Infinite Body Prince-Chapter 102: Janna

The afternoon air smelt of lush green as Emil and Aelia watched the overseer of Marbran, one of the free cities, complete his ritual.

He'd surrendered.

After Jasmine had risen to rank six, he had gone on a solo campaign against the free cities.

They hadn't gotten the chance to hear word of Thena's decimation in Gritjor by the time he arrived.

"He's like a demigod," Aelia had told Emil.

He had the air of one, too; something seemed different about him. He was distant and mysterious, though his smile remained the same.

At rank five, she'd been afraid of him as one is of authority, but now, there was a slight, almost religious reverence.

This was especially true regarding his space-path abilities.

His teleportation had received a significant boost compared to the previous times they'd traveled with him, and his other skills, like concealment and rifts, were nearly impossible to prepare against without prior knowledge.

In just one week, he'd completely turned the tables on the influence of the princeps in the free cities.

Watching the rank five mage be dismissed, Emil wondered why Myriel hadn't used Carmine's ritual tactics.

The wind whistled, whipping their hair in the breeze.

They stood in an open space overlooking the city of green-roofed buildings. It was a lush view, with the architecture built around the natural greenery.

Lys turned to Jasmine. "The rest should be guaranteed."

His chest rose and fell, not acknowledging Lys.

"You once asked me where the princeps were," he addressed Emil. Emil's eyes darted to his smiling face. "It won't be too long now."

…

Baruch walked through the mostly empty hallways of the Baron's keep.

Do they know how close their lives came to being snuffed out like ants?

He wondered as he watched the human squires perform their duties. Although his memories of that day were a blur, the aftermath painted a clear picture.

Perhaps tomorrow, it will be me thrown into a rift for whatever reason.

He frowned, stepping out into the open sparring ground. Everywhere he turned, powerful forces controlled him.

Why did I even apologize to that existence?

It didn't seem to matter, as that existence failed to come into contact with him. Perhaps he had made the right decision coming to Jasmine and his court; perhaps that was what kept it away.

"Baruch," Shey called out to him.

The atmosphere among the remaining mages was dull, considering their realization of what had happened.

However, there wasn't much they could do. At the very least, Jasmine had put them out of direct danger on the ramparts, but it also sent a clear message regarding their importance, or lack thereof, and he wasn't sure if he was willing to test those boundaries.

An example might be made of him were he to try escaping.

In that one week, to keep his mind off things, he'd found a routine and stuck to it, waiting until Jasmine returned with the twins and gave them the way to proceed, just as he'd promised, that's things were about to change soon.

…

Alia winced as the dress was tightened around her waist.

"The Janna ritual," they'd told her.

Having shown abilities that suggested weeks of experience, she was now an honorary member of the embassy forces.

Though they wouldn't be attending in the streets along with the commoners, it was best to keep up with local customs.

She admired herself in the mirror. Her black hair was pinned up in the back, letting the front strands flow to the sides.

The fluffy dress was decorated with green and blue, the colors of the sea. As she was sprayed with perfume, her white-gloved left hand rose to her belly, and her brow creased as she suddenly found herself feeling somber.

…

In that week, Hadrian learned more about

Twain, the Beach Festival, and the Sisteron witches.

As Haldon had mentioned, information was scarce. But what little he did learn had a connection to the festival.

The event had apparently been occurring for two years, starting after the destruction of a nearby island.

Truthfully, given how long it had been established, he felt it offered little help in locating any nearby Sisteron witches. But a weak path was better than none; there was always something to be learned through experience.

He'd also created a few new vessels: two new brute vessels and twenty rodent vessels.

He hadn't gone too far with obtaining human vessels. In fact, it felt as though he'd finally found a moment to breathe, regaining a strong sense of self after cutting off Alia and specializing the Haldon vessel.

It seemed rats were common in any city, even on this side of the continent. These ones were different, though. On average, they were larger, with dark red fur and eyes like pools of black.

The rank two force path cores stayed with him, while the other cores were distributed among his vessels.

The box and bracelet remained in that space, separated by fog, as he saved the rock bracelet for serious situations.

The rocks weren't depleted by a single use; only through multiple uses would a stone be consumed and turn black.

He had left the death sickle with Haldon for now. Technically, since all his vessels were one, he could summon the sickle to himself at any moment, but he didn't want to reveal everything to Haldon just yet.

The moon hung high, and salty night breeze was gentle. With his vessels spread out, he watched as the procession flowed through the streets.

There were more vendors than usual, the air heavy with the feeling of festivities. On the rooftops and in the windows of the white brick buildings, spectators cheered the growing crowd.

Torches and leafy branches were waved in the air, and drums were loud accompanying the unifying song.

It was similar to the last time, only different in scale. With everything happening, had he not been paying close attention, he might have missed the splinter group.