Chapter 253 - Welcoming Party

Far, far away from both the Trighton Territory and Bore City, a celebration was taking place across an entire city. Humans and beasts alike were gathered in the streets and the city squares. Exotic and home-grown wines tickled their taste buds as the festivities continued into the night. 

After an entire day of either celebrating, some sought a change of pace while the party animals continued. One group of people was found hanging out in a backstreet in an attempt to find a calmer atmosphere. But there still was none.

"Trying to relax?"

Turning around, the new citizens bowed politely to the female gorilla. Hurman smiled and replied, "Yeah…"

"Follow us. We'll show you the perfect place." Ania smiled back and motioned for them to follow her. At the same time, Vloz walked out from behind the dark side of a building. "You'll get used to him, so don't mind it."

"Okay…" Lizbeth nodded, following behind Hurman.

Lyle and Mertin tagged along with their wives, letting Jonon join Nixt and Rathe in another round of their drinking contest. They left Keldon to talk with his new, like-minded business partner, Wilburn. And since their youngest children were celebrating in the council building with supervision, they all followed the gorilla and leopard through the back streets. 

It didn't take long to reach their destination, where Ania stepped forward and held up a perfectly carved, stone totem at a gate. A tiny flash of essence left Ania's hand and the gorilla-like totem to unlock the gate, allowing them to enter the walled school grounds.

"This is the academy, right?" asked Liz.

"Right," answered Vloz. "We can give you a private tour while everyone else is winding down. Also, you'll be able to see the entire town from atop the library. Being a celebratory evening with lights all around, the view tonight should be spectacular. I'd offer you the chance to browse our techniques and arts, but you've got fitting techniques."

"Actually… Would you mind if I browse them?"

Glancing back, Vloz smiled. "You're more than welcome to. Then let's head to the library and you can browse before we go to the fourth floor."

"Thank you!" Lyle gave a full bow, showing no difference in treatment between Vloz and the reputable, human nobles of Trighton.

Along their walk, Ania asked, "Your family has water and earth essence, but you've already gotten my brother's technique. Would you like to see our water techniques and arts as well?"

Mertin was the next to reply, "I would greatly appreciate the opportunity."

"Would you mind if I look through your dark techniques and arts?"

"Of course. The moment you accepted our job offer, you became a key citizen of the territory. If we don't help you cultivate, who will?" Ania stated, rushing ahead to open the library doors. Once opened, Ania waited a moment for the others to catch up. "This may sound strange, but we're trying to grow by growing together. Rather than letting only a select few share our greatest techniques, we're letting any promising student earn them. Given time, we hope this will strengthen our common citizens drastically and bring more people to the territory."

"I'll remember that… Thank you, Ania."

"You're welcome, Liz."

As they entered, those of the Practor Family were astounded by how many scrolls and books filled the room, almost falling out of the bookshelves.

Lyle mumbled in shock, "So many things for novices?"

"If they're the easiest kind to get, then why not get as many as we can?" Vloz joked. "But most of these are all battle arts, so keep that in mind."

"Okay, that makes more sense. But still…" sighed Lyle, noticing the surprise on Mertin's face as well. "Trighton didn't have this many novice arts, right?"

"No." Liz responded and shook her head, "The Institute focused on gathering higher grade techniques and arts for the Trighton Family's use. Even if there were this many novice arts, they would be stored in the Trighton residence for the most part, not open to the public for free use…"

"Then let's hurry to the second and third floors. You'll find adepts techniques next, and then elder or perennial-grade." 

Tailing Vloz, the small crowd hurried to the second floor, amazed to see a similar amount of techniques and arts on the second floor.

"Please keep in mind that we've only been a functioning territory for a year, so don't be disappointed with our lack of resources just yet. This is only the beginning for us," added Vloz, teasing the Practor Family's anticipation.

Ascending to the third floor, the family noticed the new stairs leading to the fourth floor. Lyle immediately stepped toward it, but Ania chuckled and stopped him.

"The fourth floor is still under construction. With the influx of trade and our focus on gathering techniques and arts, our mortal techniques and arts have increased drastically. While that's great for the students, soon letting us give elder-grade techniques more freely to them, it means we need some time to remodel and relocate our fewer divine techniques and arts to a fourth floor," explained Ania. "That's also where our top students will get new cultivation chambers, letting the other students fight for the ones here."

"Cultivation chambers?" Blinking, Hurman noticed the six rooms lining the walls between the two staircases, three on each side. Seeing one closed, Hurman asked, "Is someone in that one right now?"

"Don't worry. Each chamber is equipped with various formations for silence, increased essence gathering, and even a timer that can last for up to forty-eight hours," mentioned Vloz, baffling the new territory residents. "We'll make sure to improve the design for the new chambers, though, adding enough for both human and beast classes."

"That…" Liz shook her head, inspecting the rooms' interiors from a distance. "I can see how you want to strengthen the common citizens. That's something I've never quite seen before. But not necessarily a bad thing…"

"Good. And there's one student in particular that I'm sure you'll get to know. If she wasn't cultivating right now, I would've introduced her already." Nodding toward the sealed cultivation chamber, Vloz added, "In there is the future contender that Iron Territory will present for the mortal championship."

"You have someone else that talented?"

Nodding to Liz and the others, Vloz chuckled and lifted an eyebrow. "With perfect dark affinity, how could she not be?"

That single sentence was all it took to rattle their minds and shake their expectations.

"I've taken her as a direct pupil, but she's too eager of a student to be satisfied with only one instructor. Given your affinity, Lizbeth, expect Netra to visit you frequently."