Chapter 85 - Sister's Privilege (Patreon)

"I still can't believe people can build things like this," Sari said, looking around with wide eyes full of wonder.

Arien watched her for a moment. They hadn’t seen each other in over four years, and he wasn’t the only one who had changed. At nearly twenty-three, Sari had grown into a confident young woman, far removed from the girl he remembered.

When she had stepped off the flat-bottomed barge at the Docks the day before, the smile hadn’t left his face for several minutes.

"Careful, or a fly's going to fly into your mouth," he said, sitting beside her in the carriage and preparing to dodge the inevitable blow.

Sari merely looked at him with a gentle smile.

"You know, little brother, it's so beautiful here that not even your foul tongue can ruin the sights for me."

"We came this way yesterday."

"Yesterday I was dirty and exhausted from the journey. All I could think about was a hot bath and a comfortable bed." She looked out at the stone buildings rolling past the carriage window. "Today..." she continued. "Today I'm excited to see what my powerful brother is going to buy me. I heard there are more shops in Wayhold than in the entire kingdom combined."

“Hey...” he groaned. He knew exactly where this was going, and he also knew the prices in those shops. 

He would have preferred a punch. 

"I'm a humble student. I barely have enough money to survive."

"Will mentioned that you heal rich old widows on the side."

Arien looked at his friend sitting opposite them, who was pretending he hadn't done anything wrong. Knowing Will, he probably genuinely believed it.

"I hope you're only healing them," Sari continued. "Looking at that pretty face of yours... You hear all sorts of things about the capital..."

"What?!" Arien sputtered at the mere thought that he might be offering other... services to Gilfry's acquaintances.

"What?" she replied with a laugh. "Do you know how much time I spent coming up with jokes about teenage acne? This is supposed to be that age, right? So why is your face completely flawless? You look like you dumped all your free attribute points into Vitality."

“Will, hit me hard the next time I suggest inviting her,” Arien muttered.

“You did dump a lot of points into Vitality,” Will replied, sounding far too amused.

Sari burst into laughter so loudly that several passing pedestrians shot them disapproving looks.

"Who would've thought? My brilliant little brother! Tell me, did you see all those noble ladies at the Academy and decide you were going to marry into one of the great houses?" she asked conspiratorially.

"I did not!" he replied, genuinely annoyed. His friends at the Academy sometimes made similar jokes, but only Sari could phrase them in a way that got under his skin. "Vitality increases mana regeneration! It's important for training!"

“Of course, Arien. Of course.” Her tone suggested she believed the exact opposite. “And yet you never invited me here. I had to come on my own. If I’d waited for you, it would’ve taken another decade before the thought crossed your mind.”

"I've been busy," he replied.

To be fair, she had a point. He had never really found the right moment, always assuming his sister had her own life to worry about. It wasn't until Vylda's death a few months ago, along with several increasingly unsubtle messages, that he realized Sari was lonely and would actually like to see him.

"All right, little brother, I know you've been busy. Will mentioned that you're constantly training and studying."

"Uh... when?" Arien asked. He had barely left her side since yesterday.

"Many times in his letters," she replied, giving him an amused look. "You didn't honestly think I'd send you to the far end of the kingdom and be satisfied with those tiny letters you wrote, did you?"

"They weren't tiny!" he protested, glaring at Will again. What exactly had he been telling his sister?

"We've arrived, ladies and gentlemen," the coachman announced as the carriage came to a stop.

Indeed, they had reached the Mal Gate, beyond which lay the Merchant District, the most colorful and diverse part of the High Quarters. It had everything: local and foreign shops, expensive taverns, even more expensive restaurants, theaters, and high-class pleasure houses.

“Thank you, Ulch. We’ll see you after the fourth bell,” Arien called to the driver.

They had to leave the carriage at the edge of the district. The streets inside were extremely narrow, and after numerous accidents, carriages had reportedly been banned from entering.

The three of them passed through the gate under the watchful eyes of three guards, who waved them in without even asking for a pass.

The difference was obvious as soon as they passed through the gate, even though they had come from one of the better parts of the city.

The streets were clean, the buildings well maintained, and fountains and greenery appeared everywhere. There were no market stalls, beggars, or street peddlers. Most of the few pedestrians they passed wore fashionable clothes that made their status obvious.

On the few occasions Arien had visited the Merchant District, it had always been much busier. Summer was different. Anyone who could afford to leave Wayhold usually escaped to an estate outside the city, or even farther away, rather than endure the oppressive heat.

They spent the first half hour simply wandering through the streets, sticking close to the walls that cast blessed patches of shade. Their only stop was at a shop selling more than a dozen flavors of ice cream.

Sari was delighted. While they ate, Arien showed her the small metal artifact hidden beneath the display counter that kept everything cold, though she seemed far more interested in the ice cream than his explanation.

