Chapter 37: Cabernet Hall

Cabernet hall, was a full wing of the grounds dedicated to the support and service of balls and ceremonies held by the royal family. Countless small rooms and parlors were decorated and quiet places for backdoor politics and other activities. Kicking one open he shouted at some small time noble to get the hell out before glaring at the sage to get in the room. Iris had chosen a bright red and silver dress, with many silver accents. If one looked up her skirt, they would see that she deliberately ripped out all the lace, with red silk pants underneath. The dress ensemble didn't suit the sage, who preferred her own bright rainbow battle clothes.

"Hurry up!" He hissed unable to contain his inpatients at the fake noble.

"As I said after you." Iris grandly bowed sarcastically telling him to go first. It took restraint the man didn't know he had to resist shouting and bodily throwing her into the room. After all the door was open and others were about. With unconcealed fury he stepped into the room. Like most of the palace it was rich and designed to awe guest with its splendor. Walls with elegant paneling and recesses, ornate inlays, and strange other knickknacks that Iris was sure Mary would be able to name.

A large sectional dominated the space with several cushy armchairs and a tea table in the middle. Throwing himself on the large couch he sat as if he had just run for miles, before realizing he still had to be angry and stern.

"Why did you sit before me?" Iris asked as she took up one of the armchairs. Iris was the ranking member, and a lady on the surface, which meant the prince should have waited for her to sit.

"Why would I let you sit at all? Stand up!" Robert Asseric snapped offended by the very notion that a women would sit first.

"Is it not the one of the highest realm sits first? I am in the deity realm, and you lack even a foundation." Iris Xin looked back completely devoid of any concern about the person across from her. It was unfair to the second prince however because he was being evaluated as if he was a son in law without his knowing.

"Highly of yourself now that you have the ugly maid to back you up." He snorted before he began to openly beret the maid who was sitting across from him in disguise.

"That trash will be strung up as soon as I managed to take the throne. The only thing keeping her alive is that the duke is still on a leash and hasn't given us an opening. If that girl ever left the estate, id have already arrested her. Not that it matters to you, because your daddy will give up everything for that bratty scum he sired with that ugly wench." Laugh to himself he seemed to relish in imaginary punishments for the slip of a girl that demolished him.

"So, you got beaten by a small waif of a girl, and you want to sit down before me."

"I have had enough of your arrogance! Refusing to bow for father, the blatant disrespect to me! You have forgotten your nothing more than a sacrifice so that your pathetic sister can live happily! At lest you were, this insolence must be delt with." If Iris had allowed it, she was sure this man would continue to demean and insult her employer and her family forever.

"Waste like you should be silent." Her words were unnaturally soft. So silken that anyone who was still able to breath would be able to discern the vast ocean of death and doom that promised to follow. Conceited blowhards like the second prince were categorized as not breathing.

"Do you believe you even matter? I own you. I never bothered because I thought you were to stuck up and ugly-" For some reason referring to Lady Lockheed twisted the sages insides into knots. With few worldly attachments, it was decided that she had the best chance of ascension. For her employer she seemed willing to lay waste to the world…

"Something to ponder later…" Muttering to herself before she performed the most childish taunt she could think of. It normally got a good rise out of brats like the one across from her.

"I know you are ugly, but what am I?" Prince Robert turned an impressive shade of puce.

"You're like a little girl." Snorting dismissively that had been all it took to push the man over the edge.

"You da-" Springing up and moving aggressively in the sages direction. Without waiting or warning the sage closed fast and put her knee directly between his legs. For reference a golden orb cultivator with a deity ascendant body could shatter most boulders to dust with a strong knee strike. Pain fired before the man had a chance to realize he was in pain, since Iris didn't want to let him off that easy, she snaped her hands out capturing two fingers and twisted excessively. Phalanx bones shattered like twigs.

The elbow in his face after words was purely for insulting the noble lady she was pretending to be. Intellectually, Iris knew that the body prioritized most recent instances of pain, extra stomps she delivered to his torso as he listed and fell prone. It was to keep him conscious, which is what she would say latter to justify the actions.

Not that she was irritated by how he talked down about a certain noble.

When he seemed mildly coherent, she withdrew her claymore and drove it next to his head. A blacken metal obsidian blade, with a night sky violet tinted edge. She had forged the weapon on a bell that floated endlessly in the night sky, after she managed to defeat the guardian of the Violet Corpse Brilliant Star Flame.

That fight had been a simple nightmare, had she failed to master her domain completely in that battle, she would have been a floating popsicle, launched into the vast void of space to wander for eternity. From the guardians remains she twisted the form into the claymore. The blade was almost identical to her in height, curved pommel that ended in a handle with a burnished obsidian amethyst gem. The tang is adorned with a chain of scales in the shape of a quatrefoil.

Not that this mattered all the prince was dimly aware of was an overwhelming pain in his lower intestine that felt no better when he vomited acid shamelessly to the side.

"Why do you noble insist on never eating anything?" Muttering rhetorically, Iris stood over the royal without feeling or thought. This man had lost all rights when he chose to engage in violence against a ten great master. It was incredibly benevolent of rainbow sage to not annihilate his entire family at this juncture.

"Listen up trash." She spoke harshly. "Her family and my employer are off limits. I of course am fair game provide you think you can take the Grand sword saint, the Rainbow sage in combat. Next time I'm cutting something off. When there isn't anything left to cut off, ill bury you, plain and simple."

