On the way back after finishing his meeting with Martinez. Osian briefly pondered over what Martinez had said.
'He said it was someone who heals others.'
A paladin is usually a class that wraps sacred laws around their own body to strengthen themselves. Their divine power also affects other allies, but the efficiency is lower compared to when they strengthen themselves.
'Priests are different. Usually, priest classes excel at healing and strengthening others.'
Of course, priests playing solo in games don't have allies, so the strengthening itself doesn't stand out noticeably. Instead, priests could engage in ranged combat like mages.
'They have heals, damage reduction and shields too. And ranged attacks as well. Compared to mages, their combat versatility and firepower are lower, but their stability is much higher.'
The playstyle was quite tedious, so it wasn't a profession favored by users. However, if properly developed, it showed tremendous effects when forming parties with other users.
'Maybe I was trapped in the image of being a priest of the Petra Order.'
The most important aspect of a priest is the power to heal and strengthen others. That strengthening or healing doesn't necessarily have to be as a priest of the Petra Order.
'Should I focus on looking into that side?'
Time passed quickly even while he was contemplating. Meanwhile, Tirna remained precarious. Just when the protests seemed to be subsiding, they would sometimes intensify severely. It was like waves surging and receding.
It was a situation where no one knew when the time bomb would explode. Mixed into that were secret battles between those trying to light the fuse and those trying to extinguish it.
He couldn't ignore it even after seeing it. The moment the powder keg exploded, the flames would engulf not only himself but also his precious companions.
-Bzzzzt.
Just then, the pager rang. It was something Ronan had given him separately. Ronan doesn't activate the pager for just any matter. It meant there was something important.
Osian immediately headed to Violet Fox.
The area around Violet Fox was still bustling with people. Most were fixers who wanted to join the Starlight Knights.
When they saw Osian, they showed excited reactions and cleared the way.
"Oh my god, it's really him."
"It's really Osian. This is my first time seeing him."
So that's why they were standing there - they wanted to see his face at least once. And they were showing reactions like middle school girls seeing an idol for the first time. Osian deliberately ignored their reactions and went inside.
"You came quickly."
"The pager rang, so I figured it wasn't an ordinary matter."
"It really isn't. I never expected something like this to come to me."
What Ronan showed him was a letter wrapped in luxurious sealing paper.
"This is..."
"An invitation."
Osian immediately realized where it had come from. It was sent by Amenora.
'Is it ready already?'
He was surprised it was faster than expected. Amenora must have moved with all her heart.
"Are you going to make connections?"
"Yes. I can't be swayed by other organizations' schemes forever."
Ronan nodded.
"You thought well. Building your own power is essential in Tirna. I'm sure you'll do well, Osian."
"Are you okay? If I, a fixer, build up power like this, wouldn't it become bothersome from a broker’s perspective?"
"Hehe. Supporting you in every way is the broker’s role."
Ronan was indeed a great professional. If not for his peculiar suspicious appearance, he surely could have climbed to higher positions.
"More than that, it's surprising. I never thought Osian would receive this."
"Do you know where this invitation came from?"
"Anyone in the industry with even a little interest would know. Do you see this seal?"
Usually, invitations or letters use melted wax for seals. They press a seal into the melted wax to engrave a mark.
But the invitation Osian received was different. The seal wasn't wax but had metal embedded in it. It was a mechanical gear shining with a subtle golden color. It wasn't plating but real gold.
'They use this much gold for just an invitation?'
There was no waste like this. In other words, it meant the status of the people gathering was extraordinary. They could use something like this as a 'consumable.'
'I thought they'd arrange a reasonably good position, but this is beyond imagination.'
Ronan's explanation wasn't over.
"This is a special seal that only the recipient can open directly. Using this is only possible at parties of the city's highest echelon. It's not a place you can easily go to just because you have money or high reputation."
"So I've been invited to such a place."
"The justification is sufficient too. You're the city's hero. They probably thought there was nothing bad about inviting you."
Those who can attend are top-level civil servants, heads of major corporations, military generals, and so on. Even Basilio had never received an invitation to this place. Of course, one reason might be that Basilio wears a mask to hide his identity.
"Let's open it once."
Osian received the invitation Ronan handed him. When he pressed the mechanical gear of the sealing paper with his finger, the inside caved in.
-Click. Clickclick. Whirr.
The golden gear turned. Though it looked like a small gear on the outside, various sounds came from inside. It meant it was a very small and precise mechanical device.
Soon, with a click sound, the seal split up and down, opening the invitation. Osian took out the neatly folded paper inside and unfolded it.
It was written with all sorts of learned and beautiful sentences, but Osian, like a knight, cleanly read only the main point.
"They're inviting me to this party."
The problem was the location.
"The location is District 1."
The official first area of Tirna, built after Zero Ground.
"It's in the sky."
That place is now floating far above in Tirna's distant sky.
"I heard the story! You're going up there?!"
Who knows when she heard the news, but Lorraine came rushing to find Osian. She was biting her lips as if she was dying of envy.
"You heard from Ronan, I suppose."
"W-was it really true? Why, why only you. I want to go there too. I wanted to go there too."
"Were you interested in District 1 too?"
"It's super famous! Even the city's top influencers all want to go there! Going to that place is a glorious thing! Especially Lady Rose performing there is extremely famous!"
"What's Lady Rose again?"
