Money didn't grow on trees, no matter how much I wished it did.
Looking at the schedule, the party was set to begin at eight in the evening, and we planned to sneak in about thirty minutes after it started, give or take.
Toph was currently giving Katara a crash course in proper Earth Kingdom etiquette—which, as it turned out, was a lot. Not that she could be taught everything, but the basics were good enough.
Meaning I had roughly twelve hours to somehow procure enough money to cover their clothing, makeup, and invitations for the three of us, plus our two "busboys."
I'd give them about four hours to get ready before the party, leaving me roughly eight hours to make some money. Noble clothing was expensive, and I needed the good stuff if we wanted to fool the guards and blend in with the other guests.
Fortunately, during our tour of Ba Sing Se yesterday, I'd already spotted a few easy ways to make some quick cash.
So, I hailed a carriage in the Upper Ring and ordered the driver to take me to the Lower Ring.
Time to put my other set of skills to good use.
============================================
Whoa!"
Katara noticed me the moment I stepped back into the house and immediately walked over, circling me as she examined my appearance.
"Nice haircut! You look like a completely different person!"
My hair, which I usually couldn't care less about cutting, was now styled into an undercut, the top softly slicked back.
I instinctively patted it, feeling slightly self-conscious under her praise.
"Well, we need to blend in, and my old hairstyle wasn't going to cut it."
Toph walked over a moment later and immediately pulled me down to her eye level, her hands roaming through my hair.
"Huh. It's weird not feeling the usual bird's nest."
I swatted her hands away.
"The long bangs get in the way. Besides, my head feels so much lighter now. Maybe it'll make fighting a little easier."
I grinned.
"Alright, enough praise."
My eyes scanned the room.
"Where are the other two?"
"They went out to search for Appa again. I'm glad Joo Dee isn't following us around anymore; maybe they can at least find some kind of clue."
Katara sighed at the thought of the sky bison.
I reached into my tunic and pulled out a heavy sack filled to the brim with coins before handing it to her.
"Here. Cheer up."
Katara blinked at the weight of it.
"... Where did you get all this?"
Uh... I quietly hid the bloodstained mark on my sleeve by clasping both hands behind my back.
"Ahem, I have my specialties."
And besides, it's not like they'd miss that much. I only took a little at a time.
Toph snatched the sack from Katara's hands and gave it a quick shake, a satisfied smirk spreading across her face at the sound of the coins rattling inside.
Now that they had money to spend, Katara's face lit up as she grabbed Toph's hand.
"Come on! Let's go shop for some clothes!"
Before Toph could even respond, Katara handed me a few coins for my own clothes and dragged her out of the house.
"At least say thank you!" I yelled after them from the doorway.
Hearing that, Katara quickly turned around and waved frantically.
"Thanks a bunch, Renji! We'll spend wisely!"
Being dragged along against her will, Toph simply groaned before shouting back:
"Get some meat kebabs when you get back!"
============================================
Outside the palace gates, Katara and Toph stood in line, slowly inching forward with the crowd toward the entrance.
"Invitations, please."
The guard stationed at the gate held out his hand, collecting the invitations from each guest as they passed through.
Once the person in front of them cleared the inspection, it was their turn.
"Invitations, please."
"I think this will do."
Toph raised the token in her hand, proudly displaying the seal that marked her as the Beifong heir.
However...
The guard barely glanced at it.
"No invitations means no entry to the palace. Please step out of line."
Toph's eyebrow twitched.
The guard had clearly recognized the seal—and the distinctive image of the flying boar—yet he remained completely unmoved.
With an irritated huff, Toph tucked the token back into her clothes.
"Look, the Pangs and the Yum Soon Hans are waiting for us inside, and I'm going to have to tell them who wouldn't let me in."
She gave the guard another intimidating glare.
"Step out of line. Please."
The forced politeness in his voice was almost painful as he stepped forward to escort them away.
But before he could reach them, a familiar voice rang out from behind.
"Here you go. Three invitations."
Pushing through the line of guests, I finally reached them, holding out three authentic invitations to the guard.
"Renji!" Katara whispered.
I gave the two of them a quick wink before facing the guard.
The guard took the invitations and inspected them one by one.
A tense silence followed.
Finally, he nodded.
"Thank you. Please, enjoy the party."
"You too."
I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose and gave the guard a courteous bow before leading the two ladies through the entrance.
Once we were safely out of earshot, Toph finally spoke.
"How did you get the invitations?"
Her hand loosely gripped the back of my clothes as I led my blind friend up the stairs. Not that she needed the assistance, but it helped maintain appearances in front of the other guests.
"And what's with the glasses?"
"They're fake."
I handed them to Katara, who immediately inspected the lenses.
"They aren't even distorted," she remarked.
"Exactly. I have to keep up appearances."
I shrugged.
"The loose clothes are a bit uncomfortable, too. I'm used to wearing tighter ones that don't get in the way."
At least they looked nice aesthetically.
"And as for how I got the invitations..."
I flashed them a grin.
"Money makes the world go round, you know?"
Finding a family that wasn't particularly interested in attending the party and convincing them to part with their invitations for an outrageous sum took some time.
With no obstacles left in our way, we casually entered the palace courtyard, blending into the crowd of wealthy nobles as we followed them toward the party.
"I thought Aang and Sokka were with you guys," I whispered, glancing around the courtyard. "I couldn't find them anywhere to hand them their invitations."
"What?" Katara sharply questioned, turning around to face me. "I thought they were with you! We didn't see them at all!"
"They said they were going to find you," Toph added.
...
Damn.
============================================
If you're enjoying the story, please consider supporting me on Patre0n! Your support helps me dedicate more time to writing, and you'll get early access to chapters and exclusive story ideas.
patre0n.c0m/damaine_n
(replace the zero with "o")
$3 – Proficient Rank: 3 advanced chapters
$5 – Advanced Mastery: 5 advanced chapters and more
$10 – Ultimate One: 10 advanced chapters and much, much more
Community Bonus Chapter:
Every 5 new paid members unlock 1 bonus chapter, with the fanfic chosen by a poll for paid members.
Progress: 1 / 5 (15/9/2026)
Pending Bonus Chapters: 2 -> 3 [UPDATED!]
============================================