Iris Xin had no taste for pointless bloodshed, but there was no qualm about hacking this guy piece by pieces, as his own actions condemned him. Had he attempted to kill her, this conversation would have 'taken a turn'.

"Well, when you regain consciousness even if you don't remember your body will." Iris spoke to the male that had stopped moving several minutes ago.

"Oh well." Shouldering her blade, she left to rejoin the party, unaware of the rumors she would start from leaving the room with a weapon in hand.

She lowered her opinion of him, it was now two instead of three…out of 408 trillion.

!@# !@# !@#

"Did you really drop off a live spirt beast at the guild hall? Di lee asked.

"Well, it had passed out after fighting so it seemed to be simpler just to carry it."

Should I have killed it there? They wanted to create items from the beast, but I don't know if I damaged it too much. I haven't killed anything before…What if it hurt someone?

"I heard about in the bar, I guess after you left it woke up and went crazy."

"That was…" The noble started to speak nut was mortified to attempt to explain it.

"You worry too much. It was more confused and wanted to escape more than anything. A few low rank cultivators chased it around the city for a few hours before it found a way back into the mountains. Other than some minor property damage nothing major happened."

I'm so glad nothing happened. I should help pay back the damages. What would be the best way. I need to apologize and take responsibility…

"Your still worrying, anyways can you tell us the details of how you fought the spirit beast, our scriptwriter wants to turn this story into a play." Long since use to the girl's habit to go quiet for extend periods. Coaxing the noble slowly the two enjoyed the city sunset from the edge of the stage. Slowly recounting the tale, behind them the script writer listened and didn't speak.

"Oh, so you're leaving soon?" As the noble wound her story down, she mentioned that she decided to seek out the Beast Tamers alliance for further training.

"I will be leaving along the west northern route to the central forest region." After a moment Di Lee sighed.

"Were going to finish our circuit south ending the season in the Forbidden City. I don't think we will run into each other for a while."

"If fate allows." That was a common saying worldwide for partings.

"If you go past the Ji Hanshi region, take some time to visit Pinyan Tang Cliffs. It's a stunning view with an outstanding hot springs inn. "

"I shall consider it and keep that in mind."

Di Lee couldn't resist latching onto the noble without reserve. Parting was sad, but integral to life. Had she been a classically trained scholar, the actor could have chosen the best pome to fit this sad but comfortable mood.

"This is so going in the play." Ruining every ounce of mood and atmosphere, the script writer yelped as Di Lee turned and began to whack him over the head. This part also made it in as a moment of comic relief.

In the morning Noble Lockheed said her goodbyes before leaving silver at the guild hall with a note to pay for damages, too anxious to deliver it herself. Leaving the city, it was expected that once more nothing exciting happened. Fortuitous encounters with fate that lead to riches were items of fiction as it turned out. With nothing that she could do about it, she traveled pleasantly.

It wasn't a light decision for the noble to approach another sect for joint training, but it was something that the noble decided she should approach. Her luck with sprit beast hadn't been great. An old memory about a rabbit, the beast that cursed her master, demonic variants existed too. Recent experiences just highlighted how far she was out of her depth when it came to such monsters.

"So that's a great peak…" Valentine thought to herself. Lightly brushing a stray crimson ringlet out of her face. Since strait non curly hair was the genetic prevalence, hair accessories for wavy locks were uncommon. Nobles like her had no skill in any handy crafts since she was too busy acting as the heir. Woven wrapped string and more knots than needed where how the noble made do.

In the vast distance towering above everything was the Sword peak. Pinnacle Sword Cloud Sect made its home admis the vast craigs and boulders of the mountain. At least 4 miles tall she estimated if the distance from where she was to it were to be correct. If one could not climb to the sect, one could not join.

"Rather arbitrarily…" Wandering forward she slowly left the vast rock behind. Her own path gradually sloped upward, the forest also changed become filled with pines and other hearty trees and shrubs. Having not an ounce of athleticism as a noble, the girl was amazed at herself. She had climbed and walked for miles today, a feat impossible for the women who came to this realm five years ago. When she reached the small town with the hot springs that had been recommend, she took a moment to read one of the signs.

"To highest point, 3.8 Km" Bright painted arrow on the sun weathered wood pointed down a path, away from the local town. Glancing at the sun, it had already started to disappear. Few moments passed in incisiveness. In a moment she decided; proceeded down the path, hard sand, rock, carved in a set of zigzags that ascend into the darkening cliff face, the noble lady hiked. Despite a long weary day, there was only mild tiredness in her steps.

No one else was on the path, her eyes wandered to the various plants clung with tenacity to whatever dirt and cracks they could survive in. As she approached the top, a small outcropping with ropes awaited her, even in the dark she could see mostly fine in the lack of sun. Valentine rested, siting freely on the uneven stone faces. From her vista she could see the spotted lights of fires from the Inn below, and dots that outlined towns in the distance.

In her whole life she had never left her hometown, the capital. Every moment was dedicated to advancing the rails she was bound by. Siting in an inelegant manner feet and legs splayed out as she rested on her hand, Lady Lockheed stared at the star clusters in the sky. Night breezes chilly to mortals but pleasant to the noble fluttered past, just like the indescribable lightness in her heart.