Arriving at the gate of the Spire of Ren already took out a lot of energy from Ina's body. She was gasping for air heavily and could feel her heart throbbing inside her throat. Not only because of exhaustion but also because of excitement and deep fear. What if everything was just a hallucination and her son never came to their home? What if he never was there and she never eavesdropped on the exchange? What if everything was just a hallucination? She was swaying in the wind, like a drunken sailor on shore leave, unable to decide to take a step forward or not. The guards had already noticed her strange behavior as she was standing not that far away from them. After watching her for minutes, finally, one of them decided to walk out and question her.
"This is the Spire of Ren. Do you have any invitations or any business here?" He asked with a firm but not rude voice, just as he was instructed by Balbeer.
“Ah… ahm… I… I just…" Ina stuttered, not finding the correct words at all. Her mind wanted to say a lot of things at the same time, but everything got stuck in her throat.
"If you have no business, please leave." The guard stepped closer to her. He was towering over her skinny body, especially in his complete armor set, holding onto a long pike.
"I want to see him… I came to… see him…” She murmured, watching the huge golden gate behind the soldier.
"See who?" He asked once again, but now less patient, as his voice started to pick up in strength.
"D-dar… Daryan…” Ina said, with a trembling voice, surprising the guard, who just blinked his eyes, looking over her once again.
"Wait here," he said in the end, turning away, walking back to his post, and speaking with his guard partner, who disappeared inside the courtyard.
Ina was nervously standing at the same spot, too terrified to walk closer and too afraid to leave, finding herself at an impasse. Her mind was already fighting the thought that everything happening was another hallucination. Maybe she was not even outside, just in her room with another manic episode ravaging her senses. A few minutes later, hurried steps echoed out from the courtyard, and a young man rushed out, gasping for air. When his eyes fell on Ina, he was surprised, shocked, and unsure what to make of it. She looked old and young at the same time, but there was… something he immediately felt. A connection. A feeling. A whisper at the back of his mind that he knew who she was.
"D-daryan?" Ina asked with a weak, mosquito-like voice. It was barely audible, yet for her son, it was like ringing church bells next to his ears.
"Mom?" He asked back unconsciously, taking steps forward.
His answer was something Ina had dreamed about hearing for more than a decade and now, finally hearing it from her own son's mouth was too much for her mind to take. Everything went black before her eyes as every remaining energy left her body, falling forward, completely unconscious.
"Mom!" Daryan shouted, rushing forward, catching her, gasping at how thin and light her body was.
"Don't worry, she is fine." Ariana appeared close by, placing her hand on Daryan's back. "She just fainted. Come, bring her inside. She needs rest and recovery, and I'll ask my Master for some pills that help her body to regain some strength!"
"Thank you!" He bowed towards her with teary eyes, holding her mother as gently as he could while they walked back inside.
…
….
…..
"I can't believe it…." Rabout stood beside Ren, watching the illusion of the Cosmos all around him. He knew what he was feeling was not real. Even though the energy concentration was way better than usual, it was still tainted with their realm's natural air and energy. He saw Ren setting up the formation and activating it, yet still… It was the most exciting thing he had ever experienced. It was unbelievable what he saw before his eyes.
"I could only set up a defective variant with things I have now," Ren said, deactivating it with a half-smile. "Here is the list I would need to make a correct one. It can last for hours or even days. It is way better for cultivation, and it could give you inspiration as to what you need to succeed with your plans." She presented him with a paper listing hundreds of resources that would bankrupt a lot of nobles or wealthy trading families.
"Hm… no problem." Rabout nodded, reading through it. "But I'm not a newbie. You don't need at least half of this, do you?" He smiled, looking down at her, pocketing the piece of paper.
"True. I don't." Ren replied honestly, not making a fuss about it. "At least not for this."
"Mmm, give me a few days. You kept your promise earlier than I expected. I'll do the same, then! I just need to gather these things up!" He clapped, looking around the empty little room as the temporary formation on the ground crumbled into ashes. It was indeed just a faulty copy of what Pongo built in Thunder Valley. As it stood, Ren was not about to share the actual work of her orangutan friend with Rabout.
