Pyra 10 – Pyra 12, Imperial Year 1645
Newhope – The Eastern Continent
The ship docked at midday. The supplies – lumber, stone, tools – were unloaded quickly. Elara oversaw the work, directing the dockworkers, checking the inventory. Roderick carried crates. Celia helped with the smaller bundles. Corvin kept an eye on the crowd.
By afternoon, the supplies were stored in the new warehouse. The town would not go hungry or idle for another year.
That evening, the class gathered at the square for supper. Voss sat with them, as always. The meal was fish stew, fresh bread, and watered wine.
"So," Talia said, leaning forward. "The blacksmith. What was he like?"
Elara shrugged. "He fixed the locket. We sold it. We bought supplies."
"That's all?"
"That's all."
Roderick snorted. "She's being modest."
Celia grinned. "The rumors didn't do him justice."
Corvin nodded. "Understatement of the year."
Voss raised an eyebrow. "That good?"
"Better," Celia said. "Silver hair. Red eyes. Pale skin. Tall. Built like a sword – lean and dangerous."
"And handsome?" Talia asked.
"Ridiculously," Corvin said. "The kind of handsome that makes you forget what you were saying."
Roderick added, "The young ladies in the market were swooning. Actually swooning. One of them pretended to faint."
Miku laughed. "No."
"Yes. We watched them for a full minute. They didn't even notice us."
Grom, the orc blacksmith, grunted. "So he's pretty. Can he work metal?"
"He fixed a broken silver locket in an hour," Elara said. "The chain needed new links. He had them in stock. The clasp works perfectly."
"That's not nothing."
"No. It's not."
Hikari, the healer, tilted her head. "You sound impressed despite yourself."
Elara sighed. "He's competent. That's all."
"And beautiful," Celia added.
"And beautiful. Fine."
The table laughed.
The Square – Evening
The fire crackled. The stars came out. The conversation drifted.
"Remember when we used to talk like that?" Miku asked. "About boys?"
"We were teenagers," Reinhard said. "It's what teenagers do."
"We're not teenagers anymore."
"No. But some things don't change."
Roderick looked at Elara. "Like Yuki following Kenji Tanaka around the school."
Elara groaned. "Not this again."
"Kenji Tanaka?" Talia asked.
"Baseball player. Dark hair. Tall. Third base." Roderick's voice was dry. "Yuki used to sigh dramatically whenever he walked past the window."
"I was the class president. I had to monitor the halls."
"You had to monitor his schedule."
Celia laughed. "She admitted it on the ship."
"I admitted nothing."
"You turned red."
"The sun was hot."
Corvin shook his head. "The blacksmith is like that. The kind of face that makes people act foolish."
"Are you saying you acted foolish?" Voss asked.
"I stared. For a full five seconds. I don't stare."
Voss smiled. "Then he must be something."
"He is."
Miku sighed dramatically. "I wish I'd gone with you."
"You would have just stared too," Celia said.
"I would have done more than stare."
"Miku!"
"What? I'm honest."
The table dissolved into laughter.
The Dock – Night
Elara stood at the end of the pier, looking out at the sea. Roderick joined her.
"You're brooding."
"I'm thinking."
"Same thing."
She didn't answer.
"The blacksmith," Roderick said. "You noticed."
"I noticed he's good at his job."
"And the rest?"
Elara sighed. "Fine. He's annoyingly handsome. Happy?"
"Ecstatic."
They stood in silence, watching the waves.
"Kenji Tanaka never had silver hair," Roderick said.
"No. He had regular brown hair."
"And a weaker jaw."
"Are you still on this?"
"I'm just saying. You upgraded."
Elara shoved him. He didn't move.
"Let's go back. The stew's getting cold."
They walked toward the square, the sound of laughter ahead.
End of Chapter Eighty‑Nine