Lith had no idea why she included the dog on the list. Lucky's only worth was that it made Phloria happy, otherwise Lith would consider it just an overweight lump of fur.
"First things first." Lith took out the first part of his gift from his pocket dimension.
"I wanted to give you this now, so that you had the opportunity to wear it at the gala. If you like it, of course. This is my birthday present." He handed to her a finely decorated circlet.
Since Jirni was blonde, Lith had made it out of silver, so that the contrast would emphasize the beauty of its wearer. The diadem seemed to be made out of small and thin feathers, each one with a small black diamond set near its end.
"It's beautiful. Almost worthy of a Queen." Jirni wasn't being polite. Although the circlet was really light, each feather was so life like that she expected to see them fly away at the first gust of wind.
The 'almost' was required, since to be perfect, the diadem needed a big black diamond on its center, where Lith had left an empty space. It wasn't just a matter of him being stingy.
The Verhen household had no fief nor noble titles. Any more effort on his part would be interpreted as showing off or even make the circlet appear like a betrothal gift. That was the reason why Lith had left it perfectly imperfect.
"Now it's time for my anniversary gift." Lith said.
"Please, give me your hands."
Jirni did as instructed, feeling a warm sensation spread throughout her body the moment they touched. Lith used Invigoration while chanting some gibberish to spot and fix all bone, muscle, and even intervertebral disc damage.
Normal healing magic only sped up recovery, so internal scar tissues and calluses had accumulated inside Jirni's body over time, due to her line of work and aging.
"Good gods. Not only do I look ten years younger, but I also feel that way now." Jirni knew her body well enough that it only took her a few steps to realize what had happened.
"Healers capable of using rejuvenation magic are already rare, I would've never thought to meet one also capable of dabbling in cosmetic magic." Jirni said with a grin, making Lith lose his poker face for a split second.
Rejuvenation magic was a rare branch of healing magic that allowed the mage to restore an aged body to its prime condition. Even the three Great Countries had very few mages capable of using it, and they were all as elusive as Manohar.
It made his gift extremely valuable. Each treatment was valued at five gold coins for a regular person, but over a dozen for the battered body of a veteran fighter.
"Cosmetic magic?" Lith had never heard of it, not even during his studies at the White Griffon academy.
"No need to feign ignorance." Jirni laughed. "I had my suspicions since the first time I met your parents. I would have never been sure if Lucky hadn't ratted you out."
"Lucky did what?" As if to answer Lith's confusion, a small Ry entered through one of the doors waggling its huge tail. It was as big as a pony and had the characteristic crimson fur of the wolf type magical beast.
"Sorry, brother. I didn't know it was a secret." He said with an apologetic tone while offering Lith his huge belly in sign of contrition. He also hoped for a conciliatory scratch, of course.
"He told us how you slimmed him down from time to time. Also, do you think that I missed how Phloria's skin and hair improved while you two were together? Yours are minor treatments, but it's still an amazing feat for someone so young.
"If you manage to master it, you'll be set for life. Consider that I had to spend one hundred gold coins to become like this." Jirni waved at her own younger appearance.
"One hundred gold coins?" Lith almost chocked on those words. It was more than the whole village of Lutia and its lands were worth, his own house included. A single gold coin was equivalent to one hundred silver coins.
Even Officers like Lith, Kamila, and Jirni were paid in silver.
"Are you saying that a mage did that?" Lith found it hard to believe. Rejuvenation magic was already a very difficult subject. He wouldn't be able to use it if not for Invigoration. Cosmetic magic was simply unheard of.
"Yes. It's a new trend in the Capitol. It's very expensive and doesn't last long. It requires heavy alchemical machinery and according to its creator, Mage Hossa, it's a safe procedure even if it involves the alteration of the patient's life force.
"Normally I wouldn't care for such things, but since half of the royal family has become their regular clients, so did anyone who can pay for the treatment. I can't afford to be outshined by any of my guests. At least not on the day of my anniversary.
"It's one of the reasons I called you here. Even if you don't possess Mage Hossa's expertise or equipment, you're the only mage I know who can use it. Before spending a small fortune to get my whole family treated, I want the opinion of an expert. Is it really safe?"
Lith inwardly cursed Lucky, then himself, and lastly his bad luck.
'Who would have thought that such a couch potato could evolve and become able to talk? Did I ever tell him anything compromising?'
'Aside from cursing Orion from time to time, no.' Solus replied. She had checked Lith's memories for every one of their past interactions with the dog. Lucky was true to his name, there was no reason to have an 'unfortunate accident' befall him.
Lith sighed in relief while checking Jirni's condition with Invigoration.
'What the heck? Cosmetic magic my ass. An Awakened just removed some impurities from her skin and hair. I wonder if they are doing it because they need money, or simply to get connections with the most important families in the Kingdom.' He pondered.
"When did this new trend start, exactly?" Lith asked.
"About a few months ago, but the shop has moved around for years. Cosmetic magic is not officially recognized because only one mage knows how to use it and its exorbitant cost makes it impractical.
"Mage Hossa returned recently from the Gorgon Empire. Princess Syntilla decided to give it a try and got one heck of a makeover. After that, all the homely and rich heiresses became her clients, forcing the pretty ones to do the same."
"Well, for starters it's safe." Lith replied. "There is no damage to your life force, but I must warn you, the treatment will barely last for a week. Unlike me, Hossa can make big changes, but they are temporary."
"Can you do better?" Jirni had an expectant look.
"No, but I can make it last longer. With my skill, I can make it last for at least a month, but I must ask you to not divulge my secret. I don't want this Hossa to feel threatened nor do I want to spend my life treating vain people." He said.
'More importantly, she would discover that I'm an Awakened just like her. Maybe Hossa could put me into contact with the Council. She could be a precious ally if properly handled.' He actually thought.