"Take your time. Also… there is something else I want, and we can barter for." she led him out of the room and up to her study.
"Don't need to hold back. Just ask!"
"I'd like to take a tour of your library." Ren looked up at him as they walked. "I learned about the Empire's history back home while growing up… but my mother rarely talked about her time here or how she grew up, always avoiding the topic."
"No problem. In exchange, you could write down a few interesting ideas of yours that I could add to my collection. I would also document your history up until this point."
"Sure, I see no problems with that. Here!" She produced a book for him.
"What is this?" he asked, taking it away with a curious light in his eyes.
"The first draft from my childhood. From when I came up with the new Body Refinement cultivation method. It is the most authentic record of my thought process, and my husband's comments are also recorded in it."
"Ohohoho! Great, great! I love things like this, ahahaha! You understand me well little Ren! You make your grandpa proud! I'll copy this and then return it to you as soon as possible!"
"Ahaha… you are my grandpa now, eh?" She raised her eyebrows.
"A great-great-great grandpa at that! Or just call me the Best Grandpa! I should make an official title like that and order Milly to address me as such!"
“Ahaha… geez… I'm starting to like you a lot, Super-duper-awsome Gramps!"
"Of course!" Rabout laughed with her, and as they ascended the stairs, Sentios rushed towards them from below.
"Hm? What is it?" Ren looked at him, seeing his hurried steps, ascending two at a time.
"This." He presented a letter, and when she opened it, Rabout almost laughed out.
"Her wording is so clear! Keina is going to challenge you!" He patted her shoulders with a grin.
"I've got the same feeling from this notice's tone. Well, I can instruct her a little, no problem!" Ren chuckled, giving it to Rabout. "You can come and document it and act as judge."
"Sure!" Rabout clapped as he was interested in the whole affair.
"Go, make ample preparation." Ren ordered Sentios, "You don't need to publicize it but let everyone present in the courtyard know and make sure all of the family members attend tomorrow. It is going to be useful for their cultivation as a demonstration!" Just as Sentios was about to leave, another pair of hurried steps rushed up the stairs. It was Kitten, surprised to see everyone there.
"Something else happened?" Ren tilted her head with a sigh.
"Um! Daryan's mother arrived with Ariana. She collapsed, and Ariana would like you to take a look at her!"
"Okay, I'll be there shortly." She smiled. "This is a good development!"
"The daughter of the Nelvis family?" Asked Rabout as he followed Ren, who had already turned around, going into her study, starting to brew coffee for themselves as she listened to his question.
"Yes, you know about her?"
"Of course. It was a family scandal, so I recorded it down." he folded his arms, taking a moment to recall the events.
"Are you a scientist or a historian?" Ren asked with a chuckle.
"Some of our family members are philanders, and some are polyhistors. I am the latter," he answered with a smile.
"I see! Sadly I only met with the former until now, it seems!" She sighed, pouring a cup of coffee for him.
"The Nelvis family is relatively fresh in the trading circle of Rozex. Everything was built up by their patriarch, Ooda, throughout four decades of hard work and honesty. Which is the harder route, especially while trading."
"You would imagine it would be better for honest traders!" Ren said with a small surprise.
"How are you going to make continuous big profits without being dishonest with your earnings? Or source of goods? Or your background deals? Or the deals under the table? He did everything over the table with clear records! He built trust in a way not many do in Rozex, so I took notice of it! He also cultivated to the 8th stage of Body Refinement to defend his name, family, and interests against the other nobles inside the city. If not, he would have been long gone." he shook his head with a soft sigh.
"You make it sound like it is the same dealing inside Rozex as dealing with a pit of venomous snakes!"
"Kinda. It is a field where most suddenly die, and their descendants go from influential and rich nobles to slaves of another family. Anyway! He had one son, who gave him four grandchildren before passing away."
"Natural causes?" Ren asked, and Rabout was already ready with an answer.
"Of course not. Assassination. A rival family. They are no longer here. Rabout dealt with them and avenged his son's life with ample blood. He is honest but not a coward and known to hold grudges! After that, he was pampering his grandchildren, especially the only girl amongst them, Ina. She grew up sheltered and a bit naive, so no wonder the first charming prince coming her way seduced her with a snap of his fingers!"
