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[h2][color=881515]C[/color]armillia [color=881515]C[/color]arbonneau[/h2][/center]

[i]Such irrationality[/i], bemused Carmillia as she rode through the Arch of Benedict the Blessed. It had finally come time for the merchant caste to join the procession. As soon as her dedicated crier yelled her name, his voice was drowned out by the blare of trumpets and the cheering crowd. He hadn't even started on her titles. Carmillia found it amusing how well received the new students of Ersand'Enise were by the citizens of the free city. It was unlikely that any of them even knew much of who she was and they cheered all the same. It could be said that Ersand'Enise's very being perpetuated the existence of the caste system. Nobles reigned due to their magical supremacy and while magic wasn't unique to nobles, it was a fact they monopolized it and the majority of the student body were of nobility or those who served them. It felt completely irrational to her that the commoners were cheering for the them, cheering for their future masters. [i]They've been tamed.[/i] She sneered inwardly. Carmillia bore no sympathy for these ignorant bottom feeders.

Multicolored rays burst from up ahead, interrupting her train of thought. They came from further down Parade Street, at the forefront of the nobles. The lights contorted and shifted into a multitude of shapes; the flamboyant act garnering loud cheers from the masses. Even before her enrollment, she had heard of him. Her network of spies had obtained slivers of information that indicated he was no mere charlatan. [i]Sunblessed[/i].

Leon Solaire would be a powerful asset if she could obtain him.

"Pentads! Could he even possibly be any dreamier?" asked a girl to her left. 

"I wouldn't mind if the Chosen of the Sun chose me to share his bed," said another, this time from her right.

Carmillia had forgotten about them. The two giggling girls continued their swooning. Carmillia held the urge to roll her eyes. "He... is quite a charmer," she added, intentionally adding a hint of hesitancy in her voice. "But I'm not much for the heartbreaker types." It was imperative for Carmillia to maintain a distinguished image and she had no intentions of even entertaining the possibility to be labelled as desperate riffraff.

They giggled in response and the conversation between the three spiraled towards the topic of potential romantic affairs that could occur in Ersand'Enise. Given that there hadn't been much to do before the parade, Carmillia had chosen to mingle amongst the waiting merchants. She had chosen to associate with these two in particular, not due to them being potential profitable prospects but because they were a talkative airheaded duo. They would come in useful in spreading a positive image of herself as well as serve as an informational source of gossip. Carmillia stealthily sent forth a tiny tendril of chemical energy towards them, just enough required to stimulate their hypothalami into producing oxytocin. A useful spell for artificially strengthening friendships. Even surrounded by supposedly talented magi, not one person in her vicinity was aware of her actions. 

With her spell now in effect and the conversational topic being remarkably inane, Carmillia let her mouth go on autopilot. She had years of experiencing dealing with such rabble and could entertain them without conscious effort, carrying the conversation as the three of them waved to the cheering citizens. Instead, her focus was on the crowd, her eyes scanning through the throng of bodies.

It didn't take long before she spotted him. Bernhard Holler, one of the several members of [i]The Crimson Hand[/i] she had called along. She had them sneak into the free city weeks prior as reconnaissance. Carmillia had multiple avenues of interest in Ersand'Enise and Bernhard and the rest were adept tools at serving her purposes. He nodded at her, indicating they had accomplished their task before he faded back into the crowd. Bernhard would seek her out later, once everything had settled down.

As she stared at his vanishing back, Carmillia could feel a tingle of electricity creeping up her own spine. It was not a spell of the magnetic school being employed on her, no. It was sheer [i]excitement[/i]. Her textiles business had been slowing as of late and she had attained all that she could already could in Perrence, given her standing. The past few months had been nothing but dull. But Ersand'Enise would change all that. New and powerful allies for her to groom, status to seize and [i]The Traveler.[/i] Numerous reputable sources had claimed the same thing; The Traveler will cross paths with Ersand'Enise.

[i]So much to do and so many things ripe for the plucking.[/i]

[hider=Summary/Edit log]
[b]Summary:[/b] A sneak peak into the thoughts of Carmillia as well as her laying the foundations for her integration into Ersand'Enise.
[b]Edit log:[/b][indent] ❖ Made it more apparent that Leon Solaire's [i]Sunblessed[/i] mana type isn't common knowledge.
❖ Fixed some grammatical errors.
❖ Adjusted some word choices.[/indent]
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