Obsidian Duchy was so different than Mist City. Houses and streets weren’t above the ground; there were a lot of trees and greenery. Practically half of the space in this duchy was taken by forest. It was strange that this forest didn’t consume Mist City, too. But now Baltier was trying to decipher why everyone had to stare at her.

  It was her first time out of the city, so she was self-cautious. The merchant who brought her here told her she was doing just fine and didn’t need to overthink it. But those stares. She probably did something to deserve them. Or maybe they knew. They knew she was a Sage, the one with low mana. First normal citizen appointed as a Sage in the history of Mist City. It would never have occurred to her that it was because of what she wore. Flashy and colourful, almost neon clothes.

  It was a big city Pandemonium, where the mansion of the Duke had been. The real reason why Baltier was able to escape a hectic Mist City. It was strange to call her city hectic and alive, but he managed to do it. Her little brother changed everything; now, he just needed to change himself. When she was still on the road, she wondered why the one who was sent to talk with Duke Obsidian and prepare diplomats for a cultural shock was her. Sage Jon was the one interested in politics, not her. All of them apparently agreed that the only suitable person was Baltier. She was the closest to the Miracle Sage, and only she could answer questions politely. One of the younger sages said that she was the only choice they had, since she was the only normal person among them. And he didn’t mean mana.

  She was nervous, sure, but she was also excited. In her twenty-eight years, she had never seen a river, nor a city like Pandemonium. It wasn’t as colourful as Mist City. Her city wasn’t colourful by choice; it needed to be. The dark tones were hard to see through the mist. Pandemonium was just like obsidian’s name would indicate, made of dark wood and stones. People seemed elegant and comfortable with the dark exterior.

  That’s why her clothes made her stand out. She wore her Sage’s uniform, the one that Miracle Sage embroidered by hand for her; she also had the necklaces he made for her when they were children. One thing in him never changed; he was still an artist at heart.

  She was standing out so badly that a certain Duke could see her through the window of the mansion in the centre of the city. Vespera smiled for the first time since she learned Mist City was opening itself for diplomats. She demanded that they send someone to explain the situation to her first-hand, as the Mist City was located in her duchy. She could never have expected that the Sage that would come would be so…attractive. Now she realised that it was good, her closest ally, Edward Crimson, couldn't show up. She couldn't have had anyone snatching this woman from her. Especially not the man who was voted the most handsome man alive in the country last year.

  Vespera cleared her throat and addressed her male handmaiden. She preferred men for her closest aides; they never distracted her as women do. Or maybe she was just romantically starved because of her role. Lately, the senate wanted her to marry for an heir. She harshly told them off. Maybe too harshly. Now she was the talk of the country, as the duke, who claimed to adopt the heir, a clear rebuttal from the social norms and blood tradition.

  “Go greet the Sage; she seems lost.” She smiled, amused, finally stepping away from the window.

  She wore a dress, a practical one she designed herself. It had pockets and adjustments that made it comfortable even for physical activities. She wanted young Florent to promote it for her, but the girl refused, and even so, the dress became a new standard for the country. She checked herself in the mirror before taking a seat in the comfortable armchair in her office. Then her eyes slid over the room. She caught herself and deeply breathed in. You talked with attractive women before. What’s so different now, Stupid? – That thought made her relax a little.

  It wasn’t the first time Baltier had seen a display of wealth, but Sage's fortress was nothing compared to this mansion. She had to remind herself not to stare. The same goes for the duke. That woman was everything Baltier wasn’t. She had long hair, white to add to it, and she looked like she lacked pigment in her skin, which made her look delicate. While Baltier had reddish skin and a strong build. She needed to be strong in Mist City with the low mana that she had.

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  On the other end of the table, Vespera’s heart nearly stopped when those tired grey eyes looked at her. For a moment, she was so distracted by the neon colours of the Sage’s gloves and slender, long fingers that she forgot her words.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sage.” She extended her hand, and when Baltier squeezed it lightly, she thought she was gonna melt. Baltier’s hands weren’t mage’s hands. They were harder, like she was gripping a sword or a broom her entire life. That’s probably why she had two rapiers with her. Not for decoration like Vespera thought at first. “I’m Vespera Obsidian. You don’t have to call me duke. I heard Mist City doesn’t have nobility.”

  “I’m Baltier.” She introduced herself simply. She hated her name, she hated her surname, she hated her parents, who gave it to her. “If it’s possible, I would like to be called Belti.” This is how her brother always called her. It started when he still couldn’t pronounce her full name, and it stayed.

  “Do you prefer tea or coffee?” Vespera would love to know; she would love to ask only about this beautiful Belti.

  “Tea, we only got our hands on coffee recently, and I’m not a big fan.” The white-haired woman signalled to her handmaiden, and he quickly did his job, which made Baltier sit straighter and impressed.

  “The trade must be good those days?” The duke implied through casual conversation.

  “We didn’t exactly make a profit, but our lives are certainly better now.” That one sentence made Vespera instinctively relax. It was now clear to her that the Sages weren’t doing all that fuss for politics.

  “That’s good. You can imagine, Belti, that I’m curious about the Mist City. Can you tell me a little?”

  “That’s why I’m here.” The Sage smiled, and Vespera’s face heated up, while her handmaiden gave her a disapproving glance. He probably tried to remind her that it was a diplomatic envoy, not one of the women she used to flirt with. “We’ve been pretty closed off, well, to say the least. After opening, some townsfolk even ran away, but they are slowly returning now. It’s not as dangerous as it was years ago, and Sages…I mean, we…” She still wasn’t accustomed to that title. “Please, excuse me, I’m still new to this role. I was only appointed as a special force to deal with Miracle Sage, or so I was called by my colleagues.” She chuckled, brushing her hair behind one ear. Cute...You’re stupid, Stupid…ah but she’s cute. – Vespera’s thoughts were all over the place.

  She tried to deal with both her newfound attraction and sorting out new information. Mist City wasn’t a place from a fairy tale, that was certain. Sages are afraid of Miracle Sage, but Beltie somehow can deal with him, and she completely disregards herself.

  “So you know Miracle Sage pretty well?”

  “I’m his sister,” Beltie mentioned it so casually that it made Vespera’s eyes widen. “He sometimes listens to me, but rarely. Lately, he’s been pretty good at listening. He’s trying his best; we told him he’s too quick and direct with his changes, but he means well. He left us handling the changes; he will only meet diplomats once.”

  It painted a pretty clear picture for the duke. She and the country were completely safe from any political upheaval, but it would be good to make a deep connection with Mist City. The Sages were like wolves that had just decided to become dogs. They had no experience, and who knows what they would do when threatened.

  “He sounds like a good person.”

  “I believe he is…I do believe that.” Baltier sounded like she was also trying to convince herself, that’s why Vespera decided to change the topic.

  “How do you find my duchy, Sage Beautifull?” The handmaiden would probably have slammed his head with the platter he just put down if only it was steal near him. Baltier, on the other hand, became red till the ends of her ears. Out of everything she expected from the duke, it wasn’t to skip the diplomatic subjects altogether on her first day there and flirt. It wasn’t unwelcome, though.