"I read his background. I mean, the guy who seduced Ina. There were details about him inside the tower." Ren recalled it quickly. "He was a footnote only until this affair. Low talent, high libido. Marked as an offspring factory or what..."
"Did you also read about what happened to him?" Rabout smiled, especially when Ren shook her head in answer.
"Only that he died shortly after this whole incident."
"Ahaha… oh yes, he did! He mysteriously died in the arms of a hooker, no less! Presumably, from a heart attack. Not even the Spire of Rudrick could find clues about any signs of an assassination or even attempts at it! Believe me, they tried, and when there was nothing, they still exterminated the whole brothel and burnt it to the ground."
"Fuck…" Ren clicked her tongue, listening to Rabout's tale.
"Yep. Ooda has a strong backbone and even dared to pull something like this off after learning what happened to his granddaughter. Even going so far as to keep a cold front up against the Spire of Rudrick. Especially after they came and took away Daryan! Mostly because of pure spite. Of course, this showed its effect on his operations going forward. They have fallen weaker and weaker throughout the years. They are holding out for now but give two more decades like this, and they may fall completely."
"Hmm… Now I am even more interested in roping them to my chariot! I'll announce an official apology soon!" Ren said after a long silence, finishing her cup of coffee.
"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows, watching her face, studying her expression and eyes. "That is going to be… a first."
"I could imagine…." She rolled her eyes. "That is also good! It is time to shake things up a little!" she stood up, fixing her clothes. "Let me start with ensuring the poor woman recovers fully first!"
"I'll accompany you. I am interested in seeing how everything is going to play out."
"Sure~ It seems you are already living with me anyways!"
"I did not expect to be swept up in something like this! But it is a great distraction from working for now! Milly was right in saying I need to relax a little~."
"Glad to provide great entertainment, gramps!" Ren grinned as the two laughed, going down to the main floor to visit the unconscious Ina.
Arriving at the gate of the Spire of Ren already took out a lot of energy from Ina's body. She was gasping for air heavily and could feel her heart throbbing inside her throat. Not only because of exhaustion but also because of excitement and deep fear. What if everything was just a hallucination and her son never came to their home? What if he never was there and she never eavesdropped on the exchange? What if everything was just a hallucination? She was swaying in the wind, like a drunken sailor on shore leave, unable to decide to take a step forward or not. The guards had already noticed her strange behavior as she was standing not that far away from them. After watching her for minutes, finally, one of them decided to walk out and question her.
"This is the Spire of Ren. Do you have any invitations or any business here?" He asked with a firm but not rude voice, just as he was instructed by Balbeer.
“Ah… ahm… I… I just…" Ina stuttered, not finding the correct words at all. Her mind wanted to say a lot of things at the same time, but everything got stuck in her throat.
"If you have no business, please leave." The guard stepped closer to her. He was towering over her skinny body, especially in his complete armor set, holding onto a long pike.
"I want to see him… I came to… see him…” She murmured, watching the huge golden gate behind the soldier.
"See who?" He asked once again, but now less patient, as his voice started to pick up in strength.
"D-dar… Daryan…” Ina said, with a trembling voice, surprising the guard, who just blinked his eyes, looking over her once again.
"Wait here," he said in the end, turning away, walking back to his post, and speaking with his guard partner, who disappeared inside the courtyard.
Ina was nervously standing at the same spot, too terrified to walk closer and too afraid to leave, finding herself at an impasse. Her mind was already fighting the thought that everything happening was another hallucination. Maybe she was not even outside, just in her room with another manic episode ravaging her senses. A few minutes later, hurried steps echoed out from the courtyard, and a young man rushed out, gasping for air. When his eyes fell on Ina, he was surprised, shocked, and unsure what to make of it. She looked old and young at the same time, but there was… something he immediately felt. A connection. A feeling. A whisper at the back of his mind that he knew who she was.
"D-daryan?" Ina asked with a weak, mosquito-like voice. It was barely audible, yet for her son, it was like ringing church bells next to his ears.
