MTLNOVEL Chapter 18: Drinks and Sorcery
The table buzzed with laughter and lively chatter once more.
Boisterous as ever, Effie dominated the conversation, her questionable sense of humor filling the air. Kai, Cassie, and Noctis joined in, weaving between teasing remarks and fond recollections.
Their time in the Nightmare had been harsh—fraught with pain and struggle—yet here, in the warm glow of celebration, they could reminisce about the rare joys that had made it all worthwhile.
Suddenly, Effie reached into her coat and pulled out a striking red envelope, adorned with intricate patterns that shimmered under the light. With a grin, she pressed it onto the table in front of Noctis. "Noctis, bro, take this."
Noctis lifted the envelope with curiosity, running his fingers over its smooth surface. His eyes widened slightly as he felt something more—something ancient and potent—woven into the very essence of the paper.
"What is this strange piece of paper?" he mused, tilting it in the light. "I can sense the lingering essence of Supreme souls in its creation."
Kai chuckled. "This is a Red Invitation—an extension of one of Effie's Memories. Since the Memory came from slaying a Great Nightmare creature, you're probably feeling the remnants of its soul essence."
Noctis inspected the invitation once more, then smiled. "And what might this be an invitation for?" His golden eyes gleamed with curiosity.
Effie giggled. "It's a permanent invitation to my Farmland." She clapped him on the shoulder—perhaps a bit too forcefully. "When you open it, you'll be transported directly into my Memory's spatial dimension. It serves as a gateway that connects this world to the Farmland, and it's the only way you can visit. Don't forget, we're holding another celebration there with our close friends in three days. You're supposed to come." She gestured at the gnawed bone in her hand with mock menace. "I will drag you out of wherever you are and choke you on this if you don't."
Noctis chuckled, shaking his head. "That's quite the unique way to threaten an immortal." He tucked the envelope away and offered a smirk. "I'll be there for sure. I must admit, I'm intrigued by this 'Farmland' of yours, as well as the mechanics of this spatial Memory." His eyes gleamed with genuine interest. "Tell me, can you produce these Red Invitations endlessly, or do you need to hunt more of these 'Great Nightmare Creatures' regularly?"
"I'm glad you asked!" Effie's grin widened. "These Red Invitations require Supreme Soul Shards, so yes, I have to hunt those abominations to make more. And let me tell you, they're a royal pain!" She sighed, shaking her head. "That's why I only hand out the red ones to our closest friends—and to my main trader who helps transport our produce."
She then pulled out another envelope, this one a deep shade of blue. "Normally, I hand these out instead. Blue Invitations only cost an Ascended Soul Shard, so they're a lot easier to mass-produce. We use them for emergency evacuations and public tours."
Noctis took the blue envelope with mild intrigue. "And what's the difference between these?" he asked, placing it down beside the red one.
It was Cassie who replied. "The blue ones aren't strong enough to sustain the connection between worlds for long. They usually disintegrate after a single use."
She glanced at the food on the table and sighed. "Due to certain... incidents in the past, we had no choice but to cut off Farmland completely from the outside world. It's a highly sensitive area—most of our food production happens there, so we had to take drastic measures to protect it. Now, it's shrouded in a protective veil, making it impossible to detect. Not even Saints can enter it directly through the Dream Realm."
Noctis nodded in understanding, intrigue glimmering in his eyes. "That only makes me more curious. It must have taken extraordinary craftsmanship, architecture, and sorcery to make such a thing possible." He smiled, a spark of excitement in his expression. "I can't wait to see it up close."
In the midst of their conversation, the waitress Effie had sent for drinks returned, balancing a tray filled with elegantly arranged selections. The shimmering liquids reflected the golden light of the hall as she approached—
And then, Cassie shivered.
Her expression barely changed, but something in her demeanor sharpened.
She turned to Effie and—without hesitation—hit her.
"Ouch!" Effie yelped, rubbing her arm. "What was that for? I was literally just sitting here, minding my own business!"
Cassie shrugged. "You don't listen otherwise."
Effie scowled but didn't argue.
Cassie leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. "Listen carefully. No matter what happens, don't move. Don't react. And whatever you do—don't get up. Can I trust you to do that for one minute?"
Her words drew the attention of the entire table.
Effie blinked. "What? Of course. You don't think I can stay still for a single minu—oh. Oh!"
And then—she stood up.
"What in the world?!" Effie exclaimed, jerking to get a better look across the hall. "Where did doofus find such a flower? Oh, the princess looks perfect—"
CRACK.
A sharp sound reverberated, like the shattering of glass.
