Algernon Black

(Chapter 71) Nothing Interesting Yet to Recall

After the defeat of the monster, the headmistress appeared and congratulated the winners. Although all of the praise landed on Algernon and Luke who were credited with defeating the creature of the cavern. Everyone else was seen as a lucky civilian who managed to ride the coattails of the artifact users to victory, but even so, the invitation to the party hosted exclusively for the finalists was extended to all of them.

Even though it only numbered around 200 people, the event was decorated and catered for a king's arrival. The majority of the guests were older men and women holding positions in the Conclave or military. Like Pecilia had informed Lucy, this was the real prize for winning the tourney, a night spent amongst Emora's most powerful. Lucy entered wearing a loose-fitting satin blue dress. Traditionally, any winner was instantly greeted and commended for their efforts, but when their eyes fell on Lucy's un-altered dress and unfamiliar face, they ignored her and waited for a more rewarding person to bestow their praise upon. Lucy tried not to mind the dismissal as she lost herself to the wondrous decor of the room. Bright blue and yellow bouquets of summer flowers mixed in with auburn leaves of fall as overhead crystal chandeliers basked everything in gleaming blue light. Even discarded empty wine glasses sparkled magnificently to Lucy while everyone else was too accustomed to appreciate the ubiquitous beauty.

Algernon was the only other admirer of beauty, but his gaze didn't linger on hand-blown glasses but on a very quaint girl whose gray eyes glistened with just as much beauty as she beheld. 

"How is your providence functioning?" asked Conclave man Jevitina, who had roped the distracted boy into a chat.

"Fine," Algernon answered as dryly as his interest in the conversation. "Brunnel is being well seen to by my mother in my absence."

"The Black family has always done such a fantastic job of managing their districts," Jevitina replied, "Your father could have run this country into its next golden age if he stayed alive."

Algernon's throat constricted like it always did whenever his deceased father was mentioned.

"And he most definitely would have been an excellent headmaster," Jevitina droned on, too oblivious or too careless to notice the nerve he was hitting, "Too bad fate's plans are always so unpredictable."

Algernon inherently looked for something pleasurable to distract from the tender memory and watched Lucy with her hair gown to the tops of her chest veiled in the light of crystal chandeliers flowing behind her with every step she took on her way to Pecilia.

"Any other interesting things developing?" the conclave man prodded, noticing Algernon's faraway gaze landing on the pair of girls.

Algernon immediately forced his eyes away.  "No," he objected too quick for the man to feel it was a completely truthful denial.

Jevitina chuckled. "Denial is the soil love grows best in."

Algernon tried to feign indifference, but the man smirked. "I've heard the rumors," he whispered, turning his body in face of the two girls. "And she is rather gorgeous."

Algernon's jaw clenched wire tight. He looked to where the man was staring but met Pecilia's eyes. At first glance she was annoyed, but when Pecilia noticed worry as the dominant marker to Algernon's grimace she promptly strutted over. 

"How's a beautiful lady like yourself without someone to bother her?" Brickwood teased playfully as he took over Pecilia's role as Lucy's conversational partner.

"Professor Brickwood!" Lucy blurted out. She hadn't been able to think of an apology good enough for her tourney actions but she tried with very sincere and rushed words "I am so sorry for what I did-"