12: Interlude [Salfi]

[Year 14 Month 1: 1 month has passed] (Focus on Salfi)

Salfi rolled out of her bed, very much not ready to face the day.

Fortunately and unfortunately for her, it was her birthday. Her 20th.

For humans, that normally meant they were beginning to pair up and find families. Beast-kin were closer to her development time, but still came of age about two years before elves.

She sat on the mattress, rubbing her eyes as the rising sun began to peek through the curtains of her room. The house was quiet, with her having moved out of her Auntie’s home a year ago. Instead of moving to Runehold like several of her siblings—well, technically step-siblings— she decided to stick in Gorn village, much preferring the slower-paced life and the lack of stares that she would have received living anywhere else.

Sleep had evaded her the night prior, as her stomach was churning from the nerves. With only a few hours of sleep, her face was decorated by large bags under her eyes, and she stood up only to immediately wish to fall back into its embrace.

Scolding herself for even thinking of it, she grabbed a bucket filled with water and splashed it over herself. Having been fetched last night, it was room temperature, but it still worked.

Only taking a few moments to dry, she snagged a folded tunic out of her dresser and got around for the day, making sure to strap on her scabbard and light armor properly.

It was traditional for those undergoing their awakening to bring items that would reflect what they hoped for.

Stepping onto the cobbled streets, she walked to her Auntie’s home in the village. Everyone would be meeting up there, while the ceremony itself wouldn’t be a public event, her family wanted to celebrate the day, knowing how important it was to Salfi.

With the village’s growth being basically nonexistent, it was only a few minutes’ walk to Auntie’s home. The only delay was several of her friends’ congratulations and best of luck.

The awakening wouldn’t happen until midday, so she had yet to receive her first notification. That was a strange quirk of the system, as she could gain general skills before the awakening so that she could train, yet she couldn’t actually see them.

The only previous notification she had received was when the Invasion Boss had arrived and was subsequently slain, but that didn’t count in her books.

Walking up a large building with a door painted in a blinding yellow, Salfi knocked twice. “Auntie Penelope? Are you inside?”

Without warning, the door was slammed open, and Salfi only had a moment to jump back before she felt a large object latch onto her with a big hug. Looking through the mass of blond hair, Salfi could see the grinning face of Penelope.

If it weren’t for the lack of pointy ears or the shape of her eyes, Salfi would almost suspect the woman of being an elf herself. Despite approaching her 34th year, Penelope still managed to maintain the appearance of her mid twenties.

Salfi couldn’t imagine how, as the level 14 woman wasn’t at a high enough level to have an impact on her lifespan.

Despite all of this, the woman still managed to shout “CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BIG DAY!” right in the poor elf’s ear, causing Salfi to wince in pain.

“Okay, okay, it’s good to see you too.” She slowly extracted herself from her Auntie, and she peered around the woman’s shoulder, “Have the others arrived yet?”

Penelope’s smile slightly diminished, obviously a bit put down by the thought, “Well… Astrid is busy in the city today; one of the councilors was complaining about some random bull. Oh! But she will still be here, just much later in the day.”

Much to Penelope’s continued disappointment, Salfi finally managed to worm her way out of the smothering embrace without harming the older woman. While they were not truly related by blood, Penelope had taken the role of a young aunt. It had taken some time for both of them to recover or at least process some of the events of four years ago, but Penelope had rekindled her spark after having her little one, Inca.

Ah, speaking of the little monster. Inca just came from around the corner, now a little toddler, Salfi picked him up, making sure her sword was completely in its scabbard. “Hello, little one,” She said fondly. “How are you?”

“Fafffiiiii, put me dowwwn,” the little child giggled as Salfi gently tossed him skyward.

Penelope merely watched, shaking her head slightly, “He’s been up for the last half hour waiting for you. Fafi this and fafi that. Sometimes I fear he likes you more than me.” She dramatically sniffled, causing Inca to run over to his mom and reassure her of his love.

Tossed aside like spare parts, Salfi turned to the other person in the room. Osbert had taken the first and second shifts off, opting for the night watch so he could be here for as long as she needed today.

She walked up to him and gave him a big hug. Osbert had been good to her ever since she was left in Gorn by her birth parents. Truly, Salfi always thought that Osbert considered her something like a granddaughter; the older man never really had a family of his own.

“Hey, Salfi. Happy birthday. You ready for your awakening?” Salfi nodded, the nerves coming back with the reminder.

Seeing the shift in emotions on her face, Osbert gave her a slight shake and, with a quieter voice, said, “Don’t worry about it that much. The system provides.”

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At that, she could only nod.

Penelope popped back into the room with her cheerful voice, “Do not worry, for I have returned with lunch!”

It was very much not lunch time, but the stacks of various foods and desserts somehow balanced in her aunt’s arms silenced her from mentioning it. Salfi wasn’t going to complain about free food. She was an adult now, and adults don’t say no to food.

[Later that day]

It was time for her to get ready, the time being just a few minutes before noon.

Salfi was left alone in one of her Auntie’s guest bedrooms and was told to lie down. The rest would wait for her to come out on her own. About ten minutes after the food was completely laid out, Nobu had dropped by, and while he congratulated her, she suspected he had walked by and smelled the food.

Astrid had yet to drop by, but that was expected; she would be around later at night.

Before Osbert had exited the room, he warned her that he didn’t know what to expect from her awakening. Class evolutions were a bit different, but first-time awakenings could be painful.

As she lay back on the bed, she meditated while she waited for the eventual arrival of the screen. While she was technically alone, she truly doubted it. She knew how worried Gol would get about them, even if he couldn’t admit it to himself.

Considering how important a day this was, she doubted he wasn’t watching right now, just making sure everything was okay.