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TWO KIDS, A NERVOUS WRECK AND A WEIRDO

The ball had ended nearly a week after it had started; hundreds poured out of the fortress as well as the central plaza of the city down below and began returning to their homes and their everyday lives and obligations . The state of permanent noise, music, and chatter ceased, replaced by a deep-rooted silence that seemed to permeate all the walls . Only the occasional chirp of the bird seemed to rattle the calmness, the world otherwise giving way to the strange tranquility .

Lucky sat inside her room, in a corner, reading a tome as thick as one’s arm, while Alison sat on the table next to her, sifting through a horde of papers . There seemed to be a sense of nervousness and dread surrounding her, causing Lucky to roll her eyes quite a few times as Alison released one of her pent-up sighs .

Nearly four hours later, a knock on the door startled her, causing her to jump awkwardly onto her feet and face the closed doors . Lucky sighed and shook her head, putting down the tome and walking over to the doors, opening them . Beyond, the face of a middle-aged woman currently shining greeted her, as well as two toddlers grasping at the silken dress, hiding behind her legs . It was a rather comical sight, though she managed to stifle the laughter that was about to break out, inviting the woman in .

\\"A-ah, Duchesses, it is an honor to meet you!\\" the woman bowed as soon as she entered the room, the two kids following right after her, awkwardly trying to imitate her movements .

\\"Yup, yup, thanks,\\" Lucky shrugged, walking back to her seat while Alison remained standing, her eyes glued to the two toddlers . \\"Why don’t you have a seat so we can wait till Ally returns back to this reality?\\"

\\"E-eh? Is-is everything fine? Did we come at a wrong time?\\" the woman questioned worriedly, just now realizing that the woman standing at the center had a... strange atmosphere about her .

\\"Nope,\\" Lucky said . \\"She’s just remarkably terrified, is all . Anyway, all the paperwork went through properly?\\"

\\"Yes, indeed,\\" the woman nodded, ripping her gaze away from Alison and back onto Lucky . \\"Everything is fine – both June and Anton are now Olltors . \\"

\\"... you guys are rather efficient . \\" Lucky chuckled, taking out a bottle of ale and drinking a mouthful . \\"We only put in the papers three days ago . Don’t tell me you pushed us up the queue . \\"

\\"... you two are astute figures,\\" the woman thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully . \\"Which means you can be trusted . For most of the adoptions, we have to, by the Emperor’s ordinance, be extremely detail-oriented and sift through all the potential downsides . You two, on the other hand, are pillars of the Empire, and well-known as the virtuous figures . It was really only a matter of explaining these two the situation and getting all the paperwork in order . \\"

\\"... a’right,\\" Lucky shrugged; she has already begun to hate how people around her started dressing-up the words . In effect, they did skip the queue – a ’yes’ would have been sufficient . \\"Anyway, thanks . I’m sure we’ll be popping down there once in a while if these two wanna see some kids, so we’ll be seeing each other . \\"

\\"Ah, yes,\\" the woman nodded, quickly bowing, realizing it was her cue to leave . \\"It was truly an honor . You have made these two extremely happy . \\"

\\"...\\" Lucky watched the woman leave, glancing twice at the still-shellshocked Alison, before departing, at last, leaving the room in a strange silence . Two kids stuck together, one girl that seemed not much older than nine, sporting medium-length brown hair and a pair of clear, astute hazelnut-colored eyes, and a more-timid boy who Lucky knew was eleven, two years older than the girl, yet was currently hiding behind her . \\"Is she right?\\" she asked the kids all of a sudden, surprising them .

\\"...\\"

\\"About you two being super-duper-extraordinarily happy and all that nonsense . \\"

\\"Y-yes...\\" the girl, June, timidly nodded .

\\"Really?\\" Lucky grinned . \\"To me, it seems more like you’re two are scared shitless . Though, I suppose, I’d be too if I was brought into a strange place with probably little to no explanation outside of ’Duchess are adopting you; shut up and accept their grace’ . \\"

\\"...\\"

\\"Anyway, it’s gonna take this airhead a while to recover, so why don’t the three of us go and have lunch? What do you say?\\"

\\"S-sure...\\" June, once again, nodded timidly, glancing at Alison as Lucky got up and walked to the door, the two kids following soon after like little ducklings .

She led them down the winding corridors in silence, occasionally taking a sip of ale, occasionally humming a strange melody . Taking them, eventually, to a small, subsidiary Lunchouse of the fortress’ main Dining Hall, she sat down on one of the many empty chairs as the two kids followed her .

