"Em, we should get out there. Ashton is struggling to play host above all of these people coming to him" Count Shaun standing at his bedroom window staring out over the congregation
"Ashton is capable of handling our guests for a little while, besides aren't the girls with him?" Countess Emily dismissing her husband, holding up jeweled earnings in her full body mirror trying to find the perfect pair to match her dress
"Oh, isn't that Isebell Raine approaching Ashton?"
"WHERE" Rushing over to the window in a furry, the countess feeling on fire and protective
Scanning over the crowd and spotting her son, she realizes the duke and his daughter are not among the crowd and that her husband was teasing her. Smacking the back of his head and returning to her mirror. "Jerk!"
-
"Mr. Ahston, hello my name is Pter" reaching out his hand for a handshake
[Who are you?] Ashton thinks to himself as he reaches his own hand out
"Pter Conti
Age: 26
Stamina: 30
Mana: 3
Intelligence: 60
Strength: 30"
"Mr. Conti, nice to meet you"
Surprised that Ashton knows his name, Pter is only slightly taken back. As the only diplomat from his country in the empire, he figured he was easy to spot and presents Ashton with his gift
"Mr. Ashton, I became aware that the legal drinking age in your country is 16, so I had something special imported from my home."
Pter servants carry out a wooden crate from behind him and places at the feet of the two. Cracking the crate open six bottle of wine become visible with the label reading "40 years"
"Mr. Ashton, this wine of the highest quality made in Carvan. Please, please." Backing away Pter gestures that the crate is his gift to him. Ashton who had no interest in drinking was unamused but remained respectful, only gesturing Olaf to come and take it away.
"Mr. Conti, I've heard that Carvan produces the finest wines and I'm eager to find out. Thank you"
Reaching out his hand again for a handshake, Ashton spots his mother and father walking arm in arm into the courtyard."
"Please excuse me"
Walking away from the diplomat and his sister and towards his parents, Ashtons shoes tapping against the stone walkway in haste catch the attention of a certain onlooker. Their sharp gaze lethal and uncaring causes him to instinctively turn look upon them.
Antony Mitchell
Age: 62
Stamina: 84
Mana: ?
Intelligence: 72
Strength: 80
Ashtons eyes widen not from the systems prompt, but from the information he knows that is missing.
[Count Mitchell? One of the only 7 circle mages alive, and the master of Pheonix Tower, is here? At my party? With my potential it makes sense for magic towers to show interest, but I am still unproven]
Ashton standing still within the courtyard, meeting eyes with the grand mage, caught his parents attention as they cleared the distance between them and are now infront of him.
"Honey is something wrong?"
"Mom, did you guys in fight Tower Master Mitchell?"
"Haha, nope. We thought we was too big a shot, but he reached out and asked to come himself. But how did you know son? He told us he was interested in you and would come in disguise, even we dont know where he is?"
"What?"
Ashton looking back over where he spotted the mage before, but he was gone. With the Aether system open, he scans the crowd again for the grand mage. Dozens of names and attributes of his guest clutter his vision as he searches, but to no avail.
"Son, are you alright?" Count Shaun placing his hand on Ashtons shoulder in worry snaps him clear headed
"Yeah, yeah I'm alright dad. Anyways I'm its your guys turn to be the center of attention, im going inside"
"Sure"
Walking away Ashton is takes one last glance around the courtyard, hoping to spot the elusive grand mage but again, no luck.
[Forget it, he will show himself again]
Looking down at the courtyard from above, standing on the air the grand mage invisibly watched as Ashton was glancing around for him on his walk to the mansion
"Not bad, not bad at all. HAHA"
[Why do I feel like I lost? Its not like finding him would give me anything to gain, yet I still feel empty. Because he escaped right from under me? Because he was strong enough to do so?]
Ashton felt greatly upset over losing sight of the grand mage, it made him feel powerless, it made him feel his limits as a mage even more clearly since even with divine help he still failed. His powerlessness made him hungry, hungry for opportunity to grow.
[But this upsetting situation did make one thing clear, I understand the values on the Aether systems evaluation better, I understand the correlation between "attributes"
Strength and mana determine stamina, which sounds obvious now. A mage with weak physicality and the same amount of mana as someone with a more robust body will of course, lose.
It also appears the intelligence attribute determines the potential circles a mage can reach, which also sounds obvious to say aloud. Thats not to say just because my attribute is in the 90s, I can reach the 9th circle. Thats impossible. Besides, a person reaching their max potential is difficult, with intelligence rated in the 70s the tower master reached the 7th circle, speaking to his hard work over his genius. The Aether system also doesn't take into account mana sensitivity. I know now this Aether system isn't just a scouting device, I have gained great power from it already. It will also allow me to see those with potential undiscovered, and track the growth of myself and others extremely accurately]
Walking inside of the mansion, Ashton wishes the day would blow by like a spring wind and bring him a summer which he could leave his home and train. The desire to better himself was burning inside of Ashton, but underneath it, underneath the noble intentions of self improvement, something dark was festering and laying root.