When Osian asked out of genuine curiosity, Lorraine stepped back as if shocked.
"You, you. Are you serious? You don't know Lady Rose? Tirna's greatest diva, Rose Melody?"
"Do I need to know people who sing?"
When Osian replied indifferently, Lorraine staggered as if dizzy.
"Oh, this can't be. To think someone who knows nothing about cultural life gets the chance to see Lady Rose's performance. Heaven is truly indifferent."
Then Edgar, who was listening nearby, said:
"Just ask him to get an autograph when he goes."
"Lord Osian!"
Lorraine immediately knelt in front of Osian. It was lightning-fast speed.
"Please! If you go, just one autograph!"
"...Didn't you say I was someone who knows nothing about cultural life?"
"Who did? Is there someone who said that? I won't forgive that!"
‘This is crazy.’
Osian said he understood and pushed Lorraine away. If he didn't, she would definitely cling to him until he agreed.
"But is that Lady Rose really that famous? I haven't heard her name since I came to this city."
"Of course she's famous! She's worthy of being called Tirna's greatest, no, the world's greatest diva! It's natural you don't know her. She recently entered a period of rest. That's one reason, but another reason is that her main stage of activity is District 1."
"So her popularity temporarily cooled because there was no opportunity for external exposure."
"But if she announces she'll hold performances again, tickets will sell like hotcakes, right? Everyone is waiting for the diva to return someday. Once you hear her voice, you can't help but feel that way."
Since Lorraine spoke to that extent, it made him less inclined to believe it. Then Basilio, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, spoke up.
"Lady Rose, is it? That's a nostalgic name."
"Did you know each other?"
"We just saw each other's faces. Long ago, I was hired to escort her."
"Unexpected. I didn't think you'd take such requests."
"They paid an enormous amount of money. More than that, I was curious too."
Having called a top-class fixer as escort - that was something he had to acknowledge.
"As Lorraine said. She really seemed to shine. Bright, cheerful, and kind. Most impressive of all was her voice. Should I say it heals the hearts of those who listen?"
If Basilio said that much, it must be true. And District 1 was a place where only people of that caliber could be invited. Besides Lady Rose, there would be all sorts of people. The pinnacles of various fields. What kind of people would they be?
"I'm looking forward to it."
Osian stared intently at the invitation in his hand.
Osian arrived at the dock. The dock's security was strict. They sharpened their vigilance as if they would use force at the slightest sign of suspicious people.
"What's your business? Entry here is restricted to authorized personnel only."
Osian showed his invitation.
"This is..."
The guard who recognized the invitation showed Osian the utmost courtesy and cleared the way. The wariness from before was nowhere to be seen.
'That shows how valuable this invitation is.'
Of course, that wasn't everything. Currently, Osian was dressed appropriately for the party venue. His usual bulletproof coat remained the same, but he had dressed the inner clothes as fittingly as possible.
'I had to do unwanted shopping for that.'
He revisited Brass & Tweed tailor shop after a long time. Of course, it wasn't that Osian went on his own feet.
It was closer to being forcibly dragged there by Ena and Lorraine, who said he needed clothes.
'Meanwhile, Lupona followed along too, and Seren came saying it looked interesting.'
So he was dragged there by the women. The shop owner Kintena welcomed Osian warmly.
-You're going to District 1? Hoho. You came to the right place. I'll prepare the finest design clothes for you, Lord Osian.
The outfit prepared that way far exceeded Osian's expectations. He already looked like a noble aristocrat, but when Kintena's custom-made party clothes were added, it was like adding wings.
When Osian came out wearing the clothes, the women gaped and lost their minds for over a minute. Even Kintena, the creator, couldn't stop smiling as if she didn't know it would create such synergy.
'And even makeup that was never in my fate.'
It was a prejudice that only women do makeup. At important occasions like this, men also tend to do minimal makeup.
Still, Osian didn't need much work. Rather, since the original was too good, everyone hesitated, worried that careless touching might diminish that beauty.
-Leave that to me!
The one who stepped forward then was Ena. She confidently said she would handle Osian's makeup. Actually, when Osian infiltrated the Grand Cloister, it was Ena who helped with his disguise.
Makeup and disguise share the same roots. Naturally, Ena was also skilled in makeup. Now it was tiresome to even question why she was good at this too.
-There's no need for major work. Rather, we just need to maintain this original state while adding slight variations here and there. Wow, but how is your skin this good? It's whiter than women who take care of themselves. Look, not a single blemish. Tell me. You secretly apply something, don't you?
-...
After undergoing subtle makeup and slight changes in hairstyling, Osian became a beautiful nobleman that anyone would think was aristocratic.
Presenting the invitation in such a state naturally made the guards' attitude respectful.
'They don't particularly restrict weapons.'
Usually when boarding airships, dangerous firearms are confiscated separately. But the airship heading to District 1 didn't do that.
'People invited to District 1 usually don't handle dangerous weapons.'
Moreover, the bodyguards escorting them would be human weapons themselves. From the perspective of carrying such people, whether there are guns or not doesn't make much difference, let alone swords without any modifications. To them, it would probably be treated as decorative items.
'And, in preparation for contingencies, whatever happens can be suppressed by the resident personnel, so that's probably why.'
Within a strict system that selects people, even inside the airship, heavily armed guards were watching with sharp eyes.
Unless insane, no one would approach this place.