Effie flinched, feeling an angry gaze fixate on her. Slowly, she turned her head. The waitress stood right next to her, her face locked in shock.
Her hands—once steady—were now empty.
And Cassie...
Cassie sat drenched from head to toe in a vibrant mix of colored wines. A rainbow of liquid dripped from her dress, her hair, her face. Her sightless eyes couldn't glare, but Effie felt the weight of her murderous intent regardless.
A chill crept down her spine.
A thick, suffocating silence hung over. Then—suddenly—laughter erupted across the table.
Kai and Noctis doubled over, shaking with mirth. Effie immediately shot them a glare, silently screaming at them to shut up. She turned back to Cassie, who was smiling.
A beautiful, serene, smile.
Effie gulped.
"Say your last prayers," Kai whispered between giggles. Effie ignored him, too busy fighting for her life.
"Uhh..." she started, forcing a sheepish grin. "Forgive me?"
Cassie tilted her head. "Forgive you? For what, exactly?"
Effie blinked. "For, uhh... not listening to you? And ruining your dress?"
Cassie exhaled through her nose, reaching up to wipe wine from her face.
"Oh no, that was on me," she said, voice sweet as poison. "It's my fault for trusting you to follow a single, simple instruction for just one minute."
She shook her head, sighing. "Honestly, I should've just thrown you off the chair instead."
Effie's jaw dropped. "Hey! That's unfair!" she protested. "I can't believe you'd do that to me!"
Cassie raised an eyebrow. Effie sighed dramatically, rubbing her forehead.
"Wait—no. I can. You've done worse. Many times. Damn it!"
"I must say, you two are good," Noctis said, laughing like a carefree child. "I have had nothing but fun since stepping in here."
"That's right," Kai added, grinning. "But Cassie, tell me one thing—if you foresaw that Effie was going to spill the drinks on you, why didn't you just move?"
Cassie sighed, clicking her tongue. "I didn't see it."
A hint of irritation crept into her voice.
"Ever since the 'cracks' appeared, my foresight and reflexes have been a mess. The only thing I saw was a glimpse of Effie standing up and a vague premonition that something bad would happen. I didn't even know it would happen to me!"
She looked down at her soaked, ruined dress, her expression filled with regret.
"Now my precious dress is all ruined."
Effie shivered under Cassie's bloodthirsty glare. But before Cassie could lash out again, the waitress cleared her throat.
"If I may," she said with a polite bow, drawing everyone's attention. A serene smile graced her lips. "I can remedy this situation with my Aspect."
Effie's eyes lit up as if she had just been saved from execution.
"You can?" She clutched the waitress's hands dramatically. "Do it! Immediately! Save me from this devil!"
With a small nod, the waitress whispered something into the air.
The atmosphere shifted. A subtle pressure spread across the table—not heavy or oppressive, just... noticeable.
Then, as if an old tape rewound itself, the spilled liquid rose from Cassie's dress and hair, droplets swirling back into place. The shattered glass on the floor reformed, lifting into the air.
In an instant, the tray of elegantly arranged drinks was whole again, resting neatly in the waitress's hands.
It was as if nothing had ever happened.
She set the tray on the table, giving them a graceful bow. "Please enjoy your drinks."
Then, as smoothly as she had intervened, she turned and walked away, heading toward another table—leaving the group stunned into silence.
Kai was the first to speak. "That's an interesting Aspect," he mused, watching the waitress go. "I wonder if she's manipulating the drinks themselves or—"
"She reversed time," Noctis interrupted, his voice tinged with curiosity. "At least, selectively. And she didn't seem to use her Aspect at all..."
His gaze followed the small waitress, his expression thoughtful. He murmured to himself, "She used Sorcery of Names."
Noctis was sure that there must be limitations, but someone being knowledgeble in the sorcery of names to such an extent, in this age when the gods were no more, was an incredible feat.
How... interesting.
'Is she from the ancient times, just like me?'
Perhaps, he would get the answer to his question soon. The flicker of shock and understanding in his companions' eyes made him feel like they knew the person in quesiton, or at least recognized her when he pointed it out.
"Do you know who that is?" he asked, and a short silence followed.
Finally, Cassie replied. "Yes, but we didn't know she would be here, disguised." She shook her head and picked up a glass from the selection the waitress had left behind. "She was supposed to remain hidden in the shadows. Looks like not being able to attend the ceremony was too much for her."
Noctis's eyes widened and his brows furred in surprise as Cassie continued to reveal to him the identity of the mysterious waitress.
"Haha, that mad bastard," he finally said, glancing at the couple sitting across the hall. "And here I thought I was the mad one."