Shadow Slave-Chapter 2291: An Elegant and Noble Outing

Rain chuckled and looked at the elaborately inked snake that wrapped around her arm and shoulder. Tamar wore a gown with extended cuffs, so hers was largely hidden — only its end could be seen, lying on her sleek bronze complexion.

"Apologies, Telle… I could arrange a meeting with the tattoo artist, but I fear your parents would disapprove."

Telle reclined with a disgruntled look. "My mother has a rebellious streak as well, you understand? Once, she slayed a Valor Saint. Our whole clan was exiled to Antarctica as retribution. But, never mind…"

She cast a final glance at Tamar's shoulder and averted her gaze with a proud snort. "I have no desire for a snake tattoo, regardless. Birds prey on snakes." She failed to conceal the trace of jealousy in her voice, though, which nearly caused Rain to laugh.

Telle and Tamar were rather alike in that they both had been nurtured by strict Legacy leaders, and usually displayed a rigid mask of restrained elegance to the outside. Yet, while Tamar's somber demeanor was innate to her, Telle's efforts to uphold a distant appearance were often awkward, obvious… and quite endearing!

Rain just managed to hold back a smile. Of course, that was only accurate for those familiar with her. To a casual observer, Tell of White Feather would seem like the embodiment of harsh and austere Legacy pride — and to those unfortunate enough to end up facing her blade, she would be akin to a frigid and pitiless terror.

…But that merely rendered the proud young lady increasingly charming. Rain scanned the area and signaled to a server. Before long, the trio was gazing upon artfully presented cocktails. Each resembled a static artwork contained within a vessel, adorned so finely that consuming them felt akin to a deed of destruction.

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Telle regarded her two companions with uncertainty. "So… we're indulging in alcoholic beverages?" Notwithstanding her assured appearance, the stunning Feather Knight was in truth rather naive about mundane affairs. It was highly likely that she had never sampled liquor previously, hence she appeared hesitant.

Tamar gestured indifferently. "I suppose. I'm puzzled, however. Why is there such a quantity of ice? It feels as though we're consuming ice with a mere hint of alcohol."

Rain gazed upon them in exasperation. "You two comprehend nothing! I meticulously perused the culinary segment of the Bastion Gazette. This establishment is the trendiest locale on the Lakefront Promenade currently, and these three cocktails are reputed to be exquisite. They are inspired by the deposed Sovereigns. Observe… these represent the Bloody Queen, the Old Valor, and the Sweet Shadow."

Tamar's cocktail was vivid crimson, Telle's almost clear with precisely shaped ice blocks, while Rain's own was completely dark. She smiled broadly. "Additionally, there's the fourth variant, the White Flame, which is the most favored… it's crafted with premium Beast Farm cream and potent spirits, resulting in a blend that's both velvety and intense, heating the body and calming the spirit. At least, that's what the Gazette claims. In any case… cheers!"

They lifted their vessels and tapped them delicately. Then, every one of the trio sampled their own. 'Ah… so it's dark due to coffee liqueur!' Rain felt satisfied. The Sweet Shadow was, indeed, delectable... she resolved to rely on the Bastion Gazette henceforth.

Tamar set her vessel aside and smiled... she rarely grinned lately, so it was an uncommon and appreciated view. "Oh, isn't it time for felicitations? I observed the street lamps illuminate last evening. You two truly accomplished it!"

Rain beamed. "Indeed we did!" Telle gazed upon them, had another taste of her cocktail, and sighed. "I feel jealous. You two already possess electricity… it likely won't arrive at the Chained Isles for another ten years."

Following the war, the journeys of the three Awakened girls had diverged in various ways. The White Feather clan had reclaimed their ancestral territory, so Telle went back to the Sanctuary of Noctis with her family. She devoted the majority of her days to the Chained Isles now, solely coming back to Bastion every couple of months to represent her clan and handle formal affairs.

Tamar's destiny, meanwhile, was nearly the complete reverse of Telle's. Her father, the Saint of Sorrow, had perished in the last conflict of the Realm War… humanity had suffered the loss of numerous valiant fighters on that grim occasion, and she was among numerous who had been bereaved of companions and kin in the unforgiving forge of combat.

Rain desired to remain with her companion for some time, but regrettably, Tamar was not granted much opportunity to grieve. As the sole remaining offspring of the Saint of Sorrow, she had to take charge of her clan — and in its most trying times, nonetheless. Tamar may have ascended to the position of the new Lady of Sorrow, but she was only an Awakened.

Consequently, she was unable to assert dominion over the ancestral Citadel of the Sorrow clan — thus, her family were compelled to surrender their territories to an individual capable of doing so. That individual was precisely Saint Seishan, the erstwhile leader of the Seventh Royal Legion. Seishan had dealt with the family of the previous lord of the Lake of Tears courteously, but even though they were not coerced to depart, they nonetheless opted to forsake their erstwhile territory.

Consequently, Clan Sorrow transformed into one among the numerous declined aristocratic houses following the War. …Naturally, Rain knew Tamar well, so she was confident that her friend's clan would ascend anew eventually. Indeed, its reputation was already improving.

Tamar had enlisted with the Shadow Clan initially. Subsequently, she took part in the tournament held by the Fire Keepers and made a name for herself in the arena, vanquishing numerous powerful Awakened in an exceedingly fierce and impressive manner. She excelled sufficiently to reach the final round, nonetheless.

Thus, currently, Tamar was in a way a dual operative — admittedly, the factions she was part of were strongly connected rather than antagonistic. Publicly, she was an ascending talent among the recent recruits of the Fire Keepers. Privately, however, she acted as the Shadow Clan's team leader in Bastion… and also Rain's personal bodyguard at times. Life was indeed capricious occasionally.

Regarding Rain, she had remained in Godgrave for some time, subsequently arrived in Bastion to study Shaping under Lady Nephis and civil engineering as part of Chief Bethany's team. Additionally, at some point, she had also unlocked her Aspect.