After scalding her ward, it astonished Sara at how flippant Ashley could be. Such vulgar implications shouldn’t be said to casual acquaintances, especially considering the current company includes her warden and the man who is supposed to be courting her.

Sara unclenched her jaw and turned to see how the man in question would react. She worried that Ashley might have ruined her chances. In a few months she would become an adult and her time at the orphanage would be over; yet Ashley refused every offer of mentorship and marriage thrown her way as if unconcerned with her own future.

Seeing Sara’s gaze, Avery gave a half smile before speaking.

“As I was saying, the Necime family will have two guards for the venture. One is a B3 warrior; the other is a C6 scout.”

“The B and C have more than enough power.” Sara agreed, shoulders relaxing, “I take it that the tact 6 will take the lead?”

Avery shook her head, “No, he will be my second. I will take the lead myself.”

“Shouldn’t that be handled by someone… more experienced?” Sara asked, lips pursed.

“I’m assessed at B9; therefore, I’m the most qualified.”

Lisa spoke up, “I will have a guard of my own as well.”

“What rank?” I asked.

“C7 minimum.”

I nodded, “Alright, a week round trip should be fine. I will have to inspect the provisions, but everything else should be set.”

The three continued to talk logistics for nearly an hour before we hammered out all the details. Just as we finished, Ashley strutted down the stairs; Hellen sauntered behind.

Ashley made a beeline for Avery and fluttered her lashes. “So, What's for lunch?” she asked.

“Oh, I can have the maids fetch you some soup.” Avery said, amusement in his eyes.

“What? No! You’re supposed to treat me to something new and fancy!”

“There’s plenty we can do to make soup fancy. I know the perfect–”

“It has to be something I can’t get at the orphanage or at a street stall,” Ashley pouted.

Lisa interjected, “I can take us to the Golden Field’s Forge. My family owns it so you can try a little of everything.”

Ashley bounced over to Lisa and gave her a hug while sticking her tongue out at Avery.

“She takes me flying and to try new food! You’ve got some competition,” she winked with a grin.

“What? No,” Lisa flushed, “I wasn’t–I was just offering.”

Avery turned to Sara with a smirk, “Well, I guess I can’t stand in the way of true love. We’ll have to call the whole trip off.”

“And just when I was looking forward to seeing her more,” Hellen pined, wrapping her arms around Avery from behind.

“Hey, stop bullying me!” Ashley pouted, “You can’t take away my adventure. Let’s go eat, I’m starving!”

The group agreed on the Golden Field’s Forge and started the walk across town. As they did, Lisa asked a question that had been on her mind.

“So Avery, you said you’re rank B? Isn’t the highest in our age group ranked at C?”

Avery gave Lisa a knowing look, “You humans aren’t the only ones that know how to hide their potential. In addition, the orphanage doesn’t have the funding to test each of their wards. They rely on families seeking to foster relationships with individuals to fund the evaluation.”

Lisa sighed, “And here I thought I was the only B rank. Guess I’m not as far ahead as I thought.”

“What are you complaining about?” Sara asked, “I’m only at rank C, most commoners have to start at rank D or even F. We have more than enough of a head start.”

Head tilted, Ashley asked, “How do they know which rank you are?”

“They have different tests depending on your abilities,” Sara explained, “Someone ranked D might be a fairly strong boxer, but someone ranked C could sweep him away with little effort.”

“Most practices have their own internal ranking,” Lisa added, “Cultivators have different stages depending on their manual. Mages have different ranks based on the spells they have mastered. As far as I know, only Convail uses the lettered ranks. It’s necessary because the population is so diverse but they are just vague indicators of ability rather than specific guidelines.”

“What about mage cultivators?” Ashley asked.

“That’s the point exactly,” Sara nodded, “Once different systems are intermixed or compared against one another, it’s hard to comprehend in any meaningful way.”

“We must be close,” Hellen interjected, voice full of anticipation, “It smells wonderful.”