\\"What do you want to eat?\\" she asked .

\\"... anything... anything is fine . \\" June replied .

\\"Oh? So you’re fine with rats skewered on skeletal remains of dogs, seasoned by rotted eggs and honey?\\"

\\"...\\"

\\"The terror and horror on your faces tell me you’re not,\\" Lucky grinned, realizing this might be more fun than she thought . \\"So, let me ask again: what do you want to eat?\\"

\\"... uh... I... I heard a warm, beef stew is really good...\\" Anton said suddenly, causing Lucky to glance at him .

\\"Aiming high, I like it,\\" she grinned, signaling a somewhat chubby-looking woman . \\"Give us three beef stews, a central spread, and something to drink for the kids . \\"

\\"Aww, the adoption went through?\\" the woman quickly jotted down the order on the paper before crouching next to the kids, patting them gently .

\\"Yup . \\" Lucky nodded . \\"Is the whole fortress aware of it?\\"

\\"If it wasn’t for the ball, it might have been the talk of the Empire . \\" The woman chuckled, getting up and glancing at Lucky . \\"Congratulations you two . Can’t wait to see what you make of them . \\"

\\"... those words coming out of the cook’s mouth... aii, are you having some weird intentions toward my kids?\\" Lucky grinned, causing the woman to chuckle bitterly .

\\"There you go again, Lady, making fun of us; I just might report you to Lady Alison if you continue, you know?\\"

\\"Tsk, when did you lose your sense of humor?\\" Lucky shrugged and dropped the subject as the woman walked away, leaving behind two somewhat confused-looking kids . \\"I’m sure you two have plenty of questions, so let me give you a quick rundown of things before you’re allowed to ask any: you’ll both be enrolling in some or the other school next week – for more details ask that blockhead when she wakes up . When you turn twelve, you’ll be able to choose one or another Cultivation Method and start all that business – if you want to, that is . We’ll be living here until you two start going to the school, but once you do, we’ll move to a house somewhere, I’ve no idea where – we’ll have to ask that blockhead . Yes, you can meet the Emperor and the Empress – rather, I’m surprised those two haven’t stalked their way over the moment you two came to us . When you do meet them, just ignore everything they say; nothing good comes from indulging them . No, you won’t meet the Princess, at least not until I beat some backbone into you – ah, I don’t mean beat literally . Although, if you gush out about it, I just might...\\"

As the onslaught of information washed over the two kids, they stared blankly at the figure in front of them, June especially so . Unlike the boy, she had heard quite a few stories about the two legendary Duchess of the Empyrion . If the stories were to be believed, they were exalted figures that could not be touched by anything or anyone, figures of worship for many commoners . When she learned that the people who adopted her were exactly those two figures, she was beyond terrified that there was some sort of a mistake and that the two will be pissed off when they finally meet her .

Yet, all the illusions that she had built up inside her little head had come crashing as quickly as they were built . One of the two was an awkward, nervous woman that she hadn’t even spoken to yet, and the other was an easy-going weirdo who seemed to have a negative nickname for everyone, including the Emperor and the Empress, as well as the Princess .

\\"Anyway, I think that about covers it,\\" Lucky nodded after a few minutes long monologue, stroking her chin in satisfaction . \\"I know it’s going to be a bit difficult to adjust to all of this, so take your time . But not too long . No, wait, that blockhead told me to be gentler with you two . Uhm... uh, so, yeah, take as much time as you need . Ah, save your questions; here comes the food . \\"

June and Anton glanced at each other and smiled stealthily as they saw the widespread appear, gentle and beautiful scent invading their nostrils right after . Pots steamed as though on fire, pieces of meat floating on the surface, while the center of the table was filled with all sorts of meals – from fish to some fruits . Though their food in the orphanage wasn’t bad, there was still a limit on how good it could be due to the sheer number of kids living there . Except once during the celebration, the two had never seen the food as well-prepared as the one they were seeing right now . Fearful it might vanish, the two jumped in right after, trying to gobble up as much as they could .

Lucky didn’t start eating just yet, staring at the two who had seemingly forgotten she was even there, their cheeks flushed red with excitement . A gentle smile crept upon her face, one even she was unaware of, as a strange, completely alien emotion overwhelmed her heart . Perhaps, she thought, chuckling . This might be more exciting than all the fighting combined...