AMONG MIST • GI

22

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO ;
AWKWARD AND RUDE

ACT THREE ;
LANTERN RITE

The preparations for lantern rite was going quite fast.

Aether had gone off to do whatever ningguang had wanted. I had heard it was some kind of competition to rebuild the jade chamber from gossipers around the city.

I felt kind of bad for not helping, but I had insisted multiple times and he quite literally made me not come with him.

So now, I was doing some minor commissions for people around the harbour. The one I was in the process of doing now included a journey to an Inn in the middle of no where.

It was quite a way away from the main city, but I accepted anyway. It's not like I had anything to do anyway.

It was bustling with life when I got there and many people were either getting a room or leaving. Some were even sitting around leisurely, taking in the afternoon sunshine.

I went up the stairs and to what I presumed to be the front desk.

"Good afternoon and welcome to Wangshu Inn! I am Verr Goldet, are you here for a room?"

"...no"

"Okay? What are you here for?"

I held up a large paper bag full of vegetables, herbs and other ingredients.

"I was told you placed an order for some more ingredients..."

"Ah! So I did! Please take them to Yanxiao down those stairs!"

She gestured to a flight of stairs that decended down.

"okay"

I started to walk down the steps and came across a frantic looking man who was running down a kitchen area.

"where'dalltheingredientsgo!? Surelytheyshouldlastlongerthantwodays!?" He mumbled to himself whilst digging into various shelves that were scarse of anything.

"hello. I have your ingredients."

"YOU WHAT?!" He stopped screaming abruptly and cleared his throat.

"I mean— thank you."

I sweatdropped as he pretty much snatched the bag from my hand and started to sort them in the shelves.

"Are you gonna leave or just stand there staring like a dead fish?"

I awkwardly stood there and he stormed over to a counter and grabbed a plate of something.

"Well if you're not gonna say anything, make yourself useful and take this to the top balcony."

'I LITERALLY JUST BROUGHT YOU YOUR INGREDIENTS THAT YOU WERE FREAKING OUT ABOUT!'

"o...kay?"

I took the plate from his hands and started to go up the steps again, passing Verr Goldet who was serving customers.

"HOW MANY TIME DO I HAVE TO SAY THIS BARRY?! IT'S JUST BOSS NOT BOSS LADY!"

I turned my head the other way and pretended not see anything and instead and went up the steps until I got to the highest point.

An empty balcony with a few pots filled with plants and rocks.

"what does he want me to do? Feed the rock or something?"

I put the plate down on the balcony railing and looked around confused.

Until I saw a brief flash of teal.

"oh. It's you." A deep voice said, probably not very impressed.

I looked over to the other side of the balcony to see a short man with dark hair that was teal at the tips. His attire was interesting.

"yes... do I know you?"

"You've already forgotten? We met briefly at the fight with Osial. Your blade work was most impressive."

"who?"

An awkward silence ensued like a thick blanket as we stared at each other.

"sorry I'm bad at remembering things."

"I can tell"

I felt my eyelid twitch slightly at the snarky remark.

"So, why are YOU here?" He excentuated the 'you'.

"The guy downstairs told me to give this to you."

I lifted the plate and showed it to him. He stared at it with a blank expression before taking it from me and practically inhaling the food.

'does this guy not know what chewing is something?'

He was done in about a minute and placed the plate down again with a satisfied nod.

"Alright. Thanks I guess. Goodbye now."

And without a word he disappeared into the air without a trace.

I was a bit ticked off though.

'Since when was I a maid or something?!'

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not me making a bunch of new story drafts instead of updating.

AND NOW I HAVE TO SPEEDRUN LANTERN RITE.

curse my procrastination