Leo woke to the feeling of warmth pressing against him from multiple directions. When he opened his eyes, the gray of the morning had replaced the moonlight streaming in through the window.
First to wake was the oni, stretching and yawning, her crimson skin catching the faint light. She smiled down at Leo, her weight propped up on one elbow.
"Mmm. You certainly live up to expectations, hero," she said, voice still husky with sleep.
The dark elf murmured agreent from his other side, her silver hair spilling across his chest as she nuzzled closer.
"Much more than expected" she giggled.
The vines that twisted through her untad hair were stirred when the dryad gently sat up. She looked at Leo calmly but thoughtfully, her erald-tinted skin glistening gently in the morning light.
They moved slowly, with tender caresses and kisses, and with the cozy intimacy of lovers who had experienced a deep connection.
After a while, they got up and started getting dressed, assisting one another with ties and clasps in simple, comfortable movents given that they had only recently t. As the elf and oni hurriedly grabbed their belongings, Leo was unable to hear their faint conversation.
The dryad, still bare except for the vines that seed to be a part of her, approached him last. Leo saw wood grow from her palm as she put out her hand; it was smooth and pliable, curving into a simple bracelet.
"For you," she said, offering Leo the bracelet. "So you’ll be recognized."
Leo took his ti. In his hand, the wood seed warm and quite alive. It was dotted with intricate designs.
"Recognized by who?" he asked.
"All Fae" She said, smiling. "This marks you as a friend to us, it’s not a gift easily give, It may co in handy soday."
She put it on his wrist herself. And it imdiately sensed that it belonged to him as it t his wrist. After a little tweaking, the band fit beautifully without ever becoming uncomfortable.
"Thank you" Leo said.
She leaned in, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Try not to die stupidly, Leo. You’re far too interesting for that."
Then all three were at the door, the oni and elf offering playful waves, the dryad’s smile lingering a mont longer. The door slid shut behind them, and Leo was alone.
He lay there a mont longer, staring at the ceiling. In his old life, sothing like this would not have happened, and if it did, it would have been complicated or feel transactional, but here, it felt... direct. Seems the people of this world do not pretend about theirs desire.
"You’re awake," Axiom said, voice surfacing in his mind.
"Hey Axiom," Leo replied silently. "It’s been a while."
"Your body recovered well," Axiom said.
"Yeah it did, I feel really good too," Leo said, stretching out "Is sothing wrong?"
"Not imdiately," Axiom said carefully. "But we should discuss your mana situation soon."
" what mana situati—"
A knock at the door interrupted.
One of the maids entered, different from the usual ones as she wasn’t wearing a mask. The maid bowed formally.
"The elders request your presence, Leo-sama. When you are ready."
The eting room was smaller than Leo had expected, with low seating arranged around a central table. The elder Oni sat at the head, cane resting against his knee, other elders lined the sides, their weathered red skin and chipped horns speaking to age and experience.
Iori stood near the back wall, arms crossed, watching with that sa unreadable expression she always wore.
Leo entered and bowed, mimicking the formal gesture he’d seen others use.
"Sit," the elder said, gesturing to a cushion across from him.
Leo sat, feeling the weight of attention settle over him.
"You perford admirably," the elder began. "Better than I or anyone could have really imagined you...a human doing, and the outpost acknowledges this."
He gestured, and one of the other elders placed a wooden box on the table between them.
"Your rewards," the elder continued. "Gold, as promised. Enough to establish yourself comfortably in the imperial capital"
The box opened to reveal neat stacks of gold coins, more money than Leo had ever seen in either life, his heart jumped
Another elder set down a second item; an intricate bead necklace with a carved dallion at its center, alongside two matching wrist bracelets.
"The honorary badge," the elder explained. "The necklace will amplify and protect your energy output. The dallion serves as verification of status, present it to other races, and you will be recognized as the hero of the hunt, this will give you so minor diplomatic privileges."
"The bracelets," another elder added, "function as spatial storage. Bound to you until death. They can be made visible or invisible at will, and carry significant weight, and could be useful for training."
Leo accepted them carefully, feeling the subtle magic humming through each piece. The mont he put them on, the bracelets vanished, responding to his instinctive desire to keep them hidden. He focused, and they reappeared. Convenient.
"We are also commissioning weapons for you," the elder continued. "Dual short swords, seeing as that was your weapon choice during the hunt. It is to be enchanted for sharpness, regeneration, durability negation and recall. They will also resist theft."
Leo’s mind spun. "That’s... Thank you very much."
"You earned it," the elder said simply. "The lynx you slew was a legend in that part of the forest, and goes for a lot at market. Hunters had died attempting far less dangerous prey, your victory reflects well on this outpost."
One of the female elders spoke next, her voice softer but no less authoritative.
"The hunt festival is more than competition, oh hero. It is a reaffirmation of our values; strength, courage, the willingness to face death and erge transford, you embodied that fully."
"Humans rarely get to participate," another elder added. "And when they do, they rarely survive. Your success has... complicated perceptions, in a good way."
