooters. Luckily this book knows how.”

This book that Maxwell gave me had the formations for Authority 3, and since he said that advancing a few Authorities wasn’t an issue with the Magisterium, I decided that I would do so. 

“It took me six weeks, but three of those weeks were spent getting used to the spell formation. If I can figure things out faster, I might be able to advance again in a month. Well, I’ll ask Maxwell tomorrow since I can return to class now.”

I mumbled while closing the book and putting away the crystal. 

With that, I went to sleep. 

……

…

“Only six weeks, huh? Pretty fast, for someone who only activated their Crest a couple months ago.”

“Yes, but unfortunately the new summons aren’t that much stronger. They’re basically more reliable weapons, maybe a bit better in terms of power, but that’s it.”

“I see. Well, not out of the ordinary. You won’t start seeing significant changes until the latter Authorities. Still, there are many things to teach you until then. So sit and listen. Oh, and your bill has increased to 5 gold bullion a week.”

“What?!”

“Even numbers, you know?”

He shrugged, and I could only fork out 5 shiny gold coins. They fell from my Card into his hand, which he immediately tossed into his own Card, which was of the Platinum level. 

After that, I got to listen to a long lecture that only stopped after the sun had risen. 

When it was over, I dragged myself out, though not before giving Maxwell a reminder. 

“By the way, the Auction is coming up again soon.”

“Of course. Just focus on training your next Authority. Oh, and did you get a suit from that man I told you to visit?”

“Yes, I’m wearing it right now.”

It was Maxwell who referred me to a tailor who made these special suits, telling me to buy one if I wanted to survive. In the end, I spent 30 gold bullion on the one Rayla and I had spoken about the day before. 

“Very well. Oh, take this crystal, and hand me back the other one next time. Use the new one for training. It’s more powerful.”

He tossed me a White Crystal, one that was identical to the previous, only bigger. 

With that, I finally left for the day.

……

My next few weeks were filled with training and working. 

The reason Maxwell wanted me to face adversity in the Trenches was because utilizing my spirits naturally trained me as a summoner, especially since I had cold summons. 

And I had learned a lot through daily battles. The process of Charming to form a communion became far smoother than at first. I also learned a special aspect of the Call of the Fallen Angel that had saved my neck several times. 

Spirits weren’t limited to their summoned forms. Basically, I could pump my Psyka into these spirits, making them stronger. This allowed my guns to hit harder at the expense of my energy. 

When faced with Knights who had atrociously strong and resilient bodies, normal bullets didn’t cut it. Instead, I spent chunks of my energy, empowering the spirit and giving it stronger shots that could kill those Knights. 

And it was this ability that continued to secure my life in the following weeks. 

Soon, my third auction came around. It marked the 6th month of the year, which meant it was the second quarterly auction. 

The major auction that was graced by Vatsy’s Gala.

The Black Spider Market was festive even before the auction began. The anticipation was high, and I myself was raking in the big bucks. 

I was paired with Rayla again as we ran jobs for the auction. Thankfully, nothing like the encounter with Apocryon happened again, though that didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous. 

We were attacked several times, even outside the black markets. It was like these thieves could smell how valuable our cargo was because they always seemed to come out of nowhere. 

Thankfully Rayla was powerful. Her Warlock spells could take people out faster than my pistols could. 

We still got a few injuries though, ending up in the hospital a couple times. 

But it was all worth it. Precisely, it was worth the 28 thousand gold profit. 

These quarterly auctions were big. 

And we were privileged enough to attend them. 

When the day came, I picked out my formal suit and met the company at the auction house. 

Inside, there were dancers on a stage and an entire orchestra that was playing swing music. The entire place was filled with the aroma of alcohol, perfume, and delicious food. 

It was a massive party, all hosted by the big wig Vatsy.

“Throw on your masks, and have fun!”

Of course, another symbol of the Gala was the Masquerade. 

Everyone received a mask, one that matched our attire. 

After putting them on, a few of the guys dispersed, Plex included. 

Rayla and I, on the other hand, linked arms and wandered around the place. 

Occasionally we took some snacks, and most of the time we were talking about whatever came to mind. 

Spending some time at the bar, she would pick out some ‘suitable females’ that she tried to get me to talk to. All of them were rather gorgeous. Not even the masks could conceal their beauty. 

