Ambient Mage

*Lucas' Pov*

I never did carry a second ceremonial garb.

Although, technically there was one in the carriage outside, going out there with wet clothes and coming back into the ballroom is socially unacceptable, so I bore with the uncomfortableness of wet clothing and changed.

Looking back on it, a changing room, especially one at a imperial palace, shouldn't have been so far.

Or had a shower.

But too late for regrets.

"Lucas?"

That was a voice I hadn't heard for a while.

"Marcus?"

"Yes, but Lucas, what the hell are you doing in the showers in my palace? That's for servants you know?"

"Well I got a little turned around looking for the changing rooms for the ballroom, since the upstairs ones were all taken."

"I see, we've had people wander out here, since it's not that far before."

"But why the shower?"

"Andras spilled his drink on me."

"Not on purpose though right?"

"Well, that's what he'd like you to think."

"You have any other clothes?"

"My armor."

"Which one?"

"The one I use in fights."

"The blessed armor?"

"The other one."

"Ah, the eldritch monstrosity."

"Not exactly what I'd call it, but sure."

"Lucas, you need something else, you go back in there, sure you'll be let in, but forget getting any good talking in."

"Not the plan anyways, just going to dance and talk to the people I know."

"Even worse, they'll be implicated."

"Oh, yeah."

I didn't really think about it.

It seems Marcus had.

I wonder where he learned this, and when he got so good at talking.

"You have any suggestions?"

"You have any artifacts on hand?"

"Yes?"

"You got a defensive artifact?"

"For what?"

"Let's do it like this, I'll borrow that from you tomorrow, and you should take this today, yeah?"

"Alright, but Marcus when did you get so, I don't know socially aware?"

"Let's not talk about it."

"You got a girlfriend?"

"No."

It didn't sound very convincing.

"Well, you tell her, I'm happy for the both of you."

"Hah, the artifact works like this, for as long as you sustain the artifact with mana, it will sustain illusion magic on clothing."

"Only clothing?"

"Yes, which is why I'm even allowed to lend it to you at all."

"So, here."

He led me into his room, where a comm orb was glowing.

"In the closet there should be a decent garb, aside from the ones that are obviously for princes' use those for disguises."

"Alright, but let me know before I leave if it's not good."

I combed through his closet.

Don't get me wrong it was by no means small, but for a royal?

It was tiny.

I mean two of me lying down was about the length of it, and the width supported 3 people.

I sifted through robed section before finding something pretty good.

It was a dark polished blue color that had black stripes, that came around my shoulders.

The sleeves extended to my wrist, but the set also contained armsleeves, that went from my torso all the way to my hand, ending in a golden ring on my middle finger on both ends.

It looked like something out of an eastern fantasy.

Maybe 'Jade Sword' wasn't so bad.

I walked out, to Marcus shock.

"Dude, you look, kinda surreal."

"Yeah, he looks like a fallen immortal."

"You're not a fairy are you Lucas?"

"Who was that?"

"Um."

He talked to the orb for a second before showing me what was on it.

A girl.

He skipped out on a ball, for a girl.

Well, that doesn't make much sense, just bring her to it.

Unless you can't.

"Is she?"

"Yes, she's not nobility or part of the combat course."

"I see."

"Blonde hair, green eyes, good taste. Personally I'm into the purple ones myself, but to each their own."

"Fair, Lady Aurelia is a good person after all."

"Hey, Marcus, don't say that."

"Sorry- Lucas, are you ready? The outfits fine, if a little eastern, but the robes should go well, besides the combat armor you're wearing should help with fluid movement and recovery more than the actualy garb."

"Charlotte actually likes that kind of thing. Anyways get outta here."

"Thanks Marcus, you too Marcus' girlfriend."

"Yeah."

She was unusually high pitched there.

I left his area and made my way back to the ball after shoving my clothes in the great big hole that is Alea's spatial pocket.

I let her perch up on my shoulders and walked back into the ballroom.

***

*Rose's Pov*

Fine I'll go first.

"I'll do it, but you two swear you'll go after right?"

"Yes."

"Absolutely."

"Haaah. I wanted to see him in like discreet clothing that showed off his features."

Aura and Charlotte nodded their heads.

"Well, give us an example."

"Like maybe a black shirt that shows off his body? Like a cutoff shirt that's form fitting?"

They nodded their heads again.

Aurelia gave a thumbs up.

"Personally, I want something like that too, but I want him to have layers to it, like a business suit."

"It's easier if It's like a suit, but looks better if it's a robe."

"Wow Aurelia really getting deep into the eastern FANTASY here aren't we?"

"Sorry."

"Well, I do want to see him in robes too, just not ones that are thick."

"I prefer two layers, one nearly skintight, and one thick enough to warm me, you know?"

Aurelia and I giggled at that.

"I can't wait for him to come back."

The other girls nodded their heads in unison.

"Wait, Samara."

Charlotte picked her head up to see a blushing face tilted down.

"Samara come here."

She waved her hand in a downwards motion.

"Morgan's magic caught you too, didn't it?"

".....y....yes."

Cute.

If I had painted a photo of the situation, it would have to be like 3 older girls hovering over a younger boy.

Not in a predatory way, but enough to make it feel like they were going to put makeup on him and paint his nails, while he cried for mother.

I don't like admitting it, but she was like a sheep to the our wolves.