"Mom?" He asked back unconsciously, taking steps forward.
His answer was something Ina had dreamed about hearing for more than a decade and now, finally hearing it from her own son's mouth was too much for her mind to take. Everything went black before her eyes as every remaining energy left her body, falling forward, completely unconscious.
"Mom!" Daryan shouted, rushing forward, catching her, gasping at how thin and light her body was.
"Don't worry, she is fine." Ariana appeared close by, placing her hand on Daryan's back. "She just fainted. Come, bring her inside. She needs rest and recovery, and I'll ask my Master for some pills that help her body to regain some strength!"
"Thank you!" He bowed towards her with teary eyes, holding her mother as gently as he could while they walked back inside.
…
….
…..
"I can't believe it…." Rabout stood beside Ren, watching the illusion of the Cosmos all around him. He knew what he was feeling was not real. Even though the energy concentration was way better than usual, it was still tainted with their realm's natural air and energy. He saw Ren setting up the formation and activating it, yet still… It was the most exciting thing he had ever experienced. It was unbelievable what he saw before his eyes.
"I could only set up a defective variant with things I have now," Ren said, deactivating it with a half-smile. "Here is the list I would need to make a correct one. It can last for hours or even days. It is way better for cultivation, and it could give you inspiration as to what you need to succeed with your plans." She presented him with a paper listing hundreds of resources that would bankrupt a lot of nobles or wealthy trading families.
"Hm… no problem." Rabout nodded, reading through it. "But I'm not a newbie. You don't need at least half of this, do you?" He smiled, looking down at her, pocketing the piece of paper.
"True. I don't." Ren replied honestly, not making a fuss about it. "At least not for this."
"Mmm, give me a few days. You kept your promise earlier than I expected. I'll do the same, then! I just need to gather these things up!" He clapped, looking around the empty little room as the temporary formation on the ground crumbled into ashes. It was indeed just a faulty copy of what Pongo built in Thunder Valley. As it stood, Ren was not about to share the actual work of her orangutan friend with Rabout.
"Take your time. Also… there is something else I want, and we can barter for." she led him out of the room and up to her study.
"Don't need to hold back. Just ask!"
"I'd like to take a tour of your library." Ren looked up at him as they walked. "I learned about the Empire's history back home while growing up… but my mother rarely talked about her time here or how she grew up, always avoiding the topic."
"No problem. In exchange, you could write down a few interesting ideas of yours that I could add to my collection. I would also document your history up until this point."
"Sure, I see no problems with that. Here!" She produced a book for him.
"What is this?" he asked, taking it away with a curious light in his eyes.
"The first draft from my childhood. From when I came up with the new Body Refinement cultivation method. It is the most authentic record of my thought process, and my husband's comments are also recorded in it."
"Ohohoho! Great, great! I love things like this, ahahaha! You understand me well little Ren! You make your grandpa proud! I'll copy this and then return it to you as soon as possible!"
"Ahaha… you are my grandpa now, eh?" She raised her eyebrows.
"A great-great-great grandpa at that! Or just call me the Best Grandpa! I should make an official title like that and order Milly to address me as such!"
“Ahaha… geez… I'm starting to like you a lot, Super-duper-awsome Gramps!"
"Of course!" Rabout laughed with her, and as they ascended the stairs, Sentios rushed towards them from below.
"Hm? What is it?" Ren looked at him, seeing his hurried steps, ascending two at a time.
"This." He presented a letter, and when she opened it, Rabout almost laughed out.
"Her wording is so clear! Keina is going to challenge you!" He patted her shoulders with a grin.
"I've got the same feeling from this notice's tone. Well, I can instruct her a little, no problem!" Ren chuckled, giving it to Rabout. "You can come and document it and act as judge."
"Sure!" Rabout clapped as he was interested in the whole affair.
"Go, make ample preparation." Ren ordered Sentios, "You don't need to publicize it but let everyone present in the courtyard know and make sure all of the family members attend tomorrow. It is going to be useful for their cultivation as a demonstration!" Just as Sentios was about to leave, another pair of hurried steps rushed up the stairs. It was Kitten, surprised to see everyone there.
