Chapter 32 - Grifantes Tower

  "I think I’m ready," Daniel eventually said. His knees had gone numb against the dewy grass.

  Felicia's arms tightened a bit more around him before she let go.

  "I don't think they blamed you..." Her voice was soft, like she was trying to handle something fragile. "They missed you, of course, but I think they were happy."

  Happy.

  Daniel wanted to believe that. Wanted to imagine that Lyra had lived a good life despite his absence, that she'd found joy and love and all the things a life well-lived should contain.

  But how could he know? How could anyone know what weight she'd carried in her heart, what grief she'd hidden behind smiles?

  "...Maybe."

  The word came out hollow. He couldn't quite make himself believe it, even if he desperately wanted to.

  The details of the house sharpened as his emotions calmed, letting him see more clearly.

  The bed of flowers, the neat grass around the foundation. And the handle of the entrance door—the brass worn smooth in exactly the places hands would grip it, darkened by oils and time.

  Someone has been going inside.

  The realization settled over him slowly. His formation wouldn't allow entry to just anyone—the protections were too specific, keyed to people Artorias had explicitly granted access. Family members, mostly, though he'd added a few trusted friends.

  And there was only one person alive who still had that access, other than himself.

  Elania.

  She had kept waiting, long beyond human limits, keeping the house ready for his return when his sister no longer could.

  That triggered another pang of guilt, of course. Because while he'd been sealed away, dreaming of nothing, Elania had been here. Alone. Tending a dead woman's garden, maintaining a home for a man who might never return.

  A thousand years of that. A thousand years of hope.

  I'm sure she's the reason the Grifantes family has stayed so strong.

  With Elania as backing—a knight of legendary power who could level cities if sufficiently motivated—who would the Grifantes family fear?

  She's been protecting them all this time. Protecting Lyra's descendants in my stead.

  He owed her so much, more than he could ever repay.

  Perhaps my return will make up for some of it, at least.

  He wasn’t sure she would accept who he was now, or even how he himself would react upon seeing her. But he would let her know everything. She deserved that much.

  "Hey!"

  A voice suddenly shouted nearby, sharp and authoritative.

  "Get off the grass, will you? It's private property!"

  Daniel's head jerked up, spotting two of the city guards—different from the academy's security, marked by the Novanny crest on their shoulders.

  Private property. Right. Because I'm just some random person trespassing on sacred ground.

  The irony would have been funny if he had the energy for it. This was his sister's home, with his formation protecting it.

  But they couldn't know that. To them, he was just another religious fanatic, drawn to the legendary Artorias's preserved home like a moth to flame.

  He wanted to protest and be difficult, to lock them inside a bubble of gold light just to see their faces. To demonstrate exactly how little authority they actually had over him.

  But his spirit was currently battered.

  "...Yeah, sorry. We were just leaving."

  The words felt strange in his mouth—apologizing for sitting on his own sister's lawn. But it was easier than explaining.

  He got up from the ground, bringing Felicia along with a hand, and walked back to the cobblestone road where the guards waited.

  "Did you not see the sign?" one of them asked sharply, gesturing toward a posted notice Daniel hadn't bothered to look at. ‘Don’t step on the grass!’ it said.

  "No, I didn't."

  He had been preoccupied.

  "It's another religious fanatic," the other guard whispered, not caring that Daniel heard him. Or maybe intending for him to hear.

  "I'm sorry, soldiers," Felicia stepped in front of Daniel, taking on a formal tone he rarely heard from her. She bowed to them with grace, looking every bit like the noble daughter she was.

  "I asked my teacher to show me the house my ancestor lived in. And since I can't see..."

  "Ancestor?" The guard's tone shifted immediately, suspicion replacing irritation. "I can't say I recognize you as a member of the Grifantes family."

  "My mother was Sylvia Grifantes."

  "Oh! You're that..."

  The guard caught himself, clearly about to say something tactless before his brain caught up with his mouth.

  "Of course. Apologies, Miss."

  Both guards bowed to her, deeper than seemed necessary. Then they kept walking in the other direction, exchanging quick glances that Daniel could read perfectly well.

  The blind daughter. The one from the accident.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  "Thank you, Fillie. I’m glad you’re quick on your feet."

  Daniel kept his voice low, aware that sound could carry in the open space around them.

  "It's mostly true,” Felicia replied. “I'm surprised they believed me so easily, though."

  "Your reputation precedes you. The girl who lost her mother and vision in an airship accident. Especially here, where your mother would be well known."

  "I guess... Are you okay?"

  Felicia's mana-sight was focused on him with concern, reading the emotional turbulence he couldn't quite hide. She was more worried for him than for herself.

  "Not quite, but I'll manage. Thank you for staying with me."

  "Of course. I am your rock." She pumped her arms like a bodybuilder, flexing her barely visible muscles.

  The image was so absurd that Daniel found himself laughing despite everything. The sound came out rough and slightly broken, but genuine.

  "You sure are. Let's go see if they accept visitors."

  "They'd better, or else!"

  Felicia's attempt at a threatening voice came out squeaky and utterly unconvincing.

  "Heh, I'm sure they'll regret making you mad."

  My fierce little rock.

  They walked over to the entrance of the great tower, with Daniel craning his neck to see the top the entire way. It truly was a marvel, whatever magic they had used to keep it standing. Not even the tallest mountain he had ever climbed reached such heights.

  The fancy doors opened for them automatically, revealing a great hall of fantastical designs and opulence. Floating sculptures of white marble slowly rotating over their podiums, great colorful paintings lining the walls, and a large formation in the center creating a beam of light shooting straight up through the tower. Less efficient than the one he just made, of course.

