Numbers x Casket-Chapter 20: Eight Pillars

Up above the clouds, in the second-to-the-highest floor of the magic tower, there was a chamber with a round table placed at its center. It had eight seats with different kinds of crests engraved on top of the backrest.

Not a single sound could be heard inside the room until a clacking noise of a door being opened broke the deafening silence.

Four individuals entered, the soles of their shoes tapping, echoing in the closed area. Then, as they reached the round table, they sat on their respective seats. Each of them exuded an overwhelming presence beyond that of a normal person.

These people represented the council, known as the Tower's Eight Pillars. All of them were archmages and had the ability to command eighth-circle magic and beyond.

"Where are the four others?" a man wearing a top hat asked; in his hand was a large cigar, fidgeting between his fingertips.

"Don't wait for them; let's proceed with the discussion," an old man answered as he placed his arm on top of the table.

Then, he diverted his gaze to the woman sitting at his right.

"How's the preparation for the festival?" he asked.

"There's no need to worry about those not so trivial things," the woman replied.

Her eyes glowing in a white radiance, she then snapped her fingers, and a transparent orb appeared floating in the middle of the round table.

All the people present inside looked at the images that the orb was showing, and their complexions started to turn pale.

With a deep, long sigh, the woman spoke with a heavy tone. "Thousands of fiends are assembling near the borders. We don't know yet the real purpose of this activity, but just in case, we must prepare for the worst."

"Should we ask for reinforcements? What did the Grand Lord say about this matter?" Another old man asked while caressing his long white beard.

However, the woman shook her head as soon as she heard the questions.

"The Grand Lord declined the idea of asking for help from the other factions," she answered.

This caused the old man to slam his fist on the table.

"We must choose lives over pride!" He exclaimed; anger was present in his eyes.

Then, he covered his face with his bare hand and inhaled a deep breath.

"Even if we gather all the equators in Celestia, we still won't be able to fend off a horde of such quantity," he added.

Afterward, the man who was holding a cigar on the tip of his fingers earlier placed it in between his mouth. With a small ember on top of his forefinger, he lit up the smoke.

"I think we need to seek the Grand Lord's approval to suspend the festivity," he stated.

"I've already done that, but the Grand Lord rejected the idea and insisted on proceeding with the wedding ceremony," the woman replied.

Then, silence enveloped the room; no one dared to speak nor make a sound. All the people were thinking, racking their brains for the best course of action, when the door was pushed open and a young woman with crimson eyes sauntered inside.

"I'm still not late, am I?" the newly arrived individual asked with a gentle smile.

. . . . .

The night passed in a snap, and the appraiser woke up due to the sound of music coming from the streets. After preparing himself for a new day, he went down from the inn he rented during his stay in the capital.

The ground floor of the place was a tavern, so he sat at a small table, and one of the servers approached him.

"May I know your orders, Sir?" she asked, smiling.

"Something good but not that heavy in the morning," Efraim stated.

Then he handed a few pieces of bronze coin to the woman. Upon receiving his order, the server went back to the kitchen, and Efraim was left in there eavesdropping on the others' conversation.

Near his table, there was a group of equators, two men and a woman sitting while having their breakfast.

"Are you sure we can go to the ball tonight?" the woman holding utensils in both hands asked.

The tone of her voice couldn't hide the excitement within her.

"Yes! We already got the party invitation, so we must get back before sunset to prepare for the event," the man on the woman's right side replied after drinking a glass of water.

"We almost stayed up all night, begging in front of the magic tower to give those," added a man before taking a large cut of meat.

Their conversation continued, but Efraim lost his interest as they talked about something he had not a single bit of interest in.

He looked around, trying to gather more information about the magic tower, his fingers creating an unusual rhythm as they tapped on the wooden table.

Then, after almost a quarter of an hour, his meal arrived, a plate with two slices of sandwiches and a cup of tea.