"Something else happened?" Ren tilted her head with a sigh.
"Um! Daryan's mother arrived with Ariana. She collapsed, and Ariana would like you to take a look at her!"
"Okay, I'll be there shortly." She smiled. "This is a good development!"
"The daughter of the Nelvis family?" Asked Rabout as he followed Ren, who had already turned around, going into her study, starting to brew coffee for themselves as she listened to his question.
"Yes, you know about her?"
"Of course. It was a family scandal, so I recorded it down." he folded his arms, taking a moment to recall the events.
"Are you a scientist or a historian?" Ren asked with a chuckle.
"Some of our family members are philanders, and some are polyhistors. I am the latter," he answered with a smile.
"I see! Sadly I only met with the former until now, it seems!" She sighed, pouring a cup of coffee for him.
"The Nelvis family is relatively fresh in the trading circle of Rozex. Everything was built up by their patriarch, Ooda, throughout four decades of hard work and honesty. Which is the harder route, especially while trading."
"You would imagine it would be better for honest traders!" Ren said with a small surprise.
"How are you going to make continuous big profits without being dishonest with your earnings? Or source of goods? Or your background deals? Or the deals under the table? He did everything over the table with clear records! He built trust in a way not many do in Rozex, so I took notice of it! He also cultivated to the 8th stage of Body Refinement to defend his name, family, and interests against the other nobles inside the city. If not, he would have been long gone." he shook his head with a soft sigh.
"You make it sound like it is the same dealing inside Rozex as dealing with a pit of venomous snakes!"
"Kinda. It is a field where most suddenly die, and their descendants go from influential and rich nobles to slaves of another family. Anyway! He had one son, who gave him four grandchildren before passing away."
"Natural causes?" Ren asked, and Rabout was already ready with an answer.
"Of course not. Assassination. A rival family. They are no longer here. Rabout dealt with them and avenged his son's life with ample blood. He is honest but not a coward and known to hold grudges! After that, he was pampering his grandchildren, especially the only girl amongst them, Ina. She grew up sheltered and a bit naive, so no wonder the first charming prince coming her way seduced her with a snap of his fingers!"
"I read his background. I mean, the guy who seduced Ina. There were details about him inside the tower." Ren recalled it quickly. "He was a footnote only until this affair. Low talent, high libido. Marked as an offspring factory or what..."
"Did you also read about what happened to him?" Rabout smiled, especially when Ren shook her head in answer.
"Only that he died shortly after this whole incident."
"Ahaha… oh yes, he did! He mysteriously died in the arms of a hooker, no less! Presumably, from a heart attack. Not even the Spire of Rudrick could find clues about any signs of an assassination or even attempts at it! Believe me, they tried, and when there was nothing, they still exterminated the whole brothel and burnt it to the ground."
"Fuck…" Ren clicked her tongue, listening to Rabout's tale.
"Yep. Ooda has a strong backbone and even dared to pull something like this off after learning what happened to his granddaughter. Even going so far as to keep a cold front up against the Spire of Rudrick. Especially after they came and took away Daryan! Mostly because of pure spite. Of course, this showed its effect on his operations going forward. They have fallen weaker and weaker throughout the years. They are holding out for now but give two more decades like this, and they may fall completely."
"Hmm… Now I am even more interested in roping them to my chariot! I'll announce an official apology soon!" Ren said after a long silence, finishing her cup of coffee.
"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows, watching her face, studying her expression and eyes. "That is going to be… a first."
"I could imagine…." She rolled her eyes. "That is also good! It is time to shake things up a little!" she stood up, fixing her clothes. "Let me start with ensuring the poor woman recovers fully first!"
"I'll accompany you. I am interested in seeing how everything is going to play out."
"Sure~ It seems you are already living with me anyways!"
"I did not expect to be swept up in something like this! But it is a great distraction from working for now! Milly was right in saying I need to relax a little~."
"Glad to provide great entertainment, gramps!" Ren grinned as the two laughed, going down to the main floor to visit the unconscious Ina.