  I guess the talent for formations didn’t quite pass on. Though, Lyra was more of a combat mage anyway.

  "Quite an impressive hall," Daniel said, mostly for Felicia's sake. Her magic vision wouldn't be able to see much in such a large space.

  "I'm sure it is. Maybe it's for the best I don't see it."

  There was something wistful in her voice. It was plain to see the nerves were getting to her, especially now that they were so close to the meeting—if they would even let her in.

  "Oh wow, that diamond must be the size of your head." Daniel pointed at a perfectly ordinary decorative crystal.

  "Now I know you're just joking."

  "Aah, you caught me."

  "May I help you?"

  A voice interrupted their banter—another guard, this one walking toward them with confident steps. He was far stronger than the ones they'd met earlier, Daniel could tell immediately. Easily two meters tall and built like a bear, with the kind of presence that came from actual combat experience rather than just intimidating looks.

  Clearly hired to intimidate unwelcome guests. And probably to handle them if intimidation fails.

  "You might," Daniel replied, looking up at him. "This is Felicia Harrowbloom, here to visit her second family. But we're not expected."

  There was a glint of recognition in the guard’s eyes as he glanced over at Felicia.

  "Certainly. Please wait by the lounge over there while I notify the staff. Someone should come see you shortly." The giant gestured to a nice area of couches and chairs, then turned and walked over to the reception.

  “That man was large,” Felicia whispered as they walked over to sit. “Even Father would look small next to him.”

  "Yeah, well fed. I'm sure he does a good job of keeping the peace."

  Daniel settled into one of the couches, grateful for the cushioning after sitting on hard ground. Felicia sat right next to him, close enough that their shoulders touched.

  Then she accessed her index and pulled out a stack of paper with a soft shimmer of spatial magic.

  Daniel chuckled, surprised and pleased. "I figured you'd be too nervous for that. But I did promise you could practice today, so feel free."

  “I’m doing it because I’m nervous,” Felicia replied, already busy creating another ring of mana. “It helped while flying, didn’t it?”

  “That’s true.”

  Daniel looked over at the reception desk while Felicia busied herself. The guard was pointing in their direction while speaking in hushed tones to the receptionist—a thin man with wire-frame glasses.

  The receptionist nodded, then moved a phone-like device to his ear. Some kind of communication formation probably, connected to the upper floors.

  For the number of floors this building has, I expected to see far more people here on the ground floor.

  The entrance hall was oddly empty. No bustle of servants, no family members passing through, no sense of the teeming life that should fill a structure this large.

  But I guess those who live here take flying carriages when they need to leave, if they ever do. Private entrances on the upper floors, probably. Why walk through the lobby like common folk?

  "Damn it!"

  Felicia's whispered curse pulled Daniel's attention back to her. She was staring at the paper in front of her with frustration clear on her face. “It’s even worse than yesterday…”

  The hole was oval, but the curves were far smoother than the day before.

  “It’s far better than yesterday,” Daniel corrected, keeping his voice genuine. “The shape is bad, but the hard part is the smoothness. I’m impressed.”

  “...Really?”

  “If this is what you can do in a stressful environment like this, I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do later. In fact, you might even be ready for my advice.”

  Felicia looked up from her paper, turning her attention entirely to him. Her every movement screamed she was hungry for improvement.

  “What advice?”

  “If you think of your breathing as a point on a circle, moving up and behind as you breathe in, and back down as you breathe out. Try to inscribe the circle at the exact bottom, right as you stop exhaling. That is when your mind is the most relaxed.”

  “Oh… Okay, I’ll try that.”

  She returned her focus, this time breathing in a much slower rhythm. Daniel watched her mana signature shift and settle as she found the pattern, falling into the breathing exercise with surprising ease.

  The mana formed above the paper, only wavering slightly as she concentrated. Then she inhaled, held it for a moment at the apex, and exhaled slowly.

  The mana landed on the paper with a light singing sound, almost in a perfect circle. Almost.

  “Amazing work! Your mental imaging really is incredible.”

  Daniel couldn't keep the pride out of his voice. He had been nowhere near that fast at improving when he came up with that technique.

  “It’s not perfect.”

  "No, but it's much closer than ever. It won't be long."

  And he meant it. At this rate, she'd be creating perfect circles within days, not weeks.

  “...Why did you wait to tell me that advice?”

  There was a note of accusation in her voice, playful but genuine. Why hold back something that could've helped?

  "Because you had to get used to the rest of the process first. Another reason the breathing helps is that it draws some of your focus away from the task, letting your subconscious fill in the gaps you usually try so hard to control."

  It was a paradox of learning—sometimes trying too hard made things worse. The conscious mind overthinking, overcontrolling, getting in the way of natural talent.

  "Wow. You really are a good teacher."

  “I’m glad you’re realizing that. Just remember it when we start doing compatibility matrices for advanced formations.”

  “...That already sounds like a headache.”

  It will be. But you'll handle it.

  "Miss Felicia."

  A voice suddenly interrupted their session from nearby. The receptionist had walked over to them, moving with the careful deference of someone approaching nobility.

  He bowed deeply in front of Felicia, so low it was almost comical.

  "I apologize for the wait. The patriarch is busy, but your uncle, Sir Lucian, has agreed to meet you. Would you follow me?"

  “Oh, that’s good. I mean, that sounds good.”

  Felicia stood from the couch after putting the remaining papers back in her index. Then she grabbed hold of Daniel's arm.

  “Please lead the way.”

  The receptionist looked at Daniel with a hint of hesitation—clearly uncertain whether this teacher was meant to accompany her or wait here. But Felicia's grip on his arm made the decision for him.

  Eventually, he turned and started walking toward an elevator at the far end of the hall.

  Here we go. Meeting the family.