Corty

  It was a refreshing morning when Ren walked to the front of the small ferry ship, watching the rumbling water beneath them as they crossed the massive Shert River. The ship's sails bore the crest of a merchant guild on the Kingdom's side of the river, one that made frequent trips between the two banks, trading small quantities of luxury items of the local, subordinate kingdoms.

  "Hehehe, the color red really suits you!" Isha came up to her, holding a cup of coffee in her hands, looking at Ren, who now had a head full of crimson-colored hair.

  "Thanks~!" She giggled, pying with her newly dyed locks, "I had had enough of the constant staring and questions wherever we went..."

  "Good idea." Lacuss came up, too, now wearing the same bck-and-purple uniform as them, showcasing his status as a core disciple.

  Not wanting to be left out, 01 and 02 also arrived, with downcast expressions, having been shaved bald once again.

  "What?" Ren ughed, gncing at them, "We had only enough dye for mine! Rex, it will grow back."

  "I feel vioted. Again…" 01 groaned, rubbing his shiny head while 02 nodded, agreeing with his brother.

  "We can arrange that." Ren cracked a joke, and a small strand of lightning arced between her fingers, making the two tremble, stepping back at once.

  "You look awesome, 01!" 02 yelled out like a robot.

  "Yeah, you too; this complements your facial structure, 02!" 01 answered, as the two smiled with tears in their eyes.

  "Does it? Oh my!" Both of them ughed awkwardly while Isha just shook her head, elbowing Ren to stop teasing the two.

  "What did you do to them?" Lacuss asked, looking at the pair, a bit confused.

  "Nothing major. I just made them see the light."

  "We almost walked into it," the duo said at the same time again, without thinking about it.

  "Drama queens!" Ren snorted, rolling her eyes, "If you had been cooperative from the start, everything would have gone smoothly. But you had to py the stubborn warrior..."

  "Sorry..." They lowered their heads, once again, in unison, not even trying to argue.

  "Maybe your torture of them made them sync up?" Isha whispered, amused at the duo's performance, "They are like twins."

  "It's a possibility..." Ren nodded, crossing her arms, but before thinking further, Lacuss cut in once again.

  "What did you learn from them?"

  "Their eye technique." Ren expined without holding back, "Or at least the basics of it. None of them are at a high level; only my Uncle was, but he would not share it. He was stubborn... I give him that! I thought after the news of being the scapegoat got to him, he would… well… I expected him to break and make reading his brain easier, yet he became more stubborn."

  "I see. Is he dead?" Lacuss nodded without a change in his expression.

  "His mind, yes. I accidentally broke him..." She chuckled, sticking a tongue out, "At least he can function as an automaton and be a help for LeiLei's training. Same with the rest we captured!" She expined calmly while 01 and 02 were shivering, watching her as damned souls would watch the devil.

  "You really are a mini bitch…." Isha murmured, making Ren grin. "I don't know how your mother feels about it… It was her brother, after all."

  "She ignores it." Ren answered honestly, "I guess she would pity him, even forgive him, so she refuses to hear anything that's going on, and I think that is for the best..." She sighed, shaking her head. "Honestly, I don't feel a shred of sympathy towards him. My philosophy is simple: I protect those close to me with my life. But my enemies have two options: earn my respect or my wrath! They did earn the tter, so here we are." She stretched, looking at 01 and 02, "You two were lucky; I am willing to compromise, even forgive, but that needs effort. Don't worry; if you are good servants, you won't be left out of the good stuff."

  "Thank you, Master!" Both of them bowed simultaneously, but they didn't really believe her yet.

  "Speaking of benefits." Ren turned her gaze towards Isha. "You should advance soon!"

  "I was thinking about that." Isha smiled back at her. "I don't feel any improvement within me anymore, and converting fully would take decades. I am fine like this; your father advanced the same way, and look at him!" She ughed, feeling free and confident.

  "True~! What about you, Lacuss? When did you advance?"

  "3 months ago, through the battle, from the 9th stage." He answered simply.

  "Wait! You are in the Harmony realm?!" Isha asked, gasping for air.

  "Yes," Lacuss answered, not even hiding it.

