Shadow Slave

After the cocktails, it’s baking time. The pastries were beautiful and delicious, though not as delicious as the ones Rain was used to, spoiled by her brother’s pancakes and waffles. However, his repertoire was somewhat limited... while enjoying the beautifully glazed eclair, Rain couldn’t help but smile with delight.

’Maybe I should introduce him to custard?’

Everything was wonderful this morning. Their beautiful clothes, the refined interior of the cafe, the sparkling view of the Mirrored Lake, the lavishly served cocktails, the delicate and delicious pastries...

’Ah, that’s what I missed!’

Her last teenage years were spent in Ravenheart, where she hunted Nightmarish Creatures. At that time, the city was in the process of being built from scratch and was populated mainly by displaced refugees. There was a lot of work, but not much sophisticated culture.

Later, Rain went to the front, and after the end of the war, she spent time among busy engineers and workers.

Until now, the delights of life had mostly eluded her, so she was glad for the rare opportunity to feel like a real girl. In addition, the young cities of the Kingdom of Dreams now had similar establishments, as well as theaters, operas, dance halls, and more. People wanted to relax and have fun after hard work, so the local leisure culture developed rapidly.

Rain, Telle and Tamar chatted lazily while new delicacies and beautiful cocktails were brought to them.

“It seems strange, really. Now that there is no Crushing, the Shackled Islands are completely different. It’s much safer there, and we can fly as high as we want. Of course, the Nightmarish Creatures feel just as free, so even those of them who used to stay in place are now moving around. It’s a real mess, but once we clear the islands in the vicinity of the Sanctuary, we’ll be ready to welcome the settlers...”

“They are working on the creation of new flying ships. They have several thousand Fire Keepers now, but only one Chain Breaker... Unfortunately, although it’s not that difficult to build a flying ship, it’s a big challenge to build one that doesn’t shatter into pieces at the first sign of danger. So there is not much progress on this front. Instead, our Spellcasters try to create flying Echoes as a temporary measure, but they don’t create them fast enough. Only the Masters get them.”

“...Oh, I do not know. I’m very busy these days. That’s right, girls, have you heard? Saint Tang seems to be working on a new version of the Dreamscape, created specifically for the Realm of Dreams. It is supposed to serve as a space for communication between different cities, as well as a tool for preparing ordinary people for their First Nightmare.”

Telle couldn’t help but sigh.

“Really? Oh! That would be great. I love the Shackled Islands, but sometimes it’s so boring to be stuck in the north.”

She sipped her cocktail, looking at the Mirrored Lake with a detached expression on her exquisite face, and then turned to Rain and Tamar.

“Speaking of Nightmares...”

The festive mood suddenly became a little gloomy. The blonde hesitated for a few moments.

“I’m thinking of challenging the Second Nightmare in a year at the latest. What about you two?”

Although she didn’t ask directly, her hidden question was clear. Thelle asked if they would like to challenge the Second Nightmare with her.

For the Awakened One, there was no question more intimate than this one. There was also no clearer indication of how much this person trusted you. Rain felt both touched and dejected.

She glanced briefly at Tamar, and then smiled softly.

“Well... I can’t, for various reasons. But Tamar was actually thinking the same thing.”

Rain would love to challenge the Second Nightmare with Thelle and Tamar... but she wasn’t the bearer of a Nightmare Spell, which meant she couldn’t.

She walked a different path than they did.

Tamar nodded calmly.

“Actually, I’ve already gathered the bulk of the cohort, including the healer... I also have a few people that I want to recruit. If you are not going to assemble a team of your clan’s servants, then you will be welcome. After all, it’s hard to find a warrior of the same caliber as Telle of the White Feather.” ŕÂＮỌВËŜ

The corner of her mouth curved up faintly.

Telle was silent for a while, and then cleared her throat to hide a shy smile.

“Oh... Well, you’re not wrong. I’m really quite impressive.”

She hurriedly picked up her cocktail, took a long sip, and then added in her usual calm tone,

“At the moment, there is no one in White Feather who could go into a Nightmare with me. So... I’m very interested in this cohort of yours, Tamar. Are they Fire Keepers too?”

Tamar shook her head.

“No. But we are... We train together, I suppose. And our instructor is a real devil.”

Rain pretended to be busy with her glass.

Tamar, of course, was talking about the Shadowclan. It was no secret that her brother and his graceful Shadow, the Saint, were preparing their subordinates for the dangers of the Second Nightmare. Tamar, Telle, Ray and Fleur are two formidable warriors, an elusive scout and a healer. A good core for a cohort of applicants. If a few more talented people joined them, they would have every chance of becoming Masters.

’When will I become a Master?’

Rain didn’t know, as things on this front were uncertain and progress was slow. She finished her cocktail, called the waiter over and smiled at him, making the young man blush.

“Can we get the check?”

Then Rain looked at her friends and grinned.

“You know what’s going to happen next, don’t you?”

Tamar and Telle exchanged uncertain glances.

“What?”

Rain sighed languidly.

’Ah, those greenhouse Legacies...’

“...Shopping!”