One by one, when they reached the top, they knelt down on one knee and kissed the guild leader's hand. The gesture looked awfully familiar and, upon closer inspection, I saw that they were kissing a large ring on his hand.
They're actually kissing his ring. That is so fucking cool.
And all of these people were high-level individuals. Just how powerful is this guy really?
As soon as the last person started up the stairs, Leo stepped behind him, taking his position at the end of the line. I wasn't sure if we were supposed to follow or not, but thankfully Leo made it clear by signaling for me to stay where I was with his hand behind his back. We waited until Leo's turn came and he kissed the ring too, his father giving him a casual nod.
It was very strange to me that Leo was the only one of the guild leader's immediate family that had to kiss the ring. Leo's mother and siblings didn't stand in line, much less at the very end of it, but I couldn't tell what this meant.
Probably just another thing I'll need to ask Rory to explain to me.
Once Leo rejoined us, the DiFiore leader stood up and looked down at us. His expression was stern, but I didn't feel threatened by him. It was more of a feeling of awe, similar to how I'd felt when I first saw the sphinx.
"You all know why we've gathered here today, so I won't keep you long." The man spoke in a low voice, yet his words boomed in the grand audience chamber. "Leonardo, my son, has been part of a rather unfortunate series of events that ended in his being abducted by a trader of infernal origins."
The gathered crowd made sounds of disapproval but as soon as their leader parted his lips again, they all stopped talking immediately.
"The culprit behind this attack has been dealt with by our guests, who I want to formally thank," the man continued, and then nodded at one of his guards. "For this reason, I would like to present you each with a gift. Please accept these as tokens of DiFiore gratitude."
A couple of boxes, a large one and a smaller one, were placed in front of me and another even larger one in front of Rory. At once, I glanced at the dwarf who I knew had a lot more experience in social settings like this one. He didn't say anything, but simply bowed to show that he accepted the gifts, and so did I.
"Louie, come here this instant." I sent a mental command to him and got back was a muffled acceptance.
No more than two seconds later, Louie appeared between my feet, dragging a string of sausages from his mouth.
"Really?" I asked him silently.
"Thank you, sire," he said loudly and barked with excitement, letting the sausages fall to the ground.
The man smiled at him and continued talking. "The artifact in your possession, Alexander, should remain so while we research its origins and how the two demons are connected to it. However, I want you to know that should you ever need assistance or protection, the DiFiore clan will stand behind you."
"I..." I stammered. "I am honored."
"You saved my son," he said, glancing coldly at Leo. "It is the least we can do." He turned his attention to Rory. "And you, Rory Battleforge."
"Gianni DiFiore," Rory said in response.
"When you raise the Battleforge name back to its much-deserved glory, we would be honored if you would consider an alliance with our clan."
"It would be my honor to consider it," Rory replied and bowed again.
"Let this be known," the man said and stood up from his throne. "The DiFiores take care of their own. DiFiore Invicta!"
"DiFiore Invicta," the crowd shouted back.
"DiFiore Invicta," the man shouted even louder, and the people echoed his words and sentiment.
"DiFiore," he shouted one last time, and waited for a second before booming louder than ever before, "INVICTA!"
Everyone in the large chamber went wild, screaming "Invicta" as a large drum began thrumming, accompanied by the mesmerizing sound of a flute. And just like that, the atmosphere had changed from one of military obedience to barbaric excitement. A small icon also appeared on the edge of my vision.
Name: DiFiore Chant
Type: Buff
Level: 1
Effect: Boosts Physical Attack, Physical Defense, and Alcohol Tolerance by 15%
Time Left: 19 minutes 59 seconds
Description: The words of the DiFiore leader reverberate in the chests of everyone who hears the call. The awe of thousands of years of history fills their hearts and push them to do more, to be more. All for the eternal glory of the DiFiore bloodline stand by those who heard the chant.
The sudden rush of energy caused by the DiFiore clan buff came as swiftly as the realization of the last effect it provided. This was as much a battle buff as it was a call to party. The now frenzied music of the drum and flute was joined by the sound of a fiddle. The crowd had burst into dancing and before I turned my head to look up at the throne again, Leo's father had already descended the steps and was standing in front of me, a wine-filled golden chalice in his hand.
"You boys are going to kill a dragon?" the man asked, looking at me first and then at Leo.
I looked to my right for support, only to see Rory and Louie's backs already halfway to the bar. Leo was looking at me, as if waiting for me to reply, any sign of confidence having completely drained from his face.
"Yes, sir," I replied, suddenly feeling like I was a teenager caught drinking again. "We'll prepare ourselves properly and we have a plan