  "I felt it the moment I saw you and your sword." Ren giggled, enjoying Isha's shock, "Your killing intent is strong when you wield your bde. Those chips and cracks on it don't come from battle, if I'm not mistaken."

  "Yes. It will soon disintegrate." Lacuss nodded once again, "It can't hold my powers. No problem, I have spares."

  "Stretch out your hand!"

  "Hm?" Lacuss tilted his head, but did nonetheless as per her request. When Ren grabbed onto it, he felt her powers flow inside him, making a round before retreating.

  "Oh, interesting. Interesting!" She hummed, smacking her lips, "You convert your life force affinity into pure energy when attacking... It is simir to how Elder Boursat uses it." She nodded with shining eyes. "But you can take it further, as his affinity is not as pure as yours."

  "Careful." Isha whispered into Lacuss's ears, "When she gets like this, you will find yourself sparring with her multiple times until she gets bored with you."

  "Um-um!" 01 and 02 nodded rapidly.

  "Cowards." Ren scoffed, looking at the trio, "It is the best way to train when reaching this level. The more you use your powers, the more precise your feelings get about the surroundings! Don't forget: the second level of Harmony means you resonate with the energy around us." She looked at them with a lecturing expression, and her voice was like a teacher's. "Going to meditate all the time won't work. You need to spend your energy, use it repeatedly, and learn how it reacts to the environment and how you can manipute it correctly, blending it in. When you refill it, you can try to get a feel for the world's energy flow! It's a simple thing yet hard at the same time."

  "So if a Harmony expert fights, the more they do it, the better?" Isha raised her eyebrow while asking.

  "Yup!" Ren nodded, "That is why so few people reach the second level. For example, your lifespan is greatly extended; who would want to risk early death for a minimal chance of advancement? Nobody. So it means the end of the road for many cultivators, who don't want to risk their long lives. Do I bme them? No. Do I agree with them? Absolutely not!" Ren sighed a little while expining.

  "I hope you won't start a war while we are in the Kingdom..." Isha chuckled, "Just to train."

  "Don't worry, I won't. I am not a maniac."

  "Could have fooled me!"

  "Okay, that was good." Ren elbowed her, ughing, "But I'll behave! I just want to see their nd. I am also interested in cultural differences. Also, we need to keep an eye out for our fishboy! A mixed breed is something I'd like to study... He could be a great disciple too! I just hope Poli can hook up with Emi, and when they have kids, I can be there to train them~!"

  …….…..

  Back in the Sect, Zern and the rest had just arrived back from the Capital, in tow with the few demons who followed them back.

  "Interesting, the flow of energy here is accelerated. Is it the buildings?" Shaman asked as he stepped down from the Skyshark.

  "You have sharp senses!" came the ughing voice of Aerthus, who came and welcomed them.

  "Sec Head!" The rest greeted him while Rem shrank back, sitting on Orsi's shoulders, feeling tremendous pressure from his eyes, which affected her physically and mentally.

  "Oh, you must be the leader?" Shaman smiled, giving a bow he learned from Niji.

  "Yes, and I welcome you all to my Sect! I heard a lot about your work in basic alchemy. I bet you'll enjoy your stay here. Elder Dermitos is at the Pill Hall, still working; I bet you two will come along nicely~!" Aerthus said as he ughed again, and Shaman was already eager to go the moment he heard the word pill. "You must be Lady Emi?" Aerthus, in the meanwhile, turned towards the fox girl, smiling at her.

  "Yes." Emi greeted with cupped hands, "I am My Queen's, Lady Rumira's emissary. I came to ask for someone to come back with me and meet with my Queen."

  "I see... Sure! I am willing to go." Aerthus nodded, with a friendly expression, making Poli's shoulders drop as he was expecting to also go, but it was clear from the Sect Head's voice that he wouldn't bring anyone else along for this visit.

  "I thank you in advance." Emi bowed once again, standing back beside Poli.

  "G-greetings," Rem whispered finally, finding her voice amidst her worry.

  "To you too~! Don't be afraid, you are amongst friends. If you wish to join the Sect, we are family here." Aerthus ughed, stepping aside, "Come, I'll take you on tour and show you around!"