"Enjoy your meal; please don't hesitate to call me when you have anything to ask," the server stated with politeness.

"Thank you! Then answer this question of mine: is there any particular event tonight in the magic tower?" Efraim inquired as he took a sip of tea.

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The woman was confused about the sudden question but still answered the man's query.

"If I'm not mistaken, there will be a ball tonight, exclusive only for mages; I believe its purpose is to introduce the newly engaged in the mage's community," she stated, smiling.

"Is there really no possibility for a normal person to join?" Efraim replied after placing the cup on the table.

The woman thought for a second, but she shook her head and smiled.

"I think there is not, even the attendants present at the event would be mages. By the way, do you have any other concerns?" she said.

"Thank you, that is all." Efraim gave her a nod, and the server left him to dine in peace.

'It's pretty good,' he thought as soon as he took a bite of the sandwich.

The appraiser took several minutes to finish his meal. Afterward he went out and proceeded towards the town center. It was bustling despite being so early in the morning, but Efraim ignored them all.

His eyes were searching for something as he moved his gaze left and right, looking at the establishments lining the sides of the street.

"David's Parlor, Jake's Banana Que, Dine and Dash Restaurant..." Efraim uttered, reading each store's signage.

After a while, his line of sight at last caught the place he was seeking out.

"Bingo," he said.

Right away, he walked towards the building; it was not that small but not that large either. Upon entering, a staff member greeted him and asked what he needed.

"A mage's robe, please," Efraim stated with a smile.

"Do you have any color that you prefer?" the staff answered with a question.

"I'm good with black," Efraim replied.

However, the woman shook her head upon hearing his request.

"We don't have that kind of color, Sir. Black robes are something associated with dark magic, so most mages don't like to wear those," the staff explained in a very polite manner.

"Then, a white one will do," Efraim stated.

The woman left for a second and returned with the robe.

"If you like, you can fit it in the dressing room," the staff said as she handed the robe to the appraiser.

Efraim heeded her suggestion and went to the cubicle area. While fitting, he looked at himself in the mirror.

'I really can't understand mages; how can they move in this baggy clothing?' he contemplated.

The robe had a plain white design with intricate symbols that Efraim had no knowledge about. It even had a hood, perfect to cover his head while a long sash was hanging around his neck.

"Looks great!" Efraim exclaimed upon seeing that the clothing's flowing hem was enough to hide the weapons strapped on his legs.

He went out of the cubicle and saw the staff waiting in front.

"It perfectly fits you, Sir," she commented.

Satisfied by the staff's remark, Efraim settled the amount. Then, he was walking towards the exit when someone called him out.

"Efraim?" the voice said.

The appraiser halted in his tracks and looked behind. He saw a familiar face looking at him from one of the store's corners.

"Celine?" he uttered.

The woman approached him right away, though there was this little bit of confusion in her eyes.

'Why is he wearing a robe? He's not a mage, is he?' Celine thought.

Though she chose to stay silent about this, she displayed a wide, captivating smile before speaking.

"Why did you disappear all of a sudden yesterday?" She asked, and her expression turned into something serious.

"Oh, it just happened that there were so many people, and I lost you in my sight. But hey! You look pretty good today!" Efraim replied, trying to change the flow of conversation.

Celine looked straight at the appraiser.

"I'm not buying it!" she lashed out.

Then she crossed her arms, raised one eyebrow, and tapped her right foot in a continuous motion.

"C'mon, tell me! I'm waiting," she added without averting her eyes from the man.

However, the appraiser didn't reply; he just kept on staring at her back. Curious about where his gaze was, Celine looked behind; she roamed her eyes, searching for the reason for the man's strange action, but aside from a few people and the clothes lining up, she saw nothing noteworthy to capture her attention.

Given this fact, she moved her gaze in front; however, her eyes squinted in disbelief, and her ear-piercing scream reverberated inside the store.

"Efraim!" she yelled.

For the second time around, the appraiser fled away from her.

. . . . .