The Ascension Of The Celestial Priest

Opposite to what its name entailed, the Slaughter Fest was a celebratory tavern full of laughter and cheerful conversation, with dancers entertaining half-drunk adventurers as they clinked their glasses filled with booze whilst being grateful they lived to see another day, another night.

The sun had already set over the Golden City, exposing the shining moon that spread its soft radiance over the once busy streets. By now most people were either huddled in their homes asleep while others treated the arrival of night as their morning as they got ready to start their own special trade.

Lukas wryly smiled as he found himself raising his own glass of butter beer to the people he had once faced life and death with. Geoff looked like he belonged with his short wavy hair and a relaxed smile on his clean-cut face, while Mira's attention was fully enraptured; her stunning face hidden under a veil while her hand held her own drink, sipping it as she enjoyed the rambunctious fun swirling all around her. Sadly the Half-Elf Renesme couldn't join them but it didn't stop Rexsi from being the center of the attention as his words and humor intermingled in the hazy air of alcohol.

How had he found himself here? Well it all started from the very idea suggested by the culprit himself.

** ** **

After everyone took their badges from Malten, whilst being dazed and confused, they all had plans already made.

After visiting the Trading Pavilion and following their clear instructions, they were all given a choice to either take their full reward or make an account that would help them store their money, making it freely available to withdraw at any time.

Lukas made a choice to withdraw half of his prize money, as the Golden City was nearer to the Cathedral and he could take an easy journey wherever his funds run short while others made their own choices. Geoff and Mira each made an account like Lukas while Renesme and Rexsi made a full withdrawal instead.

After taking 500 Gold, Lukas had plans to venture around the City, buy a few essential items before he settled back to his room, ready to return to the Cathedral the next morning but Rexsi had other plans as he stopped them at the entrance of the Trading Pavilion and proposed an idea they couldn't refuse.

He urged that since they were inadvertently connected by the disaster from their Qualification Exam, they might as well spend a single night together to celebrate and deepen their bonds before each disappeared to their own institutes. And to top it all off, he knew just the place.

Geoff was about to refuse before Mira acquiesced immediately, jumping at the first chance of finally having some fun. Lukas lightly guessed that her life of being descendant of a great noble family of Fyre must have involved intense training and heavy responsibilities such that she was itching to have an enjoyment of her own.

And since Mira was adamant about it, Geoff had no choice but to follow. Renesme sadly smiled before telling them that she needed to return to her institution the Vastsky Academy as soon as possible while Lukas for the lack of a better option( apart from spending the night, alone, in his rented room) agreed to it almost immediately. Rexsi gave them clear directions on how to arrive at the fabled Slaughter Fest and then each was left to their own devices.

Lukas with an intended goal in mind, walked around the outer skirts of the Golden City familiarizing himself. He saw a lot of shops, buildings, pavilions, and residents ranging from the normal people to mages and warriors and the occasional beast men that wondered among the streets.

But what Lukas didn't expect was the attention he got from his Star Marked badge he had pinned on his robe right after he got it from the Adventurers' Guild. People around him kept whispering, as they pointed at him, apparently impressed that an Outer Disciple of The Cathedral of Light got a Star with his Bronze badge. To say the least, Lukas was already used to being under attention from his previous life (since his last occupation* practically demanded it) but he didn't want to be in someone's radar this early into his new life.

Trying to silently escape the scrutiny, he was forced to make an early stop to a much known tailoring house in the City. The Golden City was regarded as the emissary of the Cathedral of Light so he was able to order a new white robe for himself and as he waited, he fascinated by the wide range of products he saw including the most expensive robes that were enchanted with powerful runes of various properties . His mouth watered at the random idea of lading himself with so many runic shields on his robes that his enemies could never have hope to breakthroughs much unrealistic as that sounded.

It was here that he got his first surprise. Apparently since the Tailoring House was sponsored by the Adventurer's Guild, Lukas could use his Star marked Badge to obtain a 5% fee discount on anything he purchased. It wasn't much but his eyes practically shone at the prospect of saving money such that he visited the similar shops with his Star Marked badge on his c.h.e.s.t, ignoring the gazes he got and in the end he saved quite a bit allowing him to enjoy some of the various exotic delicacies before he made a few unexpected stops along the way.

One of the stops he made was at the Musical Shop. After entering he made a good bargain on the harp he bought before making another stop at the Market, purchasing more than a few cooking utensils along the way. All these items were meant to bring some of his old world into his new one. He wanted to find out if he could reminiscence some of the musical pieces he had once learnt and travel through nostalgia by trying to remake some of the best dishes he had once loved. These things would act as his anchor, a reminder to himself of why he was pursuing power with all his strength.

