Chapter 1291 (1/2)

Mrs. Hamilton took a deep breath before she pushed open the doors. Her hands rested lightly on the carved wood. A single ripple spread across her mind that left her inner self completely placid. Her newly acquired Level 70 Skill, Poise of the Dappled Lurker, meant that all of the worries she felt from Donny’s sudden message became only background noise.

She was untouchable. Her mind clicked methodically onward.

Opening the doors, Mrs. Hamilton walked through into Donny’s office with a confident expression. The young man was pacing back and forth in front of his purely decorate bookshelf, fiddling with the metallic invitation that Donnyton as a whole had received that allowed them to bring fifty people to Randidly’s birthday celebration.

“What happened?” Mrs. Hamilton asked as she glided forward to stand at his side. But while she was looking at Donny’s emotional state, she also peeked curiously down at the invitation card. As she had been on a small vacation for the past two weeks, she had heard about the invitation but not seen it in person.

It was only this morning that she arrived back in Donnyton.

As advertised, the metal was a shimmery wonder of construction that possibly could have been used by Xiang Le to subdue an assassin. Of course, Mrs. Hamilton also wondered if the rumors were true and it had been strong enough to withstand a full-strength blow from Donny. A quick mental prod from her image reassured Mrs. Hamilton that the peace of metal really was solid enough to endure even an empowered attack. Idly, Mrs. Hamilton wondered how Randidly kept making better metals.

When Donny just shrugged helplessly, Mrs. Hamilton frowned. “Is it the guest list? Is Lyra causing trouble?”

“No, everything’s settled. Transportation and the interim government are set up. Everyone’s been briefed on the emergency scenarios you outlined,” Donny shook his head. “It’s just…”

Mrs. Hamilton simply raised an eyebrow.

Donny sighed. “It’s a birthday right? So… what sort of present is Donnyton going to give Randidly Ghosthound?”

For a second, she cocked her head to the side and gave Donny a look asking if he was being serious. When it became clear that he was, Mrs. Hamilton rolled her eyes. “Donny, is that really why you called me here so desperately? We can just give him…”

But then Mrs. Hamilton started to think about it. What sort of gift should they give Randidly? Although the official connection between Randidly Ghosthound and Donnyton had been very publicly severed in the most recent challenge to demonstrate the power of images, the debt that Donnyton owed to Randidly was extremely deep. Most of the residents who have been in Donnyton the longest gossip about Randidly Ghosthound like proud grandparents. He was part of the culture of the Village.

And since it was the first birthday that Mrs. Hamilton remembered Randidly celebrating, they obviously should try to give him a good gift. Something that showed their appreciation of the bond between Randidly and this Village.

In addition to the emotional weight, there were political ramifications to consider. Mrs. Hamilton had no doubt that other Zones would use this opportunity to try and earn favor with Randidly by providing lavish or unusual gifts. And although Randidly probably wouldn’t even notice the efforts, there would be an invisible competition for who could bring the best gift.

Donnyton should have an advantage, from all the time they had spent with Randidly, but…

...what sort of thing would Randidly want as a gift…? By the end of her train of thought, Mrs. Hamilton was frowning deeply.

An especially challenging question, considering the fact that the party was to be held in four days.

*****

“Mister Ghosthound,” Wolfram began as he adjusted the glasses on his three heads from left to right. Their necks bobbed slightly during the motion. “It is extremely difficult to put the finishing touches on the venue when you have insisted that the central ballroom’s floor is entirely done by yourself. With only four days left until the event, to finish preparing the many ornate details on the decorations-”

“I believe I’ve already made my opinions about your insistence on the… quality of the decorations clear,” Randidly said with a wry curl of his lip. This was a case where he humored the requests of Tatiana but was ultimately ambivalent about the details.

Wolfram’s central head gave Randidly a reproving stare. “How can your majesty be sufficiently conveyed without at least a few frescos on the walls? And obviously the pillars need to be hand-carved. Besides, how can you expect the venue to function as a commercially viable business if the main ballroom is without any redeeming feature?”

Inwardly, Randidly rolled his eyes. No wonder Tatiana has been so antsy about what sort of floor I’m making for the ballroom; you’ve been wondering if Kharon can still use it as a concert hall after I’m through with it.

But I can guarantee you that people will visit the venue just to see the effects of the floor that I create…