Mage And Wolf
Chapter 148

Chapter 148: Chapter 148

We continued the meet and greet as if nothing had happened, while the Sacred Thunder Sect had a few choice words with the would be assassin. By the time we finished they’d already brought in his employer and everyone related to them.

I’d actually been joking about the Death by a Thousand Cuts practice to scare the assassin, but the Sect took it literally, and the culprits were suitably repentant before I even met them. That’s fine though, I’m a busy Lycan, I’ve got things to do, banquets to host and such.

The first evenings banquet is a smash hit. Mystic cooking is an entirely new concept to almost all the assembled guest list, even most of the gathered Royalty. Nobody seems quite sure how to address me, wanting to thank the chef, but not wanting to annoy a supposed royal. It’s really quite amusing.

The status of the Sacred Thunder Sect is rising by the second, everyone giving their Elders envious glances at being the choice to host such splendor twice in a month. Sect Master Qin is loving it, and taking full advantage to help grow his alliance.

There will certainly be trouble later about the Noble family they disappeared, since it’s a family from Drakon, but I’m fairly sure I can silence all complaints and future mention of their name by threatening their allies. Having your alliance outed as traitors to the High Priestess the majority of the country waited so long for is a very effective threat.

"This duck, is it something mere mortals can make?" A dutchess from one of the nearby countries asks, intrigued, a small plate full of nothing else.

"There is a version any competent cook can make with a few spices and some salt and oil" I smile. "Should we hold a little cooking seminar and tea party tomorrow Dutchess?"

"Oh yes, please. I do love spending time in the kitchens." The indulgent look in her husband’s face tells me it’s the truth. By midnight we’ve arranged a dozen cooking minded noble ladies, mostly unwed maidens, to gather for a tea party and cooking practice, our practice dishes, should they be successful, to be served labeled at the lunch service. The young ladies being under the impression that such a tactic is the True way to a suitable gentleman’s heart.

The way they’ve been looking at the dinner banquet, the girls might be on to something. Every woman should find herself a man who looks at her the way they are looking at that food.

We decide on a collection of spiced kabob wraps and soups as the cooking sample. The Dutchess suggested it. Something savory they can eat while in a hurry, and the comfort of a hearty soup. Now, a few of them we had to remake to avoid poisoning the guests, the ladies all were quite enthusiastic, but not all were equally skilled.

The table with the assortment of dishes from the Noble ladies has garnered much attention from the young men, as we hoped. Everything is in small bowls and bite sized sections, so they can sample widely without getting full.

"What’s the point of that?" Karl asks, pointing to the table.

"Luring potential mates with food. There’s name tags on the other side, so the gentlemen can look for the Noble Miss whose tastes match his own." I giggle.

"Is that how Lycans do it?" Karl laughs, then stops, realizing I’ve made Banquet meals for the entire week and cooked almost all his meals since we got here. The thought makes him laugh even harder and grab me into a one armed hug, not wanting to mess up the fine outfit I’m wearing.

The Royal Robes are the go to for the evening festivities nightly, but with such a huge celebration going on, I can’t just throw on whatever during the day, so I’ve been giving the wardrobe Lelou helped me pick a workout.

The bright colors and intricate dyed patterns are a big hit with the local nobility and Sects. But changing three times a day is exhausting, especially with the never ending festivities. Hours a day are spent on guard duty in the greeting hall, then luncheons, tea, flower viewings, and the evening banquets and parties.

I think this should be part of every Sects initiation, I’ve never been through an endurance test like this.

By the final day, few original faces remain, most having cycled through or retired to their factions compound to recuperate. The sheer amount of food that the area has gone through is staggering, the sect has a small mountain of wine bottles for cleaning and reuse by the nearby wineries.

That’s when the news starts pouring in. Cities falling to the peasants, burnt to the ground with Flaming arrows, major city facilities bombed. The Civil War is now in full swing.

The news causes the foreign dignitaries to say quick goodbyes and flee the country, not wanting to get caught up in someone else’s mess. Most of the Dragon Clergy and all of the Drakon nobility head home too, but 4 stay. A red scaled Dragonkin and 3 green robed junior clerics.

"These are my choices for the cathedral. I’ve told you of the Matron of the orphanage, and these three represent expert skills in every major discipline the orphans might need." Mica assures us.

"I’ll go get the children tomorrow after you show me the way to the cathedral." the Orphan Matron smiles. She looks really young to be running an orphanage, but Lelou said she was doing it at 16, so I shouldn’t be surprised.

"Certainly, let’s make haste back. I wouldn’t want the Sects to think we were interfering in secular affairs. They’ve taken a neutral stance in this civil war."

"You can be neutral in a civil war?" One of the Green Priestesses asks, looking confused. "I thought by nature they just sucked everyone in?"

"Normally, yes. But here, there aren’t many with even the potential to reach Condensation outside the Sects, so they have nothing to fear from a civil war, except taking an action that offends the other Sects"

"Like what happened to the Golden Field Sect. Unfortunate fellows" Mica sighs "I met with their Sect Master and found out that their compound was attacked and heavily damaged when they tried to intervene in local affairs, though thankfully casualties were minimal."

The thought makes me smile. "Yes, that night was enlightening for a great number of cultivators."

We get three whole days of peace, relaxing, cultivating and slowly repairing the cathedral facilities before chaos descends in a whirlwind known as three dozen pre teens. The Orphanage Matron is back.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m having a great time, but the word quiet does not apply to our days, the youngsters eager to help with everything and explore everywhere. Before this, they were in a city, and not the good part of the city, so it was unsafe for them to go out.

Drakon City, I’m told, has a crime problem. It simply wasn’t safe for the orphans to leave the barricaded and protected building. The Matron has the eyes of a woman who’s seen things she’d rather not have.

The chance to see the forest is irresistible, but not far from the barrier there a chance of meeting category 2 and 3 beasts, or possibly other threats, so we decide to take the kids with a chaperone in small groups to pick herbs in the closest sections of the forest.

They love it, coming back filthy and happy, and the urge to sneak out into the woods is gone. The distant noises of monsters repelled by the totem ensured that.

"Are we all enjoying our new home?" Karl asks the kids as he leads them to get washed up for dinner.

"Yes, High Priest!" They answer in unison.

"Even if we can’t go far, because there are monsters, even just getting to go outside is like a hundred billion times better than being locked up in the orphanage in the city. The last two times kids snuck out to go look for things we needed they didn’t come back." a little girl tells him.

"No, one came back. But she was taken again. They accused her of stealing and the guards made the Matron turn her over." a little boy corrects her.

"Yeah, that’s what it was. But other than that, nobody leaves before they go look for jobs at fourteen." The first one finishes.

"Well, the Matron has that all figured out. Her friend the Green Robed High Priestess brought in people to train you through your apprenticeships, so you’ll be able to learn here before you need to go anywhere." I say from my vantage point over by the kitchen. "I hope you’re all clean, because it’s dinner time."

I have been teaching everyone else how to cook a little better, hoping that they can leave without guilt and not make the kids suffer lousy food again. After years working in the Pack Kitchens, I couldn’t stand to see people hungry.