But as always, I refused. And in the end, she invited me for a dance. 

Unfortunately, while I knew how to dance, I didn’t know anything from this world. So she was the one who had to lead. 

I quickly picked up on what seemed to be a combination of square dancing and the tango. It was complex but rhythmic, and after feeling each other for a while, we matched our tempo. 

Of course, I couldn’t help but be tripped up a few times. But everything between us was fun, so we just laughed and kept going. 

Then, I took the lead and taught her some stuff that I knew. Some simplified tango was fun as I led her around the floor. She was agile as she followed my feet, our bodies almost pasted together while we moved. 

I knew it wasn’t just me as the heat grew. Eventually our smiles turned somber, our gazes locked onto each other’s, our eyes sharp almost like we were mad at each other. 

And then, the music slowed. We came to a stop, her chest pressed against mine and our hot breaths brushing against the other’s face. 

And just when it seemed like something would happen…

*Ring!*

I heard the Aerial ring in my mind. It was a call from Libitus. 

It drew my attention, and as soon as my eyes were diverted, Rayla took a breath and backed off. 

“Sorry, Libitus is calling me.”

“No, it’s fine. I need a drink anyway.”

She smiled as we walked off the dance floor. I made my way to a bar while Rayla excused herself. 

I met with Libitus who grabbed me and pulled me to the side. 

“Hey, there’s something you should know.”

“What?”

I asked weirdly while grabbing some random wine off a tray. 

Libitus seemed serious as he spoke. 

“It’s about Rayla. I need you to trust me and avoid trying anything with her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Please, I saw you two down there. For the past month you two have gotten really close. And I don’t want that to change since she’s been a lot happier since you’ve come around. But please, don’t get seriously romantic. For her sake.”

“…Why?”

I got curious. Being honest with myself, I’ve come to really like Rayla. She was smart, mature, had a great sense of humor, and was beautiful. I couldn’t say I hadn’t thought of pursuing anything. 

But Libitus was making me morbidly curious. 

He shook his head with a sigh. 

“I’m not sure I should tell you. It’s her business.”

“Hey, let’s not play these games. Tell me, or I’ll just go ask her about it myself. Because I like her too much to beat around such an important detail.”

“…Fine.”

He gave in, but before he spoke, he grabbed a cup and downed all its contents. 

After a cough, he looked around before turning his voice low. 

“Look, she’s been married before. It wasn’t long before she joined the military that she found her husband. Both of them were Warlocks, so they joined together. But… he didn’t make it out.”

He spoke with lingering sorrow.

“She’s been depressed for years since they had been trying for a child. Still probably hasn’t gotten over it. But when you two met, she’s been all bright and happy. You’re a good man John, and normally I’d say you two would be good together. But… I don’t think she’s in the position to get involved romantically. I don’t know if she’ll ever be. They seriously loved each other. I mean, she almost killed herself over it. The Scourge took her man in the worst way possible… Plus, you’re quite a bit younger than her. It just… The facts don’t mesh, and I don’t want things to be ruined between you two because of that conflict.”

“…”

I was silent, processing these shocking revelations. 

Libitus sighed when he glanced at me, downing another cup. 

“I’m sorry, John. But please trust me on this. You two can get as chummy as you want, but keep it as friends. If you try to take it that one step further, I don’t see it ending well for either of you. It’ll just be an amazing friendship brought to an unnecessary halt.”

“…Thank you for telling me.”

I responded dully, grabbing an entire bottle of alcohol off a butler’s tray and taking a swig. 

I pinched my temples. 

“I’ll… think about it.”

“Well, no need to do it sober. But keep things up like this, and you’ll probably have to make the decision tonight. Oh, she’s coming.”

Libitus smiled and waved while Rayla walked over. With my back facing her, I clenched my jaw before taking another drink and turning around. 

“Hey! Care to join us?”

I offered with a wide smile, waving the bottle around in front of her face. 

She smirked and took it, taking a swig with a scrunched face. 

“Bleh! That’s strong! At least get me something tasty.”

“Of course. Let’s head to the Tavera suite and drink there though.”

Like that, the three of us got ourselves comfortable in the first-class seating that was armed with a private bar. 

And so, the quarterly auction was kicked off, filled with happiness and hidden sorrows. 

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