  "Are you not coming?" Poli looked at Reignar, who stayed behind as the rest moved out.

  "No. I have some training to do... Can you take care of Orsi until I come back?"

  "Training?" He asked as his mouth twitched involuntarily, imagining Reignar's meaning of the word. "I heard how it goes for you! Tsk… not bad!"

  "It is what it is," He shook his head, but with a calm expression. "It is the way I always did... Won't change now. Plus, I am gging behind; I need to pick up the pace."

  "Haaaah… okay, okay. Sure. I'll take care of her until then." Poli waved his hand while Reignar just thanked him before leaving to find Elder Boursat to take him to shore, as he was the one who brought them over from the Capital when they came back.

  "What?" Poli asked, watching Zern, who was spacing out. "You are also horny now that your girlfriend is away? What, am I the only one who is the odd one out?"

  "Wha-? No! I was just thinking." Zern answered, feeling a bit confused, "I can't read that guy." He shook his head, looking at where Reignar had disappeared.

  "You two are different; nothing strange about that." Poli answered after giving it a thought, "You don't need to be friends. It's enough if you acknowledge each other and work together when you're on a mission. Don't let it become animosity; it won't breed good things."

  "Heh, I never expected this coming from you."

  "Hey! We have the same Master." Poli answered with pursed lips, "There ought to be something rubbing off on me~!"

  "I wonder how they are doing…."

  "I'm not worried."

  "I am." Zern muttered, grimacing, "Do you think Isha can keep up with her?"

  "Ahaha, you underestimate your girlfriend!" Poli added, spping his back, "Believe it or not, they are good friends~!"

  …….…..

  "Pffft?!" Isha spat water out of her nose as the group was walking into the port city of Gintar, one of the more prominent hubs of trading in the Elroth Kingdom's territory. "What did you just call me?!" She wiped her mouth and nose, not believing her ears, as 01 and 02 also almost stumbled, thinking they were mishearing things.

  "Mommy?" Ren repeated, blinking at Isha innocently.

  "Brr… that creeps the fuck out of me!" She shivered, looking at Ren's innocent face. "You are an adult... stop that. Now!"

  "Ahahaha~! I think it's great. Look at me! I could be yours, especially now, with my new hair color! If somebody asks, I am your daughter," she grinned happily and looked at 01 and 02, asking in a cold tone. "Got it?"

  "Yes!" the two immediately answered, and the arriving Lacuss simply nodded, not bothering with the ploy.

  "Damn you… Okay, okay, I get it. Fuck!" Isha sighed, giving up, "Wait…" She suddenly stopped in her steps, and her eyes lit up, giggling. "If you are my daughter, you must listen to me."

  "Er…" Ren also halted her steps as 01 and 02 suddenly found themselves amused, but held back their smiles, as best as they could.

  "She is right." Lacuss agreed. "I'll py the role of father."

  "What?!" both girls asked at the same time, snapping their heads towards him.

  "It's a good setup." He continued, "A wealthy family on tour. Isha as the mother, I as the father, you as the girl, and two servants. We can forge an identity around that."

  "Damn…" Ren blinked her eyes again, but then just ughed, "I did not expect this! But hell, I brought it up, so be it!" She grabbed onto both of their hands, pulling them close. "Let's go, mommy, daddy~! I want to have some fun!"

  "You don't know what you started just now… do you?" Isha looked into Lacuss's eyes but just sighed as they entered the bustling city.

  While the group was exploring the packed markets and marveling at the vastly different architecture from what they could see in the empire, Werebor was standing on the city's main pace, on its balcony, sipping a gss of wine. He was here to personally oversee the merchants' meeting and assign the groups responsible for gathering the different materials his father entrusted to him. Watching the sprawling city with its brick-and-stucco houses painted white, its terracotta roof tiles, and its narrow, cobbled streets, his thoughts wandered all over the pce, unable to focus on anything concrete yet. He was still reeling from the shock of the pills they received...

  "Lord," came in a butler of the pace.

  "Speak." Werebor emptied his gss, turning back towards the old, white-haired man.