The group exited a narrow alley that led to a small clearing surrounded by storefronts. Two groups of musicians were on opposite sides of the courtyard, playing and competing for the attention of the strolling crowd. In the center, children played, cheered, and danced to the music. The smell of freshly ground grains mixed with the smell of baked goods to fight against the fragrant scent of roasting meats. The Golden Field’s Forge was a three story building with seating on each level. There were rows of potted gardens lining the building with different planted grains to add to the esthetic.

As they entered the building, a manager came to greet the party.

“Young miss,” he bowed to Lisa, “we are honored that you would bring such a large party to our humble restaurant. If there is anything you need, please feel free to call for me personally.”

Lisa rolled her eyes. “Com’on George, none of that. Just have the chefs make us a few sample platters without grumbling about how it stalls their workflow.”

“Bah,” he waved his arms, “You say that like your father won’t hear of me being rude to your guests and the chefs won’t just complain to me instead of you.”

Lisa just shrugged and tossed him a coin before leading the group to a small room on the top floor. It was just large enough to walk around the table to the small balcony on the far end of the room.

“Do you want to eat inside or on the balcony?” Lisa asked.

“Balcony!” Ashley called out before the others could discuss the matter.

“What foods are best here?” Ashley asked as everyone settled around the table.

“It’s most famous for its breads and noodles,” Lisa said.

Ashley tilted her head, “I’ve never heard of either of those.”

“That’s because grains and other foods that require extensive fields have to be imported,” Sara explained, “It causes them to be too expensive for the orphanage and the lower class to afford.”

“Convail is well known for having a large variety of spices, herbs, and fruits grown in every spare corner of the city. Adding in the variety of wild game and beast meat from the Twisted Thicket; it tempts many famous chefs hoping to expand and experiment with their craft.”

Ashley sighed, “They only give us meat from the gross-looking monsters nobody else wants.”

“That’s why it’s affordable.” Sara offered

The conversation died down as a pair of waiters brought in the food.

The first server had trays of various breads. They placed each type of bread in a row ranging from the most simple sliced bread to the most well-seasoned and toasted slices. Between the rows were various containers of sauces and jellies to cover or dip the breads into.

Following the breads came the pastas. They made each type with different grains, seasonings, and herbs and were cooked to varying firmness. Accompanying the pasta were different sauces ranging from thin to thick and creamy to chunky, with varying levels of sweet, savory, and spicy.

Ashley watched the food be brought with widened eyes. She had never expected there to be such a wide variety of ways to make one type of food. Her enhanced sense of smell caused enhanced anticipation. But before digging in, she morphed from hybrid into human form. Each of her forms had a distinct sense of taste, and she suspected that her human form would best appreciate the flavor of the meal in front of her.

As the group started eating, Ashley and Hellen swapped favorites as they tried new foods. Avery, Sara, and Lisa had more privileged backgrounds and were more accustomed to the variety available. They soon joined in the fun by offering their own suggestions on what tasted better until everyone had their fill and only a few dishes that lacked any recommendations remained untouched.

Ashley shared a look with Hellen before sliding one of the untouched dishes between Sara and Lisa with an innocent smile.

As Sara and Lisa each made a face of disgust, Ashley, Hellen, and Avery shared a laugh at their expense. Sara glared while Lisa just pushed the plate away.

“So, is there anything specific you’re hoping to find on the trip?” Lisa asked after turning to Ashley.

“Not really, I just want to explore. Finding a natural treasure would be really exciting, though. A flame one would help me the most. Is there anything you’re hoping to find?”

Lisa nodded, “I’m looking for a gale seed. My cultivation is at a bottleneck because my roc half needs a wind treasure to advance.”

“Water would obviously be best for me,” Sara added, “Avery and Hellen would likely both benefit from a nature treasure.”

“We’d be lucky to find even one in the outskirts,” Lisa shrugged.

“Don’t worry,” Avery said, “I’m sure we will have many more ventures together after the coming of age ceremony.”