The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

Oscar and Celestina read on for some time together. There were more detailed volumes on Elite Exalt beasts and above, as well as tomes about the Prinstyct, which Oscar read with great enthusiasm. Celestina read across from him while humming as her eyes darted across the pages.

"Fred and Emily should be waiting for me at the Sunset Restaurant." Oscar noticed the time and knew it was when he agreed to meet with his friends after the exam. "Do you want to come?"

"Of course. You didn't tell me about what happened in the exam yet." Celestina took out a vial of her disguising elixir and changed her appearance to a new one with blond hair and blue eyes. "Don't worry; I won't make things harder for you and the others yet. Maybe after you've settled in the Inner Hall for a bit."

Oscar looked embarrassed. "Sorry for inconveniencing you like this."

"It's fine. We're friends, after all." Celestina didn't enjoy seeing Oscar somewhat out of character and flicked his forehead. "But eventually, I'll grow tired of wearing a disguise."

The two exited the Neptune Archives and walked toward the Sunset Restaurant, where they met Frederick and Emily outside.

"Os!" Frederick waved. He walked with Emily's hand in his. "You passed, didn't you? Otherwise, why would you seem so relaxed?"

"Congratulations, Oscar!" Emily draped her hair back as it had grown longer. "But we'll catch up soon enough as soon as Fred gains some more experience. Ah, but hello, Celestina."

Emily whispered the last part to avoid attention from sharp-eared folks walking around. Celestina winked and smiled with her finger raised over her lips in a shush.

"H-hello." Frederick still felt awkward in front of the princess, so he stammered on his words.

"Hello, Frederick and Emily. It's nice to see the two of you again." Celestina talked normally and gestured to the restaurant. "Shall we?"

The four got settled in and ordered some plates to share. All the attention was on Oscar, who happily shared what happened during the Inner Hall exam. But the atmosphere got strange when Oscar reached the part about Serena.

"Hoh, Oscar's got an admirer. I thought it would take a while with your face, but you've finally charmed a lady. Congratulations." Frederick sounded like a boss complimenting his employee and shook Oscar's hand. Oscar gripped his hand with force, inducing pain and forcing Frederick to curse.

Emily sighed at the boys' antics and said, "I like how she's assertive in getting what she wants. You're in for an unruly future, Oscar." She laughed.

Celestina seemed undisturbed, but her words were scolding. "In the end, she's lacking in manners. There are proper ways to pursue someone. She doesn't sound bad but is unhinged in some areas. Oscar, you should be careful." Her emerald eyes were a bit dark, which made Oscar feel fear as he nodded.

'Is she jealous or just worried as a friend?' Oscar was stuck in his thoughts as he mindlessly ate the food.

"Putting the matter of Os's love affair aside, tell the rest of the story." Frederick downed a cup of water.

"First, did you bring it, Fred?" Oscar asked.

""Bring what?"" Celestina and Emily seemed confused.

Frederick smiled and took out a bottle. "Here's the mead from your uncle. Do we drink this now?"

"Mead?" Celestina looked interested while Emily felt her stomach churn, remembering how their last drinking session went at her home.

Oscar took the mead from Frederick and poured it into four separate cups. The amber liquid swirled around and released a pleasant clean aroma with a hint of honey that tickled their noses and enticed their parched throats.

"Cheers." Oscar lifted his goblet.

""Cheers!"" Everyone else lifted and clinked their glasses before downing the entire thing. They talked at length while drinking more mead.

The mead was quite strong, and everyone felt some effects. Celestina was the least affected because her Elite Exalt realm increased her tolerance. She looked around, saw Frederick and Emily laughing while joking with each other, and saw Oscar slumped, nearly falling asleep.

The mead had knocked him over the edge and brought forth his tiredness from the exam's ending. His eyes were hazy, and his head was bobbing forward.

Celestina smiled at this scene and swiped more of Oscar's mead to drink for herself. The taste was pretty good. She draped a blanket over Oscar so that he could rest after his long ordeal. "Sleep well."