Really. What a turn around since the hall incident, where Samara blocked her in.

"Um. Um. I wanted to see Lucas, in lingerie."

She pursed her lips making a little whine as she ducked her red face into our little circle.

I cupped her face with my hands.

She was so warm.

"You're adorable."

I honestly can't figure out how this hazelnut haired girl managed to corner Aurelia in the first week.

"Rose, what are you doing to the poor girl?"

Huh?

***

*Lucas' Pov*

As I walked into the ball room, I spotted Morgan first.

"Morgan, where's the others?"

"I may have cast a spell on them, that revealed their preference of your clothing and got nearly mauled to death because of it."

Oho. My turn.

***

*Morgan's Pov*

"Oh, and what would you like to see me in?"

He pushed me up against the ballroom walls, slamming his arms beside me.

"I-I uh-I."

I stammered.

He put his finger underneath my chin tracing it up until my face tilted to meet his.

I stared at him as he stared at me.

"I- uh-uhm."

I turned my head, I couldn't look at him, nor run from him.

My face was getting really red.

He grabbed my chin with three fingers, and lightly brought himself back into view.

"Do you like this?"

He said showing off a new outfit.

Illusion magic?

"Or this?"

He leaned in really close to my ear, enough so I could feel his breath.

"Tell me what you want."

I buried my face in his chest hands on his shoulders and said the truth muffled in his shoulder.

"Wasn't hard see?"

I shook my head as I began to regain my bearings.

"You, You! You used illusion magic?"

"And so what?"

He grabbed my hand and led me back to the others.

***

*Lucas' Pov*

I need an actor of the year award.

Because she was a 4th circle mage now.

I realized it when I saw her during the ceremony.

When she and a few others walked out to recieve their rewards, I saw her unique signature.

It showed off a 4th circle signature.

Normally someone right below another in a circle can cast a decent illusion, or a great one even, if there is an empowered formation, or if the higher circle is weak to illusion magic.

I am decent at best, she is decent at worst.

And to top it all off, 3rd circle mages have disadvantage against 4th circle, like 6th do to 7th.

This is because of the mana quality output changing.

Despite my 4th star, my 3rd circle cannot output my 4th tier mana.

So while both of my mana streams are 'pure', overall I have an impure system.

In fact, I have two nearly separate mana veins, due to the fact.

Morgan is solidly in the 4th tier, if only because her foundation has recently stabilized.

She does not have any vein splits since she is only a mage.

That isn't to say her mana is purer than mine, though, only that she currently has a higher overall purity, after all, who outranks a dragon in mana purity.

In reality the magic I cast was a illusion spell around us.

And one confusion spell, as I brought her 'back' to 'reality'.

Here's roughly what I did.

I 'casted' the illusion spell on her.

What I really did was cast an illusion barrier.

Then everything that went down was real.

After it was said and done, I casted confusion, as it is one of the effects of illusions occasionally, and she was already melted in the brain.

I think Morgan only responded like this because this was my first time doing it to her, if I did it to Aura, I might've been a goner.

After I casted the confusion I placed her back in the area, removed the illusion barrier and began a little act again.

So hard but not impossible.

***

As I came up on my other partners I watched as Rose cupped a girl's red face, and began to smile widely like an older sister does to a younger sister who's pouting.

"Rose, what are you doing to the poor girl?

She immediately dropped her hands and backed up as did Aura and Charlotte.

She hid her hands behind her back.

"Nothing."

"You weren't grilling her over what she saw right?"

She nodded vigorously.

A lie.

"Looks like the three of you deserve punishment."

"As do you, Morgan, you started all of this."

"Samara, I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

I dropped Morgan's hand and put it up to my chin.

"How do we decide the dancing order now then?"

"Morgan's last."

Aura and Rose nodded as if to say, we agree.

"Aura and I need to dance with others, so we'll be in the middle, does that sound fair to eveyone?"

"Okay."

"Alright with me."

They all nodded in agreement.

"Ah, Samara, I wouldn't want to leave you left out, so if you want to join the other side of our group you can, they're over there, and Claudia, is over there, so if you want to help her out, you can too."

She nodded in agreement, the red finally leaving her face.

She left like a soldier on a mission.

"After I dance with Rose, I'll switch to whoever's closer between the two of you okay?"

"Sure."

With that I set out with Rose.

"May I have this dance?"

I said holding my arm out.

"You may."

She said, putting her hand into mine like a high handed princess.

With that we giggled to ourselves as I pulled her into a dancing embrace.

As the music began and the music swelled our dance began, along with the rest of the ball guests.

Aura and Charlotte, had their first partners lined up, being their brothers.

Aura's being Matthew, leaving quite the aggrieved princess to sit out, and Charlotte with Leo.

Revonia was somewhere I guess.

But with their partners made, I focused on the self proclaimed 'Rose-flax haired, business beauty.'

The first song ended, and the second came on, the music much faster than last.

In response I kicked the dance into high gear.

Spinning and moving between the gaps of people doing the same.

She looked thrilled facing me and forward towards the direction we moved in, quite happily.

She seemed to enjoy the dance as much as she did spending it with me.

After the second song ended, a slower song came one, as if to signal the last song for most partners.

"Lucas."

"Mhm?"

"Thank you."

She rested her head on my chest, smiling as we danced.