For a moment, he thought sightseeing might not be so bad after all.

Then Sari finished her ice cream and announced that she was finally ready to explore the shops.

Arien looked down the street at the elegant storefronts stretching from building to building, their wares displayed behind enormous glass windows.

His optimism faded slightly.

Four hours later, even Will looked completely drained, carrying a dozen paper bags filled with Sari’s purchases. Arien was equally overloaded and wondering why he hadn’t thought of borrowing one of Gilfry’s servants.

Sari, meanwhile, seemed to have endless energy. She had entered nearly every open shop they passed, browsing merchandise, haggling over prices, and trying on outfit after outfit.

Arien understood wanting a new wardrobe, but the dozen scented candles, packets of spices, several sets of bedding, and tiny bottles of wine and beer were harder to explain. Fortunately, she was spending her own money.

He didn't even have the strength left to ask where she had gotten it all or why she was spending it so quickly.

"All right, let's go get something to eat," she declared as they left a furniture store where they had spent over twenty minutes. Thankfully, despite her aggressive bargaining, she hadn't actually bought anything. "Shopping always makes me hungry!"

Arien glanced at Will. Will met his gaze and closed his eyes, undoubtedly also thanking the gods.

"I know a good restaurant nearby," Arien said quickly, afraid his sister might change her mind.

"So you did have time for something other than studying and training," she teased. He simply shook his head, too exhausted to argue.

They reached The Pheasant's Wing a few minutes later, and fortunately a waiter managed to find them a free table. The establishment was one of the more expensive restaurants in the district, but the food was good enough that Arien was willing to loosen the strings on his coin purse.

It was also one of the more spacious venues. The brightly lit dining hall radiated cleanliness and elegance, while the staff, dressed in matching uniforms, looked better groomed than some of the people walking the streets outside.

They sat down at a square table and gratefully handed their shopping bags to the waiters.

Ordering took nearly ten minutes, mostly because Sari insisted on considering every possible combination of food and wine despite Arien’s increasingly obvious looks and occasional kicks beneath the table.

He was starving. Why couldn’t she simply order the chef’s specialty he had recommended?

A tender pheasant wing, slowly cooked in duck fat with thyme and juniper, then crisped until the skin turned golden, served with roasted parsnip purée, sage butter, and a sauce of dry wine and blackcurrants.

His mouth watered just thinking about it.

"Arien, you promised you wouldn't turn into a grumpy old man," Sari said, returning one of his kicks with a strike to his shin.

He winced. "But you ordered exactly what I recommended anyway. We could've saved ten minutes." 

He reached for his wine glass.

“Ow!”

Sari smacked his hand away.

“What was that for?”

“Water it down a little. You’re too young to be drinking wine that strong.”

“I’ve had stronger things,” he replied. “Everyone drinks.”

“Will doesn’t.” She nodded toward Will, who was calmly sipping lemonade.

What was her problem? Had she suddenly decided to start mothering him?

"Alcohol is bad for your body and your training," Will said reproachfully. "I've told Arien that before, but he never listens."

"Fine. I'll water it down."

What a pair they made. The important thing was that his food would be arriving soon.

“Arien?”

A familiar voice reached him from near the entrance. He looked up and saw Pori, Reyna, and Mel speaking with a waiter.

Of course.

“Arien!” Pori called, waving as she approached. “Hi, Will. I didn’t expect to run into you here. How’s your summer been?”

"Pori, Reyna, Mel," he said, standing up and nodding to the girls. Just his luck. "This is my sister, Sari. I've been showing her around the city, and we stopped by to grab something to eat."

"Oh! It's wonderful to meet you, Miss Sari. Arien mentioned he had a sister, but he never said she was this beautiful!" Pori exclaimed, offering her hand to Sari, who looked both intrigued and slightly intimidated. "I'm Porietta Miley, but you can call me Pori. This is Reyna Voltorey, and this is Meliana Rath."

"Sari Terrin," Sari replied, giving a slight curtsy.

Interestingly, it was perfectly proper according to etiquette, which had shifted the moment Pori invited her to use her first name. She then gave deeper bows to Reyna and Meliana.

"The wines produced by your family are a delight to the palate," she added.

Arien raised an eyebrow in confusion, which his sister immediately noticed.

"The Miley family is known, among other things, for its vineyards," Sari explained as though it were common knowledge. "They even export their wines to other countries."

"Oh." Arien shrugged. He had never really cared what the various noble families of his friends actually did.

"Would you ladies like to sit together, or should I prepare a separate table?" the waiter asked, taking advantage of the brief silence. "We have one available in the garden."

“Definitely together,” Reyna said immediately. “I can’t wait to hear some stories about Arien’s childhood.”

Arien’s stomach growled loudly.

I hope you’ve missed Sari.

Next chapter in 15 minutes.