The elder Oni tapped his cane against the floor once, drawing attention back.
"You will be granted safe passage to the western continent, as agreed. You will travel with the diplomatic delegation led by Iori of the First House. They depart in three days."
Leo glanced toward Iori, who remained still, expression neutral.
"The delegation travels to the imperial capital for the Emperor’s Grand Jubilee," the elder continued. "You will be under their protection during the journey."
"I’m grateful," Leo said, bowing again.
"Do not mistake this for charity," the elder said, though his tone wasn’t harsh. "You have earned respect here. Carry it forward, represent yourself well, and you represent us in turn."
The eting concluded shortly after, elders filing out one by one. Iori remained, pushing off the wall as Leo stood.
"Three days," she said. "I expect you’ll be ready, and the weapons should be ready by then."
"Understood."
She studied him for a mont, then as she turned strutting away.
"I hope you enjoyed my gift" she said with a smile, catching Leo off guard.
The afternoon passed quickly. Leo t with the craftsn, discussing blade specifications; balance, grip length, edge geotry. They asured his hands, his reach, watched him move through basic forms to understand his preferred stance.
"Wide blades, huh?" the head blacksmith muttered, sketching rapidly. "Unusual. But practical for soone with your strength."
"Can they handle it?" Leo asked.
"With the enchantnts? Yes, and for the hero of the hunt, I’ll be giving my all." The head blacksmith said with pride.
"Thank you." Leo said, blushing a little bit.
Evening arrived with a knock at his door.
Sushraya entered, leaning heavily on her gnarled staff. The ancient yaksha moved slowly, but her eyes were sharp as ever.
"Leo," she said, settling onto a cushion without waiting for invitation. "We need to talk about your mana."
Leo’s stomach tightened. Rembering that Axiom had said sothing about it earlier.
"Is there sothing wrong with it?" Leo asked.
"Saying sothing was wrong with it would be putting it lightly" Sushraya said bluntly. "I noticed it during your healing, you have been gathering a lot of mana without any ring around your heart, without proper channels."
"Is that... bad?"
"It’s lethal," she said flatly. "Mana needs pathways, without them, pressure builds, and eventually, you’ll rupture from the inside out. Violently."
Leo felt his pulse quicken. "How bad is mine right now?"
" Your body is resilient, unnaturally so, so you probably have weeks, maybe months." She leaned forward, eyes boring into his.
"You need a proper mage, soone who can teach you to form the rings correctly. Unfortunately I do not have the knowledge or skills required."
"Thank you for bringing it to my attention, ma’am," Leo said, bowing respectfully.
She stood slowly, joints creaking. "Find a mage on the western continent, when you get there, it should be relatively easy. Make sure not to wait too long"
After she left, Leo sat in silence, turning the bracelet on his wrist.
"Axiom," he muttered.
"I heard," Axiom replied. "She’s correct, you do need instruction."
Leo exhaled slowly. "Another problem, just great. I can’t even catch a break." Leo thought to himself.
Night found him on one of the compound’s upper terraces, a bottle of sothing strong beside him. The outpost sprawled below, lanterns glowing softly in the darkness.
Footsteps approached.
Iori settled beside him without asking, taking the bottle and drinking directly before passing it back.
"You look thoughtful," she said.
"Lots to think about," Leo replied.
"The mana issue?"
He glanced at her, surprised. "How did you—"
"Sushraya told . She tells most things." Iori stretched, her layered clothing shifting with the movent. "You’ll find soone in the capital. There are academies, and rcenary mages. Don’t worry about it, we’ll get you fixed"
"Reassuring," Leo said dryly.
She smiled faintly. "You survived a hunt that should have killed you three tis over. You’ll survive this too."
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, passing the bottle back and forth.
"What’s the Jubilee going to be like?" Leo asked eventually.
"Loud and crowded, there’s definitely going to be a lot of politics too" Iori tilted her head back, gazing at the stars.
"Every noble house, every guild, every race with ambition will be sending representatives. So to kiss ass hoping to fall in the favor of soone, so to genuinely enjoy the celebration and others for proper negotiations and build connections"
"And you’re there for negotiations?" Leo asked
"Among other things." She glanced at him. "Trade agreents, mostly. The Empire wants access to resources from our realm. We want favorable terms."
"Sounds tedious."
"It is," she agreed. "But necessary. And..."
She paused, considering. "It’s also an opportunity for talents to get noticed."
"Talents?"
"Warriors, mages, prodigies of all kinds." Iori’s expression shifted, sothing almost eager entering it. "The kind of people who make waves. They will definitely be present at the event"
Leo studied her profile in the dim light. "You’re hoping to find strong opponents."
"Always," she said simply. "Strength is only aningful when tested."
They talked late into the night, about the continent, the Empire’s sprawling territories, the various races and their territories. Iori answered his questions with surprising patience, painting a picture of a world far larger and more complex than Leo had imagined. After a while they both retreated for the night.
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