  "Your daughter received your letter but refuses to leave the vil. She says she has no interest in attending a fancy academy or… and excuse my bluntness... Still, I quote… 'whatever my conniving father came up with now, to send me off,' and she returned a second, strongly worded letter too." He muttered, presenting it to Werebor, who just put it away, without reading it.

  "I guessed as much." He shook his head. "Since the arranged marriage fell through, she is bming me for trying to sell her off... I can't argue now, as I am the one to be bmed for letting her get away with her antics for so long... Haaaah! Sending her to the outskirts to take care of the countryside in the north was also a bad idea. I'm still spoiling her, aren't I? Anyway, she will go to that Immortal Wonders Sect one way or another! I'll visit her personally when I'm done here. Make sure she doesn't sneak off!"

  "Acknowledged, My Lord." The butler bowed, leaving Werebor there, who looked towards the river, thinking about their future pns...

  …….…..

  Far away from them, a sprawling vil stood in the Elroth's northern territory, overlooking the hills and their rich viticulture, where the hillsides were packed with rows upon rows of grapes, getting ready for harvest. Later, they would be turned into wine, which, in the past, became the territory's primary source of income, exporting almost everything they produced, accounting for 80% of the wines on the market in the Ten Kingdoms.

  "Lady Lulu," came a young maidservant, entering her young mistress's room but receiving no answer. After opening the door, the bedroom was empty, and when she went to the open window and looked out, she could see the young dy in the garden, making her let out a rexed sigh... at least she wasn't trying to disappear. Again.

  As for Lulu, she was in her early twenties, slender, wearing tight, cream-colored martial arts training clothes, doing her routine exercises. At the same time, her walnut-colored hair was tied up into a ponytail. She was fighting a young boy who looked only a few years younger than her and wore rough clothes, with a strange metal colr around his neck. When Lulu's kick arrived at his neck, she suddenly stopped before making contact and injuring him.

  "You let your guard down again!" She sighed, her expression frustrated, lowered her leg, and looked into his golden, calm eyes. While Lulu was around 160 cm tall, her partner was not much taller, with only a 10 cm difference between them, making it a fairer fight than usual. "You should fight properly, and don't let me win just because I am a girl!" She snorted, stretching, getting ready for another round.

  "I can't guard or counterattack correctly." He shook his head, pointing with his fingers at the colr he was wearing. "If I do, this does its job."

  "Tsk… If I had known that, I wouldn't have bought you... You looked strong in the demonstration!" Lulu crossed her arms with a sulking expression, watching the boy before her.

  "I am sorry… Master," he sighed, running his fingers through his bck hair. "But it is as expected. A sve can't hurt his Master."

  "But this is training, not like you try to hurt me… ahhhh… forget it, let's stop here now... Yanda, go and make me a hot bath!" She sighed defeatedly.

  "Yes." He nodded as he walked off, fixing his clothing, and as he left, Lulu just looked after him, letting out another sigh and speaking to herself.

  "Haahh… if not for those strange scales, I would really think you are a human… and a good looking one at that…." Lulu muttered while she clicked her tongue before seeing the arriving maid. "What is it?"

  "I just came to report, My Lady, that the letter you wrote was already sent to your father. I don't think he will be happy about it."

  "Who cares!" She snorted as an answer, "He wanted to marry me off, so he could stuff it. Whatever he wishes, I'll do the direct opposite!" She stomped on the ground, storming off while the maid only sighed, following her somewhat still childish and fiery mistress.

  As they left, Yanda was also sighing loudly, using his powers to draw water from the deep well in the garden, bringing back the fresh spring water floating above his palm, without a bucket, ready to heat it up and prepare his new Master's bath.

  "I wonder how father is doing…." He whispered, looking at his reflection in the water, "Stupid… stupid boy… Why did you leave?"

  He had asked himself the same question many times as he lowered his hand, touching the cold colr on his neck with the other... The thing that would zap him every time he thought about refusing his Master's orders or thinking about harming her, shackling him to her, without a way to resist.

  He tried to escape multiple times, but after going no more than a hundred meters, the colr activated and almost killed him... He had never felt such an intense and painful experience as electricity coursed through his body, frying his senses and destroying any hope of ever being free again.

  It seemed... this life was what waited for him, as he was no longer recognized as human... Just a pet.