With his new belongings, he made a quick stop at The Swift Pavilion. This Pavilion specialized in the courier carriage and the missive deliveries. He wasn't sure if they were spread out continent wise but within the region of the Cathedral of Light, they boasted they could send any message and any luggage almost everywhere. He paid for his new luggage to be sent to his abode at the Cathedral while he remained in the City , devouring all of the sights and smells until the sun began to descend and it was time for him to prepare for tonight's event.

** ** **

It didn't take long for him to be ready, as after he meditated and showered, he wore the newly bought blue and white robe for the night. The vibrant colors melded well with his Starlight staff, transforming him into a dignified mage of elegant stature.

Then when the time came he ordered a carriage to the place, only to be received by Rexsi with Geoff adorned in simple leather armor that fitted him quite well and Mira under a beautiful dress of glimmering red hues.

But the moment they entered the enlivened hall they immediately knew they stood out. Rexsi had insisted on casual clothing but even with their apparel, it wasn't enough to hide their prominent bearing. In fact their whole attire made it even more apparent but Lukas wasn't about to get intimidated by the countless stares that befell them while Mira under her gauze was busy fl.i.c.k.i.n.g her eyes everywhere not minding the attention at all.

Rexsi hurriedly sent them to their table and it didn't take long for the people inside The Slaughter Fest to resume their jubilant mood.

After a few orders were placed and the beers started rolling in, Mira was positively enraptured by the heavy silky sweet-like taste the butter beer left trailing behind as it warmed her whole body. Occasionally her eyes flitted to the dancer on the podium that had captured the audience's attention while Lukas had already made it a common habit of his to observe everything around him; from the audience's roaring to the clapping that ensued every time the graceful dancer twirled her body under the light crimson mist of her magic.

Mira couldn't help but snort.

"What is it?" Rexsi noticed.

Mira's head nodded in the dancer's direction. "I didn't expect a daughter form the House of Firaun would be here giving a performance to these hoodlums."

Rexsi nearly sweated in response, thanking the stars for the fact that the din inside the Slaughter Fest was loud.

"She is a noble?" Lukas curiously asked.

Mira was about to nod before she answered. "More like a half a noble. One of the elders in the House of Firaun had an affair with a servant and that led for her to be born. It was quite a scandal back at the sect considering the fact that the family of Firaun is another Great Noble House with ties to the Tabernacle of Flames Sect apart from my own. Trapped in between politics of whether she can even be regarded as a noble and hence a descendant, the older elders decisively branded her as a bastard and were just about to banish her before her father, also an elder intervened. I never expected to find her here..."

Rexsi sighed, "She is a very well known adventurer and in here, everyone is treated as an equal." Reading the message between the lines Mira shrugged as she continued to enjoy her drink with the utmost nonchalance though Lukas was sure Geoff had a concerned gaze that he might be witnessing a descendant of a noble house turning into an alcoholic.

After a few drinks as the food they ordered arrived, the exchange of words got even easier. Everyone clinked their glasses over the steaming dishes in cheers for Lukas at saving their lives, causing him to embarrassingly smile. Even the topic about them being followed rose in which Rexsi grumbled quite a bit before he was silenced by Geoff with a realistic response that they should be grateful they even had a Protector in the first place. Serious causalities in Qualifying exams were not unheard off even though they had a hunch that the real reason for a guard to be present might be because they had a descendant of the Great Noble family in their midst.

Regardless, it was all brushed away as they devoured their dinner, their voices mingling with over the cacophony of noise and music.

After the dinner was served and done, Lukas lingered around for a few minutes before he silently excused himself from the table. In his d.e.s.i.r.e to find a private place, he found himself in empty overhead balcony that overlooked the streets around the tavern with a curtain that seemingly separated the alcove from the noise within.

He held his drink, as he stared at the empty pavements with a few waiting carriages. The sky was clear with a few cloudy wisps, held by the stars that shimmered like gemstones littered beside the silver moon lake. And for the first time ever since he came into this world, he felt utterly and truly alone. He knew he had a caring new sister and he just had an exciting(and dangerous) adventure as deep down he hungered to experience this new world in all of its glory but… it would have been a better odyssey if he truly had a someone to share it with, someone he could fully trust. This unintentionally made him recall his fiance back on earth. How was he? He wondered, what was he doing and if he was still conquering the writing world in way he only knew how.

*A light reminder, Lukas was a successful streamer on Earth.