Chapter 734: Hero’s day.
Before she could point this out, a corn came flying out of Nine’s mouth. "He slipped? Don’t snails literally move in slime? How does one slip in their own slime?"
Sunshine nodded. "I was wondering the same thing."
"He slipped on his own fear-slime," Vortan confirmed solemnly. "His shell hit the floor with a wet thud, his little eye-stalks went spinning in different directions, and he just slid backward into the elevator. He couldn’t even flip himself back over. He just lay there like a sad, overturned pancake, waving his tentacles at the ceiling."
Sunshine put her head in her hands, a laugh bubbling up despite her frustration. The image was a little too amusing. "Well, let us keep up the pressure and see if his shell cracks. So how long after filing the claim will I get the money?"
"About three months for everything to be checked out and matched to the official records. But only because it is an old account and apparently it’s a heavy one." Vortan said, he suddenly checked his watch, his eyes widening as he realized how much time they had spent gossiping about Grit. He tapped the glass face of the watch urgently.
"Okay let us break it up," Vortan added, waving his hands to usher them toward the door. "We need to move. The ceremony is about to start in the great hall, and if we’re late, we’ll be stuck sitting in the very front row where Commander Melvin can stare right at us."
Sunshine groaned, pushing herself off the desk. The mention of Melvin acted like a bucket of cold water on her mood. "Ugh, I would hate for that to happen. I want one of the middle seats where I don’t stand out at all."
Vortan wondered if it was possible for Sunshine not to stand out. She was like a giant red light asking for attention wherever she was.
Nine stood up, frantically shaking the last of the popcorn crumbs off his uniform and into his mouth. "Wait for me! Do you think they’ll have better snacks there? Or is it just going to be those weird little crackers that taste like cardboard? I have made many complaints about the snacks served during such gatherings but no change."
"It’s a hero’s ceremony, Nine, not a buffet," Vortan muttered, though he straightened his jacket and tried to look professional.
The three of them hurried out of Vortan’s office, leaving the scent of butter and the memory of an overturned snail behind them as they headed toward the grand, echoing halls of the great hall.
The venue had been decorated to suit the occasion, on one side where the decorators had given maximum attention, was where the invited guests were expected to sit. The decor looked like a galactic wedding planner had been given an infinite budget and zero self-control, resulting in a chaotic explosion of celestial silk and shimmering crystals_ glittering drapes that changed color with every touch of the wind, floating floral arrangements that smelled like expensive perfume, and glass chairs that looked far too uncomfortable for a human spine but perfect for special dignitaries.
Different important guests made their arrival, coming from different places in the galaxies. Some had too many eyes, others had skin that glowed, and a few were just tall, brooding figures in capes that definitely required a dry-cleaning budget larger than Sunshine’s yearly salary.
Among the invited guests was the Glacian King, who had no idea why he had been invited. The last time he had showed up was when Maximus was one of the awarded heroes.
When Sunshine saw him, she decided to update him on the status of her inheritance later.
The ceremony started and hardly had the speeches began when Sunshine felt the familiar, heavy tug of boredom. A dignitary from Mostoy was droning on about inter-spatial harmony and the socioeconomic impact of rift stability. To Sunshine, it sounded like a vacuum cleaner humming in a distant room.
She leaned back, covered her face with the ceremony program booklet, and drifted off. In her mind, she wasn’t in a stuffy hall; she was in a world made entirely of marshmallows. The ground was bouncy, the clouds were strawberry-flavored, and she was just about to take a bite out of a giant fluff-tree when the world started to vibrate.
"Suni! Wake up before I die of embarrassment!"
Sunshine snapped out of the dream, the booklet sliding off her face and hitting her lap with a thud. She blinked, her vision blurry. Nine was sitting next to her, looking like he wanted to vibrate right out of his ceremony uniform. Confusion laced her features as she rubbed her eyes.
"What is it, Nine?" she hissed.
"The problem is our names!" Nine whispered frantically, pointing a trembling finger toward the stage. "They’ve been calling us for two minutes. We need to get up there_ now!"
Sunshine sat up straight, her spine cracking audibly. He wasn’t exaggerating. The sea of alien dignitaries, repairmen, and bureaucrats had turned their collective gaze toward their row. At the podium, the Glacian King stood like a statue carved from ice, his eyes fixed directly on her.
Sunshine didn’t panic. Instead, her lips shifted into a practiced, slightly loopy smile. "Oh, I beg your pardon."
Commander Melvin, standing near the King with a face as stern as a brick wall, cleared his throat into the microphone. "I repeat: Sunshine Raine and Nine Rathunn. It is considered quite rude to keep a King waiting, especially when he is holding gold-plated honors."
"Go! go! go!" Nine hissed.
The two of them scrambled out of their seats. Sunshine tried to look dignified, but her left foot had fallen asleep, causing her to limp-dash toward the aisle. Nine, on the other hand, looked like a golden retriever that had just been told he was going to the park.
As they reached the podium, the announcer’s voice boomed through the speakers. "These two repairmen are more than just ordinary. They are heroes. They played a pivotal role in saving the Glacian Kingdom from total collapse. Without their quick thinking and skills, the kingdom may not be here today."
The room erupted in applause. Sunshine felt a flush of genuine pride, though it was mostly overshadowed by the King’s gaze and guilt for being the cause of the trouble in that kingdom in that first place. That secret truly needed to be buried for life.
The King stepped forward. His voice was like rolling thunder. "For your bravery, I have deposited a substantial sum of gold into each of your personal vaults. Furthermore," he paused, looking from Nine’s vibrating form to Sunshine’s sleepy eyes, "I owe you each a personal favor. Call upon me, and I shall answer. Should I not be called on, this favor will be passed on to my children. If it is not used, then to those that come after them. It is a lifelong debt that Glacis owes you."
For a moment, Sunshine forgot how to breathe. The promise was wonderful, but somehow, it felt like a cage!