After a few hours of sobering up, Frederick swung Oscar's arm over his shoulder to help him stand and walked out of the restaurant. They said farewell to Celestina, who had flushed cheeks from drinking the rest of the mead. Emily stared at Oscar's drunken state and said, "I wonder what it will take for him to confess."

Frederick shrugged. "I don't know. I think he's confused about his feelings, so he's looking for clues from C-Celestina to affirm them. I don't know what she's thinking, but her actions and words are ambiguous."

"So complicated." Emily yawned as the mead made her sleepy. "Let me swing by your other side." She clung onto Frederick's free arm and rested her head on him.

"Am I your babysitter?" Frederick looked at Emily and Oscar on his sides with a small smile. "If only they could be as straightforward as us. You just ran up, kissed me, and confessed, all while we were in danger of dying."

"Bah. You kissed me back right away." Emily said. Her next words returned to the topic. "I can't tell if Celestina also loves Oscar in that way or if she's just a good friend. Either way, he should confess and let it be done."

"You know he's not the type to do that. He's not going to do it unless he knows she sees him as something more than a friend. Otherwise, he doesn't want to ruin what they already have. She is the princess, so it gets more complicated from there." Frederick sighed. They no longer spoke about this topic and returned to the Commune.

Frederick carried Oscar up the flight of stairs to their room and plopped him on the bed. He fell on his bed and slept away with the mead making him lightheaded. As he drifted to sleep, he mumbled, "Too complicated."

The next morning, Oscar woke up with a splitting headache. But he quickly cleared it away with a good session of meditation. Frederick was still sleeping, so he packed up his things quietly and left a note saying he would see Frederick in the Inner Hall.

"Hello, young lad." Elder Saul was up this early morning and greeted Oscar, eyeing the large bags. "You look like you're leaving."

"Hello, Elder Saul." Oscar bowed. "I have been promoted to the Inner Hall, so I guess this is goodbye."

"I see. Wait for a moment here." Elder Saul went inside his cabin.

Oscar grew confused but waited for the old man to return.

Elder Saul returned from his cabin, holding a vial of a viscous green liquid. "This is a vial of Grade Four Elixir Supreme Healing. You can't go into the Inner Hall with no ear. This elixir can regrow flesh, not to the extent of entire legs or organs, but a foot or ear is fine. Though if your wounds were cursed, then it won't work."

He tossed the elixir to Oscar. "Drink it."

Oscar felt the incredible vitality from the vial. It was like holding a heart in his hand. He drank the elixir and dropped the vial as his hands clutched his wounded ear and stomach.

His face was painted with sweat until the process finally finished. His eyes watered as he felt the ear that had been missing for so long, and the left side of his body was smooth as if the flesh wasn't torn there. Oscar bowed before Elder Saul, knocking his head on the grassy ground. "I don't know how to repay this."

"Maybe in the future." Elder Saul chuckled. "Don't say I didn't do anything for you. That's a precious Grade Four elixir used to heal your mangled body. Those kinds of elixirs are rare even for the Royal Family."

Oscar stared up with reddened eyes.

Elder Saul patted Oscar's head, smiling like an old grandpa with his family. "Just be mindful of your own body. Can't have you in the Inner Hall, not looking your best."

Oscar waved farewell to Elder Saul, who sat on his reclined chair. Oscar continued to walk toward the gateway to the Inner Hall that lay on the border with the Outer Hall. It was a large gate with the symbol of two tridents crossed, similar to his new Inner Hall badge.

Oscar flashed his badge to the guards, who congratulated him on passing the exam. The gates split open, releasing a hint of refreshing air that Oscar felt had incredible amounts of Ein. The Inner Hall was truly the core of the Pavilion, while the Legacy was for special exceptions.

Oscar looked on, determined, as he stepped inside the open gates.

"Inner Hall? I wonder how it'll be."