Finding accommodations in the city turned out to be no problem at all. The moment we entered the harbor and presented our papers, barracks for the sailors were found immediately, the necessary supplies were arranged without delay, and they even promised to secure us a drydock within a couple of days.
The city itself was astonishing in its union of contradictions. Traditional Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom architecture had intertwined here into something entirely new. Unfamiliar, yet undeniably practical.
And the road-paving scene we happened to witness first stunned the crew into silence — myself included, honestly — before leaving everyone deep in thought.
The thing was, the road was being paved by four benders.
First, an earthbender spread a stone mixture across the road. Then two firebenders heated it thoroughly, after which another earthbender compacted and leveled it using a massive stone slab. The final result looked suspiciously similar to smooth, high-quality asphalt.
The entire crew stared at the spectacle with their jaws hanging open.
To them, "earthbender" had long since fused into a synonym for "enemy." And here was that very same earthbender working side by side with firebenders, casually discussing the latest gossip while suggesting they all go grab a beer at some acquaintance's tavern after their shift.
My sailors' worldview took a serious hit.
It was one thing to hear rumors about some distant place where the two nations cooperated productively. It was something entirely different to see it with your own eyes.
The girls from Suki's group were in much the same state. A scene like this simply didn't fit with all the stories about the horrific oppression the "occupiers" supposedly inflicted on conquered territories.
The "cherry on top" was an invitation to tea sent to the "esteemed Herald" by Mayor Morishita, delivered through the mayor's adjutant, as protocol demanded.
After Father's recent letter, complete with an entire list of people eager to "invite me to tea," I had already started developing a certain prejudice — and suspicion — toward that particular phrasing.
Still, I was supposed to be "inspecting the colonies," and refusing the invitation would've been rude, so I had to visit the mayor regardless.
Hm.
Were escorts allowed?
As it turned out, yes, absolutely.
Which meant Suki received a party assignment: acquire something to wear that wasn't armor or the tight-fitting "casual" outfit she liked wearing aboard the ship during peacetime — much to my delight and everyone else's envy, heh-heh…
But back to reality.
Attending even a minor reception on friendly territory in full armor was obvious overkill, yet showing up in that skintight thing wasn't exactly appropriate either. So I decided to bring Suki with me, meaning she needed something at least vaguely formal.
As for what role she'd be presented under… honestly, I wouldn't have minded even if she introduced herself as my chosen partner.
The problem was that, first of all, the girl herself didn't seem particularly eager to "formalize" our relationship. Her attitude was more along the lines of: we're good together, and that's enough. Maybe it was some kind of Kyoshi Warrior quirk. Whatever. As long as she didn't suddenly start embracing feminism, I could survive the rest.
Secondly, the existence of a "fiancée" — especially that kind of fiancée — could have very complicated effects on the web slowly being woven around my modest person. And I couldn't accurately predict how that might all end.
So if the "lady of my heart" was satisfied with things as they were, then things could stay that way. At the reception, she could simply be introduced as the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, who also happened to serve as my bodyguards.
Which was, to some extent, entirely true.
For all her virtues, Suki was still a girl, so the idea of shopping appealed to her greatly — especially since "government funds" had been allocated for it under the guise of representation expenses.
Still, going alone wasn't nearly as fun. I still had bureaucratic duties to deal with at the harbor, so the other Kyoshi warriors ended up accompanying her instead.
Suppressing my inner miser with considerable effort, I handed out "representation funds" to them as well, for which I was practically elevated to sainthood by the prettier half's boyfriends among the crew. The poor bastards were already anticipating catastrophic bloodshed to their wallets.
But their kind commander had saved everyone. Indeed.
A full description of the Kyoshi Warriors' raid on the clothing shops would require an entire volume roughly the size of the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Suffice it to say, the girls indulged themselves thoroughly. But the sight of a happy Suki in a fitted two-piece silk dress made me drool enough to justify every last copper coin spent on the whole affair.
And the way it could discreetly conceal a pair of stilettos… Mmm. Absolutely perfect. Mine, entirely and completely!
Pleased with my reaction, the girl sashayed off to the commander's quarters assigned to her and vanished for a while to touch up her makeup before the visit to the mayor.
And when she finally emerged, I found myself seriously reconsidering whether I really needed that visit after all or whether the whole thing could just go to hell instead.
Duty won out in the end, and after exchanging formal bows, we headed toward the carriage waiting for us.
The mayor's residence was a cozy two-story manor. Not especially large, but you couldn't exactly call it small either.
The reception itself was practically informal.
You could even call it familial.
The master of the house personally came out to greet us.
(End of Chapter)
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