Lady Lesthara's Gift

On a bright spring morning, magpie-like birds settled on the wall around the Training Ground and chirped.

Hah! Hah!

Jia Ruo was sparring with a peacekeeper on the Training Ground, who was also wielding a Wooden Sword.

As their Wooden Swords clashed back and forth, they stirred the air around them.

A week had passed since the last mission.

Jia Ruo had also met most of the peacekeepers stationed in the Placidium.

After watching them spar many times, Jia Ruo had joined in himself.

From what Jia Ruo had observed, most of the peacekeepers at the Hall of Tranquility were like Lyle: ordinary people with exceptional skills.

Only forty or fifty of them were truly skilled at using magic.

Jia Ruo was one of them, though he was near the bottom of the ranks.

After all, anyone with a talent for magic treasured that gift.

Once their magical abilities had been discovered, none of them had slacked off in their training.

As for Jia Ruo, at most he had been training since early autumn last year.

Though they had all embarked on the path to transcendence, these peacekeepers had been at it much longer than he had.

The man sparring with him now was one of them.

Laleno was a member of the Guard Group, responsible for the day-to-day security of the Placidium's western district.

Laleno's life story was quite the legend.

In his youth, he had crossed the ocean alone and reached the westernmost edge of the Shurima continent, where Mount Targon stood.

Unfortunately, when he had climbed halfway up the mountain, he realized he had reached his limit. Knowing when to quit, he gave up the challenge.

But he had gained far more than that.

Though Laleno had belonged to no sect and had yet to encounter magic, the raging blizzards atop Mount Targon had somehow led him to discover how to wield ice magic.

A glimpse of one part could reveal the whole.

These forty or fifty peacekeepers at the Hall of Tranquility who had mastered magic were all worthy of being called geniuses, no matter whom they had studied under or where they came from.

At that moment, on the other side of the sparring ground, Jia Ruo stood bare-chested, sweat dripping along the lines of his muscles and falling to the ground.

"Whew, Laleno, let's call it here for today. I have something to do this afternoon."

He caught his breath and put away his Wooden Sword.

"What is it, a new mission?"

Laleno slid his Wooden Sword back onto the rack, picked up a dry towel from beside him, and tossed another one to Jia Ruo.

Jia Ruo caught it and wiped the sweat from his face.

"You know how I rescued a Demacian noblewoman named Lestara on my last mission? Yesterday, her butler delivered an invitation. She invited me, Neeko, and you, Lyle, to visit her home."

"Lady Lesthara? I've heard of her. Apparently, she's a good person who's devoted to charity."

Lyle had already put his shirt back on. He raised his eyebrows and nudged Jia Ruo. "You've met her daughter, haven't you? They say she's mute, but musically gifted. She earned the approval of the Demacian Opera House at a young age. And they say she's very pretty, too."

"Hey, Lyle, you're in your thirties. You're not only single, you're also pining after a young girl?"

Neeko had arrived.

She tugged at the corner of her eye with her index finger and made a face at Laleno.

"Aw, I was a handsome young man once, too. We've all got a story or two."

Laleno shrugged.

"Come on, Jia Ruo. The butler's already here to pick us up."

Neeko wrapped her arms around Jia Ruo's and pulled him toward the entrance of the Hall of Tranquility.

As before, a carriage bearing the symbol of Demacia was waiting.

"Lyle, you're already here."

As soon as Jia Ruo climbed aboard, he saw Lyle sitting inside, chatting with the old butler.

"You're all here, then. Let's be off."

The old butler smiled warmly at them.

The carriage rumbled along the cobbled streets and stopped in the central square of the Placidium.

"Mr. Butler, why have we stopped here?"

"That's right, this is the place. Please get down. This is the first gift Lady Lesthara has prepared for the three of you."

Oh? A gift?

Curious, Jia Ruo climbed out of the carriage.

They were in the Placidium's busiest shopping district, and the carriage had stopped in front of a renowned tailor's shop.

"Though Lady Lesthara is hosting this banquet for the three of you, she has invited many other prominent guests as well. To ensure you're properly dressed for the occasion, her first gift to you is formal attire for tonight's banquet."

She really had thought of everything. Jia Ruo rubbed his chin.

Still, he didn't know the rules of Demacian nobility, so he decided to follow the butler's advice.

As soon as they entered the shop, a shop assistant came over to greet them.

"Good day. How may I help you?"

"Hello, I'm Lady Lesthara's butler. We made an appointment in advance."

"Certainly. Please follow me."

The group went into the back room, where several tailors were waiting.

"Sir, what sort of formal wear would you like? You can choose a Valoran-style evening gown, a tailcoat, or an Ionian-style silk robe."

The tailors introduced the different options.

Jia Ruo was a little at a loss, so he glanced at the old butler for advice.

"Please feel free to choose whatever you like. Any of these styles would be appropriate for the banquet, and Lady Lesthara will cover all the costs."

The old butler explained.

"Then I'll go with a tailcoat."

Jia Ruo picked one at random. The butler's tailcoat had looked so sharp that it had made quite an impression on him.

"Jia Ruo, go wash up first. Neeko can smell your sweat."

Neeko wrinkled her little nose.

Only then did Jia Ruo remember that he had come straight from the Training Ground, drenched in sweat. He felt a little awkward.

"Not to worry, sir. Please follow me."

A tailor led Jia Ruo into a fitting room.

Though it was a fitting room, it was lavishly decorated and had everything he could need.

Jia Ruo washed up first, then the tailor came over and took his measurements.

Following the tailor's recommendation, Jia Ruo chose a white linen shirt beneath a black tailcoat.

The tailor tied a black bow tie around Jia Ruo's neck. He stepped in front of the mirror and looked himself over.

Well, I certainly look like a handsome, strapping young man.

He emerged from the fitting room, pleased as could be, and saw Neeko already dressed in a pale yellow gown and Lyle in a tailcoat.

"We really like Lady Lesthara's gift."

Jia Ruo turned to the old butler and said.

"Thank you for your kind words. Lady Lesthara will be very pleased to hear that."

The old butler bowed in response.

"If you have no other requests, we can head straight to the lady's banquet now."