Kind gesture today or a declaration of war tomorrow

The streets were brightly lit by thousands upon thousands of candles, lampions, and all sorts of other decorations. Even though the night was looming, there was so much artificial illumination that Theo couldn't find even a single shadow!

"A festival?" Two words escaped from Theo's mouth before he could rein his surprise in.

'I knew something was going on… but a festival? For real?' he thought, unable to reunite what he knew was going on and what he could see was happening. 'Even though apparently every other high-ranking member of the sect is tearing hairs out of their heads in frustration over the situation at the frontier?'

"It is a special kind of festival," Paichi replied, his face darkening as a hint of sadness entered his eyes.

Theo's senior didn't seem to be interested in explaining the situation with his words. Instead, he beckoned at Theo before picking up the pace and entering the bright-lit street.

The two of them walked for some time, allowing Theo to get a better look at the festivities.

'It's been going for… quite some time, already,' Theo thought when he noticed that just as many there were decorations lighting up the street… at least just as much was littering the streets after exhausting their use.

Empty floating lampions that ran out of fuel, blobs of hardened wax of the exhausted candles…

They were everywhere and bore testimony to how long the festival activities continued.

"It all started two days ago, when the final list of the participants in the coming expedition was announced," Paichi spoke up only once they reached one of the three main streets of the city's district. "And ever since then, those who were either selected or volunteered for the expedition got to enjoy every last thing this city and the sect can offer."

Now that they got closer to the center of the things, Theo could hear all sorts of sounds coming from nearby buildings.

Some obviously housed massive drinking parties. Others were home to massive feasts. Hidden in the smaller alleys, away from the main street were some buildings where both male and female cultivators could go and… relieve some stress.

'And judging from what he said,' Theo glanced over at his senior, 'it's all sponsored by the sect?'

Theo's expression darkened a bit.

This kind of excessive farewell could only mean one of two things. Either the sect was rich beyond any measure… or no one was likely to come back from the expedition.

"So this is what's going on," Theo muttered something, just to show that he didn't ignore Paichi's words. In truth, however, he was too busy soaking all sorts of details to pay too much attention to anything in particular.

And it was this diffusion of his attention that allowed Theo to spot a pair out of whom one face he found familiar.

'Isn't she…' Theo thought… only for a sense of slight dread to move down his spine.

It was that annoying senior of a girl that kept on pestering him over and over again!

The girl must've sensed Theo's stare as she near instantly turned her head and looked right back at him. Her eyes widened a little… Only for her to turn around to whoever she was strolling through the streets with.

'A boyfriend?' Theo's earthly common sense kicked in for a moment. He then averted his eyes to pretend as if he saw nothing before shaking his head to clear his mind of the stupid delusions. 'I won't say there is no way, but it's unlikely. And judging from that man's attire…'

The man who accompanied Veila was dressed in the kind of clothes that made it more fitting to claim that it was Veila who accompanied him instead.

He was donning a knee-long combination of chainmail and some fancy, white padding underneath. His torso was then covered with a thin, colorful tunic with an image of a soaring hawk in the middle of his chest. He topped it all off with a peculiar, short cloak that only covered his right shoulder and the right side of his back while only reaching towards the man's chest.

'He doesn't look like a cultivator at all,' Theo thought, giving the man quite a bit more attention than he usually would to a stranger.

The man listened to Veila's whispers before turning his eyes to look at Theo.

For but a moment and regardless of the distance separating them, the two men looked at each other.

'Dressed like that for this festival… he is going, isn't he?' Theo thought, a sense of pity welling up at the bottom of his soul.

He didn't know who that man was. What's more, seeing how he was clearly acquittance with Veila, he might be one of the sources of Theo's problems…

But knowing what kind of fate awaited him, Theo still felt pity. Because what kind of a man he would be if he didn't pity someone who simply didn't know they were dead yet?

Something happened. A small exchange between the man and the girl resulted in them parting ways. And while the man headed toward one of the nearby buildings, Veila turned around and jogged in Theo's direction.

"She's coming over," Theo muttered, his lips twisting in an ugly grimace.

"Do you know her?" Paichi asked, happily picking up the topic that Theo brought up.

"She's been annoying me for quite some time." Theo squinted his eyes a little… But right now, he could do nothing. Without any progress in his system, he was still stuck in the same social position that he was in when he first transmigrated.

The only difference was how his own elder didn't try to openly sabotage his efforts to grow his disciples, and thus, Theo's fellow disciples from the division lost their ability to bully him freely.

The same thing didn't apply to Veila, though. Being the inner sect cultivator that she was, her social status was heavens above Theo's.

'At least I have Paichi with me, this time,' Theo thought, turning his head to glance at his senior.

"So she was bullying you?" Paichi asked, ignoring Theo's glance as he locked his eyes on the hurriedly approaching girl.

"That's not exactly it," Theo replied before pressing his lips into a thin line. "It's more like… She just wouldn't leave me alone and kept on asking more and more questions whenever she had a chance?"

"Hey!" Veila called out even before she reached a proper distance to talk to them. She then ran up the last few steps before reaching out… and pressing something hard, pointy, and heavy against Theo's stomach.

"I know this might seem random, but please, accept this," she said, forcing Theo to look down and reach for whatever she pushed against him.

'A pouch?' Theo thought, his eyes widening up as if to see better into the item.

"This is the last moment for when I can do this. Right now, it's just a small kind gesture from your senior," Veila explained in a way that didn't explain anything. She then ensured the poach was secure in Theo's hand.

The girl then backed up two steps and glanced over at Paichi. She then nodded her head lightly to acknowledge his presence only to turn her eyes right back to Theo.

"I really wish I could properly explain it, but by tomorrow, rather than a kind gesture…" the girl bit her lips and averted her eyes. "By tomorrow, this gift would be akin to declaring war against your division."