"Okay, it can hide your magical aura. What about your life force?" Lith couldn"t believe his own ears. So far everything was too good to be true.

"That"s what you have to tell me." Solus sneered. "We must see if it s.h.i.+elds me from outside detection, my Invigoration is bound to work on myself."

Lith focused on his breathing technique and discovered that just like Solus had predicted, his mana core still appeared to be deep blue to him, while Solus"s had disappeared.

Her life force, however, was still there. Tiny, almost invisible, but still there.

"Dammit! Almost only works with nukes and grenades, but at least it"s a start." Lith thought.

"I never thought the day would come where you would see the gla.s.s as half full." Solus chuckled. "Now I"m curious about what kind of weapon the Marchioness always carries with herself."

Yet that was a question for another day.

"Thanks, Orion. Does it have any other properties I should know about?" Lith was truly grateful, but he kept looking around like a trapped animal.

"Stop looking around like a trapped animal, dammit! I"m offering you my sincere grat.i.tude and I"m also violating several laws by giving you such a magical treasure without official authorization.

"If anyone finds out, they would take away your ring and I would be executed. The least you could do is trust me a little bit." Orion blurted out in exasperation.

"Also, no. It doesn"t have any other purpose. Gold is such a pain in the a.s.s that even with the purple mana crystal and a whole network of runes, one spell is all it can hold without crumbling."

Lith looked at the coiled dragon at his finger. He was so moved by Orion"s gesture that he almost set aside his paranoia.

Almost.

"Why are you doing so much for me? Binding your fate to mine is too much. You never liked me and our relations.h.i.+p is shallow at best."

"You"re right. Our relations.h.i.+p is shallow. Jirni, however, almost cares for you like a son and my little flower…

"Well, that"s not up to me to tell. I know she would lose a big piece of her heart if something happened to you, and another one if she discovers that I could have prevented it yet I didn"t do anything."

Orion"s big heart baffled Lith more than his reincarnations did.

He couldn"t understand how someone like Jirni could love such a softie. Lith loved his mother, yet he wouldn"t hesitate to kill Orpal or Trion if they ever posed a threat to his family, no matter how important they still were to her.

How he could risk so much to protect his family"s feelings rather than just their safety was beyond Lith.

"I gladly accept your gift and your grat.i.tude." Lith replied.

"There"s not much I can offer you, but if there"s anything I can do to return the favor, you just need to ask."

"Good G.o.ds, you"re the spitting image of my wife back when we first met. It"s not a gift if you pay for it. Anyway, while we are at it, Jirni is about to ask you to become our family"s Healer. It would be nice of you to say yes."

"Are you kidding me? Quylla is almost as good as I am and Friya is an excellent Healer too. What do you guys need me for?"

"Sadly, almost only works for fireb.a.l.l.s and meteors." Orion replied.

"Manohar is unreliable, while you are the next best thing and you are always just a call away. As our Healer, no matter if you"re in the army or the a.s.sociation, your patients come first.

"We get priority in case of emergency and you get a perfect excuse to visit whenever you want. It"s a win-win. Think about it while I let my guests in."

Lith inwardly cursed as he remembered he had yet to set up the Ballroom. The place was as big as a football field.

Its floor was made of cream colored marble. Together with the light brown walls, it gave warmth to the room and gave the light coming from the enchanted crystal chandeliers illuminating the room the same tinges real fire would.

A small bandstand with a low wooden fence to separate it from the dancers had been prepared for the musicians near the east wall. Refreshment tables were lined up along all the other walls.

Food and beverages were kept warm and cold by their magical containers.

On the four corners of the room, there was a flight of stairs which lead to a balcony on the first floor, where sofas and armchairs were arranged around small tables for those who needed a place to rest, eat, watch others dance or simply wanted to spend their time in conversation.

"All this waiting and you have yet to start? I hope a major disappointment wasn"t what you had in mind when you promised me a memorable evening." Jirni"s expression while pouting was cute. Too cute, to the point that it gave Lith the creeps.

"Is this the effect I have on people when I go from friendly to homicidal in a heartbeat?" Lith thought.

"Perfection requires time. Also, I thought you would enjoy the show." Lith lied through his teeth, fooling everyone but Jirni.

"How thoughtful of you! Phloria, Kallion, come here. Lith says we"re in a for a real treat." Her fake enthusiasm held a tinge of cruelty while she called the couple and forced Lith to go beyond what he had originally planned.

Phloria was still holding Kallion"s arm, but her fingers were barely touching him. The coldness her plastered smile emanated could have easily turned Mogar into a frozen wasteland.

Jirni had just served him an opportunity to pay back Kallion for his words and guaranteed herself that Lith would not spare any effort. Two birds with one stone.

Lith accepted her challenge, raising his open hands while he took a deep breath. His shadow spread from his feet in every direction, like a black sun that engulfed the entire Ballroom turning it into twilight.

A few millimeters thick layer of water covered the floor, quickly followed by a fine mist. Mogar had no underwear, Lith didn"t want people to look under the ladies" ballgown thanks to the reflection.

"That"s it?" Kallion sneered. "First magic can hardly be considered a treat. It"s a cheap trick just like that corsage…" He was unaware his words were not only demeaning Lith"s skills but also the Queen"s opinion.

Rushes made of light sprouted from the floor as six different kind of flowers, one for each element, bloomed above the water. A silvery sphere enveloped each one of the chandeliers, turning them into small moons while small wisps appeared on the blackened ceiling like starlight.

"Oh G.o.ds! If I didn"t know we were inside my own home, I"d really think we"re under the moon." Jirni walked above the water, discovering it wasn"t slippery at all. She tried to touch the rushes and the flowers, but they were all ethereal.

"I"m not done yet." A wave of Lith"s hand made some of the flowers turn into small fairies that moved around the room as shooting stars darted across the fake night sky.

Together they formed a path of lights, leading the Ernas couple to the center of the stage where a giant reflection of the moon waited like a spotlight for them to open the dances.

"Well said, Mage Nuragor. It"s just a cheap trick." Sylpha"s voice expressed all the joy she felt for being openly contradicted in front of such a large audience.

"I"m sure you can do much better."